BL Summer Challenge 2009

[jenjolt]

Hi I am Jen, I have been her before, sorta LOL Well I thought I would be motivated when I joined up with you guys last spring/early summer, however I don't think I was quite ready...however now is a different story!!! I have been doing WW online now for about 4 weeks and even with a 2-week vacation I have managed to lose 17lbs and I want the motivation to continue so here I am to join up with you guys in the fall and for now to just chit chat with you guys knowing I'm not alone in my struggle to lose weight and KEEP it off!!!

One of the biggest changes I have done is that I only drink water now...nothing else and I have seen great changes in my skin along with my weight!

As far as the QOTD: I don't have kids but I am a teacher and so I'm back to school myself and I find that I am having trouble working into my schedule working out. I was working out every day for almost 3 weeks and then school started and I only worked out 3 times last week, my goal is 4 times this week and so far I have worked out twice!

I'm really looking forward to getting to know you all and succeed right along with you!!

 

[LuvBaloo]

Glad to see you joining in again

Until I started being on the Dis, I didn't realize how many people go back to school before Labour Day.

 

[lisah0711]

Our room is gorgeous and looks right out over Grizzly River Run. It's hot so feels cool to look over the trees.

This was a travel day so didn't get to DL until around 2 pm.
My pedometer says 12000 steps so far!

Will check back on Sat.

 

[sahbushka]

Hey all. I am back on that wagon! Yesterday I was op and I am so far today as well. It feels good to be back on. I have my wi yesterday (usually it is wednesdays but I have a double tonight so I went a night early) and I was up 5.6~. Hopefully it will all be gone this next week but goodness...that is from 2 days of binging! Crazyness. Thank you for all your encouragement! I actually used the dish analogy at my meeting yesterday and people really liked it!

Sarah

 

[princessbride6205]

Congrats for getting back op, Sarah!

Welcome, Jen!

Lisa - Have a wonderful time! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Grand Californian. It's just gorgeous!

I'm doing my best to stay OP, but I'm struggling a little with food - I just want to eat! Maybe it's stress... The next 4 days are just me and DD. I've got some fun activities planned, so hopefully enough to keep us active and healthy. Although I would like to do some baking/cooking with her - I'll see what healthy stuff I can come up with or we may just have some fun food this weekend!

 

[pjlla]

Hi I am Jen, I have been her before, sorta LOL Well I thought I would be motivated when I joined up with you guys last spring/early summer, however I don't think I was quite ready...however now is a different story!!! I have been doing WW online now for about 4 weeks and even with a 2-week vacation I have managed to lose 17lbs and I want the motivation to continue so here I am to join up with you guys in the fall and for now to just chit chat with you guys knowing I'm not alone in my struggle to lose weight and KEEP it off!!!

One of the biggest changes I have done is that I only drink water now...nothing else and I have seen great changes in my skin along with my weight!

As far as the QOTD: I don't have kids but I am a teacher and so I'm back to school myself and I find that I am having trouble working into my schedule working out. I was working out every day for almost 3 weeks and then school started and I only worked out 3 times last week, my goal is 4 times this week and so far I have worked out twice!

I'm really looking forward to getting to know you all and succeed right along with you!!

Welcome back! I agree, it is so tough fitting in that exercise on workdays. I get up at 5am to fit them in and it is so worth it. It doesn't hang over my head all day that way.

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b16/lisah0711/1251334592.jpg

Hi all from the Grand Californian Hotel!

Our room is gorgeous and looks right out over Grizzly River Run. It's hot so feels cool to look over the trees.

This was a travel day so didn't get to DL until around 2 pm.
My pedometer says 12000 steps so far!

Will check back on Sat.

I'm so envious! GC hotel is so beautiful. I have never stayed there, but DD and I checked it out a few years ago when we were at DL.

Hey all. I am back on that wagon! Yesterday I was op and I am so far today as well. It feels good to be back on. I have my wi yesterday (usually it is wednesdays but I have a double tonight so I went a night early) and I was up 5.6~. Hopefully it will all be gone this next week but goodness...that is from 2 days of binging! Crazyness. Thank you for all your encouragement! I actually used the dish analogy at my meeting yesterday and people really liked it!

Sarah

You should be able to drop that binge weight quickly. It seems like the shorter time it is on, the quicker it comes off. Work hard, stay on program, and you should be right back where you were in less than two weeks! Glad you shared your troubles with us.... that is what we are here for!

I'm doing my best to stay OP, but I'm struggling a little with food - I just want to eat! Maybe it's stress... The next 4 days are just me and DD. I've got some fun activities planned, so hopefully enough to keep us active and healthy. Although I would like to do some baking/cooking with her - I'll see what healthy stuff I can come up with or we may just have some fun food this weekend!

I agree that it is tough to come up with activities to do with the kids that don't in some way connect back to food! Movies... you got popcorn, candy, and soda. Hiking and biking usually involves some sort of picnic (although those can be made healthy at home). Chuck E. Cheese's and those sorts of places have pizza. Enjoy your time with DD.


Today's QOTD will be quick because I am running late for work!

Do you have a super healthy snack or recipe idea to share?


I get daily recipes emailed to me from allrecipes.com, but I NEVER make them because they are not usually low cal/healthy enough. Today's recipe includes Bratwurst.... talk about FAT! So anyone have any great recipes to share??.........................P

 

[FLAngie]

QOTD: Directed at those of you with kids at home.... Are you excited to have your kids going back to school? When do/did they go back?

My kids have been back to school for almost three weeks now. No, I am not glad they are back. I miss the lazy days in the pool or at the park or spending the day at the beach. Now it seems like we just run here and there. I always feel like I get less quality time with them.


Do you have a super healthy snack or recipe idea to share?

I love this salsa recipe.

2 cans Del Monte chopped tomatoes with zesty chilies
1/2 yellow onion
Juice from 1 lime
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cumin
1 cup fresh cilantro
1 tsp chopped jalapeños (optional for those that like it really spicy)

Chop onion a little then put all in food processor. Pulse maybe 4 times.

It is really good on veggies or whole wheat crackers. Now if I could find a healthy tortilla chip for it......

 

[corinnak]

Sarah - welcome back to the wagon! It takes a lot of determination to get back aboard, I know!

Do you have a super healthy snack or recipe idea to share?

I get daily recipes from Sparkpeople but never make any of them. Here are my favorite healthy low point snacks - sorry I don't have the calories, just the points handy:

medium banana w/ 1/2 T peanut butter - 2.5 pts

1/2 bag 94% FF popcorn with 1t olive oil - 2 pts

VitaMuffin muffin top, cranbran or double chocolate with 1/2 c milk - 2 pts

light string cheese and a small apple - 2 pts.

1/3 cup 1% cottage cheese with salsa and baby carrots - 1 point

1/3 cup plain fat free greek yogurt (I love Stonyfield Farms Oikos), 1/2 c. frozen berries, vanilla extract & small amount of stevia with 1/4 oz walnut or almond pieces - 2.5

and this is more of a light lunch but also fast, easy and delicious:

1 small whole wheat pita, cut in half and toasted
1 wedge Light French Onion Laughing Cow cheese, cut in half and spread in pita halfs
1/2 cup Southwest Egg Beaters, scrambled - put half in each pita
top with salsa

4 points

 

[jenjolt]

I actually belong to an online meal program where once a week they send a meal plan (my deals with WW points) and makes the grocery shopping list for you depending on the store.

One of the recipes for last week that I found super easy was a hasbrown casserole!!! (8 servings at 5 points each)

2 lb bag Ore-Ida hash browns, country style
10 oz can cheddar cheese soup
16 oz FF sour cream
(½ t salt, ½ t pepper)
7 oz shredded 2% cheddar cheese

Mix hash browns, soup, sour cream, salt, and
pepper together. Pour into a sprayed 9 x 13
baking dish. Sprinkle cheese evenly on top.
Bake 1 hour @ 375. Divide into 8 servings.

 

[sahbushka]

I actually belong to an online meal program where once a week they send a meal plan (my deals with WW points) and makes the grocery shopping list for you depending on the store.

One of the recipes for last week that I found super easy was a hasbrown casserole!!! (8 servings at 5 points each)

2 lb bag Ore-Ida hash browns, country style
10 oz can cheddar cheese soup
16 oz FF sour cream
(½ t salt, ½ t pepper)
7 oz shredded 2% cheddar cheese

Mix hash browns, soup, sour cream, salt, and
pepper together. Pour into a sprayed 9 x 13
baking dish. Sprinkle cheese evenly on top.
Bake 1 hour @ 375. Divide into 8 servings.

Yum! This looks delish...I will have to give it a try!

So I am still on that wagon even though one of my co workers brought in homemade lemon bread and homemade strawberry jam! I have been back on for 2 1/2 days! Go me! It is getting easier to be back on again. Hope you all are having a great op day!

Sarah

 

[princessbride6205]

So far DD and I are having a fun and pretty healthy day. We pureed watermelon to make into popsicles. We have kid-safe knives so she cut up the watermelon into smaller pieces then put it in the food processor bowl. We walked to Target/Starbucks (1 mile) so I could get a small iced coffee with sugar free vanilla syrup. She got a treat - those little shortbread cookies they sell at the counter. Did you know they only have 4 ingredients? Wheat flour, butter, sugar & salt. Those are the fewest ingredients I've ever seen on packaged food. We walked home (1 mile) and stopped at the playground. The slides were too hot for the princess, so we didn't stay long. We did some other little things and now it's naptime. Ahh.

Do you have a super healthy snack or recipe idea to share? Hmmm...my most healthy snack is just to eat fruits and vegetables. I like eating dried fruits, too. I especially like raisins and Archer Farms (the fancier Target brand) dried cherries - taste like candy. I've tried 2 other kinds of dried cherries and didn't really like them. Of course they have more cals than fresh fruit, so I watch the portions. Nuts are great too - again, within serving size. I really should branch out my snacks to include hummus or cheese or things.
I'm on the hunt for a healthy dessert recipe for DD and I to make. Maybe we'll try the chocolate tofu mousse from a few pages back.

 

[LuvBaloo]

Today's QOTD will be quick because I am running late for work!

Do you have a super healthy snack or recipe idea to share?

One my more recent fav snacks is edmame.
I get it in 2cup portions, and you just poke the cover with a fork, microwave for 2min, add some seasalt, and then eat. Its 3points, very filling, and does help me if I'm craving chips.

Good luck with weigh ins tomorrow

 

[Worfiedoodles]

Good Morning, Fellow Losers!

I had this lovely long post typed, but of course it disappeared -- so in a nut shell --

Congratulations to everyone who made it to the last week, I am so proud of you!

Thanks to the fantastic coaches this week, I have company, a "Wizards of Waverly Place" house party and a small sleepover tonight plus dh is also going to a "Heaven and Hell" (yes, that's Black Sabbath --not my thing) concert so I won't be a very good coach today, and here's the QOTD:

What is the most crucial lesson you have learned from this summer?

Again, the shortened version -- I have a DIS friend CreativeBeth who has lost 34 lbs this year. She's in another weight loss challenge, and wanted to put a big push on to try to win, but she's 4 lbs from goal, so that's pretty hard. She ran twice daily for a week, and didn't lose. The lessons I learned -- don't give up, don't have a feeding frenzy if you don't get your desired result, sometimes your best effort will not get you what you want!

Maria

 

[ohMom]

hi losers....home from our vacation at the world and up 4.5 from those glorious 11 days......ugh. been eating healthy this week and am motivated to not stall but rather shed it quickly as post-vacation weight is a huge issue for me!

 

[corinnak]

Welcome back, ohmom! It sounds like you had a delightful trip! I'm glad that you're back here so soon - those 4.5 lbs had better look out! Hopefully it will leave as quickly as it arrived.

Good luck with your party, Maria! You've had a busy August, for sure!


What is the most crucial lesson you have learned from this summer?


The biggest thing for me is that just because I'm in a CRAZY food environment, just because I'm on vacation, just because it's summer does not mean I have to gain weight. It's me, not the situation that holds the power, and there are things I can do in almost any situation to either make positive strides or at least minimize damage.

I can not believe how much I have lost this summer. I'm so grateful for the daily support and the accountability of the regular Friday weigh in.

 

[jenjolt]

Good Morning All!!!!!

For those of you with busy weekends...I hope you have a lot of fun and accomplish much!! Maria that party sounds like a lot of fun!!

What is the most crucial lesson you have learned from this summer?

I have learned that weight loss is not a part time goal or something you do on the side, it is a full time commitment and if you aren't ready to give it your all to making yourself a healthier you no matter what you do you won't see the goals achieved! I have had to change my frame of mind a complete 180 and really make weight loss and healthy lifestyle choices a priority. It isn't easy to do, but I'm in it for the long haul. As the previous poster mentioned, the accountablity and support that you can get from others is HUGE!!

 

[sskem96]

QOTD: The most crucial lesson I've learned this summer is that if you actually follow a weight loss plan daily, the weight will fall right off! I don't know why it's taken me so long to figure that out! I used to treat myself to a bad snack for being good on my diet, and it doesn't work that way, obviously. I'm down 2 pant sizes now, so I must finally be doing something right!

I haven't gotten any exercise in this week because of my cold. I had to work last night and I'm exhausted, so I'm going to go ahead and sleep a few hours, and hit the WW meeting in the morning to weigh in. It's gray and rainy today, which makes for very good sleeping weather!

We're all home tonight for the first time in I don't know how long. Me and DH are both off, and the girls don't have any activities past 5pm, so I think we'll play some Wii so I can coordinate my exercise with our fun time.

 

[princessbride6205]

Good morning everyone! I had a surprise 1 pound loss at today's weigh in. I feel like I was only OP for half the week, but something worked, I guess. Sometimes weight loss is mysterious.

QOTD: What is the most crucial lesson you have learned from this summer?
I have learned that healthy eating gets bigger results than exercise alone. I love food, so all Spring I was trying the I'm "kind of eating better and I'm exercising 6 days a week". 3 or 4 months of that and I only lost 2 pounds. I finally started looking at calories and really focusing on what I was eating. On plan weeks I can pretty consistently lose 1-2 pounds. I've definitely had up and down weeks this summer, but I've gotten back on plan much, much faster each time than I would have without BL.

 

[sahbushka]

Hey all.

QOTD: The most cruicial lesson I have learned this summer is that I AM capable of getting right back on that wagon after I slip. In the past I have always been all or nothing. I have had a couple of times this summer that I have slipped up for a few days but I have always been able to get back op way faster than I ever have before (months sooner!)

As for weight, well, I posted about that earlier but I have a great feeling about this coming week! Lets make it a great one!

Sarah

 

[LuvBaloo]

Happy Weigh In Day!
Although, I had another gain of 1.1 pounds. I actually thought I'd made it through the week OP; my splurge at Tony Roma's last weekend, just used up the flex points. Sometimes a gain I'm not really expecting is followed by a great loss, so hopefully I'll end next week with a bang!

Thanks pjlla for coaching, and thanks to our final weeks coach, Worfiedoodles!

What is the most crucial lesson you have learned from this summer?

This summer, I've learned that its okay to make mistakes, it slows down my journey, but each time I recover and the trend is still downwards. I've also learned that I'm my own worst enemy and when I'm willing to put in enough effort, I do great, so I really know I can do it, and I know I can slip and just do minimal damage. Right now, I'm only down a couple pound since the start of the challenge, which is way less than hoped for. On a positive note, I've shown that I can maintain

I truly enjoy the challenge, and am looking forward to a more successful fall challenge

And this is a great QOTD, I've enjoyed reading everybody's answers