Biggest Loser "Sizzlin' Hot" Summer Challenge

[SettinSail]

Oh yeah, the recipe looks great Pam Will have to try tofu noodles

Shawn

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Drive by posting.... We are on our way out to see Brave.

Quote of the day

Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.

I hope y'all have a great day!!

 

[penguin1102]

QOTD Saturday: As you enter the park you happen upon future world. Here we learn all about imagination and innovation. Most of us had already talked about our "one little spark of inspiration" so let's talk about these lesser known fellas. The jamminators are true innovators, using their cleaning supplies (which is all they have) to make awesome music. In what ways have you become an innovator on this journey? What health challenges do you face daily that you must come up with creative solutions to? Do you walk during your lunch break? Do you try and stand up most of the day, or perhaps use household items as weights if you are staying at a friends house?QUOTE]

I have become creative with what to snack on at work. I used to bring nothing, but then I started bringing different things so that I would not run to 7-11 when I got bored. I work with a bunch of girls that can eat anything they want, so they always want to order in, so I try to make smart choices when I am ordering in or I try to pack my lunch. Perfect example yesterday everyone wanted corner bakery, so I got the veggie soup and a 1/2 sandwich. I work at a bank so there is a lot of sitting involved during my day. I try to stand until my knees begin to hurt, I have really bad knee issues and if I stand to long they sometimes swell, and then I will sit for about 10 minutes. I don't really do anything during my lunch break because I look at that as my "me" time and just sit in my car and read. The good thing is that I get so involved in what I am reading, and I find that I don't inhale my lunch.

 

[Mary•Poppins]

Hi all my DIS friends! I have missed you all. Sorry to be MIA the last two weeks. I am finally finished with graduations and my DS's graduation party last Friday. WHEW ... I am glad that is over. I am now prepared for the next one (next year). Already booked the hall and have enough paper products for that party too (I over bought ...).

This week I have been playing catch up with the house, groceries, putting party supplies away and catching up on the thread. WOW ... I was behind 20 pages! I skimmed over everything so I might have missed some things. Thank you Dona and Christopher for coaching last week. I LOVED your pictures and questions. Makes me yearn for Disney World!

Congrats to Christopher and Chicago262! Great job you losers .... and everyone else who made it to the big loser list!

I have not had a great 2 weeks. I am actually up 3 pounds ! Stress and tons of graduation parties have not been good to me. I actually ate much better this week and have been working out a lot, but it has not showed up on the scale. Very discouraging but I know I need to stay the course. It will kick in.

Thanks Kayla for coaching this week.

Hello folks! Incase you don't know me, I am Kayla, a photography/graphic design student here in the midwest. I've been a little MIA this past week, but I'm here to be your coach this week! I apologize if my questions have already been asked before.

Question of the Day Friday:

Our journey around the world and into the future begins to today! EPCOT stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow and was a concept for a future world.

What in your health journey have you experimented with in order to help you reach your goal and create yourself a better tomorrow? Is there a certain diet you followed? Exercise plan? Did it work, or did you find that you needed to tweak it or start completely over because it just wasn't right for you?

I have tried many things. WW helped me lose weight about 12 years ago. This site had been great for me since I joined in January. I would like to thank all of you for your support.

QOTD: I became a vegetarian in October, I felt that it was healthier and it would foce me to try new foods. It's done exactly that and has helped me become better each day. On the other hand I've tried following the C25K plan and always felt too structured and bored. Some days I'd rather run 5 miles and not 2 while others I didn't want to run more than a mile. I ended up doing my own thing and that helped me to succeed!

--------
I will be responding this week, despite all the craziness here. I lost it a bit this week and the overwhelming need of chocolate and tiredness of always being on my weight loss game got to me. But if I'm coaching, I have to be 100% good now! Right?

I'm going to the farmers market tomorrow morning and then on Sunday my friends and I are volunteering at a triathlon, should be fun. Also, going to see Brave tonight, I'm excited!

Have a wonderful day and stay on track!

I have made a real effort to eat more vegetables. I fill up 1/2 of my plate at lunch and dinner with veggies. This has been great and I have to say it has made me feel so much better.

Hardly slept last night. My mom called at 10 to say that Dad had a bad night and wasn't feeling well. He also hardly ate anything at the wedding. I was so afraid to go to sleep as I had a horrible fear of being awakened in the middle of the night by the phone and my mom crying! She said they may not go to my brother's today. It will depend on how Dad is feeling today. I didn't get to sleep until probably 1ish and then was awake again around 4. I know this may sound selfish but I have a fear of my vacation having to be canceled and with the stress of the past three weeks we really need this vacation. I'm just hoping Dad is feeling better this morning and go to VT.

I've washed up the dishes, swept the kitchen floor, charged my Kindle and browsed the web for awhile. My stomach is in absolute knots. I am a nervous person in general and always worry about major plans having to be canceled.

Sorry for the whine! I'm just stressed beyond words and don't know what to do to feel better except put it in words! Pray for my Dad and Mom that they can have a nice visit with my brother and their friends!

TTFN

Sending some hugs your way. You have been having a few bad days. Hopefully your vacation will let you destress and clear your mind. Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.

QOTD Saturday: As you enter the park you happen upon future world. Here we learn all about imagination and innovation. Most of us had already talked about our "one little spark of inspiration" so let's talk about these lesser known fellas. The jamminators are true innovators, using their cleaning supplies (which is all they have) to make awesome music. In what ways have you become an innovator on this journey? What health challenges do you face daily that you must come up with creative solutions to? Do you walk during your lunch break? Do you try and stand up most of the day, or perhaps use household items as weights if you are staying at a friends house?

-----
QOTD: My job requires me to stand most of the time, but on slow days I have plenty of opportunities to sit. If I have some things to take downstairs, I take them in smaller loads which requires me to walk up and down more. In high school our teacher use to walk around the school, up and down the stairs, for the entire lunch period to get in her exercise.

Have a wonderful day, I work again so not sure if I'll be on today.

We went to see Brave last night and I really loved it. I understand why people would say they were dissapointed or that it was short or the plot was weak, but Merida was absolutely gorgeous and I thought it was a nice story. La Luna short was absolutely adorable.

Mine is feeding my family. They are all quite picky. Well, that is not totally true, my oldest eats almost everything. I am constantly battling everyone to eat healthy. I now cook one thing that everyone will eat (the meat part) and then other things that are healthier. The rule is you have to take one bite of it. They are starting to make shifts (my husband now likes broccoli). But some days they just wear me out ....


Now that I am caught up, I will be on daily. I find I am much more successful when I am on here with you all.

 

[sissy_ib]

5K was this morning and it went great! I made my under 40 minute goal. I had my cell phone in the pocket of my hydration belt so I did not check my time at all while running. My DH decided to take me out to breakfast at a place called The Egg and I. I ordered an egg white omelet off the "smarter choices" menu and was so disappointed that it was swimming in oil! At least I tried. Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

 

[Disneywedding2010]

Afternoon everyone!

Well, I was going to swim last night but a storm came through so I did some strength training. Here in a little while I'm going to jump on the treadmill and get 2 miles completed. I'm slacking on my mileage for the week. I skipped breakfast this morning (yes I know BAD BAD BAD!). So I had a peanut butter sandwich and some cottage cheese for lunch. I'm going to have leftovers from last night for dinner. I'm working on my water now.

QOTD Saturday: As you enter the park you happen upon future world. Here we learn all about imagination and innovation. Most of us had already talked about our "one little spark of inspiration" so let's talk about these lesser known fellas. The jamminators are true innovators, using their cleaning supplies (which is all they have) to make awesome music. In what ways have you become an innovator on this journey? What health challenges do you face daily that you must come up with creative solutions to? Do you walk during your lunch break? Do you try and stand up most of the day, or perhaps use household items as weights if you are staying at a friends house?

In the beginning of this journey I had a hard time getting fruits and veggies into my diet. I would eat a veggie with dinner and that was about it. Then I started buying more baby carrots and frozen fruits. I'd eat baby carrots with my lunches and/or as snacks. Then I would use the frozen fruit to make smoothies for either breakfast or a late night snack.

I also had a hard time getting my exercise in. I gradually over time increased my weekly workouts from 3 a week to 6. Some weeks I work out for 60 minutes a day and others only 30 a day

 

[Zoesmama03]

A gain for me this week. I do have TOM coming up SOON so its some cause but shouldn't be an excuse. I've not gotten to pulling my plans together. I have some big stuff in the works that will take time its only a "part time" commitment like 18 hours a week. It's just been crazy sleep patterns and hard time waking up earlier. Maybe as I get into a routine with this volunteering I'll find a steady pace and easier time getting my exercise in. I haven't even been tracking food. I don't know what is wrong with me. I've started counseling for the anxiety and panic attack stuff. It was gone for quite some time but Thursday I had one while going to my moms. I was able to get a light and do some deep breathing after sitting at my moms house about 20 minutes or so I went and drove around with no issues. I just don't know what causes it. There never seems to be anything specific now other than worry it will happen. It starts with a lightheaded feeling though and then goes from there. So I'm thinking panic is involved with the lightheaded dizziness which they think are related to blood pressure and or the blood pressure med causing side effects. It's nice that I calmed down and stop it but it still causes more panic to worry about it. I don't know if I want to try seeing the prescriber for meds. In some ways I think it may help but I'm not to keen on more meds and more side effects if you know what I mean. Exercise(and weight loss) is essential but even knowing that its not enough motivation.

Hope I'm not too much of a downer today. Things are getting better but it frustrated me to have panic coming up again after sooooo long.

I also had a hard time getting my exercise in. I gradually over time increased my weekly workouts from 3 a week to 6. Some weeks I work out for 60 minutes a day and others only 30 a day

Great job! Sounds like you are doing ok to me. I may get 1 some weeks 2-3 other weeks. I've had a lot of struggle. Every time I make a plan to start increasing exercise, I end up with a bunch of stuff coming up. I just need to MAKE time for it. I don't care to work out when we have company and it seems like my best friends son is here every weekend Thursday to Sunday(or Monday some) visiting my brother so it throws a big wrench in plans. ARGH. Yes I know I deserve the time and work towards myself but it gets lost in idea land.

 

[tigger813]

Hi all,

Mom and Dad have arrived at my brother's in VT. He is feeling a bit better and getting around a little better though using the wheelchair right now. He was uncomfortable sitting for 4 hours in the car.

Thanks for all your good wishes! It's just been the worst two weeks and we really need this vacation! Things are looking better for Brian work wise so we should be able to enjoy the trip.

The girls did awesome in the recital! It only lasted 3 hours so we were able to get out of there and come home and eat something. I'll probably grab something at the airport while we wait for our flight too. We get picked up in less than 90 minutes. Ash is doing her nails. I should be trying to nap but I'm too excited! Our flight is currently running on time. An earlier flight was delayed about an hour. Just hoping we will be all set. There is some rain in the area so we just hope we can get out ok and land close to on time so we can get some sleep. Our limo picks us up in the morning at 10.

I will share all the details of our trip when we get back. Not sure if I will be able to get on when we are back on land right away. We are taking another laptop.

I am happy to report that I ended up within 1.6 pounds of my goal for the trip so I'm happy. The stress of the last two weeks and working like crazy helped!

Bon Voyage!!!!

TTFN

 

[JacksLilWench]

Trust me it was out of my comfort zone as well. After Josh and Maddie passed away I moved a total of 3 times (just within TX). Then when I finished my BA in 2011 I literally sat down and had a heart to heart with myself. Trust me when I finally made the decision to do it I went back and forth on whether or not it was a good idea. Its hard to believe I've been here almost 10 months but I'm so happy. Yeah, there are a few things I don't care for but I had those types of issues in TX as well. No where you move is going to be perfect. I'm here if you have any other questions.

Kristina, you are just the sweetest person. Thank you so much for all the help you've given me so far, and for all the help I'm sure to need in the future. You are awesome!

QOTD Saturday: As you enter the park you happen upon future world. Here we learn all about imagination and innovation. Most of us had already talked about our "one little spark of inspiration" so let's talk about these lesser known fellas. The jamminators are true innovators, using their cleaning supplies (which is all they have) to make awesome music. In what ways have you become an innovator on this journey? What health challenges do you face daily that you must come up with creative solutions to? Do you walk during your lunch break? Do you try and stand up most of the day, or perhaps use household items as weights if you are staying at a friends house?

I have tried to become an innovator by modifying the way I eat now. I still enjoy all the foods I liked before, but I enjoy them even more- I just enjoy a lot less of them by focusing when I eat, on WHAT I'm eating. Before I would just eat cake or cookies or whatever by just putting it in my mouth and chewing and not really appreciating what I have. Now I'm able to have ONE cookie and get so much more out of it than what I used to get out of three.

When you can be more COMFORTABLE with it, then you will know it is the right move. Every new situation and adventure comes with SOME level of discomfort..... but you will know it when you are really ready.

Mentally, I'm pretty comfortable with it...financially I'm so not! So that's what I'm doing now, getting the money caught up with the mind

*************
I'm so frustrated about my last two weeks of weigh-ins. Last week, I went out the night before weigh-in, knowing it wouldn't be good. I gained 3.4lbs. I was not happy about it, but I knew what the results would be, doing what I did. The meeting was crap, and the whole time I was mad at myself. This week, I tried to go in with a different attitude. But it pretty much fell by the wayside when I stepped on the scale and had gained a whole nother freaking pound. Besides that, the leader have a connection with wasn't even there. It was some new woman I suspect has something to do with making another very worthy leader be pushed out because he found full-time employment (after two years on the UE list.) I feel cheated in so many ways and I'm mad, sad, upset, and angry about my gains. The only thing I can think to do is go back to square one and just act like it's my first week on WW again. Which is really not a bad idea, but it doesn't get rid of my feelings about my leaders. I truly hope the last remaining leader I care for is just on vacation or something, because the woman who was there this morning was NOT someone I would want to sit through a meeting with. Especially if she's the reason one of the leaders was forced to leave.

Thanks for letting me vent, everyone. I try not to on here, because other people have actual problems and life issues going on and deserve my support...I always feel like when I get on here and add extra stuff like this I'm being whiny, lol. But thanks for listening!

Here's to a better week with REAL success!

 

[Disneywedding2010]

Kristina, you are just the sweetest person. Thank you so much for all the help you've given me so far, and for all the help I'm sure to need in the future. You are awesome!


Thanks for letting me vent, everyone. I try not to on here, because other people have actual problems and life issues going on and deserve my support...I always feel like when I get on here and add extra stuff like this I'm being whiny, lol. But thanks for listening!

That's what we're here for. Oh, and thank you. Its not that often I get told I'm awesome

 

[kisobel]

Challenges- funny you should ask that. came home this morning afrer working all night to find the refrigerator is warm. yup lost all the contents except the freezer. and its sat morning and i have to sleep because i still have 2 12 hours shifts to work this weekend. not happy. i called and scheduled someone to come monday morning to look at it. but its a pain in the neck trying to figure out some meals right now. and there's an evil devil sitting on my shoulder saying just order take out. if i can survive this-i'm a better person than i thought. stress and i do not eat well together. thanks for listening to me vent. off to work i go.


kate

 

[6ofus2]

QOTD Saturday: As you enter the park you happen upon future world. Here we learn all about imagination and innovation. Most of us had already talked about our "one little spark of inspiration" so let's talk about these lesser known fellas. The jamminators are true innovators, using their cleaning supplies (which is all they have) to make awesome music. In what ways have you become an innovator on this journey? What health challenges do you face daily that you must come up with creative solutions to? Do you walk during your lunch break? Do you try and stand up most of the day, or perhaps use household items as weights if you are staying at a friends house?

I have come to love fruit. I used to not eat fruit, now I eat an apple & banana daily and usually something else. I work at a desk and I do try & get up often. My lunch break is at 11:30 so by 5 p.m. I am starving. In the past I would come home & cook & snack while I cooked, then eat dinner. Now I take a snack to work & eat it around 4 so I am not starving when I get off.

 

[jillbur]

We went to see "Brave" yesterday and did NOT eat any popcorn, movie theater candy, or soda!! I brought grapes for DS, cherries for DD, and raspberries for myself plus bottled water. Also brought a small treat (Skinny Cow chocolates for DD and I to share and a small Hershey's chocolate for DS). And that was it. I don't think, in my entire life, I've EVER been to a movie when I did eat at least SOME popcorn!! (And for those of you who know me, "some" popcorn usually means at least a gallon! )

It was so gratifying to walk out knowing that I stayed totally OP and (double victory), DS was popping the grapes like M&Ms.... and he doesn't eat much fruit, so I was thrilled! Sure, it was mindless eating.... but at least he got a few servings of fruit!

Great job! We were planning to see Brave at the drive in. Our drive in charges a $5 fee if you want to bring in your own food/drinks. You have inspired me to pay that fee & bring fruits & maybe veggies to snack on instead of popcorn! So, thank you for your NSV!

Original recipe in black..... my changes in red. This came from a magazine many, many years ago.... not sure which one but probably Cooking Light.

Creamy Light Fettucine Alfredo


12 oz. whole wheat fettucine, cooked according to package directions and drained. (I now use tofu noodles for this when I make it for DH and myself, but I still use the whole wheat for the kids)

2 C evaporated skim milk or lowfat soy milk

4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

6 Tb. parmesan cheese (best quality you can afford.... makes a difference in the taste)

1/4 C chopped fresh parsley (I have skipped this without any noticeable changes)

salt/pepper to taste

2 C chopped and lightly steamed veggies of your choice: carrots, green beans, zucchini, summer squash, onions, broccoli, peas, peppers, mushroom (I sautee this in PAM instead of steaming), spinach (I use baby spinach and put it in raw.... it wilts down quickly enough).

Place pasta in a large nonstick skillet along with milk and garlic. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Add Parmesan.

Continue cooking until cheese melts and sauce thickens. Stir in parsley and salt/pepper. Add steamed vegetables, toss gently, and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

As originally written....Per serving: 416 calories, 25 G protein, 4 G fat, 68 G carbs, 343 mg. sodium, 4 G fiber, OVO-LACTO.



***NOTES: I like to make this in the summer when we are overrun with squash and such, but it is great for any time of the year. Don't expect it to be really thick, like "real" alfredo sauce.

If you have never tried the shirataki tofu noodles and there isn't any reason why you can't eat soy, give them a try! Especially if you are watching your carbs. The whole wheat pasta is really healthy, but full of carbs. The tofu noodles are something crazy like 20 calories per serving and nets out to about 1 carb per serving. They are a BIT chewier than traditional pasta, but that would be my only thought.

Enjoy!!!......................P

Oh yummy! I love alfredo. Unfortunately, it loves my thighs, so this is great! I've never had shirataki noodles. Where are they located in a grocery store? My mom just told me that on Thursday at 6 she was watching qvc and they had noodles on that are no carb/no calorie/no gluten/ and who knows what else. The problem is that they were $40 (I think) and I can't remember how many servings. If you go to qvc & search on the left hand side for previous shows & go to Thursday/6:00 (some cooking show) you can see them.

I think most of the Smithsonian is open on Sundays. That alone could take days to see! If you are looking to stay overnight on the cheap, stay right outside the city in Alexandria and take the Metro in.... most hotels in the area offer shuttles to the Metro stations. Or splurge and stay right near the Mall and walk to the attractions! That would be cool!

Enjoy your trip, no matter what you decide to do!

I found out everything is open Sundays! I think we will stay in Alexandria or Arlington and use the metro. I would splurge if parking & taxes weren't so much right in DC (most have $35+ parking). I'm thinking we will get there around 3 on a Saturday. We can check in and head into the city to see the White House/monuments/memorials. Sunday I think we will get up and head to the National Zoo (kids choice). If the weather is too hot or rainy we will head to the museums instead. It's about a 6 hour drive home, so I am hoping to leave around 4. I'm sure we'll go back for a longer period of time to do more. We usually stop on the way home from the beach around Fredericksburg, VA so I told DH we might as well pay the same amount for the hotel in DC & see some sites instead of just the hotel pool in Fredericksburg!

5K was this morning and it went great! I made my under 40 minute goal. I had my cell phone in the pocket of my hydration belt so I did not check my time at all while running. My DH decided to take me out to breakfast at a place called The Egg and I. I ordered an egg white omelet off the "smarter choices" menu and was so disappointed that it was swimming in oil! At least I tried. Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

Congrats on the 5k!

Hi all,

I am happy to report that I ended up within 1.6 pounds of my goal for the trip so I'm happy. The stress of the last two weeks and working like crazy helped!

Bon Voyage!!!!

TTFN

Way to go on your goal! That's awesome!
<---- This is me standing ashore waving as you pull away. Bon voyage!

I'm so frustrated about my last two weeks of weigh-ins. Last week, I went out the night before weigh-in, knowing it wouldn't be good. I gained 3.4lbs. I was not happy about it, but I knew what the results would be, doing what I did. The meeting was crap, and the whole time I was mad at myself. This week, I tried to go in with a different attitude. But it pretty much fell by the wayside when I stepped on the scale and had gained a whole nother freaking pound. Besides that, the leader have a connection with wasn't even there. It was some new woman I suspect has something to do with making another very worthy leader be pushed out because he found full-time employment (after two years on the UE list.) I feel cheated in so many ways and I'm mad, sad, upset, and angry about my gains. The only thing I can think to do is go back to square one and just act like it's my first week on WW again. Which is really not a bad idea, but it doesn't get rid of my feelings about my leaders. I truly hope the last remaining leader I care for is just on vacation or something, because the woman who was there this morning was NOT someone I would want to sit through a meeting with. Especially if she's the reason one of the leaders was forced to leave.

Thanks for letting me vent, everyone. I try not to on here, because other people have actual problems and life issues going on and deserve my support...I always feel like when I get on here and add extra stuff like this I'm being whiny, lol. But thanks for listening!

Here's to a better week with REAL success!

Sorry for the problems with the leaders you feel connected to. I do ww online. I was thinking of going back to the mentality of week one also. I didn't use any of my weekly points until my last day during week 1. I need be more carefull with those points! Good luck!

Challenges- funny you should ask that. came home this morning afrer working all night to find the refrigerator is warm. yup lost all the contents except the freezer. and its sat morning and i have to sleep because i still have 2 12 hours shifts to work this weekend. not happy. i called and scheduled someone to come monday morning to look at it. but its a pain in the neck trying to figure out some meals right now. and there's an evil devil sitting on my shoulder saying just order take out. if i can survive this-i'm a better person than i thought. stress and i do not eat well together. thanks for listening to me vent. off to work i go.

kate

Yikes! Hope it's an easy fix. Hopefully you have stuff in your pantry so you're not tempted to eat out!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just a quick drive by to check in and reply! Have a great night!

Jill

 

[buzz5985]

I found out everything is open Sundays! I think we will stay in Alexandria or Arlington and use the metro. I would splurge if parking & taxes weren't so much right in DC (most have $35+ parking). I'm thinking we will get there around 3 on a Saturday. We can check in and head into the city to see the White House/monuments/memorials. Sunday I think we will get up and head to the National Zoo (kids choice). If the weather is too hot or rainy we will head to the museums instead. It's about a 6 hour drive home, so I am hoping to leave around 4. I'm sure we'll go back for a longer period of time to do more. We usually stop on the way home from the beach around Fredericksburg, VA so I told DH we might as well pay the same amount for the hotel in DC & see some sites instead of just the hotel pool in Fredericksburg!

Jill

We stopped a couple of years ago and stayed at the JW Marriott right on Pennsylvania Ave. I lucked out and got a great rate on hotels.com with a discount code. I paid $100/night on the weekend ($400-500 during the week) so I didn't care about the parking fee. Be careful a lot of the hotels even outside of DC charge the parking fees. The JW Marriott is about a block from the White House and museums. There is a Hard Rock Cafe - which was actually one of the best we have eaten in.

Have fun.

Janis

 

[::Snow_White::]

Posting a bit early because I'll be out tomorrow morning volunteering at the triathlon!

QOTD Sunday: A Disney question today! Epcot is mostly known for the world showcase. A beautiful display of 11 different countries. Which one is your favorite and why? Which country would you put in world showcase if you could?

-----
QOTD: My favorite is Morocco, it is absolutely beautiful and I'm just mesmerized by the architecture and I love everything they have in the stores. If I could put in a country...I think I would do India but it seems that might be a bit like Morocco. Maybe Ireland or Australia would be fun. I think they should really fix up that Africa area though.

Have a wonderful day!!

 

[lmhall2000]

Here's to a great start to this last week of June for everyone!!! Let's send June out as a big loser!

I only lost .2 pounds last week, I have done so well the first two weeks of June but my body just needed a mix up...I did not ever go over 1500 calories a day but I did have a Krispy Kreme Donut (creme filled no less) and a nutter bar....I never eat sugar and it's not TOM, I just could not resist...this week my son had to be at a camp every am and I had to wake up at 5 to get him there..each night something happened to keep me from getting more than 3 hours of sleep...I was just a zombie all week! I only got 15 miles in instead of 30...I literally could NOT stand up after 4pm...just soo sacked! But, camp is over and I am getting 7 full hours of sleep and feel so much better! Back to 30 miles and good food choices!

QOTD: My favorite is probably the one with the trolls...was that Holland? and one I wish they would add would be some African country...I would love to see Australia..plus would be so cool to hear all their accents!

 

[pjlla]

Good morning Losers

I am taking it easy this morning. My back has really been bothering me with all the lifting, bending etc going on with the move. Trying to get DS packed up for BS camp. We are trying to find the combination lock for his trunk but in all this mess it is hiding from us. Sure would hate to buy another one, we have 2 or 3 somewhere here. Then I need to get myself packed - I am going to NYC for 3 days with my BFF and her 18 yr old dtr. They are super fit and I just hope I can keep up! We don't have any plans but food, theater and shopping are always on the list. We want to walk the Brooklyn Bridge too this time since none of us have ever done that.

That sounds like fun! Enjoy yourself!

My biggest health challenges are
1. I sit at work all day in deep concentration, my work is very detailed and very time sensitive and very heavy! I sip on water all day, try to get up briefly every 90 minutes and bring healthy snacks. Been thinking of trying out sitting on an exercise ball.

What do you do??


Pamela, good luck at the swim meet. We NEVER buy food at the cinema (too cheap!) and once you get used to it, it's no big deal. In fact, I'm always surprised at all the people eating-yuck!

I'm super cheap also and usually bring in my own bottled water but I LOVE movie theater popcorn..... if it is 4 of us we usually get a large that has a free refill and then we bring the refill home. But it was definitely a new experience and it wasn't as hard as I thought! The raspberries were a treat.

Jill, almost vacation time

Katrina, glad Alan got the good report

Hello to everyone else! Got to get moving. I probably won't be on again until after NYC, so Weds.

Have a great weekend!

Shawn

See you next week!

Drive by posting.... We are on our way out to see Brave.

Quote of the day

Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.

I hope y'all have a great day!!

Thanks! Did you enjoy the movie?

Hi all my DIS friends! I have missed you all. Sorry to be MIA the last two weeks. I am finally finished with graduations and my DS's graduation party last Friday. WHEW ... I am glad that is over. I am now prepared for the next one (next year). Already booked the hall and have enough paper products for that party too (I over bought ...).

You rented a hall? Is that common for your area? Most people I know have home parties.... I think. DD's graduation is next year and I am totally in full gear thinking and planning already! I figure to get the house up to snuff for a party like that, I need to start working on it now. Plus I am attempting to be sure her high school and swim scrapbooks will be finished by then!

I am hoping to get out and look for graduation paper products this year that aren't dated that I can buy on clearance and save for next year. Where did you get your stuff??

This week I have been playing catch up with the house, groceries, putting party supplies away and catching up on the thread. WOW ... I was behind 20 pages! I skimmed over everything so I might have missed some things. Thank you Dona and Christopher for coaching last week. I LOVED your pictures and questions. Makes me yearn for Disney World!

Congrats to Christopher and Chicago262! Great job you losers .... and everyone else who made it to the big loser list!

I have not had a great 2 weeks. I am actually up 3 pounds ! Stress and tons of graduation parties have not been good to me. I actually ate much better this week and have been working out a lot, but it has not showed up on the scale. Very discouraging but I know I need to stay the course. It will kick in.

With all you've had going on, cut yourself some slack!!

Mine is feeding my family. They are all quite picky. Well, that is not totally true, my oldest eats almost everything. I am constantly battling everyone to eat healthy. I now cook one thing that everyone will eat (the meat part) and then other things that are healthier. The rule is you have to take one bite of it. They are starting to make shifts (my husband now likes broccoli). But some days they just wear me out ....
Now that I am caught up, I will be on daily. I find I am much more successful when I am on here with you all.

My meal prep often looks like a kitchen from restaurant with all of the different things I need to make to keep everyone happy! But I'm mostly past "coddling" them about their dislikes. I will respect DD's moral decision to not eat ANYTHING from the sea.... and obviously I am careful of DS's allergies. And I am obviously making sure that DH and I have what we need as far as our "diet" is concerned. Beyond that, you get what you get!!

If I am serving chicken, DS usually get a serving of fish (he is allergic to chicken). If I am serving fish, DD gets chicken. If it is beef or pork or vegetarian and you just don't like it.... TOUGH!! If I make pasta or something high carb like that, I make two batches.... one whole wheat pasta for the kids and one tofu noodles for DH and myself. If it is something higher fat like egg and cheese pie, I make will make three of them.... a carb-free higher fat version for DH, a low carb, low fat, lots-of-veggies version for myself, and a moderate one (some veggies, lowfat cheese, normal carbs) for the kids. It sounds like a big deal, but at least that way I end up with leftovers for the next day!

But other than if I am making something really unusual, I STRONGLY encourage everyone to have at least one bite of what I've made. There is no other way to learn to like something other than trying it!

5K was this morning and it went great! I made my under 40 minute goal. I had my cell phone in the pocket of my hydration belt so I did not check my time at all while running. My DH decided to take me out to breakfast at a place called The Egg and I. I ordered an egg white omelet off the "smarter choices" menu and was so disappointed that it was swimming in oil! At least I tried. Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

Sorry about that! Don't you WONDER what the cook was thinking? Obviously by ordering egg whites you were trying to avoid the fat and/or cholesterol! Why pour on the oil? Did you ask for another one? Or at least try to blot the oil with a napkin??

DD ordered a non-fat hot chocolate from McDonald's recently.... and then we sat and chuckled as we watched them pile on the whipped cream and chocolate drizzle.... without even asking us!!! "Um.... DUH.... I ordered that NON-FAT so there would be NO FAT in it!!"

Hi all,

Mom and Dad have arrived at my brother's in VT. He is feeling a bit better and getting around a little better though using the wheelchair right now. He was uncomfortable sitting for 4 hours in the car.

Thanks for all your good wishes! It's just been the worst two weeks and we really need this vacation! Things are looking better for Brian work wise so we should be able to enjoy the trip.

The girls did awesome in the recital! It only lasted 3 hours so we were able to get out of there and come home and eat something. I'll probably grab something at the airport while we wait for our flight too. We get picked up in less than 90 minutes. Ash is doing her nails. I should be trying to nap but I'm too excited! Our flight is currently running on time. An earlier flight was delayed about an hour. Just hoping we will be all set. There is some rain in the area so we just hope we can get out ok and land close to on time so we can get some sleep. Our limo picks us up in the morning at 10.

I will share all the details of our trip when we get back. Not sure if I will be able to get on when we are back on land right away. We are taking another laptop.

I am happy to report that I ended up within 1.6 pounds of my goal for the trip so I'm happy. The stress of the last two weeks and working like crazy helped!

Bon Voyage!!!!

TTFN

I know you're already gone..... just wanted to say have a great time!!!

Mentally, I'm pretty comfortable with it...financially I'm so not! So that's what I'm doing now, getting the money caught up with the mind

*************
I'm so frustrated about my last two weeks of weigh-ins. Last week, I went out the night before weigh-in, knowing it wouldn't be good. I gained 3.4lbs. I was not happy about it, but I knew what the results would be, doing what I did. The meeting was crap, and the whole time I was mad at myself. This week, I tried to go in with a different attitude. But it pretty much fell by the wayside when I stepped on the scale and had gained a whole nother freaking pound. Besides that, the leader have a connection with wasn't even there. It was some new woman I suspect has something to do with making another very worthy leader be pushed out because he found full-time employment (after two years on the UE list.) I feel cheated in so many ways and I'm mad, sad, upset, and angry about my gains. The only thing I can think to do is go back to square one and just act like it's my first week on WW again. Which is really not a bad idea, but it doesn't get rid of my feelings about my leaders. I truly hope the last remaining leader I care for is just on vacation or something, because the woman who was there this morning was NOT someone I would want to sit through a meeting with. Especially if she's the reason one of the leaders was forced to leave.

Maybe you need to let your local WW venue aware of how you feel. I had a WW leader that I LOVED as well. I was VERY drawn to attending every meeting just to hear him speak. If I had shown up and he was MIA for no reason, I would have been very disappointed. WW counts on having GREAT leaders to draw people in and KEEP THEM ATTENDING! They know that having the right leader can make or break your WW experience. If you don't like your leader, find another meeting with a leader that you LOVE!!

Thanks for letting me vent, everyone. I try not to on here, because other people have actual problems and life issues going on and deserve my support...I always feel like when I get on here and add extra stuff like this I'm being whiny, lol. But thanks for listening!

Here's to a better week with REAL success!

Vent away! I'm never bothered by people talking about "smaller" problems. You never know how people handle problems and stress..... one person's "small" problem may be another person's HUGE problem! If it is bothering you and you need to "talk", feel free! The ONLY thing that bothers me here on the DIS in general, is people who pop on, whine/complain/lament, and dash away without EVER, EVER responding to other folks.

Great job! We were planning to see Brave at the drive in. Our drive in charges a $5 fee if you want to bring in your own food/drinks. You have inspired me to pay that fee & bring fruits & maybe veggies to snack on instead of popcorn! So, thank you for your NSV!

I would love a drive-in like that! My kids have never been to a drive-in. Maybe this summer we should find one. I think there is one within an hour's drive.

It was hard initially to think about going to the movie and not splurging, but in the long run it wasn't really a big deal!


Oh yummy! I love alfredo. Unfortunately, it loves my thighs, so this is great! I've never had shirataki noodles. Where are they located in a grocery store? My mom just told me that on Thursday at 6 she was watching qvc and they had noodles on that are no carb/no calorie/no gluten/ and who knows what else. The problem is that they were $40 (I think) and I can't remember how many servings. If you go to qvc & search on the left hand side for previous shows & go to Thursday/6:00 (some cooking show) you can see them.

I find them in the produce department (they need to be kept refrigerated). They are about $2-3 a package.... and I can easily eat an entire package, as can DH, so I buy two at a time. They are called "House Foods Tofu Shirataki". They come in plastic, floating in water. It is recommended that they be drained and rinsed and parboiled to remove the "authentic smell", but I've never noticed them to be particularly smelly. That said, I do rinse them and parboil them before adding them to my recipe. I've tried them with the alfredo and with pasta sauce. I have a few other "noodle" recipes I'd like to try them with as well (tuna casserole and I want to go out on a limb and try making them into a kugel!). Hungry Girl is BIG into using them, so you might want to check her website. I'll check out the QVC site later.

I found out everything is open Sundays! I think we will stay in Alexandria or Arlington and use the metro. I would splurge if parking & taxes weren't so much right in DC (most have $35+ parking). I'm thinking we will get there around 3 on a Saturday. We can check in and head into the city to see the White House/monuments/memorials. Sunday I think we will get up and head to the National Zoo (kids choice). If the weather is too hot or rainy we will head to the museums instead. It's about a 6 hour drive home, so I am hoping to leave around 4. I'm sure we'll go back for a longer period of time to do more. We usually stop on the way home from the beach around Fredericksburg, VA so I told DH we might as well pay the same amount for the hotel in DC & see some sites instead of just the hotel pool in Fredericksburg!


We stayed at a Hampton Inn in Alexandria, mostly based on price. Well.... when we pulled up we were a bit... The place was OBVIOUSLY undergoing major renovations (picture fencing up throughout the parking lot and front lawn area, heavy equipment, etc), which was probably why I got such a good price. But inside we had NO PROBLEMS. Room was clean and decent... typical Hampton Inn. And the free breakfast was sufficient (not fancy, but typical Hampton again). And in the long run we barely SAW the outside and were gone all day, every day, so we never heard the construction. The biggest disappointment came the evening we told the kids we could take a swim. I had SPECIFICALLY asked about whether or not they had a pool. They had assured me they had an outdoor pool. It was April vacation, but this is the south, so we figured it would be cool but fun to swim. Well.... imagine our surprise when we follow the signs in our suits and flip-flops.... to an EMPTY POOL!! I guess I didn't ask the important question of WILL THE POOL HAVE WATER IN IT??? Other than that (and one morning when the shuttle to the Metro took FOREVER to come), we liked our location. It was easy to go out in the evening for a quick errand (new camera memory), or sandwiches.

Enjoy your visit!

Just a quick drive by to check in and reply! Have a great night!

Jill

Posting a bit early because I'll be out tomorrow morning volunteering at the triathlon!


QOTD Sunday: A Disney question today! Epcot is mostly known for the world showcase. A beautiful display of 11 different countries. Which one is your favorite and why? Which country would you put in world showcase if you could?


I love, love, love World Showcase. Sadly, I am the only one in my family who really does, so I usually end up rushing through it. My current favorite country?? Bland to say, but America.... mostly based on the show. It brings me to tears. That said, I would far rather explore the shops and alleys of ALL the other countries.... plus try the foods! I love exploring the back areas of Morocco.... so exotic!

Country I would add???? Baffled, but quick answer is Austria (although I suspect it would be similar to Germany), Ireland, or Australia.
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QOTD: My favorite is Morocco, it is absolutely beautiful and I'm just mesmerized by the architecture and I love everything they have in the stores. If I could put in a country...I think I would do India but it seems that might be a bit like Morocco. Maybe Ireland or Australia would be fun. I think they should really fix up that Africa area though.

Have a wonderful day!!

whoops... honestly, I wasn't trying to copy your answers! In fact, I posted before I scrolled down to read them. But obviously we have similar ideas!!!

Here's to a great start to this last week of June for everyone!!! Let's send June out as a big loser!

I only lost .2 pounds last week, I have done so well the first two weeks of June but my body just needed a mix up...I did not ever go over 1500 calories a day but I did have a Krispy Kreme Donut (creme filled no less) and a nutter bar....I never eat sugar and it's not TOM, I just could not resist...this week my son had to be at a camp every am and I had to wake up at 5 to get him there..each night something happened to keep me from getting more than 3 hours of sleep...I was just a zombie all week! I only got 15 miles in instead of 30...I literally could NOT stand up after 4pm...just soo sacked! But, camp is over and I am getting 7 full hours of sleep and feel so much better! Back to 30 miles and good food choices!

Yikes! I couldn't survive for long on just 3 hours a night! I would be a BEAR!!

QOTD: My favorite is probably the one with the trolls...was that Holland? and one I wish they would add would be some African country...I would love to see Australia..plus would be so cool to hear all their accents!

I think you are thinking of Norway.

Wow..... lots of votes for Australia!!

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

Happy Sunday all! Last night's swims at Harvard were GOOD! She had 3 swims and two best times.... including dropping 4 seconds in her 200 IM! Leaving here a bit later today for day two.

I ate well yesterday, which is tough on swim days. Dinner was late, but OP.... and wasn't exactly what I wanted, but ate what I NEEDED instead of what I craved, so that was good... but TOUGH. By the time we stopped to eat it was 9:30 and I was FAMISHED.

I had worn my good walking sneakers in the hopes of getting outside for a few walks between events, but the weather gods weren't on my side and we had major thundershowers while the kids were swimming. Thankfully this particular pool is set-up to allow them to stay in during electrical storms.

Well.... I spent ALL of my computer time just on replies, so I need to dash now. I haven't had breakfast yet, plus the kids are up and I'm sure they are hungry! TTYL......................P

 

[leeandstacismom]

Posting a bit early because I'll be out tomorrow morning volunteering at the triathlon!

QOTD Sunday: A Disney question today! Epcot is mostly known for the world showcase. A beautiful display of 11 different countries. Which one is your favorite and why? Which country would you put in world showcase if you could?

-----
QOTD: My favorite is Morocco, it is absolutely beautiful and I'm just mesmerized by the architecture and I love everything they have in the stores. If I could put in a country...I think I would do India but it seems that might be a bit like Morocco. Maybe Ireland or Australia would be fun. I think they should really fix up that Africa area though.

Have a wonderful day!!

I like the England area best, it is just so quaint. I love shopping in the tea store, makes me want to try each flavor. I also like eating at the Pub. England to me has such interesting history. Now if the could add a showcase in, I would suggest Ireland as well. The Celtic traditions would be fun to explore, and the food there I have heard is fantastic.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

QOTD Sunday: A Disney question today! Epcot is mostly known for the world showcase. A beautiful display of 11 different countries. Which one is your favorite and why? Which country would you put in world showcase if you could?

I don't know, I love all of them for different reasons.
I love France for the photography possibilities. I love China because they respect their history and heritage (Love love love the Terracotta Army display). I love England for the layout and the design of the town square.
They are all Awesome.

I'd like to see Africa built up and have their cultures showcased and I'd love to see Australia. I think we are missing out on a huge part of the world without those 2 continents.

Thanks! Did you enjoy the movie?

It was ok. Didn't love it, but I think I need to see it again to decide. We saw the 3-D version and the cinematography was excellent. The story was like another movie, but I won't spoil it for others.

Thanks for reminding us to stay until the end.

 

[donac]

Good Sunday morning

I have only a short amount of time to get on. My ds1 is working on an on line class. The first time he took a quiz the wifi went out so he is gun shy about being on a laptop. He has a major test due by 8am tomorrow morning. He has one question ahead of time that he has been working on all week. It is about a survivor situation. The question was about how much fat loss should each of the three contests lose during a 60 day stay. He has spent so much time on this it is getting silly. He has a full test to take and the question can be no more than 6 pages long. He has already turned in a 3 page paper two weeks ago and two more are due. Not to mention the little quizzes and the rest of the tests he is going to take and the lectures that he has to read. I have taken grad courses but none have had the work that this one has involved.

We stopped a couple of years ago and stayed at the JW Marriott right on Pennsylvania Ave. I lucked out and got a great rate on hotels.com with a discount code. I paid $100/night on the weekend ($400-500 during the week) so I didn't care about the parking fee. Be careful a lot of the hotels even outside of DC charge the parking fees. The JW Marriott is about a block from the White House and museums. There is a Hard Rock Cafe - which was actually one of the best we have eaten in.

Have fun.

Janis

Thanks Janis for the info about the hotel in DC. We are think about doing this in Nov during Jersey week. We are thinking of asking a couple to come with us. She has never been to DC but we are thinking she will say no since she doesn't like museums. THe husband will love to go but we don't know about her.

Posting a bit early because I'll be out tomorrow morning volunteering at the triathlon!

QOTD Sunday: A Disney question today! Epcot is mostly known for the world showcase. A beautiful display of 11 different countries. Which one is your favorite and why? Which country would you put in world showcase if you could?

I love all the countries. I love the rides in Mexico and Norway and I love the movie in Canada. Last time we were there I was just getting over foot surgery and we really didn't visit the countries too much. I am hoping to change this in Aug.

Off to get some things together for a potluck we were invited to tonight. I am thinking about barbque chicken and a salad. Maybe even some fruit salad.

Have a happy and healthy day.