A YOU Worth Fighting For | January 2016 Weight Loss & Better Living Challenge

First Bowie. Then Alan Rickman. Now this. What. A. Week. View attachment 145407

What the heck? Next you'll tell me that Disney is going to start putting calories into all of its magical "calorie free" yummies..... you know, that stuff you eat while on vacation that you don't even THINK about tracking! ;)

I'm a boredom snacker. If I'm bored, I snack. I need to work on finding things to keep me busy so that I don't snack!

Thanks for the pixie dust ... it worked! I weighed in at 3 lbs down from the start of the month, which puts me at 100% of goal! Most of that is from the walking/running at Disney, but my new goal is to keep that weight off and still be at 100% at the end of the month!

It's craziness. This week has been a whole lot of sad.

WOW! 100% of goal AND you went to Disney??! So jealous!! Great job!!!!!!!!!

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

Okay.... nearly at the end of my day! And then onto a 4 day weekend (sort of). I took Tuesday off from school to help DD move back into the dorms, but it is nearly impossible to get a sub for my WW job so I need to be back in town by 4:30 at the latest to do that.

TTYL..............P
 
I'm at about 45% of my goal. And I'm getting a scale this weekend so i can keep better track of my weight
 
I am at 60 % for Jan so going in the right direction!

So sad about the Ears tower at DHS. I still think of it as MGM and still unhappy about the hat being gone. I saw the stunt show, studio catering and homey I shrunk the kids all going too. I get it, you need the room but I wish they would have just expanded instead of redoing. Same thimg at MK. It feels more crowded, more people for the new attractions but never enough added space for me. I think those of us who were able to go many times in the last 20-40 yrs were spoiled.
 

QOTD - I tend to not snack during day, but as soon as the sun goes down my fridge door opens. I have great willpower during the day, but seem to lose it at night, and since I work nights I do all sorts of damage during the weekend. This week I have been fighting the 2.5 lbs I gained last weekend so that I could hit goal by today. Happy to say that I made it :) OK thrilled to say that I made it!!!! Lost 3.5 lbs this week, so that got me to last week's weight then down one so I hit goal. I am at 50% of my goal for January. I just have to figure out what I am doing wrong over the weekend that blows up all my hard work during week. Anybody have any ideas? Impossible to get extra sleep or less stress, I pack healthy snacks. I can't figure out what I can change.
 
QoTD - I'm not a huge snacker. If you look at my snacks on MFP (which you can't haha) It's all post run stuff like chocolate milk. I actually wish I could snack more. It would cut down on how big some of my meals are. I'm having meals that are waaaayyyy to big still. My weigh in is on Sunday so fingers crossed.

Hey friends! I'm on for just a minute here. I can't do much of any reading because my glasses are in the other room and if I go get them they will know I'm done with my student and then assignment another task!:rolleyes: So I'm going to say hello (because I can see just well enough to know if I'm typing okay) and then go get my glasses and then on with my day of testing.

Yesterday's headache was MISERABLE. I honestly probably looked drunk or high for about two hours..... I couldn't see straight, I couldn't think straight. It was miserable. I am actually going to to apologize to the teacher whose class I proctored at 12:15 because I"m sure that I appeared totally incompetent. I honestly did't even know if I would be able to drive myself home. But the Advil, snack, and a bit of tea made all the difference in the world and I actually was able to get back to a functional level and hit the grocery store with DD last night.... phew, the produce bin and fruit bowl are full again! I'm sorry, but as much as I try to keep my grocery bill low, I do not know how folks feed their families for $100/week +/- ! I will admit I bought some more expensive items last night (quinoa, coconut flour, cat food, veggie burgers, frozen organic fruit), but NO MEAT and NO cleaning supplies and no health/beauty supplies. I bought enough apples, broccoli, greens, and bananas to hopefully last 10 days, milk and yogurt enough for 7 days and a handful of marked down canned goods (Muir Glen organic diced tomatoes in BPA free can....yeah!)..... but honestly. $270 !!??? Hope we eat it slowly!!

Okay.... back to work!..............P

I'm glad you're feeling better. I also am constantly thankful that I only feed myself. I can do 2 weeks on $100. I find veggies aren't too expensive and fruit doesn't have to be if you look around. Same goes for meat. I'm lucky because I have a lot of non supermarket places to go to in my area that have better prices. If you can search around and see if you have any kind of farmers market its A LOT cheaper for produce. There's even one this weekend around here so they're always happening. I also am weird and love food shopping so I kind of know where to go for better prices on things and to pounce on any awesome deals. I nearly had a heart attack today buying eggs for over $5. My parents have chickens but they moved so my constant egg supply is gone and that makes me really sad.

So, I went to the doctor yesterday for the short of breath feeling I'd been having when exercising and she decided that I do indeed have exercise induced asthma. So she prescribed a rescue inhaler for me to take before each workout. I put it to the test yesterday and it was like night and day! I didn't struggle to catch my breath during walking breaks and after I'd finished I could still breathe! I was so happy I felt like I could cry. I called my DH (because when I initially told him I suspected I had this he seemed skeptical) and he said "I'm sorry, it just didn't sound like a real thing. It sounded like an excuse to get out of something." :furious: I love my DH dearly but sometimes...foot meet mouth. Needless to say after a 5 minute tangent of me telling him that I was 23 and didn't have gym class to get out of anymore he started to change his tune :rolleyes1. So all that to say YAY! I can breathe again while working out!

Although, no more outdoor running in the cold :sad1: doctor's orders.

Huzzah to figuring out what was wrong. Also men are stupid and they can't help it haha. I had to remind mine tonight that he's lucky I'm the one dealing with him because 99% of other women would have kicked him to the curb by now. He's great, but the brain cell count seems to be a bit low sometimes.
 
I got faster again. I'm a little shocked seeing as I felt really slow due to making sure I didn't slip and fall running through slush. My jeans are also too big. Thankfully I've done the yoyo weight thing and have jeans of many sizes. I was out food shopping worried my pants were going to fall off. Not the best feeling. I'm super hopeful for my weigh in, but to be down a pant size is awesome. Okay to feel down a pant size I still need to try the other ones and see if they'll go over my bob (big ol' butt).
 
Do you fall victim to stress-induced or absent-minded snacking? Are you pretty good about stopping and thinking about why you might be hungry before you start to snack - maybe it's thirst, maybe it's that you had a smaller meal than usual earlier, maybe you skipped a meal altogether? Do you have any snack-triggers, like watching TV, or maybe feeling the need to "sample" while you're cooking dinner?

I know I'd gotten so used to absent-mindedly munching on something when I watch TV that now it's almost like Pavlov's dog

This is me also but I find that when I get home and am cooking dinner I don't sample the dinner I snack on other naughty foods :guilty:

Yesterday's headache was MISERABLE. I honestly probably looked drunk or high for about two hours..... I couldn't see straight, I couldn't think straight. It was miserable. I am actually going to to apologize to the teacher whose class I proctored at 12:15 because I"m sure that I appeared totally incompetent. I honestly did't even know if I would be able to drive myself home.

Glad to hear you feel better those kind of headaches are just awful - I know what you mean about how we must appear to other people when it happens - I remember getting a really bad one when I was on placement for Uni (Aussie for college) I was in this situation where I was heading back into let my supervisor know about the headache but the client was already in the room and she just threw me into it as it had been planned for me to run the session and it was just so clear to everyone that there was something wrong with me. I was being assessed on the placement - she was super understanding and said it was very clear I was unwell. But I felt embarrassed and unprofessional all the same.

I wish I had a better outcome to report but I haven't moved I'm still at 20% - I have just been so tired and am so disappointed in myself for not being able to achieve my goals also because it was about doing more with my kids :sad2:
 
Do you fall victim to stress-induced or absent-minded snacking? Are you pretty good about stopping and thinking about why you might be hungry before you start to snack - maybe it's thirst, maybe it's that you had a smaller meal than usual earlier, maybe you skipped a meal altogether? Do you have any snack-triggers, like watching TV, or maybe feeling the need to "sample" while you're cooking dinner?

Not a snacker, but I can eat way too much breakfast when I come home from the night shift. I should really just go to bed -I'm tired, just a little hungry. Instead, I'm eating to wake up. I'll mindlessly eat a tablespoon ( or 2 or 3!) of peanut butter as I'm making a peanut butter/banana wrap. I had been doing well with this in prior months, but the cold weather has me wanting to eat more.

REPORT : No weight loss this week. Not surprised, ate more points than allotted some days and had little exercise. Still at 50%

Now I have to plan carefully! This weekend is our annual girls' trip to Hershey - my Mom, sister, daughter and I have been doing this post- holiday getaway for several years now. Its a total relaxation weekend - we play Scrabble in front of the fireplace at Hershey Lodge, sip chocolate martinis, and eat delicious food! I definitely need to plan out my meals and drinks for the next 2 days and stick to the plan.
 
I'm at about 45% of my goal. And I'm getting a scale this weekend so i can keep better track of my weight

Since we are just past the halfway mark for the month, it sounds like you are right on track! Do you have a plan of what scale to get? My original digital scale was ThinNer brand (I think) and I really loved it! I think it came from Target.

I am at 60 % for Jan so going in the right direction!

So sad about the Ears tower at DHS. I still think of it as MGM and still unhappy about the hat being gone. I saw the stunt show, studio catering and homey I shrunk the kids all going too. I get it, you need the room but I wish they would have just expanded instead of redoing. Same thimg at MK. It feels more crowded, more people for the new attractions but never enough added space for me. I think those of us who were able to go many times in the last 20-40 yrs were spoiled.

Agree with all of that (including the RIGHT DIRECTION!! :thumbsup2). I haven't had the heart to break it to DS that the LMA show is leaving..... and there is NO WAY we could make it down before it closes in April for a "last look".

QOTD - I tend to not snack during day, but as soon as the sun goes down my fridge door opens. I have great willpower during the day, but seem to lose it at night, and since I work nights I do all sorts of damage during the weekend. This week I have been fighting the 2.5 lbs I gained last weekend so that I could hit goal by today. Happy to say that I made it :) OK thrilled to say that I made it!!!! Lost 3.5 lbs this week, so that got me to last week's weight then down one so I hit goal. I am at 50% of my goal for January. I just have to figure out what I am doing wrong over the weekend that blows up all my hard work during week. Anybody have any ideas? Impossible to get extra sleep or less stress, I pack healthy snacks. I can't figure out what I can change.

Just a thought...... when your body/brain are TIRED, it will "search" for one of two things.... either rest/sleep..... or calories (fuel). I imagine that working nights can make a mess of your sleep/wake schedule and make you tired frequently. Sometimes I have to just stop and tell myself to get out of the kitchen because it isn't food I need.... it's SLEEP!

QoTD - I'm not a huge snacker. If you look at my snacks on MFP (which you can't haha) It's all post run stuff like chocolate milk. I actually wish I could snack more. It would cut down on how big some of my meals are. I'm having meals that are waaaayyyy to big still. My weigh in is on Sunday so fingers crossed.

And I am thinking that I need bigger meals and less/smaller snacks.... guess we are always trying to tweak our nutrition one way or the other!


I'm glad you're feeling better. I also am constantly thankful that I only feed myself. I can do 2 weeks on $100. I find veggies aren't too expensive and fruit doesn't have to be if you look around. Same goes for meat. I'm lucky because I have a lot of non supermarket places to go to in my area that have better prices. If you can search around and see if you have any kind of farmers market its A LOT cheaper for produce. There's even one this weekend around here so they're always happening. I also am weird and love food shopping so I kind of know where to go for better prices on things and to pounce on any awesome deals. I nearly had a heart attack today buying eggs for over $5. My parents have chickens but they moved so my constant egg supply is gone and that makes me really sad.

No farmer's markets around here this time of year (not handy anyhow). I do find better prices at Costco, but it is 40 miles away (Nashua), so we tend to only hit it if we are going that way for something else or for a big shop every few months.

I pay my neighbors $3/dozen for eggs.... can't beat an egg laid next door (unless of course you have your own chickens). It is more than the traditional eggs at the supermarket, but I feel MUCH better about them. I paid .39/lb for marked down bananas this week.... they used to be .19/lb on the markdown rack...:confused: We go through a LOT of bananas because DS has a chocolate peanut butter banana spinach smoothie 6 days a week for breakfast. I put 1 1/2 bananas in each one...... plus I like to eat bananas occasionally. Apples (conventional, not organic :rolleyes: ) are consistently .99/lb for most varieties these days.... even for a bulk tote...... and I bought about 30 apples this week. I eat at least one a day, but usually two. DH will eat one a day on average and with DD home she eats 1-2 a day as well. Broccoli has gone up to $2/lb but it is DS's favorite vegetable so I bought it any how. The organic greens and baby spinach I buy is about $5/lb.... can't WAIT until spring when we can grown our own again! Organic milk is $3.69/half gallon and DS drinks about 1.5 gallons a week (working on getting that reduced). Even going meatless isn't always inexpensive..... the last bag of quinoa I bought was $8 !!


Huzzah to figuring out what was wrong. Also men are stupid and they can't help it haha. I had to remind mine tonight that he's lucky I'm the one dealing with him because 99% of other women would have kicked him to the curb by now. He's great, but the brain cell count seems to be a bit low sometimes.

Hmmmm.... gotta love our men, no matter what, right? :rolleyes1

I got faster again. I'm a little shocked seeing as I felt really slow due to making sure I didn't slip and fall running through slush. My jeans are also too big. Thankfully I've done the yoyo weight thing and have jeans of many sizes. I was out food shopping worried my pants were going to fall off. Not the best feeling. I'm super hopeful for my weigh in, but to be down a pant size is awesome. Okay to feel down a pant size I still need to try the other ones and see if they'll go over my bob (big ol' butt).

As you get smaller, dump the "too big" clothes!

This is me also but I find that when I get home and am cooking dinner I don't sample the dinner I snack on other naughty foods :guilty:

Glad to hear you feel better those kind of headaches are just awful - I know what you mean about how we must appear to other people when it happens - I remember getting a really bad one when I was on placement for Uni (Aussie for college) I was in this situation where I was heading back into let my supervisor know about the headache but the client was already in the room and she just threw me into it as it had been planned for me to run the session and it was just so clear to everyone that there was something wrong with me. I was being assessed on the placement - she was super understanding and said it was very clear I was unwell. But I felt embarrassed and unprofessional all the same.

Thanks for the kind words. I did apologize to the teacher and she was totally okay and sympathetic. I just hate feeling like I look incompetent!

I wish I had a better outcome to report but I haven't moved I'm still at 20% - I have just been so tired and am so disappointed in myself for not being able to achieve my goals also because it was about doing more with my kids :sad2:

Some progress is better than NO progress..... keep going!

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

Hey friends! Awake since 4:30 am..... grrrr!!:mad: Oh well.... lots to see and read on Pinterest at that hour! I'll be back later after breakfast!.............P
 
I'm in ONEderland!!!!! I actually ended up losing another 3 pounds this week which put me firmly at 198! Soooo excited and happy to be out of the 200s! And shocked by the large weight loss. But I'll take it. This puts me at 133% to goal this month.

For my NSV - I wore a KC Chiefs shirt yesterday that I know was tight at the beginning of the season (so tight I wouldn't even wear it) and it's now loose! Arms and stomach.
 
I'm in ONEderland!!!!! I actually ended up losing another 3 pounds this week which put me firmly at 198! Soooo excited and happy to be out of the 200s! And shocked by the large weight loss. But I'll take it. This puts me at 133% to goal this month.

For my NSV - I wore a KC Chiefs shirt yesterday that I know was tight at the beginning of the season (so tight I wouldn't even wear it) and it's now loose! Arms and stomach.

HUGE congratulations and WOOHOO!!.................P
 
I'm in ONEderland!!!!! I actually ended up losing another 3 pounds this week which put me firmly at 198! Soooo excited and happy to be out of the 200s! And shocked by the large weight loss. But I'll take it. This puts me at 133% to goal this month.

For my NSV - I wore a KC Chiefs shirt yesterday that I know was tight at the beginning of the season (so tight I wouldn't even wear it) and it's now loose! Arms and stomach.


Congratulations! I can't wait to be in ONEderland again. Fitting in clothes again has to be one of the best feelings.
 
QOTW for Saturday & Sunday, January 16 & 17, 2016

Mulan.jpg

Mulan (and occasionally Mushu) meet guests regularly in the China pavilion in EPCOT's World Showcase.

Let's talk character meets!

I always thought I was "too old" to meet the characters, and I definitely thought we wouldn't bother with them on our honeymoon because we wouldn't have any kids with us. It doesn't help that my anxiety flares up and I can never think of anything to say to them! But we did a couple of character meals (I am now Tusker House breakfast's #1 fan!) and meets on our last trip, and I have to say, they are a must for us from now on - kids or not!

Do you meet the characters, either at a meal or a meet-and-greet? What has been your best (or worst) character interaction?

 
QOTW for Saturday & Sunday, January 16 & 17, 2016

View attachment 145700

Mulan (and occasionally Mushu) meet guests regularly in the China pavilion in EPCOT's World Showcase.

Let's talk character meets!

I always thought I was "too old" to meet the characters, and I definitely thought we wouldn't bother with them on our honeymoon because we wouldn't have any kids with us. It doesn't help that my anxiety flares up and I can never think of anything to say to them! But we did a couple of character meals (I am now Tusker House breakfast's #1 fan!) and meets on our last trip, and I have to say, they are a must for us from now on - kids or not!

Do you meet the characters, either at a meal or a meet-and-greet? What has been your best (or worst) character interaction?


I don't wait in line for characters. I might at the launch bay, but its never been my thing really. My best and worst interaction was at 1900 park fare. I travel solo so I was eating alone. Cinderella had no idea what to do with me and was so awkward. It got better with Charming, but Drizella knocked it out of the park. She sat across from me had me showing her pictures of my rabbits and pulled all the other characters over to look. I joked with Lady Tremaine about cooking them. It was just magical. I actually cried in the lobby like a loser after because I wasn't expecting any of the characters to go out of their way for like like that.

Today started good and turned aweful. I really need to start looking into a new job or location. Interpersonal stuff just keeps getting worse and worse. I'm at the point where I'm just fed up.

Fingers Crossed for tomorrow's weigh in and that the rain from today doesn't ice overnight so I can run outside in the a.m!!
 
@courtneybeth , good luck to you this weekend!!! Post pictures when you can!

I have some up on Instagram and will collect them together for a 'large post' on here when done. But for those who want to follow along at home, this is me: https://www.instagram.com/courtneybeth83/

Today was so good... personal record on the 5K! My official time may show a little longer because I ran 3.14 miles and the finish I think is 3.12? But I am so thrilled to have gotten a PR today. Below 45 minutes and just a little over 14 minutes per mile. YEAH!

I am...so not ready for tomorrow. Heading out to Macaroni Grill for lunch to carb up so we can have energy for tomorrow :)


But the job would also, though, keep me from seeing DH, as he would work Monday-Friday and plans to go back to school in the evenings, and I would work all day Saturday and Sunday (it's only a part time job, and all weekends are required). I'm so torn.

I'm of the philosophy of "short term loss, long term gain." Why not take this job and keep looking so you at least have an income while you're searching? It may be only temporary that you're there and you can do the "welp, i just don't think it's a good fit for me!" after a month or two when you get your new, bigger, and better job! Savings won't last forever - so I'd take this and not press your luck.

I'm in ONEderland!!!!! I actually ended up losing another 3 pounds this week which put me firmly at 198!

YOU DID IT. YOU GO GIRL! :cheer2:
 
Do you meet the characters, either at a meal or a meet-and-greet? What has been your best (or worst) character interaction?

I LOVE CHARACTER MEALS. I always try to plan 1 or 2 per trip, usually a princess or the fab five at Tuskerhouse.

Best interaction I had was last trip at the Akershus. Mulan was excellent and really got the character down. We played back with her and she loved it. Probably spent a good 5 minutes with us.

Worst? For some reason the Cinderellas seem to always just walk by and fall flat.
 
QOTW for Saturday & Sunday, January 16 & 17, 2016

View attachment 145700

Mulan (and occasionally Mushu) meet guests regularly in the China pavilion in EPCOT's World Showcase.

Let's talk character meets!

I always thought I was "too old" to meet the characters, and I definitely thought we wouldn't bother with them on our honeymoon because we wouldn't have any kids with us. It doesn't help that my anxiety flares up and I can never think of anything to say to them! But we did a couple of character meals (I am now Tusker House breakfast's #1 fan!) and meets on our last trip, and I have to say, they are a must for us from now on - kids or not!

Do you meet the characters, either at a meal or a meet-and-greet? What has been your best (or worst) character interaction?


I love character meals!!! It gives my lil princess the chance to interact with the characters without waiting in a long line. Tusker House is a lot of fun and so is the Play and Dine. Garden Grill I think is my favorite, healthy food plus Mickey, Pluto, and Chip and Dale. The one character dinner I did not like was at the Crystal Palace. We waited an hour and only got to see one character. When we asked they kept saying they were making their way around. An hour for a five year old at Disney was way too long. We finally left after an hour and a half, one character saying hi to my daughter, and talking to the manager about what had happened. She didn't care because well we were at Disney World and lots to distract her with, but I minded because they charge about $40 per person for the opportunity to meet the characters and we got nothing for our money or time.
 












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