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

[dvccruiser76]

Hunter now has an ear infection in both ears and the left one has perferated and is draining. Lots of pain. Of course he had 3 appts on Friday and each of those doctors looked in his ears which he said hurt yet none of them recognized the ear infection I had to take him back up yesterday to get him diagnosed to get a prescription. Then the doctor must have forgotten to call the prescription in as the pharmacy didn't get it until I called the doctor on call to have it sent again. Why can't things improve? Nick had a rough time at the dance last night and came home really depressed so that was more hours of talking. I need a break, a mental break a vacation ...

Oh no, you do need a break. How many doctor's does it take to diagnose an ear infection.... Sounds like the beginning of a not very funny joke.

You'd think it would be easy to see

Hope everyone is feeling better (you included) soon

So, I have been pretty absent this challenge, and I'm not sure if that will change, but thought I'd let you all know what was up. We ran the w&d and it went ok, but my foot/ankle/calf is still a mess. So I saw my doctor this week and they took xrays. Assuming there isn't a break, the next stop is physical therapy. My doctor is optimistic that I will be running again soon. She actually referred to me as an athlete--which made me feel so good. My weight has been slowly creeping up, but as I mentioned earlier, going to gf and eating at home almost exclusively has proved a little challenging. I haven't quite figured out how to still have some of my favorite treats without keeping them in the house--where I tend to overeat them. And while I was running up until Friday, I am now done running until the pt or orthopedist (if I have a break) clears me. Hopefully I will find out this week what kind of exercise is acceptable. I am feeling great and really feel like I am getting the hang of gf cooking. And I'm really starting to enjoy food again.

Hi Rose, sorry to hear about your injury I hope it heals sooner than you anticipate.

Glad that you're popping by

 

[bellebookworm9]

Hunter now has an ear infection in both ears and the left one has perferated and is draining. Lots of pain. Of course he had 3 appts on Friday and each of those doctors looked in his ears which he said hurt yet none of them recognized the ear infection

Wow, that makes me angry. How in the heck do you not recognize a perforated ear drum?! That's good that you got a prescription finally, and hopefully he'll get better-or at least his ear will stop hurting-soon.

 

[donac]

Hi
Just a short reply to all those who are having problems

Rose I am sorry about the ankle/foot thing. Try to find a pt or otho who is involved in sports therapy. My foot dr who did my bunion is a runner and he did a great job. The pt I have been to does all the pt for my kids high school atheletes. Good luck

Deb So sorry to hear about the ear infection. I can't believe that three drs missed it. I hope the antibiotics work quickly.

LTS you look great congrats on 53 pounds. If you can do I can do it.

Busy day here Church, nursing home and grocery shopping. Had to help dh get to the top peak of the house with the painting. I almost want to celebrate but he still has some more work to do but the peak is the hardest part.

Off to get some laundry done and dishes washed.

Have a great evening.

 

[trinaweena]

I don't know if anyone watches Parks and Rec on here (if not you should, immediatly) but there is this character Chris, who I often think of as my fitness inspiration. There is something he says in a an episode where he says "I just want to be the best me that i can be" I think of that often, and say it often because I feel like I need to remind myself frequently that I want to be the best me that i can be. Sometimes though, I loose sight of the big picture, and I wonder "what is the best me?". Is the best me necessarily the skinniest me, or the me who can run a half marathon, or the me that can walk past a cake and not think "I love you, cake"? I'm not really sure anymore, who the best me is.

I've been struggiling the past few weeks with my image, and my concept of my own self worth. Pamela's question about being happy really got me thinking. I like Gretchen, suffer from depression, and I don't take meds to deal with it, because the right combination was never found. I deal with it on a day to day bases, taking everyday just one minute at a time. I'm prone to mood swings, and im prone to feeling bad about myself for days, and im known to be so happy i could burst, but there is no ryhme or reason. it jjust is.

Lately, i've been struggling with who i really am, versus what i see in the mirror. I believe things for awhile were going really well, I felt motivated, and i felt like this weight loss could be something i could actually accomplish, but lately it has not felt that way. Tracking calories is too time consuming, I'm too tired to go to the gym, just one cookie wont hurt, i can pack my lunch in the morning...these are all common things i find myself saying these past few weeks. Where did that motivation go?? In the mirror I look and i see someone who is 300lbs, yet i have lost 13lbs, and stayed at 150lbs these past few weeks, despite the bad habits i have picked up. When i sit down, all i can think about is that my stomach must be bulging over, I look at pictures of myself and i see, not a pretty young girl, but an ugly girl with a fat stomach.

I'm not sure why i cant see someone beautiful when i look in the mirror. people tell me im skinny and i dont need to loose weight but i dont see it, i just keep looking at the tiny bit of pudge in my stomach and thinking, if only i could get rid of that, if only my arms were toned, if only if only if only...im starting to wonder whats wrong with me

i feel like im starting from square one again. ive gone back to hating myself. instead of being proud of everything ive done, im annoyed at how much i havent dont, how much i dont do, but its not stopping me from making bad decisions when it comes to eating and not tracking calories..i feel confused all the time..what kind of excercise am i supposed to be doing, how often do i weight train, how many calories do i need in a day? there are so many conflicting answers and i dont have guidance. i want to push myself farther and farther. instead of being proud that i can run a mile, im annoyed that it takes 15 minutes, or that i cant run 5 miles.

i feel absolutly lost and hopeless. and when i start to feel like this i feel like i cant do it. my insomnia seems stronger (even tho i know its not), i feel tired all the time, my chrones is acting up and i feel defeated. i guess i just need some reassureance that i can get back on the right track, because i dont feel like i can

im sorry to unload and vent like this but maybe if i admit it i can start to force myself to change

 

[tigger813]

Hi all,

Home and hoping to get back on track tomorrow while the kids are at school. Hoping to squeeze in some exercise as well at some point. If I don't have time I will at least be giving a massage tomorrow night! But cleaning my house and folding laundry and getting stuff put away from my trip will hopefully help me tomorrow!

A Huge Thanks to Shawn for driving me to the airport at 5am yesterday morning! You are great and you look awesome! So proud of you!

Had a fun day with my family! Got up early and went to see a friend's son play in a Squirt hockey game about 15 minutes from here. Home by 9. Actually could've made it to church but weren't sure how long the game would be! Came home and played the newest version of Harry Potter Scene It! It was so much fun! It had new things to do and scenes from all 8 films! I WON! Then we watched the Lego Star Wars DVD that Brian got in the mail last week while I was gone. Brian took a nap and I took Ash to her basketball clinic. We just finished a marathon game of Disney Apples to Apples and are watching the Peanuts holiday specials DVDs. Kids are heading off to bed soon and Brian and I will watch Amazing Race and some other things as well.

Tomorrow will be a day of cleaning for me as I try to get things to return to normal around here. I did 4 loads of laundry that I will have to fold and I still haven't unpacked. I also need to put up some more decorations for Halloween.

Izzie has dancing tomorrow and then they both have soccer practice. I'm working tomorrow night for a regular client. I need to make sure I took Thursday night off which I will do since I'm working tomorrow night. Izzie's birthday is Thursday. With being away I don't remember what I did. Ash has two half days this week due to conferences and she also has a dentist appt and we have to shop for Izzie's birthday present and either but or make her an Oreo cake (non ice cream). We're taking her to the American Girl store on Saturday after soccer and before a big Halloween party we go to every year. She has picked out the doll she wants and they have picked out other things they want with money from their grandparents.

I think I need some water now! I just ate 3 mini Twix bars! I just really wanted some chocolate tonight. Brian and I enjoyed the Mango wine I brought home from NC!

Have a great night!

TTFN

 

[ougrad86]

QOTD 10/19- This Friday, I have plans to meet a bunch of my friends to go to my town's Amazing Maize Maze after dark. Does your town do anything like this? Have you ever been before?

No, nothing like that in our town. We'd have to go out in the country. My allergies keep me away from things like this, but I wish I could do so. It looks like it could be so much fun...but I'd be sneezing my head off halfway through!

QOTD 10/20- Haunted Mansion or Tower of Terror??

I have been on ToT once, but only because we ran out of time. The picture shows me laughing my head off, while my friend next to me is screaming - she about cut off the circulation in my arm when she grabbed it on the first drop! It didn't bother me, and I plan to ride again.

That being said, HM is more in keeping with the season, and I love the ride and the details. One of my favorites, I always make a point to go - more than once if possible.

Today's QOTD:
Are you a spiritual person? Do you believe in a "higher being" (God, Allah, or whatever your particular religion believes)? If so, do you think that your beliefs can help with the weight loss/healthy lifestyle journey? (BTW, let's keep this light and fun.... no negatives here, no matter WHAT is said about any particular belief!! okay??)

And a "fluff" question for fun!

Suppose you are approached by the "What Not To Wear" team and they are asking you to discard your entire wardrobe (in exchange for a new better one, of course). Well... as Disney lovers we ALL have Disney clothes we love (and Stacey and Clinton would NOT understand this). What one piece of Disney-related clothing would you hide so that you could keep it away from the WNTW garbage can??

I am religious, and was at church every Sunday when I was growing up. Even managed to reconcile my beliefs with evolution! I have not been to church regularly since moving here - first it was way far away, and now it is hard to get up and leave since that is the only morning I can relax and take it easy. Need to start going though. I still pray and talk to God, and have talked to DS as well. I need to go to church and start taking him, DH is agnostic so does not go.

I don't know if I would be willing to give up my jeans and T-shirts I wear! They allow that at work, and if is so comfortable. But my Disney clothing would have to be my classic Micky T-shirt. I actually have two, one in my smaller size since I shrunk out of my first one! That would be hidden for sure.

I have a lot of Disney shirts - known as a Disney lover at work and with my family and friends!

So here is today QOTD:
Do you believe you are truly happy? No matter what your answer, do you believe that losing weight/getting healthier will make you happier? Why/why not? (If you aren't happy you don't have to go into details if you don't want to share.)

Fluff QOTD:

Do you have a Facebook? If so, how many friends do you have? Are they real friends, or just FB friends?

Not as happy as I would like to be - alot going on right now. I know that losing weight itself is not the way to happiness, but being healthy and able to do more will improve my quality of life and hopefully will make me happier. I have a wonderful family and a job at a company that is great, but I have been tired and sloppy lately, so losing some weight and getting some exercise should be helpful.

Not on FB yet - if DS ever joins, I may just to keep tabs on him! Any friends I have will be real friends that I actually know, not just friends to up my numbers. I have been to some chat rooms and post an open message saying please friend me - that is kind of odd too me, asking strangers to be your friends. Kind of changes what friends are considered.

Sunday's QOTD:

As a general rule, we "dieter's" know how to lose weight..... eat less, eat healthier, move/exercise more. But for some reason we often have difficulty APPLYING that knowledge to our everyday lives. Other than the obvious answer of "I love the taste of __________ (chips, donuts, ice cream, etc)", what is one big stumbling block to you applying your weight-loss knowledge to your every day life??? Not your EXCUSES (too busy, too hungry, etc).... but your BLOCKADE/DETOUR.

And today's FLUFF QOTD:

Do you have a lucky number/color/letter??

My stumbling block is probably DH. He doesn't try to, he just does it . Buying me ice cream or candy, or trying to go out the day before a weigh-in. So not malicious, he just doesn't think . My job sometimes gets in the way...I could have said no, but we were expected to show up at the celebration and one thing leads to another...they really love food where I work, and this celebration included champagne as well...

Not sure about a lucky color - wore my burgundy shirt and they still lost the game - and they were 28 pt favorites! Number? Maybe 6 - years ending with 6 seem to be red letter years - brother born, graduate college, son born, first trip to Disney in 3 decades - can't wait to see what happens in '16!

Been a crazy week. Been tired all week, not sure why. Had a celebration at work this Wednesday, and there was food and drink all over the place: brunch, lunch, happy hours - just crazy. Been working on setting up my new phone all weekend, since there was a lot that I had to add, and then had to reset up my old phone so DS could use it. They switched the SIM cards, but I had to do all the other stuff. Then, as mentioned before, my on-the-way-to-the-championship team lost yesterday for no reason. Kind of bummed out, and not looking forward to the new rankings coming out. Hardly had any time here so just doing a quick catch-up, and to bed early tonight since I still am not sleeping well. Plus gained a pound, but figure that was due to Wednesday, since I lost inches.

So not a great easy week, but tomorrow is a new beginning!

Carol

 

[tigger813]

QOTD: I have 243 friends! Some of them are Disboards people that I haven't meant but have become "friends" with here! I have a lot of local friends and friends from high school and college!

I hope to answer more QOTDs! I just haven't had time to think about them and thoroughly read through all the posts!

 

[my3princes]

My favorite color is purple, but It doesn't seem to be lucky at all

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Trina sending you a nice big virtual hug. Hopefully it helps a little.

Don't apologize for venting and unloading. That's why we are here!!!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

My favorite color is purple, but It doesn't seem to be lucky at all

LOL maybe you need a new favorite!!!

 

[JacksLilWench]

Today's QOTD:

Are you a spiritual person? Do you believe in a "higher being" (God, Allah, or whatever your particular religion believes)? If so, do you think that your beliefs can help with the weight loss/healthy lifestyle journey? (BTW, let's keep this light and fun.... no negatives here, no matter WHAT is said about any particular belief!! okay??)


And a "fluff" question for fun!

Suppose you are approached by the "What Not To Wear" team and they are asking you to discard your entire wardrobe (in exchange for a new better one, of course). Well... as Disney lovers we ALL have Disney clothes we love (and Stacey and Clinton would NOT understand this). What one piece of Disney-related clothing would you hide so that you could keep it away from the WNTW garbage can??

I'll be back later to see what everyone has to say and to respond myself! Have a SUPER Friday!.....................P

I do believe in God, but I don't know if I would call myself a religious person. A spiritual person though, yes. I feel like God provides guidance for me in situations, but I have control over what I do. Part of me feels though, each person has a calling to something greater than themselves, and that God will bring you to that calling.

As for the fluff, I can only pick ONE piece of clothing?! I couldn't possibly pick just one!!

So here is today QOTD:

Do you believe you are truly happy? No matter what your answer, do you believe that losing weight/getting healthier will make you happier? Why/why not? (If you aren't happy you don't have to go into details if you don't want to share.)


Fluff QOTD:

Do you have a Facebook? If so, how many friends do you have? Are they real friends, or just FB friends?

..............I'll be back in a minute to chat!.................P

I do feel genuinely happy. There are times when I am upset at stuff, but for the most part I do everything I can to make sure I smile as much as possible. The simplest things make me happy, too. Like tonight I got to go see my firefighter (so cute!! ) and right now I'm walkin' on air

For my fluff answer, I used to just add everybody who wanted to be friends on FB, but now I have to at least have met you once. A handful are my real friends though.

Sunday's QOTD:

As a general rule, we "dieter's" know how to lose weight..... eat less, eat healthier, move/exercise more. But for some reason we often have difficulty APPLYING that knowledge to our everyday lives. Other than the obvious answer of "I love the taste of __________ (chips, donuts, ice cream, etc)", what is one big stumbling block to you applying your weight-loss knowledge to your every day life??? Not your EXCUSES (too busy, too hungry, etc).... but your BLOCKADE/DETOUR.

I'll answer now, as my answer might clarify this if you are confused.

My blockade is that I don't make MYSELF enough of a priority in my own life. One example is that I forgot to go to Bible study last week.... and sadly it was the ONLY THING on the entire week's schedule that was just for ME. I didn't forget any of the kids' appointments, I didn't miss coaching robotics, I made sure everyone had lunches, snacks, clean laundry, etc, etc, etc, but I forgot about MYSELF.

I don't make taking care of ME enough of a priority most days. This is often reflected in my missing a workout (because I end up running around doing things for the family, etc) or not having the right healthy foods available that I like.


And today's FLUFF QOTD:

Do you have a lucky number/color/letter??

I have to say my roadblock is a lack of planning. I'm not much of a planner in my day-to-day life. It's kinda fun sometimes to fly by the seat of my pants...but it doesn't get much achieved some weeks. I'm working on it though- tomorrow I will sit down and plan my lunches and snacks for the week. And in the meantime, I will hit the salad bar for lunch tomorrow!

Hmmm, I don't think I have a lucky anything, now that I think about it. Wait, I take that back...I have a lucky toe ring (I know, it's kinda wacky.) It's a symbol called a claddagh. The claddagh is an Irish "emblem", symbolizing friendship, love and loyalty. And I love the fact that it's on my toe on a daily basis!

 

[jillbur]

Oh my...I've been MIA and am so far behind! I guess life got in the way of the DIS. Well, hopefully I will get with it this week! I am a very organized person and I just felt so off this week. I wasn't organized at all and it threw off everything! After church and a Sunday School party and hayride (which I volunteered to co-plan), I came home and got myself together. I ironed my boys uniforms for the week, cleaned the bathroom, did the dishes, got the garbage together for pick-up tomorrow morning, did all the pre-work for my online class that starts tomorrow, and got in a 2 mile run before DH had to leave for work at 6:45. Whew...I'm exhausted. So I'm all caught up and ready for the week!


QOTD: We have an awesome corn maze about 20 mins away but we didn't make it this year. Everytime we planned to go, the weather didn't cooperate. My inlaws took my boys to a Harvest Festival about an hour away yesterday in OH. They went through the corn maze and MIL fell 3 times She was covered in mud from the knees down. Don't worry~she was laughing too. I asked if they needed 911 and they said no, but DS said they got to a point where a sign read "do not go beyond this point" and there was a road in front of them. I'm thinking they were a tad lost in there!

QOTD: I think I am going to go with Haunted Mansion. I remember being about 5 or 6 and riding it with my dad for the first time. That and PotC were his favorites. I wish he was still around to do those with my boys. He would've loved it.

QOTD: I am religious and attend church regularly, however, I am not one of the people who discusses religion and pushes it on you. I actually enjoy learning about other religions and have respect for whatever people believe or don't believe in.
WNTW would probably throw out 95% of my wardrobe I tend to not spend money on myself but I spend way too much on my kids!

QOTD: I would say I am happy but I'm sure I could be happier. I think I stress too much over things I absolutely cannot control. I love my DH and kids and wouldn't ask for anything else. I enjoy my job, but I think I need a change sometime soon. Maybe I could improve my happiness there.
I am on FB and have about 100 friends. I know all of them personally. Some I talk to more than others. Most are my friends from school, work, and parents of my kids' friends. FB was the way I found my college roommate after 9 years. We both moved and lost each others contact info. I found her on FB and I've been to see her 2 times in VA and she comes to Pittsburgh to see her parents and we get together when we can here in PA.

QOTD: I'm not sure of my stumbling block. Peer pressure usually does me in. I work with 2 people who love to eat out for lunch. They probably eat out 3 days per week. Sometimes I go to get out of the building and relax if it's a stressful day, sometimes I forgot a lunch, but most of the time they beg me to go so I do. I try to only go once a week, but when they order burgers and fries, it's hard to order a salad. They are not trying to sabotage...they just don't plan for luch & it's easier for them to eat out.
I really don't have a lucky color/number/letter. I just never believed in it.



Okay...I think I covered everything Now I'm off to get stuff ready to make oatmeal in the crock pot tonight. I found a recipe (not sure how healthy) on allrecipes.com for apple cinnamon oatmeal. I think I'll try it without the raisins. I am not a fan! Hope this week is awesome for everyone!

Jill

 

[pjlla]

So I have now officially lost 1/2 of my ultimate top goal-- 50 (actually 53!) pounds gone from my heaviest at the beginning of last year--31 of those since the beginning of 2011. I am still not sure exactly where I will end up but according to those wonderful charts I had exactly 100 pounds to lose. Not sure I will make that far but think I have to get at least another 35-40 off. Since it is halfway and DH took photos at the Pumpkin Patch yesterday I figured I would post a before and midway photo. They aren't great since I am sitting in both of them, but it does still show the difference.

April 2010- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - October 2011

I hope maybe this will inspire others that are over 200 pounds to realize that you CAN do it even if it is a long process. I figure that if I can reach my goal weight by the end of 2012 I will be very happy. I know that I am going to have setbacks and plateaus and that it isn't going to happen quickly. I am currently only focusing on the 15 pounds off for this challenge. I try not to look at the big picture very often because that just seems impossible. But heck, 5 or 10 pounds isn't that difficult so it should be pretty easy to get 5 off before Thanksgiving, and then 5 more before Christmas.

We CAN do this!!!!

You've done an amazing job!! You are really on your way to your goal!! The pictures really show a big difference!

I'm the same Pamela. I always end up putting myself on the back burner. I am getting better at it but I don't do it enough. For example, DH has been home for quite a few weeks, which don't get me wrong it's been great, but I haven't worked out so I could hang with him while he worked or be here to get lunch, etc. Also on the days he was driving me crazy I just ran all my errands so I was neglecting myself with food. Like I had to take my car to the dealership twice this week, and instead of telling them I would be there at 10 and eat breakfast at home, I said I'd be there at 9:30 and swing by Panera for a bagel and cream cheese and go right from school instead of coming home first.
I also tend to put the kids needs before my own. Sports for example, if I had planned better for food, it would have been cooking in the crock pot but instead we did take out 5 times last week. Which is bad for us and costly financially.

OK now I'm going to go unbury the treadmill. I piled stuff on it to keep it off the floor if the basement flooded during the hurricane and have yet to move it. Today I will use it!!!!!!

Fluff - Lucky number is 2. It started when I was little because my birthday is the 24th which can both be divided by 2. Unfortunately my OCD tendencies get the better of me with that because if I buy something it typically has to be in even numbers. And if say I have an itch above my eyebrow or something (That just happened) I have to scratch it an even amount of times. I'm so weird!!! LOL
I don't really have a lucky color, maybe black? It's slimming!! I have favorites but no real power color.
No lucky letter either.

I've always felt a certain way about numbers too.... always preferred even numbers. I grew up without a house number.... but when the powers-that-be assigned them to our neighborhood when I was a teenager, I was totally disappointed we got #3. I just always assumed I'd live at an even number! And now I live at #15.... wish it were 14 or 16, but oh well. So silly!

Did you unbury the treadmill?? I try to make a "rule" for myself that the only things I'm allowed to throw on it are my workout clothes for the next day.

I have 18 pounds to go to reach that mark and I am determined to get there some day. I figure the longer it takes the more experience I will have with maintenance right?

EXACTLY RIGHT! Every day that it takes to to LOSE the weight, you are learning more about the process! And, of course, the more that the healthier eating habits are reinforced!

Having a very lazy day here watching Glee episodes on demand. I've missed this entire season since it comes on at the same time as BL.

You haven't missed much. There have only been 3 new episodes and then it was pre-empted for baseball.... I think it returns with another new episode this week or next week.

Not planning on much today- will get 45 mins on the elliptical at some point, do some straightening around the house and some more planning/research on our NYC trip. Turkey meatball subs for dinner.

Enjoy your Sunday everyone

So, I have been pretty absent this challenge, and I'm not sure if that will change, but thought I'd let you all know what was up. We ran the w&d and it went ok, but my foot/ankle/calf is still a mess. So I saw my doctor this week and they took xrays. Assuming there isn't a break, the next stop is physical therapy. My doctor is optimistic that I will be running again soon. She actually referred to me as an athlete--which made me feel so good. My weight has been slowly creeping up, but as I mentioned earlier, going to gf and eating at home almost exclusively has proved a little challenging. I haven't quite figured out how to still have some of my favorite treats without keeping them in the house--where I tend to overeat them. And while I was running up until Friday, I am now done running until the pt or orthopedist (if I have a break) clears me. Hopefully I will find out this week what kind of exercise is acceptable. I am feeling great and really feel like I am getting the hang of gf cooking. And I'm really starting to enjoy food again.

I am still reading along even if I am not posting very much.

Rose.... we are just glad to have you pop in whenever you have a chance. Hopefully they will get a definite diagnosis regarding your leg pain and you can start treatment and get back on track with the running. Glad that the gf cooking is getting better.

Hunter now has an ear infection in both ears and the left one has perferated and is draining. Lots of pain. Of course he had 3 appts on Friday and each of those doctors looked in his ears which he said hurt yet none of them recognized the ear infection I had to take him back up yesterday to get him diagnosed to get a prescription. Then the doctor must have forgotten to call the prescription in as the pharmacy didn't get it until I called the doctor on call to have it sent again. Why can't things improve? Nick had a rough time at the dance last night and came home really depressed so that was more hours of talking. I need a break, a mental break a vacation ...

Um.... you have definitely had MORE than your share of stressors lately. I beg of you to take some time to take care of yourself. Please be sure that you are getting enough sleep too.

I don't know if anyone watches Parks and Rec on here (if not you should, immediatly) but there is this character Chris, who I often think of as my fitness inspiration. There is something he says in a an episode where he says "I just want to be the best me that i can be" I think of that often, and say it often because I feel like I need to remind myself frequently that I want to be the best me that i can be. Sometimes though, I loose sight of the big picture, and I wonder "what is the best me?". Is the best me necessarily the skinniest me, or the me who can run a half marathon, or the me that can walk past a cake and not think "I love you, cake"? I'm not really sure anymore, who the best me is.

I've been struggiling the past few weeks with my image, and my concept of my own self worth. Pamela's question about being happy really got me thinking. I like Gretchen, suffer from depression, and I don't take meds to deal with it, because the right combination was never found. I deal with it on a day to day bases, taking everyday just one minute at a time. I'm prone to mood swings, and im prone to feeling bad about myself for days, and im known to be so happy i could burst, but there is no ryhme or reason. it jjust is.

Lately, i've been struggling with who i really am, versus what i see in the mirror. I believe things for awhile were going really well, I felt motivated, and i felt like this weight loss could be something i could actually accomplish, but lately it has not felt that way. Tracking calories is too time consuming, I'm too tired to go to the gym, just one cookie wont hurt, i can pack my lunch in the morning...these are all common things i find myself saying these past few weeks. Where did that motivation go?? In the mirror I look and i see someone who is 300lbs, yet i have lost 13lbs, and stayed at 150lbs these past few weeks, despite the bad habits i have picked up. When i sit down, all i can think about is that my stomach must be bulging over, I look at pictures of myself and i see, not a pretty young girl, but an ugly girl with a fat stomach.

I'm not sure why i cant see someone beautiful when i look in the mirror. people tell me im skinny and i dont need to loose weight but i dont see it, i just keep looking at the tiny bit of pudge in my stomach and thinking, if only i could get rid of that, if only my arms were toned, if only if only if only...im starting to wonder whats wrong with me

i feel like im starting from square one again. ive gone back to hating myself. instead of being proud of everything ive done, im annoyed at how much i havent dont, how much i dont do, but its not stopping me from making bad decisions when it comes to eating and not tracking calories..i feel confused all the time..what kind of excercise am i supposed to be doing, how often do i weight train, how many calories do i need in a day? there are so many conflicting answers and i dont have guidance. i want to push myself farther and farther. instead of being proud that i can run a mile, im annoyed that it takes 15 minutes, or that i cant run 5 miles.

i feel absolutly lost and hopeless. and when i start to feel like this i feel like i cant do it. my insomnia seems stronger (even tho i know its not), i feel tired all the time, my chrones is acting up and i feel defeated. i guess i just need some reassureance that i can get back on the right track, because i dont feel like i can

im sorry to unload and vent like this but maybe if i admit it i can start to force myself to change

You definitely CAN get back on track.... and I PROMISE YOU that if you do, EVERYTHING ELSE in your life will look brighter!!!! I challenge you to prove me wrong. Spend just one day.... 24 hours, making the right choices (eating right, drinking water, tracking the calories, and 30 minutes or more of exercise) and you WILL wake up the next morning feeling so much better. Getting in control of your food/exercise will make you feel more in control of every other aspect of life.

Feel free to unload on us any time you need! That's what friends are for!

Hi all,

Home and hoping to get back on track tomorrow while the kids are at school. Hoping to squeeze in some exercise as well at some point. If I don't have time I will at least be giving a massage tomorrow night! But cleaning my house and folding laundry and getting stuff put away from my trip will hopefully help me tomorrow!

A Huge Thanks to Shawn for driving me to the airport at 5am yesterday morning! You are great and you look awesome! So proud of you!

Had a fun day with my family! Got up early and went to see a friend's son play in a Squirt hockey game about 15 minutes from here. Home by 9. Actually could've made it to church but weren't sure how long the game would be! Came home and played the newest version of Harry Potter Scene It! It was so much fun! It had new things to do and scenes from all 8 films! I WON! Then we watched the Lego Star Wars DVD that Brian got in the mail last week while I was gone. Brian took a nap and I took Ash to her basketball clinic. We just finished a marathon game of Disney Apples to Apples and are watching the Peanuts holiday specials DVDs. Kids are heading off to bed soon and Brian and I will watch Amazing Race and some other things as well.

Tomorrow will be a day of cleaning for me as I try to get things to return to normal around here. I did 4 loads of laundry that I will have to fold and I still haven't unpacked. I also need to put up some more decorations for Halloween.

Izzie has dancing tomorrow and then they both have soccer practice. I'm working tomorrow night for a regular client. I need to make sure I took Thursday night off which I will do since I'm working tomorrow night. Izzie's birthday is Thursday. With being away I don't remember what I did. Ash has two half days this week due to conferences and she also has a dentist appt and we have to shop for Izzie's birthday present and either but or make her an Oreo cake (non ice cream). We're taking her to the American Girl store on Saturday after soccer and before a big Halloween party we go to every year. She has picked out the doll she wants and they have picked out other things they want with money from their grandparents.

I think I need some water now! I just ate 3 mini Twix bars! I just really wanted some chocolate tonight. Brian and I enjoyed the Mango wine I brought home from NC!

Have a great night!

TTFN

Glad you're home safe and sound. The mango wine sounds delish!
***********

Gretchen.... DD and I are BOTH looking forward to following your blog! Fingers crossed and prayers said for a positive answer coming SOON!

Everyone else I missed.... please keep at it! I hope you all are feeling the powers of the prayers I said for this entire group in church this morning!

Just popping in to say good night! I hope everyone had a relaxing Sunday. I will try hard to be sure I get tomorrow's QOTD posted before I leave the house at about 7:30 am. I will drive DD to school and then run an errand or two before going to my second chiropractic appointment and then home again for some sewing time and lunch. Then off to robotics and DD's Rainbow Girls meeting.... busy day again. TTYL...................P

 

[mackeysmom]

Yahoo on the $2,600 bucks

Did you eat anywhere good? They have such great restaurants there.

Every meal we had was great - since I had comps there, we did two buffets at The Mirage (once for dinner and once for breakfast). We found a great Mexican restaurant in NewYorkNewYork and had a wonderful Italian meal in Caesar's Palace.

One afternoon we didn't have lunch plans, and found ourselves at a little bakery in Paris. We split a croissant and a Napoleon the size of my head...

Hmmm, I wonder how I gained 5.5 pounds!

---------------------------------------------------------------

I've been back on track since Friday and already feel so much better. I had to drop my Weight Watchers' membership due to lack of funds, but I have all of the information to do it on my own.

I also signed up at a site called loseit.com. It is a calorie counting website which also gives you caloric guidelines for weight-loss based on height, weight, age, activity level. I'm sure my daily allottment will be close to what I get point-wise, but I like the tracking aspect of it.

- Laura

 

[bellebookworm9]

Gretchen.... DD and I are BOTH looking forward to following your blog! Fingers crossed and prayers said for a positive answer coming SOON!

I was talking to a guy in the Spring 2012 CP Facebook group, and he is pending. He told me that you don't get an e-mail if you are rejected, it just shows up in your "Dashboard" on the CP Disney website. Pending e-mails are titled "Thank you for your interest" and accepted e-mails are "WDWCP Congratulations". I said I really hope I don't get rejected and he said based on what my personality seems to be, he thinks I'll get accepted.

As much as I normally hate the "everything happens for a reason" cliche, I'm starting to believe it. Maybe my major was deactivated so I would switch to the less intense track and have a free semester to do this. Maybe I didn't get accepted to be an Orientation Advisor/Student Orientation Coordinator or a Lead Tour Guide so I wouldn't have any commitments to keep me from doing this.

 

[cclovesdis]

Pamper Mini-Challenge for Monday, 10/24: Go online and take a "How Much Water Do I Need?" type quiz. Drink that much water today.

I don't know if I can post links or not, but I am going to try. http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm

This was inspired by our recent QOTD on skin care!

 

[pjlla]

Happy Monday everyone! Here is today's questions. I'll be back later (maybe MUCH later) to chat!


Today's QOTD:

Do you believe that clutter and chaos at home effects your moods and attitudes and possibly your mental well being and attitude when it comes to healthier eating and exercise??


And the FLUFF question of the day:
Did you accomplish a TASK this weekend? Maybe something that had been hanging over your shoulder? If so, what was it? Does it feel GREAT to have finished it??

BBL to chat.......................P

 

[bellebookworm9]

Today's QOTD:
Do you believe that clutter and chaos at home effects your moods and attitudes and possibly your mental well being and attitude when it comes to healthier eating and exercise??

And the FLUFF question of the day:
Did you accomplish a TASK this weekend? Maybe something that had been hanging over your shoulder? If so, what was it? Does it feel GREAT to have finished it??

Not necessarily. If I'm stressed, I clean, so having that clutter can be a good thing sometimes. My own mental chaos (as evidenced by right now) can cause me to not eat properly, but not really chaos caused by others.

I accomplished my CP interview. The anticipation was much worse than the real thing, but now I'm waiting for an answer! So it felt great for a bit, and will feel better when I know for sure.

 

[mikamah]

April 2010- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - October 2011

I hope maybe this will inspire others that are over 200 pounds to realize that you CAN do it even if it is a long process. I figure that if I can reach my goal weight by the end of 2012 I will be very happy. I know that I am going to have setbacks and plateaus and that it isn't going to happen quickly. I am currently only focusing on the 15 pounds off for this challenge. I try not to look at the big picture very often because that just seems impossible. But heck, 5 or 10 pounds isn't that difficult so it should be pretty easy to get 5 off before Thanksgiving, and then 5 more before Christmas.

We CAN do this!!!!

Thank you for sharing your pics. You look awesome, and I'm sure you can feel such a difference. I filled up because I have been where you are, I got into the 180s from the 220s and felt so great, but here I am back in the 210s. I know it's my own fault, and only I can do it, but you have really inspired me to get off my duff and do it now, once and for all. Thanks, LTS.

Good morning everyone!! Only had time to skim through the posts this morning, but hope to read thoroughly tonight after some wii fit. We had a fun weekend, got out for a walk with my sil, but definitely ate more than I should, though not as bad as I could have, which still leaves me sitting in the maintain zone when I want and need to be in the losing zone, so time to get my focus back and keep it.

I definitely want to go back and answer the qotds, and hope to get back on tonight.

I let ds sleep late, so i need to wake him now and drop him at school on my way to work.

Have a fantastic day everyone!!

 

[lisah0711]

Good morning losers and maintainers!

Back from my quick trip to Seattle and just going to start posting from here. I have been reading along. Good thoughts and to all who need it!

Kaiti, hope your planning works great for you and that you have a quieter week after your wild week last week. Thanks again for coaching!

jillbur, busy week but sounds like you are ready for a better one! Hope that your oatmeal is yummy today!

Laura, I think you looked great in your picture! You might want to check out myfitnesspal.com, too, you can track using the bar code with your smartphone. It's kind of entertaining to scan your food!

Speaking of people who look good in pictures . . . LTS, you look marvelous! It's all downhill from here, baby!

Gretchen, glad the the interview went went and I am keeping my fingers crossed for you!

CC, thanks for the pampering week!

Today's QOTD:

Do you believe that clutter and chaos at home effects your moods and attitudes and possibly your mental well being and attitude when it comes to healthier eating and exercise??

And the FLUFF question of the day:
Did you accomplish a TASK this weekend? Maybe something that had been hanging over your shoulder? If so, what was it? Does it feel GREAT to have finished it??

BBL to chat.......................P

I do think that having chaos and clutter affects all the areas in your life -- it just makes everything harder to me. We've done a good job getting rid of a lot of clutter and chaos from both the house and the office this summer. It is nice to be able to find things and there seems to be more time to do other things, like run, plan, or just hang out.

Sorry, I have to say that I didn't accomplish a thing this week-end as I was travelling, however, I have lots of tasks to accomplish this week at work that will help me stop feeling dragged down, cranky and stressed!

Kathy, glad that you had a great week-end and I know that you can get yourself where you want to be soon because you never give up!

I had a nice visit with my Mom and sister in Seattle. It was a fast trip. Managed to bring back a couple of pounds with me so will be working on those this week. I suspect they are mostly water retention from travel.

Have a great week everyone!