"Ohhhh, You better watch out
You better not cry
You better not pout
I'm telling you why
Santa Clause is coming to town."

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Well ladies.... Santa is making his Naughty or Nice list as of today.
Today is the first day of our new ....
Christmas Challenge/Contest/Tool

It does not matter if you have gained ... maintained ... or lost in the past. Put that behind you.
Today is a NEW BEGINNING ... a new challenge... a new chance to work at improving your way of life. So everyone needs to wipe your slate clean. Throw away any guilt you may be carrying. Cast away any doubts. It is time to START ANEW !!!!
Today... Dec 1st, 2004 .... step on the scale:write down your weight and start at where you are.... as of today.
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GOAL
Our goal of this event is to estabalish new, healthy and weight loss behavior...While having a little fun.

For some of us this is a CHALLENGE.
We don't like the pressure of a contest, but we do want to challenge ourselves so we can improve our results.

For others of us this is a CONTEST.
We enjoy a little competition and it gives us that little extra push to do MORE.
We not only are competeing against others... we are competeing against our former selves.

Then for some of us this is merely a TOOL.
A tool to use to discipline ourselves. A tool to improve our behavior. A tool to change our bad habits.

We don't have to analyze which aspect we are doing this for.
We just want to utilize it.
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"He's making a list
Checking it twice
Gonna find out
Who's naughty and nice
Santa Clause is coming to town. "

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There are 4 main parts to this competition.

FOOD
We need to first "define" what our food plan is.
You may choose any food plan of your choice or make up your own.
It is our goal to have a safe and sane plan of eating.
REMEMBER....What we eat is as important as what we don't eat.
After you have determined your food plan ... record it on the first page of your new journal.
Then each day record your success at following your plan .... either the naughty for no ...or NICE for yes.

WATER
In almost every book, article, or diet .... WATER is an important part of weight loss SUCCESS. We are to drink a minimum of 64 oz of water per day.
Again... each day you record your water goal success on Santa's checklist.

EXERCISE
Exercise is not only good for your weight loss efforts... it is also good for your physical, mental and spiritual health too. Our goal is to exercise a minimum of 20 minutes per day.
Hopefully your exercise program will include both strength training and aerobic.
For some of us... it is just getting off the couch and moving.
But the choice of exercise is up to you.
Some of us may have to start with 2 sessions of 10 minutes each.

Don't forget the FUN exercises too. Swimming, bowling, dancing, biking, golf, horseback riding, walking the dogs to name only a few.
Once again...NO...you do not get to count "making whoopee".
It is FUN.... great exercise.... and good for the heart.... but it does NOT count toward your minimum 20 minutes.... Sorry.
Be sure to mark your naughty or NICE list for exercise.
( I see some of your minds thinking some 'naughty' thoughts now)

Last but not least is to JOURNAL.
We already have recorded our food plan on page one.
And we are recording what we eat each day... and HOW MUCH we eat too.
We are keeping track of our water intake.

BUT... we all know how many of us eat to stuff feelings... or to celebrate feelings ... AND WE EAT WHEN WE ARE STRESSED !!!!! Christmas is a prime time for STRESS !!!!!
Overeating is as much a MIND GAME as a food problem.
A weight loss attempt that does not deal with our emotions is like a three legged stool with only two legs. It is doomed to fall.

So ... we need to write about our feelings.
It can be as simple as MAD / GLAD / SAD. ?? ...or STRESSED ????
It can be as detailed as you want/need.
The important thing is to WRITE it out.
Maybe write out a gratitude list each day.

Okay... to summarize... we are keeping track of our ACTIONS.
The first step of action we want to do today is weigh ourselves.
Then we want to record it in our new JOURNAL..
Write out our game plan concerning our food and our exercise.
We then follow that game plan.
We need to drink plenty of water.
And we need to WRITE about our day.
That pretty much sums it up.

We are "learning" a new way of life here.
We are "learning" a new way to eat.... and a new way to live....
a new way to deal with Christmas.
Our old ways DID NOT WORK.

Okay ladies...
Let's take this opportunity to CHANGE the things we did in the past.
Let's DO what needs to be done.
Let's WANT IT bad enough to take the ACTION needed to succeed.

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"He Knows if you are sleeping...
He Knows if your awake...
He Knows if you've been bad or good
So be GOOD for goodness sake."

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Oh... I almost forgot the BONUS for being NICE.
I think they're self explanatory but to make one thing more clear....
Week One is Wednesday - Saturday.
The following weeks will be Sunday - Saturday.

And yes.... ALL of you are SANTA's helpers..
Santa will need many helpers to ....



and a few to keep us off of Santa's naughty list.

Let's encourage each other through these holidays. Let's make this the first of many holidays to come where we put our health first !!

(2cute fading away....singing )
"He's making a list ....
checkin it twice...
gonna find out ...
whose Naughty and Nice ...
Santa Clause is coming to town."

"He sees you when your sleeping... he knows when your're awake ...."

Hello gang. Just thought I would post the roll call here.
This is the list of everyone I sent the contest to.
Everyone should have it by Dec 1st except ...
MaryB. Her's will arrive soon.

SANTA's Checklist of names....

2cute
Andria
Terri
Michelle
Barbg
BarbPA
Lucky
Kat
Thinthinker
Sandy
Jenshere
Dgrizzle
Gmalil
CD
Lisa
GailR
Leanne
Skittles
Kerri
MaryB

Did I miss anyone ???

Christmas is a difficult time to stay focused.
Difficult to MAKE the time to do what needs to be done for SUCCESS.
It is our hope that with this challenge will come that little extra willingness to do WHAT EVER IT TAKES to maintain or LOSE during this Christmas holiday.
We always find time for others at this time of the year.
It is important to LEARN how to MAKE time for ourselves too.

"He knows if you've been bad or good ... so be good for goodness sakes !!! ...."

2Cute, Don't you ever sleep?

Be nice???????????? I think that is too much pressure for me.



Thanks 2Cute for taking the time to do this challenge/contest.

OK I have to comment on the whoopie part!! 20 minutes of physical whoopie...I am jealous or should I say OUCH!? I know I know...I'm outta here!!

Michelle, I was wondering if I was too old to remember?//

I'm ready and determined to do this! Not to "win" over anyone, but to instead win over my old self and my old habits!!

I can't wait!

Same here!! I'm on it... and I'm gonna do this!

I am sooo happy to see so many posting here.
I needed a friendly face right now. Thanks.

Barbg... No.. sometimes I don't ever sleep. My granddaughter spent the night with me last night. I drank too much diet coke (with caffeine) and could not sleep last night. got to bed about 7am and GD woke up about 7:30. So the last 2 nights together... I have gotten maybe 4-5 hours of sleep. And what is bad.... I feel like tonight might be the same.
BUT... Today is the first day of this new challenge... and I HOPE to FORCE myself to at least lay in bed and read by midnight. I think I just need to FORCE myself back into good sleeping habits.
PLUS ... I want to say .. I LOVED those Santas !!!! PERFECT FIT !!!
I tried to put them in the first post here... but it didn't work.

Terri... I got the biggest laugh from your post. Yes... I was worried about stressing you out on that one. Just kidding... Like we told Lucky... you are one of the nicest women here... when your not being
BUT ... we love so please keep her after us... especially ME.

Michelle.... Jealous or ouch ??? .... LOL You should be.... jealous !!! LOL

CD... I am with you.... I just want to WIN over this weight loss battle.
I am ready and willing !!!!

Kerri... Let's DO THIS together.

Okay... I am not going to make the water today. I got 32oz in before noon... but then only that demon diet pop this afternoon. And I drank more than 32 oz.. I would have easily gotten all my water in. Now if I drink this late... I will be needing borrow my granddaughters diapers tonight. LOL

I ate on program... I am getting off here to go journal for the day.
Oh NO !!! I forgot... EXERCISE !!! I guess I didn't get off to a perfect start afterall.
But that doesn't mean I won't do BETTER tomorrow. I DEFINITELY WILL !!!

2cute - I have a question which I didn't think to ask in time for the last challenge. Is journaling actually - journaling? Like writing out our thoughts and events of the day or can it just consists of "journaling" our food intake and exercise?

I'm asking because I use a program called "Fitday" that mainly is database where you catalog all your food, water, exercise, moods, and journal if you so wish. I do this daily - but I do have a hard time writing my exact "feelings" or whatever like a real journal. Does this count as journaling or not? I know i know, I should journal the real way anyway, but I was just curious I'm trying to encourage myself to do so but its hard with all this studying going on to even journal my food/exercise.

I'm thinking about creating a "version" of your Christmas challenge in photoshop to send to my mother for her to print out and participate along with all of us I wish I could just scan/copy it but my printer died a while ago and I haven't had the time or money to fix it.

Hope all of you are doing great! Love you!

Could I be added as a late entry? You folks are having entirely too much fun and I'd like to participate, if possible!

Best of luck to everyone!!

Are we supposed to be posting here on a daily basis to let everyone know whethere I'm meeting the Christmas Challenge each day?

Hmmmm...

Well. If so...

December 1:
(1) I drank my water!
(2) I stayed on track with points (on program)
(3) I exercised (floor exercises)
(4) I journaled

Day #1 was a big victory for me.

Gail, here goes for me:

December 1:
1) Drank 100 ounces of water
2) Stayed on plan (6-Week [Month] Body Makeover)
3) No exercise (still getting over the flu)
4) I did journal, too...

Cheers!

Claire ... WELCOME !!! YES.. this contest/challenge is a LOT OF FUN !!!
I still have a couple of slightly flawed copies of the Dec contest. You will need to PM me your snail mail address. In the meantime just keep track like you did above.


CD ... as far as journaling. Your fitday regiment sounds like it covers everything.

As far as the writing out our feelings. I do believe just as is listed in the "suggested rules". Obesity is a head game as much as a food problem. More often than not our emotions always play a role in our success and/or failure.

I think some of us do that writing right here in this 300+ site.
Just like when you wrote about the "pressure" you felt from your friends to go eat pizza. It really stressed you. You wrote about it here. That is a form of journaling to me. The main focus is to learn how to improve our reactions... as well as our actions.

As for journaling our food... that is mainly to keep us honest... with ourselves.
I know I have often eaten something and not even realize how much I have eaten.
When I have to "confess" that I ate three of something that a normal serving is only one... I become more aware. Then that can also lead to me realizing WHY I ate three. Was I trying to stuff an emotion? or is just a favorite and need discpline ??

You decide what is correct for you. Your fitday sounds like it covers all the bases... even moods.

Gail... it would be great for anyone who wants to keep accountable here. It is not a requirement... but then none of the game is. LOL I would love to watch everyone's progress. I know seeing others progress certainly inspires me to do better. Barbg posting how she did not eat dessert the other day was "THE THING" that kept me away from the dessert bar that night. It is more than just not doing this alone... it is living proof that it can be done.
But.. you can also post that info on the regular 300+ thread. You don't have to keep up with both. The choice is yours. I will always come and read it no matter where you choose to post it.

I too have stayed on program all day so far.
I only have about 16oz of water left to drink.
I have journaled till my fingers hurt.
I still need to do the dreaded E

Now Kat is popping into my head. Postive attitude ... I need a more positive attitude about exercise. It is NOT a punishment. It is an oppurtunity to improve my health, my fexibility, my life. Exercise is my friend.

I also use fitday to log my food and journal and (gasp) exercise...

Thanks for the warm welcome!!!