HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
Tell us as much or as little about yourself to introduce yourself as you like. Let us know your goal, your plan to achieve it, any villains or other barriers that you think may get in your way and of course any tools or plans to help you along the way. To set us off with positivity for the new year when you are thinking about setting your goal try to use a positive voice .... e.g. rather than no junk food ... think mostly homemade meals.
Woo hoo I am ready for 2017 - bring it on... and well with some gorgeous Superheroes to help us on our way who wouldn't be
... lets get started!!!
Hmmm.... since I've introduced myself on WISH challenges monthly since about 2008, I'll try to keep it SHORT and maybe offer a few new tidbits.
I am a middle-aged Mom/wife to two college students (DD is a Sr., DS is a freshman) and my DH of nearly 25 years. I FINALLY got my act together and re-started WW in 2008 and hit my goal weight in 2009 (lost nearly 90 pounds) and now is the HARD work.... maintaining a healthy weight for life! I realized a long term dream when I started working for WW as a leader in 2013 and I am now also a 24/7 expert chat coach. Considering applying for another position within the WW company this year, but want to think about it a bit first. Of course, I need to inform you that anything I say on this thread is MY opinion, etc and I am NOT speaking as a WW representative.
My goal for January is to lose whatever I may have gained over the holidays (I weigh in on Fridays and we were out of state this past Friday, so I haven't weighed in since 12/23). My tools/method will be the the same as what I've done over the past 9 years.... Weight Watchers eating plan, weighing/measuring portions, tracking all of my foods, and the majority of my meals cooked and eaten at home. Exercise continues to be a struggle for me for the past few years.
So I was reading online earlier today and found out that it isn't an average of 21 days or 30 days to build a sustainable habit ... but an average of 66 days. If we started on our goals on January first, that means that habits wouldn't stick until March 7th. Whether or not this is true for everyone is up for debate; think about how far you've come on your journey and where you're at presently. Think about where you could be in 62 days if you kept up the momentum built in the last 2-3 days.
Just a thought I wanted to share as I was thinking about my journey and progress thus far. My training schedule is very rigid - I cannot miss a day or it'll set back my progress. I'm so far 2 for 2 on crossing items off my calendar, while my husband sits in front of his gaming system. He's at least starting to log his food and wear his fitbit, so I'll take the small victories where I see them.
A difficult thing for me will be to accept that I am in this training program alone.
I can completely relate to this. I know I've told this "story" in the past, but I spent the first 2.5 years of this journey with a DH who (after losing about 40 pounds with a low carb lifestyle but then a major "falling away" from it) was working himself into an early grave with his eating and SUPER sedentary lifestyle. I did everything I could to lead by example, but it didn't help. His accident in late 2010 and subsequent jaw wiring for 8-10 weeks finally jump started him back in the right direction, which for him is low carb eating. He stuck with it really well until sometime last year when it seemed there were more cheat days than on-plan days in a week/month. Then his Mom died unexpectedly and that really started his spiraling away from visiting the gym and eating right. I understand that but he has been unable to completely pull himself back up. The holidays were hard because his job is super busy during December plus it was his first holiday season without his Mom and of course he faces the same challenges as most of us.... holiday goodies! Anyhow, long story short, I have to live MY LIFESTYLE FOR MYSELF. I do try to set a good example and cook/serve healthy meals that accomodate his low carb lifestyle, but I'm not his mother and if he chooses to continue to avoid the gym (something he seemed to enjoy when he was going regularly) and eat off-plan crap, there is absolutely nothing I can do about it..... but sabotaging MYSELF isn't going to help! It is super hard to do on your own... especially when your loved one NEEDS to be living a healthier lifestyle. But it is the old "you can lead a horse to water...." scenario. I always figured the BEST thing to do was to set a good quiet example. No reminders (really, does anyone need to be TOLD that they are overweight and/or out of shape??), no reprimands (they are not our children)..... just a good example to follow if they so choose.
You need to do it for you and for no one else..... but also NOT be influenced by someone else's lack of motivation.
QOTD: Are you good at handling stress and using it to your advantage or do you turn into The Hulk or She Hulk? What coping strategies do you use or would like to try and use in 2017?
I would say that USUALLY I can handle stress well..... I tend to be a pretty positive thinker. That being said, I can be sent into a tailspin over stupid things like house clutter or disorganization. However, there are a few stressors that can literally make me sick (no appetite, diarrhea, shaking hands, tight chest). It doesn't happen often (thank heavens), but I cannot imagine living a life where ANY stress causes me to feel that way. If I were to have the feeling more often, I would definitely seek professional help.... no shame! But I also need to remember that I can only control MYSELF and my reaction to the stress. I cannot control other people and their actions, opinions, and negativity.
Good Tuesday morning... I'm back on-line and signing up for January.
I haven't laid out goals for January quite yet, but do have a couple goals for the year:
1000 Miles walked
Go mostly vegetarian, except for still eating fish
And to not start 2018 in the same place as I started 2016 and now 2017.
The holiday season was pretty rough. On Christmas Eve something changed for my Sister in Law, and her body started to reject food: they put her on water only for several days and she did get some relief, but continued to decline and passed quietly and peacefully late last Friday, with my Sister by her side. We all knew it was going to happen, but it still seemed to come quickly. There's a visitation ceremony this Friday for immediate family and then the celebration of life will be later in the month. My Sister is doing OK under the circumstances, but it is going to be a long slow adjustment. Thanks again to those who sent cards, there were 50+ and my Sister really did enjoy getting them.
I'm actually grateful to be back at work today, and back to a more normal routine. We continue to have a true winter, with a little more snow Saturday and Sunday and very cold temps for several more days. It is clear and sunny outside today, the sky is a beautiful crisp blue.
Not really sure what to expect from 2017, just planning on making my way thru and finding the best of what it has to offer.
I am SO sorry for your loss. Prayers for your sister and your whole family as you deal with this unexpected loss.
Greetings everyone .... how exciting it is the very first 
WOOHOO WEDNESDAY of the year!
It’s that special day of the week where we focus our positive thoughts and celebrate our successes – nothing is too big or too small … health or non- health related we like to celebrate it all 
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Now to get you in the mood or to give you something to look at while you ponder your WOOHOO's check out the clip below .... seeing Spiderman in action swinging on his web always makes me feel pretty WOOHOO lol! I think he even throws in a woohoo or 2 himself when he is web slinging.
WOOHOOOOO!! My meeting last night had 30 people (I honestly expected a few more, but that is a pretty good number for my location), 7 new/returning members (most of whom hadn't been in a WW meeting for 2-5 years), lots of product sales (loving the new bundle sales available for January), and MANY members who showed a loss for the holiday season! That is a HUGE accomplishment!!
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Hey all! Look at that! I'm caught up!!
I loved the chatter I saw about bullet journaling. I started trying it in 2014.... it was a combo planner/scheduler and journal. It worked well for me until mid-2016 when I discovered the joy of a Google Calendar! Once I didn't need the journal for my calendar, I stopped using it completely.
I don't mind not using the schedule/planner, but I do miss having a PAPER place to list my to-do lists and my prayer list. I also need to start a new WW paper journal. I find it super helpful to keep a journal in my WW tote to always be able to take notes during my meetings about products that need to be ordered, any customer service issues that I need to help members with, attendance numbers (and what might be affecting it, like weather). Planning to get that done today. I love taking an inexpensive composition book and decorating/decoupaging it with scrapbook papers to use as a journal. I know there are lots of pretty ones out there and lots of EXPENSIVE ones out there.... but this is so much more "my" style.... easy, homemade, inexpensive, simple!
Okay..... nearly lunchtime here! Breakfast today was a delicious avocado toast.... thanks to DD for turning me onto this new favorite meal!! TTYL........P
Love this 
but having a good laugh is also relaxing and good for my mood.
Some articles have been popping up on Facebook that there are talks and rumors swirling for a 10 episode reunion. I don't want to get my hopes up too high, but if it were true I WOULD DIE! (that was said in my Jack voice Bahahahaha!) Ok, I'm done now 
Well done for pushing on and doing your walk!
it.... as much as I like Will & Grace ... Karen and Jack are my favourites. I read yesterday they are in 'talks' only at this stage so I will cross everything.
So glad your WW meeting went really well and love when you pop on with great advice and insights for us - you are right we really need to do it for ourselves regardless of who is around - I just have the kids but I still need to get out there at times without them - and whilst I can be more in charge of the meals that are made DS16 is the fussiest - but progress is being made over the last month if I wanted salad as a side to the meal - I no longer made him vegetables instead as he doesn't like salad - but he will now eat lettuce, cucumber, capsicum and snow peas. I am trying to set that example and whilst he does not have a weight problem .... yet ... I fear his eating style with catch up with him as it did with me ... but maybe he will have to learn from his own mistakes in the future.
