Hi Everyone,
I know I've been away for a few weeks, so I hope no one is offended by me taking the iniative to start the January Challenge Thread.

The last two weeks of December were terrible exercise wise-not to mention food wise with all the holiday celebrations-but I managed not to gain a pound!

I am determined to change my eating habits in 2003. Even though I am not gaining any weight (flucuating -/+ 2 pounds here & there), I want to make changes because I think I will just feel better in general-better self-esteem & more energy, clothes fitting better, etc.

As such here are my January goals-
1. Get back to the routine-exercise
-- cardio 5x per week 30 minutes minimum but aim for at least 40 minutes
-- weights 3x per week
2. Start eating 5-6 small meals per day - more balanced eating. Usually I will eat a small breakfast & lunch & eat a ton at dinner. No More! It's okay to go overboard once in a while, but I have been making it a daily habit & it just has to stop!
3. Eat a fruit at every meal & a veggie at lunch & dinner.
4. I would like to lose some weight, even though I hate to think of myself on a "diet". This isn't a diet-I really want to change my bad habits....soooooo...I'll aim for a four pound loss in January. If I make it, great, if not, no big deal-AS LONG AS I'VE DONE ALL MY OTHER GOALS!

Jenn

Hi Jenn,

I'm not even going to look at my December goals either. And I think we were all MIA there for a while. But that's definitely to be expected with Christmas time and such.

I'm going to try to keep my January Goals simple....so that I will accomplish them.

I am going to try to drink 8 glasses of water a day. Walk about an hour 5 days a week....and begin journalling my food intake again.

Betty

Hi Betty,
Your goals sound great! Simple is the best way. I think if we try to make it to complex it becomes a burden and it is easier to just give up.
I did great yesterday. I felt really good. I had a few small meals. I didn't overeat at dinner. I exercised for an hour-a cross training class that uses cardio & weights & abs. Hopefully I can keep it up!

I found it! Hello gals. I have 35lbs to lose and I will using Richard Simmons' tapes, his food mover, and some assistance with Hydroxycut (even though my husband hates that idea). The reason I want o use that is because it will give me more energy and I will lose weight quicker, which spells M-O-T-I-V-A-T-I-O-N! and I need plenty, plenty of that! Cause I have tried in the past and I obviously got off track, cause I am here! :O)
Anyways, my Richard Simmons is in the mail, but I still have my workout machine (glider) until he gets here (haha)....so I am aiming at losing 5 lbs before the 20th. See you soon.

Hey everyone

well my January is going to be a tough one. I am having a hard time sticking to the diet right now...well actually for about a week...or so...maybe it was the holiday's and maybe i am just making excuses.

I am hoping that january will be good....
I want to drink more water each day!
I want go to the gym 5-6 days a week.
I want to eat clean 6 days a week.
I want to lose 4.5 lbs.


Good luck everyone

one_sweetchick

Hello everyone, my January goals are pretty much the same as my previous months...I really hope to blast these last pounds away by the end of the March (my 28th birthday), so let's get it on!

Goals

1) 16 minutes in the morning (strength training), 6x a week

2) 20-30 minutes walking, 5x a week

3) 30 minutes biking, 3x a week (got the bike set up right in front of the TV, I can't wait!)

4) Take my vitamin daily

5) Move! Take longer paths to the bathroom, take regular breaks at work to stretch, etc.

6) Stick to my eating plan, with 1-2 meals off a week.

Melissa - I wanted to say a special hello to you. I have been using the food mover since June 12th and have lost about 30 lbs that way. I love it, and hope you do too!

Frisco'smom.....that's great to hear another positive opinion on the foodmover! Thanks! A friend of mine also swears it works well and is very easy....I am very excited about it. I think it is the only way I will be able to 'diet' cause I HATE counting calories, and trying to find low fat everything....it's easier to make small steps, you know, rather than change your whole lifestyle.....you know what I mean? Like one small change (that's super easy) is that I have been drinking unsweet tea when we eat out, with Equal, and it's just as delicious. I swear, I just love Equal...anyway, that, instead of coke or sweetened tea is a great move all in itself. I also never drink orangejuice cause of the acid, but I found a low-acid kind and it's great....I have always loved fresh-squeezed, but couldn't handle the acidity of the shelf-brands...I guess it's the way the preserve? Who knows...the main thing is I can handle this pulp-free, low-acid (Minute Maid) kind. Plus, I bought enough bananas to last me at least a week. :O) Much better snack than chips.
I am looking forward to my Richard Simmons to arrive.....should be here within a day or two.
I am also going to try to incorporate serious prayer about this goal, and I think it will help me greatly with accountability and sticking with it. So far so good! :O)

Hey everyone,

well the gym is packed with ppl who have made the new year's resolution to lose weight. I am thinking the gym will slow down soon.

well i do the body for life challenge and i am on week 12 of the 12 week challenge. so in 12 weeks i have lost about 25lbs and lost a bunch of inches. it was really fabulous..so i am taking a week off from jan 13-jan 18...and start another 12 week challenge on Jan 20...that should bring to about 1.5 before my birthday!! i really hope to be down another 15-20lbs by then....that would be exciting..

so....how is everyone doing??? holiday's were tough eh??


one_sweetchick

HI, I am pretty new here...
I just started to go back to the gym for the first time in 6 months yesterday.
My January goal is to get back on track and go to the gym on a daily basis-5x a week and do cardio.

Wish me luck!

Happy New Year Everybody!

Here are my January goals:

1) journal (I even bought a small daytimer to carry around in my purse with a new pen)

2) get back to excercising....is anybody else having an impossible time getting back into their routine? For me this is the tough one! Anybody have any tips?

3) Shake things up a bit. Try different foods, excercise, etc...

4) Cook more. I really like it & I tend to stay more on plan when I do it.

5) Not stress so much. Don't focus so much on whether I gain or loose a pound, but focus on living and eating healthfully.

Kris
SW - 255
CW - 197
GW - 155 (?)

hey everyone!

i will have to look into the "foodmover" i never tried it but it sure sounds interesting.

i am a streak with the gym. i have gone every day since saturday! i plan on going tonight. i may sneak out of work 10 minutes early and get to the weight lifting class and then do short cardio workout as well. i have been doing okay with food. the past two days i have been doing pretty good. sunday was kind of blah- but saturday was good.

has anyone seen the new SELF mag for January. it has 10 ways to lose 10# without dieting. it is all basic stuff but it is nice to read for motivation. it's like you really can lose weight by incorporating small changes in your life. i am trying to concentrate on the first one, which is called "go halfsies" basically we eat too much! our portion sizes are 2-3 times the recommended size. so eat half what you'd normally eat. sounds easy enough, right? ;-) a friend of mine knows someone that lost a TON of weight just by doing that. for example, if she wanted pizza she'd eat one slice instead of 2, 1 scoop of ice cream instead of 2, etc. it really worked for her!

i have been journalling every day (except monday-i was in a pissy mood) and i keep trying to tell/ask myself when i go to do something-"is this going to help me reach my goal?" it really helps you stay on track!

one_sweetchick, i thought my gym would be packed too but it really hasn't been. last year this time, it was really busy. it has gone up slightly, but not as much as last year. also, congrats on your weight loss! you have come a long way!

Hi everyone! I am back from my Christmas vacation on the West Coast. I have missed you all The good news is that I did well my first semester of graduate school.. so that is a huge relief!! Thanks for all the support.

As far as weightloss, I have maintained my weight and I am looking forward to working out again. So on with my goals:

1) Work out 3-4 times a week (weights and treadmill/elliptical)
2) Increase water intake
3) Build up muscle

Alright.. no weight loss plans this month.. but I do hope to lose some. I want to get down to 140 in the next month or two.. but I will start with getting back in the groove.

Everyone sounds like they had a great Christmas/new Year. Lets keep up the good work for 2003!

-Tanya

Hey everyone....

Things here are going great.

Tanya... Welcome back from vacation . And congrats on maintaining your weight through the Holidays! That's great news!!

I have been doing fairly well. I started my food journal today...and I started walking and exercising day before yesterday. Yesterday was a down night and I'll admit it I binged like crazy...but none of that tonight. I just got back from exercising...wooo hooo!! Yay me.... and I am doing to stick with my eating plan for the evening.

Jenn....congrats on sticking with the gym so many days in a row! That's impressive. And doing the "halvies" thing makese sense to me....let me know how it goes.

Mulizza...How are things going?

Sweetchick....you shouldn't have to worry...things will probably slow down at the gym soon. And congrats on doing so great with those challenges. It sounds like they are really working for you!!

Dolphingirl...Welcome! Those sound like great goals!! Let us know how it goes.

Monique...I'm so glad that things are going well for you. I can see how the break in exercise might help!! That makes sense...and that's wonderful news that you are now back into things full swing.

Talk to you all soon...it's good to have everyone back!!

Betty

Hey Monique,

My week has gone really well. I've only had 1 slip up on my eating plan. I've exercised regularly...and I'm looking forward to getting back out there and exercising more this afternoon. I'm really beginning to enjoy being back in the swing of things. I've almost gotten used to drinking the 8 glasses of water a day again. Yay!! I'm so glad to hear that things are going well for you this week too.

Have a wonderful weekend,
Betty

So far so good....I am forcing water down me....I guess it will become habit after a while....gonna have to get me some lemons, I guess. My Richard Simmons stuff came in today...I am excited about the Food Mover...seems really easy. The first week's pretty restricted, so it's gonna be hard, but after the first week I up the calories on the card inserts. Anyways, so I get to experience the videos today for the first time. Well, my 3-year old is threatening to leave home if I don't get her an ice pop....gotta go....will do my best to post often.