Thanksgiving Streak #9
 

Yup. New thread. We could push on for #60, but I feel like maybe enough is enough!

I've been doing well on my WW week (although i do appear to have developed a stutter -- goes well with the tic in my eyelid :rolleyes: ) 3 days down, 4 to go 'til weigh in. I WILL do this! I have pretty much been a model of restraint, although I had a second beer last night which put me 2 points over the optimum. Think I had some banked though, so it should be okay.

We looked at the houses yesterday, and as predicted DH went for the more expensive one that needs a lot of work. It does have some things in its favour, such as location, and the size of its rooms, but I do find the thought of all that work a bit disheartening. Oh well... The other house we could have moved into and not wanted to change a thing (well, maybe put in a kitchen island). Looking forward to getting this over with -- we're going to put in our offer this aft.

Joanie, my son is struggling with the idea of being a father (do you remember the pregnancy trauma?) and trying to get himself motivated to deal with that and other aspects of his life. He's a bit depressed because he feels like his life was hijacked. I hope he can become more positive; I'm trying to help him see that his life is full of potential, but he is overwhelmed.

You are sure dropping the weight quickly. Make sure to be healthy!

Crone, it sounds as if your housework workout is as aerobic as my regular one! Re: binges to ward off anxiety -- oh, me too. And I will eat whatever I can find that roughly approximates something I want to eat. Not too hard to eat a thousand calories at all. I've certainly been anxious this week, but I haven't succumbed yet. Other than the extra beer, but drinking is not really my problem. I know I'd be better off if I didn't drink alcohol or caffeine, but I feel like I am not ready to give up all my crutches, so I drink moderately and try to keep the coffee intake down.

Hope everyone is well. Have a great day, All!

xo
babette
231/211.4/160

I just had to share this with everyone. Is there a message here for us?

The L.M. Boyd column in this morning's paper led off with the following quote:

"In cold weather, your body has to burn calories to warm the air you breathe before its oxygen can be absolbed into the bloodstream. Two hours of such frigid air can take as much as a pound of weight off your body. Canadian military researchers found that out in cold-room tests. They then concluded that the dieter serious about losing weight might do well to spend a lot of time out-doors in the winter."

As for me, I am still streaking along rather slowly, neither losing nor gaining. Guess that is a plus. Keep happy everyone.

Day 7, I think ...
 

Really ill from this virus (not the computer kind, Babette! :)), so might have lost track of streak days, but actually still on it as haven't eaten all that much and have substituted mind-body stuff for aerobics each day. Still doing weights, as that seems to make me feel better. Actually, I AM feeling better and intend to rest a lot for the next two days.

JoJoJo2: Thanks for posting the column on the relationship of cold weather and calorie burn. Too bad I can't FIND any appreciable cold weather where I live. :)

Seriously, I know for me the weather is a factor in how much I eat. In the heat (which lasts approximately nine months or more here), I tend to overeat, which seems the opposite of what one would think. Some people tell me they don't want to eat at all in triple digit temps, but others say that like me, they eat more. For me, I think it is related to trying to cool down my body by ingesting cold food. Others say it's just a way to make themselves feel better in the miserable temps. I just know it's definitely a factor and I'd think those in cold climates would experience effects from the weather also, including the one your columnist mentions. I wonder if the increased calorie burn results in an increased appetite or if the discomfort of cold brings on a longing for warm comfort food in big amounts.

Either way, enjoy your snow, those of you who live "up there" somewhere! :)

My tatting and a Stephanie Plum novel await ... good-night, all! :)

On day 24 of my streak and I'm pleasantly surprised! I can hardly believe I've had 23 days that I can look back on and feel 100% satisfied with how I've eaten, and I haven't given in to stress or social eating. I don't think I've ever had such a long run!

~Eydie

Day 8 & Sunday Morning ...
 

... coming down. That should be in quotes as it's an old song, but I don't have a citation for it ... no idea who wrote it or where it comes from. It does, however, describe my grim Sunday morning mood! :(

Weighed in and am UP another half pound. Don't get this, since I'm eating on the low side. But I've been too sick to exercise aerobically for about a week, so this might be affecting things. A half a pound doesn't sound like much but my weight moves up and down very slowly and in extremely precise increments, so I'm sensing a trend here.

Oh, well! Tomorrow is another day, as Scarlett said!

Goddess, congratulations on your 24-day streak! I'll bet your body is standing up and cheering its thanks for taking such good care of it! :)

Have a great week, everyone. Onward and downward.

Eydie YEAH!! Super! Twenty-four days is wonderful and you should feel very proud. :)

Crone I'm sorry you've been under the weather. Maybe that has something to do with the gain? I always gain a pound or two when I'm ill or if my allergies are acting up. You've been doing wonderfully so don't let a blip on the scale get you down.

JoJoJo Maintaining is great! Many people don't realize how much effort it can take just to maintain one's weight.

Joanie I hope you're not eating as low-calorie as you did the first time. Remember that you have the rest of your life to lose this weight and it is NOT a race. Eating too low calorie may be what inspired you to go off-program and gain the weight in the first place. So don't do it! Doctors recommend at LEAST 1,200 calories (that is the LOWEST you can eat safely) but 1,500- 1,800 is better. Eating this way takes the weight off slowly, but it's a lifestyle you can live with withou binging or having to take a "day off". I hope you don't think I'm "preaching" to you, I just really want to see you succeed! :)

Babette It sounds like you'll have a lot of work on your hands when you get that house. But think of how beautiful you can make it! :) I hope you have a great weigh-in this week.

Well, just a short note to let you all now that as of this morning, I am six pounds from goal!! :D I have been doing great. I'll be back later with more details, but I'm excited. Right now I have to run some errands for work. Have a good one!
Love, Lisa

hello all. seems i've missed quite a bit since i was last around. i've been *very* busy lately-this week things start to calm down and i am very thankful for that. i've been doing pretty well. managing to fit in trips to the gym around the craziness here, eating decently-lost about 2 pounds recently (i think-the paper is upstairs) and quite a few inches.
i hope you are all doing well-from what i have read it seems like it.
take care all!

back again - 161 lbs
 

Sounds like I have missed alot too. Welcome back Joanie! I have been eating terribly lately. Sort of using trying to get pregnant as an excuse for eating like I already am. We (I mostly) decided there is no way I want to be pregnant through the summer (allergy season for me) and have a baby at the beginning of the school year. So we are going to stop trying until at least june or so and I am going to work on losing again.

I weighed in at 161 this morning which is about 5 lbs above what I have been at most of the summer. I am going to stop buying wine. I am going to stop eating lunch at school (I know better than that, but it is so easy). And I am putting an all stops on chewy gobstoppers. I go through at least 2 boxes a day at school. I have been getting the the gym about once to twice a week for the last month, but I want to up it to at least three days.

We don't have enough snow yet, but I bough XC skis this weekend and hope to do that for exercise on weekends in the morning before downhill skiing all day.

hello. just went back and read all that i had missed in the last thread. wow!! you guys are really doing awesome!
i pigged a bit last night, but i'm not feeling too bad about it as i have been doing so well. off to the gym after class this morning.
take care all

Afternoon all!

I had a great day yesterday. I had gone to buy donuts for the guys on our crew when I realized I had locked my keys in the car:^: *duh* So I was really stressed because I was already in a hurry and I felt so dumb for locking the keys in there AGAIN. *I'm a scatterbrain*. So I waited for someone to bail me out-and they did. But then I was feeling frazzled and weird and I had a dozen donuts in the car with me. Not good! That's when the evil voice started, trying to get me to eat those donuts! I even thought for a moment that I could just eat the frosting and the fillings and throw the rest out. Eventually I won and not the evil voice!
:smug: So I'm now on Streak Day #8 :D :cool:

Morrigan Welcome back again! Hope to see you posting more often. Congratulations on trying to get pregnant! it's hard to time that whole thing isn't it? Anyways, I wish you both good luck when you start trying next year. You'll have a great healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby too.

Crone Glad you're feeling better.

Joanie How are you doing today?

Babette Do you weigh-in today?

Hi everyone!

Like I said, I'm doing super good. This is the longest streak I've had in a loooong time! :angel: I'm floating on air.

I'll report in tomorrow. Tonight will be a challenge because I'm craving fried foods (why?!?!) and we're having a out of work meeting at BW-3's (Buffalo Wild Wings) and their wings are the best! I'm going to try to eat only four wings and maybe a couple fried mushrooms, then just keep myself busy with a diet soda. Or two. I really really want to stay OP. I'm dreaming of being at goal on Christmas day. Wouldn't that be great?
Stay OP today and have a good one!
Gotta go for now.
Love, Lisa

159 (doing bettter)
 

I am going to the gym today after school. So far today, I counted up my change pile from which I buy stuff from the candy machine everyday and donated it to a teacher with cancer ($45 - I even threw in $ for the candy I have already eaten this year). I have had kashi with yogurt, split pea soup, and a v8.

I am feeling pretty good about my chances considering I no longer have $ to spend at school on junk.

Day 1, New Streak
 

Hi, all! I'm starting over here because I've been so up and down and eating weirdly (a word, I'd say)! Last night I couldn't STOP eating; couldn't journal it fast enough, so don't know how many calories I ended up with.

Today, I had oatmeal for breakfast, slimfast for lunch (I like it!), noodles with some cheese for dinner and a low carb EAS shake for a snack. I will also have an orange later. This works out to approximately 1500 calories.

Exercise was my usual Tuesday weights, which I try never to miss as it is so important for bones and muscles to have resistance exercise.

Morrigan, hello! What a great way to use up your candy money by donating it to a fellow teacher. I don't know if I'd have had the fortitude to do that. A daily candy habit can be very comforting. Good luck with all your goals! You always seem to come out a winner. :)

Weeesa: Congratulations on wrestling with the donuts! I often lock my car keys in the car ... used to do it at 2 a.m. when I was a reporter and covered interminable planning meetings that went on into the wee hours. At that time in the morning, I'd have no choice but to call the police to use their slim jim on the window so I could FINALLY go home! If there was any food in the car on those occasions, I simply ate it, no self-control involved! So you have my admiration.

It would be great to be at goal on Christmas ... I would STILL like to be approximately 15-17 pounds less. But I'd be happy if the scale would just stop blipping by Thanksgiving.

Sychie: You ARE doing well. Glad you enjoyed a bit of a "pig-out" ... good for the metabolism.

Everyone, have a great rest of the week! Onward, downward and full speed ahead, ****ing the ammunition!

I never made it to the gym. Well, technically I made it in the door, but then I called my DH who said dinner was ready and dinner won out. Also I had arrived 2 hours past when I had planned since I had an unexpected IEP meeting and a forgotten district technology meeting which put me at school until almost 5:30. When I got the the gym I sold a few tickets for a benefit and then left. Now it is 7 and I have to grade papers till I go to sleep, so no exercise today.

On the other hand, I had a 986 calorie day. I don't plan on being that low all the time, but I definately need a kick start this week. And when my TA showed up with two boxes of gobstoppers (one for me, one for him - like he does everyday) I didn't even eat any - although I did tell him about my new plan and had him count up all the change. I did pick up the box, but he said, "Mrs. Auld - you just said you weren't eating any now put the box back down slowly." It made me laugh and I put it back down and he stuck it in his pocket.

There are some really long streaks happening here. Goddess 24! and Weesa 8! Good job to both of you. I haven't made it past day 3 or 4 in months.

Right now my goal is just to stay on track for as long as possible. Getting to the gym is a big deal to. I am really lucky skiing isn't open yet, because I know my knee is not in shape for it, even though I have permission to ski and race again from my knee doctor.

UP TO DAY 27!!!!!!
 

Good morning! I wanted to check in early this AM before I go to work. Today I'll be making mountains of cranberry-white chocolate chip cookies to stockpile in the freezer for our Victorian Christmas coming up the 2nd week of December. Hey, I made it thru the first round of fudge making last week and I can make it thru this! That's my plan--will let you know who 'wins'. ;)

Day 2 of the new ...
 

Ending at 1770 calories with Pilates for exercise! Feeling much better but still very tired.

Goddess: Congratulations on passing the fudge test and hope all is well on the Victorian cranberry-white chocolate chip front! :) Gosh, those sound delicious. I love cranberries AND white chocolate AND cookies. I know you will be the one who wins, though, not the food.

Morrigan: You sound like a dedicated teacher with little free time. I think it's great you've done as well as you have in exercise adherence, because exercise does eat up time. What are gobstoppers, BTW?

Hope everyone else is well and on the downward path ... I'm going off to dreamland now! :)

Dodged another bullet! I baked over 600 cookies yesterday and I had to taste one, so I took one BITE and threw the rest of it away. It was quite good but not worth breaking my streak for.
Do I long for those days when I'd sit down with a plate of cookies and eat them until they were gone and feel miserable and worthless? No thank you!!!!!!

Eydie

158 and marching downward
 

I didn't have a perfect day yesterday, but I did make it to the gym. When I went out to dinner my friend and I split a meal. That saved some right there. After I had 2 slices of my husbands quesadilla, but still ended up with around 1300 calories.

I am feeling really good on the exercise front and with eating. It seems like once you get started for real it is easier to keep with it.

I ended a good day today with 925 calories. It is funny with how impossible that seems sometimes and other days it is a peice of cake.

hello all. congrats on the continued good work by you all!
things seem to be slipping here-i was off my meds for a few weeks as i couldn't get them refilled, so my depression has started creeping back. i am not letting it get too far, and i am back on my meds, but it's enough to make me lazy. my eating is still doing pretty well, so that's good. that's usually the first thing to go, so i guess this isn't as bad as it seems. i have been missing the gym, but every night i have been doing some yoga/stretching/misc. exercises, so i'm getting something in. things seem to be getting more and more stressful by the hour, but i'm not responding with food-i guess i've learned something!
take care, and keep up the good work

New streak again ...
 

... tomorrow! :)

Just really eating a lot since I'm recovering from crazy virus, but not too worried. It's merely a blip ... as in the "Chuck" TV commercial from a year or so ago (an anti-smoking campaign). In that commercial, reformed smoker Chuck tells how he went for longer and longer nonsmoking periods between "blips" of losing control ... blip, blip, blip, and then, he said, finally he got it!

I'm 99 percent certain I've told that story previously on this board, but I like it and it bears repeating. IMO, life (and weight managment) is all about "blip, blip, blip" ... until one day we just "get" it. :)

Onward, downward! And, I'll just say good-night, Gracie.

157!
 

The first week of dieting is alway so nice because the weight just comes off faster. I know it is probably 1/2 water, but it sure is much nicer to see that scale moving down. I was 161 on Monday morning and today am 157. I am going to keep motivated and work hard until I can fit comfortably in all my size 10 clothes. I figure about 20 more lbs will do it.

Godess: Way to go dodging all those cookies. That is one thing I know I couldn't do. I had dreams last night about chocolate chip cookies.

It is a good thing that I gave away my candy money. I would be using it today if not. I am trying to console myself by drinking lots of water. But water doesn't satisfy a sweet tooth, it just make your bladder full.

I have been good so far except for a mini chocolate covered toffee crunch thing.

ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!!!
 

I AM REBORN!!!!
I want everybody to know that I have a new username now---I used to be Goddess and now I have the humbler name of Eydie. I've been wanting to change it for awhile because I gotta tell you, Goddess is something to aspire to but I always felt a bit sheepish about it! :^: :^: :^:

So I haven't abandoned you, I just have a new name!

What day is it?
 

Don't ask me! :) I can't get back on a streak at all since I had the virus. I'm feeling good and doing market research all day and interviewing for newsrooms and trying to find freelance and all of this is making me VERY hungry! I'm still doing reasonably well with eating and exercise but way off where I want to be and not willing to pressure myself or I will eat a house. So for the remainder of the Thanksgiving season, I'm just going to do the best I can calorie-wise, continue my journal and exercise each day. Guess that's a NEW new streak. Day One; concept: Make an effort!!

Eydie: I had just reread this thread and thought I'd mistakenly posted back there to Goddess about the white chocolate/cranberry cookies when it was Eydie who'd made them. Lo, your last post cleared up the confusion in my aging brain. I shall miss the Goddess, though! :)

I used to be a goddess, but now I'm a crone! Not sure what comes next, but looking forward to it.

Downward!

Crone, It was really funny when I posted on the Alternative board and some of the pagans would say that they talked to the Goddess about this or that and everyone thought they had talked to me! :lol: :lol: :lol: Unfortunately, actually fortunately, I don't wield that kind of power. So this'll surely clear up any confusion. ;)

Another day ...
 

More calories! :)

Still overeating, but tomorrow is another week, so hope to get all calm and controlled. Hoping for a happier week! :)

Edyie: I'm just happy to know I got the white chocolate/cranberry baker right! :)

Regarding the power of the Goddess (in whatever form we individually perceive that to be), IMO, every person has a share of that within them! :)

I'm thinking right now that I can maybe tap into some of that power or vision of my goddess component to get control of my food cravings and continue to build the physical image of the self I want to be.

Everyone is doing so well. Is there going to be a Christmas challenge mounted soon? (Isn't it Thanksgiving yet?) :)

Crone, speaking of your inner Goddess---remember "power charge"? I actually use that! Makes me feel really powerful and there's nothing I can't overcome!

Dare I say it now? I've gone 30 days on my streak and I don't want it to end. I have to do a reception today and I hope I can resist my food--especially when I get those 'stage fright' jitters before I serve it. I'll just have to gorge on the crudites, I guess!

I think a Christmas challenge is essential! Lots of bullets to dodge coming up and I love hearing about what strategies everyone uses. Might pick up a new trick or two!

hey all!
i was thinking about a new challenge, too. how about we go ahead and make it for new year's eve? it's only one extra week past xmas....
i feel that i am doing all right; i suppose the scale will tell on tuesday.
take care

Power Charge!
 

Yup, I remember it, Edyie! I still use it, too. Hi, all! I'm up a whole 2.5 pounds today but feel really good and have started my personal ***RED & GREEN QUEEN CHRISTMAS SEASON INITIATIVE!*** I'm setting my goals from week to week and day to day through Christmas and attempting to stick to them, hoping to lose this extra weight by Christmas or maybe New Year's as Sychie suggests, but again, while I will post the ups and down, I don't post my exact weight goals, as it sets me up into a negative place.

My birthday comes soon after New Year's and I've decided that while I like being The Crone with her wisdom (hah!), I am not ready to let go of The Queen with her power (not to mention her fantastic if somewhat mature Amazonian physique). I am sitting here looking at one of those little statues from Hallmark. It says:"It's Best to be the Queen!" I bought one of these for a friend last year and recently got another for myself for some reason. Now I know that it is the symbol of my new fitness challenge.

I know that the coming year is one where (once again) I am going to try to figure out my life, solve it like a puzzle and see where the pieces are supposed to go. I am always trying to do this; I'm told it's neurotic, but who cares! :)

I know that when I am in control of weight and health, my whole life is better. I work better, feel better, think better. So I've got to get this weight down again ... going for 10 pounds by New Year's (but, as you know, I will settle for less). That's less than two pounds a week, so it's healthy and doable.

So when everyone has decided what the new holiday challenge is going to look like, may I join in with my ***RED & GREEN QUEEN CHRISTMAS SEASON INITIATIVE!***?

BTW, the red and green refers obviously to the season, but I also firmly believe in a loose/tight pattern of control, so red connotes control and green ... you get the picture.

I think I need a new journal for this new game, so am off to get it.

Power Charge!

still holding at 157, but back to day 1
 

I like the idea of a New Years Challange. Especially since that week between the two Holidays is always an especially tough time.

I had a really bad food day Saturday but was good today and was still 157 when I got up this morning.

We had orientation at our ski resort today. I had such a nice time seeing everyone again. They talked a lot about safety. And considering my knee cost them 40,000 dollars last year - I got pointed out a lot. Mostly because my husband was doing the talking and he is the safety director for the resort. Workplace injuries don't just affect the workers - they are really hard on the spouses too.

I had lots of people comment how great I look and a good job on keeping off the weight I lost (I didn't tell them I am working on losing the 15 lbs I have gained back). After everything was over at 3:30 a friend and I hiked to the top of the mountain by trail and walked back down via a cat track (dirt road). We didn't get back until after dark. We don't have any snow yet (we are usually open by now) so the hiking was on dirt. It was so beautiful with a crescent moon and shooting stars. We saw a snowshoe hare (who thought it was already winter considering it was starkly white contrasting the fall colors). It make me more resolved to get in shape for the upcoming ski season. I wish I could get my exercise everyday by hiking rather than avoiding the gym like I usually do. We went hard for 2 hours and never once got the bored syndrome that affects me everytime I am on the treadmill or stationary bike.

It got me thinking about exercise in general. I need to make it fun to buy into it. Tomorrow I am going to the gym, but I am going to make an effort to do more outdoor stuff while the light holds. I am going to Long Beach (WA) for the weekend and can't wait to get my workouts in by walking down the beach and hiking in the dunes.

158.5 this morning
 

I guess Saturday (and the bowl of ice cream before bed last night) caught up with me again.

I am starting on day one again :sigh: The good news is that I am feeling much more confident on the exercise front. I read an article (page 78 of November's self magazine) that had a 6 minute exercise program (strength stuff) that in a 4 month YCMA study the group lost 4 lbs and increased their strength by 25%. This will certainly not be the only exercise I do. I still am going to go to the gym and stuff. But I am hoping it will help.

Hi Everybody! Just a quick check-in to say that my miraculous streak continues in spite of a stressful staff meeting this morning. I could've eaten a wall too but I held back. After one of those meetings I'm exhausted and I couldn't bring myself to do anything aerobic today but I did my dumbell routine and yoga and this evening I'm going to try some of that aerobic housecleaning, Crone! :)

Someting to think about -
 

The L.M. Boyd column in this morning's paper includes the following paragraph:

"You want to lose weight? All right. If you're right-handed, eat with your
left hand. If you're left-handed, eat with your right hand. That'll do it!
Or so contends a diet authority."

Maybe that is the solution to all our problems. What do you think? Probably wouldn't work for me.

Day 2
 

... of the New! It's my new ***RED & GREEN QUEEN CHRISTMAS SEASON INITIATIVE!*** that I hope to rollover into whatever the New Year or Christmas challenge here will be. I'm ready to take off the extra approximately seven pounds I've recently put on from the hated market research gig and the virus recovery eating, as well as drop three or more, so approximately 10 pounds will be my goal ... give or take. I am not really heavily concerned with numbers, just trends! :)

Since this "initiative" for me is all about setting goals from day to day and just trying to stick to a good calorie level and exercise, I'm declaring Day 2 as a splurge day and I've had 2,500 calories ... much less than the 4,000 or so I've recently been splurging on. Yesterday was 1,790, so the average isn't all that bad. Exercise was just working the interviews I had to do ... hours of walking. The highlight of today was a job interview at a newspaper, but they feel I am "overqualified" ... no surprise there! That really means they think I am too old to fit into their newsroom. (Though I say I'm a crone, I'm actually NOT too dang old for anything). "Overqualified" also means they think they can get someone younger (and hungrier) for much less money who will probably take orders better (that's certainly true).

Anyway, I digress. The point is after this happy experience, I did NOT eat a house ... just splurged on a carmel coffee frappe with just a BIT of whipped cream and only ONE vanilla spoon ... but I only drank half. Tonight I had five extra crackers and an EAS Edge Carb Control protein shake (I don't do low carb, but these are sugar free and low in calories and yummy).

JoJoJo2: But what do you do if you are ambidextrous (like me)? :)

Eydie: WTG on the continuing streak ... and beating the stress gremlins without munching into a wall!! :)

Morrigan: You always seem to find your way onto the path after the occasional bout with ice cream or whatever. You are an experienced traveler on this journey. I saw the Self piece, too. I think it IS important to remember that every little bit of exercise helps the cause, especially resistance exercise. Adding just a tiny amount of muscle burns more calories every minute of the day and also wards off aging and helps us get through life more easily and with less pain. Sounds like you'll soon be very active again on all fronts, what with skiing and the gym. Guess you don't garden in the winter, though ... which is the only time I DO garden ... I just put out some herbs and flowers amid the weeds!!

Everyone, have a great rest of the day/night! Downward.

160
 

I had a lot of weeds this summer, but a lot of other good things too. I still have tomatoes, potatoes, squash, onions, and other root veggies in my basement.

I have done a good job exercising the last several days, but my eating fell apart completely. I didn't even realize I had stopped using dietwatch (still free since I have the downloaded version) for the last 5 days. This morning I was back up to 160 lbs and all motivated to track my food every single day to get that number out of sight and mind.

Day 3
 

... of my new Red & Green Christmas Season Initiative (the concept is sound, but the name needs work). Calories kind of high, but I'm inching them down and in control. Hope to reverse my recent upward trend this week.

One of my inspirations for the holiday season is the little figure of a queen with the logo: "It's best to be the queen." Decided the Crone still has a bit of the Queen in her and will harnass that power to shape herself into a pretty great looking, thin & fit queen, ready to take on anything.

My second inspiration came tonight in the form of a fluffy, obese stuffed snowman toy I happened across in the supermarket. Snowmen are some of my favorite people, though I hate snow per se. When I was little, I had a Frosty the Snowman record and used to run around the house singing the song all the time. The snowman I found tonight has a BIG problem with excess poundage and is amazingly bottom heavy. He has a label that says: "I'm dreaming of a wide Christmas."

The obese snowman might seem funny to some (thin) people, but to me he's a bit sad, though he's smiling. I think he is smiling because he knows that big and small are just two sides of the same thing and that inside he is a lovely, trim and fit snowman. He just has to wait until spring and everyone will see him in his slender incarnation.

So, the snowman is sitting on my printer and he's another symbol of my Christmas Initiative. Like him, I'm just biding my time until everyone sees how beautiful (not to mention THIN) I can be.

Morrigan: Your veggies sound so good. You have the makings of a veg stew I like to make in the crockpot in January. I just clean and cut all those items you mentioned into big chunks and cook with a tiny bit of water, maybe some parsley and curry powder and just eat with rice (brown) on the side.

Yeeesh.
 

Hi All,

Sign me up for the red and green Christmas Initiative! And, sure, carrying on to New Year's is a good idea. I intend to take Christmas day off. Last year I did and just tried to be careful through the week and actually lost .8 over Xmas week. I've been having a mix of good and bad days (but when she was bad....:rolleyes: ...). Partially stress, I guess, but I've just got to nip it in the bud and make this work.

I've been frantic with house stuff, but I don't want to just let this go, else I'll have a wider bottom than Crone's snowman! I have a weigh-in this morning and I will go in fear and trembling, but I WILL go. I know that the worst thing I can do is to not weigh-in and let that go on until after the holidays. I would feel yucky at Christmas and then when I finally weighed in again I would probably be up another 10 pounds (and that's without half trying -- if I just relax my focus I would be up 10 and if I actually splurged I could probably hit 15-20 no probs. Don't want to go there!).

So... I rededicate myself to journaling every bite, to eating only at the table when I'm alone (and I think I have to cut out the entertainment -- such as reading or listening to the radio or stereo), to trying to keep my points within WW guidelines, to drinking all the water, getting plenty of exercise, and just generally trying to take care of my real needs so that I'm not going off the deep end trying to compensate!

Crone, Love your "It's best to be the Queen" inspiration. Can I use it? We don't live in the same country, so I shan't try to usurp...know what you mean about that kind of empowerment, though. It's interesting -- feels almost like flipping a switch to turn the power on, and I think it really is, maybe by making a decision.

Morrigan, it's so great to hear about you getting ready to hit the slopes again. Glad you're up to it -- you GO Girl!

JoJoJo, bet if I started eating with my left hand I would become ambidexterous v. quickly. All that training, you know :lol:

Eydie, what's the "power charge"? Sure sounds like it could be useful! Congrats on your continuing streak! I think I'm going to try to refine my criteria, or at least go back to the criteria I was using before.

Sychie, how was WI? I'm hoping not to have lost ground when I go later this morning. I do think it's very important to go - last week I sabotaged myself the couple of days before and then didn't go. This week I semi-sabotaged myself the day before yesterday and tried to make up for it yesterday. Progress? :o

Lisa, Joanie, Jelynn -- How are you all doing?

Let's make this a great day!

xo
babette
231/211.4/160

Hi girls!

I'm doing fine! I've just been really busy. The good news is that 95% of my Christmas shopping is done. The bad news is that TOM arrived and brought with is four pounds, so I'm back to ten pounds above goal. Hopefully these four will be washed away soon and maybe they'll take a friend with them.

I did go over my Points a couple of times last week, but I'm still binge-free. :D

Babette Yes, we must find control during the Holidays, and we must plan ahead and stick to the plan! I gained five pounds last Christmas and that's when the whole downward spiral started (or is it upward) and I really don't want to do that again! I ate with wild abandon last year for almost a week. YUCK! I felt and looked awful. Do I really want to feel that way again? NOPE. And neither do you! Let's concentrate on filling our spirits this years instead of our stomachs. :)

Eydie Great job on restraining yourself around those cookies! You're quite the baker! Are cookies a red-light for you? (meaning that once you have one you literally can't stop?) They are for me, that's for sure. I just try to not have them around unless it's a very special occasion. Great job Goddess. :)

Crone The Red and Green Initiative! Very proper sounding name I think. I was sad thinking of the fat little snowman. Of course, for snowmen, it's ideal to be fat. "Fat Snowmen Live Longer", that's what I saw on a sign in the store. Too cute! But I'm not dreaming of a wide Christmas at all. I feel sorry when I see severely overweight people looking sad. I was the buffet on Sunday morning and I saw many overweight people, piling their plates with food and then sitting and eating with a blank look on their face. I wonder if they ever think about what they could be instead? Then I noticed the thin people. They put just a few things on their plates and spent most of their time chatting and sipping coffee rather than eating. What a difference. Anyways, I'm here to join you in the Red and Green Challenge! :)

I'm feeling good today despite TOM. I feel in control again. I don't like that pre-TOM time when I want to eat all day, and eating everything in sight. It's so hard to fight that.

PFTD: 26 Points, ride my horse, water.
Everyone: Make sure you journal today! Journals are indispensable!
Love, Lisa

Good Morning!
 

Anybody else cooking the Thanksgiving feast this morning? I'm almost done--just have to make some rolls and some chocolate-dipped apricots and then tomorrow it's just a matter of heating it and I can relax and enjoy! As I was making the mashed potatoes I started thinking that it's looking like a very starchy meal, so I threw some brocolli in with the spuds and mashed them all together and topped them with a little cheese--we've got to get those green veggies in any way we can, right? Green potatoes--could be a new holiday tradition! [gotta work on a more appetizing name though...]

Babette, ask Crone about Power Charge--it's her baby and very effective! Still streaking, and I should explain what I mean by that. I'm not doing anything weird or heroic---it's just finally gotten into my head that I don't like the way I feel when I overeat so I stop 2 notches short of that full feeling. And I don't give in to every treat that comes along; for me a little loving deprivation is a good thing! I'm eating normal food, vegetarian and low-fat. I'm counting fat grams because that works well for me. If anyone wants to see my food journal or post their's [that would be fun!] I'm on the Alternative Group's Food Journal Thread!

Weeesa, I know what you mean about the buffet people. It makes me think about how I dreaded having my photo taken when I was overweight. The pictures came back with me looking so miserable and embarrassed. I see photos from back then and it makes me want to cry. On a cheerier note, I like what I see now!

:)

Red & Green Initiative Prototype ...
 

Guess that's what I'm on now because I am still working on the concept (I never use the word "rules")! I'm going to try to post a goal or promise each day related to health, weight management and fitness and then post how I did. I would definetely want to stay challenged through to New Year's, whatever we call it! :)

I am so glad to have partners in crime on this caper. The game's afoot, Watson! No excess fat cell can escape detection.

My goal today was to stop using the excuses of walking a lot doing market research and not feeling well and generally disliking my life to skip my workouts, a recent practice that is bringing about spreadage of the lower body equal to my snowman (BTW, Weeesa, in the desert, an actual snowman has NO appreciable life expectency whatever his girth! :)) So for this week, I'm promising the Queen inside me to do a solid workout of ONLY 20 minutes per day ... wimpy, because I used to do a solid hour or more, but ...

My calorie promise is to hover at 2000 calories or less, today only!

Weeesa: I know how you feel about seeing obese people who have lost all hope ... which I think is why they just get that vacant look and heap their plates. I used to be like that, but the glimmer of hope that I never lose managed to flare up at just the right moment.

But here I am approximately 7 pounds up again, and I know this could easily become 17 pounds, 27 pounds, 37, etc. So the reversal begins.

There is a woman at one place I work who is very obese. I mentioned one day that I'd lost a lot of weight and kept it off for awhile and she asked me "how" ... in a funny kind of voice, as if it were a great mystery. I told her I just ate less and moved more and journaled everything and checked with the doctor from time to time (obesity is a DISEASE). I don't think she believed that anything that simple could be the answer, as I observed her eating large amounts of mall food several more times that day and each day since. But maybe she is just getting ready to "click" and have that "I'll do it" moment. I really hope so.

Babette: Hope your weigh-in goes well! I think you are right that we can't just let things go ... my office lady story above was related more for myself, to remind me how far things can go when we let them.

Sometimes I think we WANT to let go because we get mad that we have to deal with weight issues when many other people seem free to eat and exercise at whatever level they like. We say, "Why me? Why does it have to be this way? Why can't I have free reign at Christmas (or whatever) to enjoy all the treats in whatever quantity?)"

When I get like that, I realize that the answer for me is that I AM free to eat, eat, eat and not exercise. And the fat cells lying in wait in my body will be happy, too!

BTW, you can certainly usurp the "It's best to be the queen" line! After all, I stole it from Hallmark! (Don't tell them.) :)

reporting in on WI
 

Just wanted to drop in to report that I managed to squeeze off another 1.2 pounds, for a total of 5.4 since I started back. Since I thought I might be facing a gain, I'm pretty happy with that and I am determined to have a good week. Let's do this!

xo
babette
231/210.2/160 -- Next week surely will see me under the 210 mark again! I think that my lowest low of recent years was actually right around the big "2" (rather than 194, which I reported last spring) because the scale I was weighing on was not synchronized with the WW one.