Welcome Irish Tart - love your name! Glad you are joining us and that is quite the motivation you have

Irish Tart -- Ooo, now THAT's motivation. Heh heh.

Unless something animal-derived jumps down my throat before I go to bed, today will be one vegan day this week. Woo-hoo.

AR

New challenge...I am UP for it!!!!!

Current weight: 171 (yipee!!!)
New Years goal:159-just did the 'lets be real chat with myself just as I was about to place this

REALISTIC NY goal:165

Plan on "carefully" and mindfully choosing the sweets and snacks.
Exercise at least 20 minutes 3 times a week. (can you see what an over-achiever I am.. )

Nothing animal-derived snuck its way into my gullet. So 1 out of 3 days done for this week.

AR

Royally sucked at the Halloween challenge, so I have to really work on this one.

Current weight - 178.2
Goal - 169
Exercise - get back to doing my yoga tape twice a week

Any other mini goals are in the other mini goal thread.

Thanks mauvaisroux! Ok. I'm ready for a new challenge. I joined the Halloween Challenge a little late and didn't give myself realistic goals. But I'm ready. I'm not sure of my current weight. I will weigh in tonight at the YMCA.

Weight goal: lose 7 pounds by Jan. 1 (though I would love more)
Exercise at the YMCA 3 days a week, walk 30 min every day
Eat more veggie! Eat healthy

Guess thats all for now. I'll have to find out my current weight. So, can we/are we going to discuss meals? My worst problem is breakfast. I always wake up late and I end up grabbing something high carb/high cal like granola bars or pop tarts. Any suggestions for fast breakfasts? You ladies are great. Good luck on this new challenge. Later! - Amy

Hi Amy!

I try to make my lunches the night before and set up the breakfast table, with bowls, cutlery, coffee cups, the box of cereal etc. everything except the milk - it cuts down on a lot of time in the morning - I'm not good at getting up on dark winter days

Maybe you could pack a baggie with one of those new low-fat yogurt drinks and a banana, apple or seedless grapes in the fridge so that you just grab it and go?

I sometimes bake low- fat bran muffins and freeze them then take out 5 at a time and pop them in the fridge so I have 1 per day.

Instead of a regular granola bar maybe you could substitute a slim fast bar or a low carb meal replacement bar?

Hope this helps

Amy, I always make sure I have a few hard boiled eggs on hand. Also V8 juice and some mozzarella sticks and LF ham slices. So I can grab a quick bite on my way out the door.

Cool! Thanks ladies! Great ideas! You know I used to be so good about setting things out the night before, like clothes or a lunch bag. I don't know what happened. Maybe that should be a new goal I think I'm going to try that with beverages too. I've done a lot better at cutting out my sodas but I'd like to have a variety. Is Crystal light ok? Thanks again! Have a good day! - Amy

P.S. WELCOME TO THE GROUP IRISH TART (too cute!)

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome! This time really is going to be different!
I will post my weight stats later on this evening!
Go Alternachicks!!!!!!

Crystal light is okay, in fact I find it more refreshing than diet soda because it is not fizzy. Rubbermade has some great drink containers that have a flip top which contains a built in straw. I fill a couple of them with v8 or Crystal light and they are ready to grab and go. You can also do the same thing with any leftover water bottles - I some times fill them 3/4 of the way with Crystal light and freeze them then take them on road trips with me or when I am running errands in the car. They thaw out slowly so your drink is cold for several hours.

Oh thats cool! I'll have to look for the rubbermaid bottles. Thanks! I did a little badly on my diet yesterday (chocolate called my name) but I did make it to step aerobics last night. But I was a complete and total dummy and did not drink water after 45 minutes of tough carbs. Woke up with the worst calf cramp I have had in my life! It hurt sooo bad! But I'm glad I went. It was an awesome class. And I was shocked when I stepped on the scale, I'm back down a pound! I don't get it but I'm not going to fight it. So my start weight for the New Years Challenge is 198 and I'm going for 192. Thanks!

Okay Girls,

now I'm ready to join and commit to the challenge.
New Year's...hmmmm....let me think for a moment...

Okay,
I weighed in at 175 this morning.
We have about 8 weeks until New Year's,
I can't exercise vigorously for three more weeks,
So, I'll set a reasonable goal of reaching
169 by January 1st.
then I'll shoot for 159 by March 21st, my birthday...

so, current weight 175
short term goal 169
birthday goal 159
long term goal 135-145?

How?
over the next three weeks,
walk or do some lower body work 3 to 4 times per week.
then gradually begin adding upper body.
continue with yoga...schedule some appointments with my yoga teacher.
be mindful of what foods we bring into the house
do some meal planning with my partner.
use our meal plan as an outline for grocery shopping.
keep my "good" foods readily available
de-stress by keeping current with my work and not procrastinating as much!

Soozie

Okay, I need to jump in here and commit to this challenge.
I weigh 176. I'm going to shoot for 165 by New Year's.
I will continue to walk at least 2 miles with my sister every other day. Use one of my many exercise videos that I have purchased over the years and never used. Leave sugar and high
carbs out of my diet. Eat more veggies( I plan to visit those
vegan chickies and let them tell me how it is done.) I love veggies; I just can't figure out how to prepare them other than opening a can....so I need to be a little more creative and find some tasty
veggie recipes. That is my plan, please let me stick to it.

Feh, I am still at my starting weight and have not started my tapes yet I have got to stay OP on the weekend and start exercising more