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

[PRINCESS VIJA]

HI everyone, just popping in to say HI! I'm still doing well on my plan. I am on day 5 and going strong.

We had a GREAT thunderstorm last night. Does anyone else love them? Very little rain so DS and I sat out on the porch and watched the thunder and lightning roll in. We had a great conversation too. Probably one of my all time favorite thunderstorms. It was beutiful.

 

[cclovesdis]

Welcome to Healthy Habits!

My name is CC (like see-see) and I will be your Healthy Habits (HH) coach for the Summer 2011 BL Challenge. I big thank you to donac and jenanderson for showing me the ropes.

Here's How HH Works: Each week, there will be 2 "things" to do each day. You earn 1 point for each day you do each "thing." So, if you do each "thing" for all 7 days, you earn 14 points. There will also be 2 mini-challenges each week. You earn 1 point for each mini-challenge you complete for a total of 16 possible points each week. At the end of the week, please PM me your total points. Here is an example:

4/7 eating 2 fruits
3/7 drinking 6 8 oz. glasses of water
1/2 mini-challenges completed

I will post the top scores as well as a list of the participants each week on/about Tuesday. You have until Tuesday at 5 PM EST to send me your points. Everyone who participates (regardless of his/her total points) will be entered into the drawing for a prize. It will be something related to the week's HH. You will need to PM me your address so I can send you the prize. If you do not WISH to be entered into the prize drawing, please let me know.

Healthy Habits Week 2

For All 7 Days:
1. Drink 8 8 oz. glasses of water or a total of 64 oz. of water.
2. Write down everything you eat during the day. This week, write down one component of its "nutritional information." This could be carb grams, number of calories, or WW points-or whatever fits your plan best!

Mini-Challenge 1: Get in 3 20 minute (or more) workouts.
Mini-Challenge 2: Limit yourself to 2 or fewer cups of caffeinated beverages per day.

Feel free to ask any questions! Have a great week!

 

[mommyof2Pirates]

i am typing this with one hand since my 4 yr old is sleeping on me so i wii keep this short.

overall it was a great day. we ended up at the spray park again. It was 98 degrees. This time we ran into friends of ours. Actually it was Mikes best man from our wedding and his wife and kids. So it was nice to sit and catch up while the kids played.

I did pretty good with eating and water but I didnt journal everything and I am pretty sure I went over a bit in points but not horribly.

Rose to answer your question....I am happy with how I did this week. No matter what the scale is I am proud of myself and will not let the number discourage me if it is not good.

For those weighing in tomorrow good luck.

 

[Disneyland_emily]

QOTD: Fav Resort? Though I've never stayed there: Wilderness Lodge followed by DAK Lodge. Out of places I've stayed? Pop Century


-em

 

[mackeysmom]

Yikes - I had a bad few days food-wise.

I've just been so hungry and have gone over my WW points each day for the past three days. Since I don't have junk in the house, I've been overeating things like string cheese, reduced fat Wheat Thins, popcorn, etc. We had our first REALLY hot day today and I didn't feel like cooking, so I went to the supermarket and got a "take and bake" pizza. That, and a salad, wouldn't have been too bad - but I had about three servings.

On the positive side, I have continued to walk a minimum of three miles a day. I played "angel vs. devil/should I or shouldn't I" for about a half-hour today because of the heat, but I sucked it up and walked anyway. (Of course, as Murphy's Law would have it, I was sweating like a fool when I ran into my secret crush - my UPS guy - while out walking!!)

QOTD - Favorite resort is Animal Kingdom Lodge or Port Orleans French Quarter. My DVC home resort is Saratoga Springs, but have never actually stayed there.

- Laura

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Organizational Challenge 6/10 - 6/16

*Make beds
*do dishes every day and have a clean sink before bed

New -
This week we are going to focus on meal planning and food organization.
the things we need to do this week are:

1. clean out pantry. Purge out-of-date food items. Purge anything you "intended to use" but never will. And if you are bold, purge all the bad for you foods. If you can't justify tossing it because of cost then consider donating to your local food pantry or making those naughty treats and giving them away to neighbors, friends, or co workers.
Sort remaining items into like categories of your choosing. Consider a clear over the door shoe organizer (Target or Walmart, I forget which one) for small packages like seasonings, soups, and various pouch like items.

List all items in a notepad for reference when making a grocery list.

Wash all shelves and floor before replacing food items.

2. Clean out refrigerator. Purge old food, out-of-date items, non useful items.
Bold move - purge all high fat sauces, dressings, and other condiments that are bad for you.
Wash all shelves before replacing food items. Group items in like categories.

List all items in a notepad for reference when making a grocery list. Check container levels of things such as butter, eggs, and milk.

3. Clean out freezer. Purge all items that are frost bitten, old, or that are useless. Bold move - Consider tossing all frozen dinners that are high on fat and/or sodium (many convenience meals have huge amounts of sodium in them).

List all items in a notepad for future reference when making grocery list.

4. Grocery list day!!! Consulting your notepad and recipes, start building your menu for the week or 2 weeks. Pay close attention to your carbs, proteins and fats. Aim for well balanced meals. Be sure to add plenty of veggies. If you look at a plate divided into sections. Half of your plate should be filled with fruits and veggies. Fresh veggies are the best, followed by frozen, then canned. Don't skimp on the fruit and veggies, they are a great source of vitamins and nutrients.
Bold move - Try a new recipe using healthy materials. Or update a healthier version of an old favorite.

5. Shop!!! First step, shop the perimeter of your store. This is where the best food items are located. Don't take kids if you can help it, and don't rush. Take time to read labels and do research before hand. Find out which foods have HFCS and Aspartame in them, try to find a healthy alternative if you can.
I know it seems like a lot of work but consider the fact that you would do as much research on a car, why wouldn't you do it for your body.
Look at healthy items that you can divide for great on-the-go snacks.

 

[momofdjc]

QOTD: That's a hard one. With 5 in the family we are limited to where we stay. I love POR, WL and the Yacht club. I haven't disliked anywhere we've stayed.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Inspirational Quote 6/10/11

Eat for the Body you want, not the body you have

working on some food and eating quotes this week for added inspiration.

 

[bellebookworm9]

Great job!!! Sounds like you already know this, but WW is so much healthier for you than LAWL. Enjoy your new glasses! I think mine are atleast 10 years old!

I tried LAWL when I was about 15 years old, but I wasn't too serious about it (who is at that age?) so it didn't work. It did work for Mom, while she was sticking to it. I really thought it was just too much food, but I didn't know it's less healthy than WW. Though as I was checking out their site, it seems to be more focused on "Rapid Weight Loss" now than it was 5 years ago.

We had a GREAT thunderstorm last night. Does anyone else love them? Very little rain so DS and I sat out on the porch and watched the thunder and lightning roll in. We had a great conversation too. Probably one of my all time favorite thunderstorms. It was beutiful.

I actually HATE thunderstorms. They terrify me; too many summers spent at camp where the trees would get hit and it would be very loud. Our dog is terrified of them as well.

Yikes - I had a bad few days food-wise.
On the positive side, I have continued to walk a minimum of three miles a day. I played "angel vs. devil/should I or shouldn't I" for about a half-hour today because of the heat, but I sucked it up and walked anyway. (Of course, as Murphy's Law would have it, I was sweating like a fool when I ran into my secret crush - my UPS guy - while out walking!!)

QOTD - Favorite resort is Animal Kingdom Lodge or Port Orleans French Quarter.

Sorry you've had a bad few days but good job on the walking. Part of the reason I am doing to C25K on the treadmill right now (other than the timing is easier that way) is because I work up such a sweat! Although there aren't really any cute guys that I know of in the neighborhood, knowing my luck one will have moved in and I'd run into him sweating like a pig (Well, "girls don't sweat, they glisten"...props if anyone can name that reference!).

It seems a lot of people love AKL and POFQ. We want to stay at POFQ sometime, but renting DVC points is so much cheaper!
*****************************************

I had another good day today. Decided to stop at Tim Horton's after my eye appointment, but I planned that ahead of time and checked points on WW. I ordered a cinnamon raisin bagel with light cream cheese and a small iced cap...only to get to the library and discover they gave me butter instead. No matter, I ate it anyway. Just googled the nutrition info when I got home and put it in.

I used up all my points exactly today. I had three left over, so decided to look and see what I could have for that many point, and much to my delight, a 1/2 cup of sherbet was one of the choices! So I had that.

I finished Week 1 of C25K today and I feel great! Excited to move on to Week 2.

I've done okay with the challenges this week. I've gotten my water in and journaled my food most days. I successfully cut out all soda for the week. I didn't get a true 45 minute work out in, but I did do that housework for 45 minutes yesterday. Does that count?

I've decided that if I'm down at least 2 pounds tomorrow I'm going to the mall and buying some earrings as a reward. Starting with small goals and working my way up!

 

[trinaweena]

EAT! (healthfully). You need the fuel with everything you have going on. You've been running every day, instead of the every-other-day program, so "taking today off" isn't really doing anything wrong. Reese's cups are one of my many vices, too, but your week is only "broken" if you let it be. Out of all the things folks have been saying here, I think my favorite analogy is "if you broke one plate, would you break the rest of the set?" Drink your water, get through your workday, one thing at a time. As for you essay, suggestions are SUGGESTIONS. If you agree with him and have time, sure, go ahead and make some changes, otherwise, polish any syntax and go with it. Unless you sent in a pile of poo first and a diamond the second time, chances are the grades AREN'T going to be that different. (It's called "central tendency" In my grad school, you knew you were going to get an 89, B+, unless your paper was clearly tripe. Nobody gave A's, but they didn't want to crush anyone's souls.)

Good for you for taking some "me" time. You're doing great for exercise this week so far, so if you're tired, resting is the right choice, IMHO. As for the evil Reese's. It's done, can't be UN-done, and getting them out of the house is the safest choice, good for you!!! Now, move on, on bad night is not going to break you unless you let it!

Again. EAT! Something healthy for you! NOT eating is NOT going to help you feel less tired or overwhelmed, and could set you up for bad choices tonight when you're tired from work and stressing looking at that paper...

Good luck, good choices, you can do this!!!:cheer2:

Somehow this was exactly what i needed to hear I did force myself to eat today and still did good for the day and forced myself to drink my water at break time even though i DID NOT WANT. I told myself to stop feeling guilty about not working out today because i have been doing good and there are going to be days when i just have too much on my plate. And thanks for your words about my teachers suggestions. It actually really helped for me to hear it. I tend to freak out about school since ive been kicked out of two schools for failing and have now maintained a 4.0 average for 2 semesters. Sometimes it feels like I need A's or nothing.

hi friends - just a quick midday hello.

it is 96 degrees here in the bronx. 96! what is UP with that?? my friend just invited us to go over and swim in their new pool. sounds nice but i don't even want to move to go over there! and i haven't gone to the grocery store for the quickie stuff i need for dinner. blah.

i took thomas to that talent place and he was like a completely different child! in a good way! he was all mister giggles and waving and blowing kisses at the agent. LOL! the woman said he has a great look! i was actually surprised and thought maybe he is TOO white! it seems alot of the print ads our there have pictures of ethnically ambiguous kids and thomas is most definitely not that! anyway, we are going in on sunday to get his head shots taken and the lady said she's really excited to work with him. i kind of busted her balls for a little. the headshots are VERY expensive and i said that i didn't want to waste the money unless she thought he'd get some work. she was very adamant about saying that she wouldn't waste my time. i even asked her to tell me about the last person she said no to because i didn't believe her that she just has everyone come in for head shots! LOL! i'm such a new yorker

anyway, we're going to do the headshots. i mean, if anything at least we'll have a great photo and it'll be an experience.

I feel you on the heat. It was 98 in CT today and its just brutal! Good luck with the headshots!

Just do the best you can--that's all you can do. Hang in there.

******
Here's some food for thought as we get ready for weigh-in tomorrow. Take a minute to think about how the week has gone? Did you drink your water? Did you get any exercise in? Did you journal your food? Did you follow your plan if you had one? What are you most proud of this week? Do you feel like you made a good starting effort?

I'm not going to say the number on the scale doesn't matter--cause it still matters to me. But, I know what I did right this week and I know what I could have worked harder on. The scale will say what it will say.

Don't beat yourself up and throw in the towel if you are disappointed, just pick yourself up, get a big glass of water and keep moving forward.

Have a great evening.

Thank you! I think i did well this week. One thing i really wanted to concentrate on was water, because im constantly dehydrated and its been a huge problem for me. Im happy to say i was able to drink the correct amount of water this week. Regardless of what the scale says i FEEL BETTER about myself and that means more than any number on the scale.

Re-read over what you wrote and the highlighted sentences
You know your body better than I do but I wanted to suggest you stick to running every other day for awhile. Your body really does need the rest.
You've got so much going on! Strive for moderation at first. You can always go full guns later on.
As for energy boost other than coke, how about ice cold water, gum, black coffee, small protein snack, piece of fruit? Hang in there


Nope, one day is not going to wreck your week - you're not going to let it! !

Maybe at stressful times like this, you can just look at your options in a calm way and tell yourself that exercise may have to be shortened or skipped for this day and you may have to go to a quick meal option (still healthy) but know that you will get right back on track the next day. Don't panic! You can do it! Good job on getting rid of the candy!

Thank you for your kind words. Im feeling much better now at the end of the day and I just keep saying you made it through and you can make it through tomorrow too. Sometimes its stressful to look at all the stuff I have piled up that needs to get done but i need to take it one day at a time.

Hi I am Candice… I am 35 & from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada… I started the last challenge but life got in the way & I didn’t finish but I plan to this time, so please add me to the loser list... I have been struggling with my weight & getting healthy all my life… I have a habit of starting off strong & then slipping & going back to old habits… But its easier said then done… This past 10 months have been very stress full & not so much with taking care of myself but my family... In October we found out that my Dad has multiple myeloma, I have been trying my best to deal with it but I am afraid that I went back to my old habits & used food to comfort myself... I made a promise to myself that I would give 110% & I would also keep telling myself that this takes time & I am trying really hard not to expect immediate results…

Welcome Candice, so sorry to hear about your family problems! My thoughts are with you!

Trina Share your playlist (if I haven't seen it yet) I'll post mine in a bit.

I will be sharing sometime this week after this mountian of school work hopefully does itself (wishful thinking!)

HI everyone, just popping in to say HI! I'm still doing well on my plan. I am on day 5 and going strong.

We had a GREAT thunderstorm last night. Does anyone else love them? Very little rain so DS and I sat out on the porch and watched the thunder and lightning roll in. We had a great conversation too. Probably one of my all time favorite thunderstorms. It was beutiful.

I love thunderstoms, even though they still make me jumpy. It might sound strange but I have been trying to be more calm during storms because my dog has developed a recent fear of them and i want to portray a sense of calm to her when they are happening.

Yikes - I had a bad few days food-wise.

I've just been so hungry and have gone over my WW points each day for the past three days. Since I don't have junk in the house, I've been overeating things like string cheese, reduced fat Wheat Thins, popcorn, etc. We had our first REALLY hot day today and I didn't feel like cooking, so I went to the supermarket and got a "take and bake" pizza. That, and a salad, wouldn't have been too bad - but I had about three servings.

On the positive side, I have continued to walk a minimum of three miles a day. I played "angel vs. devil/should I or shouldn't I" for about a half-hour today because of the heat, but I sucked it up and walked anyway. (Of course, as Murphy's Law would have it, I was sweating like a fool when I ran into my secret crush - my UPS guy - while out walking!!)

QOTD - Favorite resort is Animal Kingdom Lodge or Port Orleans French Quarter. My DVC home resort is Saratoga Springs, but have never actually stayed there.

- Laura

I think i feel like that most days. I see something and think this is healthy, but not so much when you eat 3 portions! Hang in there. I know drinking more water for me this week has helped, and trying to occupy my mind with other things when i feel the urge to snack.

********
Thank you everyone for your kind words. I got through the day. My wonderful manager let me out an hour early because I literally came into work in tears because i just felt super stressed. I am thankful that almost all my managers realize what a stress all this extra work is to me (all except our store manager, who just takes me for granted) and try to make it easier on me. Everyone knows though, school comes first.

I did manage to get my essay done. When i got home from work I still hadnt even come close to my calorie intake for the say so i went ahead and had what my parents had for dinner, a pork chop and some brown rice and green beans, and allowed myself to eat that and watch one ep of parks and rec (which is one of my fav shows) and then forced myself to get down to work. Fantasia is my go to study movie because i need to backround noise but dont want to be distracted by dialouge. I'm preatty happy with how the paper turned out but mostly just relieved its done. I still have a reading response to get finished but thats only one page thank god!

I forced myself to not feel guilty about missing the workout today. There will be days when i just have too much going on. Yes i need to make time for workouts but not at the expense of my mental health! I have enjoyed working out thus far, for the first time in my life, and i dont want to ruin that. I figure jillian michaels can just kick my *** twice as hard tomorrow!

Whne are we supposed to send in our healthy habits points for the week?

 

[RemembertheMagic98]

Karen - love your new picture! Enjoy your day at the beach and your pedi some day this Summer! Are you still looking for a Summer job?

I've done well with eating the past 2 days. I am getting better and better about having tastes of things instead of the whole thing. I ate 1/4 candy bar yesterday and 1/4 today. It was very satistying and I could walk away from the rest of it. DH is out of town this week so tonight DS and I just had soup and paninis. I've sold the panini maker so this is our last time to use it.
I decided to just have soup and 2 bites of DS panini. I am working on THINKING before I eat and SLOWING DOWN before I gobble up a huge portion. So far, so good.

The other day when several of you mentioned having old exercise tapes reminded me of when Julia Roberts made her final appearance on Oprah and gave away some of her "favorite things" to the audience. They all got a step video she said she has been using for 20 years! I wrote down the name - Kathy Kehler Fitness System.

Have a great day and don't forget weigh-in is coming up in less than 2 days!!!

Shawn

Hi Shawn! Thanks! I thought it would be nice for people to know what I look like...AND I have been posting on the Solo Travelers Boards here and I hope to maybe meet someone Yup, still looking for a summer job I'm getting more excited to work on writing my book this summer instead of actual "work".

It's week 1 and I've already went MIA. I really should just post a warning that I'm going to vent and then post how miserable the day was instead of avoiding the thread because the day was so bad. Between mom and now dad and some church drama, and I could go on and on, I'm not in the best of moods. Today was a much better day though. I've been nauseous on and off lately and finally called my PCP yesterday. I ended up taking half the day off from work fo a doctor's appt. I have acid reflux. I'm thinking that has something to do with all the horrible food I've been eating and the weight I've gained. She was nice enough to skip telling me that, but I read the information that came with the free samples of meds she gave me and figured things out on my own.
CC

Hang in there CC!! I'm so proud of you! I am a friend of benedryl...with my almond allergy I have to have something on me at all times.

I talked to Mom about groceries today. Told her I was trying out Weight Watchers. She asked me why I don't just do the LA Weight Loss using the old booklets we've got. I prefer WW, not as restrictive. She said she'd be willing to shop with me and lose weight if I did LAWL. I asked her what the difference is if I shop for foods on LAWL or just to cook healthier meals. Didn't get an answer. So frustrated with her right now.

So sorry you had frustration with mom

UGH! I swear if its not one thing with my body its another. I have to go in AGAIN for another x-ray and ultrasound. Why you might ask? Because dr looked at my leg today and didn't like the swelling, the color, or the fact that it was warm. Now have to make sure I don't have another blood clot. **INSERT BAD WORDS HERE**

Please keep up updated Kristina!! Thoughts and prayers that it's nothing serious.

QOTD Thursday, June 9
I thought I'd end the week with an easy one. What is your favorite Disney Resort?

I've stayed in many resorts but I loved the POLY The only reason we ended up there last year was that CR was booked and we wanted to be on the monorail with a little guy with us. It has always been my dream and it came true...with MK view to boot!

We had a blast last night at the game. My boys got lucky and while we were waiting to see the players come out an older gentleman that works there came over and was talking to the boys about baseball. Then he came back and gave them each a used baseball. Mike went and bought a sharpie just in case we could get any autographs. The first person to come out was the Manager Ryne Sandberg. Now for anyone who isnt a baseball freak I will say that he played for years with the cubs and then a few years in philly. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005. Well he said hello to the boys and signed their balls including writing HOF 05. We stopped there. These balls are going for 100 dollars on ebay. This will be something so special for my boys to have when they grow up. We were so excited.

The other good part was I did not eat a thing while at the park. It was so hot and humid that we were soaked by the time we got to the car.

Im not sure what to do today with the boys. It is suppose to be 96 today with a heat index of over 100. The kids are bugging me to do something. This may be a play in the hose kinda day.

OMG!!! I'm sure the boys were really excited and will cherish that day for years to come!

**********
Morning friends!!

Thankfully I'm NOT working today. But I certainly have enough to do around here! But I am VOWING to you now.... I will hit the TM before lunch today. I am committing to just 30 minutes, but it is better than nothing. In fact, if this rain stops in the next hour, I may even get outside, rather than the TM.

It is another one of those days where I have SO MUCH to do, that I can't even figure out where to start. So I'm starting here!!

For those who might be interested, DD and I have started introducing more carbs into our WW/SB hybrid food plan. We have been using the Joseph's flax seed/oat bran/whole wheat pitas and flat breads. Usually about 1 serving a day. Also added in strawberries, blueberries, and apples. DD has successfully lost all of her Disney gain.... me, not so much, but I'm working on it.

FWIW, I've noticed that DD's skin is looking better since she dropped the white carbs and white sugar. Might be just coincidence, but I think that there is some research to back up my theory. She does work hard at keeping her skin clear, but sometimes it seems to be an uphill battle.

Another busy weekend coming up, but at least Sunday is reasonably empty. Swim meet Friday night, Rainbow Girls installation event Saturday.... and we are skipping the Rainbow Girls event on Sunday, since DD has to study for FINALS! oh well. I am hoping to spend a few hours doing something with DS. I feel like he and I haven't had much time lately!!

Then next weekend is swim meet at MIT on Saturday morning, graduation party at cousin's house in Central MA Saturday afternoon, and then Father's Day on Sunday!! Haven't bought DH's gift yet, but I know what I want. It was expensive at Staples, so I need to take a minute today to look online for it.

If I could just get the Robotics fundraising letter done today so that I can distribute it tonight or tomorrow and get the house picked up, plus do my workout, I will consider today a success!!

I'll pop on again later to chat....................P

Wow! P, when do you sleep? So much to do! I hope the summer slows down for you! I love your hybrid plan idea...hmmmm, could be a best selling book??? It's a weight loss and skin care system!

Here's some food for thought as we get ready for weigh-in tomorrow. Take a minute to think about how the week has gone? Did you drink your water? Did you get any exercise in? Did you journal your food? Did you follow your plan if you had one? What are you most proud of this week? Do you feel like you made a good starting effort?

I'm not going to say the number on the scale doesn't matter--cause it still matters to me. But, I know what I did right this week and I know what I could have worked harder on. The scale will say what it will say.

Don't beat yourself up and throw in the towel if you are disappointed, just pick yourself up, get a big glass of water and keep moving forward.

Have a great evening.

I'm excited and nervous for the weigh in tomorrow...no idea what the scale will say I'm feeling good and hope that I sweat out some water weight today

Yikes - I had a bad few days food-wise.

I've just been so hungry and have gone over my WW points each day for the past three days. Since I don't have junk in the house, I've been overeating things like string cheese, reduced fat Wheat Thins, popcorn, etc. We had our first REALLY hot day today and I didn't feel like cooking, so I went to the supermarket and got a "take and bake" pizza. That, and a salad, wouldn't have been too bad - but I had about three servings.

On the positive side, I have continued to walk a minimum of three miles a day. I played "angel vs. devil/should I or shouldn't I" for about a half-hour today because of the heat, but I sucked it up and walked anyway. (Of course, as Murphy's Law would have it, I was sweating like a fool when I ran into my secret crush - my UPS guy - while out walking!!)

QOTD - Favorite resort is Animal Kingdom Lodge or Port Orleans French Quarter. My DVC home resort is Saratoga Springs, but have never actually stayed there.

- Laura

Laura, hang in there!!

Tracey - Your are always in my prayers!

*******************
I'm exhausted!! But in a good way

The beach was beautiful today but really hot. The girls did so well with goal setting and discussing dress code issues. They are so thoughtful
I slathered on the SPF 30 since we were in the shade of the porch all day (instead of SPF 50). I had sunglasses and a hat too. I ate breakfast before I left but lunch was at the B&B. It was my first g-f challenge. I ended up with salad, corn salad, and I took apart a roasted veggie sandwich (no bread). All the other sandwiches were cold cuts (may contain gluten), so I stuck with what I knew. And yes, I was bad. I stopped at the rest area on the way home and had a small cup of soft vanilla ice cream. Such a treat!!

Got home around 4 and just needed a nap. I made a really nice cold salad of cucumbers, avocado, black beans, red onion, and tomatoes with just lime juice. I ate it with rice cakes...YUM! Watching the crazy thunder and lightening that passed through!

I'm off to bed! Day off tomorrow with a 9:30 am nail appointment and a date with my vacuum cleaner when I return. I may do 2 miles as a prep for my 5K walk on Saturday. Only 3 more days of school left (actually the kids are gone and we have meetings!) Woooo HOOOOO!

 

[Connie96]

Being on-call is exhausting. I've been up since just before 2:00 and ended up having to call one of the systems guys to fix the problem that was causing my stuff to fail. Getting called is no fun but having to call and wake up someone else is way worse. And so, it's now 3:30 and I'm gonna try to sleep a little while before I have to get up for the regular work day. I see much yawning in my Friday future...

 

[donac]

Good Friday morning everyone.

I just used uup all my time reading the thread. I read it yesterday afternoon but left at 4:45 to go back to school for the National HOnor Society induction and then got home in time to change for yoga and make it on time.

Just wanted to say HI to everyone. Will be back later.

Have a happy and healthy day.

 

[SettinSail]

I'm down 1.2 for the first week I would be more excited but it's not a new number for me, I was actually up a little last week. But NOW I am back at my lowest number so far since Feb 2010 and hoping to see a new lower number next week

I think the sauna saved me yesterday (sweating out some weight) since I had that bakery item and I had some salty foods at dinner last night.

I'm inspired to work harder next week

Good luck everyone!

Shawn

 

[tigger813]

Morning fellow losers!

A quick Hello from me! I think I'm a little bit of a gainer this week but stress will do that though maybe I'll try and get to at least a maintain by Monday. Make that a big gainer this week...oh well!

Izzie is going on her kindergarten field trip to the zoo today. I have 2 clients and then hope to leave work by noon to get home and get my living room and dining room under control and get the raffle cans done for the Cars 2 Dis Meet next month!

We're going to have something with shaved steak for supper. I may make little shaved steak rolls ups in crescent rolls. I like to make something fun on Friday nights for supper. We have some shows to catch up on.

I fell asleep on the couch watching a show with Brian. I felt like I had gotten hit by a Mac truck last night. I got in bed and just moaned until I fell asleep.

Got a bag of clothes to fold so I had better get going.

Go Bruins!!!!

TTFN

 

[flipflopmom]

Morning everyone! I worked on my laptop from 3:45 am until 10pm yesterday, with only bathroom breaks and a quick step to the fridge every so often! I'm losing it! Thank goodness I bought some deli turkey last week, I just pop up and grab a slice or two, refill my water, and sit back down! We have something like 30 assignments due in June for 1 class. She's insane! That doesn't take into effect 2 2-3 hour classes a week. With two more going on, sheez. CANNOT WAIT FOR DISNEY! I am making plans to be more regular here once we get back. I'm killing myself to get 2 classes done before I leave, so I'll only have 1 to deal with.

I had such a crazy thought yesterday, and immediately thought -gotta share this with my BL girls, I bet they miss my insanity! AK and Sophie went to Brad's parents (who, by the way, made it through his 90 day plan just fine, but the company is back on short time), to swim while I worked. He picked them up on his way home. I was working on a special ed class all day, and thought "I wonder if they girls received bathtub services after they got out of the pool" In non-teacher lingo "wonder if they took a bath".

Tracey - just skimmed a bit, so sorry to hear about your mom. and prayers to you!

Rose - girl. We need to catch up! I see you've gone GF now. Thanks for the pm. Love you lady!

SHAWN - NC???????? I see a face to face in our future!

Kathy - The only thing I could recap for you today is what UDL and RTI are, alternatives to public education, and differentiating language arts instruction in kindergarten.

Linds- we need to catch up, too. Sounds like you may have had a slump? I'm in a trench instead of a slump. How did you kick it? DH's work going okay?

Everybody else - miss you! All the newbies - Yes, I'm always this hyper and wordy. You might be glad I'm not posting regularly yet! But stay the course, hang in there, you can do it! I'll get to know you soon!

As for health - not doing so great, gained, not making good eating or exercise choices, completely due to insane classwork since Jan. With moving even less, I'm thinking about at least trying to track calories if I can manage it to try to drop a few. I need to really be on a very restricted calorie plan, since brain work doesn't expend very many!

And Disney stuff - We just added an extra night to our July 4th trip. Since things are slow, they are giving Brad's company a week of. But for some idiotic reason, it's NOT the week OF the 4th, it's the week before. So instead of leaving late Friday night, we are leaving Thursday night. I called to see what DVC was available, and AKL had a savannah view studio open. We've always wanted to try it out, and it works out great. We'll drive through the night, spend the day and night at AKL just exploring, swimming, and resting, and then up early the next morning to check in at BLT and hit MK! We're all really excited, and while I am stressed that this means I have 1 less day to get everything done, I'll be ready for vacation!

Taryn

 

[pjlla]

Happy Friday morning friends!!

I will be your coach this week. I am really looking forward to it! I'm just going to jump right in with today's QOTD!

6/10 QOTD: How do you track/journal your food? Do you keep an old-fashioned paper journal or a list? Do you do it online or maybe on an iphone app??

If you DON'T track/journal your food, do you think you should?



I track my food....nearly every day for over 3 years now (excluding the occasional vacation day) in an oldfashioned spiral bound notebook. I started out doing it in a Word document, but it got too cumbersome to have to boot up the laptop everytime I had a snack! So after 3 months I changed to paper and haven't looked back!!

I've developed my own type of shorthand over the years and can very quickly journal a snack or meal... probably in under a minute.

I'll try to be back after I get to school today!....................P

 

[dumbo_buddy]

lindsay i forgot to say this but HOW COOL FOR YOUR BOYS THAT THEY MET THE FAMOUS SANDBERG! what a fun story! i lived in chicago for 4 years about a mile from wrigley so i'm well versed in his achievements. very cool. i mean, i'm a mets fan through and through but always loved seeing the cubs play.

anyway, super fun!

sounds like the water park was a good way to cool off. it was so hot yesterday!!

I have an ethnically ambiguous husband and kid so this cracked me up! When Tom was little and we lived in San Diego people asked me if I was the nanny! The funny thing is, when he smiles he looks so much like my dad and cousins that it's frightening. Glad it was a good experince!

******
Do you feel like you made a good starting effort?

lol! ethnically ambiguous! it's very in fashion now! get those boys of yours modeling! i'm sure two grown men MUST be easier than a 2 year old!

the question i quoted, "do you feel like you made a good starting effort?" that's the thing with me. i ROCK the morning and most of the afternoon hours. the the evening that gets me every time. i used to think maybe i needed to eat more during the day so i wouldn't be hungry. but it's not hunger, it's just boredom and habit that makes me want to chow and night. last night we had chinese which obvs wasn't the best choice but i stopped myself at one heaping plate. and for my dessert i had an orange and a seltzer. usually for dessert i'd sit with a bowl of chips. so, it guess baby steps...

Sometimes I console myself with the thought that maybe I am supposed to be a 300 lb woman and I have really been successful with keeping the weight down

Shawn

i've said the exact same thing before. i'm actually a fat woman who is doing an awesome job at my weight! hahahah

The beach was beautiful today but really hot. The girls did so well with goal setting and discussing dress code issues. They are so thoughtful
I slathered on the SPF 30 since we were in the shade of the porch all day (instead of SPF 50). I had sunglasses and a hat too. I ate breakfast before I left but lunch was at the B&B. It was my first g-f challenge. I ended up with salad, corn salad, and I took apart a roasted veggie sandwich (no bread). All the other sandwiches were cold cuts (may contain gluten), so I stuck with what I knew. And yes, I was bad. I stopped at the rest area on the way home and had a small cup of soft vanilla ice cream. Such a treat!!

Got home around 4 and just needed a nap. I made a really nice cold salad of cucumbers, avocado, black beans, red onion, and tomatoes with just lime juice. I ate it with rice cakes...YUM! Watching the crazy thunder and lightening that passed through!

I'm off to bed! Day off tomorrow with a 9:30 am nail appointment and a date with my vacuum cleaner when I return. I may do 2 miles as a prep for my 5K walk on Saturday. Only 3 more days of school left (actually the kids are gone and we have meetings!) Woooo HOOOOO!

what a pretty picture karen! love it.

that salad you made with cucumbers and the black beans sounds delish. but like i said, i like salads better when someone makes them for me...so wanna come make it for me??

glad you had fun at the beach!!

but um, you're getting your nails done THEN vacuuming? psh, sounds like a good reason not to vacuum! don't want to chip your mani!!

good luck at the 5k! where is it?? i've been looking for some 5ks to do on the weekends. i mean, i can just run them around here by myself but that's not as fun!

Being on-call is exhausting. I've been up since just before 2:00 and ended up having to call one of the systems guys to fix the problem that was causing my stuff to fail. Getting called is no fun but having to call and wake up someone else is way worse. And so, it's now 3:30 and I'm gonna try to sleep a little while before I have to get up for the regular work day. I see much yawning in my Friday future...

i'm tired just thinking about that! i hope you can get a chance to close your eyes today...even if it's at work!!

Good Friday morning everyone.

I just used uup all my time reading the thread. I read it yesterday afternoon but left at 4:45 to go back to school for the National HOnor Society induction and then got home in time to change for yoga and make it on time.

Just wanted to say HI to everyone. Will be back later.

Have a happy and healthy day.

morning! have a great day dona!

I'm down 1.2 for the first week I would be more excited but it's not a new number for me, I was actually up a little last week. But NOW I am back at my lowest number so far since Feb 2010 and hoping to see a new lower number next week

I think the sauna saved me yesterday (sweating out some weight) since I had that bakery item and I had some salty foods at dinner last night.

I'm inspired to work harder next week

Good luck everyone!

Shawn

nice work on the loss!

Morning fellow losers!

A quick Hello from me! I think I'm a little bit of a gainer this week but stress will do that though maybe I'll try and get to at least a maintain by Monday. Make that a big gainer this week...oh well!

Izzie is going on her kindergarten field trip to the zoo today. I have 2 clients and then hope to leave work by noon to get home and get my living room and dining room under control and get the raffle cans done for the Cars 2 Dis Meet next month!

We're going to have something with shaved steak for supper. I may make little shaved steak rolls ups in crescent rolls. I like to make something fun on Friday nights for supper. We have some shows to catch up on.

I fell asleep on the couch watching a show with Brian. I felt like I had gotten hit by a Mac truck last night. I got in bed and just moaned until I fell asleep.

Got a bag of clothes to fold so I had better get going.

Go Bruins!!!!

TTFN

hugs. hang in there.

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

good morning all! i was laying in bed by 8pm last night! read for a little and asleep by 8:45! i was so tired! i slept pretty good actually and thomas didn't wake up til 6:30 so it was nice to have at least a sip of coffee without him sitting on me!

at 4pm yesterday it was 92 degrees i walked down to my friend's house to swim for a little in her new pool. the water was freezing! thomas loved it but it was cold and having to hold him in there the whole time limited our time in there. brrr! still, very refreshing! we hung out for about an hour and a half and walked home. then the sky darkened and we had a nice storm and by 7pm the temp had gone down to 72!! what a relief.

it's in the mid 70s now and going up to 85 which is hot but not nearly as bad as yesterday! it's supposed to rain so i'm going to get off this couch and get in our walk and/or run asap.

tomorrow is a massive clean and purge of this house. i can't take it anymore! everything needs to be cleaned. i put a few things on my list to try to do today like go through my clothes and donate stuff.

i think i've mentioned the whole mother issue thing quite a few times. here's my really quick vent. feel free to skip but i need to get it off my chest. i'm an only child and my parents act like they don't have any kids. they can't be bothered ever to come see us or invite us to see them. i can count on two hands how many times they have seen thomas. they live in CT an hour away. i live in the neighborhood that my dad grew up in and his whole family pretty much is still here. when my grandpa was alive (he died in '08) sometimes they would go down and visit him and not even call us! his house is AROUND THE CORNER FROM US! you have to PASS OUR HOUSE TO DRIVE OUT OF HERE!

anyway, on tuesday i called my mother and said my OB appt was good. i told her that wednesday was the ultrasound and i'd find out the sex. wednesday morning after the u/s i called her (after i knew she would be awake) and she didn't answer. left a message saying call me back. nothing. called back a few times. no answer. and i know she was home b/c she wasn't working that day. yesterday finally she calls me and doesn't mention the appt. just goes into how hard her life is with the sick dog. really? she asked how i was feeling (a first) and i said i was tired, that thomas was napping and i wanted to try to close my eyes. she then launches into some story about how she and my dad were at the mall and ran into the mom of an old classmate of mine and how terrible she looks. she acts like she is so much better than everyone. please! if the world only knew how mean she is to her own daughter!

sorry, vent over. i'm just so pissed that everyone seems excited about a new baby and she can't even pretend. i guarantee you they will see thomas for his bday party in a few weeks and then nothing until the new baby is born in november.

and then we wonder why i eat...

 

[Rose&Mike]

I do feel like I've had a good week. Drank plenty of water. Didn't exercise. (But, I can tell you that walking on crutches for the past several days has already made my arms, shoulders, core and back stronger. I'll take it!) I have logged every bite of food for 10 days with no exceptions. And right now, that is my whole plan: log it all - the good, the bad and the ugly. And I do feel like I really am off to a good start.

I expect the scale to show a loss tomorrow and, yes, I would be disappointed if it didn't. But, I'm really trying to find my success in the individual choices and actions. Did I log my food today? Check! Mission accomplished. And tomorrow, I'll do it again.

Good attitude, Connie!

Hi I am Candice… I am 35 & from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada… I started the last challenge but life got in the way & I didn’t finish but I plan to this time, so please add me to the loser list... I have been struggling with my weight & getting healthy all my life… I have a habit of starting off strong & then slipping & going back to old habits… But its easier said then done… This past 10 months have been very stress full & not so much with taking care of myself but my family... In October we found out that my Dad has multiple myeloma, I have been trying my best to deal with it but I am afraid that I went back to my old habits & used food to comfort myself... I made a promise to myself that I would give 110% & I would also keep telling myself that this takes time & I am trying really hard not to expect immediate results…

Welcome Candace! Please pm your starting weight to donac!

Thanks for the welcome. This is my first attempt at WW and for now I have mixed feelings about it. But I'm sticking with it anyway and will see how things go. I'm actually doing pretty well, I'm definitely losing but am struggling with tracking points.

I've never done weight watchers, but from what I've heard it gets much easier once you know the points of things your regularly eat.

HI everyone, just popping in to say HI! I'm still doing well on my plan. I am on day 5 and going strong.

We had a GREAT thunderstorm last night. Does anyone else love them? Very little rain so DS and I sat out on the porch and watched the thunder and lightning roll in. We had a great conversation too. Probably one of my all time favorite thunderstorms. It was beutiful.

Woohoo for good weeks! Be careful with the lightening. When we were kids my sister and I were sitting in the front stoop when a storm was coming in. It wasn't raining yet. She was leaning against the door. Anyhow, the door got hit by lightening and the metal strip from the door left a burn mark against her back. It was terrifying. We were so lucky that day that it wasn't worse!

Welcome to Healthy Habits!

My name is CC (like see-see) and I will be your Healthy Habits (HH) coach for the Summer 2011 BL Challenge. I big thank you to donac and jenanderson for showing me the ropes.

Here's How HH Works: Each week, there will be 2 "things" to do each day. You earn 1 point for each day you do each "thing." So, if you do each "thing" for all 7 days, you earn 14 points. There will also be 2 mini-challenges each week. You earn 1 point for each mini-challenge you complete for a total of 16 possible points each week. At the end of the week, please PM me your total points. Here is an example:

4/7 eating 2 fruits
3/7 drinking 6 8 oz. glasses of water
1/2 mini-challenges completed

I will post the top scores as well as a list of the participants each week on/about Tuesday. You have until Tuesday at 5 PM EST to send me your points. Everyone who participates (regardless of his/her total points) will be entered into the drawing for a prize. It will be something related to the week's HH. You will need to PM me your address so I can send you the prize. If you do not WISH to be entered into the prize drawing, please let me know.

Healthy Habits Week 2

For All 7 Days:
1. Drink 8 8 oz. glasses of water or a total of 64 oz. of water.
2. Write down everything you eat during the day. This week, write down one component of its "nutritional information." This could be carb grams, number of calories, or WW points-or whatever fits your plan best!

Mini-Challenge 1: Get in 3 20 minute (or more) workouts.
Mini-Challenge 2: Limit yourself to 2 or fewer cups of caffeinated beverages per day.

Feel free to ask any questions! Have a great week!

Thanks for running HH! I love having mini-challenges.

Rose to answer your question....I am happy with how I did this week. No matter what the scale is I am proud of myself and will not let the number discourage me if it is not good.

For those weighing in tomorrow good luck.

I'm glad to hear this Lindsay.

On the positive side, I have continued to walk a minimum of three miles a day. I played "angel vs. devil/should I or shouldn't I" for about a half-hour today because of the heat, but I sucked it up and walked anyway. (Of course, as Murphy's Law would have it, I was sweating like a fool when I ran into my secret crush - my UPS guy - while out walking!!)

QOTD - Favorite resort is Animal Kingdom Lodge or Port Orleans French Quarter. My DVC home resort is Saratoga Springs, but have never actually stayed there.

- Laura

I love it that you could list your postives!

Organizational Challenge 6/10 - 6/16

*Make beds
*do dishes every day and have a clean sink before bed

New -
This week we are going to focus on meal planning and food organization.
the things we need to do this week are:

1. clean out pantry. Purge out-of-date food items. Purge anything you "intended to use" but never will. And if you are bold, purge all the bad for you foods. If you can't justify tossing it because of cost then consider donating to your local food pantry or making those naughty treats and giving them away to neighbors, friends, or co workers.
Sort remaining items into like categories of your choosing. Consider a clear over the door shoe organizer (Target or Walmart, I forget which one) for small packages like seasonings, soups, and various pouch like items.

List all items in a notepad for reference when making a grocery list.

Wash all shelves and floor before replacing food items.

2. Clean out refrigerator. Purge old food, out-of-date items, non useful items.
Bold move - purge all high fat sauces, dressings, and other condiments that are bad for you.
Wash all shelves before replacing food items. Group items in like categories.

List all items in a notepad for reference when making a grocery list. Check container levels of things such as butter, eggs, and milk.

3. Clean out freezer. Purge all items that are frost bitten, old, or that are useless. Bold move - Consider tossing all frozen dinners that are high on fat and/or sodium (many convenience meals have huge amounts of sodium in them).

List all items in a notepad for future reference when making grocery list.

4. Grocery list day!!! Consulting your notepad and recipes, start building your menu for the week or 2 weeks. Pay close attention to your carbs, proteins and fats. Aim for well balanced meals. Be sure to add plenty of veggies. If you look at a plate divided into sections. Half of your plate should be filled with fruits and veggies. Fresh veggies are the best, followed by frozen, then canned. Don't skimp on the fruit and veggies, they are a great source of vitamins and nutrients.
Bold move - Try a new recipe using healthy materials. Or update a healthier version of an old favorite.

5. Shop!!! First step, shop the perimeter of your store. This is where the best food items are located. Don't take kids if you can help it, and don't rush. Take time to read labels and do research before hand. Find out which foods have HFCS and Aspartame in them, try to find a healthy alternative if you can.
I know it seems like a lot of work but consider the fact that you would do as much research on a car, why wouldn't you do it for your body.
Look at healthy items that you can divide for great on-the-go snacks.

I love this challenge. I don't want to do it, but I really need to!

Inspirational Quote 6/10/11

Eat for the Body you want, not the body you have

working on some food and eating quotes this week for added inspiration.

Great quote!

I've done okay with the challenges this week. I've gotten my water in and journaled my food most days. I successfully cut out all soda for the week. I didn't get a true 45 minute work out in, but I did do that housework for 45 minutes yesterday. Does that count?

I've decided that if I'm down at least 2 pounds tomorrow I'm going to the mall and buying some earrings as a reward. Starting with small goals and working my way up!

No matter what the scale says, it sounds like a pretty successful week!

Thank you! I think i did well this week. One thing i really wanted to concentrate on was water, because im constantly dehydrated and its been a huge problem for me. Im happy to say i was able to drink the correct amount of water this week. Regardless of what the scale says i FEEL BETTER about myself and that means more than any number on the scale.

I ended up with salad, corn salad, and I took apart a roasted veggie sandwich (no bread). All the other sandwiches were cold cuts (may contain gluten), so I stuck with what I knew. And yes, I was bad. I stopped at the rest area on the way home and had a small cup of soft vanilla ice cream. Such a treat!!

So did you just take the sandwich apart or did you have them bring you a sandwich without the bread? I am finding if I even get a tiny bit of gluten I feel cruddy. Plus I got a lecture that if I have true celiac disease (which I probably do) that it's dangerous to even have a little. So did you have any issues? Just curious.

Being on-call is exhausting. I've been up since just before 2:00 and ended up having to call one of the systems guys to fix the problem that was causing my stuff to fail. Getting called is no fun but having to call and wake up someone else is way worse. And so, it's now 3:30 and I'm gonna try to sleep a little while before I have to get up for the regular work day. I see much yawning in my Friday future...

Hope today is not too awful, Connie!

Good Friday morning everyone.

I just used uup all my time reading the thread. I read it yesterday afternoon but left at 4:45 to go back to school for the National HOnor Society induction and then got home in time to change for yoga and make it on time.

Just wanted to say HI to everyone. Will be back later.

Have a happy and healthy day.

Thanks for being our weight keeper!

I'm down 1.2 for the first week I would be more excited but it's not a new number for me, I was actually up a little last week. But NOW I am back at my lowest number so far since Feb 2010 and hoping to see a new lower number next week

Woohoo!

Taryn--so happy to see your post. Try to stay sane!


Nancy--when I became a Mom, I went through YEARS of trying to figure out my Mom. And you know what, I can't figure it out. Now I just feel sad for her, and sometimes still sad for me. She is missing out on so much. It sounds like you have some great family members near you. It's hard not to spend energy stressing about it, but it took me 2 decades to realize that the stress was making me FAT! And I don't want to be fat anymore. Hang in there.

 

[Rose&Mike]

Thank you to Pamela for being our coach this week!

PM cclovesdis your healthy habit points today.

PM donac your weight today. PM your ACTUAL WEIGHT, not how much you lost. Dona will calculate the % from the actual weight.

Happy Friday morning friends!!

I will be your coach this week. I am really looking forward to it! I'm just going to jump right in with today's QOTD!

6/10 QOTD: How do you track/journal your food? Do you keep an old-fashioned paper journal or a list? Do you do it online or maybe on an iphone app??

If you DON'T track/journal your food, do you think you should?

I do not track everyday. I will track if I seem to be having issues and it's been helpful to see if I'm getting too few/too many calories and to see if I am getting the right nutrients. When I track I use Sparkpeople. I have focused more on portion control which seemed to work for me. Sometimes I feel like I should track so that I'm a little more accountable.

Thursday's QOTD--my favorite resort is BoardWalk. I wish they had a better quickservice option, but other than that love it there. We love walking and I absolutely love going for a run when we are there. My second favorite is WL. It's the first resort we stayed at--in 1994! I love being able to take the boat to MK.

******
I had a good run yesterday! 4 miles. My knee did not start talking to me until about 3.5 and I was never in pain. We ran 4 min/walked 30 sec. It's still a little disappointing that I can't just run the whole 4 miles, but I'll take what I can get at this point. Holy cannoli it was hot. 92 at 8:00pm. I was having some MAJOR anxiety yesterday so we went out way to fast for the first mile and then the next three were killer. But it felt great to run. And it helped my anxiety immensely.

I hope everyone sees good things on the scale today. No matter what, just keep swimming.

And for anyone who is interested--I added the 5th day to my TR on my journal.