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

[Mary•Poppins]

Originally Posted by myweegirls

Hi everyone!

Bananas here, getting ready to go to WDW for marathon weekend! Aaaahhhh! My first ever half, and the butterflies are in full force, but I don't think I can be any more ready than I am. I can't wait!

XOXO
Liz

Hey Liz .... good luck this weekend. (I knew there was someone else running and I just couldn't remember who else posted ... UGH.)

And congrats on the job interview! Even thought you didn't take the job, it is nice to be appreciated.

Originally Posted by pjlla

Happy Wednesday! Rose has asked me to step up a day early as coach, so here I am!

QOTD for Wednesday, January 9, 2013:

Do you track your food? Why/why not? If you do, what is your method? Paper and pen, MFP, digital? If you don't, do you think you should? If you do, do you foresee doing it long term or just for a little while?

BB in a bit! ..............P

When I am focusing on losing weight, it is essential that I track. I am sometimes surprised when I eat something them type it into MFP. So ... I have been trying to anticipate what I eat by putting it into MFP BEFORE I eat it. Then, if it is a high calorie treat, I only have a little bit of it.

Originally Posted by camnhan

Hey all....

Surgery went well however had not anticipated the level of pain I have had. Took them 2 hours to get it under control post surgery. Doing better today. Just hanging out in bed with arm elevated and iced. No appetite but have been trying to eat a little something.

Best wishes to everyone running this weekend!!!! Can't wait to follow your race times. Have a great time!! Can't wait for pics....

Positive: I have the most amazing hubby he has literally been at my side every minute running for anything I need. He even thought ahead and had the heated blanket turned on on my side of bed so when we got home last night I had a nice warm spot to curl up in!!!!! He has made this tough recovery more tolerable..

112 days to Disney

It is so great to hear from you. I am so glad everything went well. It took my good friend a while to adjust after her surgery and then to the eating. But she is doing well now.

You also sound like you have a great hubby.

[Figment1990]

QOTD: I should track my calories but usually I only do when I get frustrated. But I have been "tracking" for ten years so I pretty much do know if I'm over or under. I just have a hard time being accountable to myself w the tracking. Back in the day, My dad, who i work with and is one of my best friends and role models in life, used to check my calorie log and that helped. Maybe I need to get him to help me out again. This thread challenge is helping me stay accountable a lot tho!

Positive: I have really strong abs. You can't really tell bc they are, um, sort of hidden but they are there!

[pjlla]

Originally Posted by camnhan

Hey all....

Surgery went well however had not anticipated the level of pain I have had. Took them 2 hours to get it under control post surgery. Doing better today. Just hanging out in bed with arm elevated and iced. No appetite but have been trying to eat a little something.

Best wishes to everyone running this weekend!!!! Can't wait to follow your race times. Have a great time!! Can't wait for pics....

Positive: I have the most amazing hubby he has literally been at my side every minute running for anything I need. He even thought ahead and had the heated blanket turned on on my side of bed so when we got home last night I had a nice warm spot to curl up in!!!!! He has made this tough recovery more tolerable..

112 days to Disney

I thought of you this morning, but didn't think we would hear from you so soon! Glad you got pain under control and a sweet DH! Focus on healing for now and worry about the OP eating next week.

Originally Posted by BernardandMissBianca

So, went to the Dr again today. I have a sinus infection. At least now I'm getting antibiotic!!
I really really hope I feel better soon. I've just about lost my voice today. ERGH!!!
It's really hard to sing the Tangled soundtrack in the car when you don't have a voice. LOL

Oh my goodness! Glad you finally got some meds! That should kick this thing to the curb, once and for all. Family staying healthy I hope?

I adore the Tangled soundtrack! "Something That I Want" is a great workout song! DD and I watched it this past weekend during our little bit of relaxing time.

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

DH was kind enough to offer to pick up DS from robotics because he got back to town early enough! So I got to be home by 8 pm! Major WOOHOO in my life! I've been up since 4 am with just 4.5 hours of sleep, so being out until 10 pm wasn't going to be easy. As it was, I drove over 100 miles between 3pm (when I left school) and when I for home at 8 pm.

All of my evening stuff is DONE! Lunch sacks cleaned out, water bottles and Tupperwares hand washed, laundry brought down, sorted, and one load cycled through, big crockpot loaded for tomorrow night's dinner and waiting in fridge, small crockpot loaded and cooking oatmeal for breakfast, clothes for tomorrow chosen and ironed (although the cat is laying on them right now ) and I am ready to sleep! I might actually get 7 hours tonight!

I'll be back in the morning with tomorrow's QOTD!..........P

[50sjayne]

Originally Posted by pjlla

Happy Wednesday! Rose has asked me to step up a day early as coach, so here I am!

QOTD for Wednesday, January 9, 2013:

Do you track your food? Why/why not? If you do, what is your method? Paper and pen, MFP, digital? If you don't, do you think you should? If you do, do you foresee doing it long term or just for a little while?

BB in a bit! ..............P

Hey.
I use MFP too-- but I get frustrated looking up the equivalent to whatever I make.

Catch up tomorrow.

[PixieDust32]

Can I join?

[Flossbolna]

Originally Posted by pjlla

DH was kind enough to offer to pick up DS from robotics because he got back to town early enough! So I got to be home by 8 pm! Major WOOHOO in my life! I've been up since 4 am with just 4.5 hours of sleep, so being out until 10 pm wasn't going to be easy. As it was, I drove over 100 miles between 3pm (when I left school) and when I for home at 8 pm.

All of my evening stuff is DONE! Lunch sacks cleaned out, water bottles and Tupperwares hand washed, laundry brought down, sorted, and one load cycled through, big crockpot loaded for tomorrow night's dinner and waiting in fridge, small crockpot loaded and cooking oatmeal for breakfast, clothes for tomorrow chosen and ironed (although the cat is laying on them right now ) and I am ready to sleep! I might actually get 7 hours tonight!

I'll be back in the morning with tomorrow's QOTD!..........P

Wow! I am always so impressed by your daily reports. You manage to stuff double as much activity in your day than I! It is quite inspiring!

[Greenfield1984]

Originally Posted by pjlla

All of my evening stuff is DONE! Lunch sacks cleaned out, water bottles and Tupperwares hand washed, laundry brought down, sorted, and one load cycled through, big crockpot loaded for tomorrow night's dinner and waiting in fridge, small crockpot loaded and cooking oatmeal for breakfast, clothes for tomorrow chosen and ironed (although the cat is laying on them right now ) and I am ready to sleep! I might actually get 7 hours tonight!

I'll be back in the morning with tomorrow's QOTD!..........P

Thanks for posting about making oatmeal in the crock pot. I've never heard of that before. I just looked up some recipes and am excited to try them. Should make mornings easier!
Hope you slept well!

[pjlla]

Good morning all! Today is the "official" start date of my coaching stint, so here goes!

For those who don't know me, here's a bit.........

I am a "sort-of" SAHM Mom to two teens..... DD is 17.5 and DS is days away from 15. I have been married for 20 years (yikes!) and currently live in a rural area of south central NH, near Manchester.

I struggled with some weight issues through my teens, but in looking back is was mostly in my head. Maybe a few pounds here are there, but overall I was an "average" size teen (although I did attend WW for the first time at about age 13 and lost 35 pounds with WW at about age 15). Started to put on some pounds in college and went up and down. Hit a new high in my pre-marriage days of the high 170's, but managed to lose it and get married at about 140.

Fast forward about 8 years and two pregnancies and a very sedentary rural life and suddenly I am in the 200's and NOT happy with myself at all. I took repeated short-lived trips with WW numerous times between 1993 and 2004, all with varying degrees of success, but none of the success lasted. My highest "official" weight recorded was 219, but I'm SURE I was higher than that at a few points.

I started WW again in earnest on January 2, 2008, for an upcoming WDW trip, managed to overshoot my goal by April and was happy with how I looked at about 168-170 for that trip. But the difference this time is that I KEPT GOING! I didn't look at a few "vacation pounds gained" as an excuse to give up! I got right back on track at the end of that trip and haven't looked back! I realized that it needed to be a LIFELONG JOURNEY rather than a temporary visit to "healthy eating land"!!

I lost about 90 pounds (depending on what day it is ) and have kept it off for 3+ years! And I am SO thrilled with that.... every-single-day!!

QOTD for Thursday, January 10, 2013:

What is going to make the difference for you this time? Are you trying to eat "healthy" rather than just to lose weight? Are you starting regular exercise for the first time? Did you have a health scare that pushed you in the right direction? Presuming that like me, you have tried to lose weight before, what is DIFFERENT this time that is going to make you successful!

BONUS QOTD: What is your absolute TOP THREE favorite super-low cal or virtually no-cal go-to snack/drink? (Something under 50 calories for a serving would qualify here.) ......................P

[pjlla]

Originally Posted by PixieDust32

Can I join?

Of COURSE! Welcome to our group! May I suggest that you go back page ONE and read the opening post to familiarize yourself with how we are working it this term. Then send your starting weight to Rose&Mike (Rose is our fearless leader this time around!) and then jump right in and start chatting. Feel free to introduce yourself and tell us a bit about you when you get a chance!

Originally Posted by Flossbolna

Wow! I am always so impressed by your daily reports. You manage to stuff double as much activity in your day than I! It is quite inspiring!

I have to give up a lot of "me" time and other down-time to fit it all in (I don't watch a lot of TV, I don't read much anymore, no more crafting other than scrapping, I don't have family nearby so no regular visiting, and honestly, I don't have ANY personal social life or close friends nearby). And I'll bet if you started listing all you do every day, you might be surprised as how much you get done!

Originally Posted by Greenfield1984

Thanks for posting about making oatmeal in the crock pot. I've never heard of that before. I just looked up some recipes and am excited to try them. Should make mornings easier!
Hope you slept well!

Glad to help! For some reason my oatmeal wasn't nearly as thick this morning as usual.... maybe I was in a tired stupor and overmeasured the water last night. But it was still delicious and I managed to scarf down my serving in near record time!

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

Happy Thursday friends! I'm off to work again today (I work an awful lot for a mostly SAHM, don't I?? ) and again, I'm not sure what my computer access will be.... so I got up a few minutes early to pop on here at home.

I will have some time after school to chat I hope, because DD's swim meet tonight doesn't start until 7pm and it is at the "home" pool, only 30 minutes away. Fingers crossed we can fit in a family dinner together before she has to head out for to meet the bus and before DS heads to robotics.

Off to pack my lunch quickly and dash out the door so we aren't all late for school!..................P

[The Mystery Machine]

Originally Posted by pjlla

QOTD for Thursday, January 10, 2013:

What is going to make the difference for you this time? Are you trying to eat "healthy" rather than just to lose weight? Are you starting regular exercise for the first time? Did you have a health scare that pushed you in the right direction? Presuming that like me, you have tried to lose weight before, what is DIFFERENT this time that is going to make you successful!

BONUS QOTD: What is your absolute TOP THREE favorite super-low cal or virtually no-cal go-to snack/drink? (Something under 50 calories for a serving would qualify here.) ......................P

Good morning all!

The difference for me is that my dh had a heart attack and then ended up with triple bypass on Dec 27 2012. I am scared that I also have heart disease.

This time I am counting other things right now. The top of the list is saturated fat, followed by cholesterol, sodium, and then total fat.

My dh is going to get a lipid panel in a few weeks and I am really trying to get a GOOD reading for him post bypass and eating healthy. He does NOT tolerate statin meds well.

I am going to see my doctor for a full blood work up and a flu shot soon.

Yesterday I went out to eat, ordered the turkey burger. I asked for the nutritional menu then. Come to find out the turkey burger had MORE sat fat than the hamburger. Now I did get it without cheese but they snuck mayo on it. I would have had it removed.

So tip from me, if you go out to eat, ask for the nutritional menu BEFORE you order. It was a good lesson. Normally I plan before I go somewhere but this was a time were it was not planned.

I am not sending in calories lost because that is not my focus. I do need to lose 20lbs and I am hoping that watching "sat fat" grams does the trick. We will see......

Exercise is just walking the dogs right now. I want to do C25K and pilates. I have plantar facitis and a weak back prone to injury so I am to work up to it.

Good news is....eating less sat fat increases your energy level. I drink tea for a no calorie drink.

[pjlla]

Originally Posted by The Mystery Machine

Good morning all!

The difference for me is that my dh had a heart attack and then ended up with triple bypass on Dec 27 2012. I am scared that I also have heart disease.

This time I am counting other things right now. The top of the list is saturated fat, followed by cholesterol, sodium, and then total fat.

My dh is going to get a lipid panel in a few weeks and I am really trying to get a GOOD reading for him post bypass and eating healthy. He does NOT tolerate statin meds well.

I am going to see my doctor for a full blood work up and a flu shot soon.

Yesterday I went out to eat, ordered the turkey burger. I asked for the nutritional menu then. Come to find out the turkey burger had MORE sat fat than the hamburger. Now I did get it without cheese but they snuck mayo on it. I would have had it removed.

So tip from me, if you go out to eat, ask for the nutritional menu BEFORE you order. It was a good lesson. Normally I plan before I go somewhere but this was a time were it was not planned.

I am not sending in calories lost because that is not my focus. I do need to lose 20lbs and I am hoping that watching "sat fat" grams does the trick. We will see......

Exercise is just walking the dogs right now. I want to do C25K and pilates. I have plantar facitis and a weak back prone to injury so I am to work up to it.

Good news is....eating less sat fat increases your energy level. I drink tea for a no calorie drink.

Yup.... your DH's heart attack is a definite motivator!! I'm sure it would be a big wake-up call for any of us!

I have also learned the hard way to ask for the NI in advance! Some restaurants are better at it than others. Uno's Pizzeria has a kiosk in the lobby with all of their NI on it and that is a big help.... as long as you look carefully and see that many of their dishes are 2-3 servings!

When I have asked at Ruby Tuesday's (love their salad bar!) and Applebee's, both times I was brought a binder from the kitchen.... not something that was necessarily prepared for the consumer, but it still had everything I needed. It is amazing how much you need to ask and I am still learning. And EVERYTHING ON THE SIDE! No dressing, sauces, oils, etc on my foods.... I'll add it myself, thank you.

**********

Okay.... so I have computer access here at school and the kids will be at Library mid-morning, so I'll be able to pop on again then.

My own two little dears were in RARE form this morning with the bickering, arguing, etc. It was a miserable ride to school. I wish they realized that when they try to hurt each other, it really just hurts me. I was torn between wanting to beat them with a stick and hug away the hurts they were causing each other. Does it EVER end? I thought by now they would have outgrown this crap.

Everyone get ready for a GREAT day! The sun is shining (at least here in NH) and we live in a wonderful country (well... can't speak for you living abroad... sorry).... that should be enough to at least start with a good attitude today! Make it a good day, or not.... the choice is yours!...............P

[The Mystery Machine]

Originally Posted by pjlla

Yup.... your DH's heart attack is a definite motivator!! I'm sure it would be a big wake-up call for any of us!

I have also learned the hard way to ask for the NI in advance! Some restaurants are better at it than others. Uno's Pizzeria has a kiosk in the lobby with all of their NI on it and that is a big help.... as long as you look carefully and see that many of their dishes are 2-3 servings!

When I have asked at Ruby Tuesday's (love their salad bar!) and Applebee's, both times I was brought a binder from the kitchen.... not something that was necessarily prepared for the consumer, but it still had everything I needed. It is amazing how much you need to ask and I am still learning. And EVERYTHING ON THE SIDE! No dressing, sauces, oils, etc on my foods.... I'll add it myself, thank you.

**********

Okay.... so I have computer access here at school and the kids will be at Library mid-morning, so I'll be able to pop on again then.

My own two little dears were in RARE form this morning with the bickering, arguing, etc. It was a miserable ride to school. I wish they realized that when they try to hurt each other, it really just hurts me. I was torn between wanting to beat them with a stick and hug away the hurts they were causing each other. Does it EVER end? I thought by now they would have outgrown this crap.

Everyone get ready for a GREAT day! The sun is shining (at least here in NH) and we live in a wonderful country (well... can't speak for you living abroad... sorry).... that should be enough to at least start with a good attitude today! Make it a good day, or not.... the choice is yours!...............P

My dd's are 21 and 16....I will keep you posted when it ends.

[pjlla]

Originally Posted by Figment1990

Positive: I have really strong abs. You can't really tell bc they are, um, sort of hidden but they are there!

One of my BL friends here used to say her abs were like a jaw breaker.... wrapped in a marshmallow!

Originally Posted by The Mystery Machine

My dd's are 21 and 16....I will keep you posted when it ends.

Oh my! Usually it is just a bit of little jabbing, but today was plain old mean and cruel and it really hurt. The difference I think is that DD will let it roll off and DS will let it simmer.... and I am just left feeling like a bad Mom all day.

My brother and I I'm SURE drove my parents nuts with our bickering, I think it mostly ended by high school.

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

Okay friends.... my students are off to Library. I just took a good look at the lesson plans for the day and we don't have lunch until nearly 1pm! I will be starving by then, but at least the remainder of the afternoon will fly by! I do have a few "extra" snacks in my bag for days like this, but since it is the day before my weigh-in, I'd rather not indulge if I don't need to.... I'll play it by ear (or by stomach).

Time to answer my own QOTD! BB in a minute............P

[pjlla]

Originally Posted by pjlla

IQOTD for Thursday, January 10, 2013:

What is going to make the difference for you this time? Are you trying to eat "healthy" rather than just to lose weight? Are you starting regular exercise for the first time? Did you have a health scare that pushed you in the right direction? Presuming that like me, you have tried to lose weight before, what is DIFFERENT this time that is going to make you successful!

Well... as I mentioned, when I restarted this journey, I was strictly aiming to return to WDW no fatter than I had been on my previous trip... but something "clicked" and I really "got it" this time and didn't revert back to my old ways after the trip. The journey definitely started as a strictly LOSE WEIGHT mission.... but over the past many years I have developed developed a bigger appreciate for the overall health and wellness side of things and have changed my diet entirely (as well as my family's diet), plus I've added regular exercise.... something I hadn't done since high school (truth be told, I hate exercise.... every day!).

The only thing I can tell you that is different is that I have developed NEW and BETTER strategies to deal with cravings, etc. I've worked hard to develop habits that I can stick with.... and I TRACK MY FOOD virtually EVERY SINGLE DAY!!



BONUS QOTD: What is your absolute TOP THREE favorite super-low cal or virtually no-cal go-to snack/drink? (Something under 50 calories for a serving would qualify here.) ......................P

I'm lucky that I love vegetables, so when I'm hungry and don't want to spend calories/Points, I can always make a big serving of veggies to fill me up!

Roasted veggies would be my first favorite.... broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, onions, mushroom.... YUM!!

A big green salad would be second favorite.... organic spring greens topped with cucumber, tomato, carrots, onions, red bell pepper, jicama chunks, even leftover cooked veggies (like roasted beans). And I can top it with salsa or vinegar for a VERY low cal treat or just a Tb or two of Newman's Light balsamic vinagarette for just an additional Point. Literally, I can eat an entire mixing bowl of salad! Throw on a small portion of cheese and/or beans and/or hardboiled egg whites for protein and I have a really low cal/low Point meal in front of me! I am really a volume eater.

Third favorite choice.... a hot drink.... hot coffee (regular or decaf) with a splash of skim, hot tea (green, black, herbal) with a few drops of stevia, or for just one Point, my own special hot drink blend (kind of a combined cocoa/latte/coffee drink). And iced coffee and tea in the summer too!

Okay... gotta toss in a fourth favorite....egg whites! I can make a small egg white wrap made with 3 egg whites cooked up on top of a small low carb pita with a handful of baby spinach and some nice pink minerally salt for just 1.5 Points (if you count half points, which I do sometimes).... this is actually VERY filling and can be used as a meal (maybe along with a roasted veggie and a cup of tea ) for VERY FEW calories!

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

Off to check on my other boards! TTYL.................P

[Flossbolna]

QOTD:

What is different this time? I guess the Disney cruise in the spring. It is a great motivator! I used to be chubby all through my childhood and teenager years and then put on a lot of weight in college until I finally decided to get my act together and lost about 50 pounds. I looked fantastic at the end and for the first time ever was feeling comfortable wearing a bikini. And I loved it! Over the years since then I had my up and downs, never got back to the college high, but neither to the college years low.

I now have a specific weight where I know that if I am at that weight or below I feel comfortable in a bikini - and I have to admit that I do have a rather "European" sense of modesty (after all I grew up here ) so I feel comfortable at a stage where others might not...

Anyway - a bikini is just so much nicer in the sun and in the water than a one piece bathing suit. So for the cruise I really really want to be able to wear that. My goal is actually to get to the "bikini weight" by the end of February - I will then have still some time to improve the look. This might sound silly, but it is a huge motivator and just thinking of the Disney Wonder adult pool has already helped me a few times to either make the sensible choice or just not to eat something.

I also hope that if I acchieve my overall before cruise goal, I will be so happy with where I got to that this will help me to just get into the losing mode when I come back from the trip!

Bonus QOTD:

A large mug of Earl Grey tea with a splash of milk (I even have decaffeinated Earl Grey tea for the evening).