Day 1 - this is gonna be harder than I thought.
 

I JINXED MYSELF!!!

What can go wrong in two hours, indeed. It's not SO bad - I had a little bowl of ice cream (which I was NOT feeling hunger pains for), and THEN I nibbled on a bowl of corn chips! Do I think this was wrong? Not as such, but I wasn't hungry - didn't need the food.

So this is Day 1. Pooey Kablooey. Same rules apply this time around. I'm going to get this right!!

Yo, guys! Warning, long post! I have to say :bravo: to the restarters because it takes determination to keep at this and determination is what's going to get us to our goals!!!! The 21-day challenge is really hard to do, so let's just keep hacking away at it and the results on our physiques will be AMAZING!!!

Remember, everyone is the arbiter of their own challenge! That's key because I'm remembering that in the past some of us on 3FC built some exemptions into their personal rules ... say, you could go off track for one day and when that day was gone you didn't have an exemption anymore. I was one who tried that (I'd been watching The Mole too much, I think), but after I used the exemption, I still kept crashing!! :cb: :lol: :jig:

I mention this because I've been reading about the new WW program, where they give you a points target PLUS 35 "flexipoints" for the week. You use the "flexipoints" anyway you want to ... like if you get super hungry or have a special occasion or just lose control ... you divide 'em up anyway you want ... but you can't bank 'em when the week turns over. I really like this idea and am going to incorporate something like it (only with calories) into my next challenge ... I'm in steady state with this one, so I'll wait until I'm ready for the third block!

I had a breakthrough of sorts today. Was worried about going to Starbucks for an interview (can't resist the calories), so in the car I looked over my calorie list for Starbucks and chose how many calories I could safely have and wrote on my notebook exactly what I would order and even the words "no whipped cream," which I repeated twice at the counter. Then I did the interview and drank my frappucino. Then I went to the drugstore and was starting to feel work stress, but in the drugstore I started to notice how people were buying candy bars with their magazines, photos, vitamins, prescriptions, etc., and realizing how much of my life I've spent driving around working and eating, going from one sweet cold snack to another sweet cold snack, from convenience store to convenience store, from slimfast to slimfast, dulce de leche to dulce de leche, donut to donut, cupcake to cupcake, candy bar to candy bar, with some potato chips thrown in now and again. I realized that I don't do very much of that anymore and I realized that I didn't care.

I am in steady state in this last part of my weight loss journey now. I will make it!

Ok, Old Dog is bumping up against my knee, which means I should go pay attention to her, so here is my report, a little early but not sure if I'll be back online tonight. Sorry for the length of this missive. :comp:

My Sprint To September 6 21-Day Challenge, Day Six Report:

1) 1700 calories or less? Yes, 1645!

2) At least one exercise session per day? Yes. One hour of tai chi class; 20 minutes easy walk on my “hall treadmill!”

End of day 4
 

Hello ladies, short and sweet cause I am about to fall asleep(hey that rhymes):p

I am still doing ok. Yesterday, I did eat out so I can only do that 1 more time this week(tues to tues). I know I can make it!!! I had a huge victory at the resturant. Cerise, I did what you did, cut my sandwich in half and had it for dinner!!! So, 1 resturant lunch became 1 lunch AND 1 dinner for me :dance:

Today, day 4 I didn't eat out, drink soda, OR (not part of my challenge but helps)eat any chocolate/dessert!!! We even tried something new for dinner, Yay for us!

I will catch up with you all tomorrow, just didn't want a day to go by without checking in. . .

zadie k, congrats for IMMEDIATELY getting back to your program. There was a time when I'd slip and it would take me days [sometimes weeks] to get back.

Cerise, yes, you'll get it right. Japenese proverb: Fall down 8 times, get up 9.

Bo-Beena, you're doing splendidly!

Amarantha, Thank you for sharing your breakthru! I have a convenience store revelation of my own to share: yesterday we had to make a couple of con. store stops and I was admiring the dazzling array of junk to be had CHEAP. It's cheap, it's convenient, they make it so easy. There was a time when I would've loaded up on sweet and salty and then felt sick and guilty. Now I know that I'm going to feel better about myself if I just buy a bottle of water, and I admit it, a little smug, that I'm immune to the charms of zagnuts and snowballs!

Day 7, heaven!!!
 

Yo! End of Week 1, Block 2, Woo-hoo! I can do it and so can yu!
 

Yo!!!! Here I go (again!)!!!

My Sprint To September 6 21-Day Challenge, Day Seven Report:

1) 1700 calories or less? Yes, 1700!

2) At least one exercise session per day? Yes. Ten-minute EZ walkie warmup in gym parking lot while waiting ONCE AGAIN for it to open :hyper: ; 45-minutes on treadmill, walking only; adductor machine and abductor machine, very fast!

Good Morning Ladies! Congratulations to EVERYONE!!! Even doing something as small as NOT having a choclate bar is a BIG WIN for anyone! Trying something new for supper(as long as it's healthy) is also a big accomplishment. Specially if you have picky kids or husband like my sister does. So to all you 21 Day Challenge Chickies out there...YOU ROCK! I've been at the Canadian Paint Horse Nationals all weekend and have eaten properly! No greasy burgers...no large order of fries with gravy. No Donuts! Had to go to the Doc's on Friday to find out why my sleeping is so messed up...Well Howdie Doodie! It's my blood sugars! At least we know it's nothing major. Can be all controlled by diet! So Doc has put me on something close to the Atkins diet but with more carbs than the Atkins. Already lost a pound in the last 2 days. Slept 10 hours straight!!! Boy am I feeling GREAT!!!

Have a wonderful Sunday FOlks!

Well, I'm wrapping up Day 12. Just back from the gym too. I've got nine more days to go on my second block. I can do it! :cb:

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Amarantha, you are doing it. I'm rooting for you too. One week down and just two to go! Keep up the good work! Very cool work with the Starbucks preparation, by the way.

Eydie, That's great that you've lost 5 pounds. Good luck on getting through the weekend. Good luck on getting through Day 4. :)

Cerise, Kudos to you as well for your loss. Sounds beautiful riding through the fields. That's one thing I really miss. Over here it's just always in the ring.

B0-Beena, congrats on the meal save. Cost-saving and challenge-saving measure in ONE! :dancer:

zadie k, yes, good for you for getting right back on track. You were only a few calories over so it's not like your work was for nought. Keep it up!

Hotsplashes, Another impressive handling at the horse show. :smug: Really, really great the way you didn't blow it. Those special events and strange places are just disasters waiting to happen for the unwary eater. A big hand to you!! :cp: And glad to hear you're OK and feeling great!

[i]Yo! :bravo: to all challengers for their ongoing efforts! :bravo: That said, I have an announcement, having once again crashed and burned on the 21-day challenge (at 11:47 p.m. Saturday, after I posted), I'm going to resign from the 21-day challenge and pass the torch on to all of you wonderful folks!!! I don't know what smiley that'll entail, so I'll just use my beam me up one: :balloons:!!! As anyone who knows me knows, I often switch plans, whatever, because I lose focus or get burned out or just feel like playing a new game, SO ... :s:[i]

After my weigh-in I am going to post a new seven-day-at-a-time version of the challenge for myself and anyone else who bites!!! I AM NOT GIVING UP!!!

Over and out, mates! :wave:

I've done well with my weekend w/ guest---in spite of having a couple of of 'festive' meals and I did go 200 calories over my alotted 1500, but I'm not going to sweat it because I was planning on it and did a particularly "sincere" workout yesterday of 30 min. belly dancing, a 30-min. step video, and 1 hour of kundulini yoga, so I'm still hanging in there, and calling it a success! [I'll cut back on calories today so it'll all even out.]

Anybody seen Mars? We got up early the last 2 days to gaze at it. Looks like a huge orange-ish star!

Day 6!

Amarantha, oh no, you're going to leave us?! How will we get on without you? Don't you think your challenge might just be too difficult. Don't you want to opt for an easier one? Well, if you're just bored with it then I guess you'll have to move on.

I'd do a week challenge too but I kind of hate to see the 3 weeker without you.

How many people out there think we can continue along with the 21-Dayer?

Eydie, that's a lot of exercising you're doing. Good for you. I wish I had the space to do videos in my room. I MUST get stuff out of here. It just accumulates and it never seems I have (or want to take) the time to do something about it. Sounds familiar (as in fat cells!). I haven't seen Mars but there's a star nut at the office. I'll ask him about it.

Amarantha, you can't leave!
 

WE would hate to see the 21-dayer without our leader. But you need to do what you need for yourself, you will be missed!




End of Day 6!!! Still hangin in there!!No eating out and no soda. I am also doing a 6 wk challenge with the Curves where I work out, that has been a little more difficult but I am doing ok.

Wish all of you the best of luck. Those that have had to start over :bravo: that takes courage! Those that are still doing well WAY TO GO!!!:cp:

BoBeena

Yowza, guys!! I'm just one thread away on the mini version of the 21-dayer ... sort of '21-DAY LITE' !!!! :cb: :cb: :cb: :cb: :cb: My challenge this week is interesting for me ... I'm being Elbertine Pep (personal trainer to Empress Amarantha) and gave myself a bank of extra calories in addition to my base "salary" ... 'cept I've used up most of the bank already. I'm also exercising an hour each day. I can do it for seven days, that's for sure!!! Then I'll come up with another one!!! :wave:

Amarantha, I hope you'll still pop in to visit us!

Red Balloon! thanks for the positive reinforcement!

Edyie, congrats on all that exercise! I'm sure you burned off more than those extra 200 calories!

Good luck on the 6week Curves Challenge BoBeena!

I'm sleeping well since starting the diet my doc put me on. Sleeping incredibly well. However am finding myself getting tired in teh middle of the day. REALLY TIRED...so I think I need to up my protiens, eat more, whatever just to give me that boost to last till supper time. And I've been a good girl during the slumps, instead of reaching for something with sugar, I grab a piece of cheese or meat! See everyone tomorrow!

Amarantha, you'll at least come back to visit, right? If you went away completely, you'd be missed terribly, and that would be bad for morale!

Our weekend guest left late yesterday and I know that I took in more calories than usual but kept up with my workouts and took in MORE water than ususal, so I'm declaring myself still on track. Weighed myself this morning and was fully expecting to see a gain but I've LOST a pound! I'm at 145 officially!:D