Hello There!
My run yesterday went well, and lunch was at a small independently owned resteraunt that advertises "Eat Healthy, Live Happy". Everything is made from scratch and healthy. I had a cup of chicken noodle soup and a Sunshine Salad. That's cubed grilled chicken, slivered almonds, kiwi, cantalope, grapes and pineapple on a bed of mixed greens, with a wonderful mango dressing served on the side and 2 home made rolls. :T Yummy!
I got out of work early today and have the house to myself tonight ... so, here's the plan. I'm going to ride the bike for 30 minutes, then after a hot shower I'll get into some comfy sweats. And, because it's getting down into the 30's tonight, I'll light a fire:flame: in the fireplace, dim the lights a bit, turn on some mellow music and bury myself in a good book. Ahhhhh ... I'm starting to relax all ready. :cloud9:
Have a great Friday, and I'll meet you all back here tomorrow to post our measurements!

Lady :dance:

Here I am!! :)
 

Well, I took so long figuring out how to crop a picture to make it small enough to fit in here, I dont have time to post much. lol I hope everyone else is able to get a pic on here also. It's nice putting a face with the names.

Cyan and LadyRider....nice pics!

Had Mexican food tonite, and too much of it. It's all I had today tho. Didnt find time for breakfast or lunch. Kids are both gone tonite so hubby and I are about to hit the couch for a nice quiet relaxing nite.:D

I'll be back tomorrow to post the measurements and weight.:o :( :?: :^: Not looking forward to that! :fr: LOL But gonna just take a deep breath and going for it! :faint:

Well, the couch is calling my name!! Hope you all have a very nice weekend!! :wave: Bye for now :)

MIKI

PS I did at least fit in 25 minutes of exercise.

Hello Gang,

Not much to post tonight mainly because my boyfriend is doing a lot of programming lately so our computer has become a commodity!!

Great to see all of the pics!! Gotta find a recent picture of me. I went to Mexico during the hurricane (not intentional) and I have a few pics from there, so maybe I will scan them.

Well, I sorta got back on track. I ended up missing out on Friday evening exercises, but had a 3 hour climbing gym workout (some of it was socializing!) on Saturday and then a 1 hour swim today (full hour). So other than my usual walking I really only worked out 2 large workout days out of 7 because of the funeral blues. I also had a good weekend for eating and getting back on track.

I have plans to swim tomorrow night, climb on Tuesday night with some girlfriends, and I have already packed a healthy lunch for tomorrow.

For some weird reason I have been craving peanut butter this weekend and I had a little bit but the craving stands so I am going to have to fight it!!

Gotta go--Cyan, I hope you are feeling better soon.

Individual messages to all when I have a chance to spend more than 10 minutes at the computer!!!

Cjunk

Hello to everyone. Hope everyone had a great weekend. Mine was very, very busy. Staying on track with the calories, but exercise time this weekend was at an all time low. But I was very active, so hope that accounted for a big help with burning some calories. Tomorrow I will get back on track with the exercise sessions.
Cyan, glad to hear you're starting to feel some better. I know you've gone through a rough time with that stomach virus.
Everyone's pics look great. I was surprised when I came on the board and saw that some of you had posted your pic. I'll get mine on here tomorrow. I don't know if the date has been changed about the weight and measurements for the holiday focus. Perhaps with the forum changing servers everyone has decided to wait until Monday. So I'll wait and see what everyone else is planning to do.
Miki, that nice quiet, relaxing evening sounded great. Hope you and your husband had a very nice evening. Don't worry about the weight and measurement posting. My measurements aren't great, takes some courage for me also to post mine. But that's why were here, to help each other. Monday is my usual weigh in day so I'm crossing my fingers that I have lost another 3 pounds.
Tomorrow is also a doctor's visit for me. :stress: I dread it. My appointment is in the afternoon, so I will try to come in and post before I go. If not, I'll post tomorrow evening sometime.
LadyRider, glad to hear that you are staying on track with your goals. You're an inspiration.
Cjunk, reina_mia, Lisa and Precious One, hope you all are doing great and staying on track. All we can do is try to do our best. Every day situations sometimes changes what we wish we could do but don't have the opportunity to. Stay strong and stay true to yourself.
I will talk with everyone tomorrow. Have a great day.
Stay Motivated.
:grouphug:

Here goes Nothing!
 

2nd Attempt.
I just had a great post, and my pc froze up.

Who would have thought I would have gone through with this but here goes nothing.

First off, let me start out by saying that I had a pretty decent weekend. I stayed within my calorie range and we even went to Hooters Friday night. We went to visit my new Great-Nephew. He was born on Friday and weighed in at 7lbs 13oz.
He is just a doll..

At Hooters, everyone had their world famous fried buffalo wings. I had streamed Crab legs and shrimp. Not bad huh?

Ok,
here they go. To be honest with you all, I didn't think I was going to go through with this challenge. Once you start talking about posting our weight and measurements, I screamed...:fr:
But here I am, getting ready to post and not feeling too bad about it.

Hey, if I can't be true with all of you, how can I be true to myself. My husband can't believe how "highly I think of women on the internet"
But you all have been my inspiration and motivation to continue with this journey to a new life for me.

Drum roll please!:yikes:
Measurements as of 11/24/02
Weight 193.4
Waist 43
Arms 14
Thighs 26 1/2
Chest 43 1/2

Well,
I hope you all have a great week and don't kill and forget to celebrate Thanksgiving! Have a Blessed Day

:bravo:

Good Morning Ladies
 

Thank you for all your well wishes...I am well and feeling so much better. Last night, I exercised on the bike for 30 minutes for a distance of 9.3km and burned over 300 cals.

I will post my measurements again...the original got lost when the servers were changed...so here goes

chest 38 inches
waist 32 inches
hips 42 inches
upper arm 13.5 inches
upper leg 26.5 inches

I weigh 169 pounds ...but I may have lost a couple of pounds...my scale in on the fritz.

We are brave ladies and together we will be victorious over the buldge.

LadyRider, Miki and Lisa...your posts of your measurements were lost too....:o

And its so nice to put a face to everyone who has posted their lovely mugs on this thread.

Reina_Mia...kudos on your food choice...very hard to do...I probably would have ordered something fried:lol:

Annie good luck at the doctors...I dont like doctors too...they scare me.

cjunk wow ...all that exercising...amazing...you always encourage me to keep at it...I follow your example often...your actions speak louder than words.

Has anyone seen PreciousOne?:?:

I hope posting weight and or measurements hasn't scared anyone off. The point of this challenge is to keep us on track...so as not to go sabotage our successes....it is not to be nosey...We are a great group of ladies and we are on this health journey for the betterment of our health, body image, self esteem. We each have our own personal reasons too. So, if you need help, post here and all of us will support you in your stumble...no one is perfect, there will be good days and bad ones...together we will see you through the bad ones.


I havent had any binge crazes lately...especially in lieu of my stomach virus...but when I was binging, you ladies walked me through it with your advice and support...I thank you

Well, gotta get back to work

Cyan

Curves???
 

Do any of you belong to a club called Curves? I am interested in hearing what you think about them. They are just popping up here in Chicago, and I am considering signing. But that is a huge committment on my part, and I am not sure if I am ready for that. I signed up for Bally's once and my husband :fr: out on me...

Considering I never went and we signed up for 4 years... Ouch.. He is not ready to pay for something that I won't commit to.

Am I ready? Do I really have the determination to get my butt there for their 30 minute program?
What do you all think?:o

I want this, and I think it will work, but that is money out of our budget that I can't justify yet. Can you help me?

Thanks

Anyone There???
 

Where is everyone today? I feel abandoned:shrug:
I miss the afternoon chatter amongst ourselves..

Hope everyone had a great day!

:grouphug:

evening girls
 

Tonight was so hard...I had a spaghetti dinner and afterwards, I didn't want to exercise....it was sooooo hard but I got on that friggin bike and cycled for 25 minutes for a distance of 7km and burned off 250 cals. So my total cal consumption is 1771 minus 254 for a total of 1517 cals. I love food...its so hard to control myself...had a flan pudding for lunch and another one for dinner...:tape: that was 280 cals and 8 grams of fat! That's why I had to burn it off.

Reina I dont know much about Curves except for what they say on their website. It seems cool...so long as you go...if you think it will motivate you to exercise...I would do it. Its a committement on your part not to be taken lightly...if you feel you are ready to join a gym...more power to you. And I am glad you are in for the pre-new year's resolution challenge:D

Good night

Cyan

I think they've been scared off
 

I hope this challenge didnt send everybody off and running...that was not the intention...we are all human...but together we will be strong!

Reina...I too miss the chatter...come back girls...continue to post regularly...it will help you stay motivated and focused

bye again

Cyan

Arrrrrrggghhhh!!! I just typed a HUGE post...took me FOREVER....addressed everyone individually and included my weight, measurements, and everything! Then I clicked on "SUbmit" and it said I used too many icons, to go back and try again. I clicked on Back..and It's GONE!!!!:cry: I cant believe it! So anyway, about to go start again. Just wanted to let ya'll know it will show up soon...IF it works this time!

Cyan and Reina....on my way shortly! Just noticed your last posts. Didnt chicken out..just having probs getting posted for some reason. I'll have it shortly tho. Dont give up on me :)

reina_mia, I've heard about Curves, I believe it is the exercise program that only women attend. I know a lot of women feel more comfortable with the fact that only women are there during the exercising. About your budget and you considering joining a group, the main thing is if you're ready to commit to something like that and give it 100%. I think a lot of times women give up on different programs because to begin with they weren't ready to give something 100%. It's the same thing when people begin their weight loss journey, some may fail while others succeed. I have always felt like you have to really want something, you have to feel way down deep inside that you are going to succeed in your goal and stick to that feeling. I've never really thought that much about designated programs as such. Every person that strives at losing weight has their own type of focus, some feel they can do it alone with minimal expense while others do need outside help. No person's way is better than anyone elses. Whatever helps that person succeed towards their goal is the right way for them in losing weight. For me, I didn't want to spend the money to get outside help, I felt that I got myself into this mess I'll get myself out. This has worked for me so far, but what worked for me might not work someone else. I tried to focus on my bad eating habits in the beginning. I knew that's where my trouble was. The next problem I had was not being active enough. So I took those two things and I developed a new plan for myself, it took a lot of work and determination. And the will power to stay away from the foods that I knew were wrong for me and piled the weight on. I really do believe if my husband hadn't said something I would still be bingeing away. I started thinking about my health like I never had before. It doesn't happen over night, you wish it could. Sometimes in the beginning I would go to sleep at night wishing I could wake up 20 pounds lighter. I dwelled too much on losing weight instead of my focus for wanting to lose the weight. Health was the main reason, but also the way my clothes fit. You mentioned the other day about your clothes fitting better, it's such a great feeling to see results like that. Always praise yourself for any accomplishment you reach. It could be a half pound, a half inch. I can tell by your replies that you are so determined to reach your goals, you are reaching out for any help to aide you. I really thought in the beginning that I could do this alone, I was determined I was not going to sign up for any programs. That's when I had the thought to reach out for some support online. This forum has helped me so much during my journey. You ladies are some tough ladies. I've never read or heard about such inspiration and motivation coming from people before. From the start of this thread we all knew we were in the same boat, we have been there for each other or atleast tried to be. We've reached the point that we're comfortable talking with each other and have progressed to the point that we have shared our pics with each other and our weights and measurements. We are being true to ourselves and to each other. None of us are perfect, like I've mentioned before if any of us thought we were we wouldn't be here. We all have a common bond, we're on a weight loss journey together. We've learned a lot about each other through our writings. We know each other's weakness. Mine as you all know is cheesecake, potatoe chips, sugar and just about any dessert you could name. Reading your replies about your cravings for McDonald's is myself looking into a mirror. Your McD cravings are like my potatoe chip and dessert cravings. My heart goes out to you, I know what all you go through. None of us here are having an easy time, we all have our weaknesses and we all have our goals. In whatever way we find comfortable to help us reach those goals in a healthy way we stand behind each other. We all knew when we decided to lose weight that we were ready to. That's the key issue, you have to be ready to lose the weight. It's a mind over body issue. If you feel that you need an extra program to help you out I don't see anything wrong with that. But if money is the issue, which nowadays money is getting tighter and tighter with everyone. You might need to sit down and think things through seriously and think out your plans. Consider what your reasons are for needing an outside plan to help you. Is it for motivation, more scheduled exercising, etc. I have heard so many people say well I joined this fitness center but I couldn't lose any weight but other people were losing. I always think to myself, perhaps those answers lie within the person themselves. Everyone would love to find a quick fix, something guaranteed to help them lose the weight. My response is the same, the answer lies within the person. There are no quick fixes, quick weight loss results that are healthy. I feel it begins with healthy eating and good exercise regulary. It's about how we feel about ourselves, somewhere in life things get off track. We take eating for granted, it pacifies us in our low moods, our happiness and just every day events. We got off track when we forgot that food is supposed to nourish the body not grant us the mood we wish to find. Please know that these thoughts are just mine and how I feel about myself. I'm not preaching to anyone or trying to get others to feel the way I do. But I feel that when I look in the mirror now I know that what I'm doing for myself is becoming healthier. Sure I don't get to sit down and eat a super size bag of potatoe chips and go back for 2nds or thirds on the cheesecake but what I do get to do is be healthier. I get to eat a meal without feeling like the zipper is going to fly right out of my pants. I don't ever want to feel that way again. When you can honestly sit down and ask yourselves that question, do I honestly feel good after sitting down and stuffing myself until I feel miserable in my clothes the bad eating habits still has a hold on your lifestyle. I still wonder how I used to be able to sit down and devour all that food. Sure it tasted good, but did I not know I was full. My problem was that I didn't think about what I was eating or how much of it I consumed. I could watch a movie and eat a large bag of chips without realizing I had. It's all about a lifestyle change, and yes it's hard to rearrange and get rid of the bad things. After all they had become my lifestyle, I felt like I was losing my best friend when I gave up those chips. How would I ever be able to watch a movie without munching on a bag of chips. Guess what, I did manage. And yes in the beginning I felt like I was not going to make it. I would have to get up and stop watching the movie, my habit was that bad. And I'm not in the clear yet, I've still got things to work on. Things that drive me up the wall, but I will manage. There's a phrase I always keep close in thought, the Lord never gives us anything we can't handle. At times we might think that we can't, but in the end when we look back we see that we did make it through. So reina_mia, if you feel that you need to join a fitness group and your budget can handle that by all means seek the additional help you need. But sometimes just looking inside ourselves we can find ways for an alternate route. I wish you much success in your journey, and if you ever need any support I'm here for you. Stay Strong.
:grouphug:

Ok, this is going to be a shortened version of the hour long posting session I just finished and lost. :( Just dont have the energy to think it all out again and too tired to type that much again also.

First things first....my self-humiliation exercise..lol Here goes..

Weight: 228 lbs ( started at 235 2 weeks ago )
Waist: 43.5 inches
Chest: 44.5 inches
Hips: 52 inches :yikes:
Thighs: 26.5 inches
Arms: 15 inches
Did I leave anything out??

Whew!! I made it!:faint: Ya'll have no idea how hard that was..lol

Cjunk...welcome back! Your 2 days of good workouts sounds like it is more strenuous than my week's worth all put together. You're doing great!

Cyan...glad to hear you're feeling much better!! Congrats on your lack of binges lately.

Annie...hope you got a good report at the doctor today. Now get your butt in here and post those mearements! Misery loves company, ya know.:lol:

Reina Mia...my hubby doesnt "get it" either. He's always asking, "How can you possibly find so much to say about eating too much and especially to people you dont even know" It's hilarious because he has no idea..I have more prob finding when to STOP...I have no problem at all thinking of things to say. lol
Tonite I told him not to look when I was typing my measurements. He said "You mean you'll tell them and not me??" I said...you got it! lol
Oh, Reina...I have a complaint. Some of our measurements are pretty close but you get to weigh 30 lbs less than me...NO FAIR!!!!:mad: lol ( just kidding, but I AM jealous:p ):)

Well, in a nutshell, that's pretty much what I had typed earlier..just a much shorter version. I bet next time I"ll "Save" before I "Submit" tho. :D

Miki, that's what happened to me the other day. I lost my post several times. Keep on trying Girl :)

I'm in the process of changing my avatar, I will post my weight and all with that one.

Thanks Cyan, the doctor visit didn't go exactly as I'd hoped. I was so worried about blood work, my weight, etc. But the unexpected occured today. Feeling alittle down tonight. I go back this week for more tests. My weight was good today, I was proud that I've accomplished some of my goals. I'll meet the news I received today head on, seems like not too long ago I did a post about things occurring in our lives that we're not prepared for. But I'll get through this.

Well before I start rambling again, I need to change my avatar and do my weight, measurements on a post.

Be back shortly.
:grouphug: