Okay.... read up to page 13. Don't want a "poof fairy' incident, so I will reply over several different posts.......
[QOTD Friday, September 9, 2011: Please introduce yourself and tell us about your goals for this challenge.
All right let's get this party started!
I'll try to be brief..... but if you know me, you know that isn't likely!
My real name is Pamela. I am a 40-something
mostly SAHM to DD (16) and DS (13 1/2). I am also a substitute teacher since 2003. Don't love the job, but love the flexibility and hours.
After struggling with my weight for most of my adult life (and to some extent in teens), I finally "conquered the beast" (with the help of Weight Watchers)in 2008 and 2009 and lost nearly 90 pounds. I've been mostly in maintenance phase for over a year now (although still considered myself a "loser" as I was trying to achieve a "magic" number). But this summer something has definitely gone wrong and I've gained nearly 10 pounds and it won't go away! Honestly, my food journal is a WW leader's DREAM !! My workouts have been decent and consistent (although admittedly not BL tv show worthy). After now gaining (or maintaining) for a few weeks, I'm calling the doctor tomorrow to get some help with this.
I'm not sure how many BL challenges I've participated in here.... at least 4 or 5. I've made some REALLY GREAT friends! And I hope to have the opportunity to meet them all IRL someday!
I guess now is as good a time as ever to (re)introduce all of you to my wordiness.
My names is Christina, but everyone here and pretty much everywhere else, calls me CC (like see-see). I will be coaching Healthy Habits for my 3rd time. I have been trying to lose weight since Sept. 2008. I packed on about 50 lbs during my second year of teaching and then lost a lot during grad school. I then gained a lot back for various reasons, including taking a medication. I was up and down for a while (although never at goal) and then went back up again. I am now over 50 lbs gained. I have since changed doctors (one of my best decisions ever) and am taking the meds I need with no side effects. Actually, there is some likelihood of weight loss.
Last week, I saw an allergist. I was recently diagnosed with a latex allergy and my PCP thought an allergist should decide if I need an Epi-Pen. My allergist is wonderful and he works in a practice where you meet all the doctors, nurses, etc. so that it's easy and comfortable to see anyone whenever you need an appointment. He recommended allergy testing and, after a few rounds of testing, I learned I am allergic to wheat, rice, oats, hazelnuts, cashews, and oysters. The first 3 are the ones I am worried about; I can't remember the last time I even looked at an oyster. I have allergic eczema. I am on an avoidance of those 6 allergens for a month or more and then we'll decide how to proceed. It's been very interesting to learn all this at age 27.
That's me in a "nutshell." Can't wait to meet all of you!
Have a great week everyone!
CC
CC.... glad you got some help for you issues. Sorry about all of the food issues though. It can be SO difficult to deal with food restrictions and allergies! But hopefully eliminating the problem foods will help.
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 12 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.
Thanks for doing this again!
Welcome to Healthy Habits Week 1: Beauty and the Beast
Belle is someone I adore. She has passion and compassion. She is also an avid reader and a planner/thinker. These are attributes that research shows leads to successful weight loss. With Belle in mind, here are this week’s Healthy Habits.
For All 7 Days:
1. Take out your new journal and write today’s date on the top of the page. It helps me if I write the day of the week too. Write the numbers 1-8 on the next line. Every time you drink 8 oz. of water, cross off a number. Your “Habit” is to drink 8 8 oz. glasses of water per day.
2. As you go about your day, write down everything you eat. You can count calories, carbs, WW points, etc. at your discretion. This week, your “Habit” is to write down all the foods and caloric beverages you drink. (AKA, if you add sugar to your coffee, write it down!)
3. Knowing about weight loss approaches, exercise options, healthy food ideas, and more can be very helpful. Each day, read about something “health” related. It can be a new recipe that has a full serving of veggies in it, a workout that burns 200 calories, or a stress-busting technique. Make sure that what you read matters to you. I highly encourage you to write down what you read in your journal as well as a quick summary of it.
4. Belle has unlimited passion for life and amazing, admirable compassion for others. It is so important that we have this compassion for ourselves. Belle truly has the “Beauty” from inside. At the end of each day, write in your journal one positive aspect of your day. It doesn’t have to be long or detailed, but I know for me, it helps to be specific. For example, if eating breakfast is usually a challenge, a good, specific, positive part of your day is “I ate breakfast today.” My hope is that by the end of the week, you are writing “I ate a banana and some yogurt for breakfast today.”
Mini-Challenges:
1. “Be Our Guest:” Plan one 3-course meal that incorporates whole grains, a full serving of veggies, lean protein(s), and at least ½ serving of fruit and/or dairy. Your 3 courses should be a salad/appetizer course, followed by an entrée, and then dessert. Set the table so that you feel honored, regal-like, and indulge in a meal that is satisfying and “on plan.” (This is why I suggested that you look around to see what you have for food.) Hint: Use #3 to help you plan this meal.
2. Plan your exercise for the remainder of the month of September.
Hint: Use your calendar to “schedule” your workouts just like teacher conferences or pot-luck dinners. (This is why I suggested that you scan your calendar for upcoming events.)
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!
Oh my gosh.... this is SO GREAT! I know I don't always participate, but I will be sure to read and try to follow the hints and challenges!
September 9, 2011
Welcome to Clean up the Clutter!
Buffy (BernardandMissBianca) and I will be hosting Clean up the Clutter on an alternating basis. I am the host for the first week.
Each week we are going to work on cleaning up the clutter in your life. I have found that if my environment is in order I eat better, take better care of myself and am more likely to stick with my schedule—including getting in those workouts and cooking those healthy meals. This is not designed to cause you more stress, but rather alleviate the stress a little. Have you ever looked around your house and just felt so overwhelmed you didn’t know where to start? Well we are going to start with baby steps. And the prize at the end??? A more organized life.
I think that the key to having a more organized environment are quick daily tasks. For instance it takes me two minutes to dust my room if I do it once a week. If I let it go it takes me 15+ minutes because everything is coated in yuck and I have to take everything off and dust it individually, often multiple times. So if we all establish some good habits and have a list of ongoing tasks, it will make being organized that much easier. Remember this is a process.
Each week we will have daily tasks to work on and a more time consuming weekly task. We will start small and add on. Each week you will just add the new tasks into what you are already doing. You can adapt things to what works for you. And we’d love to hear your thoughts on what is going well and what isn’t. We will also try to provide a motivational article.
Here’s the article I found for this week.
It’s called: What are you really holding onto and why?
http://silverandgrace.com/what-are-you-really-holding-on-to…and-why
So here are your tasks for the first week:
Daily:
Task 1 No dishes in the sink at bedtime. Everything is either in the dishwasher or washed and put away. Try to find some time over the weekend to really, really scrub your kitchen sink. This is a great motivator for keeping it clean. If at all possible empty your dishwasher before you go to bed or before you go to work each day so that all the breakfast dishes can go in right away. If you don’t have a dishwasher, you can use a drying rack overnight, but put everything away in the morning. This is a daily task. You will be amazed at how nice it is to come home/get up to an empty sink. Nothing makes a kitchen look messier than a sink full of dirty dishes. During the weekend, dishes go in the dishwasher as you use them.
Task 2 Make your bed every day.
Weekly task
Pick a day to wash sheets and towels. Same day every week. Again, this is a very simple task, but one that will make a big difference. I wash sheets and towels every Wednesday. I love clean sheets.
Start thinking ahead to the mail that is coming in your house and how you handle it. This is a tough and ongoing battle for me. And one where I feel overwhelmed very quickly.
Have a great week!
Rose.........thanks so much to you and Buffy for taking this on. I think that this is a HUGELY important component to a healthier lifestyle!
I will say that I made it a goal nearly a year ago to NEVER leave the house or go to bed with dishes in the sink (not that I did it often, but still....) and I've stuck with it really well. (Although I can't always control what happens after I go to bed.....
) When DH had his accident last year and I wasn't home and the house ended up full of firemen, EMTs, police, neighbors, etc, it might sound silly to say, but I was SO GRATEFUL that I knew that the house was pretty clean!! I would have been VERY embarrassed (on top of being stressed over DH's situation) to know that all of these folks would have seen dirty dishes and such! (I know, kind of silly, but honest truth.)
Sorry to say, but I probably won't adopt the pick-a-day system for towels and sheets. Between my crazy unpredictable schedule, the fact that I like to hang stuff outside and so I wash when the weather permits, and I wash towels about every other day because of DD's swimming, it just wouldn't work well for me.
But I think for folks that need a good push to be more organized, it is a great idea!
QOTD Friday, September 9, 2011: Please introduce yourself and tell us about your goals for this challenge. 
Hi I'm Buffy, I moderate the craft boards. Mom of 4, wife to 1, LOL. I'm 37(blech) and my weight has been an on and off issue my whole life. When I married DH I was 115ish, size 6-8, 18 years later I'm not 115ish size 16/18 in the verge of 20. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired so here I sit.
Goals for this challenge:
Stick to it to the end
Answer as many QOTD's as I can
Do the HH every week
Clean up the Clutter!! I need to do my own challenge! LOL
Lose something and keep it off. I've decided not to put up a number up for a goal, I just want to feel better physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Get back to running
Heck... 37??? Just a BABY!
Oh em gee. This is awesome. I think I'm going to try to watch the movie each week to keep me in the mood!
What a GREAT idea!!
In terms of exercise, last fall I started training for the WDW marathon, and trained from 3 miles to a half marathon in 10 weeks! But it RUINED me on running, it was making me miserable!! I kind of dreaded my runs, and I was so OCD that if I missed one, I felt so guilty. Plus, I wasn't losing
any weight! So I decided that this time around my goals are going to be losing weight through diet first, working out (in a happy way) second.
I can so totally relate to that! I started running in about January 2010. I had been doing a lot of walking, power walking, hills, etc and decided it was time to try running. I felt SO powerful and BOSS when I ran. I progressed through the spring and by late summer I was running 5-6 miles a few days a week. But I NEVER loved it. And the more I didn't love it and the more I dreaded it, the more I kept skipping workouts.... it was kind of a snowball. So I gave myself "permission" to quit running. I decided I was better off doing SOMETHING for exercise, than planning to run but doing NOTHING, which is what was happening. Keep looking for an exercise you can look forward to.... I keep trying classes at the Y. I've done some spin class (yuck!, but I have done it a few times), swimming (not really), tennis (not bad, but I would need lessons and it is expensive!), Zumba (nope.... too old!), and Step Fusion (not bad... may try it again soon!).
Keep trying until you find what you like!
My goals for the Fall 2011 Challenge are:
1) Lose another 20 pounds;
2) Do the physical and emotional work so that I'm doing 3 *happy* workouts a week by the end of the challenge;
3) Lose enough weight/inches so that I can buy two pairs of WORK PANTS by the beginning of December! (They haven't fit me well enough to buy them for 2 years. I am so cold in my skirts and tights, and I feel like I look like I'm 12!!!)
Thanks to all of the coordinators, and Lisa for coaching this week!!
Thanks for the reminder
Lisa, I need to dig my medal back out of my safety box. We packed up the RV for the hurricane and took all of our personal valuables with us. I of course packed my medal! LOL
I need to hang it back up so I can see it.
Of COURSE you packed it away! It a a huge thing!! You earned it fair and square!
YES!!! Bug us because after 4 kids this brain is a sieve! I need to be held accountable!!!
You think Mommy-brain is bad??? Try MENOPAUSE brain!! 
I swear, I'm gonna forget my own name some day soon!!
You look amazing
Rose!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She does, doesn't she!!
Hi, I'm Michele.
This is my 1st ever BL challenge.
I'm 47, married to my best friend and high school sweetheart for 24 years. We have 2 DS's, 18 and 16. I've been a stay at home mom all their lives, currently looking for a part-time job.
My goal for this challenge is to lose 14 lbs. Overall I need to lose 50, but starting off with hopefully a reachable goal. I need achievement to motivate me.
I've never been a dieter, not that I didn't need it, I've been steadily putting on weight each year. I just hate the idea of dieting and exercise. My goal is to change my lifestyle slowly with healthy habits so that I don't feel deprived. I think I really need this support group and guidance to get me going.
Problem has been that DH and I both need to lose weight but we have such different views on losing. He is an 'All or Nothing' kind of person. He wants to wake up on a Monday morning and do everything different, eat differently, exercise every day, etc. I know I can't do that. I need good habits to slowly grow and become just that ...Habits. So, we just never get started because we can't agree on a plan.
Goals...lose 14 lbs, exercise 2 days a week - 30 min consecutively (currently no exercise) and eat 1 serving of fruit each day (I never eat fruit
)
I can totally understand having a conflict with a DH who shares a similar goal but wants to go about it a different way. My DH lost about 60 pounds several years ago (when I was trying WW yet again) with the Atkins method. I didn't agree with that eating plan at that time and I still don't. He lost the weight, but of course, as soon as he started adding carbs, the weight came right back on. And I feel like he didn't really "learn" anything during that time about healthy eating habits. He at LOTS of fatty foods like bacon, cheese, heavy cream in his coffee, eggs, and some veggies (mostly broccoli, spinach, lettuce) and almost no fruits. I think all he learned is that he really loves three egg omelets with bacon and cheese!
He had a bad accident this past fall and had his mouth wired shut for abou 8 pounds, during which time he lost about 35 pounds or so. That prompted hiim to continue to "diet" to lose more weight (he was probably 100 pounds overweight at the time of his accident). He has done really well losing weight since then, but is really leaning heavily back into the Atkins type of eating (although he is learning to watch the fats a bit more.... he uses more egg whites, lower fat cheeses, and some fruits).
But he is constantly kind of "challenging" me to why he thinks WW should be more like Atkins and why watching/limiting fat isn't necessary. I know that it is about having HEALTHY fats and HEALTHY carbs along with a good variety of fruits, veggies, and lean protein. I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut about it sometimes. I figure I'll just have to prove how amazing WW is by my actions and by maintaining my weight loss for years to come!! Hopefully, someday, he'll come over from the "dark side" of Atkins and join me in WW!! Lead by example!!
If your DH goes for an "all or nothing" approach and it fizzles out early, maybe your example of learning healthier habits SLOWLY so that they STICK will help him!!
QOTD Friday, September 9, 2011: Please introduce yourself and tell us about your goals for this challenge.
Hi everyone! My name is Ruth and this is my first BL challenge. I'm single, live with a housemate + housemates daughter & grandson (6), and do IT work for a living (translation - I sit on my bum most of the day).
A little back story - I've been overweight to obese most (if not all) of my life. With the help of Weight Watchers I lost 50 lbs 2 years ago and have been able to maintain that loss within 5-10 lbs since then (I'm at the +10 spot beginning this challenge). Of course - 50 is just a drop in the bucket of what I need to lose but I'm committed to doing it slowly and properly. I'm a member of the YMCA and do a good job of 30 minutes on the elliptical at least 3 days a week, but most of the rest of the machines scare me and I haven't worked up the nerve to ask for help. I'm signed up for small group training which begins next week but so far am the only one signed up and scared they will cancel it. I have all of the knowledge and tools I need to do this but haven't yet found the dedication. I will journal foods and exercises for a while but won't stick with it, allergies act up and I start eating what tastes good instead of what I should - so I'm looking forward to the HH and Clutter challenges to help me focus.
So here are my goals and challenges for this edition of BL:
GOALS:
Lose 1-2 lbs/week using a combination of healthy eating and exercise.
Consistently journal food, water, and exercise for the duration of the contest.
Participate in HH & Clutter challenges, QOTD, & WIN measurements.
Challenges:
Family wedding next weekend 09/17
WDW trip 11/04 - 11/12
Birthday 12/05
Holidays
I've read through everything and already sent my beginning weight to Dvccruiser76 this morning. I will measure and send numbers to satorifound for WIN tomorrow.
And a question for the rest of the BL participants...
I hate cooked vegetables. I have always HATED cooked vegetables. And there are quite a few that I don't enjoy raw either (broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, onions to start with). I do enjoy salad fixings and fresh fruit. Anybody have any tricks for getting veggie servings in without the cooked ones?
Glad to be here! Promise future posts won't be as wordy!
Wish I had some great helpful ideas to help with the veggies, but I don't have much. You COULD try a juicer if you are really concerned with getting more veggies.... but if you don't like the taste, you still won't like it as juice. Let me throw out a few things I do and see if they spark anything.....
Try them at breakfast.... omelets are a great place to add veggies.... spinach, onions, tomatoes, avocado are all great additions.
I LOVE Rose's suggestion of hummus.... and try some different veggies to dip in the hummus, rather than the standard carrots and celery.... red bell peppers, jicima, raw zucchini, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, raw green beans, for just a few.
Keep trying new veggies.... and keep trying cooked veggies cooked in different ways! Don't like steamed broccoli??? Try it roasted or stir-fried, or in a cold broccoli salad (super yummy.... I'll share the recipe if anyone wants). Don't care for zucchini?? Try cutting into thin ribbons and lightly steaming it and adding it to pasta.... cover with sauce and enjoy! Onions? Buy sweet onions and slice and GRILL them..... it really brings out their natural sweetness. Don't like plain cooked carrots? Cook them with parsnips and mash them together. Like cole slaw? Try making it with broccoli slaw instead of cabbage?
Disguise it like people do for their kids..... mashed cooked carrots hide really well in spaghetti sauce. And my DS loves my meatloaf that is FULL of veggies (chopped broccoli slaw, shredded carrots, onions, peppers, mushroom, spinach). It makes for a really moist healthy yummy meatloaf without tasting like veggies.
If all you can tolerate is salads.... well, at least keep that up!
So excited to back in the BL!
I am lovetoscrap-- but many call me LTS-- it helps prevent an unfortunate typo
. . . I moderate the Welcome Board here. I am 41, married to an amazing, wonderful and patient man, and have 2 girls ages 11 and 15, and 2 spoiled rotten cats.
I have struggled with my weight all my adult life and have tried just about every diet there is, even worked at Jenny Craig for a while. But weighing and measuring, counting points, eating predetermined boxed meals just doesn't work for me. I am a strong believer in South Beach as a great way to change your eating habits for life. I follow most all their principals except eating whole grains. I would often get sick to my stomach when I was dieting with some really bad symptoms that would cause a lot of problems which would completely derail my efforts. I was finally diagnosed with IBS a few years ago and since then have realized that whole grains are one of the things that make me really ill.
I went as far as to try Gluten Free because my daughter was also having a lot of problems so we did it together. We didn't seem to have any gluten issues and she was finally also diagnosed with IBS. So I do still eat the refined white crap
but in very limited amounts and in ways that still allow me to lose weight.
I have some physical issues that limit my mobility so exercise is difficult but I am hoping to get back to the gym next week. I have lost 45 pounds since about mid 2010, 25 of those were in the Spring BL Challenge here and was able to get back to ONEderland
I maintained that loss over the summer when things were just too crazy to try to keep to a losing diet so I am jumping back in at where I was when I left. I would like to lose another 25 by the end of the year but I think realistically with the holidays I will set a goal of 15 for this challenge. I usually lose about a pound a week. I have about 50-60 more pounds total that need to come off.
My other goals are to get to the gym a few times a week, to have my meals planned in advance, and to spend less time on the computer and more time doing the things I should! I am excited for the Clutter Challenge. I am also trying to get back into a
FlyLady routine. I have started it several times in the past but never really stuck it out. Any other
FlyBabies here??
Welcome back! I really missed you this summer! Glad you are back with us.
**********Time for more catching up................P
You might keep it in the back of your mind if you hit a plateau or something -- it's just another tool in a healthy lifestyle.
. I found out that if I just graze at my dinner instead of sitting and eating at 7pm (we eat late because of our schedules) I tend to do better. And then shortly before bed, I pull a WW ice cream treat out of the freezer and slowly savor it
the full of fat and calorie options. That is where you find the cheap stuff. The worse it is for you the cheaper it is. The media is up in arms about the growing obesity problem in this country, especially where kids concerned. Well how about making it more economical for people to eat healthy choices. 
You warmer weather folks are amazing.
to DD. Didn't DS have something at the same time? How did he do?
So I figured out that he can't button his dress pants! He said, well, usually I have my robe over them (acolyte, choir for church) or I just don't tuck in my shirt! Sheesh. Ya might have said something earlier. So we raided his brother's closet, where a pair were hanging that I'm sure were too small for him. What is with these boys?! Oh, that's right. They're BOYS! 
