WISH Away the Pounds--January 2013 challenge--Everyone Welcome!

[Mary•Poppins]

Which leads me to the QOTD Friday, January 25, 2013: Do you think you have too little or too much fat in your diet? How do you deal with fats in your plan?

I'll BRB with my answers as well as some replies.

I really don't watch my fat intake. I monitor my caloric intake. I probably should take a closer look at all of this.

This is great info! I'd like to preface my reply by saying I MADE IT TO MY GOAL WEIGHT! 30lbs!!

I set my goal on Sept 12 to lose 30 lbs by our land and sea trip on Feb 10 and I DID IT!!
Onward to the May 10 goal, 22 more pounds!

Congrats! What a great feeling! Keep it up.

Watched the video! How much fun does that look like! Can you find yourselves in the video, or do you just kind of know where you were??

Hey Pam ... we knew where we were but didn't make it to the video. There were hundreds of people. But it was SO fun to be a part of the production.

So I tried this. So far it is going to need a lot of work for me to be able to use it. I made it with Unsweetened Almond milk, vanilla and Truvia originally. YECH! Didn't like it at all. Went and bought some Xanthun Gum and tried to thicken it to see if that would help.

*NOTE* Xanthun Gum thickens as it sits!!!!! I woke up this morning to a jar of pudding! Guess I added too much since it didn't seem to do anything when I put it in last night.

It was also a lumpy mess because I didn't use the blender, I just shook the jar vigorously. Threw it in the blender and added more almond milk, Truvia and vanilla. Still yech. It is closer but I think the problem now is not enough vanilla flavor and too much Truvia. I am okay with it in small amounts but for the amount I need for my coffee-- I like a little coffee to water down my cream and sugar! -- it just has the icky, nasty artificial sweetener taste. This is why I don't just switch to SF Flavored creamer.

So going to try a few more things. Need to play with the nutritional content if I use real sugar or maybe 1/2 sugar, 1/2 truvia. If I can get the fat down that will help a lot. I also have some Unsweetened Coconut Milk I may try experimenting with. I also wonder about using a French Vanilla Coffee Syrup to get that stronger vanilla flavor. But again, the SF probably will be too "artifical" tasting to me and the regular has too much sugar. And all these ingredients are expensive! So I may just have to give up coffee.

So in addition to my coffee failure I made eggs for breakfast but DD had used the last of MY local fresh eggs so I had to use store bought. I used a different pan because it was already out and they ended up sticking like crazy and overcooked quickly. I really don't care for the store bought eggs anyway so overcooked just isn't an option.

In summary, I am now drinking a cup of coffee with my regular International Delight coffee creamer and have had 2 slices of bacon for breakfast. Hopefully I burned enough calories trying to make everything that it will balance out!!

Okay ... I tried this over the weekend and had such high hopes. But it also turned out like pudding. I still put it in my coffee ... but it didn't cut it. If you find something that works ... please let me know.

QOTD Saturday, January 26, 2013: How do you get your five-a-day servings fruit and vegetable? Are there any of these tips that work for you or do you have your own to share?

I'll be back with replies and my answer to the QOTD.

I tend to struggle with this. When I am focusing on losing weight, I am much better at it. I need to find ways to sneak more into my diet.

Which leads me to the QOTD Sunday, January 27, 2012: Take a look at your goals. Are they framed in positive terms? Do they create positive or negative feelings about this process? Can you revise any of your goals in a way to help you create positive momentum?

BRB with replies.

This is an interesting question today. I think lately I have been focusing on the negative .... and need to refocus on the positive.

One day when my sister was visiting from England, we were watching my cousin's baby. He was 2. He had a spoon and started banging it on the wooden table. I said, "Don't hit the table." And my sister (who is a principal of a birth to age 4 school in England) said, we don't say it that way to children ... because all they hear is "hit the table". Instead say ... I like that you are mixing the milk with your spoon. That really made me think about how I phrase my words with my students and my children.

So, on that note .... my goal is "I am proud of the weight I lost this month and plan to lose another 4 pounds next month."

Pic of dad

]

I LOVED it. Thanks for sharing ... he looks like he is having a great time.

Which brings me to the QOTD for Monday, January 28, 2013: What tip or strategy would you suggest to someone who feels like their motivation is not where they want it to be?


Be back in a few with replies and my own answer.

Mine is to start small. Just get out an walk for 30 minutes ... or just drink all me water for the day. It is hard when you are just not "feeling it". But starting small works for me.

So I have attempted to post twice hopefully this time it goes thru. Saw my oncologist today and I am officially 6 months cancer free. she suggested I start the couch to 5k program or something similar that allows for building up stamina rather than trying to survive an hour or more and then be too exhausted to move for days. She thought I was expecting way too much from my body especially after surgery, chemo, and radiation. Said it can take a year or more so I need to be more patient.

This is awesome news.

I like the couch to 5k idea. Your body will really tell you when you are ready .... but you might be surprised how much better you feel if you get out a little. Perhaps just walk up and down your street ... it only takes a few minutes ... but it is something that can lead to bigger and better exercise habits. And your body will enjoy Disney a lot more when you are there.

 

[ColoradoLime]

Wow - Been crazy busy lately, so I'll do my best to get caught up with what I missed over the weekend.

G
QOTD Saturday, January 26, 2013: How do you get your five-a-day servings fruit and vegetable? Are there any of these tips that work for you or do you have your own to share?

I still struggle with this a lot. I always have fruit with breakfast, typically a banana or grapefruit. But now that I have my NINJA, I'm on a smoothie kick so I get about 3 servings of fruit in each smoothie.

Lunch and Dinner is where I focus on veggies. For lunch I prefer to snack on my veggies so I'll do carrots & hummus a lot. Then at dinner it's as easy as sautéing some zucchini & squash or throwing together a salad.

Which leads me to the QOTD Sunday, January 27, 2012: Take a look at your goals. Are they framed in positive terms? Do they create positive or negative feelings about this process? Can you revise any of your goals in a way to help you create positive momentum?

I try very hard to set my goals to be about what I can control. I don't have a goal of losing x number of pounds because I don't have any control over what the scale shows. But I can control what I eat and how often I exercise so those are where my goals are. I strive to exercise 4 times a week and stay on plan at least 5 days a week.

Which brings me to the QOTD for Monday, January 28, 2013: What tip or strategy would you suggest to someone who feels like their motivation is not where they want it to be?

I don't have an answer for this one...I'm the one whose motivation isn't where it needs to be. So I'll be ready everyone else's answers.

 

[50sjayne]

Hi. Feeling pretty bloated...

Had the oatmeal again for b-fast, an orange and a hot chocolate for lunch, but dinner was a home made jambalaya thing...I had procured some jennio turkey sausages marked down, had some black beans at home and tomatoes. Thought I'd try out my new rice cooker and of course it took me a long time to figure it out even though it's really simple. So I didn't get started until pretty late, then it was too late to go work out. The rice cooker is completely awesome though-- it cooked 4 cups of rice in less than a 1/2 hour perfectly. but the thing I made was too good-- ate a lot. I put vegetable bouillon in the rice added the tomatoes (vine) to the sausages at the end of their cooking and mixed the whole thing together with a cajun seasoning.
I'm going to try to stay active tonight doing laundry, dishes etc. And I'll work out tomorrow. I'm pretty sure I'll stay full the rest of the night though...

 

[Flossbolna]

Sorry that I have been away for so long... Weekend was very busy with social events. So not great for weight loss. I know that there are strategies on how to stay within in your limits and I try to not overeat. However, I still ate more than I should have. Some strategies did work, I told my friend who was hosting a brunch for her birthday that I am at the moment trying to lose weight and when she served the food, I could see that my plate had a smaller portion than the other plates.

I am also rather disappointed that my weight loss has more or less stalled despite tracking the food and exercising. I even gained a little bit back, so I am at the moment not at my January goal. I am still hoping that in the next two days the scale will once again jump downwards so that I can finish the January with my goal reached. I keep telling my that even if I don't reach my goal, I am still lighter than I was on January 1st. And I know that the only way to reach my goal is to just continue in February. So I am trying to be excited about starting a new month - and I am glad that I signed up for coaching in the second week as knowing that soon people will count on me does help me keeping focused.

So - for the last three days of January the plan is to stay on track and then start over with a lot of new motivation on February 1st!

 

[mikamah]

So I have attempted to post twice hopefully this time it goes thru. Saw my oncologist today and I am officially 6 months cancer free. she suggested I start the couch to 5k program or something similar that allows for building up stamina rather than trying to survive an hour or more and then be too exhausted to move for days. She thought I was expecting way too much from my body especially after surgery, chemo, and radiation. Said it can take a year or more so I need to be more patient.

That is wonderful news. Congratulations on being cancer free!! Definitely be patient with yourself, and not overdo it. Your body just fought the fight of it's life, and won, so treasure it. I know you will.

Great news! I hear great things about the C25K program... Thinking I will start that once I get more weight off. I would love to do a Disney marathon someday!

I started c25k a few years ago with the goal of a disney half marathon, and it is a great program. I weight 215 at the time, and ended up adding walk breaks when the run intervals got too long. A disney marathon is an amazing goal, and not to sound crazy, though I am a bit, but they just had the 20th anniversary, and a little disney nut in the back of my head is saying, I should do the 25th anniversary. I've got 5 years to train, right? Maybe I'll see you there.

One day when my sister was visiting from England, we were watching my cousin's baby. He was 2. He had a spoon and started banging it on the wooden table. I said, "Don't hit the table." And my sister (who is a principal of a birth to age 4 school in England) said, we don't say it that way to children ... because all they hear is "hit the table". Instead say ... I like that you are mixing the milk with your spoon. That really made me think about how I phrase my words with my students and my children.

So, on that note .... my goal is "I am proud of the weight I lost this month and plan to lose another 4 pounds next month."

.

I love this quote, and have been taking a deep breath a lot before answering my pubescent pre-teen when he's feeling emotional, so will try to remember to praise my answers in a more positive way. Congrats on your loss this month!! You can do it. It's not always easy, but so worth it. We all need our patience where weight loss is concerned.

I am also rather disappointed that my weight loss has more or less stalled despite tracking the food and exercising. I even gained a little bit back, so I am at the moment not at my January goal. I am still hoping that in the next two days the scale will once again jump downwards so that I can finish the January with my goal reached. I keep telling my that even if I don't reach my goal, I am still lighter than I was on January 1st. And I know that the only way to reach my goal is to just continue in February. So I am trying to be excited about starting a new month - and I am glad that I signed up for coaching in the second week as knowing that soon people will count on me does help me keeping focused.

So - for the last three days of January the plan is to stay on track and then start over with a lot of new motivation on February 1st!

I love your attitude!! The end of january is the time where the new years motivation can start to slide, and this group here is such an amazing source of support and inspiration.


Good morning everyone else!! Hello Pamela, Lisa, Rose, Buffy, CC, tracey and everyone else I've missed.

I haven't been here much, and am almost 1 month down with ww, but am at the point, where I can see things will get more challenging as my weight loss slows, and am going to try and post here more next month because I know how much better I can do when I am more a part of this group.

Originally Posted by lisah0711
Which brings me to the QOTD for Monday, January 28, 2013: What tip or strategy would you suggest to someone who feels like their motivation is not where they want it to be?

Try to remember how good it feels when you are losing the weight, or moving more and getting some exercise. Everyone has their ups and downs, and that is a part of life, but you can do what you want to do and reach your goals, so if you want to move more, just get out for a 5 min walk around the block, and if the scale is not moving but you have been on track, think about the non-scale victories you have achieved, maybe you can run a 5k, maybe you're not as short of breath climbing up a flight of stairs as you used to be, or maybe those pants are a little less tight. Falling off track is a part of all of our lives, and getting in back on track, and back in the proverbial wagon, no matter how many times you need to do that, is what will make the difference between those who succeed and those who don't. You can do this!! Believe in yourself and never, ever, give up!!

Gotta get the dog out in the snow. Yay! Thank you to everyone who posts here, I've been lurking and getting inspired and motivated by all your posts this month, and I hope you all are celebrating all your hard work and success this month.

Let's end this month strong!!!

 

[PlutoBaby]

So I have attempted to post twice hopefully this time it goes thru. Saw my oncologist today and I am officially 6 months cancer free. she suggested I start the couch to 5k program or something similar that allows for building up stamina rather than trying to survive an hour or more and then be too exhausted to move for days. She thought I was expecting way too much from my body especially after surgery, chemo, and radiation. Said it can take a year or more so I need to be more patient.

YYYAAAAYYYYY!!!!!!

Being the queen of impatience, and always pushing myself when I know I should back off, I feel your pain. DO NOT let yourself get run down! Your whole body needs time to heal, especially your immune system. I absolutely agree with Rose, find yourself a great yoga instructor, tell her what you are trying to achieve with yoga, and don't even give a thought as to what everybody else in the class is doing. If you have difficulty with the poses, you can always modify or find a pose that's comfortable for you . I started a year ago and it's taken that long and then some, to be able to pull off some of the poses. There's still PLENTY I can't pull off yet, but I know with patience I will get there. And so will you!

 

[tarzansmom]

WOOHOO!!!! Congrats on the clear check!

C25K is wonderful! I used it to do the Disney Everest 5K Challenge, and I just restarted last week.

Thanks
I would love to run a disney marathon someday so who knows. Doing my day 1 as soon as I am done with my coffee

 

[tarzansmom]

Congratulations to YOU!!!

As far as patience, I hear you there. I have some issues as well and let me tell you, my mind wants to do all sorts of things but my body says...not so fast chicky.

Thanks. Sorry you are dealing with health issues too. It is so hard to want to do so much but have physical limitations. I think it makes weight loss more challenging. Hang in there!

 

[pjlla]

Morning all! I'm out of the house on my I way to bible study, but wanted to pop in and say Hi!

Never made it back on last night to answer the QOTD, so I'm behind now! But the good news is that yesterday was a double workout day!

The free wifi here is working sporadically, so I am not going to take a lot of time chatting in case it doesn't post. I'll be on after lunch to answer the QOTD and chat a bit!

For today remember....."Start the way you intend to go on". If you intend to have a great OP day, then start it right with a healthy breakfast (and a workout if you can fit it right now). Pack your clothes for the gym if you are going later, pack a delicious healthy lunch, take your break time to take a short brisk walk or find a new healthy recipe to try. You CAN do this....you ARE worth it! ........P

 

[tarzansmom]

Pamela--I hope your inner ear stuff is doing better--I am assuming that's what the issue is. And the onions--I love onions. But I am telling you our house still smells really stinky!!

Hurray for being cancer free! I am really glad you saw your doctor today. The c25k is a great idea. Overdoing it with walking and running definitely leads to injuries, but if you want more workouts you could also try yoga or some strength workouts. Working on strength, flexibility and your core gives your legs (and lungs) a break while still burning calories. (Though there is strength for your legs too.) Again Congrats on a good report!

****
Uggh I had one of those days. Hopefully I didn't blow it with my eating. I didn't track, but I think I am still in an ok range.

I hope everyone has a good night. Three more days in January. I'm going to try to make them count!

Thanks. I used to belong to a gym and used their equipment for strength training but now I am solely on my own at home. Any exercises you would suggest that I can do at home? I am more pear shaped so I am wanting to target stomach, butt and thighs but sadly the first place I always lose is the last place I want to, if you know what I mean. I have tried doing sit ups and push ups and such but I can't even manage one. That is how out of shape I am. :-(

 

[tarzansmom]

Great news! I hear great things about the C25K program... Thinking I will start that once I get more weight off. I would love to do a Disney marathon someday!

Thanks. I would also like to do a disney marathon but wonder if I will be able too. I am working on keeping the doubt out and my new plan is to set smaller more manageable goals that will eventually lead me to the long term goals. This week it's just three days of couch to 5k which I am sure will kick my you know what. From there we will see. Gotta take it one day at a time.

 

[tarzansmom]

I really don't watch my fat intake. I monitor my caloric intake. I probably should take a closer look at all of this.

Congrats! What a great feeling! Keep it up.

Hey Pam ... we knew where we were but didn't make it to the video. There were hundreds of people. But it was SO fun to be a part of the production.

Okay ... I tried this over the weekend and had such high hopes. But it also turned out like pudding. I still put it in my coffee ... but it didn't cut it. If you find something that works ... please let me know.

I tend to struggle with this. When I am focusing on losing weight, I am much better at it. I need to find ways to sneak more into my diet.

This is an interesting question today. I think lately I have been focusing on the negative .... and need to refocus on the positive.

One day when my sister was visiting from England, we were watching my cousin's baby. He was 2. He had a spoon and started banging it on the wooden table. I said, "Don't hit the table." And my sister (who is a principal of a birth to age 4 school in England) said, we don't say it that way to children ... because all they hear is "hit the table". Instead say ... I like that you are mixing the milk with your spoon. That really made me think about how I phrase my words with my students and my children.

So, on that note .... my goal is "I am proud of the weight I lost this month and plan to lose another 4 pounds next month."

I LOVED it. Thanks for sharing ... he looks like he is having a great time.

Mine is to start small. Just get out an walk for 30 minutes ... or just drink all me water for the day. It is hard when you are just not "feeling it". But starting small works for me.

This is awesome news.

I like the couch to 5k idea. Your body will really tell you when you are ready .... but you might be surprised how much better you feel if you get out a little. Perhaps just walk up and down your street ... it only takes a few minutes ... but it is something that can lead to bigger and better exercise habits. And your body will enjoy Disney a lot more when you are there.

I also have entirely to much negativity which I am working on. I think the negative self image really causes me to struggle more. I think the couch to 5k will be good for me too. I am a little worried I won't be able to complete day 1 today though. However, you are right. I need to go in and do as much as I can and keep doing it. I think I have spent so much time planning huge stuff and then I get mad at myself when I can't do it and its not working. Going to take each day and do something. If I walk more than run today that's ok. Thanks four your encouragement.

 

[tarzansmom]

That is wonderful news. Congratulations on being cancer free!! Definitely be patient with yourself, and not overdo it. Your body just fought the fight of it's life, and won, so treasure it. I know you will.

I started c25k a few years ago with the goal of a disney half marathon, and it is a great program. I weight 215 at the time, and ended up adding walk breaks when the run intervals got too long. A disney marathon is an amazing goal, and not to sound crazy, though I am a bit, but they just had the 20th anniversary, and a little disney nut in the back of my head is saying, I should do the 25th anniversary. I've got 5 years to train, right? Maybe I'll see you there.


Let's end this month strong!!!

Thanks. In my heart I know I just fought a huge battle but sometimes my brain tells me I haven't done anything for the last year but lay around and sleep. I think I am my own worst enemy at times. That being said this health issue has made me stop and look at myself. I want to be healthy and I want to be here for a long time to come. Being overweight can potentially kill me and cancer taught me one thing I am not ready to die. I fought cancer, can fight obesity too. I think 5 years is s great time frame for your marathon goal. Might have to set the same!

 

[tarzansmom]

YYYAAAAYYYYY!!!!!!

Being the queen of impatience, and always pushing myself when I know I should back off, I feel your pain. DO NOT let yourself get run down! Your whole body needs time to heal, especially your immune system. I absolutely agree with Rose, find yourself a great yoga instructor, tell her what you are trying to achieve with yoga, and don't even give a thought as to what everybody else in the class is doing. If you have difficulty with the poses, you can always modify or find a pose that's comfortable for you . I started a year ago and it's taken that long and then some, to be able to pull off some of the poses. There's still PLENTY I can't pull off yet, but I know with patience I will get there. And so will you!

Thanks. Impatience is a big one for me too. I have done yoga in the past at a health and wellness center. When we adopted our son from Russia he came with lots of anxiety and he was referred to a chiropractor whose wife ran the health and wellness so we did yoga and meditation for a year. Then his anxiety improved and we stopped. Might have to get back into it though. I know our local YMCA has classes. I have always feared their classes because it is so embarrassing how out of shape I am.

 

[tarzansmom]

Morning all! I'm out of the house on my I way to bible study, but wanted to pop in and say Hi!

Never made it back on last night to answer the QOTD, so I'm behind now! But the good news is that yesterday was a double workout day!

The free wifi here is working sporadically, so I am not going to take a lot of time chatting in case it doesn't post. I'll be on after lunch to answer the QOTD and chat a bit!

For today remember....."Start the way you intend to go on". If you intend to have a great OP day, then start it right with a healthy breakfast (and a workout if you can fit it right now). Pack your clothes for the gym if you are going later, pack a delicious healthy lunch, take your break time to take a short brisk walk or find a new healthy recipe to try. You CAN do this....you ARE worth it! ........P

That's exactly what I needed to hear this morning. Going for my first couch to 5k now, wish me luck!

And sorry for all the posts, can't figure out how to quote multiple people on the iPad.

 

[lisah0711]

Good morning all!

We talked about goals and motivation this weeek so let's wrap up our discussion with a little reality check to ensure our expectations are realistic.

(Thanks, of course, to an article from sparkpeople.com )

Give Yourself a Reality Check-Up
Are Your Weight-Loss Expectations Realistic?
-- By Dean Anderson, Behavioral Psychology Expert

Perhaps the biggest reason that permanent weight loss is so difficult is that it is stressful—for your mind and your body. And when you're stressed out, you justdon’t function at your best, mentally, emotionally, or physically. In fact, chronic stress tends to make you into your own worst enemy, impairing your judgment, making you emotionally hyper-reactive, messing up your metabolism, and generally making it more difficult to do the things you need to in order to lose weight.

As far as your brain and body are concerned, persistent calorie restriction is, by definition, a condition of chronic stress. Human beings have automatic biological and psychological responses to calorie restriction that are designed to help us survive this condition without losing too much weight or starving to death. Unfortunately, these responses also kick in when you are trying to lose weight for healthy reasons—and they often get in your way.


The best way to minimize the negative effects of these responses to your weight loss efforts is to minimize the degree to which your diet stresses you out. Less overall stress means a reduced reaction to calorie restriction, and that means much less trouble for you. Anything and everything you can do to make your weight loss efforts less stressful should be at the top of your priority list.

The good news is that much of the stress you normally experience during weight loss comes from factors you can control—your own expectations and attitude about how weight loss works, and your natural ability to focus your attention and thoughts in ways that promote motivation, persistence and success, even under difficult circumstances. When your expectations and attitudes are out of sync with reality, or when you fail to focus your attention where it will actually help you, stress can get the best of you and wreck your weight loss efforts.

5-Point Reality Checkup

The following reality checkup can help you determine whether your expectations and your attention-focusing habits are realistic, or if you need to work on them to stop unnecessary stress from hurting your weight loss efforts.

Write down whether you agree (True) or disagree (False) with each of the following five statements. At the end, you'll find out if you're guilty of the most common (but unrealistic) expectations associated with weight loss stress.

True or False: Weight loss is all about the numbers. You lose weight when you eat fewer calories than you burn.

True or False: Will power is the foundation of weight loss success. You have to force yourself to do the things you don’t like doing until you do like them or until you lose weight, whichever happens first.

True or False: The best motivation for losing weight is being unhappy about your present weight and appearance.

True or False: Being brutally honest with yourself about your problems, bad habits, and character flaws is the best way to overcome these problems.

True or False: Your own body is your worst weight-loss enemy. To lose weight, you have to constantly fight cravings, urges, and desires that are biologically based.

The best response to each of these statements is False. Although there is a grain of truth in each statement, most people who are successful at permanent weight loss succeed because they have taken the opposite viewpoint on each of these issues. Here’s why:

Weight loss does depend on taking in fewer calories than you use up. But figuring out how to do that the right way is incredibly complex. No two bodies burn the same amount of calories doing the exact same activity, and there is no simple way to be certain how many calories you are burning at any given moment. On top of that, many factors affect your metabolism—the quality of your sleep, your mood and feelings, the quality of the foods you eat, the variety of your daily activities, your basic health, and more. The bottom line is that successful weight loss is very much a holistic phenomenon, dependent on harmonious functioning of body, mind, and spirit.

There probably isn’t any such thing as willpower. That’s just the name we give to the experience of getting ourselves to do something that isn’t high on our list of things we think we want to do. What we are really doing in those situations is using memory, anticipation, and an appeal to our most basic values to shift our in-the-moment priorities. There are many ways to accomplish this that are much more pleasant and more productive than simply “willing” yourself to do something unpleasant. It pays to learn them (see Step 9).

Not liking your weight or appearance right now will only get you to the front door. If you want to get into the process of changing things (and stay there), you need a positive vision of your goal (see Step 6) and lots of positive reinforcement along the way.

Harsh self-criticism may be the biggest obstacle to the skill that can actually help you get past recurring problems—the skill of learning from your mistakes and adjusting your behavior accordingly. To do this, you need to adopt a very different kind of attitude and approach to yourself (see Step 10).

You are your body, and your weight loss efforts will succeed exactly to the extent that you mange to do the work on behalf of your embodied self. You’ll do much better when you focus on making positive changes to improve your health and well-being, rather than on fighting your bad habits.

Here is a link to the entire article is you are interested http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=697

And to get much more in depth information about the mind-body connection in this journey I suggest that you check out this series
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/mind_over_body_fat.asp I hope that you will check out this series sometime because it has a lot of good exercises to help you move from "I know what to do" to actually doing it. This series is where those references to see Step number something are located.

Which brings me to the QOTD for Tuesday, January 29, 2013: Do you feel that your weight loss expectations are realistic? How do you think your expectations could be changed to help your success on this journey?

And don't worry this is the last of the deep thinking for my questions this go round and there will be a couple of fun questions to help us finish strong!

BBL with replies

 

[tarzansmom]

Finished day 1 couch to 5k. Took longer than the intended 30 min because I had to stop twice in order to stop my heart from pounding out of my chest. That's how out of shape I am but I am not going to dwell on it. Today I am just going to focus on the fact that I DID IT!
As for the QOTD
I think my goals were not realistic but now I think I am coming around to more realistic goals. I am going to see a nutritionist too because my eating habits are not the best. I stay under my calorie allocation but some days I eat only one meal in order to do so. Yesterday was a great example, ate a banana and that was it so I could enjoy dinner out with dh.

 

[PlutoBaby]

Which brings me to the QOTD for Tuesday, January 29, 2013: Do you feel that your weight loss expectations are realistic? How do you think your expectations could be changed to help your success on this journey?

I think so, even though others don't. After researching what is considered a "healthy weight" for my short height (and we all know what kind of devil "healthy weight" can be defined as ), I set that number as my goal weight. I really didn't think I would get as far as I have over the past year, but now my eating habits don't even feel like a "diet" anymore. Making healthy choices the majority of the time, is something I don't really even need to think about, I just do it. Now, seeing that I'm SO close to that magic number, and knowing I'll be happy if I can even stay within a few pounds of it either way, will feel like after so many years of trying, I was finally able to accomplish that goal .

As far as changing expectations - I think I've gotten to the point that I realize I will probably never see more than a .5-1.5 pound weight loss on any given week. Throughout this whole journey, only one time did I ever see 3 pounds disappear and that was in the very beginning. I know that is the safest way, and the best way to maintain that loss, but once in a while it would be so encouraging!

 

[pjlla]

Which brings me to the QOTD for Monday, January 28, 2013: What tip or strategy would you suggest to someone who feels like their motivation is not where they want it to be?

First I think we need to figure out WHY the motivation is slipping. Are you feeling deprived? Craving something that you now consider "off limits?" Struggling with calorie counting or exercise? Tired of tracking? Not seeing the results on the scale that you expect?

What is the stumbling block?? Figure that out and go from there. If you are feeling deprived or having cravings, find a way to feel "treated" and enjoy something that feels indulgent. Figure out the PointsPlus/calories in a treat, plan it into your plan, track it, enjoy it and move on!!

Having trouble keeping up with calorie counting? Develop your own "system" to make it easier. Maybe you create some menus with the calories written in and use those faithfully for your meals for a few weeks. Or, if you are doing WW, grab a sharpie and write the PointPlus value for each food on the package!

Tired of tracking.... see the above idea. Or start pre-planning your food for the day/week. Do all of the tracking at once, BEFORE you eat the foods for that day.

Exercise a problem? Try something new! Get some new music for your walk/run/bike. Try a group class or something fun/silly like an Aerial class or a Zumba dance class!

I try very hard to set my goals to be about what I can control. I don't have a goal of losing x number of pounds because I don't have any control over what the scale shows. But I can control what I eat and how often I exercise so those are where my goals are. I strive to exercise 4 times a week and stay on plan at least 5 days a week.

Great idea! It is too easy to get caught up in the "number" each week and let it dictate your mood!


I don't have an answer for this one...I'm the one whose motivation isn't where it needs to be. So I'll be ready everyone else's answers.

Just being here with us and participating shows that you have some level of motivation working for you!

Hi. Feeling pretty bloated...

Had the oatmeal again for b-fast, an orange and a hot chocolate for lunch, but dinner was a home made jambalaya thing...I had procured some jennio turkey sausages marked down, had some black beans at home and tomatoes. Thought I'd try out my new rice cooker and of course it took me a long time to figure it out even though it's really simple. So I didn't get started until pretty late, then it was too late to go work out. The rice cooker is completely awesome though-- it cooked 4 cups of rice in less than a 1/2 hour perfectly. but the thing I made was too good-- ate a lot. I put vegetable bouillon in the rice added the tomatoes (vine) to the sausages at the end of their cooking and mixed the whole thing together with a cajun seasoning.
I'm going to try to stay active tonight doing laundry, dishes etc. And I'll work out tomorrow. I'm pretty sure I'll stay full the rest of the night though...

Just gotta say this and then I'll go away..... the reason you probably ate too much of that yummy dinner was because your breakfast and lunch look like it they are really lacking. Little to no protein, no veggies, and too much sugar. And breakfast of oatmeal is okay, but not great.... especially depending on the type of oatmeal... steel cut oats are best.... instant oats, not so much. And I don't see any vegetables in your entire day other than the can of tomatoes with dinner. Your body was starving by dinner time and you were on a slippery slope leading to overeating. I hate to sound harsh, but you set yourself up for this by not eating well during the day. Please don't take offense.... I realize it sounds "preachy" and I really just want to be helpful. The dinner sounds delicious. But you need to eat better earlier in the day. .... Now I'll go away.

Sorry that I have been away for so long... Weekend was very busy with social events. So not great for weight loss. I know that there are strategies on how to stay within in your limits and I try to not overeat. However, I still ate more than I should have. Some strategies did work, I told my friend who was hosting a brunch for her birthday that I am at the moment trying to lose weight and when she served the food, I could see that my plate had a smaller portion than the other plates.

I am also rather disappointed that my weight loss has more or less stalled despite tracking the food and exercising. I even gained a little bit back, so I am at the moment not at my January goal. I am still hoping that in the next two days the scale will once again jump downwards so that I can finish the January with my goal reached. I keep telling my that even if I don't reach my goal, I am still lighter than I was on January 1st. And I know that the only way to reach my goal is to just continue in February. So I am trying to be excited about starting a new month - and I am glad that I signed up for coaching in the second week as knowing that soon people will count on me does help me keeping focused.

So - for the last three days of January the plan is to stay on track and then start over with a lot of new motivation on February 1st!

Sounds like you have a great attitude right now! That will help you keep going onto a successful February!!

I started c25k a few years ago with the goal of a disney half marathon, and it is a great program. I weight 215 at the time, and ended up adding walk breaks when the run intervals got too long. A disney marathon is an amazing goal, and not to sound crazy, though I am a bit, but they just had the 20th anniversary, and a little disney nut in the back of my head is saying, I should do the 25th anniversary. I've got 5 years to train, right? Maybe I'll see you there.

Great long-term plan!

Good morning everyone else!! Hello Pamela, Lisa, Rose, Buffy, CC, tracey and everyone else I've missed.

Hello to you too! You've been missed. I should have texted you to check up, but kept forgetting. Glad you are doing well.


I haven't been here much, and am almost 1 month down with ww, but am at the point, where I can see things will get more challenging as my weight loss slows, and am going to try and post here more next month because I know how much better I can do when I am more a part of this group.

We look forward to seeing you more!

Try to remember how good it feels when you are losing the weight, or moving more and getting some exercise. Everyone has their ups and downs, and that is a part of life, but you can do what you want to do and reach your goals, so if you want to move more, just get out for a 5 min walk around the block, and if the scale is not moving but you have been on track, think about the non-scale victories you have achieved, maybe you can run a 5k, maybe you're not as short of breath climbing up a flight of stairs as you used to be, or maybe those pants are a little less tight. Falling off track is a part of all of our lives, and getting in back on track, and back in the proverbial wagon, no matter how many times you need to do that, is what will make the difference between those who succeed and those who don't. You can do this!! Believe in yourself and never, ever, give up!!

Gotta get the dog out in the snow. Yay! Thank you to everyone who posts here, I've been lurking and getting inspired and motivated by all your posts this month, and I hope you all are celebrating all your hard work and success this month.

Let's end this month strong!!!

Is Poko enjoying this snow? We got a coating of fresh stuff last night. Pretty to look at but a PITA to drive in.

YYYAAAAYYYYY!!!!!!

Being the queen of impatience, and always pushing myself when I know I should back off, I feel your pain. DO NOT let yourself get run down! Your whole body needs time to heal, especially your immune system. I absolutely agree with Rose, find yourself a great yoga instructor, tell her what you are trying to achieve with yoga, and don't even give a thought as to what everybody else in the class is doing. If you have difficulty with the poses, you can always modify or find a pose that's comfortable for you . I started a year ago and it's taken that long and then some, to be able to pull off some of the poses. There's still PLENTY I can't pull off yet, but I know with patience I will get there. And so will you!

Great advise about the yoga!

Thanks. I used to belong to a gym and used their equipment for strength training but now I am solely on my own at home. Any exercises you would suggest that I can do at home? I am more pear shaped so I am wanting to target stomach, butt and thighs but sadly the first place I always lose is the last place I want to, if you know what I mean. I have tried doing sit ups and push ups and such but I can't even manage one. That is how out of shape I am. :-(

There is SO MUCH strength training you can do at home without equipment! And it is a workout... don't let anyone tell you otherwise! Push-ups, crunches, planks (and all of the variations of them), wall-sits, lunges, tricept dips, squats, punches, side lunges, calf raises, step-ups... so many! If you can only do one of something, so be it! Do the one today... and keep trying! I was at a point a few years ago that I was able to do 10 real push-ups! And I was so happy about that because when I started, despite being in decent cardio shape, I had NO muscle tone!

Thanks. Impatience is a big one for me too. I have done yoga in the past at a health and wellness center. When we adopted our son from Russia he came with lots of anxiety and he was referred to a chiropractor whose wife ran the health and wellness so we did yoga and meditation for a year. Then his anxiety improved and we stopped. Might have to get back into it though. I know our local YMCA has classes. I have always feared their classes because it is so embarrassing how out of shape I am.

Maybe they have a beginner class you could try?

That's exactly what I needed to hear this morning. Going for my first couch to 5k now, wish me luck!

And sorry for all the posts, can't figure out how to quote multiple people on the iPad.

WOOHOO on your first C25K workout!

Which brings me to the QOTD for Tuesday, January 29, 2013: Do you feel that your weight loss expectations are realistic? How do you think your expectations could be changed to help your success on this journey?

I have to think back to when I last re-started this journey in 2008. My initial goal was NOT long-term weight loss or anything so "grand" as that. I just didn't want to be any fatter in my WDW vacation photos than I had been the previous visit! And in order to achieve that I had 15 week to lose about 30 pounds. Was my expectation realistic at that time? Probably not... but I had HUGE determination and managed to lose a bit over 33 pounds.

When I returned from that trip (with just a small gain) and got BACK on plan, my initial goal was just to hit about 150. I was 168.4 on my post-vacation weigh-in and hitting 150 seemed like a big deal. But I hit it and kept going... down to my wedding weight of about 140. And then reset my goal AGAIN to 129. I must say, that I have not been able to maintain that last goal. It has become an unrealistically low number for me. (But I did hit it once!)

Anyhow.... I kept "nibbling away" at my weight. I didn't start day #1 with a goal of losing 90 pounds in 6 months or anything like that. I kept working on small goals. When I would achieve them I would take a bit of time to reevaluate and then reset them. It worked so well, although it wasn't something I really "planned" in the beginning. But I would definitely recommend it for others!

Finished day 1 couch to 5k. Took longer than the intended 30 min because I had to stop twice in order to stop my heart from pounding out of my chest. That's how out of shape I am but I am not going to dwell on it. Today I am just going to focus on the fact that I DID IT!

Positives only!! YOU DID IT! That is all you need to think about right now! You COMPLETED the intervals and achieved your exercise goal for the day!!


As for the QOTD
I think my goals were not realistic but now I think I am coming around to more realistic goals. I am going to see a nutritionist too because my eating habits are not the best. I stay under my calorie allocation but some days I eat only one meal in order to do so. Yesterday was a great example, ate a banana and that was it so I could enjoy dinner out with dh.

Alll I can say is .....

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

Okay friends! This read/reply and answering the QOTD has taken far too long! I need to get some laundry folded before picking up the kids and diving into my busy evening!

Bible study was nice this morning. I really enjoy the whole group of ladies.

Vertigo was there again this morning. I will call the chiropractor today and if it isn't better after a visit to him, I will call my PCP.

Exercise will be squeezed in somewhere today.... not quite sure where/when yet. I am taking DD to the local Y for a workout, since she will be missing her club swim practice again today due to a schedule conflict, but I really should buy some groceries while she is swimming... fruit and veggie bin is alarmingly low! Maybe I can do a short workout and a quick run to the store for just a few basics.

Okay.... gotta dash! TTYL..................P

 

[Flossbolna]

I love your attitude!! The end of january is the time where the new years motivation can start to slide, and this group here is such an amazing source of support and inspiration.

Thanks - and the funny thing is this morning when I typed that post my attitude was nothing to admire. But actually putting it into words helped me change my attitude a lot!

I truly appreciate how much this group - and participating in it more actively - has helped me to stay on track for nearly a whole month now. I love reading everyone's posts even if I am not good at replying - even to the QOTD which I often miss.

I also love the new set up as knowing that we will start a new challenge thread in a few days really helps me focussing on a new goal instead of being sad about maybe not making my January goal.

And thanks to all the motivation I get from this thread I did manage to get my 5km run in today. I was at the gym and after 20 minutes on the treadmill I realised that I had been running a little bit too fast and started to be very hungry. I do get this sometimes... So I stopped running and proceeded to do my weight training. Doing this did go well and I stopped feeling soooo hungry, so I decided to try whether I could not finish the run after the weights. And I managed to do that by just running a little bit slower. So I am very happy with the exercise I got today - as on top of that are another 1.5 hours of walking (ot work, to lunch and then to the gym).