Biggest Loser 9 Spring Challenge -- thread closing -- see new thread Part 2!

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

QOTD: We are all on the same journey to good health and weight loss. When did the journey start for you? Was weight something you always struggled with or has it crept up on you over the years?


My story. I started gaining weight in 7th grade/puberty and was a chubby kid until I got my braces/haas device put in my mouth in 9th grade. It was hard to keep food out and by pure starvation learning how to eat with it I lost weight and was thin to average. In college I gained 25 pounds but lost it for my wedding. About 10 years after college I was working as a nurse and a 500lb patient fell on me and fractured my back and herniated 2 discs. I was on steroids for nearly a year and pain meds. I gained 70lbs. After my surgery I was feeling great and lost 68 of those pounds and was at goal at WW. I stayed at goal for 2 years. Then I quit smoking, got pregnant and turned 40. Forget it I gained 40 quitting smoking and 40 with the baby. 6 months after my son was born I went on Southbeach diet and lost 55 pounds. Then I fell off the protein wagon and gained almost all of it back. So there I was 7 pounds from my pregnancy top weight. I joined this great thread and I am now 18 pounds lighter and doing it the right way this time. Sensible diet and exercise.

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

Totally copied from a post by friend last year, but its such a great visual I decided to find it and share it:

You lose weight a pound or half a pound at a time, so somethings, looking at the detail it can look like this:

Not much to see, but all those pounds and half-pounds add up, so when you take a step back and examine the BIG picture, it all comes together:

http://www.webexhibits.org/colorart/i/pointelism/A-Sunday-Afternoon-

Seurat, painted one dot at a time, and we lose weight, one pound at a time.

Focus on the dots and the picture will emerge.:goodvibes[/QUOTE]


That is so cool thanks for sharing that!

 

[donac]

Saturday qotd- Since we're all disney fans, when did your love for all things disney begin? Did you get the disney magic from the first time you entered a disney park, or was it a love that gradually built up?

I have always loved Disney movies growning up. I remember watching WOnderful World of Disney in the 60's and seeing the Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion ride and wanted to go and see them. Dw opened when I was in high school and there was no way our family could afford to take the trip. For our honeymoon dh and I went to Calif and DLwas our first stop. we fell in love and being on the east coast it is easier for us to go to DW.

We wanted to take a trip for DL 50th anniversary because I was born 2 months before it opened and dh is 4 months after. I would say that we will go for the 60th but that is about the time we plan to retire and I have already decided that I want to stay in Bay Lake Towers with a MK view for a couple of days.

 

[tigger813]

QOTD: I had always loved Disney but my love began when DH (DF at the time) took me to Disney in June 1997. My parents had just been and said that we should really go. Neither of us had ever been so for Valentine's Day that year, I got a trip to Disney from DH. We had the most wonderful experience and also visited Kennedy Space Center and Universal. We stayed off site at a time share. We went again in 1999 with a group of friends and then didn't go again until 2003. DH came home from work one day and said, I don't know how but we are going to go to Disney. It was DD1s first trip and it was magical. We took DD2 when she was 20 months. They both love everything Disney!

Our next trip is just over 9 months away but we are all getting excited talking about the restaurants we want to eat at and the hotel we want to stay at. We play the Magic Kingdom game all the time. DH and I read the boards everyday and he even created a website about Disney.

Back from church. Totally off plan today but I'm tired and decided to give myself a break today. I do plan on doing some Wii Fit and Just Dance later if I get the energy. Going to just hang out and watch the Olympics and catch up on shows that I missed due to the Olympics.

 

[cclovesdis]

QOTD: My love for Disney when we went our 2nd time. I loved it my first time, but after the 2nd time, I knew I had to return.

I had a good weigh-in this morning. I'm down for the first time in a few weeks. I am convinced that the key is drinking water. I got in some exercise, but not that much. I hope I can maintain the loss. My goal is to get in a workout every day this week. I may skip Thursday because it is so busy, but otherwise a solid workout every other day. Got to run.

 

[my3princes]

With all the crazy weather we have been having sometimes we forget how beautiful nature truly is.

Today find a quiet room where you can look out a window. Then spend 5 minutes looking at nature. Even snow can look beautiful. If you are lucky enought to have warm weather go out and enjoy your surroundings.

yesterday we had no power so I over indulged in sweets, but I also had time to read all of my magazines that had piled up. Today I'm going to take a nap

QOTD Saturday. My love for Disney stated in 1998. DH and I actually honeymooned at WDW in 1992 and it was a great trip, but I didn't feel passionately about going back. In 1998 we went with our oldest son 2 1/2 and our middle son who was 6 months. Seeing the World through their eyes did it for me and dh too. We are now DVC owners and take at least 2 vacations every 3 years and they are usually 3 weeks each. Having longer vacations add to our love as we have time to appreciate everything and time to relax.

 

[flipflopmom]

Thanks for the welcomes, everyone. I did my 5 minutes enjoying nature killing myself running today! I am doing the couch to 5 K program, starting the 4th week. Went to the park to run 16 out of 21 minutes, in intervals. Then walked back home. Looked over at the Hospice Garden, thought about the flowers blooming in honor of those gone on, including the one planted for my Grandmother. Which made me think about how much I miss my Daddy, that passed away in Sept. Kind of melancholy. I guess walking by the funeral home on the way to the park started that mindset.

Daddy always told me to quit being a candy tail, and get up and do something. I think he's proud. Yes, I am 34, and the quintessential Daddy's girl. He will always be Daddy, not Dad.

In the same vein, onto QOD. I loved all the disney movies growing up. Never went to WDW until my honeymoon. LOVED IT! Finally got around to taking our girls for the first time last summer. We had just found out Daddy had cancer, and he told the dr's he had to wait for his princesses to go to their castle before his surgery. In the midst of all the worrying, I found a great bunch of Dis friends that helped me through, helped me plan. That week in July was the best of our lives, so much so that we bought DVC so that we can continue to enjoy the magic yearly. We came back, and a 2 months later to the day, Daddy passed away from complications from his surgery. I went into a deep depression, that I didn't begin to come out of until our New Year's Eve trip to Disney's Hilton Head Island. For the first time in 3 months, I smiled. Then I realized I was happy. Came back and started planning our June trip with a vengance. Then stumbled onto the wish boards, began a new lifestyle. When I check in on Father's Day this year, I'll know that my Daddy is healthy for the first time in years, and so am I, and his princesses will once again be at our castle, and he is in his.

 

[50sjayne]

Totally copied from a post by friend last year, but its such a great visual I decided to find it and share it:

You lose weight a pound or half a pound at a time, so somethings, looking at the detail it can look like this:

Not much to see, but all those pounds and half-pounds add up, so when you take a step back and examine the BIG picture, it all comes together:

Seurat, painted one dot at a time, and we lose weight, one pound at a time.

Focus on the dots and the picture will emerge.

That's cool!

Saturday qotd- Since we're all disney fans, when did your love for all things disney begin? Did you get the disney magic from the first time you entered a disney park, or was it a love that gradually built up?

Have a magical day!

I remember going to an old gorgeous theater and seeing Cinderella. I remember seing the posters for Song of the South at the same place. In fact I'm sure we went to see Song of the South because I remember my mom singing zippity doo dah with me. I had a pop up Cinderella book I used to look through all the time-- I loved the ladies ballgown dresses.
Went to Disneyland when I was pretty little with my parents...4-5 I think. We lived in Illinois but my mom wanted to visit my great aunt and family in LA. My mom at some point met my stepdad who was her sister's boyfriends brother (whew) and (skipping all the hoopla and drama) we ended up living in Long Beach for awhile. I remember my uncle Greg taking me to Disneyland in that frame of time and I was absolutely convinced that we went to the moon.
After moving to Oregon we would take trips to California every few years or so, mostly helping my stepdads relatives to move up here (his mom and dad, and sister) and visiting my great aunt. One of my cousins Anne Marie worked at the Blue Bayou for years and years as head hostess. So we would go to Disneyland on these trips. I'm not sure but I think she may be working there again- she didn't for some years becuase she got cancer. I've always loved the movies, from the old animated classics to Herbie and Cat from outer space My stepdad took me to see Fantasia when I was about 7 I think at an old gorgeous theater with a balcony and I made him take me right back around to the back of the line again poor guy. I really really loved Fantasia.
Then I met my husband who had just about everything Disney ever came out with on vhs (he used to tape the Disney channel when it first started) and is a big collector of all things Disney, particularly the albums. He bought all the Disney reissues and the kids would watch them endlessly plus the odd stuff he had on vhs. I remember taking daughter to see the Little mermaid, it was her first theater movie. When the kids got to be of an age, (4&6 we really didn't want to take them before they were old enough to enjoy it) we went and were totally hooked again. We took them every year until we bought a house which doubled our rent so cutting back on disney seemed to make sense..plus the kids were getting older. Then you kind of forget how it is.
Last year we went and were completely pulled in again-- me the worst I think. We're going back in June and then I think we'll have a hiatus until everythings done in 2012. We're gonna be poor again anyway with the boy going to college....
Can't wait for the girl to produce a grandkid for me to take! That'll be awhile though lol she's also going to school and will probably be in for awhile as she wants to be a therapist. This may sound insane but one of my big motivations to lose the last 15 pounds I lost was to live to see Disney's 100th anniversary. Hopefully I'll be there--prob'ly in my wheelchair but I plan on keeping spry lol.

 

[lecach]

Saturday qotd- Since we're all disney fans, when did your love for all things disney begin? Did you get the disney magic from the first time you entered a disney park, or was it a love that gradually built up?

My first trip to WDW at age 25 with my Mom. We had never had any interest in going but my Mom won a trip. We knew as soon as we got there that we were in love and have been back quite a few times since.

 

[3TinksAndAnEeyore]

Seurat, painted one dot at a time, and we lose weight, one pound at a time.

Focus on the dots and the picture will emerge.

That's fantastic! I love to have visuals! This was especially timely since I only lost 1/2 pound this week. It's still an integral dot!

Today find a quiet room where you can look out a window. Then spend 5 minutes looking at nature. Even snow can look beautiful. If you are lucky enought to have warm weather go out and enjoy your surroundings.

Donac, I haven't been participating in the COWS like I would like to, but I want you to know that just by putting it out there to think about, there are days when I drink all my water. I didn't light a candle last night, but I did cry "headache" and escape back to my bedroom for about twenty minutes last night while DH and DDs spent some time together. I'm not sure if I'll ever get out in the midst of today's rain, but I did enjoy a beautiful nature run yesterday along Dry Creek (which is most assuredly not dry right now). It was beautiful taking in all the blossoming trees and the lush greenery all along the creek bank.

Looked over at the Hospice Garden, thought about the flowers blooming in honor of those gone on, including the one planted for my Grandmother. Which made me think about how much I miss my Daddy, that passed away in Sept.

I'm sorry to hear about your dad . Dads are very special.

 

[tigger813]

Back from a last minute massage client! 2nd one in two weeks! Just started my Welsh Dragon and just marinated the swordfish that DH and I will have for supper! Going to grill it on the GF grill.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! Church and Olympic hockey game tomorrow!

Enjoy the last weekend of the Olympics!

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

Saturday qotd- Since we're all disney fans, when did your love for all things disney begin? Did you get the disney magic from the first time you entered a disney park, or was it a love that gradually built up?


I guess I have been a Disney fan all my life. It started with childhood vacations to the CR. I remember staying there was a "big deal" according to my dad. I remeber the wonderful world of Disney and the Song of the South was my favorite movie by far. My highschool class trip was a week in Disney world. Epcot had just been built, there was still River Country, and the Grand Floridian had started construction. We stayed that time at the Disney Hotel I think it is Shades of Green now. Me and my husband started haveing family trips in 1994 and returned every year, then it became twice a year once with the family and once alone. 10 years ago we started looking at property in the Vero Beach area but then my parents got sick and we opted to stay put and care for them. In 2004 we were celebrating our 13th Anniversary at BWV we kind of both decided lets have a baby. We we came home with our little souvenir as the commercial states. Now we are living the dream. We moved about 45 miles from the parks and visit reguarly. We are in heaven!

 

[mikamah]

That is the nice thing about our challenge -- you don't have to post and chatter to participat -- but we are always happy to hear from you when you do.

This is so true. We all have those days without a minute to ourselves, and it is so nice to know our BL friends are always going to be here for us. Hope your having a great trip Lisa.

last week when i weighed in i was up a pound. SO frustrating cuz there was no cheating or slacking on my part. my body was adjusting or i probably had too much salt, cuz this week's weigh-in was AWESOME. so happy.

"i will only fail when i decide to give-up"

Whoo hoo, so glad this week was awesome. I like your quote which is so true.

*sigh* I had a really rough night last night. I had a bit of an emotional meltdown. There wasn't any one thing I was upset about, but I just couldn't function when I got home after work last night. Everything was making me angry, so I decided to take a break and lie down for a bit. That didn't help because part of my stress was being able to get everything done this week, and lying around just meant I was losing precious time. I have no explanation for why I was such a mess last night. There are lots of underlying things I feel stressed about, but nothing new or huge. It goes in cycles - feeling like I have my/family life kind of together, then feeling like I'm barely holding it together, then stress builds and I freak out. Does every parent feel like this? Is it worse because I'm working FT and don't want to be? Is it worse because I'm burnt out and stressed at work? I'm frustrated too because DD is staying with my folks this week and I'm STILL stressed out. I don't know if I'm looking for advice or support - I think I mainly wanted to vent.

I've lost 20 pounds since starting my current journey, and a little over 15 pounds since starting BL. I'm 2 pounds from goal, then looking forward to staying with BL on the maintainer team!

hugs to you on the stress. I know I feel so overwhelmed at times, and it is hard to juggle work and family, and the stress hits at one time, but not others. We just need to keep trudging along. I saw your dd is 2, and toddlers are so busy and constantly in need of attention, it's hard not to have much time to yourself to regroup. Hang in there. congrats on being so close to goal!!

QOTD: I started my journey in Christmas 2008. We got a Wii and Wii Fit and I decided to make a really conscious effort to get in shape. I turn 40 in August and decided I wanted to be a healthy person by then. Redwalker had been inspiring me to get moving and I did. I gained 30-40 pounds with both kids and didn't really lose much afterward. I discovered WATP and fell in love with it! I was also doing Jillian Michaels workouts and the elliptical. I had lost about 30 pounds by the time we went to Disney last April. I felt great!

I have finally fallen below that weight and am so excited! I reached a new low this morning of 156.0! I don't remember the last time I was at that weight. I want to lost about another 10 to reach my goal. The Wii Fit says I need to lose 20 more but I think that would be too much for me. I am also doing the Walk your way to Disney challenge on the boards. I have 1303 miles to Disney and have done 212 miles so far! I have just over 9 months until our trip so I should be able to reach my goal in plenty of time. It has become harder and I keep losing the same weight over and over again.

I'm not surprised your journey started with the wii fit and exercise. You are the exercise queen. Congrats on reaching a new low!!! That is so exciting!!

I started writing this up and realized - wow, it is a really long story. My whole life, really. I've wrestled with the same 60 pounds for so long. I'm not sure how much of it anyone really wants to know - are we going all out here or summaries?

You have been so successful and a role model for me, I'd love to hear your journey if you feel like sharing it.

I didn't have a weight problem until I met my husband. Most of my teen years and a majority of my adult life were spent with an eating disorder (bulimia). I met my husband in mid-2002 and had already packed on a good 25 pounds by the end of 2002. The more I fell in love with him, the more I gained. The more I gained, the more HE fell in love with my new curves. Then in 2004 I got pregnant... I was on bed rest for 7 months. After my son was born in December of 2004 and before my daughter was conceived in May 2006, I got pregnant 4 times and had 4 miscarriages. I was basically on bed rest from April 2004 when I was pregnant with my son until my daughter was born in February 2007. While on bed rest I ate and ate and ate. After my 4 miscarriages, I ate and ate and ate. After my daughter was born, I nursed her for 14 months... I ate and ate and ate. December 2009 I was at my biggest.

I asked for a Wii Fit for Christmas and got one. Since Christmas I have only missed 2 days working out. The day after Christmas and New Years Day. I joined WW in mid-January. I've lost almost 25 pounds since Christmas day. It's been pretty easy for me so far... until today. I'm having a bad day today.

So sorry about your miscarriages, and I can only imagine the stress that brought. 25 pounds in 2 months is fabulous. Hang in there, hope today is better for you.

That is nice to hear your maintaining is not as hard as you anticipated. We all strive to join you in maintenance land. Great job.

We were part of the horrible storm last night. Winds were the worst I've ever experienced. We lost power at 12:30 this morning and didn't get it back until 3 this afternoon. Of course I've been cooped up with the kids with no electricity or heat so I have eaten every bad thing that I laid eyes on Ring Dings, Choc Chip cookie dough. Ugghhh. I will be better tomorrow. We did not weigh in this morning, never even thought about it will everything that was going on. Between not sleeping and lack of electricity I think my brain shut down. I really thought the window were going to blow in at times.

Glad you have your power back. We were lucky with this storm. So many people I work with had now power yesterday, and a friend in the next town over still doesn't.

I started WW in Sept. 2008 and have be at it ever since. I lost 30 pounds pretty quickly, but then I was put on a medication that makes you gain a lot of weight about a year ago-I gained back 12-15 pounds depending on how I did for the week. I was back down to close to 30 pounds lost and then I went on another medication and the cycle repeated itself. I went off of it last week and I dropped quite a few pounds within days. I gained a few back, but I'm back down to about 20-22 pounds lost and am doing well now. I might top 25 pounds lost (again, but no biggie) when I weigh-in tomorrow morning.

25 pounds lost is awesome!! It's so hard to be on a med that affects your weight, just makes your losing that much more challenging. Hope you hit that 25 again.

I've exercised 6 days a week since the COW challenge (Jan 15) except during the vacation and as of this morning am down to 270 (lost 27.5 since this started). My blood pressure is back to my normal, my pulse rate is back to my normal and I'm starting to just get into a daily groove--even when I don't want to.

Not sure where this will take me--but this time it feels different and I feel like I'm in it for the 'long haul' and am building up a collection of recipes and ideas that I will use for life--strategies that will help me enjoy things I did in the past but in control and moderation.

Thank you all so much for being here and for your encouragement and your shining examples--it helps so much to feel not alone in this journey--good days or bad I know you'll be here and I'm grateful for that - to help me get strong enough to where I can stand alone and without you--though then, it will be my turn to give back to those that are then where I am now Bless you!!!!!

We are all in this for the long haul, and it's so encouraging to hear how everyone else is dealing. Congrats on your loss so far. You are making changes that you can live with for the long term.

I've been real down lately. I have to find that happy place again. I had a whole thyroid panel done yesterday, because something wacky is going on and I can't take it. Hopefully by Sunday I will have the results back. I'm hoping I have hypothryoid, because it will explain alot that has been going on with me. Sorry to ramble it felt good though.

I hope you are feeling better again soon. I saw your thyroid is all normal, but no answer for you. Hang in there. The winter can be a tough time to keep up the positive attitude.

My biggest fear is failing as a parent. I want my DD's to be healthy, happy and active. I don't want to teach my children my fears. Its a balance to have them see that Mommy wants to lose weight and make sure they understand that its not to be skinnier, but to be healthier. I want my kids to be confident no matter what size they are, and to just be healthy. I want my girls to know there's lots of options out there. It has been great watching the Olympics with the girls. They like seeing all these women doing different sports.

I have that same fear, and as my son grows up, I need to be a positive role model for him. I think you're doing a great job, and it must have been so inspiring for your girls to see the athletes and the olympics and to know that anything is possible.

[ I'm now down to 226 after starting this challenge at 248. I can't tell you how excited I am to get to 219. That's going to be a huge milestone for me. Just to get this pregnancy weight off finally will be such a huge relief! Lot's more ahead after that, but one step at a time, right?

Reaching a new decade is such a great reward. Nice loss you've had so far, you'll see 219 soon.

Gah! Why did our parents let people who supposedly love us get away with saying things like that as kids? If any adult makes any type of comment like that to my DDs (whatever weight they are!), they will get more than just an earful from me.

I totally agree.

Back from the hockey game. We were in the 2nd row and the girls LOVED it! Unfortunately there are only 2 more home games left so we won't get to another one this season. DD1/DH caught a t-shirt so they were both happy.

Didn't eat well. Had some nachos and meatballs and then some popcorn. Also had 2 lite beers. I did get exercise going up and down the stairs to our seats. Of course, now I'm having a slight on and off muscle spasm in my lower right part of my back. Don't know what caused it unless it was the cold in there. I wore my coat the entire time with a heavy sweatshirt on underneath.

Hope your back is feeling better soon. Glad you enjoyed the game.

I didn't want my kids to be embarassed by me. My DH grew up very embarassed by the size and appearance of his mother so it was a very real worry for me.

I know we'll do plenty to embarrass our kids, but I would hate for my son to have to deal with mean kids about my weight and appearance.

I have been involved with a few BL but I have not been too successful. One session I got the shingles and that was really hard to come back from. Last spring's session my ankle was really giving me problems and I had surgery for a bunion on my left foot. This past fall's session was difficult since I had spent the summer not doing much and I couldn't get motivated.

I think that even if we do not see a big loss during these challenges, we are still far better off than if we were not trying. Sticking with them is a success in itself, even if our success isn't in the pounds on the scale, we are making healthy changes to our lives.

Totally copied from a post by friend last year, but its such a great visual I decided to find it and share it:

You lose weight a pound or half a pound at a time, so somethings, looking at the detail it can look like this:

Not much to see, but all those pounds and half-pounds add up, so when you take a step back and examine the BIG picture, it all comes together:

Seurat, painted one dot at a time, and we lose weight, one pound at a time.

Focus on the dots and the picture will emerge.

This is awesome!!

Ds2 came home yesterday. We went to get him early in the morning. As we were driving out the roads were still so snow covered that we called him and told him that we couldn't get him. We stopped for breakfast and by the time we got out, the sun was out and the roads were clear so we were able to get him and dh will bring him back on Sunday.

Glad the weather held out for your ds to make it home. I'm sure he would have been so disappointed.

Oooh...I am excited for this one too! We are having beautiful weather in Minnesota (getting up to 30° or so each day - yep, that is beautiful winter weather here). This means it will be a beautiful day to go out running! I will take a moment to enjoy nature while I am out!

Spring is just around the corner!!!

QOTD: My love for Disney began I believe in 1982. My dad took a pension loan to pay for the trip and we were able to stay at the Polynesian. There wasn't much to do at that time. There was only Magic Kingdom and River Country. I was only 10 but I remember that trip so well. I haven't stayed at the Polynesian since, but I love to visit when I can. Usually we'll pool hop and catch dinner there. One of these days I will stay there again.

Love to hear about the memories people have a kids, and hope my son will remember the trips we take.

I joined this great thread and I am now 18 pounds lighter and doing it the right way this time. Sensible diet and exercise.

Nice loss!! Sensible diet and exercise is so key to this journey. Why can it be so hard sometimes?

 

[maiziezoe]

Back from a last minute massage client! 2nd one in two weeks! Just started my Welsh Dragon and just marinated the swordfish that DH and I will have for supper! Going to grill it on the GF grill.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! Church and Olympic hockey game tomorrow!

Enjoy the last weekend of the Olympics!

I cannot wait for the game tomorrow!!

 

[maiziezoe]

Saturday qotd- Since we're all disney fans, when did your love for all things disney begin? Did you get the disney magic from the first time you entered a disney park, or was it a love that gradually built up?


The park opened in October 1971 and we were there in November '71. I was 3.5 and my brother was a year and a half. I have a picture of my aunt holding my hand as we walk down Main Street. The clothes in the pictures are hysterical. I will have to see if I can find the picture and post it. We went at least once a year after our first visit while I was still living at home. I think I have been there 31 times. Last year I took my first Disney cruise and it was the BEST vacation I've ever had. I have a whole new appreciation for Disney now.

If you love Disney but haven't been on a Disney cruise... you have to take one. You will fall more in love with Disney than you already are.

 

[mikamah]

I have always loved Disney movies growning up. I remember watching WOnderful World of Disney in the 60's and seeing the Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion ride and wanted to go and see them. Dw opened when I was in high school and there was no way our family could afford to take the trip. For our honeymoon dh and I went to Calif and DLwas our first stop. we fell in love and being on the east coast it is easier for us to go to DW.

We wanted to take a trip for DL 50th anniversary because I was born 2 months before it opened and dh is 4 months after. I would say that we will go for the 60th but that is about the time we plan to retire and I have already decided that I want to stay in Bay Lake Towers with a MK view for a couple of days.

Bay lake towers with MK view sounds amazing. We used to watch the sunday night wonderful world of disney too.

Our next trip is just over 9 months away but we are all getting excited talking about the restaurants we want to eat at and the hotel we want to stay at. We play the Magic Kingdom game all the time. DH and I read the boards everyday and he even created a website about Disney.

Your kids are at such a great age to be involved with the planning. Do you know where you'll be staying yet?

QOTD: My love for Disney when we went our 2nd time. I loved it my first time, but after the 2nd time, I knew I had to return.

I had a good weigh-in this morning. I'm down for the first time in a few weeks. I am convinced that the key is drinking water. I got in some exercise, but not that much. I hope I can maintain the loss. My goal is to get in a workout every day this week. I may skip Thursday because it is so busy, but otherwise a solid workout every other day. Got to run.

Congrats on the loss. It is amazing how much the water does, keeping us hydrated and keeping our metabolism working.

QOTD Saturday. My love for Disney stated in 1998. DH and I actually honeymooned at WDW in 1992 and it was a great trip, but I didn't feel passionately about going back. In 1998 we went with our oldest son 2 1/2 and our middle son who was 6 months. Seeing the World through their eyes did it for me and dh too. We are now DVC owners and take at least 2 vacations every 3 years and they are usually 3 weeks each. Having longer vacations add to our love as we have time to appreciate everything and time to relax.

Living the DVC dream....... I'm so jealous.

Looked over at the Hospice Garden, thought about the flowers blooming in honor of those gone on, including the one planted for my Grandmother. Which made me think about how much I miss my Daddy, that passed away in Sept. Kind of melancholy. I guess walking by the funeral home on the way to the park started that mindset.

Daddy always told me to quit being a candy tail, and get up and do something. I think he's proud. Yes, I am 34, and the quintessential Daddy's girl. He will always be Daddy, not Dad.

In the same vein, onto QOD. I loved all the disney movies growing up. Never went to WDW until my honeymoon. LOVED IT! Finally got around to taking our girls for the first time last summer. We had just found out Daddy had cancer, and he told the dr's he had to wait for his princesses to go to their castle before his surgery. In the midst of all the worrying, I found a great bunch of Dis friends that helped me through, helped me plan. That week in July was the best of our lives, so much so that we bought DVC so that we can continue to enjoy the magic yearly. We came back, and a 2 months later to the day, Daddy passed away from complications from his surgery. I went into a deep depression, that I didn't begin to come out of until our New Year's Eve trip to Disney's Hilton Head Island. For the first time in 3 months, I smiled. Then I realized I was happy. Came back and started planning our June trip with a vengance. Then stumbled onto the wish boards, began a new lifestyle. When I check in on Father's Day this year, I'll know that my Daddy is healthy for the first time in years, and so am I, and his princesses will once again be at our castle, and he is in his.

I'm so sorry about your daddy. It is so hard to lose a parent, and the pain and loss is so deep, and hits at any time. Time does heal, and I lost my mom in june, but it is still such an emotional roller coaster. It is comforting to know they are not suffering any longer, but it's leaves such a hole. I try to remember she is with me in my heart always, as your daddy is in your heart.

.

This may sound insane but one of my big motivations to lose the last 15 pounds I lost was to live to see Disney's 100th anniversary. Hopefully I'll be there--prob'ly in my wheelchair but I plan on keeping spry lol.

I bet you'll see a lot of disser's there!! I think I'll be in my 90s. I should put that in my calendar.

My first trip to WDW at age 25 with my Mom. We had never had any interest in going but my Mom won a trip. We knew as soon as we got there that we were in love and have been back quite a few times since.

Wow, that must have been amazing to win a trip.

I haven't been participating in the COWS like I would like to, but I want you to know that just by putting it out there to think about, there are days when I drink all my water.

The cow is so helpful, even if we just do a few things, it gets us thinking about and making little, healthy changes.

Back from a last minute massage client! 2nd one in two weeks! Just started my Welsh Dragon and just marinated the swordfish that DH and I will have for supper! Going to grill it on the GF grill.

I keep hearing about these welsh dragons, and think I might need to try one.

In 2004 we were celebrating our 13th Anniversary at BWV we kind of both decided lets have a baby. We we came home with our little souvenir as the commercial states. Now we are living the dream. We moved about 45 miles from the parks and visit reguarly. We are in heaven!

Aw, congrats on your amazing souvenir.

 

[maiziezoe]

This is from 1973... every year my mom took a picture of my aunt holding my hand as we walked down Main Street. Check out the clothes...

 

[mikamah]

[The park opened in October 1971 and we were there in November '71. I was 3.5 and my brother was a year and a half. I have a picture of my aunt holding my hand as we walk down Main Street. The clothes in the pictures are hysterical. I will have to see if I can find the picture and post it. We went at least once a year after our first visit while I was still living at home. I think I have been there 31 times. Last year I took my first Disney cruise and it was the BEST vacation I've ever had. I have a whole new appreciation for Disney now.

If you love Disney but haven't been on a Disney cruise... you have to take one. You will fall more in love with Disney than you already are.

I'd love to see that picture. I've never cruised, but am planning to take the disney cruise for my 50th b-day in 2014. Glad you loved your cruise.

I loved reading about everyone journeys, we have such a varied group, all working toward the same goal.

Well, I went to my bil's retirement party last night, and on the positive front, I didn't eat any appetizers or cake, I had eaten before, but on a not so positive note, I think I drank about 6-7 beers. I was with my 4 siblings and inlaws, and no kids, and we really had a fun night. I did some dancing, and we walked home, about a mile, so I did get some activity. We could not remember if we had ever been all together without the kids, or some kids. Today we all got together with the kids too, and had chinese food, and a cake for my sisters' 50th bday, so eating today was not good, but I didn't have any alcohol. I'm going to get to bed early tonight, and get up and do some wii fit. Haven't seen the weather, but if it's not snowing, I'll get out and do the C25k. I've only done it twice, but once the weather clears up, I want to get in in 3 times/ a week.

for the qotd- I went to wdw the first time about 20 years ago with a boyfriend who had been before, and to him, it was about the rides only, and it was fun, but I didn't get the magic. A few years later I took a family trip- my two sisters, one brother, and mom, with my 5 yo nephew. It was so much fun, I was about 30, and my mom would crash after dinner with my nephew and we all would go to pleasure Island. That was when I saw what a fun place it was to vacation at, and my nephew was such a great age, that I said when I had kids, I'd take them when they turned 5. I wouldn't say I really got the magic until my son's first trip. We celebrated his fifth b-day at crystal palace that trip, and tigger brought him his cake. He was enthralled with the characters, and very scared of the rides, so we did not to many rides, but to see the wonder in his eyes whenever he met a character, was just amazing. That's when I got it, and am making it at least a yearly trip.

Have a nice night.

 

[mikamah]

maiziezoe- that picture is awesome!! The clothes remind me that the today show is doing a segment on the partridge family on tuesday, if anyone is interested.

 

[pppiglet]

Quote:
Originally Posted by corinnak
I don't use google maps, but I have used Mapmyrun.com more than once!


Oh my gosh, Corinna! Thank you for this site! I was having trouble figuring out exactly how far I was walking and now I know. I just mapped out a great route and as soon as I am done posting here, I am going to walk it. It's mostly uphill!

I'm so glad I still check in here to read all your tips even though I don't post much. Thank you for posting that site. We walk the same route all the time and always wondered what the mileage would be. Can't check it with the car since we cross a foot bridge. Also, I don't know how it did it, but when I first logged on it went directly to my city and I've never been on the site before. Some pre-routed maps were in there and one of the walks I wanted to do was listed as 7 miles. Not sure I'm ready for that one yet!