!
Jill--just an fyi, they usually offer discounted park tickets for W&D. Our plan this year is to fly down Friday morning and back probably Tuesday night. If you have specific questions send me a pm.
So sorry about your friend.I use this great Jeff Galloway vibrating timer for my races. I love it because you can set it to just about any interval. I run shorter intervals and my Garmin doesn't work for that. Running your phone and the app can drain your battery just when you need your tunes the most.This is $19.95. The timer is light and easy to do on the fly -- even if you are changing intervals.
http://jeff-galloway-e-shop.mybigcommerce.com/run-walk-run-vibrating-timer/
If you get a Garmin really research the model that you are considering and what it will do. I got a cheaper model and it was a mistake and I only use it for races to keep track of my pace. I use the timer for intervals and my iPhone for music so the battery will last. I wear one ear bud and it works for me. If things get too exciting I can always turn it off but inevitably there are those miles you need some distraction. Save your money and buy some new shoes!It sounds like I am schlepping a bunch of stuff but I wear a sparkleskirt tech skirt and can pack plenty of stuff so I don't have to have a belt -- I even carry a little water bottle.
I see Rose answered your question about the W&D -- she is a legacy racer for W&D. I think it would be hard with your kiddos to be at WDW and not go to a park -- just my personal opinion.
I can't help with the race details, but I will say congrats on getting ready for your first Disney run!
Well, here's hoping I can convince DH it's in the budget
DH mentioned to me that he was considering running a 5K (it would be his first this spring. It is a fundraiser for his fraternity. I should ask him again if he is still considering it and maybe offer to do it with him. I definitely need some sort of fitness goal to work towards right now!
This would be so much fun! Sign up and start getting ready
**********************
Well, Happy Tuesday all! DS is finally off to school! We have now used all of our built-in snow days, so after this we start adding to the schedule.And we still have the rest of January plus February and March!
We only have 2 snow days built in our schedule and today was our second cancelled day. I'm hoping the weather stays nicer and we don't have to start tacking on in June, either. It feels nice to get back to a schedule, right?
SO much to do here today! Tonight will be my first WW meeting of the new year... (since last Tuesday was NYE) and I want it to be FUN and EXCITING for my returning members and WELCOMING for my new members (which there will hopefully be a LOT of)! I've got some WW balloons to blow up and I'm going to search through my party supplies here to find some streamers. I'm going to print a big welcome banner for the front door (since we are a travel location and meet in a church building) and be ready to greet everyone as they arrive (sometimes I am still setting up as folk start to arrive, since my set-up often takes me over an hour). And I need to rehearse my new Simple Start orientation.... I should have been practicing over this break, but I'll be the first to admit that I haven't even really thought about it.
Time to figure out what the men will eat for dinner tonight. I will be gone from about 3:30 until 8pm and they will be leaving here at 5 pm for tonight's robotics meeting. I'm really low on groceries (especially fresh fruit and veggies), so I'll have to be creative! I'll probably have a veggie burger myself when I return home after my meeting.
TTYL......................
I'm sure all the veteran WDW runners can help you out on this, but I thought I'd give my input, too! I did the TOT in 2012, and I didn't bring headphones because two of my friends said they had been training and were going to run with me. Of course, they didn't tell me they were going to be walking it, so I ended up running alone. I was doing 1 min run, 1 min walk for most of it. Since I thought we were all doing that, I brought my iPhone holder that straps onto my shoulder and I have an app that will beep at an interval you choose. There were a bunch of groups doing that - one person had a beeper and everyone would change paces when it went off.
But, since I didn't bring headphones, I became that person who was loudly beeping as a ran through the race...
:
Nevertheless, I vowed to always bring headphones. It beeps over my music and I can keep one headphone in and one out. For a regular race, I keep both headphones in. But, for a Disney race, there is so much going on, and sometimes there are characters cheering for you - things I wouldn't want anyone to miss hearing.
Thanks for all the info! I didn't want to be the only runner/walker with ear buds in (I was only planning to keep one in so I could listen to music as well). Being a newbie to real races (as opposed to 5ks and The Biggest Loser 1/2) I didn't want to stand out and break any runner rules!
I agree with this! There are always discounted park tickets. After the TOT there is a major party at DHS, but I, for one, was not really motivated to dance after a 10 mile race lol But, the day before, going to the parks was great!
I'm not sure I'd be dancing, but walking around and maybe riding a ride or two would be fun? Or, I may want to just collapse
I've been going to bed earlier. I know its not very extreme and doesn't require a lot of planning, but I used to have a lot of trouble falling asleep at night. This week, around 9pm, I get into bed and start to read. By 10:30/11, I turn off the light and am asleep shortly after! This morning, I even woke up before my alarm - which never happens! Feeling rested before my morning workout makes ALL the difference in the world. If I'm exhausted, I will come up with an excuse for why I should sleep in. It has really helped!
Good for you! Waking up refreshed is a perfect way to start your day.
This morning, I tried the nutrigrain bar and half a banana for my weight training workout, and it was also too much. I think it might work for cardio, but I'm going to go down even further on Thursday for my next weight training workout and just do the bar... in hopes that in a couple of weeks, I'll be able to just the banana and maybe some peanut butter or jam.
I also got my friend to start Power90! I don't know if she will stick with it- she's a yo-yo dieter like me. But, for the time being, its nice to have someone else who is in the same boat!
Hope everyone is bundled up nice and warm today!!!
So, I guess we'll try to break things down and if flights are too much money, it may just be me traveling solo, or me and him if we can find people to keep DSs for the weekend. So, I think I'll register for one of them when they open (can't decide which yet!) and figure the rest out later 
Have a good day!
No Swimming with the FitBit! In fact I am very paranoid about forgetting to take it out of my pocket and it getting washed which would be the end of mine.Thanks, Pamela!If you can do the QOTD for the week-end and Monday, I can do Tuesday and Wednesday. And if someone else wants to give coaching a try we will happily let you.
Thank you for telling me this!
Can you swim with the FitBit?
!
I do think the newer "bracelet" models may be water resistant but I seem to recall reading that the action of swimming wouldn't register on it. But there is an option when you sync it online to add in exercise it didn't -- so you can add swimming in later.
. For me it really helps to set up a "no excuses" zone all around me. I keep plenty of options at work at my desk and in the fridge so I can't go off plan because " I forgot my lunch" or "I am hungry and need a snack." . The same with at home. I try to keep enough stuff on hand that I can always find something on plan, even if I don't feel like cooking or haven't been to the grocery store. I keep a bar in my purse, have some 100 cal packs of almonds in the car, and I also never leave home without my water bottle.
It is just a small tabletop tree, 3 ft I think. It is funny, DH found it a few years ago when we were at Walmart the day after Christmas looking for a new main tree. I think it was on clearance for $5 or $10-- ridiculously cheap so he had to buy it for our girls! Then of course it had to have ornaments, and only pink will do -- the sparklier the better-- so anytime I see pink ornaments I buy them. Pretty sure we have enough pink sparkly bows, hearts, stars and balls to decorate the entire 7ft tree with enough to spare!I'm glad I'm not the only holiday nut on here!Where in the world does one find PINK trees?! I'm ready to buy a new piece of furniture to take the place of where my tree was! Maybe I'll look into pink trees...
The tree skirt is actually a pink tulle skirt of my daughter's that she has now outgrown and it goes perfectly with the tree!I think I have heard of that place, sounds wonderful! I love a chocolate, banana, pb shake! My mother is from Memphis so I grew up eating PB and banana sandwiches! If you have never tried a Fluffernutter-- DON'T! It is the most wonderful, sickeningly sweet combination of peanut butter and Marshmallow Fluff and will blow your point for the entire week! Mom would also make us Peanut Butter and Honey sandwiches.I'm a peanut nut as well! I crave it like nobody's business. I've tried to get into other spreads to wean it down, but there is nothing like peanut butter. If you want a real treat and are ever in NYC, there is a place called PB & Co. and everything on their menu is made with peanut butter. That is where I had my first Elvis - peanut butter with banana sandwich, and my first peanut butter, chocolate, and banana milkshake. Talk about maxing out on my daily points!!!But, for an indulgence, its delicious!
They say that getting enough sleep is a huge help with weight loss. And I know I make better choices when I am well rested.
What about a breakfast Elvis?? Toast a piece of good whole wheat bread, put a spread of peanut butter and then some sliced banana on top? That gives you some good carbs and the protein of the pb and some potassium from the banana. Subbing apple for the banana is also really good. That has become one of DD13s favorite afternoon snacks (I have banned bananas from the house!)This morning, I tried the nutrigrain bar and half a banana for my weight training workout, and it was also too much. I think it might work for cardio, but I'm going to go down even further on Thursday for my next weight training workout and just do the bar... in hopes that in a couple of weeks, I'll be able to just the banana and maybe some peanut butter or jam.
!
How exciting. You are the most AWESOME leader ever! I hope you have a packed house!
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Okay, have to get moving and do something productive other than the disboard
Jill
There are other things to do than DIS? 
) day.
Just check me in to Betty Ford. 
. I am not a morning person! It doesn't matter how early I go to bed, I do NOT want to get up at 6:30am. Another hour really would make a big difference to me. Of course then we would get out an hour early but to me there is not much difference between leaving at 4 or leaving at 5. Any change wouldn't happen until at least after the next school year so it will be interesting to see what happens.
Seriously these things are so good and useful for so much more than just coffee. I added Egg Nog flavor to sf vanilla pudding, I put some chocolate flavor in my waffle this morning, the Pumpkin pie flavor can go in vanilla pudding, I have mint that is just awesome in everything! DD has been adding it to her Slim Fast shake in the morning when she wants a change. ). They have salad dressing (0 calorie, 0 carb, 0 fat salad dressing!) and I have a bottle of blue cheese but I have been afraid to try it. From what I read the dressings are "watery" but if the taste isn't bad and it helps me get this weight off it may be worth it. Some people love them, some hate them. They are hard to find in stores, not many places carry them. I found a few things at one of my local stores so that is what I have tried. They can be ordered online.
I wonder if Walden Farms has peanut butter. . .
I have meals loosely planned for the rest of the week so I should be okay from today until at least sunday. That's when services are. There are going to be a lot of empty calories at the bar following the service, I think, but it will be nice to be with all of our friends in one place to talk about all of the stupid things we all did, and then start recovering and moving on. Last night came at almost the perfect time because we were both able to break away from what's been going on in the last 48 hours. with my parents and sister who is in visiting from Milwaukee because we weren't able to see them on Christmas. It will be nice to visit but the food is... bland, lol., a good pair of shoes is CRUCIAL!
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Yay!! Thanks so much for the link. This is what I am looking for. I will be checking it out asap! I am also looking into a sparkle skirt. I actually have 2 new pairs of shoes set to arrive today from Running Warehouse. It was a gift to myself using some Christmas money and I am so excited. The poor delivery man is probably not so excited to have to deliver when it feels like -30 here, though
I can!!! You will be great! Congrats on making it far enough to even attempt Dopey!! Good for you!!!!:It is just a small tabletop tree, 3 ft I think. It is funny, DH found it a few years ago when we were at Walmart the day after Christmas looking for a new main tree. I think it was on clearance for $5 or $10-- ridiculously cheap so he had to buy it for our girls! Then of course it had to have ornaments, and only pink will do -- the sparklier the better-- so anytime I see pink ornaments I buy them. Pretty sure we have enough pink sparkly bows, hearts, stars and balls to decorate the entire 7ft tree with enough to spare!
So, I'm hoping to get a workout in after work before dinner. 
At least it is warming up a little bit.
Hi! Been busy packing up all the Christmas decor and getting my house back to normal. Love my Fitbit. The little happy face is quite the motivator. I hate seeing it like this
QOTD Monday: I find if I fall off track I just have to make the decision to let it go and start back the next day. I'm going to have bad days and good days. I just shoot for more good ones than bad.
QOTD Tuesday: I'm am sooooooo NOT a planner. But I desperately need to be. So my goal is to plan my meals and pack my dinner (I work evenings most of the time).
Now I gotta get moving so I can keep my Fitbit like this
Oh and thank you lovestoscrap for the Bolthouse dressing tip. I love it!!
No Swimming with the FitBit! In fact I am very paranoid about forgetting to take it out of my pocket and it getting washed which would be the end of mine.
I wish I could coach but I know I just won't have time. The office manager will be out next week so I have to cover her hours and that is going to have me
That's okay... we understand!!
For me it really helps to set up a "no excuses" zone all around me. I keep plenty of options at work at my desk and in the fridge so I can't go off plan because " I forgot my lunch" or "I am hungry and need a snack." . The same with at home. I try to keep enough stuff on hand that I can always find something on plan, even if I don't feel like cooking or haven't been to the grocery store. I keep a bar in my purse, have some 100 cal packs of almonds in the car, and I also never leave home without my water bottle.
That is great that you have made your work area a "no excuses" zone! You are truly setting yourself up for success!!
It is just a small tabletop tree, 3 ft I think. It is funny, DH found it a few years ago when we were at Walmart the day after Christmas looking for a new main tree. I think it was on clearance for $5 or $10-- ridiculously cheap so he had to buy it for our girls! Then of course it had to have ornaments, and only pink will do -- the sparklier the better-- so anytime I see pink ornaments I buy them. Pretty sure we have enough pink sparkly bows, hearts, stars and balls to decorate the entire 7ft tree with enough to spare! The tree skirt is actually a pink tulle skirt of my daughter's that she has now outgrown and it goes perfectly with the tree!
My daughter would LOVE a little pink tree for her dorm next year! I'll have to start looking around in the fall, when the Christmas stuff starts appearing. IT sounds adorable!
I think I have heard of that place, sounds wonderful! I love a chocolate, banana, pb shake! My mother is from Memphis so I grew up eating PB and banana sandwiches! If you have never tried a Fluffernutter-- DON'T! It is the most wonderful, sickeningly sweet combination of peanut butter and Marshmallow Fluff and will blow your point for the entire week! Mom would also make us Peanut Butter and Honey sandwiches.
Ripe Bananas are another of my absolute favorites. At my inlaws over Christmas there was a plate of cookies and bunch of bananas-- the bananas were way more of a temptation to me than the cookies.
We need to stop talking about all of this deliciousness!!
They say that getting enough sleep is a huge help with weight loss. And I know I make better choices when I am well rested.
AMEN!
What about a breakfast Elvis?? Toast a piece of good whole wheat bread, put a spread of peanut butter and then some sliced banana on top? That gives you some good carbs and the protein of the pb and some potassium from the banana. Subbing apple for the banana is also really good. That has become one of DD13s favorite afternoon snacks (I have banned bananas from the house!)
How exciting. You are the most AWESOME leader ever! I hope you have a packed house!
Awww... thanks! It was NOT packed house, unfortunately.... and I think it was because of the bitter cold windy night. Fingers crossed that next week FINALLY brings out the "Resolution-ers".
Essentially Peanut Butter is off plan. I can have the PB2 and I do add it to a few things but that doesn't satisfy the craving. And I have natural PB and have tried other options. Peanut Butter is a trigger food for me. I have to avoid it completely in it's creamy, jarred state! The PB2 is enough of the flavor to help make some of the things I eat better or different but not enough to make me want to go wild. But if I have a little non powdered PB on anything it makes me want to sit with the jar and a spoon and eat until I puke. So I really need to avoid it. And PB and banana?
Well, at least you KNOW that pb is a problem for you and you can find ways to keep away from it. oh well.
So enjoyed my 2 hour delay today. The district is talking about adjusting school times here so our High Schools start later. The proposals all have the Middle Schools as the "late" school so we would start 60-90 minutes later than we do now. Of course most of my coworkers are not in favor of that but I am . I am not a morning person! It doesn't matter how early I go to bed, I do NOT want to get up at 6:30am. Another hour really would make a big difference to me. Of course then we would get out an hour early but to me there is not much difference between leaving at 4 or leaving at 5. Any change wouldn't happen until at least after the next school year so it will be interesting to see what happens.
They messed with our school start times a few years ago to make the bussing schedule work out better and our middle school is our "early" school. Hope it works out for you!
Because I had extra time this morning (I got up at 7:30 instead of 6:30) I was able to make a chocolate waffle from my medifast foods for breakfast, and get the things together to have the dinner I missed last night for lunch today. It required precooking part of it and it was nice to have time to do it in the morning so it was fresh.
Yum, yum!!
Right now I am indulging in my new winter favorite treat-- Pumpkin Spice coffee with some sugar free French Vanilla creamer. I swear it tastes just like Pumpkin Pie with vanilla ice cream.
There are 2 new GREAT products I have discovered while doing Medifast. The first is DiVinci Sugar Free coffee syrups. They are like the ones that would be used to flavor your coffee at Starbucks. The company had a Black Friday special of free shipping so I ordered 8 bottles! My favorites are French Vanilla and Peppermint Paddy. I also got Pumpkin Pie flavor-- so when my pumpkin pie coffee runs out I can still add that to regular coffee. They have a Peanut Butter flavor that I may have to order next time. Seriously these things are so good and useful for so much more than just coffee. I added Egg Nog flavor to sf vanilla pudding, I put some chocolate flavor in my waffle this morning, the Pumpkin pie flavor can go in vanilla pudding, I have mint that is just awesome in everything! DD has been adding it to her Slim Fast shake in the morning when she wants a change.
All sounds delicious!!
The other thing is Walden Farms products. Okay, I haven't tried much of these and if you are looking for all natural and healthy this isn't it. Pretty sure they just a big chemistry experiment, but if you want familiar flavors with 0 calories, 0 fat, 0 carbs then these may be worth trying. So far I like the barbecue sauce. BBQ sauce is high in sugar so this is the only way I can have it. I did try their "marshmallow" dip but didn't care for it. They have a chocolate sauce that isn't bad in small amounts on something (don't try it straight from the bottle!). They have salad dressing (0 calorie, 0 carb, 0 fat salad dressing!) and I have a bottle of blue cheese but I have been afraid to try it. From what I read the dressings are "watery" but if the taste isn't bad and it helps me get this weight off it may be worth it. Some people love them, some hate them. They are hard to find in stores, not many places carry them. I found a few things at one of my local stores so that is what I have tried. They can be ordered online.
THEY DO and it is terrible.... don't waste your money! I have bought a few WF things... mostly for DH. He seems to think that the chocolate syrup is pretty good (I put it on the Breyers low carb chocolate ice cream for him), but I didn't care for it.... and the BBQ sauce was bearable... especially when I mixed it with a bit of homemade low carb sauce (mostly mayo, mustard, vinegar, tomato paste, and a bit of Splenda). I've tried a few other things in the past (wish I could remember exactly what) and they were TERRIBLE..... threw them away after the first taste. And you are right about the chemical cocktail.... otherwise how can ANY food other than water have 0 carbs, 0 fat, and 0 calories!!??
Gotta go figure out lunch for tomorrow, make a grocery list (we are out of everything!) and get ready for bed. Everyone have a great ON PLAN day tomorrow!
Thank you all for your kind words. After indulging in a cheesesteak and a bottle of Coke for lunch yesterday that a co-worker bought for me, I think I am over my "eat my feelings" stage. I don't think very much soda and never really have so when I have a coke, it's a rare treat. I enjoy it much more that way, I think.
If you offer to be designated driver, maybe the bar calories could be kept to a minimum??
Last night DBF and I went to a taping for WWE Smackdown. We were both huge wrestling fans when we were kids and fell back into it being somewhat of a guilty pleasure a few years ago when we saw that The Rock would be guest hosting an episode of Monday Night Raw. We haven't missed very many episodes since, lol. We even went to Wrestlemania this year since it was in neighboring New Jersey. That's actually how we got to Smackdown last night too. Our WM seats ended up having an unadvertised obstructed view so they comped us 2 tickets to TWO different events.
Sounds like a fun adventure!!
Tonight I am having dinner at my Grandparents' retirement community
Well.... maybe the bland foods will keep you on plan!
QOTD Tues: As you are making (or continuing to make) these new healthy changes in your life (eating better, exercise, drinking more water, getting more sleep, etc), what are some things that you can do/are doing to make these new habits STICK??
Do you pack your gym bag the night before? Are you bringing an extra large water bottle to work? Did you pack a week's worth of healthy brown-bag lunches?
I definitely pack my gym bag the night before. I actually have it packed and by the door right now so that I can stop at the gym on my way home from dinner. Have to get a few miles in on the treadmill tonight. I also bought a Naglene (sp?) water bottle (the type that they carry on BL; which reminds me that I have to watch the episode from last night!) to keep with me at work. It is 32oz so I try to drink a few of them a day. We also loosely meal plan (we don't plan what meals on what days but we shop for specific meals etc) and we always make sure to make enough for lunches the next day.
Planning ahead is such a big important key!!
QOTD Wed: What are the top 5 tools in your weight loss/healthy lifestyle tool kit??These can be both tangible and other. If you are just starting and don't have 5, just list what you have.
1. Meal planning, primarily breakfast. Right now I am big on Jimmy Dean Delights. The bacon egg and cheese flatbread is the perfect size to get me through the first couple hours of work until I have a snack around 10am, and it's only 250 calories.
2. The internet! I constantly am browsing various hashtags on Instagram and Twitter for motivation. My favorites are #rundisney, #runchat, and #fitfluential.
3. MFP. As I said a couple of days ago, if I'm not tracking, I'm not losing. And I have my phone on my 95% of the time so having an app to do it with is perfect.
4. SHOES! Whether it's walking (I work in a warehouse so it's really easy to just take a break and do a couple of laps to get some extra steps in), running, or you know.. just living
5. WATER. My best friend's friend who is also her trainer broke it down to her this way: Fat likes to stick together so if you are dehydrated, it's going to stay together. When you introduce hydration into the mix, it becomes like a flash flood and the fat will have to struggle to stay together not to get washed away. That image has stuck with me, lol.
Sounds like you are quite the WW leader! Hope it went just as smoothly as you predicted!
It was fine, despite the lower number of members than I had hoped for.
Sorry if this is obvious, but what exactly is the poof fairy?
She's the evil fairy that makes your entire post go "poof" into cyberspace.... usually after your have spent 30 minutes doing replies!! She is officially banned here, but still makes the occasional appearance.... most predictably at the WORST times!!
But, I am heading this weekend to Christmas Tree Shops to do some after-Xmas shopping. Maybe they'll have a pink tree there!
Love Christmas Tree Shops.... thankfully the nearest one to me is nearly an hour away....otherwise I would definitely get into trouble!!
When I was in Memphis this summer, I actually made sure to go to a diner and get an Elvis =P And of course I have had Fluffernutters!! I'm actually not a big Fluff fan. I did make a 9 combo sandwich one time - which, for those of you who don't know, is peanut butter, cookie butter, and nutella on one side, and then honey, strawberry jam, and fluff on the other side. Let me tell you, it makes for one HELL of a sandwich. You can see it here:
http://cheezburger.com/7667768832
DO NOT ATTEMPT!!!
I'm not even gonna go LOOOK at that!! Sounds far too tempting!
Hmm... This is a tough one!
1. A routine. If I don't have a plan for the week/month, I won't do anything.
2. Water - and lots of it!
3. A support system. That's usually where I fail, because I've grown to not tell my friends if I'm trying to lose weight because when I fall off the bandwagon, they, without trying to, make me feel worse about it. I'm hoping DIS will help with that, this time around.
4. A strong sports bra. My ladies need all the support they can get when I'm doing jumping jacks!
5. Easy snacks/meals. I try and make sure there is always something quick, ready to go, so that if I'm feeling lazy, its not an excuse to order in something greasy (and delicious).
Wonderful practical list!!
Well, after all that bragging about how I've been sleeping so great this week, the temperature drop made my heater freak out last night and I got very little sleep. It was FREEZING!!!
Between the shuffling of the 10 blankets on my bed, and the people in the hallways calling the super at 3am to fix the heat, I got about 2 hours of sleep. My morning workout did not happen lol But, it is going up to the 20s tonight! Hooray!!
Sorry you were cold last night... that must have been miserable!!
Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today is actually National Male Watcher's Day. No, I'm 100% serious. I have one of those calendars that tells you about the weird holidays in America. Today is especially strange. Google it if you don't believe me! It is also Bubble Bath Day - so go take one and relax!
YOWZA! That being said, about $40 was stuff for the Robotics team dinner that I am scheduled to make this weekend.... plus I bought some supplies to do a cooking day today.... double batch of split pea soup is already going, next up I'll make a triple batch of meatloaf, a double batch of butternut squash soup, and prep the veggie for a beef stew for Friday night. 
Hope everyone is having a great Wednesday. I am having a biopsy done this afternoon. Boo. Hopefully it won't hurt too much afterwards. And I find out if I have to have an endometrial biopsy. Fun times at my house.
