Hi, guys! Got back from my trip yesterday and find I'm back where I started scale-wise at the beginning of the last long streak. In other words, I have 10 pounds to lose, actually 10.5, to get to where I've longed to be since I began my weight loss journey over 100 pounds and several years ago.

So here I go on a "streak" of behavior modification again. The past two days have been "sliding down" days and tomorrow I start my streak to see how many consecutive days I can: 1) Stick to a WEEKLY AVERAGE of 1700-1800 calories. In other words, I'll still call a splurge a good streak day, but I want my weeks to come in on target. This means my streaks can all end and start on Sundays. I keep all of this on spreadsheets, so if I average ok then I'll keep going and if I average high, I'll start over. It's just a game I play. 2) Do one exercise session a day. I hope to work up to burning a pound a week in formal exercise. At the moment it's approximately 1/3 pound. I have this all worked out on spreadsheets too. Another game.

I'm aiming for a 10.5 pound loss by Valentine's Day or more accurately the Sunday before Valentine's Day because I never weigh in on any day except Sunday. I never post my exact weight (sets up a negative thing in my small brain) but will post gains and losses.

Hope some of you guys might like to join me in "streaking" or otherwise setting a Valentine's goal. I really find the holiday challenges motivating and would like to see them active again on an everyday basis.

What'd you say? Come out and play, stay the course 'till Valentine's Day?

It'd be so neat to reach a goal on the day dedicated to romance and chocolate. It's my turn and I'm gonna do it!

It's a good idea, streaking to Valentine's Day. I am willing to give it a try.

1. I promise to stick to my exchange program.
2. I promise to keep my "binges" to a minimum.
3. I promise to not eat anything much after suppertime.
4. I promise to drink water often, often, often.
5. I promise to exercise for 20 minutes, at least 4 times a week.

Saw the doctor today. Everything seems to be OK. My hypertension is under control, my weight loss is still stable, and we had some blood work done and evidently will hear the results of that sometime next year. So it is all pretty positive.

We had a lovely Christmas - went to our son's home and played with the granddaughters. Our son's wife had the other grandparents there, too. They are old friends so it was just a happy, happy day. We are not doing anything for New Years - it is very cold and snowing this evening so church is not an option for old guys. The fire is nice and the house is cozy.

May 2002 live up to all our expectations, may we all eat healthily, and may our friendships, both in real life and in cyberland, continue to be fruitful ones.

Hooray, it's 2002! This will be the best year ever!

JoJoJo2: So glad to see another streaker. You sound so beautifully together and on track and your plan as always is so sane and balanced. Do you use a diabetic exchange program?

Too bad it's cold there. Have a wonderful, wonderful holiday by the fire.

Yesterday was my last *sliding down* day. I ended with an hour's brisk walk and calories at 2710, which is less than I've eaten in several days. My weekly *streakin'* average this week will consist of the remaining five days of the week only.

I'll be back!

New Year's Day has come and almost gone. My eating was OK, nothing spectactular. Tomorrow we return to the usual routine, which I'm looking forward to. The Christmas tree stays up until Epiphany, but the rest of the Christmas decorations will be put away tomorrow.

The holidays have been enjoyed here, too much eating but that is hard to avoid. The weather today is cold and snowy but tomorrow the chinook wind is supposed to start blowing through here which will bring the temperatures down, melt the snow, and make room for another snowstorm. We do need the moisture, but the slippery wallks and streets scare me.

Crone, you asked about my exchange program - yes, diabetics follow an exchange program which is nothing more than a certain number of servings of proteins, starches, veggies, fruits, dairy, etc. I don't count calories, but it evidently averages out to about 1200 calories per day. I use FitDay regularly, but also have and use the Richard Simmons Foodmover which keeps rack of the exchanges for me. It is a balanced way of eating, and I can eat anything I want, within reason. I gather that it is similar to some of the Weight Watcher programs, but I have never joined WW so I really don't know. It does work for me, and that is the main thing. I fall off the program at times, but hey, we are all human. Mistakes are made,and then we restart - that is the way it is done.

I hope that we all enjoy 2002, that we continue to stick with our eating programs, and that we continue to keep a happy smile on our faces. It promotes wellbeing in ourselves and others.

Finished eating at 1790 calories; exercise was a somewhat wimpy 20 minutes of circuit training in my little gym. Not bad.

JoJoJo2: I remember the chinook winds from my Colorado childhood. The sun would come out and the air would be very sweet. I remember New Year's Day was often like this. Where I live now, New Year's is also a lovely day weather-wise and this year did not disappoint. Some of the winter visitors had shorts on but that's too cold for me!

I saw the RS Foodmover in the drugstore today and remembered that someone on this board used it. I'm considering buying one. It looks like a game and I like games!

On to Day 2!

Sreak Away to St. Valentines Day! I like that! I can never come up with good rhymes like that.

I'm definitely in. My weight is up and my behavior the past 6 weeks or so has been quite atrocious actually. Time to get back on track.
My streaks will include:
1. minimum of 64 oz. water (that's a liter right?)
2. one exercise session-- even a 20 minute walk can count
3. no fast food

I think that's a good start for me for now.
I'm excited for 2002!! Let's make it THE YEAR!!
Looking forward to streaking with you

Emily

Jelynn: Sometimes I wish I couldn't think in rhyme. I do it all the time. Ok, I'll stop it; I'll drop it. Glad you're here in this great new year!

Ok, I'm a mess, I digress!

Anyhow, I had no more calories after posting last night and have already done a 65-minute fitness walk, of which half was a Leslie Sansone tape and half a kind of fast jogwalk outside.

I'll be back!

Hey everyone!

I have been blowing up like a balloon over the Holiday season. Everything but eating has been going well. I love my jobs. I have been getting to the gym, doing my knee exercises, and skiing all weekend long. I have been eating just about every holiday cookie that comes my way. I have been to a party (or held one) every day since December 15th and had not a care for what I was eating or drinking. I was 160 lbs at Thanksgiving and am 166 now.

I spent my whole Christmas break teaching skiing and snowboarding lessons. I am so excited about being a snowboarding instructor now. I am still not that good at snowboarding, but am doing well enough to teach a first timer. I gave two all day private lessons in snowboarding Monday and Tuesday and it was a blast.

Here are my goals until V-day.

1) Exercise at least 3 days M-F at the gym and XC ski before work each Sunday. I downhill ski Saturday and Sunday all day for work.
2) Drain my water bottle 3 times daily at school.
3) Absolutely NO trips to the cafeteria or candy machines at school
4) Maximum alcohol allowance = 1 glass of red wine per day (6 oz). Only the kinds of red wine high in polyphenols (Cabernet Sauvignon, chianti, and pinot noir). It said on NPR that these wines thin your blood and prevent heart disease more than other kinds.
5) Under 1400 calories a day with NO exceptions (at least for my first two weeks until I can get things under control).
6) No hot cocoa or chocolate bars while skiing.

I have gained to the point that my pants that fit at 145 were tight at 155 and now can only be buttoned while lying down at 165. I can hardly believe I let things go so far.

I get like an Ostrich with my head in the sand. I haven't even peeked at this website in a month because I felt so guilty.

I didn't exercise today. But I have skied all day, everyday, since December 21st and I started back to school today. I am buying gorcery's, cleaning house, and getting caught up on school work tonight.

I came out at 1165 calories today (including the wine).

I hope I can keep this up. It's nice reading everyone's posts.

Goodnight!

No rhyme this time.

Morrigan: So great to *see* you! Sounds like you have a focused plan and I'm always impressed by the prodigious amount of exercise you get. Congratulations on becoming a snowboarding instructor. That sounds like fun.

Re hot chocolate, I've been really pleased with one of the sugar free versions (Swiss Miss) I found this year, sweetened now with Splenda. Hope it's ok to mention brands. For 50 calories my desire for cocoa (which I get only one month out of the year since the rest of the time, this place is too hot for hot drinks IMO) is satisfied and I get some calcium (if I need more, since I love milk). Long sentence, short topic. No sugar, no bad stuff, tastes great.

Ended my eating day with 1770 calories. Feel a slight urge to binge but resistance is NOT futile.

On to Day Three.

That looks a little better. I ended up with 1373 calories yesterday after a late snack.

When i get to school today I am going to print up little copies of my goals and stick them around my desk and on the fridge at home to remind me to stay on task.

My streaking towards St. V.'s Day is going OK so far. At least we do know what we should be doing, it is the "doing" of the healthy eating that becomes difficult at times. But then we begin again, don't we???

I got another good report from the doctor - my blood work showed that my diabetes is still under control. That is I am a diet-controlled diabetic still and I do not have to go back on any medicines. When I lost weight in 2000, I was able to go off all my diabetic medicines, which was quite an accomplishment. The diabeties is still there, just lurking. But needless to say, My doctor is quite pleased with me, and that is really an incentive to stick with the eating properly and exercising regularly.

Morrigan, it is good to 'see' you once again. And you are not the only one who faces a few more lbs. to lose thanks to the holiday season. It is hard to get through the holidays without any overeating. But a new year always gives an incentive to mend our ways and go streaking again in the proper direction.

May we all manage to stick to our individual ways of making ourselves healthier as we progress joyfully into 2002.

And counting! No extra food since posting last night; exercise for today done (20 minutes of strength training, medium weights/intensity)

Congrats on the scale drop, Morrigan!

I'm off to conquer the world, no small task!

Last night DH and I went out on a date to a favorite restaurant as a "last holiday fling"-- I know I ate "too much", but it was planned and I'm eating lite the rest of the week so I'm calling it day 1. Good for the psyche

I'll check in later to let you know how day 2 has gone

I had about 1200 calories. I drank almost all my water. I made it to the gym. And I even have a tip of the day.

When you stir fry (I do often). Put your dinner over a bed of greens instead of a pile or pasta or rice like we so often do.

Really hungry tonight but vow to end the night at my present 1795 calories. After Day 3 it gets easier.

JoJoJo2: Whenever I talk to someone with a great deal of weight to lose, as happened today, I am reminded how important I think the fight against obesity really is and you've just confirmed my opinion again with your news about your good blood work and how weight loss aided you to stabilize your diabetes. Congratulations!

Jelynn: IMO, a "last holiday fling" is a great way to start a Day One. I always build ways to have controlled splurges into my eating plans. Sounds like you had fun.

Morrigan: The stir fry on greens idea sounds good. Maybe we could all add a Tip O' The Day for streakers into each post, like a recipe or good idea or inspiration or anything related? Here's mine:

When about to binge, drink a cold glass of water and start to exercise, even if that's the last thing you want to do. After even a mini-workout, the urge to sabotage oneself by packing in calories tends to diminish.