I'll admit to you all that Monday wasn't the greatest day for me, and yesterday was even worse.

But today, that's all over. The holiday has passed, and there are no other holidays in the near future to give us an excuse to overeat and slack on the exercise. Let's take advantage of that to kick ourselves back into gear and start forming some good habits!

Experts say that to make a new habit stick, you've got to practice it for at least 3 weeks. I'm cranking that up a bit, and challenging you all to 4 weeks!

The challenge this month is to stick with your good habits for 28 days (the last day being August 1st). Pick 2-3 goals that you want to focus on in particular this month, and set guidelines for regularity/frequency, then keep track of how many days you actually achieve your goals.

Are YOU up for the challenge?

My goals for this month are as follows:

1. Drink 100 oz. of water every single day
2. Aerobic exercise 5 days/week, weights 3-4 days/week
3. Eat less than 1400 calories 25 days (because I know I'm not going to be perfect)

I'm already on track this morning, having had a healthy breakfast, packed a healthy lunch and snacks, and 12 oz. of water and 30 minutes on the bike this morning!

Today WILL be a good day!

~Elisha

Thank you, Elisha, for the new challenge. I TOTALLY need to crank it up! The month didn't start off on the best note, but I am committing to the challenge, and going to bust my tushie to get back in gear, get my habits back to being habits, and not just "I shoulds."

For the next 28 days, I will:

~ Drink 4 of my glasses of water each day while at work (72oz)
~ Only 1 soda per workday, as part of the Breakfast Caffeination
~ Plan healthy meals in advance for all 5 workdays & bring breakfast & lunch to work
~ Move more. Start reincorporating exercise, and log steps on my pedometer that has been sitting here on my computer monitor.

Ok, now that the goals are posted...sigh! I am really beginning to wonder if I stepped on Budda in another life, or something. I have the reverse Midas touch- everything I touch turns to crap. We finally had a chance and a little extra money so that we could order my desk- well, now they no longer make the companion pieces, so no file cabinets or drawers for me. Ok, not the worst thing. While working in the yard on Sunday, I managed to get bit by not only mosquitos, but also red fire ants, all over my legs. When it started to rain, hubby helped me gather up the piles of weeds and vines to stuff into garbage bags, and managed to rub up against poison sumac. His right forearm is now all blistered and scaly from it. Then, the final straw- I took Monday off to make a long weekend, and have a nice day off where neither of us had to do anything, or go anywhere- just a nice lazy day at home. My day started shortly after 6am when hubby screams into the bedroom to get up because the kitchen is flooded. One of the water lines to the faucet split- either late Sunday night, or early that morning, and the sink cabinet, and the adjoining cabinets, were soaking wet. The water had spread UNDER the tile around the cabinet bases, and was spreading out into the family room and living room, under the kitchen wall. So, turn off the water to the kitchen, soak everything up, take pics of all the damage, call the plumber who did our water filter system- he doesn't get there until 2pm- call a water mitigation guy to bring in industrial size/speed fans and a dehumidifier- he gets there around 5:30. They drilled HOLES- big 3" wide openings in the kick plates on the cabinets. And they ripped off all of the floor molding in the family room and the living room. It sounds like an airplane hangar in my house right now with all these large fans going. We've been in the house since late April....what the heck, you know???

Sorry to be whining- I have to cover the front for the receptionist, so I'll be back later to add & elaborate.

Thank God for this thread.. just what i was looking for.. my challenge for the next 28 days...
1. Up early at least 3 days a week to do the gazelle (dont want to set myself up for failure so 3 out of 5 days is good enough)
2. weights every other day
3. portion control, no seconds!!!!

i could make a list as long as my arm but i know i wouldnt keep on track.. these are the basics...

OK!!! I need to get back at it. Actually I started to get back at it on July 1st. It was just really time.

My goals are:

~track points (and stay within allowed) everyday
~drink 6 cups of fluid daily
~exercise at least 4 days a week

I've had 4 good days in a row now, but it started raining last night at that always puts a damper (pun definitely intended ) on the walking. I'll have to try and go when DH is home with the children and I can go in the rain.

I am trying so hard today to not be disappointed. Monday morning I was down to 199 and today I'm at 202 again. I was totally OP so I don't get it. It shouldn't be water weight as I'm not a salty things eater. I'm soooo bummed. I have WW tonight and I may be up, I hope not. Tomorrow morning is my 'official' weigh in at home so I hope it's not really at 202.

We were told we'd get our sod tomorrow, but now that's it's raining it will be put off again for a while, I'm so depressed about that too

Okay so my poor sod situation is nothing like Jennifer's situation. OMG you must be so stressed Poor thing. I can't imagine the mess. You have New Home Buyers Warrenty right? That should cover the expense. Or did you build the house yourself? Oh how awful!!!!! You must be ready to blow with all the bad luck happening around you these days. Is this making you eat out in restaurants now? Don't need to gain backj hard earned pounds lost.

Elisha, thanks for the challenge, sounds like you need a bit of motivation after your weekend. Is it okay if I count my days that I have already done? I want to count my 4 good days as they are hard to come by for me. I can't beieve that I have actually tracked for 4 days now!

Well, I should do some other stuff as is sleeping.

Diana

Hi ladies,

I typed out a big post yesterday, and then lost it!!! How frustrating.

Goals-
exercise 3000 minutes
walk/run 80 miles
minimum water 64 oz.

I missed my minute goal last month, so I have to "crank it up" for July.

I'll be back later with comments

Good Morning. Good thing I asked Mom for a wake-up call this morning. 5am & the phone was barely audible over the sound of the blowers. Never even heard the alarm over all the noise. There is one bright side to all of the fans and dehumidifiers- my hair dried in about 4 minutes today. Of course, it started to rain on my way to work, so there goes everything.

On the drive in, once the rain started, and I was more than halfway to work, there was a full arc rainbow, and then a fainter rainbow just outside that arc. I'm going to take that as a sign that brighter days are ahead, if we can just weather the storm for now with the house.

Tye- welcome to the group!

Diana- good luck on your weigh in. Hopefully things dry out for you & you can have your sod delivered. We had a builder who did our house, but they still haven't responded to us since the message was left on Monday. I think hubby might end up showing up at their office and camping out until someone wants to handle it. We called the insurance company when it happened, just to be on the safe side- with 2 hurricanes last year in our old house, and now this, I think our agent is tired of hearing from us! We've been eating like kids- nuking lunchables, making macaroni & cheese in the microwave, etc. Not the healthiest choices, but with all the equipment in the way, there's no room to do anything in the kitchen, and using an electric stove when it's sitting in water- not a good idea. By this weekend, things should be close to reasonably normal- just with a lot of cleanup and crap to do. Sigh.

Lauren- Welcome! I love the "shockey face!"

Brandy- Grrr on losing the post. I think sometimes we have gremlins that lay in wait for us to hit the wrong thing and then- instantly- gone. Usually happens when I've got a well thought out post with lots of comments for everyone, and a lot to say. It never happens on an "I'm just popping in to say hello" post, right? You're still leading the way with the exercise, chickie- you kick butt!

Today's plan:
Breakfast
- 12oz diet pepsi vanilla
- apple & cinnamon cottage double
- 18oz water

Lunch
- more water
- 1.5 cups leftover baked ziti
- 1 fruit cup- diced mixed fruit, drained

Dinner
-Depends on when the water mitigation guy comes, and what he says. Most likely something easily microwaved, or worst case scenario will be cereal.

Hope everyone has a great day!

Morning chickies!

And lauren2pink and tye!

Yesterday was a nearly perfect day for me in areas of diet, exercise, and water consumption. Exercise was 30 minutes on the bike in the morning, another 30 minutes after work, and a set of upper body weights. Calories came in at an even 1200, even with a few treats.

Steve bought me a pack of peanut butter M&Ms yesterday because he knows they're my favorite. After dinner, because I was still low on calories, I had a few. But less than half of them, and the rest are still sitting on the table. If I'm low on calories again tonight, I will probably have the rest.

The scale is at 212.0 this morning, which is down an entire pound from yesterday, but I know that's just flushing the crap out of my system from a long weekend of bad eating.

So anyway, yesterday went really well, and the thing is that I felt good all day. I didn't have wacky mood swings, I didn't feel hungry 20 minutes after I ate, and I didn't have my normal mid-afternoon crash. Next time I feel like going to Wendy's for lunch, someone please remind me of how good I felt yesterday.

Also, I got moved into my new office yesterday afternoon. As I sit here typing this morning, my computer is still not hooked up to the network/internet, so I have no idea what time this will actually get posted, as the IT guy just seems to come in whenever he feels like it. It kind of sucks, and I feel very disconnected right now. I can't post, I can't surf, I can't even check my email to get files I need to do the work I'm supposed to be doing.
Ah, well. It will be fixed sometime today, of that I am certain.

So anyway, today is Day 2, and it will be a good day.

Today's menu:
Breakfast: 2 c. coffee w/FF hazelnut creamer, 1 c. oatmeal (not the instant kind, either) w/1 c. skim milk, blueberries, 2 oz. lean ham
Snack: Nectarine
Lunch: Salad (lettuce, green pepper, carrots, celery, tuna, vinegar), cherries
Snack: FF yogurt
Dinner: Baked cubed steak, kale, tomato w/LF cottage cheese

OK, I guess that's it for me at the moment. I'm going to go track down something to do. Have a wonderful day, chicks!
~Elisha

Good Morning Ladies,

Hi Lauren,
Your goals sound great! I'd be peeing all day if I drank that much

Brandy, it really sucks when posts get lost! Wow that's a big goal but you know you can do it, even if you have to "crank it up a little".

Tye, I like your goals and thought your comment on the list as long as your arm thing, that is just soooo true. I once actually wrote down I list of what I had to lose by losing the weight, and what I had to gain by it, I swear it was that long. How depressing yet interesting it was what I could come up with.

Jennifer, I thought about you yesterday as I was in my dry kitchen, hopeing and praying the same never happens to me. And sending you vibes : of dryness and sunshine, must have worked as you got a rainbow

Well, I'm officially down 2 pounds this week. I'm happy with that. I'm really impressed that I didn't get too depressed about my stupid scale and give up and eat everything in the house. That's my typical reaction, I think I am slowly changing my ways. Okay. now for my sad saga. It's raining today and it looks like it will rain all day. So the sad guy says he can't do it now until next Wednesday (I heard his wife in the background say Friday). I am soooo ticked off, as when we signed up for this he said 3rd week in May. Only 2 months late. grrrrr..... So I cried for a while and then came up with 3 reasons it won't be so bad. 1. now all the weeds in the topsoil can grow and I can spray them with roundup and there will be less weeds in my lawn, 2. I can make all my shrub beds this weekend and do all the planting 3. it will be in just before we go away on vacation so the temptation to walk on it will be gone. We can't walk on it for 2 weeks or so after it's in, that's why it's good to put my trees in now. Not that you guys really care....

Have a fantastic and OP day.

Diana

Elisha, seems we posted at the same time. I'm so glad you had a great day. i've had 5 in a row now and my confidence has shot up miles. Keep it up and ban Wendy's. Actually don't they have salads? I've only been in there like 3 times in my life, so I can't remember what they have.

Diana

Hi ladies-

I finally have time to try to make some comments, so that's where I'll start.

dewcan-Congrats on the 2 lbs!!!!! Sorry that you're stuck in the rain cycle. Hope it clears out soon. I did enjoy that you actually thought of some good that will come out of you're delayed so delivery. Positive attitudes can change us.

elisha-great job staying on your plan yesterday. I hope today goes just as well for you. I cant stand it when my internet goes down. I feel so cut off. Hope your all hooked up now.

Jennifer-You poor thing. I sure hope things are drying out fast. I can't even imagine the stress you're under right now. Just keep trying to be as good as possible, and soon this will all be a bad memory. What a cool sighting of the rainbow. I really like how you interperted it to be a good omen. Again that positive attitude shining through.

lauren and tye-Welcome!!! Please tell us a little about yourselves.

My 5K was on the 4th of July. I did very well with a time of 28:27!!!! I was expecting to be closer to the 33:00 range so I'm very happy. It wasn't easy, but I'm going to try another one on Labor Day.

The Cedar Point trip was fun. I was not the brightest and went on a ride I really didn't think I wanted to. It scared the begeebers out of me, and I guess I was white for about an hour afterwards. Definetly don't need to go on that ever again.

Other than that, my brother and his family were up for a visit, so we had a nice family picnic with lots of food, trampoline bouncing and pool splashing. Overall a very nice long weekend.

Have a great day.

Thanks for the welcoming arms... you guys rock!! i'm very inspired by each of your posts... i'm only on week 3 but i love this website.. just what i've been looking for..

dewcan- congrats on the loss!!
artsygirl- way to go on the 5k!! i wish i could do something like that.
miss elisha - good job on yesterday... and isnt it scary without the internet now.. it feels like youre on an island all alone..
jennifer - keeping my fingers crossed that you dry out soon!! and get a decent meal.. at least you'll be sick of mac&cheese..
lauren- nice to see a another newbee.. WE CAN DO THIS!!!

i worked out this morning like my goal stated... i had ONE serving of dinner last night, even though 2nds were calling my name.. but i know i wasnt hungry.. this morning i had Kashi cereal and skim milk.. but i had to go shopping on my lunch hour for my sons birthday.. so i had to hit a drive-threw.. and i'm not allowed to eat at my desk at work so i had to get something i could toss back while driving.. so i had a kids meal at Wendys... and why are we banning Wendys?? they do have salads (hard to eat that and drive).. but i was proud of myself of eating the tiny burger and a handful of fries instead of the jumbo, gianormous combo meal!!

Hi all
I'd like to join your challenge. My goals are:
1. drink 2.5 litres of water everyday
2. get to the gym 4 days a week (I do weights and cardio same days)
3. cut back on portions ( my friend eats on a small plate and only eat one plate)

I don't think I'll have too much of a problem but then again I haven't done it so far so it will still be a challenge. Good luck to everyone. I love this forum.
Robin