From ZERO to HERO - The October 2015 W.I.S.H. Challenge

[dsnyfn1022]

Hi everyone! I'm joining in. I think I joined in on the monthly WISH thread last year around the same time (this must be the time of year I get motivated! haha!) but I was looking to loose around 15 lbs last year.... this year I need to get serious.

A little about me: I'm 26 and want to loose about 30 lbs. Before I got married in May 2014, my DH and I were vegan and oh man did the pounds just fall off! But I desperately missed cheese and sour cream! We are big foodies and so went back to eating meat and dairy right before our wedding and honeymoon (we honeymooned in England and France and I was NOT giving up dairy being there! ). Well let me tell ya, it's true when they say it comes back with a vengeance. I gained it all back and then some.

Last October, I tried Weight Watchers and joined a gym but I wasn't motivated. I was a newlywed and we were happy and cooking with lots of butter since we were off the vegan train (I should mention I'm originally from the south and that comes with it's own set of diet problems-- I was never taught how to cook without butter!). Weight Watchers was good, but I wasn't motivated to keep going because I never saw much of a decrease no matter how hungry I spent the week and I couldn't get into the gym-- I mainly just felt intimidated there. So I just gave up on all of it.

Well, I was a bridesmaid this month and the pictures just made me sad. I mean, I am never going to be the size of the other bridesmaids (just NOT my body type-- I've always been curvy), but I didn't like seeing us all lined up like that... that wedding was 2 weeks after I had gotten back from a cruise...and when I bent over in the bridesmaid dress the hook up top snapped off. Small moment that we laughed off, but internally mortifying.

So here I am-- DH and I got an elliptical for the house so neither of us have an excuse. There's no reason I can't get at least 30 mins of cardio a day when I can do that while watching my Netflix in the air conditioner (we live in South Florida-- running outside feels like running in an oven. I have some serious respect for the people I see running outside here!).

THEN, this weekend, hubby sweetened the pot even more since "Getting Healthy and Losing Weight" wasn't a good enough motivator for me:
If I can get back to the weight I was at when we got married, we will spend a weekend at the GRAND FLORIDIAN!!!!

That has always been my dream! And I am sure all of you out there can understand, being that this is the DIS! I'm shooting for accomplishing this by August 2016, so I've got to get serious and get moving!!!

That means my current goal is 160 lbs (that cute size 10/12 that I was in my avatar picture!) I would love to be get down to a solid size 8 (about 145 for me), but that seems SOOO FAR away.... baby steps...

So the countdown has begun: 30.6 lbs to go until the Grand Floridian!

Welcome! We are happy to have you!

 

[dsnyfn1022]

QOTD - October 19

Happy Monday!!!!! We've talked a lot about motivation and our reasons for this journey over the past few weeks and I want to continue that a bit. For most of us, this isn't our first time at the weight loss rodeo. Why is this time different? What are you doing to make permanent changes? What helps you get back on the wagon after a slip instead of just completely abandoning your plan?

Before, I had such an unattainable goal in mind that I felt like I was going to be starving myself for the rest of my life and never reach the goal! Now I realize that once you get the weight off you don't have to live on such harsh restrictions forever. Plus, I would fumble, gain a few pounds, and then just quit and keep going. I wasn't ever good at the maintenance part. So this time around I plan on really focusing on that.

Pictures really help me stay the course. Looking at pictures of healthier me vs me at my heaviest vs me now. I know that I want to get back to feeling good about myself. This board and it's awesome motivation is great help too!

 

[contempgal]

QOTD - October 19

Happy Monday!!!!! We've talked a lot about motivation and our reasons for this journey over the past few weeks and I want to continue that a bit. For most of us, this isn't our first time at the weight loss rodeo. Why is this time different? What are you doing to make permanent changes? What helps you get back on the wagon after a slip instead of just completely abandoning your plan?

I have realized, quite reluctantly, that I'm not getting in younger. I feel it more every day. That, coupled with having a toddler, has made it evident that I HAVE to do something. It's more of HAVE to than WANT to. Even though I do want to. I hope that makes sense. The biggest different I'm making this time around is trying much harder to eat better. I try to make myself stop and think before I eat anything. I try to make better choices as much as I can. I slip. But I don't let those slips keep me down. And another things I do.....every now and then, I eat something I've been keeping from myself. I've discovered that I get less resentful that way and won't be as tempted to quit.

 

[LindseyJo22]

THEN, this weekend, hubby sweetened the pot even more since "Getting Healthy and Losing Weight" wasn't a good enough motivator for me:
If I can get back to the weight I was at when we got married, we will spend a weekend at the GRAND FLORIDIAN!!!!

That has always been my dream! And I am sure all of you out there can understand, being that this is the DIS! I'm shooting for accomplishing this by August 2016, so I've got to get serious and get moving!!!

That means my current goal is 160 lbs (that cute size 10/12 that I was in my avatar picture!) I would love to be get down to a solid size 8 (about 145 for me), but that seems SOOO FAR away.... baby steps...

So the countdown has begun: 30.6 lbs to go until the Grand Floridian!

Oh goodness the Grand Floridian! Talk about a motivating factor! It is really hard to keep "being healthy" as a motivation a lot of the time. Intellectually, I know it's really why I'm doing all of this - but I also really like having solid rewards as motivators when the more nebulous things don't seem so exciting

Which reminds me that I really need to think of a good way to reward myself on this journey without having it be "you totally deserve this ice cream or cookie or *insert food related item*" That's definitely not the way to go for me, even though I do tend to "treat" myself with food most of the time.

Our FP+ reservation window opened up last night and we got everything that we wanted. It was probably the smoothest part of the process. I think the fact that we didn't want any character greetings or roller coasters helped - also deciding things in advance and working day by day helped too.

Yay for successful FP+ reservations!! We made ours for our super short December trip and it was a breeze - I really think deciding what to do ahead of time helps so much! We did that for our September honeymoon and got everything we wanted by prioritizing effectively

QOTD - October 19

Happy Monday!!!!! We've talked a lot about motivation and our reasons for this journey over the past few weeks and I want to continue that a bit. For most of us, this isn't our first time at the weight loss rodeo. Why is this time different? What are you doing to make permanent changes? What helps you get back on the wagon after a slip instead of just completely abandoning your plan?

I will say that this time hasn't been super different yet - but I'm planning on it being consistent, which is really my biggest problem. Like most people, I tend to let an off day or off week turn into months or years of not really paying attention to my health. It's a lot easier to just give up and eat what you want and not go to the gym than it is to get back on the wagon, at least for me. I'm trying to really reframe my thoughts about food - it's not about not being able to eat certain things at all, it's about creating healthy relationships with foods. In addition, I'm trying to get out of the mindset that a "diet" is something you go on when you want to lose weight. I'm wanting this to be a lifestyle change, as they say - which requires a lot of work to make sure I am making conscious choices about my health. In the end, it's not about deprivation, it's about respecting myself and my body enough to do what I know is best for it. It's really hard to get into that mindset, but I'm working on it!

I'm also hoping to get my husband on board - which is really hard. Even if he doesn't want to do this with me, I'm hoping that really communicating my goals to him will help him support me in the journey

Plus, I am going to really work to be active in this community - I've found that I do a lot better when I have people to hold me accountable. I'm not really interested in things like WW meetings because they don't tend to work well with my variable schedule, but even having this message board is something that I think will help me stay consistent and motivated

 

[courtneybeth]

QOTD - October 19

Happy Monday!!!!! We've talked a lot about motivation and our reasons for this journey over the past few weeks and I want to continue that a bit. For most of us, this isn't our first time at the weight loss rodeo. Why is this time different? What are you doing to make permanent changes? What helps you get back on the wagon after a slip instead of just completely abandoning your plan?

Seeing myself at 215 pounds was an eye opener. Who was that woman in those photos and why did I not see her when I looked in the mirror? I recognized that I was unhappy in my life and was making plans to change all of that through a new job, completing my MBA this December and now I had to get a better outward appearance. Mostly - I just wanted to look good in the graduation photos and I figured it'd be better to start earlier than later.

I create my own happiness and therefore I should control what goes into my mouth at every meal. I am learning to make smart choices. This is not a crash diet but a life style change. Losing 52 pounds with just 13 left to go makes me realize that I am worth it and i want to stay that way. I'm wearing size 6 jeans now and can shop at Tilly's for size smalls and mediums. I see it when I look in the mirror, walk at Disneyland, and just doing little things around the house.

The support group here is key to my success too. I love all of you guys and you keep me motivated!

 

[ThistleMae]

I'm rarely without most or all of the following:

• Pistachios (in-shell)
• Chobani fruit on the bottom yogurt cups
• Carrots (NEVER baby carrots)
• Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples
• Prolly-O string cheese
• Kind dark chocolate chunk bars
• Kashi chewy dark chocolate, sea salt, and chia bars
• Bags of frozen berries, pineapple, and mango
• Frozen shrimp
• English muffins
• Canadian bacon
• Extra, extra, extra sharp cheddar
• Eggs
• Seeds of change brown rice-quinoa pouches
• Cucumbers
• Dill pickles
• A wide variety of tea, mostly of the caffeinated variety
• Avacado
• Olive oil
• Coconut oil

Your list is incredibly awesome! I've never heard of brown rice-quinoa pouches...is that something you would cook? And is it rice and quinoa mixed?

 

[ThistleMae]

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying better weather than me...it's SNOWING right now! I know it's upstate NY but I can't believe it. At least it supposed to be in the 60s this week so I know its temporary, but just seeing it this early kills me!

I've skimmed the last couple pages that I've missed and hate seeing that people are struggling. This past week was hard for me too though. I've been working out every morning, but food choices need to get better, especially on weekends. I have 2 weeks before I leave for WDW and I want to get as close to that 10 lb weight loss as I can!

Switching to good news though: I weighed in at 198.6 this morning so I'm about at 40% of my goal! It's time to buckle down these next 2 weeks though. I know I can do better than what I've been doing. And another thing I'm super excited about is I FINALLY got an Ohana dinner reservation!! Horrible place for weight loss I know, but it's our favorite place to eat and I've been constantly checking for a ressie for weeks now. Letting myself enjoy this one and then its back on track when we come home!




I always have string cheese, hummus & carrots, ground turkey, chicken breasts, shrimp & fish, popcorn, coffee, and fresh veggies around. For breakfast, I have smoothie in my blender bottle. It's super easy-almond milk, ice, splenda, BodyLab vanilla protein powder, banana, yogurt & cinnamon. Or you can add unsweetened cocoa powder & peanut butter instead of the cinnamon & banana.

Lunch I've been doing spinach salad, tuna, dried cranberries, a cut up string cheese, onions & mushrooms w/a homemade oil & vinegar dressing.

I've found when I'm craving food or something sweet at night, flavored decaf coffee does the trick. No caffeine so I don't stay awake and the flavor curbs my sweet tooth.

Positive thoughts & pixie dust to everyone!

I love Ohana' as well, going to eat Thanksgiving there. I know I will put on weight during my trip, but I will get right back on track after getting home. Enjoy the food!

 

[Lady Marie]

I really need to think of a good way to reward myself on this journey without having it be "you totally deserve this ice cream or cookie or *insert food related item*" That's definitely not the way to go for me, even though I do tend to "treat" myself with food most of the time.

I'm also hoping to get my husband on board - which is really hard. Even if he doesn't want to do this with me, I'm hoping that really communicating my goals to him will help him support me in the journey

Same here-- to all of that! Especially with the holidays coming, I know I will be tempted to indulge if I have had a good week or whatever. I like the idea of coming up with a reward that's not food-- even for small victories. I know I have a big reward at the end, but I need some baby steps along the way to stay motivated so I don't feel hopeless! And this time I think my DH is on board. I think that was another reason WW was so hard last time.... I'm over here weighing chicken breasts and he's eating a box of cookies... Hopefully, your DH will get on board to make it easier and have some in-home support!

Who was that woman in those photos and why did I not see her when I looked in the mirror?

Seriously!!!! I understand completely-- that's so disconcerting and possibly one of the reasons its been hard for me to stop before it got out of control because I didn't (and sometimes still don't) have a problem with the woman in the mirror, but the woman in the pictures is unrecognizable!

Losing 52 pounds with just 13 left to go makes me realize that I am worth it and i want to stay that way. I'm wearing size 6 jeans now and can shop at Tilly's for size smalls and mediums. I see it when I look in the mirror, walk at Disneyland, and just doing little things around the house.

This is such an inspiration to hear this. Thank you for sharing!

And thank you all for a warm welcome! I'm looking forward to a fun journey with the help of the positive motivation here!

 

[ThistleMae]

Hello everyone,

I just found the WISH forums and the challenge - I know it's quite late in the month, but I'd love to join in!

I'm Lindsey, I'm 25 and recently married (yay!). I've always been a little overweight, but nothing that really bothered me. Sure, I could stand to lose a few pounds or so, but there never seemed to be any issues or anything, so I wasn't really concerned. Plus, I met my now husband, and we are both definitely food people. We love cooking, even if it's not fancy, and we love eating (especially dessert). I kind of figured as long as I wasn't going too far from my current weight, I was fine.

However, I had my first doctor's appointment in quite a few years recently, and they told me my cholesterol was very high, especially for someone my age. My doctor wanted to put me on meds, but I told her that I'd rather try to tackle this myself first - it should be manageable if I actually get serious about cleaning up my diet and losing some weight, since there doesn't seem to be a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol in my family.

So that was basically my recent wakeup call. I lost a good amount of weight in college and went from 150 or so (where I am now) to about 135, but wasn't able to keep it off. I moved across the country, went to grad school, and met my husband, which wasn't a great recipe for cooking and eating well.

I'm trying to do Weight Watchers, but through a third-party app because my budget doesn't have room for the membership fee at the moment. I'll probably end up using MFP or something similar to get nutrition info for the stuff we are cooking, since at least for this week I don't have any WW-approved meals on there. We had already bought groceries and stuff, so I'm using up our food and then will plan a healthier menu for next week!

I've got to head to work now, but I will be back later with a goal and a plan

It's wonderful that you found us! This site has been inspirational. I don't have a WW group anywhere near my home and I use MFP to keep me accountable. Be sure to track your foods....just a little extra can put you over and out of whack with nutritional requirements. It will help you learn how to eat a balanced diet. I can't believe how much I've learned about nutrition from using the app. Welcome to our little Family!

 

[ThistleMae]

QOTD - October 19

Happy Monday!!!!! We've talked a lot about motivation and our reasons for this journey over the past few weeks and I want to continue that a bit. For most of us, this isn't our first time at the weight loss rodeo. Why is this time different? What are you doing to make permanent changes? What helps you get back on the wagon after a slip instead of just completely abandoning your plan?[/QUOTE]
Like everyone else, I've been on the yoyo voyage for about 15 years. I finally decided that either I can be miserable being fat or miserable eating right. Then I decided that this was the "wrong" way to think of it...because both ways were unhealthy. It's so easy to talk the talk but walking the walk is far more challenging. I started last November. I began having issues that were severely impacting my active lifestyle. My knees went out....after painting a mural on a wall for my daughter's new restaurant. For a whole year, I could barely walk and never without pain. Then I got the foot thing....another 8 mos. of walking issues. Then, whilst eating good, I got breast cancer! Ugh! Enough! When you get to the point that you think your life could be ending...you really start to think very differently. I wasn't ready to leave this beautiful planet yet. Your body can only take so much abuse. Pouring sugar and flour into it....non stop...just clogs it up with junk it has to try and get rid of. The most difficult part is just "sitting" with the hungry feeling and not giving in to the urge to eat. I'm getting much better at it, though I have my falls. The one thing that is different, I that I can get right back up the next day...or after the vacation....or Holiday. I never could do that before. Yes....the healthy scares have really made me wake up. But it isn't a miracle awakening. I still have the pain and anguish of powering through each and every day without all the junk. I'm learning to be happy without food. It is journey. Some days are better than others. Some days I feel great! And when I feel great.....I feel like I can conquer this "addiction" without so much pain! Good luck to all and Happy Monday!

 

[courtneybeth]

Seriously!!!! I understand completely-- that's so disconcerting and possibly one of the reasons its been hard for me to stop before it got out of control because I didn't (and sometimes still don't) have a problem with the woman in the mirror, but the woman in the pictures is unrecognizable!

Yep yep! You and I seem to have a lot in common and I look forward to more interactions and posts with you! We're also DINKs with APs - WDW, Disneyland, and Paris. (We went to Paris over the summer and it was cheaper for us to get the AP than to buy two days worth of tickets). Keep strong with your goal and get that Grand Floridan vacation.

 

[bigsis1970]

QOTD - October 19

Happy Monday!!!!! We've talked a lot about motivation and our reasons for this journey over the past few weeks and I want to continue that a bit. For most of us, this isn't our first time at the weight loss rodeo. Why is this time different? What are you doing to make permanent changes? What helps you get back on the wagon after a slip instead of just completely abandoning your plan?

That was an awesome quote !!

Motivation - I really don't like taking a handful of diabetes meds each morning and a few at night.. this is my motivation.. plus the fact I just lost a family member at the very young age of 59 who was very active and lived life to the fullest and well I could do more of that myself to honor her.. I also think changing my habits will help my younger husband change some of his (indirectly at this point - like not cooking/using butter)
I am currently doing WW and having success that is very helpful to keep me on track.. once I stop losing though it will be harder for me - it always is..
I think one thing that made a difference to me this time on WW is that I am choosing to have 5 pts or less for Breakfast, 8 pts or less for Lunch then the rest of Dinner and Dessert..
One thing I did differently this week and I think I'll keep it up for the next few weeks is I made my entire work breakfast and lunches for the whole week (I normally have all my dinners planned for 6 weeks) so this week breakfast was light bread made into French toast with sugar free syrup and sausage link with a banana (4pts) cooked all on Sunday morning on my griddle.. next I decided lunch should be up to 8 pts made a tweaked pot of Zuppa Soup from All recipes again made on Sunday morning for the week (I made a half batch so I got 4 cups) .. I sub in Cauliflower for the potatoes (something I did when I was low carb) use whatever for greens (not just spinach as the recipes calls for) this week it was a bag of sweet kale salad and because I am not a spicy girl I only use a dash of red pepper flake.. (this is also only 4 pts) they I have a bag full of cut veggies (cukes, celery, tomato and carrots) for a point then an apple.. I also have thrown in a sugar free chocolate pudding for 2 pts... so with dinner and snack if I choose that is 15 points left for dinner and a dessert if there are points left.. this way I don't feel like I have to scrimp at supper with my family.. I can choose a scoop of rice or noodles or have a roll with butter.

Next week I think I'll have liquid eggs 1/2 C, scrambled omelet whatever, veggies, and maybe thin sliced swiss and 1/2 of an English muffin with butter (5pts total) for breakfast again with a banana, Lunch again will be the Zuppa soup, veggies, apple and pudding (6pts total) again leaving 15 pts for dinner and dessert.

@Flossbolna I love to microwave small pinches of the fresh shredded parm cheese on a piece of parchment paper to make parm cheesy crisps.. sooo yummy..
@JacknSally and @DisPup75 Thank so much.. it was very sad yesterday, and thanks for the congrats on the loss.. I am very excited..

@ThistleMae and @LindseyJo22 and for others who can't afford WW I love this site onemorepound.com it actually has points values for thousands of foods but also give you a calculator to figure what you can't find on their list .. and for tracking I use myplate by livestrong.

 

[DisPup75]

QOTD - October 20​

So I didn't follow rule number 1 and bought the Halloween candy on Sunday. I made friends with the Halloween candy last night. Which somehow led to me reuniting with French fries instead of answering yesterday's QOTD and posting last week's results. I blame the doughnuts I had for breakfast. And then, apparently in a sugar and fat induced coma, I slept through my WW meeting this morning. It is really great that it is the start of a new WW week! The remains of the candy are now in the neighborhood food pantry box, I've made dinner reservations for Halloween night so I won't have to buy more candy for the trick or treaters, and I've got a meeting scheduled in my calendar for later this week.

All of which leads me to the QOTD: Halloween!! Who is dressing up? What fun plans do you have? What are some of your favorite Halloween memoirs? And how do you deal with The Candy Problem?

 

[dsnyfn1022]

QOTD - October 20​

So I didn't follow rule number 1 and bought the Halloween candy on Sunday. I made friends with the Halloween candy last night. Which somehow led to me reuniting with French fries instead of answering yesterday's QOTD and posting last week's results. I blame the doughnuts I had for breakfast. And then, apparently in a sugar and fat induced coma, I slept through my WW meeting this morning. It is really great that it is the start of a new WW week! The remains of the candy are now in the neighborhood food pantry box, I've made dinner reservations for Halloween night so I won't have to buy more candy for the trick or treaters, and I've got a meeting scheduled in my calendar for later this week.

All of which leads me to the QOTD: Halloween!! Who is dressing up? What fun plans do you have? What are some of your favorite Halloween memoirs? And how do you deal with The Candy Problem?

Halloween candy is the worst! Because it's so small so you think "one piece can't hurt" and then you've eaten 10 pieces. Been there! So this year I didn't even buy it.

As for plans, a friend is having a Halloween party. I've never been to a Halloween party before! I don't think we'll be dressing up. We don't have the money.

I've never been to MNSSHP on Halloween but one year we went and my dad dressed up as a Bronze Statue. Like head to toe in gold paint. It looked really good! So he would sit around and stay completely still and people fell for it! Or they weren't certain if he was a statue or a person. It was really funny to see people interact with him.

 

[LindseyJo22]

QOTD - October 20​

So I didn't follow rule number 1 and bought the Halloween candy on Sunday. I made friends with the Halloween candy last night. Which somehow led to me reuniting with French fries instead of answering yesterday's QOTD and posting last week's results. I blame the doughnuts I had for breakfast. And then, apparently in a sugar and fat induced coma, I slept through my WW meeting this morning. It is really great that it is the start of a new WW week! The remains of the candy are now in the neighborhood food pantry box, I've made dinner reservations for Halloween night so I won't have to buy more candy for the trick or treaters, and I've got a meeting scheduled in my calendar for later this week.

All of which leads me to the QOTD: Halloween!! Who is dressing up? What fun plans do you have? What are some of your favorite Halloween memoirs? And how do you deal with The Candy Problem?

Man, I feel you. I am trying to track everything this week, even though I know I'm probably going to go over points with what we had planned to eat. Like the chips and salsa I had last night, or the handful of Autumn mix from the giant bag my husband bought for us I'm working right now on planning next week in a way that gets me on track with WW, since I decided to start working on it this week with a meal plan full of unhealthy options! Have to get things in order for next week

In terms of Halloween, I honestly don't remember a whole lot from my childhood - mostly that it usually rained or was substantially colder than usual, so you were always freezing in your costume However, I do remember one house that handed out glass bottled root beer and cream soda instead of candy, which we all thought was the coolest thing ever!

My weakness is the candy corn and pumpkins - hence the giant bag of autumn mix My strategy so far is to just have a little taste and really think about it as I'm eating it. That way I can enjoy a little bit and not have the whole bag! In general though, I try not to buy candy because I will eat it! And often not in good portions

 

[courtneybeth]

All of which leads me to the QOTD: Halloween!! Who is dressing up? What fun plans do you have? What are some of your favorite Halloween memoirs? And how do you deal with The Candy Problem?

Obviously you've all seen the costumes for my husband and me - Vanellope and Ralph from Wreck it Ralph. We are going to be shut-ins this year - no passing out of candy nor leaving the apartment.

So far I'm 20 days into the month and haven't had any Halloween candy! Woohoo. The easiest thing to do is not buy it for yourself. If you do, get things you can't eat. I can't have nuts so everything in our house is peanut butter or nut-based. I'm not even tempted.



I'm cracking up at you @DisPup75 - your sugar-induced coma caused you to miss your meeting and go on a binge. I hope you're okay

 

[Lady Marie]

We're also DINKs with APs - WDW, Disneyland, and Paris. (We went to Paris over the summer and it was cheaper for us to get the AP than to buy two days worth of tickets).

That's awesome! We are looking into the Premier pass ourselves because we hope to make a trip to Disneyland sometime next year and it may be worth it to upgrade. But good thing I didn't get the pass in Paris or I'd be constantly trying to figure ways to renew and keep going back which would definitely give DH a heart attack!

Halloween!! Who is dressing up? What fun plans do you have? What are some of your favorite Halloween memoirs? And how do you deal with The Candy Problem?

Gahhhh!!! The candy isn't the problem for me so much as the Pillsbury place and back shape cookies (you know the ones that have a pumpkin or cat in the middle)... yeah those were in a 3 pack at BJs and somehow magically ended up in my fridge last week. I've been making them 3 at a time every night for dessert. This I've got to stop! But I still have a box and a half left (btw DH HAS been helping so it's not just me!). Plus those cookies are like the ultimate memory/tradition for me. I remember making sugar cookies and watching Hocus Pocus every year as a kid. Anyway, I will definitely have some more between now and Halloween, but I am thinking of making the last box and taking them to a game night party this weekend to get them out of my reach!

Side note: Has anyone been to MNSSHP to see the Hocus Pocus show?!

We (read: mainly just me constantly mentioning it to DH) are planning on being Mary Poppins and Bert (chimney sweep and regular outfit version) and taking my cousin's kids trick or treating and then hopefully going out. I keep telling him we are young with no kids-- we should go out for drinks and dancing! But he's the guy at home and asleep at 9pm so we'll see how that goes....

 

[bigsis1970]

QOTD - October 20​

So I didn't follow rule number 1 and bought the Halloween candy on Sunday. I made friends with the Halloween candy last night. Which somehow led to me reuniting with French fries instead of answering yesterday's QOTD and posting last week's results. I blame the doughnuts I had for breakfast. And then, apparently in a sugar and fat induced coma, I slept through my WW meeting this morning. It is really great that it is the start of a new WW week! The remains of the candy are now in the neighborhood food pantry box, I've made dinner reservations for Halloween night so I won't have to buy more candy for the trick or treaters, and I've got a meeting scheduled in my calendar for later this week.

All of which leads me to the QOTD: Halloween!! Who is dressing up? What fun plans do you have? What are some of your favorite Halloween memoirs? And how do you deal with The Candy Problem?

I have candy stored from Valentine's day (it's hidden on the top shelf of my closet in a tote where I can't reach or get to it without my hubs help) I have to buy more - we live in a mobile home park so we get tons of kids! Not dressing up but I do I wear my Mickey Halloween shirt (under my sweatshirt) and my Minnie ears.. WE have also gone to MNSSHP right on Halloween in 2004, Wow fun times tons and tons and tons of candy! lots of fun character interaction and back then not very crowded.. strategy - not to buy candy I like.. I am a dark chocolate, payday, fastbreak kind of girl so I get other stuff that doesn't have those in it!!

 

[DVCFan1994]

I am sorry I have been MIA this month. I said I was in, made a goal, and I think reported back once, maybe twice, then disappeared! Things have been crazy around here. My kids schedules have been nuts, my husband was out of town for work, and I have had a few health issues. Long story short, it is all very likely nothing, but I get to wear a very uncomfortable and cumbersome Holter Monitor (essentially a constantly recording portable EKG) for a month. Not my ideal situation, but at least it is to prove nothing is wrong as opposed to confirming suspicions there is something wrong. I feel fine and have not been having the symptoms I had been having that led me to the doctor in the first place. The main frustration I have with it is that this is my last few weeks of training for Avengers Infinity Gauntlet Challenge, so having to cart that thing around is a bit of a nuisance.

So, my month has had ups and downs. Stress from all this, and exhaustion have led to some days where I made poor decisions, but, it also helped me focus (more days than not) on the importance of staying healthy. So, I am happy to report I have lost 2.3 pounds this month out of a goal of 5. It isn't much, but seeing I have been waiting months for the scale to budge I will take it! With only 11 days to go, I may not make my goal, but I will be happy to have lost anything honestly, especially with everything that has been going on. I do feel excited because more than the scale, I can see definite changes to my body. My arms and back are more toned looking in particular. So hopefully this is all the start of a new trend.

So many of you are having great successes. Congratulations! I will try to stay more involved now that things are settling down.

 

[meghammy]

QOTW - October 17/18​

Anyway, I'm curled up in a blanket on my back deck (when did it get SO COLD) , drinking tea, and making out my grocery list. Which brings me to the question! What are some of your favorite food finds that help you in this journey? Quick snacks, things to cobble together breakfast or your lunch bag, must have dinner items..... let's chat!

I try to keep the 100cal snack packs, low-sodium popcorn, and fresh fruits and veggies handy (though I am also likely to snack on cereal or animal crackers). Breakfasts-made-easy for me is usually overnight oatmeal , I can make a week's worth one night at grab and go before work for the whole week.

QOTD - October 19
Happy Monday!!!!! We've talked a lot about motivation and our reasons for this journey over the past few weeks and I want to continue that a bit. For most of us, this isn't our first time at the weight loss rodeo. Why is this time different? What are you doing to make permanent changes? What helps you get back on the wagon after a slip instead of just completely abandoning your plan?

This time is different because it is the first time my weight has specifically prevented me from participating in something I wanted to do.

QOTD - October 20​

All of which leads me to the QOTD: Halloween!! Who is dressing up? What fun plans do you have? What are some of your favorite Halloween memoirs? And how do you deal with The Candy Problem?

I am not dressing up, as I will be at work where it is not encouraged to dress up. My favorite memory would have to be dressing up as Cinderella, in a costume my grandmother had sewn for me, and then having to put a snow suit on underneath! Also, once we got a little older, the neighborhood kids and I would all trick or treat together and then sit and swap candy while watching Halloweentown or Hocus Pocus!