Boot Camp Challenge 10/31-Fright Night?
 

Troops, be afraid, be very afraid! :drill: That time of year is here...holidays, then holidays, then even more holidays!

So what does that mean to you? For me it means more temptation than any human should be exposed to. It means endless rounds of cooking all the family favorites. It means batch after batch of homemade cookies to give to the neighbors. It means sweet cakes baked in jars to give out at work. It means shopping at the mall with all the sights and sounds of the season surrounding me. It means bowls full of Halloween candy at every corner! :o

So, what am I going to do? I am having such a rough week already and am so far off plan as to be laughable. I am still not smoking (good for me!) but have gained somewhere in the neighborhood of 3-5 pounds! And trust me, that is a neighborhood I have no desire to live in! Time for exercise seems like a luxury I just cannot afford right now with all I have to get done in the next week.

And then I think....this is just the beginning. Just the beginning of a long dark winter full of fattening food and no time for exercise. How depressing! I am seriously getting upset over the mere thought of the coming months. How am I going to get through it unscathed?

How about you? Are you getting freaked out at the prospect? What holiday traditions just aren't compatible with your new WOL? So how are you going to handle it? Go off plan from now until January? Change your traditions? Deny yourself at every turn?

I need your help, chicks! I am terrified to go back to where I was a year ago, yet I keep on putting things in my mouth that will do just that! I keep thinking that if I can get a grip for this last week before vacation then I can enjoy myself (within reason) on our cruise, then come back and get back on track. All this while exercising and not smoking. It even SOUNDS like a pipe dream! So, put on your clunkiest shoes or even your combat boots and give me the swift kick in the rear I so desperately need! :drill:

I think I will write a journal entry and see if that helps. Any other suggestions?

I will tally up activity minutes when I get a chance...or maybe just start fresh on Sunday for next week?

Franny, you're still not smoking!! Good for you, hon!! :hat:

What you're going to do is to keep a LOT of OP foods in the house. From now until SPRING!!
And keep the goodies for the rest of the family to a minimum. They don't need to eat all that junk, either. (regardless of how skinny they are :rolleyes: )
There are lots of yummy holiday recipes that are low fat, etc. Start exchanging a few for your regular recipes. Even if you do cheat a little, you'll be eating better than you would with the high fat/high cholesterol stuff.

You can do this, Franny! :grouphug:

Franny you are doing soooo well. We are so proud of you! I am still battling with the devil. Some days I have none, some days a few. I wasn't human everything would be so much easier :lol:

How about reading a good book. I find I get so wrapped up I hardly know whats going on around me let alone have the urge to eat or smoke.

Think about what the holidays really mean..It's not the food or the shopping or the presents. Start some new traditions. We have cut way back on gifts, we only buy for the children in the family and we do something nice for one another, like I will give my brother & SIL a weekend without their kids. The kids will stay at my house then we get special time together and their parents get time alone.

How about the slogan make love not food! and it's good exercise! :lol:

Den will agree with you on THAT one, Sflake. :lol:

Franny~~I think you just made a journal entry today with your begining post :yes:
One suggestion that I would make is that while on your cruise, ENJOY IT. You may never have an opportunity like this for awhile. BUT, after those wonderful cruise meals you can do a short workout in their gym, swim , or briskly walk around the deck to work some of it off. But you already knew this ;)

OK all, Franny just articulated exactly what many of us are feeling right now, myself included. So, what are we going to do about this ?
This is supposed to be a WOL/WOE not just a diet. If we constantly deny our desires, then eventually the dam will explode and there goes all of our hard work.
What can we do to adapt to the holidays and still maintaing a healthy WOL?
I plan to:
~exercise to burn off the calories
~alter recipies to be healthier
~for myThanksgiving and Xmas meals I am going to have a few planned indulgences of things that I haven't had for over a year such as REAL mashed potatoes.
~Pick ONE special dessert that I want for those days by asking myself "If you can only have one sweet dessert what would it be?". Instead of the usual pumpkin or pecan pie I'm going to make something special that my family only gets about once a year, if that. I know that DH and DS will be happy.

I'll check back later with my exercise time,Sarge.

Ellis-YUP!! Tell DH that!! I need him to start wearing a beeper so i can get enough "exercise!!!!"

Seriously-I haven't been posting here because I haven't been exercising. I am making a commitment IN PRINT now so I can't chicken out. I am joining CURVES today, and will be back later to tell you all I have done it.

and hurry up about it, too. :D

DID IT!!!! Joined up and did my first workout!! YAY!!!!! (I need a nap.....)

Yay Den!!!!!!

Good for you sweetie, I new you could do it!

:cp: :encore: :barbell: :cb: :strong:

Oh, Den. :cry: I'm so happy for you. I'm practically in tears. This is such a big step for you. :grouphug:

(I feel like I should take a bow!)

Thanks for the encouragement Sflake and Ellis!! I'm REALLY going to need it nest week when I start getting sore!!!

You could use a little practice with your typing, too. snicker.

Freudian slip...I want to nest and nap instead!!!!

Congrats Den. :cp: You will really like Curves, and especially when you get that weight and measure after a month and see the change in your body, inches and weight. I always feel enervated after a session, and especially when I go, and don;'t feel like it.

Franny: My plan is similar to the others. Healthy food, good choices, re-doing recipes to make them OP. Exercise as much as I can. I make candy for gifts, usually, but I think I will change my strategy. Make a jar with layers of beans, by color, with dried veggie flakes, and spices, to turn into bean soup. One thought I have had. Don't despair, and don't panic. you have come a long way, and you will manage this as well. I am so proud of you for still not smoking. that is such a big and important health step. :cp::cp::cp:


You can enjoy very good eating on your Cruise, without going overboard. It is a fact that on a cruise one could eat 24hrs. a day. There is always something available. But it is also very possible to make good choices, and still enjoy all the great food, and the fancy presentation. On the cruises I have been on, they have the more healthy menu also. And a walking deck where you can walk every morning, especially on the days you are at sea.
You are planning to snorkle and that is plenty of exercise. My strategy was to rarely take the elevator, to always use the stairs to go from deck to deck, and I made myself walk as much as possible. You will find ways to work it out. And it doesn't spoil your trip at all.

Sflake: Keep battling. Every day without, brings you closer to the time you can be 'free'.

Ellis: I love your sense of humor.
Have a good weekend, all. Lizzie

I failed my last boot camp challenge, to increase my minutes. I actually worked out LESS this week! I did my 30 minute video on a day that I was supposed to work out with my mom for 50 minutes (Brian worked late and the baby was sleeping so I didn't make it out there), THEN I didn't work out today at her house like I usually do because I was at home handing out candy. So instead of my usual 150, I only did 80. Ugh. No wonder I feel fat today! And looking at the holiday hurdles I have to clear is making me pretty nervous that I'll fall flat on my face. I'm just crossing my fingers and hoping I won't do so badly.

Harmony, I'm with you. I only managed 1 out of my 3 planned days of exercise. Alas I will not despair hopefully I can make up for it this weekend with yard work :D

Lizzie-THANKS! I can see ALREADY that I will like it!! It seems like you can really set your own pace, and there are people of all different ability levels, so even though I am a beginner I don't feel out of place there. And this morning I feel a bit tight, but no major pain so I know I worked out at the right level. HATE it when I overdo and then can't do it again for a week...defeats the purpose!!!

I am going to start with 3 days a week and then try to add a day or two later if I can.

Congrats Den on joining curves-still trying to get my mother to keep up with it (loathes ANYthing physical, and this from a tom-boy who would play football and jump rope with us when we were kids) :D

Fran-cruises now have low fat menus and they have nosugar added desserts at EVERY meal. They have fruit and 'better' choices too.
myself, being naughty as all heck, had them bring me ALL 3 desserts the 4 nights we ate in the dining rooms. One taste and that was the end of most of them.(I am so very picky with my sweets now-a-days) Plus the serving size is miniscule!

the other idea of stairs is great!!!!! I was on level 4 and the ships top was level 10,then there was the balcony after that. Did that more than once a day!!! The elevators were just too jammed for my liking. You will get in more than enough exercise going from one event to another. from the top deck down and back up again...then the change clothes in between(sometimes 4 times in one day!)

Thanks for all the supportive words and good ideas, troops! :drill:

I am feeling a tad more in control, but still struggling to eat on plan and fit in enough exercise. Tonight is my last night of work before our trip and being at home is BAD BAD BAD....no structure!

My sister and her DH and coming tomorrow, so that means entertaining, etc. I just see all these challenges and they look more like obstacles! :o

But I am trying to just keep it in perspective. I know we will be active on the cruise, so that will help. So for this week I just have to not let the stress get to me!

Den, congrats on Curves! I wish the one around here had hours that fit my schedule!

I am considering hiring a personal trainer when we get back from our trip. Anyone have any experience with this? I just think that being accountable to someone (and paying for it!) may help me stay on track?

No Boot Camp today....very busy at work last night (warm weather and Halloween...all the kids were running rampant!) and DH was using the computer at home this AM. So, you're off the hook today!

If you haven't already, check out Beach Beauty Bingo...lots of new pics posted. I put up some of my DS in his headless horseman costume that I made. Very cute!

I am going to go journal a bit...it did seem to help the other day, not to mention all the great advice from you chicks! :grouphug:

Thanks Lady and Ellen!

Fran-You are doing SO well with quitting cigarettes, especially with the stress of family coming and your cruise and preparations!! Keep up the good work!

lady-Good idea about using the stairs on the cruise!! I don't know if I could stay OP with all that great food around!!!

Stairs? What a good idea! They probably also have exercise classes scheduled. The last cruise I was on was horrible! Too much gorgeous food and I gained 14 pounds in one week which meant I took in about 7000 extra calories a day! Never again!

1 hour of house cleaning and 4 hours of yard work. We put away furniture, mowed the lawn, raked the yard. Cut back flowers & shrubs for winter, yada yada yada. I am pooped.

Not so pooped that I couldn't convince you to clean up MY yard for five bucks, I bet. :lol:

Dropped DS13 off at school and then went to Curves for my work out. Feel like going to sleep.

Den, it's okay if you go back to bed for a while! You've done your workout, you clever girl, you!! :dance:

Hi chickies. I eat like there is no tomorrow. But I did do 20 minutes on the treadmill this morning at 6:30. So one good thing for the day.

Thirty minutes at Curves this a.m. I spent the rest of my day doing paiting of T-Shirts to put up for sale at our Craft Fair this weekend. I sure hope I sell some after all the work. Oly problem is that is not exercise, just sitting.
Den: Glad you are liking curves. I was sure you would. As time goes by and you get used to all the machines, you can pick up your pace. After your first measure day and you find that you havae lost some inches, you will like it even better. :D: Lizzie