[Arabella]

I thought this was powerful an appropriate for us:

We are the hero of our own story. ~Mary McCarthy

In every one of us, there lies a sleeping beauty waiting to be awakened through love. Because she has slumbered for so long, she must be awakened very gently. But instead of waiting for Prince Charming to storm the palace gates, you must summon the magic powers of your authentic self to break any cruel enchantment that has left you unaware of your own glory.

[Punkinseed]

Thanks Babette for the site (it's loading now).

I'd decided that it wasn't that I wanted to cut out carbs, but decrease the quantity I ate and improve the quality. When I went grocery shopping last week I paid attention and was surprised to find the "cheap bread" had less carbs (13g per slice) and more fiber (3-4g) than the "good stuff"! So, little things like an extra low starch veggie or bigger salad instead of mashed potatoes I think is going to be a good starting point for me.
It was quite an eye opener to read about refined carbs being just one step away from simple sugar - no wonder I can't put the junk food down!!!

Thanks again!!!

Terri

I wish that I'd taken the challenge not to have any Halloween junk, but better late than never so I'm taking it now. Haven't done any real damage---just knowing it's there closeby within reach is so tempting. Anyway, I'm moving it down to the cold, icky basement---it won't be nearly as tempting knowing I have to brave the dungeon to get it!

Taking care of a sick husband and trying not to get close enough to let him breathe on me--no way do I want the crud, so I'll just admire him from afar!

About the low-glycemic index stuff, that works well for me too. The more whole foods the better!
Babette, I love the quote you shared! Thank you!!!!

[anagram]

Day 3 for me - NO CANDY.

[dollar]

Day 4 no candy. Tomorrow is weigh in day.

[Amarantha2]

HALLOWEEN!!!!

YAY!!!! PUNKINSEED MADE HER HALLOWEEN GOAL SATURDAY!!! Punkin, it be natural to binge after seeing that you'd "made it" but Hago predicteth thou wilt be fine!!! She will put this on the roster as "result" but if thou desireth it to come off until Halloween let Hago know!!!!

Having a mini binge for some reason. Stressful day. Hag be going to an all-day seminar Saturday on managing anxiety, so hopefully, she'll stop reacting to things by bingeing soon!

Though Hago's calories be high (you don't wanna know), she's happy to announce NOT, Day 4, is going well!

Babette: Thanks for the Mary McCarthy quote. I do think it's appropriate for this gathering.

Actually I was looking at a book in the bookstore today about being one's "authentic" self and walked around for some time thinking about what my authentic self is like ... peopled as my brain is with so many wacky characters listening to so many old tapes from various wellsprings of negativity. A good exercise, methinks, would be to list all the sources of positivity that are in our lives. My list would include Old Dog, Silly Cat, my publisher, my intelligence and semi-regular rationality, my relative freedom from major disease, my creativity and just me in general plus (of course) the minds that gather in this thread that have the ability to focuseth on our common desire to manage weight in a rational manner.

Anagram, Dollar!!!! WTG on the NOT front!!!! Have a banana:

Eydie: Glad to see you're on Dollar's NOT team now also!!! Better lateth than never!!!! Great idea to banish the horrid, awful sugary stuff to the dungeon where it belongs!!! Sorry thy dh be ill!!!

Punkin! Increasing fiber beith a major step indeed on the nutrition front, IHO (in Hag's opinion)!!! Certain fibers, as thou knoweth, be extremely useful in regulating blood sugar and helpful to diabetics. It certainly can't hurt even those with normal blood sugar.

I don't want to cut out carbs either, which IN MY OPINION, is a bad idea as carbs are the main fuel our bodies need for energy, thinking, mood, etc, but to improve the quality of the carbs I eat AND to increase protein just a bit more than the nutritionist recommends AND to increase heart-healthy, good quality fats, while cutting overall calories just a bit. Also, one way I lower the GI of a meal is to simply eat a bit of protein with any high GI item ... peanut butter on bread, low fat cheese with a potato ... also if thy wanteth mashed potatoes, thou can mash them with chicken broth instead of butter and sprinkle fiber flakes (found in the cereal aisle) in them and/or wheat germ AND drink skim milk or also mix in ... mashed sweet potatoes are also good this way or made sweet by a tiny bit of artificial sweetner and whipped up with just water.

A POUND THIS WEEK WILL LEAVE HAG'S HIPS, WHILST NO CANDY WILL PASS HER LIPS!!!

[anagram]

Positivity - gosh, my life is full of it and I oft remind myself of that fact when the negatives are about to overwhelm. First and foremost is dh, second my little princesses - a source always of love and laughter, my dd - a Woman with a capital W, and ds, another source of jolly warmth (and their respective spouses both of whom add much to my life).

Today I enjoyed the positivity of the beautiful fall color and somedays it's just the blue of the sky. My mind has always been strong though not necessarily my body. I have a strong faith in God and humanity. I can look back and be pleased with many of my life choices. I'm not sure I could describe my "authentic" self but I think I like her.

My life is mostly comfortable, with good neighbors, longtime friends and new 3FC companions in the cause. While I do have health problems, I also have good doctors with whom I actually have (gasp!) the ability to communicate. My mother is living at 86, sharp minded and still working on her goals.

This sounds so Pollyanna-ish, I blush. I could list negatives too but I prefer to vanquish those and banish them to somewhere even far beyond the Isle of Poundlets, which at least have some pleasant aspects to them (fluffy, soft). I should sleep well tonight after recounting all those positives.

Expecting rain tomorrow but that's physical and much needed rain. Won't let any other kind rain on my parade.

[JADCIE]

Hello ladies. I weigh in again tomorrow and hope to have lost that last pound of my challenge but I have had a difficult week so I really am not sure. I do find that I am eating less junk when I do binge than usual. Of course if I am home there is very little here to get into trouble with. Well, wish me luck. Hope everyone else has a great think thin week.

[Hotsplashes]

It was wonderful to pop in this late at nite and see all the positivity on the Scary Halloween Challenge board! I have to look back to see my authentic self...and I know who she is, when she was and how to get her back...I liked her very much...in fact I loved her...she was/is/can be an amazing person...it just saddens me to think that she hasn't been around in a long time...but things are looking up and I really think she is on her way back....

Congrats to everyone who's made their Halloween challenge early!

YahOOOO for all the little witchies and hagolets who are doing so well on their No Candy Challenge!! I'm standing in the bleaches with my pennant shouting "GO TEAM GO!!!"

See everyone tomorrow! (or maybe I should say later today!lol)

[Arabella]

Just a quickie to note that I managed yesterday without falling off the streak. Had some impulses (maybe because of lack of sleep, DH leaving on trip, end-of-month) but didn't yield and did prevail!

I feel like my authentic self is something that I hide in my fat suit, like I build a layer of insulation between the real me and the world. Not that this is something that I am always aware of, but on some level, this is very true. I have to work at those things that are integral to my authentic self (painting, non-tech, non-financial writing, relating to nature, communication, spirituality, socializing -- wow, the list just goes on!)

Sometimes I get so mired in coping mode that I lose my capacity for joy.

Well, this is a good note to start my day on. Part of what is necessary is making full use of my work time so that I don't end up with nothing left over for the above. As I've noted before, contrary to what I often feel, I do have enough time. I just don't have any time to waste.

Let's make this a good one!

POUNDS BEGONE!

[boatingmommy]

Good morning witchypoos, goblinettes and all trick-not-eaters. Congrats to all the candy NOT challengers! Pass some willpower this way, please.

This little piggy went to a party,
This little piggy didn't stay home,
This little piggy ate everything in site,
until it was all gone.
This little piggy's scale said, "Wee, wee ,wee, Waa, waa, waa....
BAD LITTLE PIGGY!!!"

This little hag partaketh in huge bon fire, and drank from the bottomless well of the land of Budweiser before boarding a creaking wagon full of ghouls and ghosties to the tavern on yonder hill. When the sun stained the night sky to morning pink I awoke with a head full of fluff, or possibly nails, and proceeded to eat my way out of the hangover! Not good on little hag at all!!!
Damage done, I spent yesterday repenting for my sins and excercising myself to death.

Happy thought for today: Didn't eat good for the weekend, BUT I had a Damn good time being bad!!!! (All good and no wicked makes Boatingmommy a very bored hag indeed!)

I hope all are doing well and on their way to declaring that the Halloween treat demons be vanquished!!! Be true to your authentic self!

Also I must express my fear that I am not as well read as I know some of you are. As you can see, my repetoire is reduced to nursey rhymes!! Boo, hoo! Oh well, that is also a part of my authentic self!

Boatingmommy

[Amarantha2]

Drive-by postie to Glorious Goblinettes: Wonderful to see all the POSITIVELY POSITIVE SCARY HALLOWEEN VIBES!!! Woooooo-hoooo!! We're so on the right track, it's positively frightful!!!!! Hagolet will update the roster to include Punkin's Saturday loss in a sec!!! Then it's off to do the TO-DO list so's to use time sagely as Sage Babette/Arabella and Queen Bee Anagram hath adviseth!!!!!

Anagram, love it that thy matriachial figure is 86 and still working on goals!!! I wanna be her!!!

Jadcie: Thou be doing great, whatever thy weight!!!! Thou hast already made a successful challenge by noticing thy binges be healthier than before. That is thy true accomplishment and thy weigh in will go well.

Hotsplashie!!! Hagometer be shouting back at thee: "GO TEAM GO!!!"

We can't fail and we DO GO on!!!! The journey continueth!!! Hoorah!!!

"A , a , I'll lose a this week!!! I'm at my loser peak! I'll lose a this week!!!"

Bring on the Turkey Time Challenge, 'cause we're READY!!!!!

[Amarantha2]

Boatingmommy, thou snucketh in when Hago was posting!!! Please thinketh naught o' thy day o' dietary wickedness as the crystal ball saith thou hath a BRILLIANT nutritional future ahead o' thee!!!

Dollar, forgot to say:

NOT, Day 5

[scoobysnacks]

hi all
just checking in been reading your posts. Very motivational im back into exercising and eating healthy...however i had to gain 3 pds back to come back to my work outs. However i took the 3 pds off again and im working out like gang busters. Maybe in some way its good that i gained the weight cause sometimes i think if i dont exercise and eat unhealthy i will not gain. Silly me...hehe but im ready for the thanksgiving challenge.

And since the halloween challenge i have lost 7lbs. So im very pleased...i know its not over so i have 2 more days...to keep the 7 pds off and then i can work on the next 7pds.

Hope every is having a fun halloween season. \

Boatingmommy it sounds like you had fun...thats the whole point of life...so i commend u for having a good time and getting back ont the work out circuit.

AMARANTHA i love your little icons you put in your post..they so cute..and you use them appropriately.

THanks for the posts..i enjoy reading them.

[Punkinseed]

Hello all!

Enjoyed a -free day yesterday!!! While at Curves my mind was racing about "just one more splurge", visions of Burger King and Reese's peanut butter pumpkins danced through my mind as I worked out... Hey, I deserved it right??? Welllllll.... I got in my car after a good sweat-fest and decided NO, I WILL NOT UN-DO ALL THAT HARD WORK!!!!!

Amarantha - No, I'd like to wait until Halloween for my official weigh in. Who knows, maybe I'll beat my goal

Anagram - Your post was beautiful! There's so many times that I can just sit and stew - when I should be counting my blessings, which are actually quite a few. But when you focus on the negative, the positive's so hard to see. I will always fight to see the positive side of everything...

Jadcie - Good luck to you!!! Happy weigh in!

Boatingmommy - Awww, come on! You gotta party now n' then! We're trying to get healthy, not apply for sainthood!! I believe life should be 75% moderation and 25% enjoy life to the fullest, calories be damned!

Scooby - aaah, the Turkey Time challenge is coming on Thursday! I think you're doing awesome considering the stress you're under right now. Take care of you!

I have a thought about my authentic self. I think I met her the day I filed for divorce - and was I impressed with her! That was the first time in my adult life that I stood up for ME. Now 3 years later I believe I wouldn't know who I am as well as I do had it all not happened. There are times when she hides, but for the most part I grew wings and left that old self behind - the "do whatever it takes to please others and agree with everyone because it's easier than a fight" person is thankfully gone. She hasn't been missed yet.

Hi ho, hi ho....

Terri