Excercise, Diet and Support
 

Hello This is a thread that welcomes all who want to discuss excercise plans and routines, Diet plans, tips and adivce and most importantly, to give support to all who need a gentle but firm push in the right direction. :)

All discussions of weight, measurements, diet and diet associated topics are welcome. You can post your favorite health, nutrition and excercise sites here. You can share with us your tips on dieting and excercise. This is a forum that is open to all who are interested in getting in better shape for a long healthy life. And of course, if you are having a bad day, week etc...like the song from friends say" I'll be there for you" So please feel free to introduce yourselves. I look forward to being a buddy. Lets start this journey together

cyan

This thread is a great idea, Cyan!
I just spent a few very stressful days out of town, and now that I'm back home am determined to get back to my exercise / diet routine. In the past I have dieted and exercised, but never together. It's truly amazing, but putting these two tools together really works! I'm averaging 2 lbs and 1 1/2 inches a week.

A tip that works for me:Eat small portions with the idea you can always have more if you are still hungry. Then wait 5 minutes after you've eaten to determine if you're still hungry. It takes that long for your body to register that you are full or still hungry. If you get a second helping before waiting, you may be feeding your hand to mouth habit instead of your body. :lol:

Hi Cyan,

Its cjunk again. Thanks for the interesting thread!

Okay, some exercise tips:

Try and incorporate exercise into your daily lifestyle in addition to your workouts. What I mean is this:

-Park farther away and walk farther to the work and to stores.
-Take the stairs instead of the escalator and stairs instead of elevators.
-Physically get up to change the channel on your t.v.
-If you work in an office and you have a chance to keep your hands busy, buy a hand exerciser or an stress ball to squeeze on.
-Take air breaks and get a quick walk outside if you have a 10-15 break in your day.
-Try to make your outings with friends revolve around some form of physical activity and then follow it with going out to eat if going out to eat was the only thing you did before.
-Get up and dance to that funky beat you hear on a television commercial--it may look kooky but it sure is fun!! (this suggestion is thanks to my boyfriend who does this all the time!)
-Go to the park at least once in a while and play--even though you are an adult--bring a frisbee or go on the swings!
-Stretch while at work in your chair or while at home on the computer...
-Use an alternate form of transportation i.e. bike, walk, run-- other than your car to get to where you want to go.
-Participate in charity events where you donate money but are required to walk, run, skip, exercise for charity (my friend and I drew up a whole summer calendar of these one year and did over 20 in one summer--we were so fit and we donated so much to charities)
-If you get dropped off or given rides somewhere, ask them to drop you off a bit farther away from the front door so that you can get more exercise
-Place your telephone or alarm clock (if you can do it) in a room where you can still hear it but you have to hustle to get to it (if this is manageable)
-Carry your bags to the car when grocery shopping if you don't have too many bags OR park far away from the buggy return and then sprint the buggy back once you have put them in your car!


That's all I can think of for now. Can anyone think of anything to add to the list?

My boyfriend wants to go walk to the store, so gotta go!

hi Girls
 

So glad to see you here. Cjunk...you are very smart...any kind of movement is better than none and if you keep the muscles active they will continue working for you when you are lying around. I just finished my biking...stationary...did 25 minutes...7km and burned 250 cal...its getting easier and easier and I already feel my legs firming up. On the food side...I ate chocolate candy from halloween:( but I still kept within my 1500 cals so not too uspet about it...its just a worry point for me cause when I eat chocolate...its a bouncy point for me to go on a binge and clean out the pantry..if ya no what I mean:yikes:

Hey LadyRider welcome back and welcome to the our new thread.
I took your advice tonight so I took one serving/portion of my food and when I was done eating...I still wanted a bit more but I waited and sure enough...I wasnt hungry anymore...so thank you for that bit of info....cause otherwise I probably would have eaten a bit more unecessarily.

http://www.global-fitness.com/ I just recently stumbled onto this site and it has all sorts of calculators...to help you fine tune you diet and excercise...depending on age, activity level, height and other bits of info...it will tell you what you body burns on a regular basis...very interesting..worth a look

Also I often use aromatherapy because I believe it can affect your brain...like when you have cravings...I use bergamot: its helps to regulate the appetite of compulive eaters....like me. Other essential oils good for dieters are: clary sage, cajeput and patchouli....these last three essential oils help with the compulsion to overeat or binge eat. So whenever I feel the uncontrollabe urge...I light up my difuser and burn either of these oils and it calms me down and takes away the urgency to put large quantities of food in my mind.

Well I think this is it for now. Take care

cyan

Hello Cyan, LadyRider and Cjunk. Hey Cjunk you beat me here. I just left a reply for you on Cyan's other thread to meet us here. Looks like I need another kick in the behind to get me moving faster!LOL
Great place you have here Cyan, feels like home. Now we can all get down to business and take these pounds off.
Everyone has posted some really good tips. LadyRider, when I first started out I thought all I had to do was cut back on my eating. I didn't see any results. But when I added an exercise program to my plan the results came. You offered some great tips.
Cjunk, thanks for the tips. I do a few of those already, like the dancing one to everything. It may look silly but hey it burns calories and keeps me fit. You listed some other ones that I will give a try.
Alittle about me, I'm Annie, I'm in my late 40's. Married, I have two children. Working hard to acheive a better and healthier lifestyle. Breaking some old eating habits and developing some healthy ones.
Meal planning seems to be my headache. But adapting as time goes on.
Tips on eating, I always make sure I have more vegetables on my plate than meat. The portion of meat I consume is no larger than the size of my palm and no thicker than 1 1/2 inches. Limit portion sizes, I follow the food pyramid faithfully. Since I've been dieting I only consume chicken, turkey or fish as my meat source. And water is a big part of my life now. I carry it wherever I go.
I exercise 3 times a day for 30 minute sessions. My calorie intake ranges from 1200 to 1500, usually closer to 1200. I have elimanated all sweets, soft drinks from my diet. So far I've been able to lose 16 pounds. I started my diet on Sept. 15th of this year. I have a lot to learn and any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. I've done pretty good so far, Sunday was my worst day so far. Felt alittle depressed and started losing focus of my goals. I know that we all have those days, we're human. It's great to be able to come here and get support from others. We're all in this boat together, and we're in the right place now for that support.
Thanks Cyan for all the help you have given me. If any of you need a kick in the behind to get you focused again just call on Cyan. Thanks for this thread and group you started. We're going to make it. Stay Confident everyone and stay strong through the holidays.

Thanks Cyan for the link. I will check that out. The last link you posted was a great info site.
Hope everyone has a nice evening. As for me, it's time to climb on my bike and burn some calories. Talk with everyone later.
Stay Confident.

Hi everyone,

Back from my walk/shopping excursion. Starting to snow out there...(I am in Ontario, Canada).

Cyan, I am glad to hear about your cycling. 7kms in 28 minutes is impressive!

Hey LadyRider, your portion control is a good idea, but I do find myself craving seconds at times and going for them when I try that method. So I guess that I am not sure if it makes me eat more or eat less, but I am so affected by psychological things I even have my alarm clock set too fast!

Hi Annie, I was going to send you a reply to this thread when I got back from the store but you did beat me to it! I guess it is me who has to get the butt in gear!!

I too use aromatherapy at times but most of what I have is for relaxation like lavendar/mandarin combos etc. So I think I may go out and buy some of the ones that you have suggested and give them a try.

Does anyone have hints for PMS time when I seem to crave fried or starchy foods??? Try not to gasp, but today I had to actually chant---"I will not stop at McDonalds" as I passed by it on my way home! I am sure if anyone heard me they would think I was nuts! The cravings are much stronger for those foods this time of the month.

I have a tip on a low cal, low fat meal I sometimes eat when I have overindulged on too many calories and am still hungry--spaghetti squash. It is tasty, filling and also versatile. A friend introduced me to it and there has been no turning back. It actually comes out like strands of spaghetti!

I also find that if I can make a commitment with someone that I will do an activity and they will do an activity and then meet up later to check in that this helps me keep my end of the bargain. Anyone up for that for tomorrow night? I would love to go swimming but if someone else can commit to an activity then I will more than certainly go so that I have no excuse for changing my mind. Any takers???

Me Again
 

Ok Cjunk your are on....here it is...if you go swimming...I will do my power yoga....I promise! I will do it at 7pm...should be finished my 8pm So I will post sometime after that!

Annie your call name Determined Annie is very fitting cause sticking to 1200 cals...for me right now...is impossible...my hats off to you....I would be salivating if I ate so few calories...for real.
And three times per day? at 30 minutes....WOW WOW WOW

I can only manage once per day...but tonight, I did some weight lifting ...I worked out my arms..I have these ankle weights but I strapped them on my writsts...it works! Oh I have a tip...kinda secret I have to motivate me to get on the bike:s: I put on my walkman and I fantasize about being a rockstar on stage...I know very embarassing or I imagine that I am on a hot date with Keanu Reeves and I loose myself in that fantasy and before I know it, it 25 minutes later and I forgot I was peddling away...I swear this works....it makes me want to get away...the music blocks out the noise and puts me in the zone and then my imagination takes over....you gotta try this. Ok dont laugh too much but I figure if its gonna get me on the bike...I will try it:lol:

I know what you mean Cjunk...cravings during my period can be real bad...once in university...I ate a whole family package of lifesavers and a jumbo aero chocolate in a space of 15 minutes...I just shoved everything into my mouth. So what I do usually if I am really craving something and its my time of the month... I just wind up having it...but I put in extra time excercising. I have learned that if I dont satisfy my craving with that particular food, I eat everything else to try to avoid that food and in the end wind up eating that food too. So skip all the other food and just eat the one you really want and savor it.

Ok now, I am shutting down my computer for the evening

Hello again, thought I would check in one last time this evening. Sounds like we are getting a motivated group going. I sure would like to participate in your idea Cjunk. The only exercise program I'm involved in at the time is getting on my stationary bike and riding until my legs and arms feel like they can't take it anymore. Hey Cyan, you're not too far off from my little secret too. We won't tell a soul about your secret. Sometimes I will put in music videos as I ride the bike. I get all consumed with watching them. You ladies don't laugh at me ok, but my niece left some Nsync videos here a while back. She was really into that group, not anymore though. Last night I desparately needed something to get my attention off my exercising. So I put in one of their concert videos. Don't laugh at me, I was totally consumed with watching them strutting and dancing around the stage. Such energy they have. Hey we all do all sorts of things to get us through this don't we? I always listen to music when I exercise. Watching TV doesn't do it for me. Unless it's a music video or something like that. Most of the time I have the stereo turned up loud, my family knows it's my exercise time. But occassionally I will put my headphones on so I don't disturb others in the house. My son doesn't especially like some of the music I exercise to. Shakira is one my favorites, very high energy songs on the CD I have. When I play that one, he will come in the room and say, would you please put the headphones on, if I hear that CD one more time I'm going to scream.
Cyan, it's been hard lowering my calorie intake to 1200. At times it has been very rough. But I started gradually and finally got my intake down to 1200. I've had the most results at 1200. I leave out the sweets, etc. and make up that calorie switch to more veggies, protein, fiber and fruit. Drinking water seems to help with the hunger cravings. But most of the time I do ok on 1200 calories. Yep, I am determined to reach my goals, and stay with them for a lifetime. I've been trying to get myself motivated to exercise more at one time so I can cut out one of my exercise sessions. So tomorrow night I will join you and Cjunk with an activity planned. I will try to stay on the bike for 45 minutes instead of 30. This is going to be hard. Hope I can find some more interesting videos to watch. Good idea Cjunk, we'll report tomorrow evening after we have all finished.
Well remember I was having a hard time yesterday with cravings, etc. Last evening I gave in and went to the store and bought some bagels and creme cheese. I used to eat those by the tons. I needed a change in my breakfast menu. I have been eating oatmeal or some bran cereals for breakfast. So this morning I had a new outlook with just a change in my breakfast. I got the small bagels, couldn't find any wheat ones. And I bought the fat free creme cheese. So this morning I had half a bagel(70 calories) and a tablespoon of fat free creme cheese(15 calories) an orange(60 calories) and two 12oz glasses of water. I was content with a nice change for breakfast. I've never been a big breakfast eater so it's been difficult forcing myself to eat in the mornings. But it does help to eat breakfast when you are dieting. Cuts way down on the eating frenzy at lunchtime.
That sounds so familiar Cjunk, except with me I am telling myself that about donut shops on the way home. I love pastries. You keep up the good work and just drive on by those fast food places. Just look at the charts on this forum about the calorie and fat content they serve in some of those places. I would rather be able to go home and eat a lot of things I like instead of one burger and be healthier for it in the long run. The only thing I craved during that time was Chocolate, and then more chocolate. A cashier that checked my groceries out one time told me that she could always tell when women were approaching that time of the month because she said they always had tons of chocolate bars. I think she was right. Cyan can help you more with the cravings than I can. I go for water when I have a craving or baby carrots, it's like I just need to chew on something :lol: One of these days my family will find me out in the yard chewing on a tree limb or something :dizzy:
Well I need to stop rambling. Glad to see that the group is feeling motivated, let's keep it going. Because by the time Thanksgiving gets here I for sure will be out in the yard chewing on a tree limb.
Cjunk, we don't get snow here very often. That must be a beautiful sight. The couple of times it has snowed here people went nuts, no one could drive on the roads. Everything shut down. I would love to have a white Christmas. Must be beautiful to enjoy something like that.
Goodnight All.

Hi everyone!

I logged on to see if I have any takers for tonight and I was so excited to see that I do!!! It has been so long since I have gone swimming that I think I will enjoy it. Before I hurt my shoulder I used to swim for about 1hour straight 4-5 days per week, so I guess it is pretty obvious why I put on weight when I stopped because I haven't been able to find another exercise I like as much. It may be a bit of emotional turmoil for me because the physio people say that I have to start with only 1/4 of what I did before of any shoulder activity to ease my way into it. So I guess the flutter board will be my friend for the rest of the workout.

You all motivated me so much I decided that I will go to the aquafit class beforehand and then do a short lengths swim because of the shoulder thing. It all starts at 8:00 and ends at about 9:30 so I should post around 10pm. I expect to hear all about your workout adventures when I log on!!

Cyan, I went to that website and tried one of the surveys and found out that I am really lacking in some areas of diet, and exercise, and I knew it just by reading the questions alone--even before the writeup--thanks! I am determined to work towards that so I wrote down the areas and am going to try and improve on each area per week. This week my focus will be increase water consumption and eat breakfast every day (once in a while I skip it). Also I need to pick up some small weights to incorporate more weight bearing exercise. I have a circuit training video at home which is good and uses a 5lb dumbell for the workout. It is actually pretty hard and I had been doing it without weights!


LadyRider, keep up the great work. Your ability to keep going on your plan is continued inspiration to us all and I love to hear about it because it motivates me to keep it up, and it doesn't feel near as impossible for me. I have been trying to eat more slowly and not in front of the TV so that I am getting full faster and it seems to work.

Annie and Cyan your music and exercise combos are excellent and made me smile and giggle--in a good way! I will think of you both as I dance to my commercials with my boyfriend and maybe you guys inspired me to put a walkman on my Christmas list! If I had only known all of the fun I was missing out on I would have bought one sooner!

A little note on my newly supportive guy. He didn't really care at first about my whole diet and exercise kick, but he is starting to notice the lifestyle change. He will pick us up dinner sometimes but stop in somewhere and get something like sushi from the grocery store for me because he knows I am serious. He even joins in on my pilates and aerobics tapes sometimes when I do them and looks so cute and funny when he does. It has been such a nice change. It was his idea to walk to the store. He has mentioned that I am happier and have more energy. I think the whole thing is bringing us much closer. For so long I have been whining about my shoulder pain but I don't really do that anymore because I have something else to focus on and it is positive. It has taken over a month of little or no support but now he has done a full 360 and I really appreciate it so much.

Talk to you all after our exercise tonight!

Good Morning
 

Hi I justed wanted to let you all know that it have been very positive to know that you guys are there....working hard, eating right and having such a good attitude about it. Honestly, it inspires me to do the same. When I know that you girls are doing your best, its truly makes me try my best. Ok gotta get back to work....until after the excercise



cyan

Hello to All, just checking in to wish everyone a great day. I'm looking forward to tonight's planned activity. You have a great attitude for success Cjunk. You hang in there, time is the best healer of all. Glad to hear that the new guy in your life is becoming more supportive, it really does make a difference in life when they are. Makes your struggles seem alittle lighter.
Cyan, I guess we will have the music going tonight, I will definitely have to find some that will carry me through 45 minutes of that bike riding. It will be fun, glad we have some motivation going between us all.
LadyRider, hope your day is going well. Come and post often with us.
That's it for now, busy day today. Talk with you ladies later on.
:grouphug:

Wow! I just checked in to see how everyone was doing and the positive energy you all are emitting is awesome!
Cjunk, swimming is a great way to exercise! I wish I had a pool to do laps in.
OK, Annie, Cyan … your biking stories have gotten me motivated. I jog 2 – 3 miles five mornings a week, but tonight I’m going to join you two and climb onto that old stationary bike with the tiny uncomfortable seat, plug the mp3 player into my ears and ride that sucker! I know I’ll never make 45minutes, but hey, 30 will do, don’tcha think?
I’ll check in after my ride, about 9pm Eastern time …us older ladies have to get our beauty sleep, ya know.

Some ideas: Brush your teeth when you get a craving, the taste of the toothpaste will wipe out the craving.

Try to find another way home that won't take you past the donut shop or McDonalds, especially on those vulnerable days.

Together we Will succeed!
:cb:

Room for another groupie??
 

Hi everyone, I just came across this thread and I thought I would try to see if I can jump on in!
:cb:
I have been battling the bulge, for 12 years! But realistically for 3 weeks straight now. Doing it the right way. I think now it is time to really get off the rump and start working out. I just need some extra motivation:cp:

Hope you will invite me in, would love to get motivated.

here is a great site that I found.
www.fitday.com

And here is my daily quote:
If you are doing your best, you will not have time to worry about failure.

- Robert Hillyer
Keep up the good work everyone.
:high: :high: :high:

Theres always room
 

Hello reina-mia...welcome aboard. Just a quick note for now cause I am getting ready to do the power yoga...but will be back later to post my accomplishments. Be back soon

cyan

:wave:Hello all:wave:
You all have gotten me motivated tonight. Can't make up mind as to what I'm going to do. Bike or some kind of workout tape? Definitely going to do something for at least 20 minutes longer if possible since the kids are up and about.
Thanks!

Hi Reina-mia

Happy to have you join us and welcome! Keepin' it brief for now because I am heading to the pool for my aquafit/swim. I will reply back at around 10 to check in to see if we all met the exercise challenge for tonight!! Gotta run!

-Cjunk

Yea! I did it! I put down the book, got off my duff and rode the bike for 30 minutes. Got off all sweaty and feelin' good! that makes 2 exercise sessions today.:strong: But I've gotta tell ya ... my stationary bike is really a road bike on a stand. If I'm going to ride that thing more often I'm going to have to get one of those wide comfy seats. Parts of me are numb that I KNOW aren't supposed to be!
:wave: Welcome Reina-mia and Hi ya PreciousOne ! If you're looking for encouragement you've come to the right place.
I'm looking forward to reading tomorrow morning what form of exercise you decided to do, and how everyone else did with our exercise challenge.

Cyan, did you really do one hour of power yoga? Excellent!

Hi Cyan, Annie, LadyRider and welcome Reina-mia and Precious One.

I am back from my workout!!

Great work on the cycling LadyRider! I think we are all such a good influence on each other.

I headed to the local rec. centre pool as planned and tried the aqua fit class for the very first time tonight before doing some lengths. What an eye opener! I am exhausted--in a good way! We used bits of noodle for extra resistance for our arms and it was basically a full half and hour of aerobics in the water with lots of resistance. It was excellent!! My shoulder handled it well a lot of the exercises had us crouch down in the water and sprint while moving arms in various directions--so it was very supported by the water. I recommend this to anyone with injuries. Now I have no excuse for not working out. I found out the aquafit runs every Monday to Thursday, costs only $2.00 per class or only $70.00/yr for an unlimited pass, and includes any swim time afterwards (up to 1hr after class). There were about 25 men and women in the class of all age ranges and body types. I found it much harder than regular aerobics.

Afterwards, I swam 25 lengths---not too many but trying to take it easy and only do 1/4 of what I used to do like the physiotherapists have recommended. My shoulder is a bit tender but not too bad. We will see tomorrow I guess. Then I went to the warming pool afterwards and let the jets hit it a bit. Got to meet many of the people of my neighbourhood too!!

So I guess the recommendation is this: check out any local recreation centres, they are cheap, provide good workouts and opportunity to socialize. I think I will do it more.

How did everyone else's workouts go? Cyan, how was that power yoga? I just started taking yoga last year and love it. Unfortunately even yoga with modifications is a bit rough on the shoulder so it is a hiatus time for me--downward dog is not that easy anymore (not that it ever was).

Annie, how was the cycling? Precious One, did you do an activity tonight like you mentioned?

Thanks for meeting the challenge with me tonight everyone. It really got me motivated to realize that there were more options than my narrow mind had been looking for. I am on the road to the old healthy me!

Oh, by the way, dodged the pizza they had at work today and opted for my spaghetti squash for lunch but ended up having a piece of someone's homemade cinnamon bun (only a small piece) and it was delightful and I think well worth the exercise to burn it off. Even with the cinnamon bun I have had under 1500 calories today, so I think I am fine.

Anyone got any challenges?

Talk to you all soon, Cjunk

Hi everyone! Love this new thread! Dont have time to post much tonite and working late again tomorrow nite too but soon as possible I'll be in here with everyone. Thanks to all of you for the ideas and encouraging words. Still drinking a ton of water but not doing so great on eating right. Gettin motivated just reading in here tho..Thanks!! Hope to get back here soon. Til then, ya'll keep up the good work!!

my arms hurt
 

Hey girls...I did my power yoga and my tomorrow, the DOMS will set in...delayed onset muscle soreness...ouch, I hope its not as bad as the first time I did power yoga...I walked around like a
T-Rex with my arms tucked underneath my armpits....:lol:

Anyway, Cjunk you are amazing...just plain ole amazing....You have had an excellent day ...the attitude, the excercise and the diet...just a textbook example of how its done...kudos on you...once again a great source of inspiration for me.

Welcome Precious one...so glad you are joining us...how did the excercising go?

LadyRider...two sessions of excercise?!?!?:) You rock girl...and on a road bike on a stand...ladies this is sure determination to make a healthy life change...you see, there are no excuses when you want to do something and you have proven it tonight...most people would say, I dont have a stationary bike....but not you...kudos on you...you are a source of inspiration for me too.

MikkiG....So happy you joined us here...I know about the eating...thats the hardest thing for me to do...is eat below or at 1500 cals per day....sooooooo hard....the excercising believe it or not is much easier...but food...a whole other story...but just keep trying...if you fall today, get up, dust yourself off...dont beat yourself up over it and move on...try again and again and again until you get it right.

Oh Cjunk...the downward dog is hard especially in ashtanga yoga..power yoga..cause they make you hold that position...I soluted the sun so many times tonight that am feeling dizzy:lol:

Hey Annie...hope tonight went well and if per chance it didnt...post about it and we will walk you through it and perhaps sit you on that bike.

Hugs to everyone and thanks for inspiring me to work out, eat better and stick to it

cyan

First of all a big welcome to reina_mia and Precious One :) You have come to the right place for support and motivation. Glad you've joined us. Stick around, things will get very interesting as time goes on. Lots of challenges I'm sure. We're an eager group, very determined to reach our goals. With the help of each other we're on our way already.

A big welcome to Miki :), I'm really happy to see that you've joined us. Any thoughts or tips you may have would be very much appreciated. We can use all the help we can get.

Ok everybody, I'm so proud of everyone that took the challenge tonight and you all did great. :bravo:
As for me, you all put me to shame. :( I didn't make my 45 minute challenge. I could only last 38 minutes. But I'm looking on the bright side, that is 8 minutes longer than I usually stay on the bike during 1 session. So the way I look at it, I gave it my best and it's a lot better than I usually do. In my way of thinking the challenge helped me a great deal. Made me push myself just alittle bit further. For some reason during that last 5 minutes I could swear I felt Cyan's foot kicking me in the behind. :lol:
LadyRider, so very proud of your accomplishment tonight. I've been using this stationary bike for around 5 weeks now and you were only 8 minutes behind me. Something tells me with your motivation you will pass me in no time. Keep up the great work. And believe me, I do know what you mean about that bike seat. Mine is just like that. When I first started out on it I had to put a piece of foam rubber under my behind, I felt like I had blisters.
Cjunk, sounds like you had a very rewarding night. You definitely have the will to reach your goals. Your session tonight sounded very interesting. Unfortunately I don't know how to swim. You ladies stop laughing at me. I just never learned how, wish I did. Swimming is one of the best excercises there is. Builds great muscle tone. (also keeps you from drowning ;) ) I would sink like a weight. Keep up the good work Cjunk.
Cyan, what is power yoga? Sounds very interesting but very complicated. Sounds like you had a great work out session. A whole hour of working out, you must have felt great afterwards. I think these challenges are a great idea.
Precious One and reina_mia, did you two come up with an exercise tonight? Hope you had great success.
Cjunk, I agree, we need another challenge going. What do the rest of you think we should try next? Maybe we can switch back and forth from exercising to diet in our challenges. One day can be exercise challenges, then one day it can be with food, or should I say lack of! ;) Sounds like everyone is having difficulties with eating balanced meals with lower calories. I think it might be a good idea to maybe put a challenge to each other about what we ate for 1 day. For example eating from the food pyramid, the right amount of servings per day. Don't know if this all makes sense. Maybe we can help each other to cut down on calories and eat the proper foods.
For example it would be sorta like, how many servings of veggies did you consume today, fruits, etc. It won't be a contest to see who does the best, it will just be a way to get everyone on track. Possibly help others to see what they could eliminate from their diet and what they need to add. I know Cjunk was talking in one of her replies about the website that Cyan had posted and how she felt she was needing to readjust her intake of certain things. Maybe this could be a way for all of us to readjust our eating habits.
This is just a suggestion, it probably sounds pretty boring, especially after all of us just spent a session tonight working our behinds off. But diet is a big part of it also. Maybe we could even have a challenge about what foods we were able to resist during the day, or how many glasses of water we were able to get down opposed to other beverages we consumed. The hardest part of my diet was being able to readjust what I was eating and how much of it I was consuming. We all have those days where we know we shouldn't eat something that is going to add unhealthy weight to us. Maybe this could be a start to getting even more healthy in our food choices plus our exercise challenges. LadyRider and I both keep a journal of what we eat. It's a great thing to do. I write down everything I consume in one day, even if I have 1 jelly bean I write it down. I learned a lot about what I was consuming in the beginning by doing this. I learned where I was making mistakes at. I allow a certain amount of calories for each food group that I eat. Certain veggies you can have quite a bit of, gives you a very full feeling. I always have more veggies on my plate than meat. There are other sources of protein besides meat. I always felt that I had to have lots of meat in my meals. Guess it was the way I was raised. The meat was the center of the meal. That's been one of the hardest things for me, cutting back on the portion of meat I consume. So I learned to add more veggies, I consumed less calories but still felt just as full as when I used to eat a plateful of meat. Reminds me back when I could eat a whole steak, a big baked potatoe with all the trimmings, a big salad topped with everything, and then my favorite part, dessert. I would feel stuffed and uncomfortable. Something should have told me then, I was defintely overeating. Sorry, going on and on as usual. That should be a challenge you ladies give to me. To see if I can post a short reply. :lol:
I'm up for any type of challenge. Let's keep the motivation going. So far we're off to a great start. So, does anyone else have any ideas on a challenge? We can stick with the exercise ones, maybe one day later on we can do something concerning diet. Or maybe even do both in one day. So let's hear those challenges.
Good night all, Stay Confident.
:grouphug:

Good Morning All,

Congratulations on meeting the exercise challenge! Like most or all of you I am sore today but with a smile. Movin' a little more slowly. In general feeling like I am physically lacking but part of that may be the after affects of the flu shot I had yesterday too.

Mikki, great to hear from you again. Cyan, awesome work on the yoga, Annie, you did more time on your bike than I can ever do--great work and LadyRunner, well, lets say that your energy astounds me and inspires me all at the same time!

I am with Annie and up for a food challenge. It will be especially hard for me because when my physical self feels yucky my tendency is to seek out comfort food like Macaroni and Cheese and then regret it later. What if everyone picks one area of their diet that is a challenge and then reports back tonight? I love fruits and veggies so that has never been hard for me but I am lucky if I can get in more than 2 glasses of water per day. So my challenge will be to drink 6-8 glasses today! Oh, and NO fatty COMFORT FOODS---YIKES! My boss will probably hate me for all of the bathroom breaks...

Anyone else want to share their challenge?

My girlfriend got me a guest pass at her gym on Friday night. She lives pretty far away but she keeps telling me about a "Boot Camp" class she takes run by old military officers which kicks butt!! I have a feeling I am gonna regret being interested...

Talk to you all tonight!

We can do it!!!!
Cjunk


:flow2:

Great Challenge Annie
 

You're right Annie...lets do a food challenge diet. Ok my weakness at the moment is halloween chocolate that was left over...to be exact mini oh henry chocolate bars...I swear those suckers call my name out from inside the cupboard in the kitchen on the second floor of my house!!!:lol: So My food challenge will be to not eat the oh henry mini's for one week...to start...this will be very hard for me girls...so I will need your support. I figured I would focus on one small item because if I try to change too much, well ...it all blows up in my face and I go on a binge...which brings me to another challenge I had in mind....How about a psychological challenge...by this I mean...have any of you every really figured how you gained the weight....Kinda like a Dr Phil question....So the question is: What is your relationship with food? For me, food is like a kind mother comforting me when I am stressed. I have noticed that I deal with problems by eating. Anything that angers me, scares me, upsets me....I eat. I need to change that or else weight loss will not be achieved...and I will never lose weight...I can maintain my weight because of excercise but I will never loose it cause of all the extra calories I eat when I am upset, angry, and even bored! So hope this gets you thinking about what kind of relationship you have with food.

Until then, talk to you later.

cyan

I drank my first glass!
 

A quick note to jump start the challenge. I drank my first glass of water and filled a water bottle up for on the way to work! Working 11-7 today which is a challenging shift for food because I get lunch at 3pm. Anyone know how large one glass is?? I think I have such a hard time meeting the water requirments because I drink such big glasses and I think they are small!

Okay, here is my quick Dr. Phil response:

There is a pretty logical reason why I put on weight, but before I did there was a lot to improve on with my relationship with food. My injury has kept me from doing the sports I loved and I was doing at least 5 hours a week of these sports. When I got injured, I kept eating the massive calories I enjoyed before but I was not burning them off. I am also in my early thirties and my metabolism has significantly slowed down so much so that each unhealthy thing I eat shows up on me. It never used to before.

My relationship with food is that I turn to it for comfort and I really enjoy eating and like the taste of a lot of things for fun. My family has always had "eating outings"--what I mean is that we have gatherings specifically focussed on eating. So I have associated getting together with friends to eating out with friends. My friends and I are all trying to get out of this association and trying to meet for exercise--hence the climbing gym. My parents are facing health issues due to weight and lack of exercise and have been proactively working at it and now schedule family exercise outings where maybe we eat afterwards.

Also, my relationship with McDonalds specifically is that each year we had a 2 week vacation as children where I got to spend real quality time with my dad and he would always take us to McDonalds. So I associate McDonald's with vacation and quality time. Whenever I am missing that escape, I tend to gravitate there. So I know I am heading to burnout when I crave a lotta McDonalds!!! Time for vacation!!! My dad is now retired and I do spend quality time with him so I know it is the vacation thing.

Thanks for the challenge Cyan...I will think some more...

Challenge for Cyan
 

Hi Cyan, I forgot to post a quick challenge and suggestion for you:

Can you give your chocolate to someone else for one week? We suggest to smokers who are trying a test run quit to remove the cigarettes from their area so that they can reduce any undue temptations. I would take them for you because I am severely allergic to chocolate and wouldn't be able to eat them anyway if I lived closer! You can get them back at the end of the week and treat yourself to one.

Also, we have a lot of smokers who smoke when stressed and we challenge them to come up with other things that they can do to manage their stress without smoking. If they are able to find a doable alternative then they tend to be successful but it takes practice. Any idea as to what might work for you instead of food?? This is my challenge to you!!!

Good question Cjunk
 

Well what might work for me instead of food....I am trying to work out instead of reach for food...but its hard...I really do enjoy the taste of food, the smell, the textures in my mouth...pretty sad but it's true...Food is like a safety net...I really need to figure out a way to Deal with everyday stress in a more positive way ...so I think excercise is the way to go...I really do enjoy getting on my bike in the evenings...and hopefully over time, when I get stressed out, I will get on the bike to unwind or if I am away from the bike...go out on walks. Its an ongoing journey for me, I have been binge eating for so long now that it has become a way of life for me....I guess I am lucky that my binge eating in terms of quantity of food is still controlled but I go through cycles where after 8pm...I will eat about 500 cals of food...so basically I am sabotaging myself each time I do this...cause juring the day, I do so well with the food...and I am well on my way to staying within my range of 1500 cals but by most evenings...I have consumed a total of 1800 to 1950 cals total...acording to Fitday...I track everything I eat there.

I will give my candy to my dad to store in the car trunk....:( Thanks for the advice and the challenge...If I have any more psycological break threws... I will share them in this forum.

Cyan

Oprah
 

This is what she says about successful dieting

MORE PRACTICAL ADVICE FROM OPRAH


Oprah's thoughts about getting on a weight loss plan and sticking to it.


Give Positive Feedback.
Oprah: One of the keys to sticking to any plan is to give yourself good feedback. "High five" yourself for your triumphs over food addiction every day. Switch from rewarding yourself with food to rewarding yourself with approval.


Own the Pain.
Oprah: The pain you will feel related to dealing with your issues is not going to be any worse than dealing with obesity. You've already survived the worst pain you're going to feel…and you deal with it every day. Once you own your emotional pain, you'll be free of it. You'll be able to live your life for the first time. I guarantee that.


Forget the Diet.
Oprah: Fat people are the most experienced people in the world about dieting. You need to recognize that it's not about the food. Focusing on the food is why you haven't been successful. You have to challenge the pain that's causing you to be addicted to the comfort of food.


Expect More from Yourself.
Oprah: The truth of the matter is, the world expects less from you when you're overweight. Everyone can put you in a "fat box." You feel you are not worthy to claim victory in your own life. Nobody can give you that. You have to give it to yourself. You have to make that your job instead of going on another diet.


Commit to Happiness.
Oprah: The real spiritual work of your life is to love yourself. Recognize that you were created as a human being who is worthy of happiness. The work begins with loving yourself and accepting happiness in your life. You can't just decide to feel that way—you have to work through the issues that keep you from feeling that way.

:wave: Good Morning Everyone!
Good to see you here, MikiG!
We are growing into such a great goup. There have been so many good posts this morning I don't know where to start!
Way to Go Cjunk! I've always heard water therapy is the best all round exercise because it gives you resistance and yet supports your body. That plus the social interaction makes it sound like a good option for you.
I felt really good after riding last night and have decided to ride the bike on the two days I don't run, so I'm heading out this week to get a better seat. I've also started doing a little bit of upper arm exercises with dumb bells.
Cyan, congratulations on giving your chocolate to your dad. You can do this - just remember - one day at a time.
Cjunk, Loaning out the chocolate instead of throwing it away is a good idea. If we are going to succeed at our new life style, we need to be able to face our cravings and control them, not let them control us. If we try to never eat chocolate (or whatever) again, we are setting ourselves up for frustration and failure. But if we choose not to eat it today, then we are in control. So much of our success is determined by our state of mind and the messages we give ourself. (did I mention I'm a psych nurse? ;) ) If we can block the negative thoughts and replace them with "I can" or "I will" positive thoughts we will have won half the battle.

Ok, I'm off the soap box now. ;)

Annie, I'll bet your bike works your upper body as well as your legs. That's much harder than mine which only works my legs. Don't discount yourself by thinking you didn't make your goal, give yourself FULL credit for riding longer than you have before.

I associate food with the good times my sisters and I spent sitting around mom's kitchen table eating, talking and laughing. I also use it to deal with anger, fear, frustration ,celebrations....you name it! I try to talk to myself and say, "ok, I'm _____ (fill in the blank) but eating isn't going to change anything. What can I do to make myself feel better without eating? Sometimes just talking to myself will make me stop and think of an alternative to eating. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but I'm determined to keep trying.
I really like the idea of dieting as well as exercise challenges!
You guys have come up with several great ones. I know I don't drink enough water or eat enough veggies. So, Today I will drink eight 12oz glasses of water and eat 5 portions of veggies.

Together we Will Succeed!

Hello to all, hope everyone is doing great today. Great challenges Cjunk. I've always heard that a minimum of 8- 8 oz glasses of water per day. I drink mine in 12 oz size. I've never been a water drinker, so when I first started my lifestyle change that is one of the first things I changed. I've always been a consumer of soft drinks or juices high in sugar content. I thought as long as I was drinking juices I was doing great. Now I eat fruit instead of drinking fruit juices. An orange or a tangerine takes the place of my old orange juice that was loaded with extra sugar. To start drinking water I had to add a lemon slice, I could not stand the thought of just drinking water. Now I drink it without anything, it's just part of my day now. I used to grab a soft drink, now I grab a glass of water or bottle of water. And it quenches your thirst a lot better also. You can also start off by drinking a sparkling water with a very small amount of fruit juice added to it. But be careful, after a days worth you might be surprised at the calories added up by the fruit juice. I make sure my water is ice cold, I can't stand room temperature water. You're right about that, you will be taking quite a few bathroom breaks. But I've found that over time that won't be as bad.
My challenge would be to see if during the week I can gradually change some of my food choices to ones that have less amounts of sugar. My fat intake is good right now, protein, fruits, veggies, etc. But I would like to see if I can make some choices to eliminate some of the sugar I consume. Sometimes we don't realize how much sugar is in some products. I've always had a problem with sugar consumption, I love desserts. The closest thing I have come to being a dessert since I started my lifestyle change is yogurt. And the one I enjoy has a lot of sugar in it. It has no fat, but has the second highest amount of grams of sugar in it than the others I have compared. I think that's why I love fruits so much, now that I've cut down on sugars in my diet, such as desserts, ice cream, etc. is that I can taste the sugar in the fruit that I so desparetely feel that I need. When I first started out I had huge cravings for sweet foods, so I turned to certain fruits. Bad mistake, I would sit down and consume almost a pound of grapes or several large pears. It's almost a trial and error type thing when you start focusing on healthy foods. You have to research everything about that food choice. I guess you could say instead of me choosing healthy choices I was running around trying to find substitutes for the things I was trying to do without. I have finally reached the point that I know each day what I can consume and what I shouldn't. I learned a lot by keeping a journal. I knew I needed to decrease my calorie intake, and also increase my activities. I had become idle. I knew I couldn't continue eating high amounts of calories and just exercise more. I knew I had to work on both of them. I couldn't continue to keep shoving food in my mouth and then exercise my behind off. I wanted a healthy balance, a healthy diet and a healthy exercise program. Eating healthy shows in the skin, hair, fingernails, etc. It has a lot more to do with than just weight. So I've worked hard at both, first I took a serious approach to changing my eating habits. Then I took on the exercise approach. Overeating gives you very little energy to want to exercise. You just want to sit around and relax. I've never known too many people that have got up from the table after overeating and say hey let's go jog a few miles. Atleast this has been my approach, it's worked for me so far. Plus I want this to be long term, if I had continued eating higher calories each day than I was supposed to and started exercising I don't think I would have the results I have now. I do have rough days though, I won't want to drink water or I will slack off on calorie intake, not eat as much as I should. I have alittle depression at times, get tired of the ordeal I feel that I'm in. I want to get out of that habit, I want to feel that what I'm doing for myself is just as normal as when I used to feel that overeating was just part of my life. It's forming good eating habits that one day will just be part of my life and will come naturally.
I found myself standing in front of the icecream freezer at the grocery store yesterday. I don't want to get into the habit that I feel "oh just alittle bit of this won't hurt me". It's true that it won't, but it goes against what I'm trying to change about myself and my eating habits. Excuses that we give ourselves is the culprit in not losing weight. I will eat this today and exercise more tomorrow. I don't want to live the rest of my life with a yo-yo deal going on. Rewarding ourselves is different. It's an inner praise. I have yet rewarded myself for the weight I have lost. But when I reach my midway goal I'm going to. By then I know that I have learned what a good praise is. It won't be sitting down and eating a whole cheesecake or a pint of icecream. By the end of my last goal, I won't need an inner praise. I will be eating healthy, exercising and will know that I am on the road to a long term healthy lifestyle. The reward I will receive then will be self satisfying to know that I overcame overeating and realized what was wrong in my life. Nothing can be learned quickly that has a long term affect. It's the gradual process that teaches us. And doing it over and over again, day after day, becomes a good habit that will last a lifetime.
To reply to Cyan's thoughts, I think my overeating stems more from wanting to get a happy feeling when eating. Nothing would make me happier in the past to bake a good dessert and know that later that night I was going to enjoy it. I got my inner happiness from planning foods that I was going to eat. I have learned to look in other areas of my life for that happiness. I have become more active. Before all I did was sit around and think about what I could eat next. Something is lacking in life when we do those sorts of things. We need to look inside ourselves and life around us to find the reasons for that. I too would go on binge eating if I became upset about something. It's like I was telling my body it's going to be alright, eat another cookie. I think working through the problems that cause us to be upset or to find ways to occupy our time instead of eating is a big step in the right direction. It's not just body weight, it's also a mental attitude. I feel that everyone that is trying to overcome overeating, should sit down and take a good look at their life. Sometimes the smallest changes can turn your life around for the better. Change the time that you eat, turn off the TV, get more involved in everyday things. Eat smaller meals more frequently. There's nothing worse during a diet than to feel hungry. You won't have good success, all that does is make you go on a feeding frenzy when it is meal time. Make sure you eat breakfast, a small snack later, lunch, another small snack, dinner, another small snack. Make good choices for your meals, and especially for your snacks. Drink plenty of water. Include atleast 30 minutes of exercise each day. And stay active, even if it's getting up and going to look out the window. You don't have to jump all around and do programed exercises or join an expensive gym class. Go for walks, ride a bike, dance, move your furniture around:lol: Exercising involves everything that we do, not just a planned exercise. Get up off the sofa, you're missing out on life. I'm in my very late 40's, I feel I have lost about 6 years of my life sitting around. For those of you that are young that are posting on this thread, take it from this "young" 49'er, you are going about it the right way. Take charge of your life, don't let it slip away. Because as you do get older, your metabolism does slow down. It's harder and harder to lose the weight and get moving when you get some age on you. My kids are grown now, one is getting married in the Spring. Now it's time for me to enjoy making a new life for my husband and I to share now that the kids are grown. To those that do have children and they are leaving the nest, I know you understand what I'm talking about. It's an emptiness you feel, but at the same time you know there's a whole new world out there just waiting to be enjoyed. And I sure couldn't do that with the extra weight and sitting idle. So I have about 23 more pounds to go, sounds simple but it's not. But what I have is determination and that will get me to my goal. And yep, I know there will be more days of standing in front of the icecream freezer, or the bakery, but that's all part of the bad eating habits I've had in my life for a while now. I always ask myself, do you really need that? Isn't there something else that would be just as tasty but not as high in calories that I could choose. So far it's worked.
Hope everyone keeps up the good work. Stay strong and stay confident. You've all been such great support to me, great inspiration to read everyone's thoughts and tips. Let's keep motivated, we can do this together. :grouphug:
Have a great day, I will check in later this evening.

Cyan, I just went back after I posted and saw your post about Oprah, I agree with what she says. She has been on a roller coaster for years. You have to give her credit for sticking with her determination over the years. I really do believe most of her eating disorder revolves around something that lies deep within. I was feeling alittle mixed about my reply, didn't know if I should post some of the things I did about mental attitude and all. But when I read your post about Oprah I decided not to edit mine and leave it like it is. Hope I didn't say anything I shouldn't have. It really is all about mental attitude, if we can get our minds thinking right we are on the right track.
Well I've talked enough for one day, I will check in later this evening.

Annie never second guess yourself...you are right... it is having the right mental attitude that gets you there...you have to want it...you need to device a plan and then like Nike says...just do it.

And your advise about not letting life pass you by... while you sit and look out the window...you are right and thank you for sharing your feelings ...it hit home. I sometimes get sad..mostly due to my mom's illness and I can understand the association between food and happiness. So I have been dreading this but maybe joing a support group for caregiver's of alzheimers might not be a bad thing...instead of using food to support me.

Thanks for not editing your thoughts here in this forum...cause I get what you are saying and most of us have weight problems because we see food as comfort instead nurishment. I have been back living with my mom for three years and I have gone from a healthy 140 pounds to 170....so the proof is in the pudding.

So my chocolates will be in the car trunk tonight..I feel inspired...I can do this...

:D Cyan

Good Afternoon Everyone.
 

Ok, I am so ready for a food challenge. Because I have to be held accountable for what I put in my mouth. :o

You would all be proud.. Because I knew I had to login and put in an update today, after 4 days of hitting snooze on my alarm clock, I finally did it.
I got up this morning and did a full 8 minute workout with Taebo.
:cb:
And I have to admit, I feel really good today.

I did try this week to make my own meals and try to stay within the 1200 calorie range, but it didn't work to well. I am having a hard time with portion control...
So I have decided to go back and get my weekly meals from Seattle Sutton... I really like having their food prepared and ready for me to walk in after work and not have to worry about cooking a 600 calorie meal for me. It is already there.
I did pretty good on the first 2 weeks, with the exception of my one really, really bad day!:fr:
But I got through it, with the help of Precious_One and another buddy of mine!.
After watching Oprah yesterday, (I love her shows on Weight Loss), I get so much motivation after seeing people like that one woman who lost almost 300lbs...My measly 50lb goal, was nothing to her, and I should be nothing to me, as long as I don't think about it.
I have to say, that my renewed outlook of my life and the changes I want to make, finally make me feel good about myself.:cp:
My challenge for the day :crossed: will be 30 minutes of walking, 15 minutes on the glider tonight, and 8 glasses of water!!!!
And I promise I won't lie about it :nose:

I hope you all have a great day, and everyone, Keep up the good work!
:high: :grouphug:

Annie, I have to agree with Cyan. I really like the way you think and wouldn't want you to censor or second guess yourself. As long as we don't critisize each other, I think it's important we be able to talk about our feelings; after all, they are a large part of why we over eat.
Cyan, my heart goes out to you and what you must be going through. Please do consider a support group. No one should have to go through the pain and loss you are experiencing alone.

And on a more cheerful note: CONGRATULATIONS REINA_MIA!! You Go Girl! :jig: :bravo:
If it's any help, I shoot for a daily average calorie count. That way if I over do it one day, I don't feel so guilty; I eat fewer calories the next day and don't feel as if I've jepordized my whole diet. I write down my calorie count at the end of each day and at the end of the week I average it out to see how I did.


:grouphug:

Hi everyone,
Great to read all of the postings. I got so absorbed in them I lost track of time and no time to write a normal one because I really gotta go back and try that aquafit that starts in 15 mins.

That flu shot I think made me feel a bit ill today but I am pushing my tired self to exercise anyway. I know I will feel better for it. Anyone who is reading this and not motivated to move tonight, please get of the couch and join me in some form of activity so that we can pat each other on the back later tonight for our accomplishments!! Oh, and so far I am on 5 --12 ounce bottles of water. Almost there!!!

P.S. Does accidentally sucking in pool water count too???

Cjunk

8.3 km on the bike
 

Just a quick note .... I biked for 27 minutes...burned 300 cals and went the distance of 8.3 km:D

Food wise...did ok until I handed the bag of candies over to Dad....I snuck out three mini bars of oh henry and inhaled them before I could stop myself:( Dont worry, I will try and try again until I get this emotional eating under control.

Thank You LadyRider for your kind words...I do have amazing friends some of which are medical doctors and they are an endless source of support for me...but yes I will be sourcing out a support group dealing with alzheimers....thank you again.

Reina_Mia ....you are amazing...to get up to exercise...kudos on you...I hate getting up early and to exercise...I can see you are one determined lady....How did tonights exercise go? And 50 pounds is not measly:dance: Its plain ole amazing amazing amazing...So please be very proud of yourself for that...its hard enough to loose one pound let alone 50.

Cjunk...I admire your determination....I hope the class went well tonight and I look forward to hearing how it went

Well its getting late and I must go get some zzzzzz

Cyan

Hello All You Motivators!!

I did my aquafit class and also 25 lenghts again tonight. Feeling very low energy today and don't think I pushed myself as much as going through the motions but at least I made it there and I am happy for that!

Annie, I am happy that you share your thoughts and feel it is an honour that you are comfortable to share them with us without the normal day to day censorship we sometimes use with others. It is what makes us so supportive at the core because we can truly understand one another and I thank you for your insights. They are helpful to me personally as I know they are to the group.

Cyan, great work on the exercise! I also gotta say that it's not easy to do what you tried to do with the chocolate bars and yet it sounds like barring the few that got away you put them away for a bit. Yaay! You have a lot of insight as to what you need for yourself in terms of support and I think it is normal to try and cope with such challenging circumstances in a comforting way--but you are now making steps to find a comforting and healthier way (for also taking care of you).

LadyRider, I like your advice. I do the same as you and eat less to compensate for the day before where I felt I overindulged.

Reina-mia, great work on the exercise! Maybe your morning inspirations will rub off onto all of us. I am not a morning person.

By the way guys, I had 6-12 ounce bottles of water today which is a record for me! And two decaf green teas, two decaf coffees...and I floated in the pool! I am meeting my girlfriend as a guest a her gym tomorrow night and then out to dinner and a movie so I will not be able to post until later.

Miki, how are you? What is new?

My promise for tomorrow is not to get any candy or popcorn at the movies and to order something reasonable from the menu tomorrow.

Have a great day everyone and I will touch base probably on Saturday!

Cjunk

Hello All, I'm up late tonight. My schedule kinda ran over tonight. Guess I'm squeezing too much into one day lately. Plus had some unknown circumstances arise tonight. But just wanted to say thanks for the kind words. I also wanted everyone to know that when I do write my thoughts down they aren't directed towards anyone. I am refering to myself when I write about my feelings and a lifestyle change. Like I have mentioned so many times, some things work for some, and others it won't. We can all try all sorts of things, we need to find what works for us. I'm just one of those people that found out early in my lifestyle change that I wouldn't be able to induldge one day and make up for it the next. It doesn't work for me. It gives me too much room to make excuses for overeating and gives me a big reason to go ahead and pig out. It gives me that yo-yo affect. I need balance to go on and motivate myself. I've worked very hard on setting up good eating habits. I want to be in the habit of eating right all the time. It's not that I restrict myself from certain foods, but I do put a limit on how much I consume and I stick to it. I know there are certain foods that I would have a difficult time at stopping at a limit, so for now I avoid those foods. And as time goes on I'm learning that I really don't need those foods in my diet. One of them is donuts, I know I can't stop at eating just one donut, so why even have one. When I think about it, what good are they for my body. All of you have a good plan worked out, whatever works for you stick with it. All of you sound like you are getting healthier as each day passes. So whatever you're doing you're doing great at it. The exercise challenges are great for all of us. Cyan, it takes a lot of will power for you to put those candy bars out of sight. You're doing great, keep up the good work. Cjunk, you are so full of motivation, even with an injury you are right there doing your best and getting out there and taking control of your life. You did great on the water consumption, see that wasn't so bad was it ;) After a few more days of that you won't even think about that you have to drink your water. It will become a habit. A good one to have. LadyRider, I do the same as you. I keep track of everything. Sounds like you have a great plan going, Keep up the good work. Reina_mia, you are an inspiration to us all. First thing in the morning at that. It takes me atleast 20 minutes to even realize I'm awake. About your calorie intake, take that gradually. Don't try to decrease that too quickly. Let your body have time to adjust to the gradual decrease in calories. If not you will end up sick like I was the first week of my lifestyle change. Take things slow, sounds like you have a good plan for reaching your goals. A 1 to 2 pound weight loss a week is healthy, sometimes more than that can be due to muscle loss. And you don't want that to happen. I'm glad you've joined us, you will be a great inspiration and motivation to us all. Please don't challenge us to an early morning exercise challenge, I will lose that challenge for sure.
Well I need to get some sleep. Had a long night tonight, but did manage to get in 42 minutes of bike riding. I will talk with everyone later. I too will probably be missing tomorrow night also. So everyone keep up the good work. Looking forward to seeing how everyone has done by Saturday. I'm going to watch my sugar intake and also ride that bike for 45 minutes. Good luck to everyone else.
Night All. Stay Confident.
:grouphug:

Good Morning All!
 

Well, one day was good, 2 days is even better. Ok, where is this energy coming from.....Up at 5:30 again to exercise. This time I did the Richard Simmons Dance. Not bad...

Well, I did my 30 minute walk, but I did get in the glider, and I did drink 4 8oz glasses of water...
I am trying.:o

Cyan: I am a very emotional eater... :tape: So I try to control it, but sometimes it is just a stronger power than I. We will fit this battle together!
I have even repeated that saying I saw somewhere this week and heard on Oprah. Nothing tastes as good as tasting Thin!!!
Can anyone relate to this?
I walked into McDonalds to buy my son a happy mean, before I knew it, I walked out with a mouth full of fries...Not even conscious to the fact, until afterward when I felt crappy....:?: :?: :?:

I have had a few days like that, where I am putting food I know I shouldn't be eating, but physically can't stop myself... I have even caught myself lying to Myself

I think this is what is giving me the determination to fight this battle and overcome this :devil:
I am giving myself a weekend Challenge!!!!!:yikes:
Last weekend was very difficult for me, I drank so much soda, and junk. I refuse to allow myself to do this.. I will eat healty greens and chix and fish all weekend. And drink 8 oz of water each day!

Annie- No early morning exercising, I promise. I need to rest this weekend. Thanks for the advice, I am certainly taking it very slow this time. I don't want to burn out too quickly(past experiences, that is why no diets work for me).

Lady Rider- Calorie counting is alot of work, and that alone tires me out, so I don't want to waste the time to figure out what to eat, so I rather not eat and just suck on some grapes! It has been working.

Ok all, I have decided to stop running into the Local YMCA to weigh myself and take the plunge and buy a scale. Any recommendations?

You all have a good day, and I will try to touch base over the weekend.

Happy Friday my Friends!

:balloons: :grouphug: :grouphug:

Congrats to everyone!
I was able to get on the bike the other night but for only about 10mins kids wanted to ride too. After I put them to bed I did the 8 Minutes that I missed that morning and upped my windsprints from 3 to 4:cp: So I feel good about that!

Haven't been doing much exercise other than the 8 Minutes in the morning but at least that's something.

Got 56oz of water today! Going to TRY to get up in the morning and go for a 30min walk and the 8 mins.

Keep up the good work and take one day at a time!