Wow, look at that. FORTY! Forty days in the hole!
And, thanks to a very adamant Shad......and Quix, the package remains unopened.
AND, I got to the gym and now my knees are hurting so bad I can't squat down. It's a good thing I don't have a Japanese style toilet!
Yup, the sun came out and with Shad yelling at me I had to go. Shad, don't know why the egg was glowing even though I didn't get any messages saying you had posted. I wasn't using the computer anymore but maybe I hadn't turned it off. Probably a time lag and then I just turned the computer off without checking anything. Thanks for looking out for me! I'm grateful. (even though I called you big, mean Shad...)
So, I walked all the way to the gym telling myself I allow a splurge on books if I did 30 minutes of cardio, which I did and weights, then showered and got on the train to the bookstore and dropped a lot of money. Oh well, I felt good about it this time. I'm going to set these rewards for myself, but really must watch the expenses.
So, there's the tally folks. Not bad, eh?
No Booze Day 19/40 complete no pauses allowed (started Nov. 5) First round completed Nov. 25
No Smoking (Started Nov. 5)
Day 19/40 complete no pauses allowed (started Nov. 5) First round completed Nov. 25
No Sugar
Day 17/38 complete no pauses allowed (started Nov. 7) First round completed Nov. 27
Write-it-down Challenge
Day 13/33 completed no pauses allowed (started Nov. 11) First round completed Dec. 1
Heh there. Where is everyone? Shad, thanks for the congrats. I guess the stats look good, eh? I think I'll wait till my sugar challenge is up to open the package. It's only a few days away. I had wanted to go through til the new year and I do have a weight goal I would like to make so I just might but I won't make it part of a challenge unless I allow some pauses. Sugar adds a good 5 lbs in water weight, which looks and feels the same as real fat...heh, water weight it's virtual fat!
I recorded yet another recent low this morning. Weight was 70.4 kgs. I so wish I could be under 70 for an entire week by the new year. I don't know if it's possible but I can aim for it. I think it's possible but with water retention and such I don't know. Anyhow, just to be in the 60s again would be nice. There hasn't been much of that this year. In fact, there hasn't been ANY of it!
The handfuls of fat above the green jeans are considerably less. It's SO gross. I can pull the loose skin and fat around. God, it's so depressing because it's SO malleable. I feel much, much fatter than if it were just a hard gut. Anyhow, now that I no doubt have you all considerably grossed out (this is what you get for keeping me lonely...) I will add that the non-stretchy jeans were making me increasingly angry because I couldn't get them closed. Well, today I realized why. They have a high waist. If I pull the fat up, I can close the top button but no way the zipper is going to close. So, that's it. The green ones sit low, thus the incredible fallen souffle top. Ok, enough, I know, this was definitely a TMI.
On the topic of numbers, I am obsessed. I sit here staring at my fridgegraph.com graph all the time, when I should be out running, jogging or bicycling or walking, something instead of just sitting there dreaming of lower numbers.
My lowest recorded weight from June 2007 was 68.4 and the only reason it was so low was because I was severely dehydrated from yet another bout of food poisoning in Hong Kong. It was hovering more around 70 kg and then over the next two months rocketed up to 74 kilos! I know why it did that. It was trouble at work and a lot of emotional eating and drinking. Ten pounds, NO problem.
Daily Exercise Day 20
Level 3 – 2 Pauses used
Exercise? Check!
Stats? Elliptical - 33 minutes – 6 miles
Mood? It’s another roadkill day! My quads are absolutely killing me, but I’m also feeling proud of myself for getting in there and getting it done anyway. I’m also proud that I’ve only taken 2 of 3 planned pauses on this challenge. Initially, I believed I would feel like a failure if I took ANY pauses. But I do believe that the pauses I’ve taken were logically thought out and necessary. So thankfully, I don’t feel like a failure. And so long as tomorrow goes as planned, I will have only used 2/3 pauses I planned. So yay!
I wasn’t able to get back on yesterday evening after all. I really wanted to, but I’m telling you these legs are screaming! If they could talk, they’d be cursing me by now. But I’m glad they can’t or I might cave to their demands! LOL Today I considered using my last pause, my legs are that sore. But I decided instead to try doing the elliptical with no programs and zero incline. It was still extremely tough, but I was able to hang with it. I know I wouldn’t have made it 30 minutes with one of the varying incline programs. And I was still able to get my heart rate up and I’m sweated buckets. (Ewww, I know.)
On another note, I bought some veggies the other day. Nothing much – some lettuce, a bag of carrots, one cucumber, and two tomatoes. Still, this is HUGE for me. I haven’t gotten up the guts to try the tomatoes yet – last time I tried it, I HATED it. But I fixed DH a salad last night (the one healthy thing he likes – very strange), and I tried some bites of cucumber and was pleasantly surprised. It reminded me of watermelon without the sweetness. I can definitely eat it; it will just be a matter of figuring out what it goes good with. (I wish I was a salad person – I hate eating them dry, but I have also hated ALL salad dressings I’ve ever tried: mustard/Dijon types, Italian, thousand island, a few vinaigrettes, etc. I’ll figure something out.)
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CyndiM – Power outages are such a pain, aren’t they? Sorry you had to deal with that. I believe the longest we’ve ever been out of power was 2 days, but usually when it happens it’s only for several hours. I hope that’s not a regular occurrence for you. But at least you stayed OP for the most part! And yes, I must confess to shopping at Amazon A LOT. I too loathe shopping with every fiber of my being. I bought all but one Christmas present online from my couch, and I am so pleased with that. And the one I didn’t purchase online was an impulse thing I got at Books-A-Million when I was shopping for something else. When DH and I went to the little bookstore the other night, I said to him, “I feel partly responsible for this.” And you know, every avid reader and book buyer around here is responsible for his or her own lack of patronage to that wonderful little treasure. It’s tough, though, not only for convenience sake, but especially finance wise to shop at small local stores. They’re more expensive – I realize that they HAVE to be – and it’s difficult to shop at those places when you know you can buy 2 or 3 items at big box stores or online for the price you could purchase 1 item for at a local specialty shop. Ah well. What’s done is done now, I suppose. Great job on your challenges. You’re halfway or more on most of your challenges. Keep it up!!
Redballoon – WTG on the gym yesterday, including the long walks to and from! Now that’s dedication! And great job on backing out of the store instead of buying ANYTHING just to have a snack. I know that took a lot of strength. I’ve often found myself hunting snack/candy aisles, just looking for something, anything fattening to eat. And even when nothing looked good, I would just snag something up anyway…and ALWAYS regret it later. WTG! And great job, too, on your improved mindset yesterday. That is a major breakthrough, looking at it as room for growth and improvement rather than something damning and unfixable about yourself. This is major!
That’s a good idea you have about switching machines when you can no longer stay on the one you’re using. The problem is that I exercise at home, and right now we can’t really afford another machine. I mean it would pinch, but we could do it, but then there’s the added problem of space. We live in a very small house right now, and it was all we could do to squeeze the elliptical in. Pretty soon, though, we’re going to buy a weight bench because we could both use it. We’re going to look at local pawn shops to see what turns up there. And the thing will just have to sit in the living room unless company comes over and we could just stand it up somewhere out of sight. LOL
Thanks for your compliments; it really means a lot. It’s been hard, but so rewarding. I’ve NEVER EVER exercised like this – so many days consecutively, and the consistency is shocking. I KNOW I’m going to do it this time, but it’s nonetheless been shocking. I’m proud of myself, and in a way, this is very exciting for me. The pain is a pain (lol), but it is so worth it. I am feeling better, and thank you for the advice about the bananas. You hit it right on the nose – I don’t care for really ripe bananas. I always eat them when they’re mostly really bright and solid yellow (no brown spots AT ALL), with some green near the upper part and the stem. I’ll bet that’s exactly why they’ve ALWAYS made me sick. And don’t feel bad about blaming the cats! I blame them for all sorts of things – why I didn’t study sufficiently for this or that, why I couldn’t clean the kitchen today, why I can’t get out of bed when I’m supposed to. Really, you can’t exactly get the peacefully sleeping cat off of you just because you selfishly should get up, right? LOL Shameless, I’m telling you, shameless!
Great job on that package red! I don’t know what to tell you, but I think it shows remarkable fortitude and is a testament to your awesome willpower that you have been able to look at that box and CHOOSE not to open it. WTG! And WTG on today’s exercise, too! And FORTY DAYS! FORTY DAYS! That is unbelievable, but you keep busting your own records and setting a great example for all of us! I LOVE your book reward…I’ll have to tell DH about that. Heehee… I know what he’ll say. “I’ll tell you what. Anytime you think you’ve earned a reward, why don’t you dig through one of the dozen piles of recent purchases and pick one or two out. By the time you get to the end of those, you’ll be at goal.” Yep, that’s just about exactly what he’s say. LOL And WTG on your weight loss – here’s to another GREAT day!
Quixotica – Thanks for the added tips about the broth. That helps a lot, and I can definitely see how the chicken broth would help. Have fun on your trip, and I hope the weather stays agreeable for the duration! Be sure to take a lot of pictures!
Okay, it’s about 8:30 and I haven’t eaten dinner yet…and you’d better believe my guts are just a griping at me, too. So I’m gonna get off of here and, I think, make a little chicken wrap or two (they’re small). Talk to y’all tomorrow!
Howdy, schmalg! Flyby here. Glad to hear you're holding strong on the challenge. You're almost through!!
No Booze Day 20/41 complete no pauses allowed (started Nov. 5) First round completed Nov. 25
No Smoking (Started Nov. 5)
Day 20/41 complete no pauses allowed (started Nov. 5) First round completed Nov. 25
No Sugar
Day 18/39 complete no pauses allowed (started Nov. 7) First round completed Nov. 27
Write-it-down Challenge
Day 14/34 completed no pauses allowed (started Nov. 11) First round completed Dec. 1
What kind of a sadistic yoga teacher brings homemade fudge to class?! I resisted but I wasn't happy about it.
Challenge 1 - Stretches/weights - 14/21 days, 2 pauses used
Challenge 2 - no chocolate - 16/21 days, 1 pause (none left!)
Challenge 3 - Veggies, veggies, veggies 17/21 days
Challenge 4: I will journal EVERYTHING that goes in my mouth, no pauses.9/21 days.
Red - Fabulous job resisting that package! Look at those totals! You are rocking your challenges.
Quix - How was San Fran?
Shad - Have you ever considered being a personal trainer?! You weren't even talking to me the other night and I stayed on plan!
Schmalger - How do you feel about hummus? My favorite dressing is some hummus mixed with Greek yogurt. I really think the more vegetables you can eat the easier it is to keep the weight off. I used to hate eggplant but last year I started chopping it really small and putting it in my sauce and chili to bulk it up. Now I actually like it even when I can taste it Great job on the elliptical girl! I don't know how you can move that fast I just can't get mine past 2.5 mph. I'm impressed!
Okay, now I'm going to go relax for a bit before falling into bed. She worked our butts off in yoga (maybe because she knew there would be fudge!) so I know I'm going to ache tomorrow. I've earned a warm bed and a good book.
Daily Exercise Day 21 - CHALLENGE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED!!
Level 3 – 2 Pauses used
Exercise? Check!
Stats? Elliptical - 30 minutes – 5.08 miles
Mood? Hmmm. As usual, that depends. I'm so excited that I completed this challenge; I really surprised myself. So I feel great in that regard. On the other hand, my knees are starting to give me fits. So right now, I'm hurting. It's not insane pain, but they're throbbing pretty good.
Anyhoo! I completed the challenge! AND I only used 2 of 3 pauses that I allowed myself. That means, except for 2 pause days spread throughout the challenge, I essentially worked out for 21 days straight. I know that’s not *really* straight, but it is absolutely phenomenal for me. Woohoo!
For now, I’m not going to start another challenge on the thread, but I may do a personal one just for me on the blog. It helps doing challenges and allotting only a certain number of pause days; it helps keep me more accountable somehow. I'm really going to miss y'all. I COULD NOT HAVE DONE THIS WITHOUT Y'ALL, especially this being my first ever challenge and my first REALLY SERIOUS effort at exercising. You are such a great group of people, and over the next few days, I'm going to check in to see how y'all are doing. I've grown to love y'all in a sense, and I hope to chat with you in other ways on occasion. I know the thread is not for chatting exactly, but I'm still going to stop by for a bit. I hope y'all understand - I have a lot to do over this Christmas break to prepare for next semester (things that I don't have a choice in doing for school), and so far I have yet to begin getting them done. So I'm going to have to cut corners where I can. When not in school, I work more hours, and I also devote more hours to my volunteer work. So I'm still pretty busy. But fret not, exercise is now a permanent part of my routine, and that is NOT an option of cutting out. Promise!
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redballoon - Hey there! I hope you had a GREAT yesterday and another one today! As usual, you are rocking those challenges in spite of everything you have to deal with on a daily basis - and those unexpected surprises like a box of sugar from your sister! Argh!
CyndiM - OMG! Talk about sadistic! I can't BELIEVE your YOGA instructor brought fudge to class today. That is truly unbelievable, and I can imagine how unhappy that must have made you - especially with your no chocolate challenge. You are doing a fantastic job, and WTG on resisting the killer fudge.
You know, I've never had hummus. I've wanted to try it before, but I don't even know what's in it - chickpeas or something? Yet another new thing to try that I need to put on my ever growing list! Thanks for the idea! And I wonder what the difference is in Greek and regular yogurt. I hate regular yogurt, even the new flavored kinds. I can, however, handle it blended in with a smoothie. So I guess as long as I have something to mask it, it would be doable for me. And I know how good it is for you, probiotics and all. Thanks for the congrats! And enjoy the warm bed and good book - sounds like the perfect end to a successful day!
If you like peanut butter check out the recipe for peanut butter hummus: www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=145801
I've even shared this with child care folks and the kids love it. Greek yogurt is strained so it's extra thick and higher protein - lower carb. I love it with some agave and chopped nuts, maybe a little cinnamon and cocoa powder. Right now I'm eating it with blueberries & agave.
Hope everyone has a good day and keeps rocking those challenges
Schmalger has done it, and with one pause still standing!!
Movin' that bod for 21 days straight!!!
Here's the champion's dance comin' at you! CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Hi there, everyone, what little everyone we have these days. Seems like just a couple of the more hardcore members are hanging on. Where are you all?
Well, lookie here, I have completed yet another round on booze and smoking. Cool or what?
No Booze Day 21/42 complete no pauses allowed (started Nov. 5) SECOND ROUND COMPLETED!!! DEC. 16!!!!!!!!!! First round completed Nov. 25
No Smoking (Started Nov. 5)
Day 21/42 complete no pauses allowed (started Nov. 5) SECOND ROUND COMPLETED DEC. 16!!!!!!!!!! First round completed Nov. 25
No Sugar
Day 19/40 complete no pauses allowed (started Nov. 7) First round completed Nov. 27
Write-it-down Challenge
Day 15/35 completed no pauses allowed (started Nov. 11) First round completed Dec. 1
Then again, I am feeling bummed. Sore all over, too much to run or bicycle and yet I am revved to go and want to get more weight off. Patience, patience. The scale certainly isn't doing much. I am starting to pooh-pooh what I have done and I know that ain't good. You know what I'm finding? It's that when things aren't looking rosy, it's easy to blame it on the eating, the exercise, the scale, the whatever and bring it all around to that. Being overweight is, in a perverse way, a scapegoat I keep so as not to look at other areas in my life. I've noticed this before but quickly ate a ton and gained weight before I had to deal with it....
I really want to eat sugar and whatever. It's getting worse as it's getting near pms time again and, oh, yeah, Christmas, yearend and all that. (Gulp)
Well, I'm getting through this sugar challenge no matter what! And on the other ones I may add a pause (booze only, not smoking) but aim to get through the year alcohol-free unless there's true cause for celebration!
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Cyndi -- Your yoga teacher should be tied up in a full pigeon or some other such pose. She should be tied up and left there with an especially delectable-looking piece of fudge just out of reach. Because that's the feeling she gave to you and she needs the wisdom of empathetic experience! Thanks for the congrats on my challenges. I could never do it without you all. You're almost through two of yours too. That was an amazing choco save. Pat yourself on the back....and, yes, being into yoga as you are, I know you can do it!
schmalger -- You sprinted through your challenge like a wildcat!! Holy moly!! And, I hate to see you go. Honestly, I want you to stay but I can't force you and you got places to be, people to meet. Still, you have found your way into our hearts and will be sorely missed. You words of praise and encouragement are addictive and I will most likely fall off my challenges and into the sea of self-pity without them.....laying it on thick here to get you to stay...who says I never make people feel guilty! HA! Joking aside..I read your blog and see the weight is coming down! YO! Come on down, girl!!! Talk about rockin'!!! You are going to get that body you want!
Shad -- Heh, you should come in and take a bow, inspiring people just by a fleeting appearance like that! It's NOT fair! I have to work my arse off (why isn't it getting any smaller...?!?!!?) to even get them to come in here and post!!
Last edited by redballoon; 12-16-2008 at 09:30 PM.
Not quite sure what I did to inspire apart from tell you off Red.
No Cyndi - Personal trainer is not my thing. How could I get up people and make them swear and sweat and cry and push them to do things when I can't always motivate myself too often to get up and at 'em. I need a dose of my own medicine. But I'm glad it inspired you to get back on plan.
CyndiM - I'm going to miss you too, I promise you that! I won't forget about you; I'm still gonna check in from time to time. It truly pains me to leave; I've just been neglecting some pretty important things (not that this challenge hasn't been absolutely imperative in kickstarting my exercise), and I don't have much time left to get them done. Thanks for the recipe link; I'll definitely give it a shot. I'm not big on peanut butter, but I do like it on occasion. It just depends on my mood. But I don't just hate it, so it will be a great experiment! I hope you had a great day today, and keep up the great work!!
redballoon - When I looked at your big fun congratulations post, it made my day! I can't believe all of that was for little 'ole (big 'ole?!?) me. Thank you!! That was very sweet!
WTG on your challenges! You are kicking a** and taking names, woman! And I love your idea of your excess weight being a sort of security blanket or insulator from addressing other aspects of yourself or your life that could use some work. That's a very perceptive point, and I think it's something that has bothered me for some time, and I've never had the words for it. You put it well. (And I noticed, too, that not many people seem to be hanging around anymore. If it doesn't pick back up soon, maybe it wouldn't take me that long to post on here afterall, eh? We'll see.)
On another note, y'all inspired me and helped me SOOO much over the course of this challenge. And I'm keeping that inspiration and motivation close to my heart. Proof? I worked out today after feeling pretty apathetic. I wanted to take a break today, and I very very nearly did. I was worried about my knees, because they hurt so bad last night. But later in the evening, I realized that my lack of desire to exercise actually had very little to do with worry over my knees and much more to do with simply wanting a break. And I don't want to be the fat girl who cried I can't! LOL There will be those days that I simply can't, but today wasn't one of them. And how counterproductive would that have been? To REWARD a successful exercise challenge and weight loss with LAZINESS and APATHY?!? Yeah. As soon as that hit me square between the eyes, I got my butt up and got on that machine. I can't take a day off because I WANT to; I have to save those for when I NEED to.
Hello everyone
Hope you all have been meeting your goals and having a bit of fun doing it.
I haven't been around for a bit. Had a little heart attack and then broke my leg so just getting around and getting house work done has really been all I have been up to lol.
I am ready to start my new challenge.
I put on a bit of weight with being sick and the meads and then all else that happened. Not to worry, I took it off once I can sure take it off again.
Challenges
1. Eat those required amounts of the food groups
2. No Christmas yummy that don't fit into the amounts of calories, fats and carbs I allow myself.
3. Get some exercise each day. I can't go all out until my doc appointment at the beginning of Jan but I can do some easy workouts and get the body moving.
I finished my first round of this challenge on Dec 11th. I started my second round the next day, but I didn't go workout on Monday because I was just too tired in the morning and I overslept. So I'm back to Day 1 of my second round of this challenge. I'm on Day 2 today, woohoo! I've also lost ~5 lbs since I started (Nov 21st). I hope the trend continues.
Good luck to all! Sorry I haven't been online but I've got LOTS of deadlines coming up. I will be free, oh, around May.
Hi all!
I am officially back home! I see lots of good things happening here - people finishing challenges - and DOUBLE challenges... Way to go, all of you.
Now that I'm back - time to reevaluate things here - once the brain-fog <read:jetlag> clears.
did it!
low weight...
Flyby here. Glad to hear you're holding strong on the challenge. You're almost through!! 
Look at those totals! You are rocking your challenges.
Great job on the elliptical girl! I don't know how you can move that fast I just can't get mine past 2.5 mph. I'm impressed!
I can't BELIEVE your YOGA instructor brought fudge to class today. That is truly unbelievable, and I can imagine how unhappy that must have made you - especially with your no chocolate challenge. You are doing a fantastic job, and WTG on resisting the killer fudge. 
Thanks for the congrats! And enjoy the warm bed and good book - sounds like the perfect end to a successful day!
And, I hate to see you go. Honestly, I want you to stay but I can't force you and you got places to be, people to meet. Still, you have found your way into our hearts and will be sorely missed. 
You words of praise and encouragement are addictive and I will most likely fall off my challenges and into the sea of self-pity without them.....laying it on thick here to get you to stay...who says I never make people feel guilty! HA! Joking aside..I read your blog and see the weight is coming down! YO! Come on down, girl!!! 
Thank you!! That was very sweet!
