Biggest Loser 9 Spring challenge -- Part 2! HERE WE ARE! :)

[lovedvc]

I feel so lost right now. Friday afternoon I received a letter in my mail stating that my gym as I know it will be no more. They sold to a franchise named Retro Fitness. I love my gym, the classes and trainers are unbelievable. This new gym will no longer hold classes and will only have virtual spin. My gym is like one big family, I have made some many friends and received so much support from them all. As of May 31st all classes will terminate. I am not even willing to give the new gym a chance. I am so bummed about having to start all over. We will all be going our seperate ways. I feel like I have lost my best friend.

 

[mikamah]

Good morning everyone. I just want to tell you all how much you inspire me. I was just reading back through the past few pages, and am looking at some amazing totals of weight lost. 20, 30, 35, 40 pounds lost in just 4 months is awesome, and I'm thinking if you all can be so successful, so can I. I know there are those of you who are struggling, and holding your own, like I am, but I think we can kick it up a notch for the finish of this challenge. I've gone up and down with the same couple pounds for this whole challenge, but I know if I hadn't been checking in here, and had you all on my minds during some challenging times, I would have put on the 20, 30, or 40 pounds that some of you have lost. I know I will get on the losing train again, and if I need to be honest with myself, it won't be this week. My mom's b-day is thurs, and then it's mothers day, so I know those will be tough days, but I'm going to do what I can, and I"m going to get out and run my 3 days this week, and I will keep on trying.

Michael's first communion on saturday was a wonderful day. The weather was perfect, and he did a reading in the church, and did such a good job. I feel so proud and blessed to be his mom. We had our whole family and some friends over after for a party, and it was so nice. I truly am blessed with a wonderful, supportive family and friends. I am so grateful for you all here, and the friendships I have formed here. I hope someday I'll be able to meet some of you, maybe next spring!! Gotta keep up the running.

On the food, I did have the vegie and fruit platters, but lots of other stuff too, and I would say I actually did pretty good on the food, except for the cake, and the alcohol. I continued the eating into yesterday, but started today with fruit and yogurt, and sent most of the leftovers home with family, so there's not too much left.

Thanks to 50s jayne for coaching last week, and thanks to jen for this week. I'll get back to the qotds soon. My goal for this week is to come on and post at least daily. No excuses.

Thanks again for all the support and inspiration you all have given me by sharing your triumphs and your struggles. It is so nice to know we are all in this together.

 

[tigger813]

Good morning everyone! It's Monday so it's time to get back to work! I'm up 2.4 for the weekend which isn't too bad. Could've been worse but I was good for the 2nd part of the day and drank lots of water/Crystal Light.

I got up and did 2 different 3 mile workouts with Leslie Sansone. I plan on doing a 2 mile one later today. I will also be giving 2 massages today. Heading out at 10 to go return our cans and bottles to the liquor store and buy myself some Bud Light Lime. That will be my treat this week! Going to have Trader Joe's stuff for supper tonight. Tomorrow will be grilled pork chops or steak tips I think and Wednesday will be turkey gorditas for Cinco de Mayo. Thursday will be grilled chicken and Friday will be pizza. I think that covers it.

I should be able to get all of my miles in this week. Meeting Redwalker on Wednesday at the mall for our walk. It's been a while. Had my BL Protein drink this morning and I think I'll go make my strawberry yogurt frappe now. Will drink lots of water today. I will take some leftover pasta salad to eat for lunch between clients.

I'm so going to try and reach 150 by Friday. Got the few extra pounds from the weekend to tend with but if I can stay focused I will do it. Hoping to start walking with a neighbor next week a few mornings a week. I sooo want to get rid of my pooch! I think I'll try the Pilates mat exercises later today.

I guess I kind of answered the QOTD up above so I will close! I'm kind of rambling this morning. Not the best night's sleep but still not horrible. It was brutally hot in here. DD1 was up twice as she couldn't sleep. Still warm and muggy today.

 

[jbm02]

I feel so lost right now. Friday afternoon I received a letter in my mail stating that my gym as I know it will be no more. They sold to a franchise named Retro Fitness. I love my gym, the classes and trainers are unbelievable. This new gym will no longer hold classes and will only have virtual spin. My gym is like one big family, I have made some many friends and received so much support from them all. As of May 31st all classes will terminate. I am not even willing to give the new gym a chance. I am so bummed about having to start all over. We will all be going our seperate ways. I feel like I have lost my best friend.

LoveDVC
I felt the same way the last 2 weeks. Although my gym is staying in place (I go to our local Y), one of our best "boot camp" instructors announced that she was leaving the Y for a position at a different gym. This one is located a little farther away from my house. We've had a good group of "regulars" in our 5AM boot camp class for almost a year - kind of like a big family that works together, supporting each other and laughing when one of us screws up something in class (like when I tripped over my step instead of jumping over the darn thing. Guess my face plant was pretty funny because no one could keep a straight face when asking me if I was okay!! ). Anyway, just about ALL except 3 of us decided to follow Colette to the new gym (Colette is such a frou-frou name to me. There is NOTHING frou frou about this woman... She reminds me of Ziva from NCIS). The new gym is just too far from my house to be able to make the 5AM class and be back home in time to get 2 kids and one DH off to school on time and me to work. I felt like such a loser that everyone else was moving up to the new place while I stayed behind (yes, I know. Pity party time for me ). The new boot camp class started last week. With a new instructor to replace Colette and with LOTS of new people, some of whom are not up to the level of those of us who stayed. So I was pretty apprehensive about how all of this would work out... I've been bummed out about it for the last 2 weeks and it showed in my weight loss. I put on 2 pounds this week and that doesn't thrill me either. I should also mention that I hate change. Hate, hate it. I need time for transitions...

Anyway, today was our first real class with Erika, the new instructor. (last Monday was our "assessment class" to see where we are) And OMG, she kicked our butts. I was such a puddle at 6:05AM - my whole body was drenched. I couldn't wait to peel off those yucky wet socks when I got home.

What I am rambling on about - I was so psyched after this morning!!! I loved Erica's class, I loved that she really challenged all of us (not just the "newbies") and am using this change to try to re-invigorate my weight loss. I might have only 2 more weeks til this ens but I am going to try and put those 2 weeks to great use. So, I know that the gym change will be really really hard. But maybe a change will open up some new ideas about exercise. Can you give the new gym a chance with a trial membership??

Whatever you decide, feel free to vent to all of us here. I should have done that instead of stuffing my face for the last week...AARGH!!!

My goal til the end of this challenge: JOURNAL, JOURNAL, JOURNAL!!! 'nuff said...

My goal weight: I have to admit it, I knew that my BL goal was kind of out of the park unrealistic to do in a few short weeks. My goal weight is anywhere between 125 and 130. I'm 5'3 so that puts me in the medium range. I'm still in the 140s and it looks like I'll start the next challenge still in the 140s. But I don't care. I am moving in the right direction (well, any week but this one!) and am going to keep on trying. I just have to make sure that I devote as much discipline to my nutrition as I do to my exercise quotient. The last time I was in the 140s was when I returned from Iraq in 2006. But even though I still weigh a few pounds more than I did back then, I am now fitting comfortably into the clothes that I wore in the summer of 2006. So my body image is changing and I know the scale will eventually catch up...

(okay, I have to say this because I've been so psyched for the last 2 days. One of the women in our spin class came up to me after class and apologized for not responding hello to me when I passed her in the hall on Friday. She said "I didn't recognize you because of all the weight you've lost". Holy cow, holy cow, holy cow. Exactly the type of motivation I needed at that point and from now on!! )

Having all of you here makes such a difference. I would have given up weeks or months ago if I didn't check in on this board each week. I don't know who was the originator of this thread, or how long it has been here, but I thank all of you so much for keeping it going. You guys are the best.

Jude

 

[princessbride6205]

Monday's QOTD: What can you commit to as we near the end of our BL challenge?
I am committing to more exercise and being a little more strict with my food. Once I reached maintenance I had a really easy time the first 2 or 3 weeks keeping the weight off (even losing an extra half pound). As a result, I increased my calorie intake...too much.

 

[my3princes]

Mondays QOTD: Since the weather was unusually hot this weekend I started bringing out my new summer wardrobe, the one that I will be wearing on the cruise and vacation this summer. I think that putting on those clothes has motivated me to lose those last few lbs. While things fit, they were a bit tighter than I want. I need to lose the muffin top too if I want to feel good on the beach. Now I'm wondering if we'll be able to do beach activities in the caribbean with this horrible oil spill. It is such an environmental disaster. I hope they can contain it quickly, for the all the right reasons, not for my personal vacation.

 

[flipflopmom]

mikamah - thought about you this weekend actually, that I hadn't seen you on for a few days. Hang in there this week. I KNOW it is going to be extremely hard, Daddy's birthday was a week and a half ago, and honestly, the grief was as strong that day as the week he died. Running actually helped me on that day, try to get it in to relieve the stress. We're here for you, too.

And like many others seem to be today, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE for your support. I have so much inspiration and motivation here, and it has been the difference in my weight loss journey. I hope you will all join the summer challenge so we can continue together. (When will it start?)

Monday QOTD: What can I commit to? I am committing OFFICIALLY to RUN 5K three days a week. I am committing to doing ab and arm work 3 days a week. I want this flab gone.

I am home for a bit, DD has her 10yr checkup this afternoon, so I had to take a 1/2 day. Going to finish that exam and submit it before I pick her up at school.

 

[Rose&Mike]

We are under a boil water order, and it may last all week. I dare you to find a bottle of water in any stores in the affected area, which is Boston and many of the surrounding communities. My FIL brought cases of it down from NH when they came today, and we were grateful to see it! we are re-thinking alot of our cooking and dish use -- I'm switching to diet tea rather than drink all our bottled water.

Anyway, the visit actually wasn't too bad. My FIL is just an odd duck. He kept going on about how my ds12 should take Arabic as a foreign language because there's alot of need for that now. Umm, maybe, but I don't plan on shipping ds out anywhere anytime soon! I don't think there's a big need for 6th graders to learn it.

Good luck with the boil water advisory. I am so impressed that you are still cooking. And I'm really glad the visit went ok. My DS (in college) is taking Arabic and he said it's the hardest thing he has ever done. (He's one of those uber-smart/lucky kids who breezes through school.) I think you have to really want to learn it. Anyhow, the point being, I would not push my middle/high schooler to do it unless they REALLY wanted to. Part of me keeps hoping he'll drop it, because I'm really not that excited about him working in the middle east. I try not to think about it.

You have done great! Passing 20lbs lost in fantastic; just think about lifting 2 big bags of flour and be proud that you took those off your body! And you've done that while dealing with the stress of the heart hiccups and going through those tests.
It is OKAY to feel a little sad if you don't meet your goal, as long as you can also still feel proud.

Thanks. I was having a serious pity party yesterday. Just ridiculous, really. I kept thinking about all the foods and drinks I can't have--not just from a weight loss perspective, but now from a heart perspective. It was really silly. I think all the anxiety of the week caught up with me yesterday. DH is even attempting to give up caffeine as well, since I'm not supposed to have anymore. I think he's crazy, but very sweet.

So THIS is what I feel like when I eat crap. I seriously fell off the wagon this weekend for the first time since this challenge started. Hormones - 1. Me - 0. Feeling hot and sweaty and nauseated this morning. Mentally/emotionally I've been feeling pretty "done" lately though, so I needed this as a reminder to eat healthy even if I take a break from losing weight.

The hormones really do a number on us don't they. Someone in my group strength class was talking about this today. I hope today is better for you.

I know what you mean, I am 40 pounds less and wearing the same stuff. The shirts make me look pregnant, and the shorts/capris/pants make me look like someone sick - lost weight and their clothes are hanging. I have been putting off some shopping because I want to buy new clothes for Disney, and I hope to be a few pounds less by then, but it's time NOW!

I highly recommend even just getting a few new things. It made such a difference in my attitude, motivation, and self-confidence!

You have lost a lot and done a great job! I don't think I will make my goal either and it is a hard thing to think about ...but...I am also really going to look at what my FIRST goal was and accept that as I increased my goal, it probably was not totally realistic. I think we all get a little hung up on it but I hope we can all keep trying to see what we have accomplished instead of just the work that is left to do.

Thanks!! I am working really hard on being proud of how far I've come!

I feel so lost right now. Friday afternoon I received a letter in my mail stating that my gym as I know it will be no more. They sold to a franchise named Retro Fitness. I love my gym, the classes and trainers are unbelievable. This new gym will no longer hold classes and will only have virtual spin. My gym is like one big family, I have made some many friends and received so much support from them all. As of May 31st all classes will terminate. I am not even willing to give the new gym a chance. I am so bummed about having to start all over. We will all be going our seperate ways. I feel like I have lost my best friend.

I think I would feel the same way. I am starting to make friends, and the thought of starting over would be so hard. Can you find out where some of your friends are going and try that? Hang in there.

Michael's first communion on saturday was a wonderful day. The weather was perfect, and he did a reading in the church, and did such a good job. I feel so proud and blessed to be his mom. We had our whole family and some friends over after for a party, and it was so nice. I truly am blessed with a wonderful, supportive family and friends. I am so grateful for you all here, and the friendships I have formed here. I hope someday I'll be able to meet some of you, maybe next spring!! Gotta keep up the running.

Kathy--I'm glad the first communion went well and that you had good weather!

I'm so going to try and reach 150 by Friday. Got the few extra pounds from the weekend to tend with but if I can stay focused I will do it. Hoping to start walking with a neighbor next week a few mornings a week. I sooo want to get rid of my pooch! I think I'll try the Pilates mat exercises later today.

Good luck with reaching your goal!

What I am rambling on about - I was so psyched after this morning!!! I loved Erica's class, I loved that she really challenged all of us (not just the "newbies") and am using this change to try to re-invigorate my weight loss. I might have only 2 more weeks til this ens but I am going to try and put those 2 weeks to great use. So, I know that the gym change will be really really hard. But maybe a change will open up some new ideas about exercise. Can you give the new gym a chance with a trial membership??

Whatever you decide, feel free to vent to all of us here. I should have done that instead of stuffing my face for the last week...AARGH!!!

(okay, I have to say this because I've been so psyched for the last 2 days. One of the women in our spin class came up to me after class and apologized for not responding hello to me when I passed her in the hall on Friday. She said "I didn't recognize you because of all the weight you've lost". Holy cow, holy cow, holy cow. Exactly the type of motivation I needed at that point and from now on!! )

Jude

So glad the new class was great!!! I don't like change, but what a great reminder that sometimes change is good. And very cool about the complements!

QoftheDay--I am committing to a positive attitude, to saying thank you and to not beating myself up. I am committing to cutting out the "treats" for a little bit. Well not totally, but instead of a tiny scoop of chocolate ice cream I've been having custard with toppings. So I'm committing to small portions again. If I think in terms of portions I do much better.

Thanks for sharing everyone. It really helps to know we're all in this together.

 

[pjlla]

Saturday QOTD: How will you decide what your final weight should be? Are you thinking of a weight that you "remember" being? Are you using a guide based on your height? Did you have one weight in mind but are re-thinking that goal?

I have NO idea what I weighed in high school, but I weighed between 138-140 on my wedding day and I felt pretty good ( I had gotten as high as about 165 in the previous years). So I originally was aiming for 138 this time around, (but never truly DREAMING that I would make it there! ). Then as I got closer I decided to drop my goal weight to a nice even 135 (Okay... I know that is an ODD number!). As I got closer to 140, I realized that my belly and hip area wouldn't be as small as I would like at 135, so I again lowered my goal to 130. I haven't yet hit the 130 number (132.? last Friday), but I am again thinking of lowering my goal... maybe 128. That would give me some "wiggle" room. I checked the website/healthy weight chart that flipflopmom posted and it states that I have a small frame (my fingers significantly overlap around my wrist) and my goal weight should be about 117-130... so I guess I am right on track. I can assure you that I have NEVER, EVER, EVER seen a "1" in the hundreds place along side a "2" in the tens place in my ENTIRE LIFE!! I can't imagine what it will feel like on that day!!

OMG!OMG!OMG! So you all know how scared I was for my run this morning. At 20 minutes, my legs felt like concrete, and all I could think about was how I had slept and sat for a week and a half. At 34 minutes, I finished my 5K distance, extremely proud of myself. That's my run distance, so I thought, hey, weekends are supposed to be a long run. I've got 6 more minutes in me, to make it 40. At 40, I thought, push to 45 minutes, you've done nothing for a week. At 47 minutes, when I finished the lap, 3 ladies I know showed up, and I got remotivated, and set a goal to run for an hour AND I DID IT!!!!!!!!! A full 25 minutes longer than I've ever run before, 5.29 miles. I can't believe I ran 5 miles.

I know a lot of you are running 6-8 miles, and half marathons, and now I KNOW I WILL GET THERE SOMEDAY!!!!

I kept thinking "how cool would it be to post that I ran for 40". "I can't wait to post 45 minutes." Just the thought of sharing with you all kept me going, and I am so thankful.

I will probably pay for this for the next few days. Oh well, off to work on my test. Want to knock it out today, too!

Nice job on the run... I am suitably impressed! Glad you wanted to share it with us and that the sharing kept you moving and motivated!

Totally forgot to answer QOTD. I have been wondering about this a lot. I've looked at the happy weight calculator. Came up with 156 for me. I had set that as my goal weight. Then, the wii fit said my ideal weight is 140. I just looked for an ideal weight calculator, and found this one.

http://www.changingshape.com/resources/references/idealbodyweight.asp

I have a large frame, my fingers don't touch around my wrist bone, but if I squeeze they do. So I'm almost a medium frame, even though my shoulders and rib cage are built like a linebacker. If I went with medium frame weight range, it says 136-150, which I think is a big range. Large frame - 146-167.

My original goal was to lose 43 pounds by my trip to WDW. I'm 3 pounds and 49 days away. I would like to lose 10 more before we go. I'll probably gain 10 there.. I'm thinking I'd like to be in the 145-155 range eventually. 153 would be a nice even 65 pound loss. Once I get there, I'll evaluate and see what I need to do. I weighed 175 (178 now) when I graduated high school, and I was big, but very muscular and athletic. My face is smaller now than it was then, though.

Sorry for the book, but I am trying to figure all this out on endorphins!

Thanks for the calculator.... it let me know I was right on track with my goal weight. That is GREAT that you only have 3 pounds left to high your "Disney" goal!

Pam is your dad from Scotland? You're right about making my goal 20, thanks for saying that. I tend to set goals too high and then I get upset when I don't reach them. And thanks for the non-runner support.

Yesterday after I worked out I hurt my back and felt horrible, I so wanted to order pizza but what actually stopped me was the $30 price...but whatever works to stop me from eating it right? We had leftovers instead, so I had 3 ounces of sloppy joe made with 96% lean beef and some baked ruffles. Much much healthier than Pizza Hut pan meat lovers!

Nope.... I believe it would be my great-great grandfather. I have been doing geneological research for a while now, but can't remember at the moment exactly how many "greats" ago it was!!

YUP.... MUCH better choice with the sloppy joe! Have you ever looked up the calories in a Pizza Hut Pan Meat Lovers????? Let me just say.... You might never eat it again if you did. Try going for the thin and crispy crust with some veggies if you are craving a pizza.

So today is a ME day. Doing whatever since I feel so wishy-washy for seemingly no reason at all. Finishing up scanning in some of my wedding pics from 6.5 yrs ago. Seems so long ago and yet like yesterday at the same time. Including BL I've lost a total of 71lbs. since my wedding

BUT I still look at my pics and see the princess i felt like that day. I can't imagine ever hating my wedding pics just because i was bigger then.

Anyhow, I've been thinking of the QOTD all day long and hit the website to see my range. Using hte quick reference I'm either medium frame or large frame. Odd but I think my wrists are 2 different sizes If I reach around my left wrist my fingers just touch. If I use my right wrist there is a space.
My own opinion is that I am large frame and I KNOW i got dad's football playing shoulders. I've tried on strapless gowns and seen them. But I don't know if I actually want to go as low as the range says even with the highest weight. 170 is about where they have me topping out. For now though, I am going to stick with my original goal of simply reaching 200lbs. and then seeing where i want to go from there. In the end nobody is going to tell me how much i should weigh. If I get to 200 and say that's good enough, then it is. If I decide to go lower then i will. So we'll see what happens when the 200 day finally arrives. Probably about another yr from now at the rate I'm going

Yes, your wrists probably ARE different sizes.... everything on the right hand side of my body is slightly larger than the left.... foot, breast, fingers, wrist.

And about your rate of weight loss, remember... SLOW AND STEADY really does accomplish big things! Don't fret about it. Try to remember that every day you work on eating healthy and losing weight, you are instilling habits... good habits that you will want around for a lifetime. You are learning new things about maintaining a healthy body and a healthy weight.

Sunday QOTD: What is it that you do to pamper yourself? or...if you are using rewards to help get you through this...what is your favorite reward to yourself for doing a good job?

Jen

I'm not one for spending much time pampering myself. I'm not a girly-girl and don't spend time/money on things like mani-pedis, hair coloring, etc. Finding/creating time to sit at my scrapbook table is my reward. I love scrapbooking.... when I complete a layout I feel like I have accomplished something that can't be taken away (unlike the ongoing battle with laundry, dishes, vacuuming, and weight loss). That page is DONE and in the book and will NEVER need to be done again. Plus I am creating keepsakes/memories for my children and their future families. I love feeling creative, artsy, organized... all of those things I feel when I scrap.

I think that I might have trouble making my goal of 164 by the end of the challenge. I'm still plugging away, but I don't know. My initial goal was 15 pounds, then I upped it to 20, and then to 25. I'm thrilled with how far I come, but will be a little sad that if I don't make the goal. That's probably silly, and I probably need to look at changing my thinking, but I'm really hung up on it right now.

Don't beat yourself up! Don't set yourself up for failure. You hit your initial goal! That is a big accomplishment. Nothing wrong with upping that goal to keep yourself challenged, but don't forget that you accomplished your original goal.. that makes you a winner!

We are under a boil water order, and it may last all week. I dare you to find a bottle of water in any stores in the affected area, which is Boston and many of the surrounding communities. My FIL brought cases of it down from NH when they came today, and we were grateful to see it! we are re-thinking alot of our cooking and dish use -- I'm switching to diet tea rather than drink all our bottled water.

We served a healthy dinner -- barbequed chicken, grilled asparagus, grilled corn on the cob, vegetarian baked beans -- and then we offered them sugar-free angel food cake with fresh strawberries for dessert (My FIL is diabetic). They had brought a raspberry coffee cake, and they chose that instead. I really don't think my FIL should have eaten that, but I'm not a medical professional. Anyway, I ate the angel food cake and strawberries, and it was delicious!

I'm already looking forward to tomorrow's run. I'm ready to get back to a normal work week and think about how to lose the weight TOM and my own foolishness brought me!

Maria

I thought of you and a few other Disers when I heard about the boil water order. Hope it isn't too difficult and doesn't go on for too long.

The cake sounds delicious. I haven't made an angel food cake in a while... time to plan one soon!

Good Morning!

I know this is going to sound crazy...I was reading a BL book last night, and I read I only need about 1,300 calories a day to lose weight. Now, I don't count calories, I count points, but it really made me think -- you need about 100 more calories to lose weight if you weigh 10 lbs more. That is really precise. So every time I reach for a 100 cal pack of hostess cupcakes or chips, I'm shooting myself in the foot -- these foods make you hungrier because they give you a sugar high. Believe it or not, I had never realized that before. So, let the weaning begin. Today I'm not packing the chips with my lunch. Next week, the cupcakes are going. Once I finish the ice cream treats in my freezer (which are all ww or skinny cow), I'm switching to sugar-free fudgesicles. Hopefully this will be just what I need to do to get the scale moving back down!

Okay, gotta fill the cat's bowl with bottled water. We are laughing at ourselves as we do it, but he can't have tap water, either! We're boiling for dishes (and using paper and plastic as much as possible), but we're sticking to bottled for consumption, cooking, and teeth brushing. Lots of eating off the grill this week. Last night was salmon, and it was the best I've ever tasted. Tonight it's grilled chicken and veggies.

Maria

Does your kitty prefer Dasani or Aquafina??

About the bolded parts.... I try to remind myself of this every time I am tempted to take a bite or nibble (or a second bite or nibble) of something. Those things can really add up and it doesn't take but just a hundred calories or so a day in the wrong direction to self-sabotage my weight loss for the week!! Even something as seemingly innocent as overflowing/mounding up the measuring cup/spoon when measuring a food (especially when measuring calorie dense items like peanut butter, oil, nuts), can really slow down/stop weight loss. Throw in a bite or two here or there that you don't track/count and it is no wonder losing weight can seem so hard sometimes! Thanks for the reminder.

Monday's QOTD: What can you commit to as we near the end of our BL challenge?

I had a thought a few minutes ago, but now I've lost it. Guess it wasn't that exciting...

Anyhow....

1. I commit to continuing to work at losing the last few pounds to get me to goal.

2. I commit to continuing to journal my foods (and will try harder to journal those bites and nibbles).

3. I commit to continuing to exercise at least 6 days per week for a minimum of 45 minutes (except while at Disney... I'm not doing any "formal" exercise for those 4 days).

4. I commit to getting RIGHT BACK ON PLAN the morning of May 11 after my return from Disney. Right back that day with measuring/weighing my foods, journaling everything, and exercise.

5. I commit to coming here as often as possible, both to receive encouragement and motivation and to give it when possible.

I feel so lost right now. Friday afternoon I received a letter in my mail stating that my gym as I know it will be no more. They sold to a franchise named Retro Fitness. I love my gym, the classes and trainers are unbelievable. This new gym will no longer hold classes and will only have virtual spin. My gym is like one big family, I have made some many friends and received so much support from them all. As of May 31st all classes will terminate. I am not even willing to give the new gym a chance. I am so bummed about having to start all over. We will all be going our seperate ways. I feel like I have lost my best friend.

I'm so sorry..... I hope you can find a new place to exercise that you will love. Don't let this be an excuse to give up on the exercise. Ask around in some of your current classes... maybe a group of you could find a new gym to join together??



Well... happy Monday everyone! I had a super weekend (well, actually, Th, Fri, Sat) at the scrapbooking convention and I finally met some Dis'ers in person! We had a great time talking and laughing and scrapping together.

Sunday was supposed to be our "early Mother's day" celebration, since DS and I will be away next Sunday, but unfortunately there wasn't much celebrating done. DD injured her shoulder at swim practice on Saturday so I ended up taking her to the doctor yesterday. She is in a sling and out of practice for week with some severe muscle spasms (thank heavens it isn't worse). So of course, by the time I ran an errand before the appointment (got brand new Ryka running shoes for $19.95!!!!), had the appointment (and of course, they were running late due to an emergency that came in), picked up the prescription, bought some groceries, found a pharmacy that actually had a sling, etc etc, the entire afternoon was shot.

We were originally going to go out Sun. afternoon as a family to a buffet restaurant I tried recently that was really yummy, but after the two meals out at the convention on Fri and Sat, I didn't feel like I had the calories to splurge again (especially since I will be eating at Disney next weekend!), so I told the kids I'd rather just eat at home... which of course meant I was also COOKING at home!

DD brought me some flowers she cut from the yard, a nice card, and her gift (two new Italian charms for my bracelet ... a Disney one and a "Swim Mom" charm!). DS said he is bringing his gift for me along on our trip and will give it to me on actual Mother's Day.

Well... I've been sitting here for almost TWO hours now and still haven't done what I really need to do (write a Power Point presentation for a FLL Robotics parents meeting), so I need to fly. Plus I haven't done any packing yet and I leave in "4 sleeps"!!! (Can you tell I'm getting excited!?)

I'll try to be back later today.............P

 

[Rose&Mike]

Woohoo!!! I have a large frame. I have spent my whole life thinking I was "big" and I really just have a large frame. (And I'm talking at a normal weight, I still thought I was "big.") I looked at the site flipflopmom posted and tried picking the frame size by the elbow test, and was having trouble getting an accurated measurement. Some where between high medium and large. So I looked at the wrist measurement, and my fingers are 1/2" apart, not even close to touching. The point of all this, is not to quit early or give up on the weight loss, but to realize, that my goal weight of 150is realistic, and that maybe the college weight of 135, is not realistic. And that maybe I really was skinny then. I have always joked that my bones probably weigh more than some of my friends! Anyhow, I know those measurements aren't necessarily accurated, but I feel like I'm on the right track!

Have a great Monday, and to everyone who is getting the rain we had this weekend, . It was crazy and just kept raining and raining. I am trying to motivate myself to go to Whole Foods.

 

[lisah0711]

Happy Monday everyone!

Sunday QOTD: What is it that you do to pamper yourself? or...if you are using rewards to help get you through this...what is your favorite reward to yourself for doing a good job?

I like to curl up with a good book and take a nap when I want to pamper myself. The rest of me is pretty low maintenance now so the beauty thing doesn't do much for me.

Okay, gotta fill the cat's bowl with bottled water. We are laughing at ourselves as we do it, but he can't have tap water, either! We're boiling for dishes (and using paper and plastic as much as possible), but we're sticking to bottled for consumption, cooking, and teeth brushing. Lots of eating off the grill this week. Last night was salmon, and it was the best I've ever tasted. Tonight it's grilled chicken and veggies.

Hope they get your water back online soon, Maria!

I feel so lost right now. Friday afternoon I received a letter in my mail stating that my gym as I know it will be no more. They sold to a franchise named Retro Fitness. I love my gym, the classes and trainers are unbelievable. This new gym will no longer hold classes and will only have virtual spin. My gym is like one big family, I have made some many friends and received so much support from them all. As of May 31st all classes will terminate. I am not even willing to give the new gym a chance. I am so bummed about having to start all over. We will all be going our seperate ways. I feel like I have lost my best friend.

Awww, that is too bad. Maybe it is a new opportunity for you to try something new or do you know where most of the other people you know are going?

Good morning everyone. I just want to tell you all how much you inspire me. I was just reading back through the past few pages, and am looking at some amazing totals of weight lost. 20, 30, 35, 40 pounds lost in just 4 months is awesome, and I'm thinking if you all can be so successful, so can I. I know there are those of you who are struggling, and holding your own, like I am, but I think we can kick it up a notch for the finish of this challenge. I've gone up and down with the same couple pounds for this whole challenge, but I know if I hadn't been checking in here, and had you all on my minds during some challenging times, I would have put on the 20, 30, or 40 pounds that some of you have lost. I know I will get on the losing train again, and if I need to be honest with myself, it won't be this week. My mom's b-day is thurs, and then it's mothers day, so I know those will be tough days, but I'm going to do what I can, and I"m going to get out and run my 3 days this week, and I will keep on trying.

As long as we are hanging in here, we are succeeding!

And like many others seem to be today, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE for your support. I have so much inspiration and motivation here, and it has been the difference in my weight loss journey. I hope you will all join the summer challenge so we can continue together. (When will it start?).

The Between the BLs Summer Challenge starts on 5/28 and runs through
8/27. I will be posting the planning thread for the summer challenge later this week.

Monday's QOTD: What can you commit to as we near the end of our BL challenge?

I will commit to treating the last 2 1/2 weeks of the challenge like I did the first. I will journal every bite and make sure I get my exercise. I have been a little sloppy on both.

Have a great day all!

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Monday's QOTD: What can you commit to as we near the end of our BL challenge?

I can commit to journaling my food, and paying more attention to what I eat. I feel "off" for exercise for some reason (ok, TOM), so I'm not sure how this week is going to go. I am going to commit to doing some exercise each day, even if I can't reach the mileage I would like.

To add insult to injury, the air in my building is not working. Can't drink the water, and no air...Good thing I'm bright enough to bring my own beverages to work!

Maria

 

[lisah0711]

After reading everyone's comments today I thought that you might be interested in this article from Sparkpeople.com titled:

Stop Feeling Guilty about Every Mistake
Don't Let Toxic Guilt Wipe Out Your Willpower

Here is an excerpt:

Fortunately, the solution to the problem of toxic guilt is really quite simple, at least in theory. All you have to do are three simple things:

1. When that quiet, nagging voice in your head starts saying that you are about to do something it doesn't approve of, listen to it. Stop what you're doing for a few moments to ask yourself, "Is this what I really want to do?"

2. If you agree with the voice, decide not do the thing in question. If you disagree, decide to do it. And if you're not sure (or if you halfway want to and halfway don't), try to postpone your decision (and action) until you've had a chance to sort things out a little more.

3. After you've made your decision, act! Then take a few more seconds to notice how you feel about what you just did. Nothing fancy here, no psychoanalyzing yourself, no reading yourself the riot act if you didn't do what you wanted. Just note what you decided, what you actually did, and how you felt afterwards. File this in the memory banks for future reference.
Now, you could be sitting there right now saying to yourself, "What the heck is this guy talking about? The whole problem is that I never hear that little voice until after the fact. The minute I see those candies, or smell that cheeseburger cooking, I go on autopilot and stuff it in my mouth."

This is NOT true. The little voice is there, you just aren't hearing it because you're more accustomed to your louder toxic guilt.

To train yourself to hear the little voice before it's too late, just keep practicing the three steps above until it becomes second nature to STOP and ASK yourself what you really want to do before you act. Once your conscience knows you are making the effort to listen again, it will move back up to its proper place in the chain of events.

Here is a link to the whole article http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=692

Sparkpeople just started a Mind Over Body ten day emphasis on changing your lifestyle to a healthy one -- sound familiar?

Here is an excerpt:

SparkPeople's Mind Over Body plan is designed to give you the tools you need to identify, work through, and overcome the most common emotional and mental (attitude) problems that people face when they set out to change their lifestyles.

Mind Over Body is a 10-step plan. The first five steps describe tools you can use to get past the five most common problems that people run into:

inadequate problem-solving skills
unrealistic expectations
toxic guilt & negative self-talk
emotional eating
lack of intrinsic motivation

The second five steps will help you make the shift from “diet” to “lifestyle" change - whether you need to lose weight or not. Diets don’t work. Even if you manage to survive all the unpleasantness of depriving yourself long enough to get to your weight goal, your odds of regaining the weight when you stop "dieting" are higher than 90%. By making the shift from diet mode to lifestyle mode, you'll be able to put aside the habits that got you overweight or unhappy once and for all. You'll develop skills that will not only make these changes less stressful and more enjoyable, but also keep the weight off and help you achieve other important life goals.

And a link to the whole series. http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/mind_over_body_fat.asp

I'm going to review these articles every day until I get my good habits back as part of my recommitment to this process the last couple of weeks of the challenge.

Have a great day!

 

[LuvBaloo]

LuvBaloo posted the following and totally inspired me this morning. Here is what she said...

I am feeling committed to finishing strong. My original goal was 20lbs lost, but its not going to happen. I will be happy to get to 10lbs lost.
I am going to go continue to keep putting making time to exercise 3 times a week, and to doing the food journalling on WW online.
I am committed to staying positive. I am trying to think of a happy thing each day before going to bed.

Monday's QOTD: What can you commit to as we near the end of our BL challenge?

I will answer later but am already late for work. Have a great Monday everyone!

Its funny how things grow. I posted how I was committing in response to Pjlla's statement about let's all commit to finishing strong. And the think a happy thing is from Donac's COW challenge!


Lisa - thanks for sharing the toxic guilt info I like the 3 step thing, stop&think, either decide yes or no, live with it! much easier to say than do, but it is possible to learn the pattern and actually do it.

 

[maiziezoe]

Hello all!

Saturday QOTD: How will you decide what your final weight should be? Are you thinking of a weight that you "remember" being? Are you using a guide based on your height? Did you have one weight in mind but are re-thinking that goal?

I have a small frame (my fingers overlap quite a bit when I wrap them around my wrist) but I have big broad Dutch shoulders... because of my Lupus, my doctor wants my goal weight to be 154 which is still "overweight" according to the government, but it makes my doctor feel comfortable. I would like to follow my doctors orders but I am sure, once I get to 154, I will want to get down to 134, which would bring my weight loss total to 100 pounds. Honestly, I don't care what my ending weight is, as long as I am never what I once was.

Sunday QOTD: What is it that you do to pamper yourself? or...if you are using rewards to help get you through this...what is your favorite reward to yourself for doing a good job?

I don't like to be pampered. I usually reward myself with clothes... and every week I am down in weight, I buy myself some new toenail polish. Funky colors only.


Monday's QOTD: What can you commit to as we near the end of our BL challenge?

I can commit to not letting my weigh in days control my moods.

 

[jenanderson]

Evening Everyone! It was a crazy long day and I will post about some of it after I respond to you all!

I feel so lost right now. Friday afternoon I received a letter in my mail stating that my gym as I know it will be no more. They sold to a franchise named Retro Fitness. I love my gym, the classes and trainers are unbelievable. This new gym will no longer hold classes and will only have virtual spin. My gym is like one big family, I have made some many friends and received so much support from them all. As of May 31st all classes will terminate. I am not even willing to give the new gym a chance. I am so bummed about having to start all over. We will all be going our seperate ways. I feel like I have lost my best friend.

Change is so hard. I hope that you will be able to find someplace new and make some new friends or that you will be able to try your original, but "new", place and see what you think. Have you talked with the trainers to see where they will end up? Maybe you can follow them or follow some of your friends. Good luck with this because I can tell it is important to you.

Michael's first communion on saturday was a wonderful day. The weather was perfect, and he did a reading in the church, and did such a good job. I feel so proud and blessed to be his mom. We had our whole family and some friends over after for a party, and it was so nice. I truly am blessed with a wonderful, supportive family and friends. I am so grateful for you all here, and the friendships I have formed here. I hope someday I'll be able to meet some of you, maybe next spring!! Gotta keep up the running.

My goal for this week is to come on and post at least daily. No excuses.

Thanks again for all the support and inspiration you all have given me by sharing your triumphs and your struggles. It is so nice to know we are all in this together.

I am so happy that you had a wonderful day with Michael. I am sure you are a wonderful mother and that is why he is such a wonderful boy!

I like your goal of coming and posting at least once a day. That is often all I can find to do and it is so helpful. Sometimes just coming and reading all the posts is enough but it is great to interact with everyone...so motivating!

I'm so going to try and reach 150 by Friday. Got the few extra pounds from the weekend to tend with but if I can stay focused I will do it. Hoping to start walking with a neighbor next week a few mornings a week. I sooo want to get rid of my pooch! I think I'll try the Pilates mat exercises later today.

You go girl! I bet you will reach 150 by Friday...you are always so great about your exercising.

I loved Erica's class, I loved that she really challenged all of us (not just the "newbies") and am using this change to try to re-invigorate my weight loss. I might have only 2 more weeks til this ens but I am going to try and put those 2 weeks to great use. So, I know that the gym change will be really really hard. But maybe a change will open up some new ideas about exercise. Can you give the new gym a chance with a trial membership??

Whatever you decide, feel free to vent to all of us here. I should have done that instead of stuffing my face for the last week...AARGH!!!

My goal til the end of this challenge: JOURNAL, JOURNAL, JOURNAL!!! 'nuff said...

(okay, I have to say this because I've been so psyched for the last 2 days. One of the women in our spin class came up to me after class and apologized for not responding hello to me when I passed her in the hall on Friday. She said "I didn't recognize you because of all the weight you've lost". Holy cow, holy cow, holy cow. Exactly the type of motivation I needed at that point and from now on!! )

Having all of you here makes such a difference. I would have given up weeks or months ago if I didn't check in on this board each week. I don't know who was the originator of this thread, or how long it has been here, but I thank all of you so much for keeping it going. You guys are the best.

Hi Jude! - I am so glad that you are liking your new instructor but I still think that you are crazy doing such a difficult class (there is NO way I could ever do that class). Have you figured out a good journal method yet? I am still struggling with this and should make it a goal again because when I journal, I tend to lose more.

I am so excited to hear the comment the lady said...you must be so proud to have such changes happening! What a great compliment! I can't wait to see some pictures!

I totally agree with your statement...who ever came up with this tread and everyone who keeps it all going...THANK YOU!

Monday's QOTD: What can you commit to as we near the end of our BL challenge?
I am committing to more exercise and being a little more strict with my food. Once I reached maintenance I had a really easy time the first 2 or 3 weeks keeping the weight off (even losing an extra half pound). As a result, I increased my calorie intake...too much.

Great commitment! It is hard to keep going with it all the time. Now that you know you have increased your calorie intake too much, you know what to do to fix it!

 

[sahbushka]

Hi all! Just checking in. I am still plugging away. I think I have had a pretty good week. I have completed the second day of week 3 of the C25k. I was going to do day 3 today but was forced out for a double shift at work so that is a no go. I will try to get in sometime this week to do that. I am within 2.6 lbs of a 100 lb loss....I might get there this week but if I don't I absolutely commit to getting there by next week as that will be my 1 year anniversary on WW! I can't believe a year has gone by but I have made a lot of progress and am pleased with that so far.

Take care and don't forget to drink your water!

SarahMay

 

[jenanderson]

I think that putting on those clothes has motivated me to lose those last few lbs. While things fit, they were a bit tighter than I want. I need to lose the muffin top too if I want to feel good on the beach. Now I'm wondering if we'll be able to do beach activities in the caribbean with this horrible oil spill. It is such an environmental disaster. I hope they can contain it quickly, for the all the right reasons, not for my personal vacation.

Tight clothes are so motivating! I keep wearing my DD's skinny jeans because I know that when I am in them that I cannot afford to eat anything extra!

Monday QOTD: What can I commit to? I am committing OFFICIALLY to RUN 5K three days a week. I am committing to doing ab and arm work 3 days a week. I want this flab gone.

Run strong! That is a great commitment...5K three days a week will really add up fast.

I am committing to a positive attitude, to saying thank you and to not beating myself up. I am committing to cutting out the "treats" for a little bit. Well not totally, but instead of a tiny scoop of chocolate ice cream I've been having custard with toppings. So I'm committing to small portions again. If I think in terms of portions I do much better.

Sounds like you have great ideas to to finish strong!

1. I commit to continuing to work at losing the last few pounds to get me to goal.

2. I commit to continuing to journal my foods (and will try harder to journal those bites and nibbles).

3. I commit to continuing to exercise at least 6 days per week for a minimum of 45 minutes (except while at Disney... I'm not doing any "formal" exercise for those 4 days).

4. I commit to getting RIGHT BACK ON PLAN the morning of May 11 after my return from Disney. Right back that day with measuring/weighing my foods, journaling everything, and exercise.

5. I commit to coming here as often as possible, both to receive encouragement and motivation and to give it when possible.

First, I hope you have a great trip! Enjoy your 4 days! Then, you have a great plan for finishing with success. I am so inspired by your exercising plan.

The point of all this, is not to quit early or give up on the weight loss, but to realize, that my goal weight of 150is realistic, and that maybe the college weight of 135, is not realistic. And that maybe I really was skinny then. I have always joked that my bones probably weigh more than some of my friends! Anyhow, I know those measurements aren't necessarily accurated, but I feel like I'm on the right track!

I like that you are thinking about what is realistic...maybe it is something in between the 2 weights?

I will commit to treating the last 2 1/2 weeks of the challenge like I did the first. I will journal every bite and make sure I get my exercise. I have been a little sloppy on both.

This is a really big commitment. I remember how hard I worked the first 2 1/2 weeks and I know that I have been sloppy too. I think many of us have been. It is a great thing to think about finishing as strong as we started.

I am going to commit to doing some exercise each day, even if I can't reach the mileage I would like.

Maria - I read this great article last week about how people don't exercise because they don't have time to do what they want to. Instead, the article talked about how powerful using small moments to get in little bits of exercise at a time. I really liked how they talked about how it all adds up and that it is important to use the time you have.

After reading everyone's comments today I thought that you might be interested in this article from Sparkpeople.com titled:

Stop Feeling Guilty about Every Mistake
Don't Let Toxic Guilt Wipe Out Your Willpower

Lisa - Thanks for sharing this! I learn so much from reading through articles from Sparkspeople.

Its funny how things grow. I posted how I was committing in response to Pjlla's statement about let's all commit to finishing strong. And the think a happy thing is from Donac's COW challenge!

I hope you did not mind that I quoted and used it this morning. It was really inspiring to me and got me thinking about how I need to really commit to a few things again.

I don't like to be pampered. I usually reward myself with clothes... and every week I am down in weight, I buy myself some new toenail polish. Funky colors only.

I love funky polish too! My favorite for the longest time was a neon green. You will have to share what funky colors you wear!

 

[jenanderson]

I am within 2.6 lbs of a 100 lb loss....I might get there this week but if I don't I absolutely commit to getting there by next week as that will be my 1 year anniversary on WW! I can't believe a year has gone by but I have made a lot of progress and am pleased with that so far.

Take care and don't forget to drink your water!

SarahMay

SarahMay - Almost 100 pounds...AMAZING! You should be beyond please for reaching such an incredible goal. I can't imagine how hard you have worked this past year...keep up the great work!

 

[jenanderson]

I have not even done that great of a job answering my own QOTDs. I have kind of started them each day but then ran out of time to really go back and answer them properly. So, tonight I am going to get back to each of them.

Saturday QOTD: How will you decide what your final weight should be? Are you thinking of a weight that you "remember" being? Are you using a guide based on your height? Did you have one weight in mind but are re-thinking that goal?

I haven't decided. I originally thought it would be 148 so that I could say I lost 50 pounds. I have also thought 150 but stopping at 48 pounds seems wrong. I am sitting in the 160s right now and am having a hard time getting past that. I think part of it has been that I am not sure what I am really shooting for. I had checked the charts and it says that for a large frame, I should weigh near 159 and for a medium frame, 145 pounds. I think in the end, I will stick with someplace close to 150.

Sunday QOTD: What is it that you do to pamper yourself? or...if you are using rewards to help get you through this...what is your favorite reward to yourself for doing a good job?

Totally a bath with a glass of wine and a bath bomb! Ahhh..so relaxing and so nice.

Monday's QOTD: What can you commit to as we near the end of our BL challenge?

I am going to commit to the following:
1. Riding my bike to and from work at least 3 days a week (that will give me 18 miles of biking)
2. Keeping my journal accurate with every bite (even when I don't want to admit to it)
3. Not skipping any WW meetings during the last week of school (life gets crazy and I have already been thinking about this one)

I hope all of this will keep me on track and help me finish strong. It has been a couple of stressful and hormonal type of days. I am hoping to try and find some time to relax and be sure to take care of myself so that I can end this challenge feel positive and ready to reach my goal with the next BL challenge.

Happy Monday night everyone!
Jen