Hi,
Made it to day two. Actually it is really going well. It seems like people have some really great challenges going on, which meakes me think that hey, if they can do all that I can manage to count a few calories which is what I try to do anyway. I just have never made it 21 days without cheating. But now I am already planning my next challenge in my head.
Ok, dokey, here I am at DAY 2 O' THE NEW!!! Woohoo!!!! (trainer at gym thinks I need potassium!!!)
Everyone's going great guns here and I think we should ... have a banana!!! hmmm ...
RB for your determation on those workouts ... thanks for the "robot" info ... I have never heard that term used ... was asking people about it at the gym today and now they want to hear what it is ... I do know the exercise, though, and "robots" is an apt term! I love it!
Zadie k: You're doing great ... for making it to Day Two ... we're neck and neck and gonna pull through to the finish line at the same time ... I could use your help with this, as my determination is flagging daily, so I'm kinda pacing myself with you right now!!! Wowza!!!
Scoooooby!!! Day Three and stronger than ever ... I think that deserves a round of applause!!!! Hooray for you!!!
To all, mentioned and unmentioned, let's just keep on thinking "Praise to 21-days, praise to 21-days, praise to 21-days! "
I have no idea what the above means but "praise to 21-days" anyway!!!
My cals are high already so need to really keep a tight guard on 'em for the rest of the day!!! See this, Calorie Demon? Don't even THINK about sneaking in here with any extra calories!
DAY 16!!! I'm so close--I have to make it. And this is a stressful week for me. For those who don't know, I'm the house caterer for a continuing ed. center and am surrounded by food. Planning, preparing, shopping, serving--and I love it. Weird karma for a person with weight issues, huh? The temptation to indulge is always there, so I have to be strong!
So I'll be packing in my own lo-fat bran muffins while everyone else is having cheese danish, etc.
The thing I'm proud of today is I walked first thing this morning. Well, almost first thing. I shopped for work first and stopped by the track in town and walked 2 miles. It was great, I may try to work that into my schedule. Then when I got home I did 2 more miles on the treadmill and some dumbell exercises. Thanks for the 'robot' idea, Redballoon!
I'm at 1750 right now and don't need to eat anymore, so calling Day 2 good and planning ahead for Day 3! Still working as I need to get ahead ... will be in a seminar most of Saturday way, way, way into Phoenix. I don't expect a weight loss this week and may have a gain again, but I INTEND TO STICK TO THIS CHALLENGE LIKE GLUE ...
I'm on Day 2 here! Workout was a cinch. But keeping at it for 21 days straight will not be. I think that's what this challenge is so good for. It really gets you used to consistency and that is my biggest problem. Hard work, sure, discipline, I can hack it, but when it comes to doing it over and over again on a regular basis, that's where I've always come up short.
The reason I've done a three-way challenge: food, exercise, planning, is because I've never gotten it ALL together. I'd exercise like a nut then eat like one. Or I wouldn't eat much of anything and lie around all day. I have always tried to eat very healthy foods or work out a lot but I think I'd feel so "deserving" for doing good in one area that I'd lose it in another. But now, I think things have become more natural for me. So, I'm hoping this will keep me on the straight and narrow. I would never be able to do it on my own, however. I really need those pats on the back and "You're doing good. You can do it. Just keep it up." encouragements. Thanks for being there!
No sugar was easy, especially after that splurge that left me feeling ill between challenges. I had wanted to have a soft ice cream cone but there were none in my neighborhood so I hadn't. Yesterday I was out in the town and passed a lot and almost thought I could postpone the challenge one more day but then I thought, "Nah, I've already announced the kickoff. It can wait for a few weeks!" Yeah!!
Now over to you - - - -
** Amarantha, glad I cleared you on the robots. I got into bodybuilding about 20 years ago and probably had learned the name back then. I also abbreviated everything over the years just to make it easier to write things down. Nowadays, robots are a lot more sophisticated so maybe they don't call the exercise that anymore anywhere.
Congrats on getting through to your Day 2. I'm surprised to hear your determination is flagging. You were so raring to keep on track for the first time around. Sounds like the swing of the pendulum. Do you think your food choice is sabotaging you? It could be but then if you're not ready to go healthier mentally it'll be too much stress. Pacing, yes, that's the best now I think. I'm rooting for you so please keep at it. You've brought us all together on this thread and we are all behind you very much.
**zadie k -- glad to hear you're on to Day 2 too. Yes, the challenges are fun to think up. And it's a doable number. It's a lot easier to say, "I can do this for 21 days" then to say, "I'm going to do this forever." Forever is a very scary concept! It makes your own challenges seem easier to see others doing them too. But remember, it's not a little thing. It's a very big thing to be doing whatever it is you've decided to do for three weeks straight. So, don't think less of it! But you can do it! :
**scoobysnacks -- good for you for getting to Day 3. Good to hear you're out there moving that bootie!
**Eydie -- You SHOULD be proud! Exercise out of the way early is star stuff. And again in the evening, treadmill and weights. Awesome! And woah, major temptations with your job. Everyone has their difficulties and your work certainly makes things harder for you. But I don't think it's strange karma for a person with weight difficulties. You will have incredible insight into all sorts of food and culinary delights. You will be able to identify with people with all sorts of needs because you've been through it all. The other day at the office we were saying that the best bartenders are probably reformed alcoholics and that is probably very true. When you're able to look all sorts of food in the face and say, "I love you but I don't need you." or "I'll eat you but I won't lose myself doing so." you will know true freedom!! Yeah!
Last edited by redballoon; 08-13-2003 at 07:45 PM.
Amarantha, Wildfire, we must have been typing at the same time. Amarantha, good to hear you did it. Major congratulations. You are doing it!
Wildfire, Sorry, I got the numbers mixed up and had already congratulated you on a successful Day 9 before you got there. So, now it's official. You are really there! Keep up the excellent work!
I've read through this thread and am hugely inspired by all of your gargantuan efforts. I'm thinking hard about what I can implement for my 21-day effort.
I think it will involve calorie-counting and situps. Hey, why not? I walk to and from work every weekday and walk somewhere at least twice on the weekend, so right now (I'm a raw beginner for this fitness thing) I'm doing about all I can for cardio. Seattle's got some tall hills, baby! So, since I've got a gut the size of....my Dad's almost (oh, my GOD..........), situps will be a worthy pursuit.
Calorie-counting will be great, too, as a companion to my new life as a walker-to-work (this job is new). I hate monitoring what I eat, and have already burned out bad on a program like this, but it needs to be done. Amarantha convinced me of that on the Labor Day Losers thread (by the way, warm hello to Wildfire and all you other gorgeous friends of mine!).
So, any ideas about what calorie-counting website I might use? I used a book before and it was kind of a pain...
I've used the Fitday site to count calories when I did. That seems very good and you can put in your own custom foods and save the ones you use regularly. I would highly recommend there. Here's the link to get started:
YAY!! Cerise is in da house!!! Welcome aboard! All that walking to and from work is REALLY going to show results for you. I did it when I was going to college one year, a 4 mile round trip, and the weight melted off. That was when I was a size 10 and thought I was huge. Have a look at http://www.fitday.com for calorie counting. It's a free sign-up, and you can record all your food for the day using their database of food, or you can add custom foods based on the nutritional info you find on the package. It gives you neat little graphs and stuff, too!
redballoon, I so hear you on the getting all together at the same time! My problem, too! We can do it, though, if we are determined. I thought you were just being optimistic for me, counting days nine and ten!
Amarantha, hold fast to that calorie count! On to day three, simple as can be!
Scooby, zadie, and Angel....how was the day for you?
Yowza, Cerise is adding to our pool of 21-day karma!!! Welcome, o' hills o' Seattle walker ... I've lived in Seattle and it's wonderful walkin' country, you lucky person! Fitday seems to be a favorite site ... you can also find programs on the web to download to keep track of calories and a good book (and site) is Diet King. I've usually just journaled in a pretty blank journal, but I love the software I bought for my hard drive and just use that exclusively now.
RB, I'm definetely flagging but slogging on ... one factor is the heat here, which my A/C is not handling well ... when that departs (somewhere in October or November), I'll be perkier!! ... 21 days is a long time and I think that's what makes this such a powerful challenge ... it really does establish good health habits ... definetely my food choices need to get better ... I'm coming up with some ideas for my next challenge ... such as always eating Scottish oatmeal once a day or something like that ... we'll see ... congrats on Day 9!
To all, mentioned or unmentioned, see thee around ... gotta continue writing for pay now!!! Wowza! Almost done!
Welcome to all the new joiners!! And Congrats to everyone! You have been a busy bunch of ladies in the last two days! I weighed my self 12 hours early tonite....I've Lost 5lbs in the last week! I've been doing some serious Atkin's type eating to give myself a jumpstart. Last Thursday I was 190...tonite I'm 185!!! I also made a promise to be more commited to posting here!
Hello everyone! I'm back from vacation!! I had a great time and even stayed reasonably in control. Drank beer like a college kid though. So no loss, but no gain either!!!
I am trying to lose weight for my friends wedding in Sept. So I am going to start a 21 day challenge 21 days from the wedding. Which means I have about 17 days to kill. Welcome to Apple Blossoms 17 day challenge. A 3 or 4 pound loss would be great. 150!!! I don't think I'm going to count calories this time, just stay in control with the food. I'm going to concentrate on exercise. A 20-30 minute walk/jog EVERY DAY for 17 days.
It took me quite some time to catch up on this thread. Hello to everyone new and congrats to everyone for doing such a great job. I'm glad to see that everyone is being honest with themselves too, and getting right back into it!!!
See ya tomorrow for DAY ONE!
RB for your determation on those workouts ... thanks for the "robot" info ... I have never heard that term used ... was asking people about it at the gym today and now they want to hear what it is ... I do know the exercise, though, and "robots" is an apt term! I love it!
... I think that deserves a round of applause!!!! 
Don't even THINK about sneaking in here with any extra calories! 
I'm so close--I have to make it. And this is a stressful week for me. For those who don't know, I'm the house caterer for a continuing ed. center and am surrounded by food. Planning, preparing, shopping, serving--and I love it. Weird karma for a person with weight issues, huh?
The temptation to indulge is always there, so I have to be strong!
25.5pts for the day.
Workout was a cinch. 
It could be but then if you're not ready to go healthier mentally it'll be too much stress. 
Pacing, yes, that's the best now I think. I'm rooting for you so please keep at it. 
It makes your own challenges seem easier to see others doing them too. But remember, it's not a little thing. It's a very big thing to be doing whatever it is you've decided to do for three weeks straight. So, don't think less of it! But you can do it! 
New girl checkin' in.
I did it when I was going to college one year, a 4 mile round trip, and the weight melted off. That was when I was a size 10 and thought I was huge. 
