Mia mentioned a new thread, and since it is Sunday, I think it calls for it!


What is Hot & Healthy Challenge Chicks?
A bunch of us were all part of different challenges together, and when the challenges ended, we decided not to! So we all came together and decided to start a long term challenge group, and we called them the Hot & Healthy Challenge Chicks!

-Anyone can join the group no matter what your goals are or where you are in your weight loss journey.
-We are here to support each other, encourage each other, laugh together, and cry together.
-Our unified goal is to exercise, eat right (whatever diet plan we may each separately be following), and have fun!
-We encourage new members, as the more that join, the more friends we have to support us along the way!
-We only ask that you follow one teensy, tiny rule. At the beginning of each month we state what our goals are, and they can be WHATEVER YOU WANT!
Then at the end of the month we can share how well we did with our goals, etc. However, sharing at the end of the month is completely optional.

So let's do this!

Well, I lost that official pound. I am officially at 267.2, where I was before Christmas steam rolled over me!
We're going grocery shopping today, and this time Shaun is coming with me. I'm going to get 2 carts, and tell him to just go wild and buy for himself whatever he wants, and I will make him whatever he wants. Then I'll do my shopping separately. Let's hope this works!

Yesterday was definitely quiet.

stopeating: Thanks! I'd just like to put out there that there are other victories other than scale victories, NSV's (non scale victories). If you know that seeing the numbers on the scale go down trigger you or cause you lose your momentum, why not just not weigh yourself? Or just weigh yourself when you feel confident that you can keep moving past the scale? I think you're doing great

Mia: Isn't it crazy how everyone goes crazy over sports? DF is like that with wrestling. Except with wrestling (entertainment wrestling) it's all planned! LOL

Have a good day everyone!

-Mande

thanks martiniforme i wasnt sure about the thread congrats on the loss
by the way when is your anniversary im trying to lose at least 10 by valentines which is my 2 year anni

Hi all, I was going to post yesterday, but got distracted and did not end up doing it. I had a good day with exercise, I did my mile, as well as 30 mins. floor, so thought that was pretty good. Food wise I was good till the evening, started off with a smoothie, then in the evening had cheese and crackers, just too much of it, I also had some dark choc. too much of that too! Today I really was not hungry, I made a stew, my son came for dinner and brought me flowers (we been having a few fights over the girlfriend Cause I make comments when I should not) so have been keeping my trap shut! So had a spoonful of potatoes and a large spoon of meat and veggies, think I will have some frozen yogart soon. I am up from 229 to 232.5, not doing so great, not a lot of willpower. Have my appts. this week for the dietican, my knee (both Tues.) and my arm on Wed. so a little worried about the body parts and what the outcome will be, especially knowing they have to operate on my arm again. Have been staying in and like just being by myself, if I go out I only spend money I don't have anyhow. Hubby and I have decided to get the stuff in the freezer eaten, before we go buying a bunch more stuff.

Everyone sounds like they are also fighting to stay on track, not weighing myself is just not something I can do, don't know about the rest of you? Matiniforme congrats to you for losing. The only sport I enjoy is football. I used to really like hockey, when my son was younger and played, but now it is just too rough, he plays twice a week, I have not seen him play in probably 5 yrs. And my husband coaches one of his teams!
Well wishing everyone a good rest of the evening and a good day tomorrow.
Sharon

your not by yourself Sharon, im not doing so well myself

Martini and Jasmine -- congrats to you both on your loss! Every lb. lost gets us closer to our goals!

Mia -- congrats to the Saints' win over Philly. I'm from PA and a big Eagles fan. If only the Birds had managed to hold on to the darn ball more -- cripes, did they grease their fingers b/4 the game? And that false start -- aarrrggghhh!! -- the fans certainly played their part in the win But I'm glad for you guys; after the past year you all deserve a win like that!!!

So far, so good w/everything. Although I wasn't planning on exercising today, I ended up doing 3 miles on the treadmill, running for part of it. Having a hard time w/the C25K workout. Running for 1 minute then walking for 90 seconds I find annoying. So I'm making up my own C25K. Run as long as I feel comfortable then walk. Hey, works for me! I also bought two new pairs of sneakers. One w/be just for exercise. They're Nike Air running shoes. The other (also Nike Air) are walking shoes that I'll use for everything else.

Keep your chin up ladies. I'm just awaiting for the honeymoon period to be over w/this whole diet/exercise thing. I can hear those m&ms calling me in the distance. For now I'm hanging up but one of these days I'm going to answer and stay on for a while!!

Jo

Mia: No problem! My 5yr anniversary is on February 18th. It's like a child who has a birthday close to Christmas, I totally get shafted on VDay! Hahaha.

To all of you: if it's time to start a new thread, anyone can do it! So don't be shy!

Sharon: I definitely feel you on the scale thing. In the very beginning I was stepping on the scale every day. I just couldn't help myself. Now I make it a point to only record the weigh-ins that are on my weigh-in day. Which is Friday, so although I have lost a pound, I won't record it. I'll only record my weight from next Friday. Simply because there are too many factors that go in to weight fluctuation. For me, if I eat something salty (which isn't often, not a fan), or I don't get enough water in, I will retain water, and it will fluctuate my weight up to 2-3 lbs! I also make sure I weigh myself around the same time in the morning as the previous Friday, usually right after I wake up and go brush my teeth, around 6:30am. Good luck, though! This is something I believe you can conquer I'm also very bad for the comments . Sometimes it just drives me crazy the things DF's brother does, I just can't help myself. But I REALLY must exercise some discretion, and learn to bite thy tongue!

Jo: Thanks! And I think tweaking your workout to match your stamina is a good idea. If you aren't pushing yourself, you're not doing as much for your cardiovascular system as you could be doing. I only wish I had your stamina! Someday!

*** *** ***

Okay, so the grocery shopping thing worked out well, but it cost us over $400.00 CAD! I don't think we'll be doing that again. DF will usually eat whatever I put in front of him, but I want him to enjoy the things he's eating, and as an adult have a say in what food he consumes. I have gotten him eating at least 1 fruit and 2 veggies a day, though, which is a milestone for him. He has the metabolism of a.. a.. cheetah, or something! Hahaha. But overall, I feel good about today. Unfortunately, only consumed 662 cals today, which is bad, but I just COULD NOT stomach much today. Not sick, just feeling finnicky. Does that ever happen to anyone else? The only trick is not to let it bite me in the *** later this week when I'm telling myself I can eat this or that because I have a calorie deficit. I really just need to try to reach my goal of the day, and not be concerned about the weekly intake. Wish me luck!

Have a good night everyone. Tomorrow our kitty is getting declawed, so I want to go cuddle with him for a bit. I hate to take away his food and such, which he won't like very much, so some extra love is called for.

-Mande

Hi Mande,

Thank you so much for inquiring after me. You are so sweet!! I've been naughty these past couple of weeks and although I really need to get back into the swing of things, the move and the holidays really put a damper on my so called diet. I have kept the weight off that I've lost though, and I'm pretty impressed with that. I talked to my hubby just today and we will be getting back on track starting Tues. I need to go grocery shopping and it's just crazy how much of a mind frame a person has to have in order TO diet. I have to be conscious (sp?) of the whole eating healthy, watching portion sizes and what I'm putting into my mouth. If I don't pay attention, then I get the munchies and eat without even thinking, always looking for something to satisfy my "fake stomach" that doesn't really exist!!!! AAAAhhhhrrrggh. Hehe... No excuses, right? So, again, thanks so much Mande for dropping me the note. Now I've signed in and I'm back again and I really do want to lose weight and get back to the exercise thing. I sure miss you and everyone else I've met on this site.
P.S. Yes, I have had finnicky moments. I was having them right before I ended up in the ER with a stupid Kidney stone. I wasn't drinking enough and wasn't hungry. It was probably a lot of stress. So just try to stay hydrated and do the protien shake if you have to to get some cals. in so you're body has the energy and nutrients it needs.
Be back tomorrow and ON TRACK!
P.P.S. I hate trying to get back into the exercise thing. That's my worst hang up. But once I start I'm good. So wish me luck. I'll make Tues my goal for walking...

Cheerio my dear ladies!

Aww, Sug! I'm so glad you're back!!
I almost fell off the exercise wagon myself, and didn't exercise for a couple of weeks. And I think because I relaxed over Christmas, it was soo much harder to get back in to it. I'm definitely struggling, haha. But yes, a protein shake is a great idea! I also had turkey for dinner just to make sure I get in a good amount of protein, and even had desert (fat free of course! le sigh). And I was definitely thirsty! I've drinken sooo much water today, I swear I've peed at least 5 times today! TMI, I'm sure!

Tuesday sounds like a good plan . And I still graze like a cow to the fridge from time to time, haha. I just started stocking my pantry and fridge full of stuff that is low cal and good for me. I've started eating fruit yogurt as a snacky thing (only 40 cals for the Silhouette RF!).

Anyway, I'm so glad to have you back

Sugarb -- I think dieting is 90% mental. You absolutely have to get into the right frame of mind. Once there, it's easier to stay there but getting to that point is sometimes impossible! I usually have that "all or nothing" head but I'm trying not to do that. I'm telling myself that it's ok to blow a day off once in awhile; just get right back on track the next day. Also what I find really hard is the amount of food I eat. If I keep track of everything calorie-wise I can actually eat sweets -- I just can't eat a party bag of m&ms! Just trying to keep a balance of it all. Good luck!

Jo

Heya girls. I weighed myself this morning, and I'm down to 187! Haven't updated my ticker yet. But that's that much closer to the 185 I was at pre-December, so I'm happy.

Jo, you're so right about it being mainly mental. I used to do the all-or-nothing really badly; if I had a bag of candy in the house, I'd snack on one...then I'd have another...then I'd say, whatever, I've already started on them so I might as well finish them and get them out of the house! I neglected to remind myself that "out of the house" also meant "onto my hips" if I did it that way. But once you can teach your mind to automatically go for healthy stuff, it is SO much easier.

Martini, good for you, being back to pre-Xmas weight! That sounds like it was a seriously expensive grocery trip! It sounds to me like we're all kind of struggling to get back into exercise after December wreaked its havoc on routine.

Well, I'm off. Got buttloads of housecleaning to do today. Luckily I have the day off from classes, which means I might actually be able to get something DONE.

Hi all!!

You all are so right about the mental aspect of dieting and getting in the right mood frame. but keeping yourself in that right mood frame has always been my challenge. I have been concentrating on exercise and not the diet necessarily this week and don't think it's worked out all that well.

I am now 177.4 which isn't that far off pre-Christmas weight but still not down to where I was just yet. I need to focus on both diet and exercise at the same time.

I am soooo tired today. Hope i'm not coming down with a cold like my husband has. Sleep is so important and I didn't have that much last night. Everything (the dog, etc.) was waking me up last night.

Vitamins have helped me with cravings. I have been taking a chewable kids because it doesn't give me a headache like the others did. I just need to focus on calories in and calories out this week after all i have been at this since August 2006. I need to get my self into high gear!!

Mande: Thanx for starting it! Is Sean still sabatoging your efforts? Great job on that pound!!!

Mia: Hey hun! That day is coming up soon!!

Canuk:

Great on the exercise! Is it water weight? Great on the healthy eating!!

Yeah I weigh once to twice a week. I have to hold myself accountable!

Is that really me:

Thanx hun!

That is great! Keep it up!!


martiniforme:
Aww hun! You know what I decided to start doing? Not necessarily to watch cost although I am always being frugal. I have been buying those whole chickens when they go on sale! .59 cents a pound baby! 1 of them can feed my whole family of 7!!! I have been making two at a time but there is always enough meat left over for another nite! I have a deep freezer so I stock up, otherwise they are 1.40 a pound! I have 16 in the deep freeze right now. ENough til they go on sale again! Yeah!! WHat I was getting to is that you can give the guys the thighs and legs wings etc and you eat the breast!!

sugarbaby269:

So good to see ya hun!!!
I am impressed too! Great job! Get back on the wagon though!!

Nikaia:

That is great sweetie!!

Glad you can get caught up!

loveandlaughalways:
That is great hun! Keep it up!!

Okay ladies so the last thing I knew I was making home made enchiladas from scratch and the next thing I knew I was being really bad for a few days! hahahah

The enchiladas turned out GREAT!! I lessened the amounts of the basil and oregano a bit so it wouldn't be to sph. tasting and added chili pepper flakes and all. But I under guestimated. It said 8 servings so I tripled that and I should of made it like 48 servings sauce wise! uggghh!!! Maybe it would of been alright but my oven is not working so what wound up happening is I have been using my turkey roaster for some baking and I have baking dishes but I was worried it wouldn't cook all the way or something. Anyhow so I used thw whole bottom of the pan. 8 taco shells on bottom, big ones! I still would of been fine but you know what? My stupid new food processor must of gotten a wee bit wet. I had done all the veggies and tried to give it a quick rinse off and wasn't thinking. Anyhow when I went to grate the cheese it turned into cheese butter!! It was awesome and yummy though but hard to spread. So I clumped it on but needed more so I tried to dry it and shred another pound of cheese and same thing happened! Oh and I burnt the dang motor out!!!! Grrrr!!! So clumped that on there too. Two pounds of cheese!!! Good lord!!

Added some chicken and onion and olives.

MY dh said it was the best he ever had and that he doesn't want me using canned any more he LOVES the new sauce!!! Success!! Everyone else loved it too. But I wound up having much more than my fair share(as usual) and even had it the next day with dh for lunch! (He normally hates enchiladas for leftovers but he wanted them and still thought they were great! haha)

Anyhow that was my bad lil weekend. Only lost that 1 pound last week. I wonder why? *snickers* That is okay though. It is a new day and I am making my famous turkey chili beans today! I have been pretty good and am looking forward to staying on track. At least for a few days. haha

The one thing that screwed me up though was the walking last week! Normally I aim for an average of 60 minutes a day but last week it was so cold my dh didn't want me out for long! I went on the bus to see him and all that but he didn't want me doing any extra walking. It was so cold and windy I knew he was right so not much walking. Oh weel. I did get 90 minutes in today. So I am hoping to get more good days in this week. We'll see!!!

Oh back to the sauce. I had been simmering this for hours but I just went ahead and added more tom sauce and home made salsa. STill turned out great! WHo is up for chili beans and corn bread?