Biggest Loser Fall Challenge!

[disneymom2one]

QOTD:

I hit a major frustrating plateau about a month ago. I just powered through it - changed up the exercise somewhat, changed what I ate and when. Eventually, the losses started again.

[rubybpc]

Originally Posted by disneymom2one

I don't officially do a low carb diet but I eat very few carbs in general. When I do, it's whole grain, high fiber. My diet is 80% veggies and fruits.

Interesting, I'm looking into changing it up a bit. I need more fruits and am looking to incorporate some whole grain too.

[princessbride6205]

Originally Posted by lisah0711

I have been doing the shorter intervals for sometime now and it has really helped my running. I do 15/45 or 15/30. It is a lot easier to continue running throughout the run, even the longer ones, as you don't get so tired out at the end. I had so much gas in the tank during my last long run I was able to do some fast 800 m repeats at the end a couple of weeks ago. Ususally I would be trudging and enduring by then.

How do you do on longer runs with the short intervals? I really like 20/40 for up to 3 miles. But beyond that, I feel like transitioning back to walking from running gets harder. Like I'm straining a little to slow down.

QOTD Tuesday, October 9
Have you ever hit a plateau in your weight loss journey? What did you do to get past this plateau?
Oh yes, once I got close to my goal weight especially. The trick is the same as what I do now when I've gotten above my maintain weight: refocus. I chart every calorie for 2-3 weeks and try to add a different/extra workout.

[elleherself]

Hey everyone! I went on a vacation to Disney and sort of lost the plot.

I had an amazing vacation! Immediately upon returning home a week ago I got sick. Flu-like sick. That knocked me on my back. Since then I've been playing catch up and at long last I'm posting back here.

I gained a teensy bit of weight back while in Disney (up around half a pound), but I was not at all surprised. I did sign up a brand spankin' new annual pass this trip, so I am definitely going to have to be more conscientious on future trips, but I was so looking forward to Food & Wine and all my scrumptious ADRs. Anyway according to the scale the last few days the news is better now, but we'll just have to wait and see on Friday.

I had a fabulous race, my time was 2:05. I was very happy with that. I could have gone faster I think, but I wanted to stay with my sister (we were running in costume as fireflies). We stopped for some pictures and walked at every water station. I also carried my own water bottle with me as I do when I run. I saw a lot of people were struggling with the heat and the humidity, but since I've trained with that it was just another run for me, a very fun and awesome run. I felt absolutely great afterwards and I was skipping and dancing at the party after. Now I really want to do the Princess 1/2, I'm still trying to convince my sister.

Last night was the first night of an 8 week boot camp-style group fitness class I'm doing with my mom. It meets three times a week. We took measurements for the first night, which was my first time taking measurements. I'm more of a fit of the clothes kind of girl, but even I knew enough to know how good those numbers were for me. I also found out my body fat percentage-- 21%. The instructor said athletic bodies are between 12%-20%. I lost this weight slowly so you'd think I've adjusted, but last night was one of those moments where it just hit me-- I did it. Even though I want to lose a few more pounds to get to goal, I have a body that is expected for a 27-year-old, not overweight, not obese anymore. I don't need to celebrate in four more pounds, that's worth celebrating right NOW. That moment combined with doing my first race (something I never thought would be possible for me, the most un-athletic kid ever who couldn't run a mile in PE) and I feel on cloud 9 right now.

QOTD Tuesday, October 9
Have you ever hit a plateau in your weight loss journey? What did you do to get past this plateau?
Yes, all the time! For me plateaus are a part of the package, for sure. I will lose nothing or very little or fluctuate up and down for weeks, and then weight will fall off in a chunk. I wish things were more moderate and even. I can't say it's not frustrating to keep working and working and see no change. It's really hard sometimes. The way I handle plateaus is to expect them, and remind myself that even if I can't see it right now, my body is changing overall. My longest plateau this time was about five weeks, five weeks in which I was running, not eating any sugar, and watching every single thing I ate. It was really horrible if I'm being honest, but there was just no way I was giving up, I knew what I was doing had worked before. And then suddenly the scale started moving again.

[pjlla]

Happy Tuesday friends! Well.... after a WHIRLWIND long weekend with the kids, I'm back (and exhausted! ).

Quick review of my weekend..... Segway tour in Boston on Friday with DS. Beautiful day, beautiful weather, fun tour. Overnight in Burlington, quick trip to Burlington Mall to visit the Lego store (and despite my INSISTENCE that we were NOT going to buy anything, I bought him a set ), a visit to a Laser Tag venue (I sat out because my eye was still bothering me), and a movie back up in NH.

Home overnight Saturday night and then headed out again Sunday morning with DD. Spent Sunday at the Museum of Science in Boston.... didn't see it all, but opted to buy a basic membership instead of just admission for two, so we can return whenever we want! (We let our big family membership lapse recently, as we NEVER seem to be able to get us ALL there at once!) Enjoyed the MOS, watched an IMAX movie in the Omni theater (love that place!), checked into our hotel in Braintree (so much cheaper to stay a little outside of Boston), and had a fabulous dinner at Bertucci's (was going to try to avoid a chain restaurant, but it is the #2 rated restaurant in Braintree!), and Monday was Aquarium day! DD did a Harbor Seal encounter and got to go into the enclosure in waders and sit in the water and interact with the trainers and seals! She was literally smiling from EAR TO EAR for the entire time! I was ALSO grinning like a fool, just watching her enjoy herself so much. Then some walking around the waterfront of Boston (but it was really getting cold) and home for homework time and bedtime.

It was fast, but fun. I did have some treats, tried to have SOME restraint in regards to what I ate, but definitely ate TOO MUCH PIZZA! Obviously walked around a LOT, but no true exercise.

THis morning was back to reality.... chilly morning, dark and overcast. Bible study and home to catch up on laundry, housework, and meal planning.... and of course, check in with my friends here!

Off to look for the QOTD that I"ve missed!...................P

[Jaina]

Sunday, October 7 QOTD
It's a chilly 42 degrees in western PA. Winter is trying to creep in. How do you prepare for exercising during colder months? Do you still go outside to exercise or do you stay inside? And, if you live where you don't have cold months, you're lucky

I'm in Arizona now (though I've lived in UT and IA, so I know cold) so it's finally getting cool enough that I might b e able to start exercising outside. I really hate the heat, and the cooler it is (to a certain point) the longer I want to exercise! I can't exercise outside (unless there's water involved) most of the time from about May to October...

QOTD Monday, October 8
It's Monday so let's have a fun question! What is your favorite ride in each of the parks (MK, Epcot, AK, DHS, DL, CA)? Are there any rides you can do without or that you think need a makeover?
I've only been to WDW once, about 15 years ago, so...
MK: Splash Mountain. It seemed longer, and I liked it more than the DLR one!
Epcot: Didn't have a lot of rides when we went... I liked Spaceship Earth.
AK: Had just recently opened. I liked Dinosaur.
DHS: never been
DL: At this moment I'd have to say Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I love to ride it at night.
CA: I can't pick! There are so many rides that I absolutely love here. I guess Screamin'... (but Soarin', ToT, and Grizzly River Rapids are close! I can't wait to see Cars Land!)

QOTD Tuesday, October 9
Have you ever hit a plateau in your weight loss journey? What did you do to get past this plateau?

I've been in one for a while now, but it's not a traditional plateau. It's a "I can't be consistently good so I just keep losing and gaining the same 3-4 lbs" plateau. I'm tired of it though, and I have a new gameplan (after eating a ridiculous unknown amount of calories yesterday including things like poundcake, frosting, licorice, cheesecake, etc.). No sugar-based foods (other than fruit) at ALL until Thanksgiving. I know you're supposed to make sustainable changes, but sometimes you need a boost and to BEAT the sugar addiction... I'm not going to put anything in my mouth unless I can account for it calorically, and I'm going to try to do some light exercise (like a 20 minute walk or some aerobics) on my non-gym days. I'm also going to start wearing a pedometer and see if I can get my steps at least up to 10,000. I want to do a 5k with my family on Thanksgiving, and I want to be able to jog a lot of it and have a non-pathetic time. I am -determined- to be accountable and active enough to lose 10 lbs in the next 7 weeks. I CAN DO IT!

[pjlla]

Originally Posted by jillbur

QOTD Tuesday, October 9

Have you ever hit a plateau in your weight loss journey? What did you do to get past this plateau?

You bet! I don't know anyone who has had a weight loss journey of any length that DIDN'T hit a plateau.

For myself, after a few weeks of not losing, I start to really get frustrated... and I try to channel my frustration and turn it into DETERMINATION! I work out more.... more faithfully, more time, harder. I try to change up my exercising.... adding more weight training instead of just cardio, maybe working bigger muscles (glutes, etc) more often.

Then I try changing up my eating.... dropping my carbs (most especially anything white), adding more fiber and fruit, really being diligent about weighing/measuring my portions of EVERYTHING. I also do things like increase my green tea intake (usually decaf), decrease my use of artificial sweetener (I try to really limit this anyhow), increase my water.... double check my vitamins (especially D and B complex). Most especially I try to really watch any processed foods.

If things still aren't moving, then I start really changing my foods.... I drop nearly all carbs other than veggies and do a few days of just lean protein (egg whites, chicken breast, fish) and greens (spring mix, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, green beans, onions/pepper) and tomatoes. I may do this off and on for a few weeks (one week on, one week off).... it mixes things up and keeps my "furnace" running and burning and keeps my metabolism guessing!

Originally Posted by jillbur

QOTD Monday, October 8

It's Monday so let's have a fun question! What is your favorite ride in each of the parks (MK, Epcot, AK, DHS, DL, CA)? Are there any rides you can do without or that you think need a makeover?

Favorites:

MK - Splash Mtn, BTMRR, and COP (I know COP is old and slow, but it has become a family classic!). Also love Mickey Philharmagic.

Epcot - Soarin' (without a doubt!), and TT (in that order).

AK - EE and Kilimanjaro Safari, in no particular order.

DHS - TOT, RNR, and TSM (the big three, of course). #1 choice would be RNR though.

DL - Only been there once, but I would definitely say Matterhorn (as it is an "original") and IASW for the same reason.

DCA - We all LOVED Soarin' there (first time we saw it was there and it was SO exciting and SO special!!). But California Screamin' was the BOMB!!

I hate to say it but there are SO MANY I could do without.... many I haven't ridden since I was a child or have NEVER ridden at all! This list includes
Enchanted Tiki Room, Dumbo (and any of those "stop and load" type flying rides), Mad Tea Party (I would be sick if I rode), Stitch's Great Escape, Honey I Shrunk the Audience, Dinosaur, Kali River Rapids (I spend the ENTIRE RIDE trying not to get wet!). Wow.... I'm a big party pooper!

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

For those who asked/inquired.... thank you for your concern about my eye. It was the strangest thing. I woke up Sunday morning JUST FINE!!! No redness, no weeping, no irritation, no light sensitivity. The ONLY thing I can figure is that perhaps the original irritation started with a tear in my contact lens and when I removed the contact I left a small piece behind. It didn't FEEL like I had anything in my eye, but the off again/on again type of irritation it was and the fact that it ended as suddenly as it started, suggests this as a possible answer. I had rinsed my eye out several times on Friday and Saturday, but probably not well enough.

I risked it and put a new contact back in on Sunday morning before leaving for Boston and it was and still is just fine! I did a lot of praying about it, so I'll give credit where it is due and leave it at that, so I don't get in DIS trouble.

Time to fold laundry! TTYL..................P

[mskayjay]

Hey all! sorry I've been MIA but I've had a lot going on with family and I've been getting in some good gym time! Got in a few really good runs at the gym and then ran outside tonight. wow does that cool air make a difference! Between the cool temps and lots of people mowing it was pretty slow going but I did it and that's what counts!


Yes I have hits plateaus! What did I do? I screamed at my fat cells, stamped my feet, cried, and got generally ticked off at my body! I usually ended up eating something really stupid and having a very bad day or two and then reset myself. Its funny how sometimes eating what you shouldn't actually shocks your body back into lose mode.

Rides.....oh geeze.....you know every time we're at MK and we're in front of POTC I tell hubs "this is my favorite ride" and then we get to Haunted Mansion and I say "this is my FAVORITE ride" so its tough to say but it's one of those two. At Epcot it is absolutely Soarin'. Animal Kingdom its probably the safari. At Hollywood Studios, I have no idea.....I really don't like HS. I guess the Toy Story Mania is the only one there I really like at all.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

[Disney Hokie Gal]

Originally Posted by lisah0711

DisneyHokieGal I will be seeing you soon! Were you at the WISH meet for the Tink? Sorry if I did and don't remember -- there were so many folks I didn't ever put together everyone's names and user names.

I was not at the WISH meet for the Tink. I don't think I even knew about it. I'm really looking forward to the Wine & Dine, even though my run time is very slow. I just got new running shoes tonight, so maybe that'll help some. My other shoes were really hurting my feet.

Originally Posted by jillbur
QOTD Tuesday, October 9
Have you ever hit a plateau in your weight loss journey? What did you do to get past this plateau?

I think I've always given up when I hit a plateau. I need to not do that now. I haven't quite gotten into my routine yet, and that's hurting my weight loss, but I'm slowly getting there. I've learned that I just can't jump into an exercise routine all at once, but I have to ease into it.

[jillbur]

Originally Posted by bellaally

Motivational Monday

There may be days when you get up in the morning and things arent the way you had hoped they would be.

Thats when you have to tell yourself that things will get better. There are times when people disappoint you and let you down.

But those are the times when you must remind yourself to trust your own judgments and opinions, to keep your life focused on believing in yourself.

There will be challenges to face and changes to make in your life, and it is up to you to accept them.

Constantly keep yourself headed in the right direction for you. It may not be easy at times, but in those times of struggle you will find a stronger sense of who you are.

So when the days come that are filled with frustration and unexpected responsibilities, remember to believe in yourself and all you want your life to be.

Because the challenges and changes will only help you to find the goals that you know are meant to come true for you.



Hoping everyone had a great and productive weekend, looking forward to a great week, I have two interviews wish me luck. The weather in Philadelphia has been horrible it was freezing this morning we had to turn the heat on. It sucks when it's rainy and horrible, you feel sleepy and lazy lol. I wanted to say no matter what don't let anyone stop you from completing your goals, not family members and not friends. If someone can't support a healthy life change then it's time to have a serious talk or time to evaluate the friendship.

Thanks so much for your Motivational Monday. I know it's just what I needed.

Wise words about support. Some people just don't get it. I hope people are supporting you at home and if you need anything, come here!

Originally Posted by Disney Hokie Gal

QOTD Monday, October 8
It's Monday so let's have a fun question! What is your favorite ride in each of the parks (MK, Epcot, AK, DHS, DL, CA)? Are there any rides you can do without or that you think need a makeover?

This is hard. I love almost all of the rides.
MK - Wishes - I know it's not a ride, but it's my favorite thing to see
EPCOT - Test Track (or as we call it - Crash Test Dummies)
AK - Expedition Everest
DHS - Tower of Terror
DL - a tie between Matterhorn and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
CA - a tie between California Screamin' and TSM

Such a fun list of rides & Wishes. I love that you call TT Crash Test Dummies. I wonder what it will be like with the refurb?!?!

Originally Posted by indygirl99

JILBUR
The advise from Jeff Galloway was geared toward my running and my problems with asthma.

I have been run/walking 1 min/1 min but having some difficulty getting farther than about 6 miles. He told me to do 30 sec/30 sec or even 15 sec run/45 sec walk until I could get my endurance up.

I tried the 30/30 and feel it will work for now. No asthma attack yesterday when I ran, but I only ran for 30 min. Plus that puts me at the 13 min mile pace if I can continue and get my endurance up.

We also talked about how to get the stride shorter to lessen chance of injury. He said to run 30 sec and count your steps. Then run again for 30 sec and try to add one step. To do this 4-8 times in a drill and with practice the stride will get shorter and the steps will increase which will naturally increase your pace AND decrease risk for injury. He advised to keep steps as low to the ground as possible and to practice shuffling so that I was not as likely to raise my knee high which could increase risk of injury. Plus slow me down.

He is such a down to earth guy and loves to pass it on to the next group of runners. I will definately be signing up for his running school after my contact with him on saturday.

I'm glad you got some great advice from a great man. He really seems to know what he's talking about and I'm glad his advice helped you. Do you have any of his apps? I'll have to look at his running school. I think I would love it! Thanks!


QOTD Monday, October 8
It's Monday so let's have a fun question! What is your favorite ride in each of the parks (MK, Epcot, AK, DHS, DL, CA)? Are there any rides you can do without or that you think need a makeover?

I have not been to the East coast but my favorite of the West coast rides for DLR: I enjoy all the rides but LOVE riding the Storybook canal boats and have to ride them several times each trip. I can just imagine being a tiny little person or character and moving from area to area. Plus I'm envious of all the great work the gardners have done to put this together.

In DCA i used to say Toy story was my favorite but this last trip was talked into TOT and oh my the drops really remind me of when I was a kid and we went on road trips and going over the hills a little too fast in the car (this was before seat belts) and we would move up off the seat just like you do in the drops in TOT. It may seem crazy but it brings back some really great childhood roadtrip memories.

You have to get to WDW! Although, I've never been to Cali so I have nothing to compare it to. But, it is awesome. I love how rides can bring you back to fond family memories.

Originally Posted by donac

Good Tuesday morning everyone

School has been kickingm y butt for the last month. I feel like I am so far behind in one class that I don't know how I am going to cover everything that needs to be covered. And I can't move any faster with this group because if they don't get the material we will have even more problems. Then throw in the fact that ALL the copy machines are down in the building and the printer in my room is over 10 years old and has been giving me problems adds to the stress.


QOTD Monday, October 8

It's Monday so let's have a fun question! What is your favorite ride in each of the parks (MK, Epcot, AK, DHS, DL, CA)? Are there any rides you can do without or that you think need a makeover?

MK TTA and then everything else except the raceway (my favorite park)
Epcot Soaring
AK safari
DHS TSM I do keep score on this because I have beaten dh every time I have played against him.

DL IASW the ride into this ride is so different from DW that it is worth the trip just to see this.

CA wasn't around when we were there.

Off to have breakfast.

Have a happy and healthy day.

I'm sorry you are having a rough start to the year. I hope it starts to turn around soon.

It's funny you mentioned the raceway. As a kid, I loved that thing. It was so cool to drive by yourself. Now as an adult all I think about is the terrible smell. Ugh.

I see you have some bragging rights when it comes to TSM

Originally Posted by jbm02

Playing catch up again!! Busy weekend kept me off the computer ecept for a quick peek at email. High school football game Friday night, Army/BC game on Saturday (yay, Army!!), cheering friends on for the Hudson Mohawk Half Marathon on Sunday morning, and then campaigning 5 hours again on Sunday and Monday - we had Monday off for Columbus day.


I try to run outside until it gets really cold - maybe 17. Then I just can't take it. But the ice will scare me off - I'm a klutzy runner!!

MK: Carousel of Progress
Epcot: Soarin'
AK: Expedition Everest
DHS: TSM

Jude

That is a busy weekend! Sounds like it was a fun one, though.

Yikes! 17 is really cold for me. Good for you to keep on going even in tough weather.

You have a fun list of rides! Soarin' is just so cool!

Originally Posted by christinascreative

QOTD Tuesday, October 9

Have you ever hit a plateau in your weight loss journey? What did you do to get past this plateau?
I wouldn't say plateau exactly. For the past month it's been big loss one week, gain a little the next, big loss the following week, gain a little back. I'm trying to find some consistency losing. I had been doing it all along, just this past month has been weird. We'll see what the scale brings this week!

Good luck on the weigh in. Do you track your food? Maybe take a look at the weeks you have loses and see what's working for you.

Originally Posted by lisah0711

When I hit a plateau I usually double check my tracking and caloric intake. After awhile I am not as vigilant as I should be and "things" start creeping in my mouth that are forgotten when it is time to record. I will also make sure I am getting all my activity because that will slow me down. I have had periods of time where the scale won't move but I lose inches and vice versa. It's one of those things where you just need to be extra careful and keep on course even if you can't see the finish line.


that you get to DL someday, Jill. Thanks!

Great advice on keeping the course. I think everyone goes through this and just needs some extra support during these times.

Originally Posted by JacksLilWench

The race was awesome! I would definitely do another one again. The track was really cool, and the volunteers were great too. There were a lot of people dressed up like bellhops, but two guys were dressed up as hotel guests- they had bought the ToT towel wraps you get in the gift shop, with the keychains strapped to the towel and wearing shower caps!! It was so darn funny!!!!

I haven't really hit a "plateau", but I hit times where I fall off the wagon. I would love to be on plan long enough to actually hit a plateau...as crazy as that sounds!

I've been hearing such great reviews of the race (other than the heat/humidity which, although I'm sure they've tried, Disney can't control lol). I'm glad you had a good time!

If you fall off the wagon, you still get right back on, so that's a positive thing. Just make sure you don't ever fall and stay down there!

Originally Posted by disneymom2one

QOTD:

I hit a major frustrating plateau about a month ago. I just powered through it - changed up the exercise somewhat, changed what I ate and when. Eventually, the losses started again.

Way to power through! Sometimes it's just little tweaks that can go a long way.

Originally Posted by elleherself

Hey everyone! I went on a vacation to Disney and sort of lost the plot.

I had an amazing vacation! Immediately upon returning home a week ago I got sick. Flu-like sick. That knocked me on my back. Since then I've been playing catch up and at long last I'm posting back here.

I gained a teensy bit of weight back while in Disney (up around half a pound), but I was not at all surprised. I did sign up a brand spankin' new annual pass this trip, so I am definitely going to have to be more conscientious on future trips, but I was so looking forward to Food & Wine and all my scrumptious ADRs. Anyway according to the scale the last few days the news is better now, but we'll just have to wait and see on Friday.

I had a fabulous race, my time was 2:05. I was very happy with that. I could have gone faster I think, but I wanted to stay with my sister (we were running in costume as fireflies). We stopped for some pictures and walked at every water station. I also carried my own water bottle with me as I do when I run. I saw a lot of people were struggling with the heat and the humidity, but since I've trained with that it was just another run for me, a very fun and awesome run. I felt absolutely great afterwards and I was skipping and dancing at the party after. Now I really want to do the Princess 1/2, I'm still trying to convince my sister.

Last night was the first night of an 8 week boot camp-style group fitness class I'm doing with my mom. It meets three times a week. We took measurements for the first night, which was my first time taking measurements. I'm more of a fit of the clothes kind of girl, but even I knew enough to know how good those numbers were for me. I also found out my body fat percentage-- 21%. The instructor said athletic bodies are between 12%-20%. I lost this weight slowly so you'd think I've adjusted, but last night was one of those moments where it just hit me-- I did it. Even though I want to lose a few more pounds to get to goal, I have a body that is expected for a 27-year-old, not overweight, not obese anymore. I don't need to celebrate in four more pounds, that's worth celebrating right NOW. That moment combined with doing my first race (something I never thought would be possible for me, the most un-athletic kid ever who couldn't run a mile in PE) and I feel on cloud 9 right now.

QOTD Tuesday, October 9
Have you ever hit a plateau in your weight loss journey? What did you do to get past this plateau?
Yes, all the time! For me plateaus are a part of the package, for sure. I will lose nothing or very little or fluctuate up and down for weeks, and then weight will fall off in a chunk. I wish things were more moderate and even. I can't say it's not frustrating to keep working and working and see no change. It's really hard sometimes. The way I handle plateaus is to expect them, and remind myself that even if I can't see it right now, my body is changing overall. My longest plateau this time was about five weeks, five weeks in which I was running, not eating any sugar, and watching every single thing I ate. It was really horrible if I'm being honest, but there was just no way I was giving up, I knew what I was doing had worked before. And then suddenly the scale started moving again.

Yay for another great race. Glad you had a good time! Sorry that you got sick. At least it was after your trip!

Have fun with bootcamp. I love classes like that. Have you ever done one before?

for loving yourself and your body! Way to go!

Great insight on plateaus and great job not giving up!

Originally Posted by Jaina

Sunday, October 7 QOTD
It's a chilly 42 degrees in western PA. Winter is trying to creep in. How do you prepare for exercising during colder months? Do you still go outside to exercise or do you stay inside? And, if you live where you don't have cold months, you're lucky

I'm in Arizona now (though I've lived in UT and IA, so I know cold) so it's finally getting cool enough that I might b e able to start exercising outside. I really hate the heat, and the cooler it is (to a certain point) the longer I want to exercise! I can't exercise outside (unless there's water involved) most of the time from about May to October...

QOTD Monday, October 8
It's Monday so let's have a fun question! What is your favorite ride in each of the parks (MK, Epcot, AK, DHS, DL, CA)? Are there any rides you can do without or that you think need a makeover?
I've only been to WDW once, about 15 years ago, so...
MK: Splash Mountain. It seemed longer, and I liked it more than the DLR one!
Epcot: Didn't have a lot of rides when we went... I liked Spaceship Earth.
AK: Had just recently opened. I liked Dinosaur.
DHS: never been
DL: At this moment I'd have to say Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I love to ride it at night.
CA: I can't pick! There are so many rides that I absolutely love here. I guess Screamin'... (but Soarin', ToT, and Grizzly River Rapids are close! I can't wait to see Cars Land!)

QOTD Tuesday, October 9
Have you ever hit a plateau in your weight loss journey? What did you do to get past this plateau?

I've been in one for a while now, but it's not a traditional plateau. It's a "I can't be consistently good so I just keep losing and gaining the same 3-4 lbs" plateau. I'm tired of it though, and I have a new gameplan (after eating a ridiculous unknown amount of calories yesterday including things like poundcake, frosting, licorice, cheesecake, etc.). No sugar-based foods (other than fruit) at ALL until Thanksgiving. I know you're supposed to make sustainable changes, but sometimes you need a boost and to BEAT the sugar addiction... I'm not going to put anything in my mouth unless I can account for it calorically, and I'm going to try to do some light exercise (like a 20 minute walk or some aerobics) on my non-gym days. I'm also going to start wearing a pedometer and see if I can get my steps at least up to 10,000. I want to do a 5k with my family on Thanksgiving, and I want to be able to jog a lot of it and have a non-pathetic time. I am -determined- to be accountable and active enough to lose 10 lbs in the next 7 weeks. I CAN DO IT!

I guess I never thought about not being able to exercise for months because of the heat. I hope you enjoy the cooler temps and all your outdoor time.

I hope you get back to WDW some day. There's probably a lot of new things for you to enjoy.

Good luck with cutting out the sugar. I have faith in you. I need to do the same! Thanksgiving day 5ks are tons of fun. Train well and you will be fine!

Originally Posted by pjlla

You bet! I don't know anyone who has had a weight loss journey of any length that DIDN'T hit a plateau.

For myself, after a few weeks of not losing, I start to really get frustrated... and I try to channel my frustration and turn it into DETERMINATION! I work out more.... more faithfully, more time, harder. I try to change up my exercising.... adding more weight training instead of just cardio, maybe working bigger muscles (glutes, etc) more often.

Then I try changing up my eating.... dropping my carbs (most especially anything white), adding more fiber and fruit, really being diligent about weighing/measuring my portions of EVERYTHING. I also do things like increase my green tea intake (usually decaf), decrease my use of artificial sweetener (I try to really limit this anyhow), increase my water.... double check my vitamins (especially D and B complex). Most especially I try to really watch any processed foods.

If things still aren't moving, then I start really changing my foods.... I drop nearly all carbs other than veggies and do a few days of just lean protein (egg whites, chicken breast, fish) and greens (spring mix, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, green beans, onions/pepper) and tomatoes. I may do this off and on for a few weeks (one week on, one week off).... it mixes things up and keeps my "furnace" running and burning and keeps my metabolism guessing!

Once again, wise words fro Pamela. Great advice for anyone who may need it (like me )


Favorites:

MK - Splash Mtn, BTMRR, and COP (I know COP is old and slow, but it has become a family classic!). Also love Mickey Philharmagic.

Epcot - Soarin' (without a doubt!), and TT (in that order).

AK - EE and Kilimanjaro Safari, in no particular order.

DHS - TOT, RNR, and TSM (the big three, of course). #1 choice would be RNR though.

DL - Only been there once, but I would definitely say Matterhorn (as it is an "original") and IASW for the same reason.

DCA - We all LOVED Soarin' there (first time we saw it was there and it was SO exciting and SO special!!). But California Screamin' was the BOMB!!

I hate to say it but there are SO MANY I could do without.... many I haven't ridden since I was a child or have NEVER ridden at all! This list includes
Enchanted Tiki Room, Dumbo (and any of those "stop and load" type flying rides), Mad Tea Party (I would be sick if I rode), Stitch's Great Escape, Honey I Shrunk the Audience, Dinosaur, Kali River Rapids (I spend the ENTIRE RIDE trying not to get wet!). Wow.... I'm a big party pooper!

You have a fun list of rides. I have to say, I can do with a lot also, however, I would keep Dumbo (it's just a classic to me) and Kali (and I get soaked everytime). I would also get rid of Captain EO. I'm sorry if I offend anyone. DH made me do it in May, and I told him that's 20 minutes of my life I will never get back

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

For those who asked/inquired.... thank you for your concern about my eye. It was the strangest thing. I woke up Sunday morning JUST FINE!!! No redness, no weeping, no irritation, no light sensitivity. The ONLY thing I can figure is that perhaps the original irritation started with a tear in my contact lens and when I removed the contact I left a small piece behind. It didn't FEEL like I had anything in my eye, but the off again/on again type of irritation it was and the fact that it ended as suddenly as it started, suggests this as a possible answer. I had rinsed my eye out several times on Friday and Saturday, but probably not well enough.

I risked it and put a new contact back in on Sunday morning before leaving for Boston and it was and still is just fine! I did a lot of praying about it, so I'll give credit where it is due and leave it at that, so I don't get in DIS trouble.

Time to fold laundry! TTYL..................P

I'm glad your eye is better. That's not something you want to have serious problems with!

Originally Posted by mskayjay

Hey all! sorry I've been MIA but I've had a lot going on with family and I've been getting in some good gym time! Got in a few really good runs at the gym and then ran outside tonight. wow does that cool air make a difference! Between the cool temps and lots of people mowing it was pretty slow going but I did it and that's what counts!


Yes I have hits plateaus! What did I do? I screamed at my fat cells, stamped my feet, cried, and got generally ticked off at my body! I usually ended up eating something really stupid and having a very bad day or two and then reset myself. Its funny how sometimes eating what you shouldn't actually shocks your body back into lose mode.

I love your answer. Not that I want you to be frustrated, but it hit close to home. And, sometimes your body needs a change to get back on track.

Rides.....oh geeze.....you know every time we're at MK and we're in front of POTC I tell hubs "this is my favorite ride" and then we get to Haunted Mansion and I say "this is my FAVORITE ride" so its tough to say but it's one of those two. At Epcot it is absolutely Soarin'. Animal Kingdom its probably the safari. At Hollywood Studios, I have no idea.....I really don't like HS. I guess the Toy Story Mania is the only one there I really like at all.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Your MK faves are mine too! It's just too hard to pick sometimes! I hope you are having a great week also.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~

Okay, This has been a completely crazy day. I got a flat tire, my sister had to pick my kids up from school so my car could get towed to Sears to get the flat fixed, DH ended up sick at his clinicals with chills and a fever but had to pick me up from work & the kids from my sisters, we went to DNephews CC meet (he rocked a 2nd place finish and a PR on his home course of 18:12 for the 5k~and he's in 9th grade!), did homework with DS9, loaded the dishwasher, made lunches for tomorrow, roof guy came by and took tons of money from me, and now I need to do laundry! Whew. Sorry I don't have more time for replies.

By the way~I have been trying to get my roof done for months. We finally narrowed it down and they are starting Monday. Yay! This has been months in the making. And IT'S EXPENSIVE! The guy who came to remeasure tonight kept telling us what a big job this is. We know. We are the ones paying

I'm having a frustrating eating week. I know it's my fault, but I just can't get back on track. Thanks for all the talk of plateaus and how you deal with them. It was so motivational to me and although I know what to do when I hit a plateau, I needed to see others say it to get me motivated again! So thank you all!

When I hit a plateau, I just need to make sure I am tracking everything and watching my ww points. When I am on, I'm on. And when I'm off, I'm way off. So, I am expecting a slight gain this week, but will get right back on the wagon! And, I need to drink more water! I've found that when I am not tracking water intake, I drink much less.

Okay, I am off to get laundry done and get orgainzed for tomorrow. Have a great night

Jill

[belledreamer]

Originally Posted by jillbur

QOTD Monday, October 8

It's Monday so let's have a fun question! What is your favorite ride in each of the parks (MK, Epcot, AK, DHS, DL, CA)? Are there any rides you can do without or that you think need a makeover?

Never been to California. As for my favs at WDW...

MK- The Haunted Mansion! Definitely a ride 3 times ride for me, especially when Ddad does his 'Goofy Scream' in the 'Stretching Room.'

Epcot- A tie between Spaceship Earth and Soarin'.

DHS- Favorite ride is ToT, but my favorite attraction is the Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage show. Another thing I see at least twice everytime I go.

AK- I don't care much for the rides, but I adore Finding Nemo: The Musical! Another 'go see twice' show for me, plus I have the soundtrack on my iPod and completely memorized.

There isn't anything I'd get rid of, but I do think that 'Peter Pan's Flight' is in desperate need of a revamp (or at least a fresh coat of paint to the characters) and that 'Voyage of the Little Mermaid' could use a revamp as well. I'd rather them do fewer showings of higher quality than a bunch of showings that feel rushed.

Originally Posted by jillbur

QOTD Tuesday, October 9

Have you ever hit a plateau in your weight loss journey? What did you do to get past this plateau?

Oh yes. Plateaus are a part of the journey unfortunately, but it all depends on your viewpoint of them. Like my Ddad pointed out to me, a plateau isn't failure. Just maintaining is better than gaining it back! Keep powering on, make some changes if you find that the weight isn't coming off and eventually you get past it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not much to share today, but I did have a weight loss victory! Wore my boot-cut jeans today, and there was no muffin-top! I almost needed a belt!

[Mary•Poppins]

Originally Posted by jillbur

QOTD Tuesday, October 9

Have you ever hit a plateau in your weight loss journey? What did you do to get past this plateau?


Good night all! I'll see you in the morning!

Jill

Yes, I plateau. I think it is part of the weight loss journey. I am right now in a cycle of gaining 2 pounds, losing 2 pounds. I just haven't been able to wrap my head around focusing to lose these extra pounds. I need a jolt of motivation.

My children's sports are about to finish and as much as I LOVE watching them play, I am secretly glad our home schedules will get a little slower. This will give me some more time to focus on me. Hopefully I won't come up with anther excuse for not losing ....

Originally Posted by bellaally

Motivational Monday

There may be days when you get up in the morning and things arent the way you had hoped they would be.

Thats when you have to tell yourself that things will get better. There are times when people disappoint you and let you down.

But those are the times when you must remind yourself to trust your own judgments and opinions, to keep your life focused on believing in yourself.

There will be challenges to face and changes to make in your life, and it is up to you to accept them.

Constantly keep yourself headed in the right direction for you. It may not be easy at times, but in those times of struggle you will find a stronger sense of who you are.

So when the days come that are filled with frustration and unexpected responsibilities, remember to believe in yourself and all you want your life to be.

Because the challenges and changes will only help you to find the goals that you know are meant to come true for you.



Hoping everyone had a great and productive weekend, looking forward to a great week, I have two interviews wish me luck. The weather in Philadelphia has been horrible it was freezing this morning we had to turn the heat on. It sucks when it's rainy and horrible, you feel sleepy and lazy lol. I wanted to say no matter what don't let anyone stop you from completing your goals, not family members and not friends. If someone can't support a healthy life change then it's time to have a serious talk or time to evaluate the friendship.

Sorry you don't have some supportive people in your life. I agree with Jill ... come on over here.

Originally Posted by elleherself

Hey everyone! I went on a vacation to Disney and sort of lost the plot.

I had an amazing vacation! Immediately upon returning home a week ago I got sick. Flu-like sick. That knocked me on my back. Since then I've been playing catch up and at long last I'm posting back here.

I gained a teensy bit of weight back while in Disney (up around half a pound), but I was not at all surprised. I did sign up a brand spankin' new annual pass this trip, so I am definitely going to have to be more conscientious on future trips, but I was so looking forward to Food & Wine and all my scrumptious ADRs. Anyway according to the scale the last few days the news is better now, but we'll just have to wait and see on Friday.

I had a fabulous race, my time was 2:05. I was very happy with that. I could have gone faster I think, but I wanted to stay with my sister (we were running in costume as fireflies). We stopped for some pictures and walked at every water station. I also carried my own water bottle with me as I do when I run. I saw a lot of people were struggling with the heat and the humidity, but since I've trained with that it was just another run for me, a very fun and awesome run. I felt absolutely great afterwards and I was skipping and dancing at the party after. Now I really want to do the Princess 1/2, I'm still trying to convince my sister.

Last night was the first night of an 8 week boot camp-style group fitness class I'm doing with my mom. It meets three times a week. We took measurements for the first night, which was my first time taking measurements. I'm more of a fit of the clothes kind of girl, but even I knew enough to know how good those numbers were for me. I also found out my body fat percentage-- 21%. The instructor said athletic bodies are between 12%-20%. I lost this weight slowly so you'd think I've adjusted, but last night was one of those moments where it just hit me-- I did it. Even though I want to lose a few more pounds to get to goal, I have a body that is expected for a 27-year-old, not overweight, not obese anymore. I don't need to celebrate in four more pounds, that's worth celebrating right NOW. That moment combined with doing my first race (something I never thought would be possible for me, the most un-athletic kid ever who couldn't run a mile in PE) and I feel on cloud 9 right now.

QOTD Tuesday, October 9
Have you ever hit a plateau in your weight loss journey? What did you do to get past this plateau?
Yes, all the time! For me plateaus are a part of the package, for sure. I will lose nothing or very little or fluctuate up and down for weeks, and then weight will fall off in a chunk. I wish things were more moderate and even. I can't say it's not frustrating to keep working and working and see no change. It's really hard sometimes. The way I handle plateaus is to expect them, and remind myself that even if I can't see it right now, my body is changing overall. My longest plateau this time was about five weeks, five weeks in which I was running, not eating any sugar, and watching every single thing I ate. It was really horrible if I'm being honest, but there was just no way I was giving up, I knew what I was doing had worked before. And then suddenly the scale started moving again.

Wow! Keep up the great work ... and you should feel great. There is nothing better than being healthy.

Originally Posted by pjlla

Happy Tuesday friends! Well.... after a WHIRLWIND long weekend with the kids, I'm back (and exhausted! ).

Quick review of my weekend..... Segway tour in Boston on Friday with DS. Beautiful day, beautiful weather, fun tour. Overnight in Burlington, quick trip to Burlington Mall to visit the Lego store (and despite my INSISTENCE that we were NOT going to buy anything, I bought him a set ), a visit to a Laser Tag venue (I sat out because my eye was still bothering me), and a movie back up in NH.

Home overnight Saturday night and then headed out again Sunday morning with DD. Spent Sunday at the Museum of Science in Boston.... didn't see it all, but opted to buy a basic membership instead of just admission for two, so we can return whenever we want! (We let our big family membership lapse recently, as we NEVER seem to be able to get us ALL there at once!) Enjoyed the MOS, watched an IMAX movie in the Omni theater (love that place!), checked into our hotel in Braintree (so much cheaper to stay a little outside of Boston), and had a fabulous dinner at Bertucci's (was going to try to avoid a chain restaurant, but it is the #2 rated restaurant in Braintree!), and Monday was Aquarium day! DD did a Harbor Seal encounter and got to go into the enclosure in waders and sit in the water and interact with the trainers and seals! She was literally smiling from EAR TO EAR for the entire time! I was ALSO grinning like a fool, just watching her enjoy herself so much. Then some walking around the waterfront of Boston (but it was really getting cold) and home for homework time and bedtime.

It was fast, but fun. I did have some treats, tried to have SOME restraint in regards to what I ate, but definitely ate TOO MUCH PIZZA! Obviously walked around a LOT, but no true exercise.

THis morning was back to reality.... chilly morning, dark and overcast. Bible study and home to catch up on laundry, housework, and meal planning.... and of course, check in with my friends here!

Off to look for the QOTD that I"ve missed!...................P

Hey Pam, sounds like you had a great trip! Glad your eye is feeling better!

Lisa ... I got my tips on a DIS thread. I am sure if you did a search your could find it. If I remember correctly, one is about hitting a character right at the end of the ride.

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

Busy day at school today. Heard some sad news about one of our families. Just breaks your heart. Not sure even after years and years of teaching if I will ever get use to hearing about the situations our students have to deal with.

Just sat down after running a bit today. Dropped clothes off to Goodwill (I got rid of 2 pairs of "just incase pants"!), returned some items, and made cookie dough for some wedding cookies I need to make tomorrow for a wedding on Saturday.

Off to hunt for a curtain rod for a room we are redecorating for my oldest son when he comes home.

Have a great over the hump day tomorrow.

[camnhan]

Good evening all! Well was having a great OP day until I got home after football game and the got pissed because no one had done dishes and everyone was starving so warmed up left overs and everyone at while I cleaned kitchen and then I went to eat and the bottomless pits I live with had eaten pretty much everything . So I had a cupcake, piece of cake, 2 nutty bars and the last bit of homemade chicken noodles (yeah the ones with the egg/floor noodles from scratch!)
So much for being OP.......grrrrr

Well off to see just how bad off I am on tracking......

[kollerbear]

Biggest Loser Fall Challenge! Week 4

Hey there all! We're almost half-way through this challenge, and the time sure is flying! I'm proud to say that our retention is still VERY high, at 73% this week! Over 50 of us around the world are making the commitment to live healthfully and support each other.

Before I run through the statistics, I noticed that many of us had a rough couple of weeks on the scale. Since we all know that scale is going to go up and down on this journey, I'd like to recognize some non-scale victories in next week's post. So to mix things up, when you weigh-in next week, let me know if you've had a non-scale victory this week that you'd like to recognize. This is, of course, very optional. I'll compile a list of them and add them to the end of next week's stats! Could be neat, right? One reminder, make sure you give me a victory that you're OK with me sharing with the group.

Alright, without further ado, some statistics:


MAINTAINERS (i.e. participants staying within 2 lbs of their goal weight):

Maintainers Reporting In & Successfully Maintaining-----1
Congratulations princessbride6205 (Nicole)!!!
Maintainers Reporting In------------------------------1


LOSERS:

Current Participants----------------70
Weigh ins-----------------------49
Excused-------------------------4
Missing this week (first time)-----8
Missing this week (second time)--3
Missing this week (third time)----4
(Off the roster------------------3)

Welcome to new participant rubybpc (Ruby)!

Losses--------------------------29
Maintains------------------------5
Gains --------------------------15
New this week-------------------0

This week’s group loss = 25.6 pounds!
Average percentage of weight lost 0.23%


RETENTION RATE (including Maintainers and Losers): 53/73 = 73%


THE WISH BIGGEST LOSER FALL CHALLENGE! WEEK 4 SUPERSTARS!!

Disclaimer: I am human and I make mistakes. If you have any questions please contact me. For your reference the weight lost formula is = loss for the week divided by last week's weight times 100.

Now let's get to the good stuff. Who were our superstars of week 3?

#10 - 1.08% - belledreamer (Ashley)
#9 - 1.09% - Melissahac99 (Melissa)
#8 - 1.21% - camnham (Jen)
#7 - 1.30% - Raenstoirm (Carla Rae)
#6 - 1.71% - bigsis1970 (Michelle)
#5 - 1.76% - CruiseBoundinKY (Karen)
#4 - 1.90% - 6ofus2 (Robbie)
#3 - 1.92% - slriver (Tracy)
#2 - 2.04% - rubybpc (Ruby)

and now

The WISH Biggest Loser Fall Challenge! Week 4 Biggest Loser is:
#1 - 2.14% - bellaally (Alexandra)

Congratulations!!!

What a great week you had. Keep up the good work. We have a very special clippie reserved for our weekly Biggest Loser. Wear it with pride this week!

This is our weekly reigning Biggest Loser clippie. We have the large version:




or use this:
[IMG]http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/31040weeklyBLsmall1.jpg
followed by [/IMG]

or we have a medium version:



or use this:
[IMG]http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/31040weeklyBLmed.jpg
followed by [/IMG]

and we have a small version:



or use this:
[IMG]http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/500/31040weeklyBLsm.jpg
followed by [/IMG]


Thanks to ohMom-Molli for these clippies. They were used for a previous BL but we can recycle. Don't they look great?!

[kollerbear]

NOW FOR THOSE OF US WHO SET A GOAL FOR THE CHALLENGE!!!

How this works: You set your goal for what you want to lose in the challenge. Then I calculate your weight loss in the challenge divided by your goal to get a % to goal. Anybody can change their goal at anytime (or add a goal) – all you have to do is send me a PM.

We have done 4 out of 10 weeks, so the challenge is 40% complete. Can you believe it? I can't.


6ofus2 - 54.65
acename - 25.00
andijean - 38.89
bellaally - 27.03
bigsis1970 - 72.00
ChelleyB - 0.00
D73 - 5.37
Disneyfn420 - 20.00
disneymom2one - 39.08
ditsypixie - 13.64
DoomBuggieDriver - 25.00
DorkyDisneyMom - 1.12
dvccruiser76 - 12.06
EDuke98080 - 0.00
Flossbolna - 62.50
indygirl99 - 80.00
KayTom - 15.00
kollerbear - 2.70
lmhall2000 - 0.00
lovetoscrap - 0.00
luvpoohandcompany - 40.00
MelindaRuns - 0.00
MickeyMagic - 14.00
mommyof2Pirates - 18.67
mskayjay - 17.50
Octoberbride03 - 36.36
rubybpc - 17.65
::Snow_White:: - 3.70
sue and co - 0.00
SunnyB1066 - 20.00
tiki23 - 22.00