Between the BLs (Biggest Loser) Summer Challenge 2010 Part 1

[mommyof2Pirates]

My dad isn't too great, we believe he had a small stroke, his words are coming out jumbled. It's hard because he is a guy who always has a lot to say and can do anything and everything. If you pray I ask that you will pray for a quick and easy recovery from this. Thanks so much.

sorry to hear about your dad, my prayers are with him for a speedy and easy recovery.

QOTD: What is your most treasured Disney souvenir? Do you have plans to acquire something else the next time you go?

I also collect disney ornaments. I try to get one yearly at the disney store that has the year written on it. So if we happen to get to disney I just buy one for that year. Then when we get out our ornaments and are decorating the tree I will announce the year I am hanging and we all have to come up with a great memory from that year. My dh initially thought I was being weird/cheesy but now I think he enjoys doing it too.

I had a great time last night. Met up with some women and we sat on the beach and talked for over 3 hours. We had pizza and brownies. I only had 1 brownie and the pizza was dinner last night. I did skip my usual soda with pizza and didn't have any beer or wine the other moms offered. It was fun to gossip about the current events of the local high school's theater group. All our kids have been involved and we have all worked on costumes together. The big discussion was about the director not coming back next year. Most of us are happy about that but we are worried about the guy we worked with. we would really like to see him come back.

Pampering Day Today is the last day of pampering. The COW starts back tomorrow. Write a note to yourself telling you how far you have come on this journey. Rose did a great job with this the other day.

Have a great day everyone.

Sounds like a night well spent, dona. Thanks for doing our COW this week. It was alot of fun and really helped me remember to take a few moments for myself each day.

Relief! I didn't ruin my loss last night! I've done 6 miles of WATP so far today and planning on 4 more! I've lost 3.8 so far this week! Yeah I'm a loser again and if today stays on track I may get my 45 pound clippie back tomorrow!

Great job!!!! Wow you are really doing awesome this week!

I am having a pretty good day. Went running with DH this morning. We only did 3 miles but it was so sunny and so hot. Then we came home and immediately did yard work. I did the mowing and he did all the trim work. I had to go weigh in at WW (missed my meeting while I was on vacation) and I have lost 4.6 pounds since last Tuesday's meeting! I have a bunch of errands that I need to get done this afternoon so I had best sign off. I will be back on later to post our COW!

Wow jen 4.6lbs thats wonderful! Great Job

I have a Garmin Forerunner 305 that I set on interval training for run time/rest time. It beeps at me when it's time to switch from one to the other. I do my best not to look at it at all during my run and just keep moving. (Most sports watches will do that, but I like that the Garmin also tracks my distance, speed, etc.)

Ok I had to pop in and just give you a chuckle. I have been doing this whole running thing on a tight...very very tight budget. So instead of a garmin I wanted to share with you my version of the garmin. I go on mapmyrun.com and map out how far I want to go. Then I write the directions on my hand in pen telling me where to go. I also mark where the mile markers are too. I carry my cell phone in my opposite hand and use the stop watch tool on it to track my time. I feel like I am in the stone age. It gets the job done but a garmin would be so much nicer

Again, another day of good eating, low sodium, and a 3 lb. gain in the am. I have ABSOLUTELY no idea what is going on with my body!!!!!! When it did this earlier in the week, it was gone plus some the next morning. I HOPE it will again!!! At this point, I have NO idea how weigh in is going to go. It's so frustrating, because I have been working sooooo hard this week.

Ate a very healthful dinner. That scale better be good in the am.

Might check back in later after DH goes to work!
Taryn

Taryn dont worry about the weight you are doing the right things and making the right choices. I have these days too where Im like what the heck why is it going up...then all of a sudden one day I get on and its a few down. Hang in there and keep up the good work.

I had a crazy day today at work, very hectic. I got a 5K run in tonight again and it felt much better. It was less humid today and I ran after the sun was down. It was enjoyable. Now I just have to focus on my eating a little better. I plan to make a 2wk eating plan and get to the grocery store tomorrow. I am hoping to see some big results in the next two weeks.

Good night!

 

[mikamah]

Thank you everyone for a wonderful week! I've enjoyed being your coach, and I hope everyone had a good week, and we are all looking forward to a relaxing weekend!

I made a Pamela-inspired dessert tonight. I used a 1/2 c. dessert dish, and layered chocolate vitamuffin (cut in two, lengthwise), then sugar-free chocolate pudding, and repeated. I wish I would have had a strawberry layer, I'll try it that way this weekend. It's a mini trifle, and with a points value of 2, a bargain for WW!

Maria

Thank you Maria for coaching this week. You did a wonderful job, and had so many fun questions. Here's to a relaxing weekend.

 

[mikamah]

Ok I had to pop in and just give you a chuckle. I have been doing this whole running thing on a tight...very very tight budget. So instead of a garmin I wanted to share with you my version of the garmin. I go on mapmyrun.com and map out how far I want to go. Then I write the directions on my hand in pen telling me where to go. I also mark where the mile markers are too. I carry my cell phone in my opposite hand and use the stop watch tool on it to track my time. I feel like I am in the stone age. It gets the job done but a garmin would be so much nicer

I love it, Lindsay!! I'm in the stone age too. My watch has 2 hands and I drive my route in the car to measure it. I several routes I've measured out. I definintely need to figure map my run out, and get a better watch for more accurate times. Love the directions on your hand, but don't you sweat them off?

 

[mommyof2Pirates]

I love it, Lindsay!! I'm in the stone age too. My watch has 2 hands and I drive my route in the car to measure it. I several routes I've measured out. I definintely need to figure map my run out, and get a better watch for more accurate times. Love the directions on your hand, but don't you sweat them off?

Oh you have to check out mapmyrun. Its so easy. Just remember to check the box "follow road" in the settings tab. I used to drive around too. I only sweat it off at the bottom of my hand towards my thumb because it must rub slightly on my shirt. So I just learned to not write down too far. I dont have to write down every run just the new route's until I get used to them. Hey we make it work right!

 

[mikamah]

Oh you have to check out mapmyrun. Its so easy. Just remember to check the box "follow road" in the settings tab. I used to drive around too. I only sweat it off at the bottom of my hand towards my thumb because it must rub slightly on my shirt. So I just learned to not write down too far. I dont have to write down every run just the new route's until I get used to them. Hey we make it work right!

oh my god, thank you. I feel so dumb. I never saw the follow roads part, and I just did it and it was sooo easy. I think I'll go do some more routes!!

 

[Connie96]

My first WDW souvenir was a castle snowglobe DH bought me on our honeymoon. It was my first trip to WDW and it was the terrible pink cake.

Oh my gosh! When we were on our honeymoon - first week of September 1996 and our first ever trip to WDW too, the pink cake atrocity was in progress. It was awful! What's really bad is that I have seen pics of the finished cake and it was even uglier than the crane and scaffolding around the half done cake.

Was that the one from part of the article from yesterday? Please let me know if you like it once you've read it!

Yes, that's the one. I'll let yall know what comes of it.

I did an app for my itouch, but I know there are podcasts you can download with the time clues.

I have the gymboss app on my iphone. It did the job when i forgot to charge my garmin a couple times.

I was shocked to see my name up there too. Since it's thursday night, and I don't think I'll make top ten, I'll fight y'all for it next week.

Yeah, the odds are against me for two weeks in a row, but I'm trying to do all I can. We'll see how it goes...

Ok I had to pop in and just give you a chuckle. I have been doing this whole running thing on a tight...very very tight budget. So instead of a garmin I wanted to share with you my version of the garmin. I go on mapmyrun.com and map out how far I want to go. Then I write the directions on my hand in pen telling me where to go. I also mark where the mile markers are too. I carry my cell phone in my opposite hand and use the stop watch tool on it to track my time. I feel like I am in the stone age. It gets the job done but a garmin would be so much nicer

I love mapmyrun. I also have imapmyrun on my iphone (that I recently replaced) and on my new HTC EVO. It will actually record your route as you go. It's very cool.


Good luck to everyone with your weigh in tomorrow! Have a great night!

 

[Octoberbride03]

Good evening everybody. Well it was till I got home from doggie school. The we turned on the tv to find out USA lost its signal and I have missed Burn Notice. I was so bummed out over missing my show that after supper i cleaned the bathroom and tried to force the dog out for a walk since he hadn't gotten 2 earlier because of storms here. NO luck on the dog and I'm really hoping he doesn't go number 2 in the house while we sleep


Anyhow, I don't know why I opened with all that

What I really should say is HI I'll be your coach for coming week and since I'm so new at this coaching thing I have no idea what I'm doing. But hopefully we'll have a good time anyway

That being said, it seems I picked a work weekend to do my coaching so i'll be checking in after work each day to see how y'all are doing. Also QOTDs will be posted the evening before as well at least until I finish work on Tues. I'm a little behind on other QOTDs cause its been that kind of life lately. But I'll try not to repeat anybody.


So for Friday's QOTD:What is your go-to stress reliever when you've had a bad day?

Mine is typically reading a good book or if I'm really crazed a specific book. Three Fates by Nora Roberts never EVER fails to relieve my stress. I've read it several hundred times by now and I expect I'll read it several hundred more. For some reason it holds a key to my sanity.

So here's hoping everybody has a great friday and good weigh-ins for the morning. And I'll see y'all tomorrow afternoon

 

[cclovesdis]

Hi Everyone,

Well, if anyone checks the time of the posts, you will guess correctly that I cannot sleep. I slept through the night, which is a huge improvement over earlier in the week, but once I woke up (I love you bladder), I was up. Oh well, more time to Dis. I tried to read yesterday, but I had lots on my plate. I am hoping that the "poof" fairy I am beginning to see frequently has something better to do because I owe lots of thank yous for all the support yesterday.

Yesterday was a much better day. I slept well Wed. night and was able to wake up yesterday and exercise. I achieved my goal of 30 minutes. It was tough, I have to say. I felt better, but I wasn't ready to run in place. I only did two Basic Runs (Short) on the Wii Fit+. I can't complain too much as I did burn over 100 calories.

I am hoping for a great day today. I will weigh-in in about an hour, when I usually weigh-in. I am not expecting a loss, although I am hoping to have went down slightly from yesterday. If I end this challenge where I started, I will be very, very happy.

It looks like I'll be starting Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet on Saturday. I am still considering modifying slightly. I know I do better when I have dairy, so I might have a glass of milk every morning after I exercise. My theory is that I burn enough calories to burn off the milk, but I'm still thinking about it.

Have a great day today everyone!

Taryn-My thoughts are with the family you mentioned. That is heart-breaking.

QOTD: What is your most treasured Disney souvenir? Do you have plans to acquire something else the next time you go?

Maria

I bought a $2 postcard the last time I went. I keep it somewhere visible and it reminds me of the "magic."

I'm sorry CC. I'm kind of going through something with DS right now where I feel like I'm saying the wrong things all the time. Moms should not make us feel so sad, and I don't want to be a Mom who makes my kid feel bad about himself. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you for sharing too. My mom is always saying how she's perfect and all mothers are. I never wanted to believe her, but deep down, I did. to you too.

CC - I am so sorry to hear your mom has been giving you a hard time. I hope that she is able to turn it around and be your support again real soon. Just remember that you are working so hard and you are doing so great here. You can do this even if you have to deal with the occasional "villain".

Thanks for the support. I am hoping that my mom "turns it around" too. I am struggling with losing the weight for her vs. losing it for myself. Sometimes, I'm not sure who I am doing it for-if I lose weight, than she compliments me and it's like I'm losing weight to get her attention, but at the same point, the more weight I lose, the happier I am. But, am I happier because she's happier with me? It's a horrible cycle. I think in the end, I'm losing weight for myself, but it just doesn't always seem like that. I do need to remember that I'm doing this for myself. My BL friends are awesome and I couldn't do this without all of you!

Thanks, CC!! I hope you're feeling better this morning.

Thanks! I am feeling much better this morning and yesterday, better, but not 100%. I worked out, but not as intensely as I would have liked. Like I said, 100 calories burned is 100 calories burned.

CC, our moms might be related. ' nuff said.
and Yup, I am my worst enemy. It's a work in progress.

Thanks for the support!

I personally find posting instead of eating to be a great strategy I use it all the time. I read threads I would never normally see, I seek out info I don't really need yet -- the point is if I'm at the computer it's really hard to be eating, too!

Now I'm singing that "Cruella De Ville" song in my head... I don't know what to say to you about your mom, I really hope she will start to be supportive again

Thanks Maria! Reading this thread is definitely helping. I have a laptop and I usually use it in bed. I never eat in bed. Great point! As for mom, well she is my mom. I hope things clear up between us. Regardless, I have my BL friends.

What I really should say is HI I'll be your coach for coming week and since I'm so new at this coaching thing I have no idea what I'm doing. But hopefully we'll have a good time anyway

Hi! Thanks for coaching this week! Thanks to Maria for coaching last week! Thanks to Dona for running the COW this past week. I love pamper weeks!

QOTD: Unfortunately, a lot of the time, it is eating. I am working on changing that. I will be posting more, for one. I'll also be reading books/magazines more and doing active things, like going to the gym.



Hope everyone has a great day and a good weigh-in. Dare I say it? The "poof" fairy is MIA. Too bad!

CC

 

[tigger813]

Oh well, at least I have a loss. Not as big as I hoped but dinner was a splurge and I may have also put on muscle doing 10 miles yesterday. I had a 2 pound loss for the week. SO no 45 pound clippie yet.

Tonight is our big splurge night of Chinese and cheesecake and a drink. Going to a baby shower tomorrow night so I will have to be good during the day to save up on my calories. And Sunday, we welcome our new minister to our church with a reception so I will have to try and eat healthy then as well. I'm planning on getting in several workouts. I already did 5 miles of WATP this morning and hope to get in more later. I have to work and then go see DD1 in her theater camp performance and then come home before getting Chinese food. That will be when I do some more miles. Hoping to get in a pedicure while at work this morning.

Time to make some chocolate chip muffins for the girls for breakfast and a smoothie for me. Unsure about lunch since I will probably still be at work.

Happy Friday!

 

[jenanderson]

Welcome to the Challenge of the Week – COW 10

Please know that you do not have to participate but the COW is here to help you build good habits and have fun as you focus on your health and fitness for the challenge.

It is summertime and that means it might be time to mix it up a bit with our Challenge of the Week (COW)! Here is how our new COW will work.

PART ONE: The first part of the COW will be based off the wonderful work of Donac who taught me that if I do something for 30 days, it will become a habit. Each week I will post two to four habit suggestions for you and at the end of the week, you report your points to me.

NEW and EXCITING: If you report your points, you will be eligible for wonderful prizes! I will randomly select one person each week to win a fabulous prize (maybe not fabulous but it will at least be a bit fun)!

PART TWO: The second part of the COW will be a fun task for you to complete during the week and then post about your experience here on our thread. Again, there will be FUN and FABULOUS prizes (for one randomly selected poster each week).

COW 10

PART ONE
Drink 6-8 oz of water each day (1 point for each day) ( 1 cup of coffee or tea counts)
Eat 3 servings of fruits & vegetables each day (1 point for each day)
Exercise 25 minutes each day (1 point for each day)
Journal your food each day (1 point for each day)

When you send me your points please post your total in your RE and then in the main part of the pm list your points as follows:

XX days drinking water
XX eating 2 veggies
XX days of exercising for 20 minutes
XX days of journaling food

This challenge runs from Friday, July 30, 2010 to Thursday August 5, 2010. On Friday August 6, 2010 PM me your points for the week. The COW results will be posted the same day the weekly totals are posted.


PART TWO
The COW seems to be a helpful motivator for some people and others find it overwhelming. As we begin to look forward to future challenges, please share your thoughts on the COW. I have included some ideas for you to comment about below, but you are welcome to write whatever you want about the COW. Feel free to post your thoughts here or send me a PM.

Tell me what you like or what you don't like. If you could change one thing about the COW what would it be? Have you participated? Why or why not? What motivates you to do the COW? Have the prizes been helpful or do they not matter? What is the best part of the COW? What part of the COW do you wish would go away? Do you find it easy to understand what is expected each week? What do you feel is most important to have as part of the COW?

 

[mikamah]

What I really should say is HI I'll be your coach for coming week and since I'm so new at this coaching thing I have no idea what I'm doing. But hopefully we'll have a good time anyway

That being said, it seems I picked a work weekend to do my coaching so i'll be checking in after work each day to see how y'all are doing. Also QOTDs will be posted the evening before as well at least until I finish work on Tues. I'm a little behind on other QOTDs cause its been that kind of life lately. But I'll try not to repeat anybody.


So for Friday's QOTD:What is your go-to stress reliever when you've had a bad day?

Welcome Octoberbride and thank you for coaching this week. You will do just fine as coach, and it's always a good time around here.

If I remember correctly, last years summer challenge had really slowed down and it's so nice to see so many people not giving in to the crazy summer schedules and sticking this challenge out. I myself gained 13 pounds over last summer, so even though it's small, I've lost 3 pounds so far, so I'm happy. I'm down .6 so two losses in a row is good for me. Going to go for three. We're heading to my brothers tonight after work, and we usually eat pretty healthy there, thought six flags will be a challenge. The other good thing is 2 night away from home means 2 night with no late night snacking which is my downfall.
My stress reliever is coming here to dis, and if it's been a bad day at work and i have time before I get my son I will go for a run/walk and that defininitely can bring the day from bad to good.

Hope you all have a great day!!

 

[jenanderson]

I had a wonderful day, despite the blasted scale. Went to a nearby lake, sandy beach, kids water toys in the area. AK's gymnastics camp went, rented paddle boats, canoes, etc. Sophie and I went, and I was very blessed that my IRL BFFs that I teach with had planned to go there today. It was the first time I had seen them since school was out. It was great to catch up and girl talk. Sophie had a blast with all my girls' kids. One of them, very, very close friend, looked at me 3 times after being told the area I was in, and still didn't see me. They described my suit, she looked and said "I see someone in that kind of suit, but it's not Taryn." They said "YES, it is" and she ran and hugged me. It felt great, since I didn't think I looked that different and feeling down about lack of real progress.

The scale might not have been showing you the number you wanted but what a great feeling it must have been to have your friend not recognize you! You should feel so great about that. I try to remember when the scale does not have the number I want that the way I look is what I want and that is just as important.

Thank you everyone for a wonderful week! I've enjoyed being your coach, and I hope everyone had a good week, and we are all looking forward to a relaxing weekend!

Thanks for coaching Maria!

Also when we get home each trip, I go to the photopass website and buy a coffee mug for me with a picture of michael and a character. I have him and mickey, and him and donald, and the two of us holding tink. I love them the best because i use it every morning for my coffee.

I'm doing ok with food this week, and tomorrow after work we're heading to my brothers for the weekend. We're going to go to Six Flags and figured we'd go friday so we can get to the park at "rope drop and see the opening ceremony." I know it's not disney, but I like to dream. We hope to at least miss some of the crowds.

I LOVE the printed photo mugs idea! I always seem to buy a WDW mug (sometimes it is just the resort refillable soda mug). I think it would be cool to have photo mugs where I can watch the change in the kids as they "grow up" at Disney!

Have a great weekend....it sounds like a fun time!

Ok I had to pop in and just give you a chuckle. I have been doing this whole running thing on a tight...very very tight budget. So instead of a garmin I wanted to share with you my version of the garmin. I go on mapmyrun.com and map out how far I want to go. Then I write the directions on my hand in pen telling me where to go. I also mark where the mile markers are too. I carry my cell phone in my opposite hand and use the stop watch tool on it to track my time. I feel like I am in the stone age. It gets the job done but a garmin would be so much nicer

This is great! It is what I had to do before I saved enough for my Garmin! You are right, it does get the job done and it is a great place to start. I think I could still be doing just as good using the map method because I know I don't use 1/2 of the things my Garmin can really do.

What I really should say is HI I'll be your coach for coming week and since I'm so new at this coaching thing I have no idea what I'm doing. But hopefully we'll have a good time anyway

Thanks for coaching this week! As for being new to coaching...you will do fine! I felt the same thing the first time I coached but was surprised at how easy it was - time consuming in some ways but still easy. I always appreciate all the coaches out there for taking time out of their busy lives to help us through a week!

Thanks for the support. I am hoping that my mom "turns it around" too. I am struggling with losing the weight for her vs. losing it for myself. Sometimes, I'm not sure who I am doing it for-if I lose weight, than she compliments me and it's like I'm losing weight to get her attention, but at the same point, the more weight I lose, the happier I am. But, am I happier because she's happier with me? It's a horrible cycle. I think in the end, I'm losing weight for myself, but it just doesn't always seem like that. I do need to remember that I'm doing this for myself. My BL friends are awesome and I couldn't do this without all of you!

CC - I get you about wondering who you are trying to lose the weight for. I know that I working hard for me and that it is me who will benefit by being healthier. Still...in some ways I am also losing the weight for my DH. It is so important to me that he likes the way I look and is proud to have me by his side. I know that when I was heavier he did not say anything about it but I know he likes the way I look so much better now. I don't mean to say things that make DH sound like a shallow sort of guy - he is not but things are different now that I am in better shape and skinnier. That motivates me to keep on losing the weight because I want him to think I am a "hot momma"! So what I am trying to really say here is that I am sure you are losing the weight for yourself but I am also sure that there is a big emotional pay off to you with your mom when you lose the weight as well. It is a hard cycle - as long as you know that it is for you in the long run you are all good.

Oh well, at least I have a loss. Not as big as I hoped but dinner was a splurge and I may have also put on muscle doing 10 miles yesterday. I had a 2 pound loss for the week. SO no 45 pound clippie yet.

Great job on the 2 pounds Tracey! I know you wanted to get to 45 pounds but I am so impressed with how great you do each week!

Alright folks...time to go weigh in. DH is now up and I can get into my bathroom without disturbing anyone.

Back in a bit - Jen

 

[tigger813]

QOTD: Lately when I'm stressed I try and go out and take a walk with my Ipod on! I have also been consistently listening to the podcast for the last month which helps me. I think about my upcoming trip and think about my happy place. Another strange thing I do is clean the kitchen and listen to an audiobook. I'm currently listening to Anne of Avonlea though I have several others I have downloaded lately also ready to listen to.

DD2 and I are at the spa. DD2 is standing at the door watching a parade of geese walk by! We have a ton of them here and sometimes they block the sidewalk. I had to come in one morning walking between them. Good thing they weren't in attack mode!

Getting a pedicure when my co-worker gets here. I'm way over due for one! Then it's off to watch DD1s theater performance!

I'm so excited for my Chinese food, cheesecake and drink tonight. I'm eating lite all day today. I just had a special k bar and my BL Protein water. Having a WW meal for lunch and I'll probably have another special k bar later. I'm going to try and not eat much at the little party after the theater performance. Really saving up for tonight! I've also got my water and CL packets!

 

[Rose&Mike]

Good morning all, a quick fly by. we are home from our trip to canada. It was very nice and the ride up from Boston was beautiful. Not so good on the exercise or eating front. I am off today to San Antonio to see my youngest. So next week I will be back on track!!!

Have a great trip!

Dona--I am so glad you had fun with your friends! Sounds like a great evening!

:My planned workout schedule is this:
Friday = Shred Level 1
Saturday = Yoga for Runners video (haven't tried it yet, but previewed it the other night while pedaling the bike)
Sunday = Run (run 4 mins, walk 1 min, 12 times)
Monday = Shred Level 2
Tuesday = Run (run 4 mins, walk 1 min, 12 times)
Wednesday = Shred Level 3
Thursday = Run (run 4 mins, walk 1 min, 9 times + speed work)

I'm going to try to stick to that for the next two or three weeks while I'm reading "Ready, Set, Go - Synergy Fitness for Time-Crunched Adults". I ordered it on Amazon yesterday and should have it the first part of next week. Once I've read that, I'll decide if I want to incorporate anything new into my workout schedule.
:

Connie--that is a great schedule/workout plan!

Relief! I didn't ruin my loss last night! I've done 6 miles of WATP so far today and planning on 4 more! I've lost 3.8 so far this week! Yeah I'm a loser again and if today stays on track I may get my 45 pound clippie back tomorrow!

I've had my strawberry smoothie so far and about to have a WW meal. I also have my bottle of CL Lemonade ready to drink. Just finished cleaning DD2s room and getting my house back in shape. I need to work on the dining room after I eat and then I'll get in my other 4 miles! DD2 and I have to run to KMart for more school supplies that are on sale this week. Then we are going to go to DD1s BFF's house and go swimming as long as it doesn't rain anymore today.

Not sure what we'll have for supper tonight. We have a variety of things in the freezer and fridge we can eat. All I do know is that tomorrow is Chinese food and cheesecake!

Time to eat!

Tracey I've been meaning to ask you all week, is something special going on today/Friday that you all are having cheesecake? I love cheesecake!

I'm getting a little freaked out about the half marathon I am scheduled to run in October. I've been really struggling with my long runs (just up to 6 miles so far) and if I am having so much trouble now, what will I be like when I hit 13??! I was trying to follow a plan but it got de-railed a little when a friend asked me to run with her for stress relief after the sudden and unexpected loss of her brother. Of course I said yes but it threw my schedule out of whack since she does not run as fast or as long as I had been doing. Now my pace is much slower and I am not advancing as quickly as I think I need to. She is visiting family in Italy for a month so I am trying to catch up on what I lost. But my dream of a sub 2:20 half is quickly fading...

I have to get back to work rolleyes1). Have a great afternoon everyone!!

You can do it Jude! I know you can. And 2:20 is a really great time to aim for!

I am having a pretty good day. Went running with DH this morning. We only did 3 miles but it was so sunny and so hot. Then we came home and immediately did yard work. I did the mowing and he did all the trim work. I had to go weigh in at WW (missed my meeting while I was on vacation) and I have lost 4.6 pounds since last Tuesday's meeting! I have a bunch of errands that I need to get done this afternoon so I had best sign off. I will be back on later to post our COW!

Congrats on the weigh-in!

I have a Garmin Forerunner 305 that I set on interval training for run time/rest time. It beeps at me when it's time to switch from one to the other. I do my best not to look at it at all during my run and just keep moving. (Most sports watches will do that, but I like that the Garmin also tracks my distance, speed, etc.)

I can't wait to hear what you think of your program as you get into it. Keep in mind that even those of us to enjoy running mostly base that off of how good it felt to finish the last run. The actual running can be tough, but finishing the time or the distance you set out to finish will make you so proud you'll be looking forward to doing it again. Good luck!!

I totally agree with the bolded part. Perfectly said. There have been many days when I have thought what the..... am I doing?!? (Insert your favorite word, cause I have probably thought them all.) But the calm that I get from the long runs is something I have not ever had before and it really carries over to my week. Priceless.

I had a wonderful day, despite the blasted scale. Went to a nearby lake, sandy beach, kids water toys in the area. AK's gymnastics camp went, rented paddle boats, canoes, etc. Sophie and I went, and I was very blessed that my IRL BFFs that I teach with had planned to go there today. It was the first time I had seen them since school was out. It was great to catch up and girl talk. Sophie had a blast with all my girls' kids. One of them, very, very close friend, looked at me 3 times after being told the area I was in, and still didn't see me. They described my suit, she looked and said "I see someone in that kind of suit, but it's not Taryn." They said "YES, it is" and she ran and hugged me. It felt great, since I didn't think I looked that different and feeling down about lack of real progress.

Ate a very healthful dinner. That scale better be good in the am.

Might check back in later after DH goes to work!
Taryn

Sounds like a great day Taryn!

Kathy--you are probably already there, but I home your weekend is amazing!

 

[Connie96]

So for Friday's QOTD:What is your go-to stress reliever when you've had a bad day?

I still struggle with stress eating, but if I still have my wits about me, walking or running does a great job of relieving stress. The best of the best is if I can get DD (or DH, for that matter) to sit still long enough just to cuddle with me on the couch. It's AMAZING what a really good hug can do to make the stress just evaporate.

Thanks for the support. I am hoping that my mom "turns it around" too. I am struggling with losing the weight for her vs. losing it for myself. Sometimes, I'm not sure who I am doing it for-if I lose weight, than she compliments me and it's like I'm losing weight to get her attention, but at the same point, the more weight I lose, the happier I am. But, am I happier because she's happier with me? It's a horrible cycle. I think in the end, I'm losing weight for myself, but it just doesn't always seem like that. I do need to remember that I'm doing this for myself. My BL friends are awesome and I couldn't do this without all of you!

I think the trick to this is to take the motivation you can from wherever you can get it BUT, not let it stop us if/when our external motivators (like moms or DHs or whoever) fail to encourage us when we think they should.

PART TWO
The COW seems to be a helpful motivator for some people and others find it overwhelming. As we begin to look forward to future challenges, please share your thoughts on the COW. I have included some ideas for you to comment about below, but you are welcome to write whatever you want about the COW. Feel free to post your thoughts here or send me a PM.

Tell me what you like or what you don't like. If you could change one thing about the COW what would it be? Have you participated? Why or why not? What motivates you to do the COW? Have the prizes been helpful or do they not matter? What is the best part of the COW? What part of the COW do you wish would go away? Do you find it easy to understand what is expected each week? What do you feel is most important to have as part of the COW?

Jen, you are doing such an amazing job with the COW and, it has definitely helped me. I am now much more aware of whether or not I'm getting my fruits and veggies. I always liked them and eat them when they're on my plate, but I didn't realize how often I just didn't bother putting them on the table. I have also, finally, incorporated cross-training along with running. I was perfectly content just running three days each week and blowing off workouts the other 4 days. For me, the exercise challenge has definitely been the most beneficial aspect of the COW.

I think the COW is helpful for me because I'm a pretty great instruction-follower and with the points offered, it made it feel a bit more like a game, but a game that I'm playing against myself - the more points I get, the bigger I win, regardless of how anyone else does and that's pretty great. Kinda like weight loss, in general, right? You can't "lose" as long as you keep "losing"! Pretty good deal, don't ya think?

I admit, I preferred the food/water and exercise parts of the COW more than the "feel good" challenges like "do something for yourself" and "write positive things" - I did them to some extent, but I didn't find them terribly motivating. That doesn't mean there's anything wrong with those, I just don't personally find those as "necessary" as the more physical endeavors. (I wasn't much into Pampering Week either but, again, that's just me. I know several ladies really seemed to enjoy that a lot and I think that's great.)

Oh, and yes, I did really enjoy my prize. I thought it was great!

Thanks so much for doing all of this Jen! You've done a fantastic job and I look forward to future COWs.

I'm down .6 so two losses in a row is good for me. Going to go for three. We're heading to my brothers tonight after work, and we usually eat pretty healthy there, thought six flags will be a challenge. The other good thing is 2 night away from home means 2 night with no late night snacking which is my downfall.

Woohoo for losses two weeks in a row!!
Eating at six flags... I ate total junk (and plenty of it) when we went last week. I would recommend trying to gather information about what is available and where it is located before you go. Everyone in my group was fine with burgers, chicken strips and pizza and, once we got hungry, we just grabbed the closest thing. I will definitely do my research before going back.

This is great! It is what I had to do before I saved enough for my Garmin! You are right, it does get the job done and it is a great place to start. I think I could still be doing just as good using the map method because I know I don't use 1/2 of the things my Garmin can really do.

Yeah, I'll have to break out the manual at some point and learn how to use mine too. I pretty much just use the interval timer and I could have got a $20 watch to do that. The truth is that DH is a gadget guy. He bought me the Forerunner 101 as a surprise when I was running a few years ago. Then I told him I wanted the 305 for my bday last year since it had the HR monitor - which I almost never use. But, I tell you, DH is a pretty great gift giver - especially if you enjoy electronics!

Still...in some ways I am also losing the weight for my DH. It is so important to me that he likes the way I look and is proud to have me by his side. I know that when I was heavier he did not say anything about it but I know he likes the way I look so much better now. I don't mean to say things that make DH sound like a shallow sort of guy - he is not but things are different now that I am in better shape and skinnier. That motivates me to keep on losing the weight because I want him to think I am a "hot momma"!

I am certain that I am losing weight for me. But, I the encouragement I get from DH is great. Him being proud of me (for my success and for him getting to "show me off") is a very nice motivator.

 

[Rose&Mike]

Thanks for coaching last week Maria, and thanks for coaching this week Octoberbride.

QOTD--exercise and coming on here. Yesterday after my workout the Y attendant told me I looked very intense. By the end I fell a little better. I used to binge a lot and still sometimes do a little comfort food eating, but I try to make it replace a meal. Hence the ice cream and doritos for dinner the other night.

CC--I totally get the who am I doing this for feeling. I feel like that sometimes. Have you ever heard of the book The Four Agreements? It really helps me to deal with the Mom stuff. One of the agreements, and the hardest for me, is don't take anything personally. Hang in there.

I wanted to thank everyone for all the positive thoughts and hugs yesterday. I read everything after work, but didn't have time to post before we left for $beer and baseball. When I came home from work DS and I went to Target and had a nice talk. When we came back he shaved the beard off, and said maybe if it grows in slow I'll get used to it a little better. I told him I think he looks cute with the short hair, and I think that went a long way. We are still pretty unhappy about the car, but what can you do? He also told us last night he is ok with us coming for move in and wanted to know if we wanted to go out to dinner with a friend and her parents--who we know. I could really tell last night that he was making an effort, and not just purposely pushing our buttons. He went out after we got home, and for the first time ever, I just went to bed and didn't worry about it. That could have been because I was sleepy from the beer! I have read the stuff in my psych/social work books about this developmental stage and I get what's going on, but I just really don't like it! He's happy and healthy and doing well, and at the end of the day, that's all any parent can ask for.

I am happy to say I am down 1lb this week. I feel like the tortoise sometimes, slow and steady, but it's still coming off, so that's good. I did 10 miles on the bike today. We have the 4 mile event tomorrow, and then Sunday we're going to do our long run. Lots of exercising this weekend.

I have a silly question, but how exactly do you maintain? I don't do WW so, I don't have points that I know I need to consume each day. I think I'm going to have to start tracking calories more regularly. And how many calories does it take to maintain. And how do I figure this out? I'm starting to get a little stressed about this as I get closer to goal. I have the losing part down, but the maintaining part is making me nervous.

Have a great day everyone!

 

[Connie96]

I have a silly question, but how exactly do you maintain? I don't do WW so, I don't have points that I know I need to consume each day. I think I'm going to have to start tracking calories more regularly. And how many calories does it take to maintain. And how do I figure this out? I'm starting to get a little stressed about this as I get closer to goal. I have the losing part down, but the maintaining part is making me nervous.

There are lots of websites that will calculate this for you. www.myfitnesspal.com, www.livestrong.com, www.sparkpeople.com, www.ahealthyme.com. Just change the goal from "lose 1 pound per week" (or whatever) to "maintain" and it'll crank out a number of calories for you. Now, all of these will likely give you a different number, so you'll have to make a judgment call and there may be some trial and error involved, but it should get you started.

 

[Rose&Mike]

There are lots of websites that will calculate this for you. www.myfitnesspal.com, www.livestrong.com, www.sparkpeople.com, www.ahealthyme.com. Just change the goal from "lose 1 pound per week" (or whatever) to "maintain" and it'll crank out a number of calories for you. Now, all of these will likely give you a different number, so you'll have to make a judgment call and there may be some trial and error involved, but it should get you started.

Thanks! I should have thought of sparkpeople. At least I will have a place to start from!

 

[carmiedog]

Wednesday QOTD: What is your most treasured Disney souvenir? Do you have plans to acquire something else the next time you go?

Easy. My children's first Mickey ears. Otherwise, we're not souvenir people.

Friday QOTD: What is your go-to stress reliever when you've had a bad day?

Usually the internet. Not very creative, but it's my "chill time." It USED to be food and internet. (When I do read, it's usually Nora Roberts, too. But I'm impatient and after getting halfway through, I just skim through to the end.)

 

[tigger813]

Rose- It's national Cheesecake Day! DD1 loves cheesecake! If you have a cheesecake factory near you you can get cheesecake for 1/2 price today. We have 3 different kinds in the fridge downstairs. Can't wait to eat it!