[patch30]

Hey there Challengettes!

I have ahead of me a rather "challenging" week and a friend sent this to me... "Don't let life discourage you; everyone who got where she is had to begin where she was."

This really applies to everything - yes - including losing or maintaining our weight!

Feelings of discouragement are to be expected as part of life. We will have our times of greater energy and hope and our times of
feeling depleted and lost. As we mature we learn to see many peaks and valleys across the landscape.

We've all seen how giving ourselves over to these feelings saps our strength, and prompts us to often go "overboard". We cannot see into the future. The dailiness of our lives isn't always dramatic and doesn't usually offer great changes. But we are part of an unfolding process.

Looking back over just a week or a month, we can recall troubled times that now seem insignificant. We see other people and their progress, and we know they too grew just one day at a time andcouldn't see what the future would bring them.

What difficulties have happened during this and other challenges that you've overcome? How has overcoming them affected how you might handle future events? How does that make you feel?

What's coming up this week or next that might be good to see from a different perspective? What can you do differently?

Remember gals we are an awesome bunch!

[kena]

Happy new week everyone. Patch - quite the serious topic this week. I can't think of anything major that happened lately but I can share what happened a year ago. I started WW in January and had 40 pounds to lose to get to goal. It seemed impossible. Barely two months after I started work started to go bad (very bad in fact). It was ugly, the company going under etc. I had to make a choice, get out or go down with the ship.

Anyway, I quit my job and had to find another one, quick. We couldn't manage without my income. Talk about stress!!!!!!!!!!! Somehow it all worked out. I got a new job I love and watched the old ship sink without me.

What I'm trying to say is that through all this I had to control my eating - I managed to keep losing but what a struggle it was! I can look back on that now and be proud - but at the time I was terrified.

I'd love to hear about everyone's personal challenges...........

Here are last weeks numbers:

Monday 26 (40 min. walk)
Tuesday 25 (40 min. walk)
Wednesday 25 (30 min. walk)
Thursday 27 (30 min. walk)
Friday 30 (golf dome, 2 buckets of balls!!!!)
Saturday -didn't count but it wasn't horrible, I was just lazy)
Sunday - 22 (no exercise)

And we're off and running for another week...........

Kena

[patch30]

Kena - thank you for sharing that. For me last year from Sept. through the end of the year seemed overwhelming with personal hardships - my father in law passing away suddenly, work not going well, my father having a stroke (he's OK) - and my mother getting more and more "forgetful".

During that challenging time - I decided with everything else going "crazy" I just could not let my weight also go out of control like I did back in Nov. 2000 - April 2001. It was probably really the first time I consciously held myself accountable. And ya know, it felt really good. Looking back I too am proud of myself for dealing with tough circumstances and not giving in to eating like a victim.

This week is also a tough one for me, but I know from this past experience I can go through this time, allow the feelings, and still not give up all the hard work and accomplishments.

Love to hear everyone else's as well.

[mpinkham]

I don't know why, but the past few weeks have been a bit more challenging than normal. Last week I had a two-day conference. Friday I have a luncheon. But more so, it is just feeling stressed out. More work than hours in the day. I try to plan ahead and make the best choices I can. At the conference I actually had the guts to ask for a vegetarian plate, which helped some (not with the dessert though). Keeping up the exercise definitely helps even though I don't count activity points. Still with all this, it will be a miracle if I lose this week. I'll let you guys know Wed. nite.

[patch30]

Where is everyone else???

Granted, the topics a wee 'bit" serious... but come back!!! Puleeze??

OK here are the numbers so far...

M --- 24 (bnkd 1 / ernd 7 act)
Tu -- 28 - 3 act = 25
We - 29 - 4 act = 25
Th -- 28 - 2 = 26 (ernd 1 pt act)
F
Sa - in a 10K race hope to burn off the above
Su

[mpinkham]

Just back from my meeting, and guess what? I actually lost 1.2 lbs. over the past two weeks (didn't WI last week with the conference). I can't believe it. I was over more than I wasn't this week.

Range 18-23

Thursday 28
Friday 27
Saturday 23
Sunday 23
Monday 23
Tuesday 25
Wednesday 22 so far

[Seasaw]

Way to go Myra.

My numbers so far this week:

Saturday...don't know- high! But I got exercise
Sunday...ditto - lots of exercise
Monday....21
Tuesday...25 4 act. pts
Wednesday..24
Thursday...
Friday...

I can't say that any one particular challenge stands out in my mind, rather a series of smaller ones. I seem to go through periods of high energy and focus, when anything seems possible, I'm organized, setting small goals, achieving them, etc. Then, I'll hit a low - not depression by any stretch - but my energy (mostly mental) falls down to nothing and everything seems difficult. It's during those times that I have had to exercise the most control to avoid falling back into old habits - which included binge-like eating.

One thing that helps me through is regular exercise. Regardless of how I'm feeling, running picks me up and gets me back on track - at least for that day. So if I run three or four times a week, I'm guaranteed to feel good for at least half the week

Upcoming challenge? M-m-m-m ...my in-laws will be visiting on the weekend - always stressful for both DH and I. I have relieved some of the stress by preparing Sunday night's meal ahead of time (meals are always the focus with them). Otherwise, I'm going out for a long, long run on Sunday morning to allow the three of them to bond

Will weigh in a day early this week (tomorrow) since I have the day off of work. I'll let you know how I did on Monday.

[patch30]

WAY TO GO MYRA -- YOU GO GIRL

[mpinkham]

Yesterday was a disaster. I don't know how many points I had exactly, but it had to be 30-35 with a luncheon meeting in NYC followed by DH meeting me there and taking me out to dinner at an Indian restaurant. It was a lot of fun, delicious, but a WW nightmare. Today I'm trying desperately to get back OP.