Hey there,

It's stil Sunday so I haven't weighed in yet (I weigh in on Mondays). I know it won't be good. My goal was not a good choice last week knowing that I rarley see my friend and when I do we over indulge. No excuses though, I should have done better.

This week's goals:

Stay within my points 5 out of 7 days (small changes, better than not staying within them at all)

Exercise 3 times. That's it just three times.

Reread Dr. Phil's keys. I know I've read the book like five times, but each time I learn something new. Plus it brings me some focus.

Well I hope everyone had successful week's last week. I am looking forward to another week.

~misty

I weigh in on Thursday nights. I have been doing good today, and still have 7 points left. We even ate dinner with my inlaws and I still have points, yea for me!! Going to take a walk in a little bit, maybe with me mother in law.
Keep up the good work, Misty, I'm rooting for you!!
I'm in it for another week, just one week at a time, maybe these small goals will help me reach my big one!
Donna

So, is there a particular challenge? Or is is it what we want it to be?

Ivanna B. Svelte

Thanks!

Ivvana B. Svelte...THAT IS AWESOME!!!

The challenge is: You choose a small goal and stick to it for a week. I didn't choose a set area or goal for everyone to follow like boot camp. This is because I feel that everyone's goals should be able to fit thier life. If it doesn't mean something to them, people often won't stick to it. I have long term goals. These short term goals are just implementing the behavioral changes needed to achieve my long term goal, in a slow progression that, personally, I feel will increase my chance of success.

So this One Week at a time challenge is about making those small changes that will shape your life slowly and steadily into a healthier version of itself.

Ideally one's goals from the previous week should continue to be employed or increased. For example, my goal for this week is three days of exerscise, a small change for me. Next week I will either choose a new goal and continue at least three days of exercise, or increase my exercise to four days.

I was thinking that maybe after several weeks we'd up the length or something. Or maybe not. We'll see what everyon thinks.

I felt with the boot camp, and this may just be me, but you commit to 12 weeks of certain rules and three days of breaking the rules, and once I screwed up on my fourth day I had failed. I felt like I had blown the whole 12 weeks. I did not meet the challenge. I know the old, get up dust yourself off adage, but by definition if you do not meet the requirments you committed to follow you did not meet the challenge. Then with several more weeks to go I really wanted to start all over. But b/c I was committed and had started the whole thing on here I could not start afresh with a new 12 week challenge. I like one week. If I screw up, I get a clean slate the next Monday.

I know that you can't let failure get you down, and I am not. But I also need to learn to look at failure at face value. If I did not meet my goal, that is in fact failing. I need to stop sugar coating and excusing. But, I need to look at it as a learning experience and decide how I can set my self up for success next time.

This week I failed. I feel really embarassed about that b/c I am the one who started this thread and I could not make it through the first week. I half thought about posting just my loss and not mentioning that I did not meet the goal. Lying by ommission as Dr. Phil says, is still lying. So here is the truth. I not only did not stick to my points, I ate Olive Garden (not a healthy choice form there either), Oreos, icecream, subs, pop, candy bars. I chose to eat these things. I see that frustration triggered my eating.

I had a ton of fun really on my trip, but my best friend is extremley controlling. I was stuck doing stuff on her schedule and doing stuff that she wanted. I had seveal things I had hoped to get done while I was in the city and could not. My kids were sick and my friend's were getting frutrated with my daughter b/c she was having one melt down after another. She is two, had had no nap in two days and 4 hours of sleep from Friday night to Saturday. I explained this over and over. I would have left on Saturday but I was so exhuasted I did not feel safe driving the 2 1/2 hours home alone with the kids, I fall alseep in the car very easily and that is not good. We live in a very calm house hold. My husband and I rarley raise our voices, we're mor snide comments and passive agressivness. Still not good, but just not as LOUD. My best friend and her husband argue constantly and they yell. I'm used to it. They've been together 14 years and have always been this way, but my kids don't understand that and react by being stressed out. Overall though it was fun. We went to the zoo and did some yard sales.

Next time I go I will take snacks, and breakfast. I will only stay for the day if I have the kids, or I will try to go up without the kids if I have to spend the night, or I will stay with my sister inlaw perhaps. I will ask to cook instead of order out, or we will choose a place where I can not be tempted by loads of pasta and bread sticks. I will put my foot down and speak up, or at least try to. This is something I need to work on. Like this Friday I haev to go watch my mom's kids. I don't want to. It's an hour and a half drive round trip, and I will only be there a couple hours. It's the only day where I am home alone with my kids. It's the only day I can run errands, clean my house and do all the thinsg I can't do when the kdis I watch are here. But she doesn't have anyone else to watch them, and I feel guilty if I don't.

I had a 2 pound loss last week, despite not meeting my own small challenge. How did everyone else do?

On to another week!
~misty

I am here again b/c I am trying to avoid stress eating. Working on Key Four: Matery over food and Impules Eating. My kids are sick. The baby laid down at 10 after a horrible, grumpy morning. My daughter, normally sweet and good natured was screeching and crying as well as hitting, biting and pushing. So even though it's only 20 minutes until lunch time I laid her down too. I just couldn't take it anymore. I had really hoped to keep her up until she ate, but there is just no way. My nerves are shot. There is NO reasoning with an ill toddler.

We have a doctor's appointment at 4:30. The Dr. is not in just the PA, but hopefully all will go well. The last PA they had wanted to send my newborn daughter to an oncologist b/c a technician took 20 minutes to draw a blood sample and it clotted in the tube before she was finished. So the PA thought my daughter must have lukemia. UMMMM Hello! If you wait 20 minutes the blood will clot. Sheesh. So I hope we get a normal one.

I am feeling calmer now and I think I can go safeley into the kitchen and cook some lunch without eating my way through the process. I wish I had some coffee filters!

Well have a good day all!!

~misty

Wow, Misty! This is an awesome challenge - and your story is one I can relate to. I can also relate because I also come from Pennsylvania - Ligonier - near Pittsburgh. I live in San Francisco now. The reason I mention this is that perhaps there is something in the Pennsylvania mentality that has us doing for others, or putting up with others, when we really don't want to.

Hmmmm! That being said, I resolve to exercise 3 times (don't do it at all when I aim for 6 days), and to journal my food for 4 days. I am doing Weight Watcher Flex, what is everyone else doing?

Actually, I have been "doing" Weight Watchers for about 12 years, and have stayed about the same weight - guess I have maintainance down - even tho I am going to lose 40 plus pounds. My real name is Constance - Time to choose small goals and MEET them!

Much love,
Ivanna B. Svelte

Hey Constance, we must have posted at the same time lol!

Those are great goals!! I do WW flex as well. I don't attend meetings though, just do it on my own. Made myself some food journals in excel. So I kind of try to stay winthin my points and follow Dr. Phil's keys.

Ok guess I have to feed these other kids lol. They are being soooo good, normally it's them who make me pull my hair out. Have a great day

~misty

hello ladies,
I started my 12 weeks today, well i was watching what i ate yesterday. I actually started working out today. weighed in today however (how depressing is that???) well it will get better. walked on treadmill for 30 min, now out to do yard work. will go to the market in a bit and get some good food. have a great day.

OK - ONE workout down! - Went to Curves! So far so good on the journaling!


Ivanna B. Svelte, aka as Constance, aka as Dtimpma (the ma of the SF symphony principle timpanist)

Hi everyone! [I'm new]

My goal for the week is to jog 2 evenings for 30 minutes. I already go to the gym for weight training and cardio twice each week and do cardio another day, but I want to memorialize my goal of getting moving more so maybe I will do it this week!

Welcome Constance!! My name is Donna, 26, no kids, married. I do WW flex, and I do go to meetings (well, right now, at least). I go with my best friend, but lately I don't feel like she is much of a friend. She was only like 160 punds, and just had a baby four months ago. Since we have been on WW, she had lost 26 pounds, and me only 16. She brags about how "skinny" she is and asks do I want her "fat" clothes for when I lose some weight. I just want to break her skinny neck!! It is very frustrating and hurtful to me and I feel kind of like it is hindering my progress. What should I do? I've tried to talk to her about it, but it didn't do any good. My husband thinks I should find another meeting, (one of my other friends goes to a different on), but I hate to leave her with no one. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Howdy! I'm new this week too.

My goals for the week:
No late night eating.
4 Good workouts (this week will be hard because my schedule is goobered).

Donna - having gone through a big weight loss myself I can tell you that many people will actively try to stall your progress. As you get thinner you become more of a threat to them. As much as I didn't want to believe it, I now must admit that it was true of some people.

The best advice I can give you is to steer clear of her for awhile. It's sad, but you need to surround yourself with people who support your goals. It's not your responsibility to keep her company at meetings. Ditch the guilt and get yourself to the supportive environment you deserve.

Take Care,
Honey

good morning!!

Welcome Honey! It's very inspiring to see how far you have come!! It makes me feel like it is possible. Great Job!

Donna, Honey is right. You need to surround yourself with people who support you. It's understandable that your friend is excited about her loss, but that is absolutley no excuse for being negative towards you. The fact that you've talked to her and she still doesn't understand indicates, to me, that she isn't going to get it. You don't owe her anything, and you don't need to hold her hand by attending meetings with her. I'd attend the other meeting, and who knows you may meet a group of people who are far more supportive and find some new friends.

I did very well yesterday, even while eating out. I was still within my points. We had to go fill perscriptions and I just didn't feel like cooking dinner. I did not exercise. We got into the Dr. and my 8 month old has a double ear infection, bronchitis, possibley a sinus infection and thrush. My daughter's ears seem to still be infected so they extended her antibiotic. So 6 perscriptions later we're hopefully going to feel better. It's amazing. We went TWO YEARS without any antibiotics. My daughter has never had one until now. I start babysitting two kids who have older siblings in school and we are hit with one thing after another and now we're passing out the pharmacy 4 times a day.

Oh well such is life. At least I know this is something my kids will get over.

enjoy your day everyone

~misty

Morning all. I've been MIA for a bit. I've just been feeling stressed because I've got so much going on and I don't feel like doing anything. I work 12 hour nights (Sunday night we were short staffed by 2 nurses and we ran our butts off with pretty much no breaks), I'm doing 2 courses by distance education, trying to work on the house for putting it up for sale in a few months and of course I would like to be getting to the gym and putting in some serious effort to lose weight.

Well yesterday was my b-day, I'm 37 and another year gone by where I didn't lose any weight and I feel like my health is even worse than ever. I gave myself permission to pig out at supper (I had chicken and ribs and ice cream cake) but today I am back to basics. My goals this week are the same as last week: my protein shakes for breakfast and lunch and I'm going to get to the gym at least 3 times this week.

Misty - sorry to hear that your little ones are sick. I guess I'd be cranky too with all those respiratory infections. Since you sit those 2 kids with older siblings at school who are bringing these bugs into your house you should get them to wash their hands the second they walk into your house or use some of that disinfectant hand wash. Buy a big bottle and get them to put it on their hands regularly as they are probably wiping their noses when you don't see. Also you might want to think about having out toys for them to play with that you can disinfect every night. Our daycare wipes down most of their toys every day. The infant center wipes their stuff down at least twice a day. I know it sounds a bit extreme but it would be worth it in the long run. Good job on the 2 lbs. You did well even though you were away for a few days. Must have been more conscientous than you thought.

Well have a good day all. Take care.