Ok Ladies! Here it is, February already!! Did we all achieve our January goals? Did we all get our rears in gear!??

I'll go ahead and start this one off. Amazingly enough, I managed to reach my goals. Every one of them. I think that is a lifetime first. To refresh - I wanted to lose 5 pounds, be able to run a half a mile, drink 6 of my bottles of water, and stay on a daily caloric intake of around 1200 - 1400 a day. I wanted to start getting to bed earlier so I could wake up to exercise, and I wanted to work out at least 5 times a week for at least 30 minutes each time. I wanted to ride three times a week, weather permitting.

Go me. I lost 7 pounds and holding, I have fulfilled each of those goals, and I am quite proud of myself! I dare not gloat, because I have many months ahead. One month does not a 55 pound weight loss make, sadly. But if I can do it for one month, then I can do it for one MORE month. So... my goals for February:

Calories - 1200 - 1400 per day.
Water - 6 bottles or large glasses per day.
Sleep: In bed by 10, up by 5.
Cardio - 30 minutes on the treadmill Tue-Fri mornings, and at least one hour long workout on the weekend. Monday will be my rest day. My goal is to reach 2 miles in 30 minutes by the end of this month. Even better would be doing it on an incline.
Weights - Ok, here we go. I'm adding in UB weights, plus no weight squats and lunges. Twice a week. I'll work out my routine today, and post it a little later. I will definitely be starting out LIGHT, and I'll work out my goals for the end of February after I find out how much pain I'm in from the first workout.
Riding - Continue at 3 times a week. I'd like to be at 4 times a week if weather permits. I will use Copper at least 1 day a week to get a substantial posting trot workout and perhaps learn to canter. My goal would be to be able to do at least 3 laps around the arena in each direction at a posting trot by the end of the month. Ow. Additional goal - to be able to do a two point position at a trot at least once in each direction around the arena. Really ow.
Scale Victory - I want to drop 6 pounds by 02/29/04, putting me at 185. That's the weight I was at when I fell off the wagon completely during my trip to Alaska to see Dad. More than that would be awesome. Stealth goal - 183. That was the goal I was trying to reach when I fell off the wagon.

Another success - I ate out last night and I think I did REALLY well. We went to Chili's. No appetizer, no dessert, and instead of sweet tea, I drank diet coke. Water would have been better, but.. hey. I WAS eating out. I had the grilled caribbean salad with just a drizzle of the dressing. Geez, they give you about a quarter cup of the stuff. I tried to estimate on fitday roughly the calories of the salad, and I stayed will within my limit for the day if I calculated correctly.

It's Sunday. Laundry, riding, treadmill ... and another month of goals ahead. Let's do it, ladies!

First of all congrats Raven for making a stellar showing for January. You didn't just get your rear in gear - you shot into the stratosphere.

I started at 207, wanted to get as close as possible to 200 by the end of the month. I ended the month at 204 with only a 3 pound loss. But it is 3 pounds less of me. Was a tough month as I spent most of it with an abcessed tooth and after a week of antibiotics it seems as if it's rearing it's ugly little root again. I think it will have to come out which is going to cause big problems because of some other dental related complications. But I'll do the best I can. Though I didn't lose as many pounds as I wanted to, I did get a handle on portion control which is a discipline I really needed.

Monday I am starting the South Beach Diet. My husband expressed an interest in trying a plan to lose weight and get fit by our vacation in April. I planned, I shopped and we are ready to give induction a whirl. South Beach fits in with the success I have had with low carb, no sugar in the past.

I am back in line with water again - 2 liters a day which is as much as I can handle during the winter. It's the minimum of 64 ounces and I do supplement it with a couple of cups of green tea.

I did start exercising regularly again. February I want to increase that.
Walking - increase by 10 minutes each week, 5 times a week. 30 / 40 / 50 / 60
Strength training: 2, 20 minute sessions a week. Increase reps and sets as the month wears on.
Pilates and crunches: at least 2 Pilates sessions a week. Crunches 5 days a week increasing counts 50 / 60 / 70 / 80.

I will take measurements by tomorrow so that the fickle scale is not my only means of judging success. My goal is to be 198 or better at the end of the month. I need to get my foot firmly into one-der-land.

One thing that makes me feel better is that for the first time in 10 years I did not weigh more than the previous January. I have finally halted the annual trend of the 10 pound weight gain.

Good Monday morning to everyone... *yawn*

Happy - You're making me blush... I'm not sure what's going on with me, I just feel like I'm extremely determined to get this fat off my body finally. Once and for all. I figure I better ride this wave while it's cresting, because I know from past experience stuff happens, and I can't expect to feel this determined or be this on track forever. I want to milk this one for all its worth while I can. Considering all you had to deal with, Happy, I think a 3 pound loss is a definite win. I also think your point about not weighing more this January than last is a very strong motivator. I was feeling all mopey about having to re-lose some of the weight I had lost several weeks ago, and it occurred to me that, like you, this is the first year in a LONG time I've weighed less than I did the previous year. That really helped me to get my head back on straight. Sounds to me like you've got the basics back in place - you've laid your foundation, now you just need to build on that. I think it will help tremendously if your husband is OP with you. I know that if my BF weren't as supportive as he is, I wouldn't have made it this far. Though I wonder if he's starting to get a little concerned about my weight loss and what my plans are. It might be my imagination. He's not the most communicative guy on the planet, and even asking him outright won't always get an answer, so I'll just have to hope I can keep reassuring him along the way.

I rode yesterday just as I'd planned, and this morning woke up to another half pound loss. Today was rest day, which is a good thing. The fatigue was starting to get to me, and my legs are purely just worn out. Tonight is supposed to be Nickie's riding lesson, but the weather (as usual) is not being terribly cooperative. It's cold, icy rain, and wind. I suppose we'll see how it is tonight. If no lesson, then I'll do UB tonight.

I'm really excited about the possibility of being at my stealth goal by the end of this month. That would be such a huge thing for me. The last time I weighed 183 was about 6 years ago. I've been watching that number slowly creep up, getting more and more unhappy and just never seeming to know what to do to stop it. Well, now I know. Each successive goal I set has a reason behind it, and each one I reach is such a huge relief that it nearly brings me to tears. I think I'd gotten to the point in my life where I'd nearly given up hope of every losing weight again. After 183, it's 176, then 167, then 155. After that - it will be territory I haven't seen since my early 20s. It would be incredible to me to reach the end of this year at goal. And it is very realistic for me to be able to do that. I just need to stay focused, stay on track, keep remembering why I'm doing this. Summer clothes - I don't want to hide my fat behind layers. Pictures - Happy, thank you. That was a very touching reminder that I want memories to hold onto in my life. And at this weight, I totally freak out when someone brings out a camera. Normal - I know all the arguments, but I want to be normal. I want to fit into normal clothes, I want that pouch thing GONE, I want to look NORMAL naked. Not "hot," not a model, not anything unrealistic, I just want NORMAL. I don't want my joints shot because of my weight in 20 or 15 or 10 years. I don't want to be limited in my physical activities because of my weight. I don't want to squash my pony. All things I need to remember when I think that the instant gratification of something off plan is worth it.

Enough rambling and musing, it's payroll Monday, and I must do time. I hope everyone's week is starting off GREAT!

Hello! I'm new here! I am a stay at home mom of two little girls (2yrs old and 7mos old) looking to shed a good 50 pounds or so. I'm a little on the down side today because as I posted elsewhere I spent this past weekend with my sister who was complaining about how "fat" she was getting when she reached 126lbs!! She then proceeded to brag about how she was able to drop 10 pounds in just a few weeks with hardly any effort. So now I'm 60 pounds heavier than she is-- and after a solid week of having followed the WW points program and not having lost even one pound-- Well it's got me down right now but I must say finding this site has definitely been my light at the end of the tunnel this morning!

Hey! Welcome to the thread! I'm not familiar with WW myself, I know it's worked for a lot of people. Do you go to the meetings, too? One of the things I've learned over the last year especially is not to compare myself with other people trying to lose weight. What works for them might not work for me, my metabolism might be completely different, what my body can tolerate might be different, etc. What do you do for exercise? (Besides chasing around your little ones, as if that weren't alot already!) I have two kids, but they're older - 14 and 11. Have you checked out the journals, too? I've used the journals over the last year to really help me identify my problem spots, mentally, emotionally, and physically. I'm glad you found 3FC, and I hope it helps you as much as it has helped me.

Welcome Georgia and RedBallon. Yes, Raven can be a task master but we like her that way. She is much harder on herself than us so don't be afraid.

Are we still doing the weekly drawing of focus items?

If so, this week:

1) Read something motivating (good opportunity for fresh ideas and to go through the piles of magazines we all have laying around)

OR

2) Get in 5 servings of fruit and vegetables each day this week.

Good morning everyone.

Raven I am so impressed. You set your goals and you stuck to them. No excuses. I just need a kick in the butt, as I am stuck in the "I need to get up earlier to find time to exercise." I will have to get over that excuse. I will just have to get up and do it. I am thinking of getting a gym membership again and going to the gym. I used to go at 6:30 and I am thinking that I just might start again.

Happy great goals this week. I think I shall do both of them. I hope your tooth is better. Way to go on your losses for the last month also. I like the South Beach plan I did not feel deprived and it sure did cut out the cravings. Great that your hubby will do it with you. And you've already assured yourself success by overcoming the portion control issue. WTG!!

Hi to Red Balloon and Georgia. Happy Tuesday to you.

Hey Jolly how are you? Happy Tuesday also to you Hippy. Tracy how are things going with you?

Raven the place where we board the horses - they are into breeding paints, Well yesterday I had to go pay for the beasts and they have a mare that just had a foal a week ago. What a cute little paint. And friendly. I will have to go and get some pictures of her. Oh if only they could stay that little.....

Well I must run and get ready for work. Have a great day everyone.

Kathy

Good morning ladies!! I'm on a self lecturing rampage so if it leaks over onto some of you, my profound apologies.

Lucky - How awesome!!! A new foal, omg I'd just go stupid when I saw it. I love paints, and I love foals.. a paint foal would kill me. Definitely pictures, please! *beg* I love them like that, but I have to admit if they stayed that small, I could never ride them... ? Poor little buggers. Though it would be fun to have a couple minis. They're too cute for words. As for the "no excuses" on my end, I'm having to really point my finger at myself right now to make myself listen to my goals, to really GET why I am doing this. I'm hitting PMS and the chocolate cravings are there, as is the irritability and impatience. Nice combination.

RedBalloon! - How great to see you again! How have you been doing? Hey, please feel free to join right in here! I definitely have my bad moments as far as my own goals and motivation, so I could use some folks here who could remind me how determined I *can* be.

Happy - Do I smell sarcasm there? *sniff sniff* Fruit, fruit, fruit. I need to add in more fruit and veggies, yes. Five servings seems like a HUGE amount, but really it's not. I will concentrate on that one, and let you know how I do this week. Good one!!

Ok - The realization du jour. I use "oversleeping" as an excuse to not be able to work out. I mean hey, I can't be late for work, right? Funny how I can manage to get up early enough to walk the dogs, do the dishes, take a shower and make my coffee, but NOT early enough to work out. Hmm. That just reeks of avoidance to me! No more. This morning I did exactly that. Oh gee darn.. look at the time. Then I realized what I was doing and I had to really whack myself with reality. Exactly what is my priority here? To make excuses and stay fat? Or to get this stuff OFF MY BODY once and for all? Consequences can be great teachers, and the sad fact is that if I'm going to "oversleep" then by gosh I'm going to be late for work, aren't I. No sliding out of working out. It is now non-negotiable, just like walking the dog or taking the shower. If I end up being late too many times, then I will suffer the consequences of that, too. I feel like I'm teaching my kids accountability and responsibility, except it's me. Better late than never? No more excuses, Marian. Not even that one.

And yesterday was most definitely a day of rest. Geez. I was exhausted. We didn't go ride, the weather was really ugly. Roads were slick, the rain was freezing on everything, I was just happy to make it home in one piece. I made dinner and collapsed. So tonight we either go riding or it WILL be UB. I can't use the "day of rest" thing as an out on this one, so again, no excuses. Ride or UB. Period.

It was a little tough getting moving on the treadmill this morning, but once I warmed up it wasn't so bad. My legs were still feeling the fatigue from the weekend so I wasn't as fast as I'd hoped. I'm revising my goal just a smidgen. My original goal was to be doing 2 miles in 30 minutes. To do that, I need to be able to CONSISTENTLY run the half mile. That needs to be the base line, not the high point. Towards that end, I am changing my goal for the end of February to be able to consistently (each time I hit the treadmill) run the half mile without stopping. That is the key to those 2 miles.

Right... ok ... *blink* Now that I think I've sufficiently talked myself into submission... I guess I better get some work done around here. I hope everyone's day is starting out on a positive note!

Hey Girls!

Welcome to the newbies!!

Have just a few minutes but wanted to report a 2 pound loss last week. MAYBE there will be one less fat chick on the beach when we go on vacation!

Raven, Great Job!!

Happy, good Luck, SB really workd!

Jolly, Kathy, Tracy, Hey to you!

Catch up tomorrow!

Yay Hippy on the loss for last week. You go girl!

Raven, sarcasm? None was intended so I'm sorry if I offended? Oopps I'm a poet and don't know it Actually I am in good need of a hard nosed buddy right now. Am sort of at the brink of the hill and I don't want to backslide. There are times to refocus priorities and then there's times to just toss out the crying towel and get with the program. I have to push, push, push myself.

And I too have the same problem as you guys do with the morning exercise. I think I MUST incorporate this which means no going to bed at 1 or 2 in the morning. So for the time being, it means giving up perusing the journals on this site which is where I tend to wheedle away the time. It also means I have 4 minutes to finish this post before my goal of to bed by midnight.

I am putting off starting South Beach until Thursday. Some things came up where I would not be able to stick with strict induction and I'd rather start fresh than half way though I have been eating mostly SB for the last 2 days. I also have to go into the office 2 days this week which really messes things up. My tooth is still achy though not as bad as it was but I think it's going to be this endless cycle of abscesses so when I go to the dentist on Thursday I want to discuss yanking it out. After 7 days of antibiotics, it should be all better by now if it's going to ever be. And I got a new ambitious project at work to fit in with everything else so it's going to be a frantic February. My spring semester class doesn't start until the end of the month - I sort of missed the boat on the one that started right after Christmas. So... I am in severe need of discipline again. Planning and discipline. But at least I am prepared to face my challenges instead of excusing myself.

Ack it's midnight, I'm turning into a pumpkin. Best get to bed. Have a good Hump Day everyone.

Good Morning! For the first time in I don't know how long I am the only one awake right now. I got a cup of coffee and actually have time to sit and post I really miss having the time to get on here every morning and get my daily inspiration!

I don't know where the weightloss came from this week. I have nnot eaten well and haven't exercised a bit. The only thing I have done is drank alot of water. Maybe the water has helped me cut back on the amount that I have been eating. Yesterday I got a sweet attack so I made some flourless peanut butter cookies. They smelled so good while they were baking. I had to get some clothes out of the washer and I forgot about them until I smelled them burning So much for pigging out on cookies, didn't need them anyway

We have no school here today beacuse the girls basketball team is going to state. They let the whole county out, I couldn't believe it. Now we have to go the rest of the Monday's this month to make up for today and 2 snow days. I have gotten so use to not going on Monday that I get all growly when we have a 5 day school week I do have to say with the way things have been around here it might be nice to have the extra day to get my stuff done.

Better get going, I have more coffe to drink before I have to get this day started! Everyone take care!

Good morning! Why does it feel so much like a Thursday?? *sigh* Wishful thinking.

Hippy!! Awesome on the 2 pound loss! They add up. Water does help. It flushes out all the sodium so if you're high on that in your diet, you might not retain as much fluid, and yes, it also helps me feel more full during the between meals/snack times. I wonder sometimes if I just confused myself over the past 40 years so much that I don't really know the difference between hunger and thirst. Hmm. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have the time to sit here at least for a few minutes each day and read through the posts and journals. I credit 3FC and the wonderful people I've met here with keeping me going, even when I really just wanted to give up. Instead of giving up, I realized that it might take me a little while, but I would get back on track. It was probably the first time in my life I didn't feel ashamed of having a hard time losing weight. This place has truly been a godsend to me. So... claim your time, woman! Take that wooden spoon and smack anyone who comes near you while you're doing your 3FC run. Oh .. and maybe your subconscious was protecting you from yourself when it comes to "accidentally" burning the cookies.

Happy - *poink* You're such a character! I love it. Even if sarcasm WAS intended, it would take more than that to offend me. I know what you mean about tossing out the crying towel. I think that's exactly what I've been trying to do, too. I know it's been a rough time for me, that's not the issue. The issue for me is that there's nothing to be gained by moping around, or eating, or not working out. I'll only feel better about myself and everything else when I see progress, so why not just get to it. As you know, going to bed on time has been a real focus of mine, too. Slowly I seem to be getting it under control again, but I have to be really vigilant about it. I know the BF wants to spend time with me, and he's up late, so he wants me to be, too. Then there's the kids - trying to find time for them, too. But I must realize that if I keep putting everyone else before me, there will be no time for me left. It's not easy. I think you're on the right track, though. Planning, focus, and determination will get you where you want to be.

Well I'm VERY happy with my treadmill stuff this morning. I ripped a minute and a half off my 2 miles. I'd been doing a pretty consistent 32:30, and this morning I hit 2 miles JUST as it clicked to 31:00. I am able to do a four tenths run now without dying - though it seems to take some innerspeak to convince myself of that as I'm doing it. "Ok Marian, only .40 - you can do it, you've done it before. Hit .10.. there you go, that was easy, piece of cake. Only .30 to go, and you've done that LOTS of times. Ok, now .25, see? Only a quarter left, you KNOW you can do a quarter. Right... .20 to go, that's nothing, you can do that in your sleep. Look! Only .10 to go! ANYONE can run a tenth of a mile!!" It would be nice to be able to do it without the inner dialogue.. I guess that will come with time.

Horse time last night was ... different. The moon was out, the sky was clear, the breeze was up, and it was dark. I decided not to ride but to work Arashi on the lunge line after he went totally nuts on me as I was leading him from the barn to the arena. My boss suggested that perhaps he smelled a coyote, which is entirely possible. I can't imagine what else might have set him off, but from now on I WILL remember to bring those reins over his head before we walk... he like to tore my arm off last night as I was hanging on to this rearing, bolting, 1000 pound beastie right under his chin. There was a few seconds there where I was thinking I might have to run the video of my life before my eyes. After we got him into the arena and the bridle readjusted, got him on the lunge line and put him to work, he settled down just fine. It was definitely odd.

Food is OP, water is good, exercise is going well.... weight is the same so far, but that's ok. I dropped a lot fast over the last couple weeks, so I imagine I'll need a few days to see any more progress.

Oh and .. on the fruits and veggies - what exactly is a "serving" anyway? Is one banana a serving? One orange? What if they're really big? In any case, I'm having a banana with my cheerios, an orange for my afternoon snack, two "servings" (cups) of broccoli with lunch, and green beans for dinner. That's 5, right! Go me!

Happy hump day, everyone!

Raven - to your question what is a "serving"? I wondered about this too, I found a link one day from a health article and saved it. Here goes:

Know how much a "serving" is. A serving is any of the following:

A half cup of cooked or one cup of raw vegetables. (A cup-sized serving is about the size of your fist.)
A medium-sized piece of fruit, like an apple or an orange
A half cup of canned or frozen fruit
A quarter cup of dried fruit, like raisins
A three-quarter cup of juice, or six ounces

I think the cooked vs raw veggies is less in a serving because of the mush factor in cooked vegetables - more mass than raw maybe? As far as the fruit goes - the more sugar content the smaller the serving size is. Fruits get supersized now too. Some bananas look a foot long as do apples and oranges - I've taken to buying the smaller sizes of the fruit or if the large size is on sale and cheaper, I'll just have half the piece of fruit and save the other for later.

Additional ways to work in fruits and veggies from the article were to add diced carrots, onions, peppers to sauces, order veggie pizza, add fruit to cereal, pudding, ice cream or homemade protein shakes.

For some reason I am very sleepy tonight - dozed off on the couch waiting for the weather forecast and woke up 15 minutes later - didn't even realize I feel alseep. Missed the weather too. We are due for another storm tonight - could get 6 inches. We are stuck in this pattern of cold weather and snow it seems. Yuk. Think I'll head to bed early (for me) tonight. I will catch you all tomorrow.