Biggest Loser--Fall 2011 Challenge for Losers & Maintainers!!

[BernardandMissBianca]

Thanks Lisa! I actually had a fleeting moment of clarity so I have my Clean up the Clutter post, introduction, and Questions for all days but Tuesday and Wednesday ready to go in a word doc.

 

[momofdjc]

I'm posting the QOTD early because who knows if I'll have time tomorrow!

QOTD 10/6: What is something positive you've done this week in regards to your weight loss journey?

I stopped drinking my Diet Dr. Pepper each morning.

Disney QOTD 10/6: Do you use Photopass? What are your favorite shots you've had done?

We haven't used photopass.

QOTD 10/5: What has been your most difficult obstacle to overcome on your journey to weight loss and a healthier lifestyle? How are you trying to change it?

The last 2 weeks I've had a strained calf muscle. It's only been the last couple of days that I've been able to walk without pain. My 8 block walk to and from the train was very painfull until yesterday.

Disney QOTD: Does anyone in your family collect character autographs or photos? What is the best character interaction you've ever witnessed or experienced?

We have collected autographs in the past. We do get pictures still. One of my favorite character interactions was outside the Animal Kingdom. We were waiting outside to be seated at Rainforest Cafe, DS & DD were playing with Timon & Mushu - they were playing keep away with DS hat. They had a great time with them.

Sue, I completely understand. It is 8:10 AM and I am home because yesterday I lost my job. Over 10% of us were laid off. I am miserable, but doing better. I am going to run a few errands today to catch up on some things that have been put on the back burner, but otherwise, it's job searching. I have a get-together scheduled with a friend tonight that had been planned, so I'll keep that as well.

I will post the HH results soon. I have to make a few phone calls first.

I love language, so my dream job would involve that. I think I've mentioned that I'm certified as a teacher of the hearing impaired. I;ve always had a knack for grammar, semantics, syntax, etc., and have a (obnoxious to some) tendancy to correct people. I really must work on that.

Hope everyone has a great day!

CC

So sorry to hear about the job loss. You will find something better.

 

[mackeysmom]

I completely understand. It is 8:10 AM and I am home because yesterday I lost my job. Over 10% of us were laid off. I am miserable, but doing better. I am going to run a few errands today to catch up on some things that have been put on the back burner, but otherwise, it's job searching. I have a get-together scheduled with a friend tonight that had been planned, so I'll keep that as well.

So sorry to hear about that - here's to much luck and success with the job search.

- Laura

 

[ougrad86]

QOTD 10/4: What is your dream job/career? Really, no matter how out there it is!

I really can't think of one. SAHM would be number one, but I would need to do something else, to get out in the world and interact with other people. I am interested in so many things, I can't pin down one ideal, although I do love working with children. Used to work with young children, until the 15 hour days burned me out. May go back to that part time after putting DS through college!
DQOTD: Do you have any Disney soundtracks or CDs that you listen to? They can be from theme parks or movies.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

I have various Disney songs on my iPhone - just kind of pick up ones I like. I do enjoy Mary Poppins. It was one of my favorites when I was little.

QOTD 10/5: What has been your most difficult obstacle to overcome on your journey to weight loss and a healthier lifestyle? How are you trying to change it?

Probably my DH. He is overweight, but won't acknowledge it. A lot of his food is around the house, which includes chocolate and ice cream. So on the weekends especially, a lot of temptation. I have tried to talk him into losing weight, and he occassionally says he is on the diet of eating less...which of course never continues. I'm feeling better than I have in years since I lost a bunch of weight a couple of years ago, will keep on trying to talk to him, but he doesn't like to listen to stuff like that.
Disney QOTD: Does anyone in your family collect character autographs or photos? What is the best character interaction you've ever witnessed or experienced?

We only have some from Chef Mickey and one time in HS. DS isn't big into the characters. We saw Eeyore and Tigger at HS one time and DH decided he wanted a picture of himself with Eeyore to show a coworker who is a big Eeyore fan. He wanted a picture of just himself with Eeyore. Tigger was kind of cute, acting as though he were hurt that DH didn't want his picture.

We were ALL wearing matching outfits (shirts for the guys, sun dresses for DD and I).... obviously they Chip (or Dale??) noticed........

Someone once taught me an easy way to tell them apart. Chip has a nose like a chocolate chip! My DB was nicknamed Chip, and I still call him that. He married Gail. We still tease them a little about "Chip & Gail". My DS loved the way that sounded when he was young.

Chip & Dale are my favorites.

QOTD 10/6: What is something positive you've done this week in regards to your weight loss journey?

Finally lost that weight a gained after the German dinner!
Disney QOTD 10/6: Do you use Photopass? What are your favorite shots you've had done?

We had it done - did not like the way I looked (not photogenic at all), but nice to have pictures of all of us. We are spending a few days in Disney this coming trip, but during Spring Break, the lines might be too long and it might be a little too crowded to take pictures.

Sue, I completely understand. It is 8:10 AM and I am home because yesterday I lost my job. Over 10% of us were laid off. I am miserable, but doing better. I am going to run a few errands today to catch up on some things that have been put on the back burner, but otherwise, it's job searching. I have a get-together scheduled with a friend tonight that had been planned, so I'll keep that as well.
CC

So sorry about your job. When I lost mine, it completely blindsided me, and I was a mess for awhile. But since then I have found a place in a company that really values its employees, and I am actually glad that I was laid off from the other job (that company eventually went backrupt). I hope you find a wonderful job that fits you to a T!

 

[akhaloha]

Disney QOTD 10/6: Do you use Photopass? What are your favorite shots you've had done?

That is the other. I call it my model shot. But really, there's a nice story that goes with it. I left Fantasmic just as the steamboat was coming out, following a tip to beat the crowds. I saw a Photopass photographer in a wheelchair on Hollywood Blvd, and everyone was just walking right past him in their attempts to get wherever they were going. I felt bad that he was just kind of being ignored, so I stopped and had him take my pictures. They turned out beautifully. He was able to capture a unique angle and it's literally one of the best pictures of me ever taken. I feel all warm and fuzzy inside thinking about it. And I was still able to get a seat on the first bus that left-I think it might have even been there waiting for me!
[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE]

I love your pictures! They are beautiful. I have never used Photopass, but after seeing how great your pictures turned out we will definitely use them on our next trip! Thanks for sharing!!

 

[akhaloha]

Sue, I completely understand. It is 8:10 AM and I am home because yesterday I lost my job. Over 10% of us were laid off. I am miserable, but doing better. I am going to run a few errands today to catch up on some things that have been put on the back burner, but otherwise, it's job searching. I have a get-together scheduled with a friend tonight that had been planned, so I'll keep that as well.

I will post the HH results soon. I have to make a few phone calls first.

I love language, so my dream job would involve that. I think I've mentioned that I'm certified as a teacher of the hearing impaired. I;ve always had a knack for grammar, semantics, syntax, etc., and have a (obnoxious to some) tendancy to correct people. I really must work on that.

Hope everyone has a great day!

CC

I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your job. When my daughter was in 3rd grade her teacher was a certified teacher of the hearing impaired. She too had been laid off from her job and took a teaching position at our school while she continued to look for a job with the hearing impaired. She was amazing and we were so lucky to have her as our teacher! My daughter even learned sign language that year and developed a greater understanding of what it would be like to be hearing impaired. After about a year she ended up finding her dream job teaching hearing impaired children at another school. She had become a favorite teacher at our school and we were sad to see her go. We were so lucky to have had a chance to learn so many new things from this amazing woman.

I'm sure you will be able to find your dream job and you too will make a difference in children's lives. Good luck in your job search.

 

[4HOLIDAYS]

I am not sure if this pic will come up but it is a fav from photopass- we use it most trips
Sorry for the size-I can't seem to get it resized on photobucket

 

[pjlla]

Hey I know those 2 gorgeous young ladies!!! DS misses you guys! He wants his ride buddy back!

Aww.. miss you too! I'm sure DD would be happy to tag along to Disney with you any time!!

I'm doing Early Bird Check In on the way home because we'll be at MNSSHP 24 hours before. Last trip we got A40 & A41 going down and A35 & A36 coming home (with EBCI). I'm not too worried because I remember last time the first 20 or so numbers didn't even have people attached to them! And I was looking at flight schedules, and this one also has people on it that are stopping/laying over on their way to various Texas, South Carolina, other Florida airports, etc.

I don't blame you for doing early bird check-in for the return flight. I need to quit being so cheap and do that for my trips!

The most positive thing I will be doing this week in regards to my weight loss is run a 10K on Sunday. I need to get back in the training mode now that a couple of weeks have passed since my half -- this is why you always have to sign up for another race before you finish your last, fight that inertia!

That is DEFINITELY a positive!!

Pamela, love the great pics! I think hair is a great thing for kids to get their ya-yas out with.

I agree.... hopefully it will prevent future desire for things like tatoos and piercings!!

The last 2 weeks I've had a strained calf muscle. It's only been the last couple of days that I've been able to walk without pain. My 8 block walk to and from the train was very painfull until yesterday.


Sorry about the injury.... glad it is getting better.

I am not sure if this pic will come up but it is a fav from photopass- we use it most trips


pic is not coming up for some reason-I'll have to work on it because it's a fav

Keep trying! I'd love to see pictures!


*********
Evening all! Ended up coming home to take clothes off the line before DS's soccer practice, but we literally have to fly out again in 1 minute.... just wanted to pop on and say Hi and good luck for weigh-in tomorrow to everyone! I'll be back tomorrow.....................P

 

[tigger813]

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to share with everyone the link for the GKTW on line vendor fair that we are doing here on the DIS! There are 13 of us that are donating proceeds from our sales to Give Kids the World! There is a thread for the different fundraisers that are going on so just out the GKTW thread on the Podcast boards. I am the one selling Usborne books! There is also Pampered Chef, Tastefully Simple, 31 Gifts, Avon, Creative Memories (US and Canada) and a few others. Thought October would be a great month to do this and you can get a jump on your holiday shopping and help out some deserving kids and their families! The fundraiser runs from now until October 31st! Thanks for your support. This is part of the Dis's Power of Ten fundraising activities!

http://powerof10fair.blogspot.com/

TTFN

 

[bellebookworm9]

Hey everyone! Zumba did not happen tonight; Mom was late picking me up, and then I drove home but got behind several semis, people going 20mph, etc. We stopped for pizza and I also had one chicken wing. I'm heading to bed very soon; Mom needs to pack and hem my Minnie Mouse dress.

We will have internet down there, so I will try to pop in and give updates, though definitely not about what I'm eating! I am taking my black bikini with too.

 

[SettinSail]

Quick post while I watch the evening news here. DS is at JV football game and DH not yet home from work. I did pretty good with eating today and did my 45 minutes of cardio at the Y. I was down a little more this morning. I think if I am lucky I will end the week up 1 pound. No more eating at Cheesecake Factory!!! (for a long long time)

I must be a weenie; I turned our heat on last week and I am much further South than Deb or Pamela!

CC, sorry to hear about your job Good luck with your job search. I hope you get a little down time to relax between jobs

Lisa, good luck with your 10K

Gretchen and 4Holidays, I love your photos! Gretchen have a great vacation! Black bikini, LOOK OUT NOW

I forgot to tell you all that my Mom who only weighs about 155 anyway has lost 12 pounds since July when she had to put my Dad on a low carb diet due to health reasons. I guess I can't say it's impossible to lose weight after age 50 any more. My Mom is 79 years old and my Dad has lost almost 25 pounds since July. I bought Daddy a pedometer. I think I got him the one you recommended Lisa, the Omron.

Have a great evening all!

 

[SettinSail]

Pamela, loved your photos too! What a great looking family!!

 

[cclovesdis]

Healthy Habits Week 3 Results

Congratulations to our participants! Our participants were:

4HOLIDAYS
aamomma
akhaloha
AUdisneyDad
AUdisneyDad's DW
bellebookworm9
buzz5985
ClassicPooh2
cclovesdis
glass1/2fll
jimmduck
kollerbear
momofdjc
ougrad86

And, 4HOLIDAYS, aamomma, akhaloha, AUdisneyDad, AUdisneyDad's DW, bellebookworm9, buzz5985, cclovesdis, ClassicPooh2, jimmduck, momofdjc, and ougrad86 earned 7/7 for at least one of the 4 Habits!

Congratulations to AUdisneyDad and his DW earned all 30 points!

Congratulations to jimmduck who earned 29 points and ougrad86 who earned 28 points!

Congratulations to this week prize winner: jimmduck! Please PM me your address and I will mail out your prize as soon as possible.

 

[my3princes]

Sue, I completely understand. It is 8:10 AM and I am home because yesterday I lost my job. Over 10% of us were laid off. I am miserable, but doing better. I am going to run a few errands today to catch up on some things that have been put on the back burner, but otherwise, it's job searching. I have a get-together scheduled with a friend tonight that had been planned, so I'll keep that as well.

I will post the HH results soon. I have to make a few phone calls first.

I love language, so my dream job would involve that. I think I've mentioned that I'm certified as a teacher of the hearing impaired. I;ve always had a knack for grammar, semantics, syntax, etc., and have a (obnoxious to some) tendancy to correct people. I really must work on that.

Hope everyone has a great day!

CC

I hope you find something better and quickly. Sometimes layoffs actually put us in a better place. It is tough to go through and I hope you have a great outcome.

YIKES! It was great that all of you were willing to give up so much so that they didn't need to make a personnel cut.... and nice that another girl found another job so quickly. But what a shame that he still needs to make so many cuts. But it will be worth it if you all can hold onto your jobs I suppose.




Good attitude!!!






I hate those days/weeks of feeling just FAT. Perhaps your body is just holding onto some fluid or you need some extra fiber to move things along?? YOu have been SUPER busy with that schedule.... no wonder you are exhausted!



I miss those Airstream trailers.... they were kind of neat.



Sounds like you had a super busy day, but I imagine it was rewarding to have so many positive comments from parents. I guess I should be more vocal about telling teachers when my kids really enjoy the class.



I imagine all of the drama with Mom and Dad is causing some stress that is making you extra tired this week. Take care of yourself!



Hey.... we'll take you whenever you can get here! Sorry about the book fair being dumped on you. That is a big task.



WOOOHOOO.... that makes is SO REAL! I HATE that they reserve so many of the "A" numbers now.... it used to be a sort of game for me to check in as early as possible and get the lowest "A" numbers that I could! I've gotten as low as 3 in the past! Now I"m lucky if I get in the 40's.



oh my.... CC, I'm so sorry to hear this.

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

Well... Happy Thursday friends! It is a super happy day for me because my kids have a 4 day weekend!!

I have two loads of towels and sheets on the clothesline already but....brrrr! IT was cold this morning! In the high 20's when I got up! But the sun is shining so the clothes will eventually dry I suppose!

I had a yummy onion eggwhite omelet for breakfast (with a bit of Laughing Cow cheese too). I eat pretty light on THursdays (before weigh-in on Friday), so that will probably be it for the morning. DD and I are having lunch together this afternoon after I pick her up at 12:15 (early release due to NECAP testing). If I get too hungry before lunch I will have a slice of turkey and a cup of tea. Not sure yet what lunch is going to be... especially since the fridge is kind of bare!

Tomorrow was going to be my "get it done around the house" kind of day, but DD has a chiropractic appointment at 10 am and an orthodontist appointment at 1pm (lost her retainer! ).... and she wants to fit in an extra workout at the pool in between those two, so I obviously won't be coming home. So it all needs to get done today!

The house is picked up, laundry and dishes are caught up and we haven't been around enough to need to vacuum again, so it will just be some odd-ball picking up of stuff.... put away the umbrellas still drying in the garage, sprinkle kitty litter on the oil spill in the garage (mower hemorrhaged after I used it last time), straighten up all of the sneakers in the mudroom, get the Legos out of the office confused3) ...........that sort of stuff. If I have time I am going to leave early to pick up DD and stop at the car wash to vacuum my car.

If I can breeze through that stuff early, I might scrap for a few minutes today! That will be my reward. My workout today will be a walk/run while DS is at soccer practice.

DS and I are SUPPOSED to be going away this weekend for our Mother/Son time, but with DH traveling and all of the kids sports and such, it has been hard to confirm this for sure. I'm going to check into it today and make a decision by tonight. DH is going to the Patriot's game on Sunday, so this will mean leaving DD home alone for the entire day.... sure she is 16, but I still worry about her. And we were going to leave Friday night, but DS doesn't want to miss his soccer game Saturday morning. So if we do go away it will be Saturday afternoon until MOnday afternoon probably.

Wish I had more to chat about, but my life is pretty dull! TTYL..............P

I hope you can fit in your trip with your DS. I'm sure he is looking forward to it.

 

[cclovesdis]

Welcome to Healthy Habits!

My name is CC (like see-see), which is short for Christina. No one has time to say 3 syllables so, it’s been shortened to my initials.

This is my 3rd time coaching Healthy Habits (HH) and I absolutely love it! I started a new job right after Thanksgiving and HH have been so important to me. I would like to give a shout out to donac and jenanderson who showed me the ropes coaching previous challenges.

For the WISH Biggest Loser Fall 2011 Challenge, I am revamping Healthy Habits. Each week will have a theme, and each theme will be a Disney movie. I will be using various components of the movie to determine each week’s daily habits and the 2 mini-challenges.

Every week you will have 4 “Habits” to do each day. There will also be 2 Mini-Challenges. These will be something like “Exercise for 45 minutes simultaneously once during the week.” The “Habits” will be things that are essential for good “Health.” One might be “Drink 6 8 oz. glasses of water per day.” I will be very clear about which 4 are for all 7 days and which 2 are the Mini-Challenges.

The Healthy Habits “week” is the same as for weigh-ins. A new “week” begins on Friday and ends on Thursday. At the end of each week, total your points and PM (private message) me them. Please list your total points in the subject of your PM. In the body of your PM, please separate each “Habit” and mini-challenge. Here is an example.
Habit #1: 5/7 days
Habit #2: 4/7 days
Habit #3: 7/7 days
Habit #4: 1/7 days
Mini-Challenge #1: Completed
Mini-Challenge #2: Not Completed

This will allow me to recognize participants who earned 7/7 for 1 or more “Habits.” It also gives me feedback for future weeks.

Please PM me your points by Tuesday at 5 PM Eastern Time. I will post the results as soon as possible after that. Everyone who participates will be entered into the “hat” for a chance at the prize. I have bought many of the prizes already and I think they are great!

It is optional to participate, but I know I do so much better when I participate.

Welcome to Healthy Habits Week 5: 101 Dalmations

This is a Disney classic. I have memories of watching 101 Dalmations with my neighbor at age 7 or 8. While there isn't much that is cuter than 101 dogs who band together and succeed, this is a movie with a villian. We all have a villian in our life, and, I know for me, that my villian(s) hold me back in terms of weight loss. This week we're going to work on conquering our own Cruella de Villes.[COLOR]

So, in to help us prepare for "battle:"

For All 7 Days:

What dog isn't (or wasn't) on the move?!?!? Take their lead and 1. Your “Habit” is to exercise for at least 15 minutes. I WISH I could tell you the exact number of studies that have shown how exercise helps one's mood, but I can tell you it helps mine!

Those 101 Dalamations are pretty smart. They are also willing to try something new/different. 2. This week, your “Habit” is to try something new or different. Here are some ideas.
- Go lower carb and/or higher protein for a day.
- Drink an extra 2 8 oz. glasses of water.
- Add an extra serving of veggies. (You may want to consider subbing a fruit serving for a veggie serving.)
- Split 2 meals in half and eat one mid-morning and the other during your usual lunch time.

3. Eat at least 2 servings of protein per day. (Consider your weight loss approch in determining how much a serving is.) Protein is so essential in a dog's diet and it is in ours too!

Each one of us has a way to relax. 4. Spend a few minutes each day doing something just that. Again, if you think it counts, it counts!

Mini-Challenges:

1. We're 5 weeks into the challenge and as you can tell, I'm big on plans. Plan your exercise for the rest of October.

2. In the spirit of 101 adorable Dalamations and the power of pet therapy, do one activity involving an animal this week. Many of us have pets, but you could also:
- Visit a park and jump in on a game of Frisbee with a neighbor's dog.
- Visit a zoo.
- Go to the aquarium.
- Walk around a pet shop.
- Visit your local animal protection services (aka the "pound") and offer to pet the animals for an hour.

Please, please feel free to ask any questions. You are welcome to PM me or post on the thread. I check my e-mail almost as soon as I get home from work and throughout the weekend.

Hope everyone has a great week!

 

[my3princes]

Very stressful day here. I'm not sure if I mentioned that Nick is being treated for depression. We thought that he was doing okay, but read some poetry that he wrote and I can honestly say that I am as worried about him as I was when Hunter was diagnosed with his brain tumor. We spent the day talking to the school counselor, his pediatrician and trying to get him an appointment for counseling. Can you believe that there is an 8 - 10 week wait for the office that I used to work in. For now we have a safety plan and he swears that he's not depressed or worse at the moment. Why can't life be more simple?

 

[cclovesdis]

Thanks Everyone! The support is greatly appreciated.

I am doing much better now. I spent some time working on my resume and that helped.

I did lose over a pound since the last weigh-in. Hopefully, I'll keep that or lose more when I check tomorrow.

for weigh-in tomorrow!

 

[cclovesdis]

Very stressful day here. I'm not sure if I mentioned that Nick is being treated for depression. We thought that he was doing okay, but read some poetry that he wrote and I can honestly say that I am as worried about him as I was when Hunter was diagnosed with his brain tumor. We spent the day talking to the school counselor, his pediatrician and trying to get him an appointment for counseling. Can you believe that there is an 8 - 10 week wait for the office that I used to work in. For now we have a safety plan and he swears that he's not depressed or worse at the moment. Why can't life be more simple?

I will definitely keep Nick, you, and all of your family in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[donac]

Good Friday morning We made it to Friday.

Deb I will keep Nick and your family in my prayers. I am glad you are getting him some help.

CC I am sorry that you lost your job. Good luck finding a new one.

Gretchen have a great time. I wish I was down there myself.

Happy Birthday Mackeysmom

Setting Sail I agree with you about the weight loss over a certain age. My mom has lost 50 pounds over the last couple of years on WW.

Tonight we are going to a county park. They are doing a reading of Sleepy Hollow in a beautiful old chapel they have on their property.

Tomorrow we have to go to an Eagle Ceremony. It is right at 11. We can't get anything done in the morning and then it goes into the afternoon so that screws that up. I am not even that crazy about the family but we have to go since they have been in our scout troop for a few years now.

Have a happy and healthy day.

 

[mikamah]

GretchenThank you for coaching last week!! Love your photopass pics, I have that same tye dye shirt I bought for me and ds on his first trip. Have an amazing vacation!! I loved reading all the qotds, especially the disney ones.

CC-I am so sorry to hear about your job, and happy to see you are doing ok. I have always felt that when one door closes another one will open, and I hope that your dream job of a lifetime is just around the corner for you.

Deb -

Just popping in quick, and will catch up more later. Good luck everyone with weighins today!! Hope that scale makes you all happy!!!