Hiya Redballoon! I am still here, just "off the wagon" at the moment - Exams got the better of me and I am just trying to get through them without focusing on much of anything except *not* shoving my entire head into a tub of haagen dazs or slurping down a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs with extra cheese as if I were a hungry doberman. I am hanging in there and will be back on the 21 day challenge wagon as soon as my head stops spinning! Thanks for asking, though!

Keep on Truckin!
Erin

No Desserts/Treats Day 2
No Chocolate Day 13
*No Soda Day 31 * Challenge Completed* Goal December 25th.

Well today I made it through, two staff potlucks, TOM starting, and rehearsal with all my challenges firmly in place! I do need to get back on my ab challenge, but not until after this weekend is over!

It's been a bit of a day in one way or another. Day 10 is now over. I think the next challenge is going to be something to do with water. I am definitely not drinking enough. Naughty me!

Just a plea to all of you out there who are driving - please take it easy and carefully. There are so many things that can and do go wrong in a split second. Tonight I witnessed an accident in which a man was killed. The nightmare will live with me for quite a while. So whatever you do, just take that little bit of extra time to look both ways if you are crossing the road, or check that there really is nothing coming or that you have the room to make that turn.

Be careful out there.

Day 4 Pilates/Lifting Challenge - COMPLETE! (3 pause days left!)

That's right, I tried to snuggle in close to my sleepy boyfriend, but he was all *grumble, mumble* "trying to sleep, arg..." so I got up and did my pilates. Good thing, too, eh?

Yo reggelt, Marble! I studied a semester in Budapest (the Buda side) at an honors kollegium. It was for students outside of the city, and most of them would go home on the weekends. It meant that I would get to go home with them to their (non-english speaking) families for a few days and get absolutely taken care of. By the time I left, I could speak magyar well enough to get pretty much whatever I needed but couldn't really talk about emotions (and I wasn't so good at talking about the future...) but now most of the hungarian is lost except for things that I'd never say in polite company (Huncut vagyok! <-- I am naughty!) I did a little travelling around Europe before I came back home (to the states) and Budapest remains my favorite city in the world. It was 'depressing' sometimes, I guess, but with time it seemed so much more -real- and -honest- and when I was finally able to make some friends (there didn't seem to exist the 'aquaintances' relationship like here), there was no limit to how close and warm and loving it was. I think about it all the time. I miss the families asking if I was too cold or too hungry. I miss the villamos. I miss pogatcsa.... *sigh*

Ees - I can only wish you luck, as I have no advice, really. But my thought is that if you are SHAKING due to food problems, forget the %^$#*ing challange and eat a small portion of something good for you.

Stagemom- TWO potlucks?! You must have a will of steel. I have one next week and I feel like I'm already overeating...

IDGRL - Welcome and good luck!! What level is your challange? Be sure to set that, and then you can take advantage of pause days!

Shad - Hooray for no indigestion and thanks for the driving tips... it's important to be alert now more than ever.

CBETA - No hating yourself! Focus on the good things you're doing, and you are doing a lot!

Ok, that's all for now. Back to work.

Hi everyone! Day three went well. I have been sticking right under 1500 calories every day this week. Maybe I need to go a little lower than that to lose this last bit of weight.

I am in a bit of a funk - I know I have lost weight, my smaller-sized clothes are starting to fit again - but I am feeling chubby/flabby. I think part of it is the cold weather? I really need to move to Southern Florida, or maybe Arizona or the Las Vegas area. I hate winter so much! I don't know, I just know that I feel frustrated and unhappy with my life, my job, my lack of friends. I feel as if everything I do is for naught. Then, just to add another irritant, UPS comes to the door this morning with a junk basket from Harry & David's that my SIL and her family sent us. Filled with cookies, chocolate, popcorn, etc. So not only do I have to avoid all the yummy things in the stupid basket, we have to reciprocate with a gift that I hadn't planned in our budget.

Enough about my problems - I hope everyone is doing okay.

Shad, I can't even imagine how horrible that must have been for you. I hope you will be alright.

AppleBlossom - happy birthday to your daughter! 6 years old, I bet she is adorable!

Eesabella - you are not *failing* your challenge if you have to start over, you are just starting over. Every day that you try, you are doing something positive for yourself. (Yes, there is some "physician, heal thyself" that could be pointed directly at my above rant, but we are cheering up eesa, not me )

Curly - I hope your tummy feels better today. My stomach was very upset last Friday and I didn't want to do anything at all.

Fish - Is the basket opened yet? Why don't you just pack it up and send it out, and then call up and marvel that you both picked out the -exact same- thing to send each other for the holidays! *grin* Two birds with one stone, eh? You don't have to eat it -or- buy it... you can pay only for shipping.

What I'm doing- Community theater, Beauty and the Beast, opening night is Friday. Tonight is our last dress rehearsal. My kids and I have done community theater for the last 4 years and it is so much fun. It makes for a super hectic time during opening week though.

hey Fish>>> RE-GIFT lol

HI all. Yes, mine is definitely a level 3. Today is the first official day. I just have to keep telling myself "just for today" but 21 times I'm hoping by the end the cravings for sugar/sweets have gone down.

Curly and Phys Dom - great idea However, I have a feeling that DH has already busted into that bad boy.

Well, crap. There's always next year, right? *wink*

Hello group!

Took me awhile to read the postings....I will refrain from babbling away today...

Day #9!

18 mins. of wts/ cardio....I didn't WANT to, but then I couldn't post, so I did and am glad I pushed myself.

Red, thanks for telling me NOT to boil, I guess I will add at the end. sorry I didn't realize you were not a carnivore. But while you are on the mend, how about making up a nice large batch of vegetable soup/stock and freezing portions for later use?

I was glad to hear that Mez is OK physically and send her my very best {{{vibes}}} for an end to her termoil

Thanks for all the GI suggestions...I was considering abdominal dynamite. I seem to be losing about 2/10s of a lb. per day but my belly area is puffy...I give new meaning to the term "Full of SH****), however, my pant-legs are roomier and my rings are loose. I still see a flabby buttisimo, but that's what I get for laying on it for 6 weeks....perhaps I have *Glutteous-Pancake Syndrome*?

I guess I should jump on the wagon with a foody type challenge, but I'm not overeating anything unless you count berries/kiwis and that seems rather stupid. There are tons of different fatty foods all over my building, but I'm able to just pick one cookie, or one small choc. pretzel and that's enough. Last night i had a chicken burger with onion/pepper/mushroom and tomato, then one small lemon puff girlscout cookie. A glass of merlot to wash down my Aleve.

OH and BTW, ALEVE can cause constipation AH-HAH!

BBL---oh Carla, does your SM smoke DuMaurier? or Players? (back in the good old days, I'd buy a carton of dumaurier duty-free,

day 11>>>> total calories = 1,182

Wow! I made it yesterday! Whee Hew! AND halfway through dinner I got full - a bit uncomfortably full so I saved the rest of my meal for later. I'm happy!! But I'm down to 30 calories left for today. And I usually have a lot of snacks at night - I'm not into the not eating before bed rule. I read that people burn approximately 500 calories in their sleep... I guess that means if you don't eat much at bed, you can burn off some fat? Wheeeel... I think my fat nudges me awake when that starts to happen

I'm a-gonna try not to ruin the challenge tonight! I think since some of this must be PMS-type of emotional eating, I'll try to keep busy and drink lots of water. If I don't make it - I'm going to do the challenge over plus up to 200 cals more just before my period.

Alt and Phys - I have the same problem! I want to comment/support... but sometimes it takes some effort - especially since this thread is so busy!! It's nice to know that there is no need to feel guilty - because I appreciate both of you as equally as I appreciate those who write specifically to me, so I would assume others feel the same 'bout me when I miss writing to them! And Phys Thank you! You are so right... not to worry though, I'm no fool - no bit of pride is worth shaking and biting my boyfriend's head off. If I fail the challenge, I still made it 11? 12 days! That's pretty cool. The goal is to make a habit permanent! Not be able to say, "I made it 21 days" - though I really do want to do that!!

Red - on that whole grain bread. I think I may have tried a kind like that before! My sister bought this dense, moist, all-grain (it just looked like mooshed grains) bread-stuff at Whole Foods once. I liked it - like you said, not what I'd call bread exactly, but it's good. Maybe I'll get that instead of my half-fake, half grainy "whole grain" bread next time Thank you and everyone else who gave me so much advice!! I really appreciate it!! You know, I got to thinking I knew it all when it came to nutrition (not that I was doing it all nutritionally, just that I knew what I should do). Turns out I have plenty to learn!

IDGRL - I admire you for going for a no sugar substitutes challenge!! You may just inspire me to give that a shot!

Joy - I am actually not going for a low carb diet, only to not eat refined sugar. I have nothing against foods with a "high" sugar content. I put that in quotes because it's relative... the amount of sugar in an orange or potato is MUCH lower than a candy bar, and not really comparable to me. When I eat too much refined sugar - particularly over the course of a few days, I tend to have more cravings for it, get moody, etc... I experimented with eating lower sugar fruits, veggies, grains, etc... and it turns out the sugar content in most foods don't effect my general health!! And YAY to that because I'm terrible at restricting myself.

One question about whole grain breads - is whole wheat flour okay? What about semolina? People tell me that white flour is like eating refined sugar... does the same go for other flours? If not, than I would assume whole grain bread made with wheat flour isn't too bad (although not as nutritious as the real stuff)???

Fish - is your period coming? Not only do you retain water just before your period, but when your estrogen and progesterone levels drop, so does your confidence. I've read that taking a warm shower, shopping and receiving a back massage are all non-food related things that you can do to get your happy-juice back!

Okay this post is yet another WAY long one! Better stop now

Ees