From ZERO to HERO - The October 2015 W.I.S.H. Challenge

courtneybeth · Oct 7, 2015

JacknSally said:
I put in my two weeks today. When DH2B and I decided it was the right thing to do, I was all ... but ever since I did it, I'm pretty much just .

As someone who has worked in a negative environment that left me feeling miserable every day, I have to say that I AM SO PROUD OF YOU and you are definitely making the right decision. It may seem scary right now but in the long term you will make the transition to somewhere much better and appreciative of your talents.

Start throwing in your resumes now, as it may take 3-4 weeks for postings to close. You may even hear back from someone right away. I've done phone interviews while at Disney World and it's been a fun way to bridge the awkwardness at the beginning and eventually slide into an in-person. One less stressful thing for you at this amazing time in your life.

You're going to be so much better off. Don't let the "oh no what did i do?" thinking cloud your vision; you did the right thing and you should celebrate and dance. That burden is off your shoulders!!!

CruisingKate · Oct 7, 2015

pjlla said:
For next week's foods (since we are talking about fun foods) I am looking forward to enjoying my first RUM SWIZZLE at the famous Swizzle Inn.... and maybe just a small slice of the local classic RUM CAKE

Ah, rum swizzles! Enjoy! I had my first 30 years ago today on our honeymoon to Bermuda - such a beautiful island. So glad to read in another post that your daughter was safe during the hurricane.

CruisingKate · Oct 7, 2015

ThistleMae said:
This is after 70 pounds in one year!

Wow! You look sensational. Sounds like the cruise was lovely. Your story is so inspirational. Wishing you continued good health.

JacknSally said:

But at the same time... life is too short to be so miserable all the time... the constant negativity is EXHAUSTING. I come home so emotionally drained that I pretty much collapse onto the couch until I finally drag myself to bed. Then barely wake up in time to do it all again the next day. Mental health is just as important as physical health... RIght? And that job didn't really allow for either... Sigh.

Click to expand...

Lots of life changes for you at once - wedding, marriage, changing jobs. I absolutely agree with you - mental health is vital to our overall well- being.

I'm tracking and keeping with my WW plan. My weigh-in is Friday. Hope the scale reflects the hard work I'm putting in! You all continue to motivate me!

Click to expand...

CruisingKate · Oct 7, 2015

Hmmm, I have to learn how to insert and reply to multiple quotes properly. Can someone explain how or point me to instructions? Thanks!

Flossbolna · Oct 7, 2015

SwimminAtAKL said:
@Flossbolna and other members of the AKL Pool Fan Club: I totally just stole that pic you posted for my new avatar. Perfect!

I am so happy that you agree with me on the pool color!! I was afraid that people who might never have seen the pool that way would think it was strange. I have heard that one of the reasons why they changed it was that people constantly complained that the pool was dirty...

bigsis1970 said:
and to answer some questions - I am not going to the meetings here at work - well I could I guess - but my DD is all signed up at our center and we attend the Sat am meeting, the Leader is FANTASIC!!! I love her.. she is high energy, funny, smart and genuinely cares that we all succeed... She happens to be the same leader that I had a few years back when my mom would travel 2 hrs down to the Meeting to go to just because she is that Great!!

Howe wonderful that you have found such a great leader!! Seems like you are all set for success!

ThistleMae said:
October Goals: Lose the 7 pounds I gained while on vacation! Yup....7 giant pounds! I started out well for the first couple days. I decided to keep desserts down to just two a day, which was my goal for the six day cruise. Then by day three I was eating everything and then some! I tried almost every dessert there was to try. I ate pastry in the morning, with my eggs and bacon. I ate two to three desserts at lunch. I ate dessert at dinner and snacked on desserts at night! I ate till I was sick....literally....my stomach was in an uproar and that didn't stop me! Having unlimited quantities of food displayed before me on lovely dishes and fancy trays is like being an alcoholic in a bar where all the drinks are all free! I have my Disney vacation coming mid-November and I'm very worried! I am back on track right now, which is good for me, because like many others in here have said, it used to take me months to get back on track....so getting right back on my plan a day after my return is very good. I'm still very disappointed in the gain and would like to be back where I ended last month at the end of this month. Seven pounds is a lot for me to lose, so not sure I can get all the way there, but....I've stepped up my gym workout....so maybe. So 7 pounds is my goal for the month. And by the way....I did have a wonderful time in the Caribbean! I swam with stingrays and dolphins and danced the nights away! (It obviously did nothing for keeping down the calories, so in theory, I probably gained even more than seven pounds.)

First of all: Be proud that you managed to stick with your goal for two days!! Just imagine what would have happened if you had given in from the start! And don't worry about your Disney vacation. The unlimitd food supply on a cruise is far worse. At Disney the food prices will already help you to not go totally overboard! And we all learn from experience. Knowing what happened on the cruise and how bad you felt afterwards will help you to stick with your plan better. You have already achieved so much! You don't need to be perfect!

And I am sure that you will see those 7 pounds disappear faster than you think. A lot of it is propably just still water and bulk from eating badly for a week.

ThistleMae said:
Me and my sister on our cruise. I am the one on the right. This is after 70 pounds in one year!

You both look fabulous and so happy! What a wonderful picture to show off your success of 70 pounds! I truly find your story so inspirational! Thanks for sharing it with us!

JacknSally said:
I put in my two weeks today. When DH2B and I decided it was the right thing to do, I was all ... but ever since I did it, I'm pretty much just . DH2B got a promotion at work that came with a small raise, and several procedures have changed at work recently, and it was just steadily becoming a worse and worse place to be. With tickets and hotel covered, we think we've got enough in cash and gift cards for our Disneymoon, and we've got enough in savings to cover rent for 3 or so months... DH2B's checks will cover the other bills... I'll be added onto his insurance... I'm just panicking that there's something big we forgot about, or that I won't find even a part time job... I know lots of companies put their hiring on hold until the first quarter of the new year.... What if we run out of money between now and then.... AAAHHHHHHH.....

I wish you all the best for the job hunt!! Seems like you made the right decision if your work environment was so poisening!

DisPup75 said:
Since this dream meal can be ANYTHING, I'm inclined to go with dinner at the French Laundry because I'm assuming I'll be able to magically get that coveted reservation!!!

Oh, that is a wonderful idea!! I was going to think that my dream meal would be either Remy on the Disney Fantasy or Victoria & Alberts at WDW. But now I am thinking it would be one of those really crazy expensive steakhouses! I love steak, but would never pay such crazy prices. And if you ever get that coveted reservation for the French Laundry and need someone to come along, I would be happy to volunteer as well! :thumbsup2

Flossbolna · Oct 7, 2015

CruisingKate said:
Hmmm, I have to learn how to insert and reply to multiple quotes properly. Can someone explain how or point me to instructions? Thanks!

You either click on "Quote +" on the bottom right corner of a post, which is going to quote the whole post, or you highlight the part of the post which you want to quote and then at the bottom right of the highlighted corner there will appear a button with "Quote+". Once you have collected everything you want to quote, you go to the reply window at the bottom of the page and there at the bottom left corner is a button "Insert Quotes", click that, confirm the selected quotes and then you have them added. Make sure that you add your comments after the "[ /QUOTE ]" text (I added spaces to it, otherwise it will not show up). Does this help?

ThistleMae · Oct 7, 2015

courtneybeth said:
You look great in your photo - congrats on your weight loss!!!

Thank you...the compliment is greatly appreciated!

ThistleMae · Oct 7, 2015

Happy Wednesday Everyone! I have been trying to catch up on all the posts in here since I got back from vacation on Sunday. Wow! So many new folks....what fun! Today is work-out Wednesday. I am going to try a SPIN class today after my weight routine. I'm only doing 12 minutes on the bike, so a 30 minute class is a lofty goal. I don't know if I can last that long! But...I'm going to try it. I'm working on increasing my time but it is going very slowly. I've done no exercise for years, so it is a push every time I start the cardio. Baby steps. Staying positive. Looking at a life change not a race. Starting to plan for my Disney Vacation now that I'm back from the cruise. I will have a support partner at Disney, my sweetheart, who is very good about choices. He will help me make better decisions and I will help him make good decisions as well. I'd like to keep my gain down on the next trip. Learning to vacation, like eating out, is an "art form". It takes practice. I continue to practice every day. I chose sugar free jello last night for a snack. Every calorie counts....LOL! Carry on folks.

JacknSally · Oct 7, 2015

GOOOOOOOOODDDDD MORNING GODS AND GODDESSES!!

Does anyone know what today is?

Anyone?

THAT'S RIGHT!

IT'S WOOOOOHHHHOOOOOOOOOO WEDNESDAY!

I. LOVE. Woohoo Wednesdays. These threads are a giant positivity bubble 99.9% of the time anyway, but on Wednesdays it's even better! I LOVE hearing what everyone has got to WOOHOO about! So let's get going! Who's got a woohoo??

In addition to your WOOHOO, I thought for today's QOTD we'd play a game! This is actually a combination of two game-threads on the TPAS Community board. You may or may not have seen those threads, so I'll explain!

QOTD for Wednesday, October 7, 2015

For today's QOTD, we're going to mash up two fun and light games. I'm excited about this - hopefully you will be, too!

For the first part of the game, I want you to say something NICE-POSITIVE-MOTIVATIONAL-COMPLIMENTARY-ETC. about the person who posted immediately before you. Be sure to tag and/or mention who you're talking about, just in case another post pops up while you're typing yours. If you see that someone was missed, please be sure to go back and mention them! I'll be doing the same. Or, say two posts pop up at the same time, and you don't know who you should comment about... Please do BOTH users, and then the person after you will just comment about you.
Let's spread a little pixie dust and give everyone something to WOOHOO about today!

For part TWO of the game, let's do a round of "The Poster Below Me". It's simple - just end your post with a fun/silly statement about the person who will be posting after you. OBVIOUSLY you won't know who that will be - unless you can see the future, in which case, please PM me, I've got some questions . Then the person who posts after you will respond TRUE or FALSE, depending on whether or not that statement applies to them.

So basically, posts would look something like this:
(these are purely examples, please don't be offended if I didn't use your name, I just picked the first users that popped in my head. Also, these don't count, so please don't skip them if they post later on in the game!)

@DisPup75 says - "I love and am completely jealous of @pjlla 's superpowers - she's able to stay on top of responses in this thread, hold down a busy job, plan a trip to the Bahamas, AND make a month's worth of healthy dinners all at the same time!

The poster below me has blue curly hair."

Then if @courtneybeth is the next poster, she would do something like:

"FALSE! I have purple straight hair. (or whatever her hair really is)

@DisPup75 (because that's who posted immediately before her) is an awesome friend and motivator who led a really kick-butt September thread!

The poster below me loves Nutella waffles from Sleepy Hollow and their favorite ride is Stitch's Great Escape."

AND SO ON!

Does that make sense? Let me know if there are any questions! I think this will be fun!

Be sure to be as sincere as possible with your comment about the poster above you - not something silly like "I really love [user's] floor mats in their car" (unless you've seen their floor mats, I guess) - because I want to fill this thread with good vibes and lots of love!

I hope everyone has fun with this! If it backfires, THAT'S OK, and I promise not to have any more game QOTD's haha.

EVERYONE have a WONDERFULLY WOOHOOFUL WEDNESDAY!

DisPup75 · Oct 7, 2015

SwimminAtAKL said:
Ha! Cool. Thanks for wising me up! Keeping our bodies comfortable is so worth figuring out! It can really make or break us, or just be small ways that we communicate to ourselves that we love and value ourselves.

I tried both Body Glide and Gold Bond this summer-- What an awesome thing! I'd been wearing exercise shorts (calf length) to avoid chafing, but it's just so hot in the summer. Of the two, I liked Gold Bond a bit better. Which was nice, cuz it's a bit cheaper, and apparently it's available as an easy grab at Wally World, though I got mine on Amazon.

I did find, though, that I was happier if I was going to do a ton of walking that day, to just wear the exercise shorts (I'm still looking for even lighter, quick-dry ones...I'm just not willing to pay much for them, but I may re-think this rather arbitrary limitation I'm imposing). I found that if it's a really hot, sweaty day, the body glide/gold bond just wears off. You can carry it with you to re-apply, but you know how it is-- in a lot of situations (e.g. a day out in the city), if it wears off halfway through your walk, you're gonna be chafed before you get to a ladies room where you can re-apply, and then you're in trouble for the rest of the day. Disney, of course, has loads of bathrooms, so maybe it would work there?

Thinking a little deeper about it-- the emotional/self-criticism impacts of this issue-- I also like the shorts thing because it keeps my attention OFF my thighs. If I start having problems with the body glide/gold bond, and even before-- I'm always watching out for a chafing spot starting-- I end up in a lot of self-criticism over the size of my thighs, and feel isolated because it feels like an embarrassing problem that most people I can't tell about. The whole shame cycle for me is very important to manage/avoid --it can easily throw me into a downward spiral.

On the flip side, having the tool of Body Glide/Gold Bond freed me up to go ahead and wear a shorter hem length when I want to feel pretty, without wearing the shorts that add a little bulk, aren't so very sexy, and can feel like an advertisement that "my fat thighs are causing me trouble."

My favorite combo of these tools recently was to find a knee-length dress that I love in a light, summer-friendly material, and wear above-the-knee shorts that were invisible under the dress. The best of both worlds! I did a long day in Manhattan in the summer heat, climbing stairs, riding the subway, endless walking, etc. I felt so free to move, pretty in my dress, stress-free because I wasn't fretting over chafing hot-spots forming, and shame-free because I wasn't constantly reminded of my thighs. I felt great, and had a great day!

I love how much you thought through this issue and found a solution that keeps you cool, comfortable, in a good emotional state, and is cute too boot!

SwimminAtAKL said:
@Flossbolna and other members of the AKL Pool Fan Club: I totally just stole that pic you posted for my new avatar. Perfect!

I'm going to use it as body-positive imagery today: I can remember how wonderful the water feels slipping over my skin, how comfortable I feel, the sun warm on my back, the World smiling at me, feeling beautiful, relaxed, at peace. Happy voices, children playing, African music...

We're all weightless in the water!

I love swimming for this very reason. I was so sad when pool season ended a few weeks ago.

courtneybeth said:
Begone you evil temptress.

Is it bad that I would just really want all of the desserts? I'm just going to post all of my favorites with pictures for further temptation. EAT ALL THE THINGS.

Croque Glace in EPCOT's France Pavillion. Warm bread roll, filled with an ice cream flavor of your choice and either raspberry or chocolate sauce.

Be Our Guest's Strawberry Cupcake.

My Standard - the Mickey Mouse Cake Pop... have to get it with Mickey Sprinkles!

The Kitchen Sink... Hubs and I attempted to conquer it at Disneyland's Paradise Pier Hotel for my 30th Birthday two years ago and we only got through half of it. It's nearly identical to this one at Beaches and Cream.

I think spreading these out over the course of a week (save for the Kitchen Sink, stay far far far away from it!) won't be too killer for a waistline.

You have a sandwich and fruit in there. Totally balanced!

bigsis1970 said:
Ok Monday QotD - Weekends are my killer, like a lot of you that is premium family time and lots of family stuff revolves around food.. this weekend for me was Friday night - rehearsal dinner, I choose baked haddock with crumb topping and it came with mashed potato (about 1/2 cup) and cooked carrots and roll.. THEN came the double layer chocolate cake with chocolate fudge frosting and walnuts.. I had a half slice.. then it was Wedding day (for my Sister in Law) on Saturday - so Reisling wine, Pizza Appetizer, entrées - salad, rolls, meatballs, mac & cheese, chicken fingers, cooked carrots. THEN came a whoopee pies (instead of cake) I had only a half as they were not moist like mine, and homemade Italian cookes .. Sunday was beef stew, crusty bread and cut up cold veggies THEN came the slice of homemade apple pie.. UGH.. my week is Sat to Sat and when I did the math for the weekend I was over by -29 AFTER using my 49 bonus points.. but I am tracking everything as I said I would, I am owning it..

and to answer some questions - I am not going to the meetings here at work - well I could I guess - but my DD is all signed up at our center and we attend the Sat am meeting, the Leader is FANTASIC!!! I love her.. she is high energy, funny, smart and genuinely cares that we all succeed... She happens to be the same leader that I had a few years back when my mom would travel 2 hrs down to the Meeting to go to just because she is that Great!!

Today I am going to eat Thanksgiving Dinner.. It would all be homemade except the soup!
Starter - French onion soup in a bread bowl from Panara!

Juicy roasted Turkey with crispy skin
Mashed potatoes with butter
Corn with butter
rolls with butter
Green bean casserole
cranberry sauce
just a bit of homemade gravy

dessert - homemade apple pie or my hubs Pumpkin cheesecake!

Seems to be a theme here with butter - I LOVE BUTTER

Great, great job on keeping up with the tracking. This is such a learning process. For me at least, the only way I can truly learn seems to be to blow through my points occasionally and realize just how much food I was previously eating and how quickly it all adds up. As long as you immediately get yourself back on track, you are just fine!

And happy happy Thanksgiving!!!

pjlla said:
Well..... since this is a MAGIC MEAL, I'm going to go on the assumption that ALL my favorites are magically available in the same place.... preferrably DISNEY! So i'm in a WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL, MAGICAL Disney setting (perhaps on the balcony of the train station watching the evening parade with a PERFECT view! I have great company to share the treats (like my family) because this is going to be a full EXPERIENCE, not just an opportunity to eat. The weather is PERFECT, sun is setting, and the food is FREE!!

Starters..... garlic hummus with really wonderful crusty bread and a LOVELY glass of wine (not expensive kind, I like a cheap Riesling that comes in a blue bottle with a gnome on it! ). Next up.... my DSIL's butternut squash ravioli in a butter sauce.... just a few are enough!

Dinner.... perhaps a small serving of a rare prime rib with a nice creamy pasta dish or twice-baked potato on the side.... and a big heap of roasted veggies.... I really love roasted veggies!

And since I'm not full yet (because this is a magic meal), a slice or two of this great pizza from California Pizza Kitchen that I had once a few years ago..... a great multigrain crust topped with goat cheese, arugula, nuts (can't remember what kind)and grilled pears.... it was so delish! And of course, with pizza I need BEER!! Just a big frosted mug of Blue Moon pale ale would be GREAT!!!

Dessert...... hmmm..... how about we share a Kitchen Sink from Beaches and Cream..... I've had that on my bucket list for a while!! If not that, then a Mickey bar.... and almost anything from the Karmel Kuchen in Epcot!! And another beer.... I do love beer!

As I sit here and think, there are other foods that come to mind that I never, ever eat any more that sound pretty appealing (fish and chips!!), but guess I'll stop here.... because I'm making myself too hungry!!!

For next week's foods (since we are talking about fun foods) I am looking forward to enjoying my first RUM SWIZZLE at the famous Swizzle Inn.... and maybe just a small slice of the local classic RUM CAKE! As I rule I don't eat seafood (DD is a Marine Bio major and has schooled me on how badly we are damaging our oceans by overfishing and how much mercury we are taking in when we eat fish.... especially BIG fish like swordfish and tuna)..... but I may indulge in one of the fish sandwiches on raisin bread that seems to be all the rage at a restaurant known as "Art Mels Spicy Dicy"...... Sounds great, doesn't it? And a bit of ice cream from a local place called Bailey's that is supposed to be wonderful! Can you tell I've done a bit of restaurant research??!!

Back to work!.............P

That sounds like a great meal! And I'm so intrigued by this fish sandwich on raisin bread. Off to google when I'm done here.

contempgal said:
Oh my that is an awesome question. I would have to go with dinner from Ravi Kabob in Arlington, VA. Anyone ever been there? If you haven't, you must! It's a small restaurant, one you probably wouldn't just go into on a normal basis, but you will be rewarded if you do. I always get the chicken kebobs with chickpeas, salad, naan and sauce (yes, sauce because I have no clue what is in it or what its really called). It sounds basic but it so isn't. It's all amazing. Just put it this way.....I don't live in Virginia. Actually I live in West Virginia, 5 hours away from Arlington. However, if my sister or I are ANYWHERE near that area (she used to live there), we make a trip to Ravi Kabob and bring it home for everyone. It's literally that good. And if I could get dessert from anywhere, I would go with the bread and butter pudding from Raglan Road at Disney Springs. Amazing. It's probably a good thing (and possibly sucks) that I don't have reservations for Raglan Road for my upcoming trip.

I used to eat at Ravi all the time when I lived in the neighborhood. Yummy yummy yummy. May need to think about a road trip across the river soon.

ThistleMae said:
October Goals: Lose the 7 pounds I gained while on vacation! Yup....7 giant pounds! I started out well for the first couple days. I decided to keep desserts down to just two a day, which was my goal for the six day cruise. Then by day three I was eating everything and then some! I tried almost every dessert there was to try. I ate pastry in the morning, with my eggs and bacon. I ate two to three desserts at lunch. I ate dessert at dinner and snacked on desserts at night! I ate till I was sick....literally....my stomach was in an uproar and that didn't stop me! Having unlimited quantities of food displayed before me on lovely dishes and fancy trays is like being an alcoholic in a bar where all the drinks are all free! I have my Disney vacation coming mid-November and I'm very worried! I am back on track right now, which is good for me, because like many others in here have said, it used to take me months to get back on track....so getting right back on my plan a day after my return is very good. I'm still very disappointed in the gain and would like to be back where I ended last month at the end of this month. Seven pounds is a lot for me to lose, so not sure I can get all the way there, but....I've stepped up my gym workout....so maybe. So 7 pounds is my goal for the month. And by the way....I did have a wonderful time in the Caribbean! I swam with stingrays and dolphins and danced the nights away! (It obviously did nothing for keeping down the calories, so in theory, I probably gained even more than seven pounds.)

I'm so glad you had a great time! And by immediately getting back on track, that 7 pounds will fall off in no time, probably just in time for the Disney vacation.

ThistleMae said:
Me and my sister on our cruise. I am the one on the right. This is after 70 pounds in one year!View attachment 127393

You look amazing!!!!

JacknSally said:
OK, so I'm DUMB. I have spent ALL DAY wondering why I haven't gotten any emails that people were commenting... I just figured it must be a slow day, everyone's busy, I'm busy, no big deal. I got on here tonight and there were SO MANY POSTS! Haha. Turns out I did get an email earlier, but until you visit the thread again, they won't send you another email... Since I hadn't had a chance to get on, I wasn't getting any updates... Now I'm behind again!

Let's start off with our progress report for Week 1! SO sorry it's just now going up. I went back through the posts from the weekend and tried to grab all the %s I saw... Please, please let me know if I've left you off of this or the monthly participant list. I know I am missing a few people on that one. If I have a chance tonight I will go back through and update that.

@JacknSally - 132%
@pjlla - 40%
@dsnyfn1022 - 18%
@DisPup75 - 32%
@mickeyfanachey1999 - 23.3%
@contempgal - 18%
@courtneybeth - 40%
@Trith - 70%
@SureAsLiz - 7%
@SarahDisney - Awesome.

Considering the week only started on Thursday, those are some pretty GREAT numbers! Way to go, losers! Can't wait to see what week 2 holds for everyone!

__________________________________________

Everyone's magic meals sound so yummy!! I hope I didn't wreck anyone's day! @courtneybeth you CRACK me UP!! and @pjlla can you please let me know the next time you go to the parks... and also include me on your ADRs? Your choices are incredible.

I am torn between going to bed now (at 8pm ) and working on wedding projects... I think bed might just win out. The projects are all fairly involved, and I think if I were to pull out something to start on now, I'd end up staying up all night. Or just not getting anything done and leaving a big mess in my wake.

So, I mentioned a couple of times last month that my work environment was less-than-ideal... If we're being honest, it was downright depressing. Constant negativity, lots of backstabbing and cattiness and two-faced drama, mind-numbingly-boring work, lots of empty promises (still haven't gotten that $0.10 raise I was guaranteed in April... )... Basically more often than not I spent my lunch break in tears and came home cursing the walls. Well...

I put in my two weeks today. When DH2B and I decided it was the right thing to do, I was all ... but ever since I did it, I'm pretty much just . DH2B got a promotion at work that came with a small raise, and several procedures have changed at work recently, and it was just steadily becoming a worse and worse place to be. With tickets and hotel covered, we think we've got enough in cash and gift cards for our Disneymoon, and we've got enough in savings to cover rent for 3 or so months... DH2B's checks will cover the other bills... I'll be added onto his insurance... I'm just panicking that there's something big we forgot about, or that I won't find even a part time job... I know lots of companies put their hiring on hold until the first quarter of the new year.... What if we run out of money between now and then.... AAAHHHHHHH.....

But at the same time... life is too short to be so miserable all the time... the constant negativity is EXHAUSTING. I come home so emotionally drained that I pretty much collapse onto the couch until I finally drag myself to bed. Then barely wake up in time to do it all again the next day. Mental health is just as important as physical health... RIght? And that job didn't really allow for either... Sigh.

Ah, well. Too late now! My last day is the 20th, which is the day before my PTO was scheduled to start... Definitely bummed that I couldn't work it out to have some extra free time between now and the wedding, but at least now I don't have to worry about spending the honeymoon stressing and dreading going to work the following Monday... Blah.

What's everyone up to tonight??

First, I'm so proud of everyone! This is shaping up to be an awesome month!!!

Second, spending lunch hours in tears is never OK. Clearly not an easy decision but the right one for your health and sanity. There will be other jobs! If nothing else, there is always the holiday retail jobs to get you through. If you can get a few resumes out now, it would probably be good to do so since companies take so long to process. But if it is just too much, get started as soon as the Disneymoon is over and all will be fine! Chin up!!! Only two more weeks left in that place!

DisPup75 · Oct 7, 2015

ThistleMae said:
Happy Wednesday Everyone! I have been trying to catch up on all the posts in here since I got back from vacation on Sunday. Wow! So many new folks....what fun! Today is work-out Wednesday. I am going to try a SPIN class today after my weight routine. I'm only doing 12 minutes on the bike, so a 30 minute class is a lofty goal. I don't know if I can last that long! But...I'm going to try it. I'm working on increasing my time but it is going very slowly. I've done no exercise for years, so it is a push every time I start the cardio. Baby steps. Staying positive. Looking at a life change not a race. Starting to plan for my Disney Vacation now that I'm back from the cruise. I will have a support partner at Disney, my sweetheart, who is very good about choices. He will help me make better decisions and I will help him make good decisions as well. I'd like to keep my gain down on the next trip. Learning to vacation, like eating out, is an "art form". It takes practice. I continue to practice every day. I chose sugar free jello last night for a snack. Every calorie counts....LOL! Carry on folks.

Have fun at spin class!! You're going to kick butt.

JacknSally said:
I. LOVE. Woohoo Wednesdays. These threads are a giant positivity bubble 99.9% of the time anyway, but on Wednesdays it's even better! I LOVE hearing what everyone has got to WOOHOO about! So let's get going! Who's got a woohoo??

My woohoo is that I was down 3.2 at my official WW weigh-in yesterday! Woohoo! Got my 4-week key chain and my first 5 pound star!

I'm hoping to break 20 pounds this week (and see 199.9) on my personal tracker!!

JacknSally said:
I. LOVE. Woohoo Wednesdays. These threads are a giant positivity bubble 99.9% of the time anyway, but on Wednesdays it's even better! I LOVE hearing what everyone has got to WOOHOO about! So let's get going! Who's got a woohoo??

In addition to your WOOHOO, I thought for today's QOTD we'd play a game! This is actually a combination of two game-threads on the TPAS Community board. You may or may not have seen those threads, so I'll explain!

QOTD for Wednesday, October 7, 2015

For today's QOTD, we're going to mash up two fun and light games. I'm excited about this - hopefully you will be, too!

For the first part of the game, I want you to say something NICE-POSITIVE-MOTIVATIONAL-COMPLIMENTARY-ETC. about the person who posted immediately before you. Be sure to tag and/or mention who you're talking about, just in case another post pops up while you're typing yours. If you see that someone was missed, please be sure to go back and mention them! I'll be doing the same. Or, say two posts pop up at the same time, and you don't know who you should comment about... Please do BOTH users, and then the person after you will just comment about you.
Let's spread a little pixie dust and give everyone something to WOOHOO about today!

For part TWO of the game, let's do a round of "The Poster Below Me". It's simple - just end your post with a fun/silly statement about the person who will be posting after you. OBVIOUSLY you won't know who that will be - unless you can see the future, in which case, please PM me, I've got some questions . Then the person who posts after you will respond TRUE or FALSE, depending on whether or not that statement applies to them.

So basically, posts would look something like this:
(these are purely examples, please don't be offended if I didn't use your name, I just picked the first users that popped in my head. Also, these don't count, so please don't skip them if they post later on in the game!)

@DisPup75 says - "I love and am completely jealous of @pjlla 's superpowers - she's able to stay on top of responses in this thread, hold down a busy job, plan a trip to the Bahamas, AND make a month's worth of healthy dinners all at the same time!

The poster below me has blue curly hair."

Then if @courtneybeth is the next poster, she would do something like:

"FALSE! I have purple straight hair. (or whatever her hair really is)

@DisPup75 (because that's who posted immediately before her) is an awesome friend and motivator who led a really kick-butt September thread!

The poster below me loves Nutella waffles from Sleepy Hollow and their favorite ride is Stitch's Great Escape."

AND SO ON!

Does that make sense? Let me know if there are any questions! I think this will be fun!

Be sure to be as sincere as possible with your comment about the poster above you - not something silly like "I really love [user's] floor mats in their car" (unless you've seen their floor mats, I guess) - because I want to fill this thread with good vibes and lots of love!

I hope everyone has fun with this! If it backfires, THAT'S OK, and I promise not to have any more game QOTD's haha.

EVERYONE have a WONDERFULLY WOOHOOFUL WEDNESDAY!

OK, games.... The last poster is technically me and I'm not egotistical enough to use myself so I'll go with the post above mine, which happens to be QOTD.

@JacknSally is a warm, welcoming hostess who writes beautiful, thoughtful questions of the day, supports everyone here no matter how much she has on her to-do list, makes gorgeous wedding crafts, and is going to look so beautiful in her wedding dress that there will not be a dry eye in the house.

The poster below me loves to wear rainbow-striped leg warmers and would never turn down an opportunity to eat a Dole Whip and ride Dinosaur.

ThistleMae · Oct 7, 2015

Half True...LOL I would wear rainbow leg warmers. I've never had a dole whip, just an orange swirl and I have never been on the Dinosaur ride.

Maggie is such a kind and caring individual. She is always positive and honest about where she is in life and she gives really lovely compliments. I feel she is a "heart person"....always speaking truth from the heart!

The next poster loves pasta. It is their favorite food and it is very hard to resist if it is being served.

(not sure I've done this right...but here it is!)

Flossbolna · Oct 7, 2015

@ThistleMae is a beautiful lady who has the amazing talent to find joy everywhere, especially at the gym! Her dedication to staying healthy is very inspiring!

TRUE! I love pasta! I could eat it every day. I actually had it for lunch. Ended with a mistake ordering and got some cheese sauce instead of tomato sauce... Not good! But it was delicious!

The next poster has been to every single Disney park in the world!

courtneybeth · Oct 7, 2015

"Fake" fact response: @Flossbolna was nearly right with the Disney parks about me -- I'm only missing Tokyo and Hong Kong. Crossed Paris off my list about 4 months ago!

Nice comment: @Flossbolna is such a joy to have in this thread! Whether its helping others with an answer to a question or just cheering them on. Yeah!

The next poster is a fan of Frozen... but won't admit it for fear of public shame.

SwimminAtAKL · Oct 7, 2015

JacknSally said:
So, I mentioned a couple of times last month that my work environment was less-than-ideal... If we're being honest, it was downright depressing. Constant negativity, lots of backstabbing and cattiness and two-faced drama, mind-numbingly-boring work, lots of empty promises (still haven't gotten that $0.10 raise I was guaranteed in April... )... Basically more often than not I spent my lunch break in tears and came home cursing the walls. Well...

I put in my two weeks today. When DH2B and I decided it was the right thing to do, I was all ... but ever since I did it, I'm pretty much just . DH2B got a promotion at work that came with a small raise, and several procedures have changed at work recently, and it was just steadily becoming a worse and worse place to be. With tickets and hotel covered, we think we've got enough in cash and gift cards for our Disneymoon, and we've got enough in savings to cover rent for 3 or so months... DH2B's checks will cover the other bills... I'll be added onto his insurance... I'm just panicking that there's something big we forgot about, or that I won't find even a part time job... I know lots of companies put their hiring on hold until the first quarter of the new year.... What if we run out of money between now and then.... AAAHHHHHHH.....

But at the same time... life is too short to be so miserable all the time... the constant negativity is EXHAUSTING. I come home so emotionally drained that I pretty much collapse onto the couch until I finally drag myself to bed. Then barely wake up in time to do it all again the next day. Mental health is just as important as physical health... RIght? And that job didn't really allow for either... Sigh.

Ah, well. Too late now! My last day is the 20th...

Wow, good for you! I know how scary it is to leave a job/income, but sometimes it's just necessary. You're absolutely right to take care of yourself. You are showing incredible bravery! Which does not mean an absence of fear-- it's taking necessary action *even though* you're afraid that makes for bravery.

It's great that you've got what sounds like a wonderfully supportive relationship to help get you through-- and with so much intelligence and such a good heart, I think you will land on your feet very soon, and find some folks who are truly happy and thankful to have you be part of *their* team, too. I know your participation is making *this* team an incredible thing to be part of!

Best of luck and hugs!!! :cheer2:

bigsis1970 · Oct 7, 2015

Oh goodness I LOVE Frozen and I am NOT afraid to admit it in public Haaaa

@courtneybeth I love the way that you posted dessert for your favorite meal and you are a HUGE cheerleader to all who come here and you have done AMAZING on your weighloss!!

Woo Hoo Wednesday - I had to buy lunch at work today and altho there is many things to choose (fried chicken fingers/fries/burgers, deli sandwiches, pizza and a salad bar) I picked the cooking light entrée today of Herbed Grilled Chicken and two side (roasted garlic/redpepper flake broccoli, steamed green beans, roasted red bliss potatoes and roasted root veggies) I got the broccoli and green beans so that I could eat some potato with my chicken I am making for dinner tonight.. Small steps.

The poster below loves breakfast for dinner..

courtneybeth · Oct 7, 2015

bigsis1970 said:
@courtneybeth I love the way that you posted dessert for your favorite meal and you are a HUGE cheerleader to all who come here and you have done AMAZING on your weighloss!!

AWW THANK YOU!!!!! If @JacknSally was going to be an evil temptress, then I figured I should follow by posting pictures of yummy desserts in a weight loss thread. It's zero calories to look at and I can dream about all the things I (maybe?) will eat in 73 days! :rotfl2:

I'll be back in a bit to post my woohoo Wednesday - my day just started and I am still feeling out something to celebrate.

SwimminAtAKL · Oct 7, 2015

ThistleMae said:
Me and my sister on our cruise. I am the one on the right. This is after 70 pounds in one year!View attachment 127393

ThistleMae said:
October Goals: Lose the 7 pounds I gained while on vacation! Yup....7 giant pounds! I started out well for the first couple days. I decided to keep desserts down to just two a day, which was my goal for the six day cruise. Then by day three I was eating everything and then some! I tried almost every dessert there was to try. I ate pastry in the morning, with my eggs and bacon. I ate two to three desserts at lunch. I ate dessert at dinner and snacked on desserts at night! I ate till I was sick....literally....my stomach was in an uproar and that didn't stop me! Having unlimited quantities of food displayed before me on lovely dishes and fancy trays is like being an alcoholic in a bar where all the drinks are all free! I have my Disney vacation coming mid-November and I'm very worried! I am back on track right now, which is good for me, because like many others in here have said, it used to take me months to get back on track....so getting right back on my plan a day after my return is very good. I'm still very disappointed in the gain and would like to be back where I ended last month at the end of this month. Seven pounds is a lot for me to lose, so not sure I can get all the way there, but....I've stepped up my gym workout....so maybe. So 7 pounds is my goal for the month. And by the way....I did have a wonderful time in the Caribbean! I swam with stingrays and dolphins and danced the nights away! (It obviously did nothing for keeping down the calories, so in theory, I probably gained even more than seven pounds.)

@ThistleMae you look so beautiful! And how nice you have a beautiful sister to hang out with!

I totally get the falling off the wagon thing while on vacay. I can't really resist buffets/endless free food well, either! Who can? My family does a week away in late summer together at an old-fashioned family resort, and I just end up eating soooo much. But I so enjoyed it! I can't say I exactly regret the experience, but I was a little shocked at how I couldn't fit into various articles of clothing (and could see the difference in the mirror) before vs. after. Just a week??? Scary.

But good on ye for jumping BACK on the wagon so quick! My feeling is that it should be OK to indulge sometimes. As long as we get back on track without too much ado, it all works out. But for me, if that shame spiral kicks in, I'll neglect/avoid myself (some kind of weird self-punishment/rejection?), and that's when it takes me a long time to come around to being willing to make positive (healthy) choices for myself again. I find it's so much about self-acceptance (even in mistakes or indulgences, not being perfect all the time!)...

Anyway, so nice to hear your voice on here! Glad you joined in.

pjlla · Oct 7, 2015

contempgal said:
Oh my that is an awesome question. I would have to go with dinner from Ravi Kabob in Arlington, VA. Anyone ever been there? If you haven't, you must! It's a small restaurant, one you probably wouldn't just go into on a normal basis, but you will be rewarded if you do. I always get the chicken kebobs with chickpeas, salad, naan and sauce (yes, sauce because I have no clue what is in it or what its really called). It sounds basic but it so isn't. It's all amazing. Just put it this way.....I don't live in Virginia. Actually I live in West Virginia, 5 hours away from Arlington. However, if my sister or I are ANYWHERE near that area (she used to live there), we make a trip to Ravi Kabob and bring it home for everyone. It's literally that good. And if I could get dessert from anywhere, I would go with the bread and butter pudding from Raglan Road at Disney Springs. Amazing. It's probably a good thing (and possibly sucks) that I don't have reservations for Raglan Road for my upcoming trip.

SOUNDS so yummy!!

ThistleMae said:
Hi, my name is Dale. And yes...I'm a woman. Just sayin'....sometimes people think I'm a guy. I'm 61 years old. I've been following these monthly challenges for three months now. I started gaining weight after my third child and more so after age 50....the last 10 years I've gradually grown to 213 pounds. I have had horrific problems with my knees...had orthoscopic surgery on one. I have a problem with one foot...bone spur...which hasn't been right since surgery. I was diagnosed with breast cancer about 7 months ago....had radiation therapy....and have a good prognosis so far. My health is a #1 priority! I feel the extra weight has contributed to my knee, foot and cancer. I've been eating terrible for ten years and my body just can't process all the junk anymore. I struggle every single day with the desire to eat more and to eat sweets. This site has been inspirational and I'm so thankful that I can get support and give support on a daily basis. I have lost 70 pounds since starting this journey. I just began working out at a gym....exercise has not been anything I ever stick with (sort of like dieting!) But I have a new life vision and I know I can't ever go back to random eating with no accountability. So here I am!

Nice to hear your story!! And so great that your HEALTH is a priority....cause if you ain't got your health, you got NADA!

ThistleMae said:
Hi and Welcome! I'm on my second week of crock pot vegetarian chili. I cook it on Sunday and eat one cup a day for dinner with a salad. It's just dried kidney and black beans, onion and zucchini....with packaged chili mix. Salad this week is, spinach, feta cheese, onion, cranberries and walnuts with balsamic vinegar. I also dislike cooking daily....this makes it real simple for me...I don't have to think about it at all. And....I don't mind eating the same thing everyday. We welcome your participation!

I don't mind eating the same thing over and over.... so that sounds delish to me!

ThistleMae said:
October Goals: Lose the 7 pounds I gained while on vacation! Yup....7 giant pounds! I started out well for the first couple days. I decided to keep desserts down to just two a day, which was my goal for the six day cruise. Then by day three I was eating everything and then some! I tried almost every dessert there was to try. I ate pastry in the morning, with my eggs and bacon. I ate two to three desserts at lunch. I ate dessert at dinner and snacked on desserts at night! I ate till I was sick....literally....my stomach was in an uproar and that didn't stop me! Having unlimited quantities of food displayed before me on lovely dishes and fancy trays is like being an alcoholic in a bar where all the drinks are all free! I have my Disney vacation coming mid-November and I'm very worried! I am back on track right now, which is good for me, because like many others in here have said, it used to take me months to get back on track....so getting right back on my plan a day after my return is very good. I'm still very disappointed in the gain and would like to be back where I ended last month at the end of this month. Seven pounds is a lot for me to lose, so not sure I can get all the way there, but....I've stepped up my gym workout....so maybe. So 7 pounds is my goal for the month. And by the way....I did have a wonderful time in the Caribbean! I swam with stingrays and dolphins and danced the nights away! (It obviously did nothing for keeping down the calories, so in theory, I probably gained even more than seven pounds.)

Sometimes vacation pounds disappear as quickly as they come on, so no worries!! November should find you right back to your pre-vacation place!!

JacknSally said:
OK, so I'm DUMB. I have spent ALL DAY wondering why I haven't gotten any emails that people were commenting... I just figured it must be a slow day, everyone's busy, I'm busy, no big deal. I got on here tonight and there were SO MANY POSTS! Haha. Turns out I did get an email earlier, but until you visit the thread again, they won't send you another email... Since I hadn't had a chance to get on, I wasn't getting any updates... Now I'm behind again!

Don't stress!!! We are fine!!

Let's start off with our progress report for Week 1! SO sorry it's just now going up. I went back through the posts from the weekend and tried to grab all the %s I saw... Please, please let me know if I've left you off of this or the monthly participant list. I know I am missing a few people on that one. If I have a chance tonight I will go back through and update that.

@JacknSally - 132%
@pjlla - 40%
@dsnyfn1022 - 18%
@DisPup75 - 32%
@mickeyfanachey1999 - 23.3%
@contempgal - 18%
@courtneybeth - 40%
@Trith - 70%
@SureAsLiz - 7%
@SarahDisney - Awesome.

Considering the week only started on Thursday, those are some pretty GREAT numbers! Way to go, losers! Can't wait to see what week 2 holds for everyone!

WOOHOOO.... October is looking wonderful for all of us!
__________________________________________

Everyone's magic meals sound so yummy!! I hope I didn't wreck anyone's day! @courtneybeth you CRACK me UP!! and @pjlla can you please let me know the next time you go to the parks... and also include me on your ADRs? Your choices are incredible.

I am torn between going to bed now (at 8pm ) and working on wedding projects... I think bed might just win out. The projects are all fairly involved, and I think if I were to pull out something to start on now, I'd end up staying up all night. Or just not getting anything done and leaving a big mess in my wake.

So, I mentioned a couple of times last month that my work environment was less-than-ideal... If we're being honest, it was downright depressing. Constant negativity, lots of backstabbing and cattiness and two-faced drama, mind-numbingly-boring work, lots of empty promises (still haven't gotten that $0.10 raise I was guaranteed in April... )... Basically more often than not I spent my lunch break in tears and came home cursing the walls. Well...

I put in my two weeks today. When DH2B and I decided it was the right thing to do, I was all ... but ever since I did it, I'm pretty much just . DH2B got a promotion at work that came with a small raise, and several procedures have changed at work recently, and it was just steadily becoming a worse and worse place to be. With tickets and hotel covered, we think we've got enough in cash and gift cards for our Disneymoon, and we've got enough in savings to cover rent for 3 or so months... DH2B's checks will cover the other bills... I'll be added onto his insurance... I'm just panicking that there's something big we forgot about, or that I won't find even a part time job... I know lots of companies put their hiring on hold until the first quarter of the new year.... What if we run out of money between now and then.... AAAHHHHHHH.....

But at the same time... life is too short to be so miserable all the time... the constant negativity is EXHAUSTING. I come home so emotionally drained that I pretty much collapse onto the couch until I finally drag myself to bed. Then barely wake up in time to do it all again the next day. Mental health is just as important as physical health... RIght? And that job didn't really allow for either... Sigh.

Ah, well. Too late now! My last day is the 20th, which is the day before my PTO was scheduled to start... Definitely bummed that I couldn't work it out to have some extra free time between now and the wedding, but at least now I don't have to worry about spending the honeymoon stressing and dreading going to work the following Monday... Blah.

What's everyone up to tonight??

WOWZA.... what a great thing you did for your MENTAL HEALTH!!! Congrats on making the tough decision!! IT WILL work out.... it was meant to be!!

DisPup75 said:
I didn't have any time to chat today. . Just dropping by to answer the QOTD before I crash with intent to catch up tomorrow!

Since this dream meal can be ANYTHING, I'm inclined to go with dinner at the French Laundry because I'm assuming I'll be able to magically get that coveted reservation!!!

But absent a reservation that I spent years trying (and failing) to get, I think I want something simpler.

For a starter, I want the Wild Mushroom Bisque from Artist Point at the Wilderness Lodge with a bread basket of proper San Francisco sourdough and a crock of European butter.

Next I want New Orleans style BBQ shrimp and grits. There is a restaurant near me that has a wonderful version - fresh corn and pepper jack in the grits, garlicky chard on the side, and a mound of amazing shrimp. I might need some more of the sourdough to soak up the sauce.

I'll finish with key lime pie, preferably my own recipe with a graham cracker crust and a sour cream topping.

Hmm. I've made mushroom soup and shrimp & grits before although I've never tried the recipes for either version I mentioned above (and I have both saved in my cook-this-someday file). If I could get a decent loaf of bread and a few hours of spare time, maybe I could make this happen!

ETA: I forgot my location! Waterside at the Blue Bayou of course.

That all sounds really yummy! Especially that bisque!

courtneybeth said:
As someone who has worked in a negative environment that left me feeling miserable every day, I have to say that I AM SO PROUD OF YOU and you are definitely making the right decision. It may seem scary right now but in the long term you will make the transition to somewhere much better and appreciative of your talents.

Start throwing in your resumes now, as it may take 3-4 weeks for postings to close. You may even hear back from someone right away. I've done phone interviews while at Disney World and it's been a fun way to bridge the awkwardness at the beginning and eventually slide into an in-person. One less stressful thing for you at this amazing time in your life.

You're going to be so much better off. Don't let the "oh no what did i do?" thinking cloud your vision; you did the right thing and you should celebrate and dance. That burden is off your shoulders!!!

Agreed!

CruisingKate said:
Ah, rum swizzles! Enjoy! I had my first 30 years ago today on our honeymoon to Bermuda - such a beautiful island. So glad to read in another post that your daughter was safe during the hurricane.

Happy Anniversary! I'll think of you when I have my first sip of Rum Swizzle!! Thanks for thinking of my DD!

ThistleMae said:
Happy Wednesday Everyone! I have been trying to catch up on all the posts in here since I got back from vacation on Sunday. Wow! So many new folks....what fun! Today is work-out Wednesday. I am going to try a SPIN class today after my weight routine. I'm only doing 12 minutes on the bike, so a 30 minute class is a lofty goal. I don't know if I can last that long! But...I'm going to try it. I'm working on increasing my time but it is going very slowly. I've done no exercise for years, so it is a push every time I start the cardio. Baby steps. Staying positive. Looking at a life change not a race. Starting to plan for my Disney Vacation now that I'm back from the cruise. I will have a support partner at Disney, my sweetheart, who is very good about choices. He will help me make better decisions and I will help him make good decisions as well. I'd like to keep my gain down on the next trip. Learning to vacation, like eating out, is an "art form". It takes practice. I continue to practice every day. I chose sugar free jello last night for a snack. Every calorie counts....LOL! Carry on folks.

Sounds like you are doing well post-vacation! Good luck at the SPIN class.... been there, done that, would rather NOT go back!! :rotfl2:

Hopefully you love it!

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

Not a ton of "extra" time today, so I'm barely caught up and I didn't get a chance to answer the QOTD yet and I won't be home until about 8pm..... so maybe tomorrow! TTY tomorrow!.............P

SwimminAtAKL · Oct 7, 2015

Hey, just wanted to report in on a great piece that I just added to my puzzle: I joined the roller derby! I had my first practice/clinic/tryouts last night. It was so much fun! The girls there seem just great, really friendly and welcoming, competitive on the track but not against each other! Super supportive environment.

I met so many nice people-- basically all in the same boat, with about 20 of us new recruits ("fresh meat") learning to skate together, and pretty much everyone is there to try to improve their life, with pounds to lose and friends to gain. I was really nervous that my body wouldn't be able to handle it (I'm 44), but I did fine. It was very challenging physically, but I just loved every minute of it. We watched the cadets from 6 months ago, and they looked so good! It was cool to think we'll get there too. I'm so pumped! I've always wanted to be on a team like this.

I'm so glad I took the plunge! I've been eyeballing the roller derby for years. So so psyched I'm finally doing it!

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