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

[JacknSally]

QOTD for October 1, 2015

It sounds pretty simple, I'll admit. Tell us all about your GOAL for October, and your PLAN to get you there. But I want everyone to go a step further - we did this somewhat inadvertently in the September thread, and I think it was actually really good for everyone! What obstacles do you need to overcome this month to stay on track? Are you your own worst enemy? Does your willpower and determination leave something to be desired? OR, is it your calendar that's got it in for you? Take a look at what you've got planned this month - vacations, weddings, birthdays, reunions, work projects, finals, marathons, yard sales, whatever. It doesn't matter what it is. Happy, sad, exciting, stressful. Take a look at that activity or event or occasion and anticipate HOW it might affect your goal or your plan this month. If you become aware of it now - really, truly aware - rather than let it sneak up on you, it will be SO much easier to jump that hurdle!

​

* Disclaimer - You DO NOT have to go into this kind of detail! I tend to get wordy when I write... Sorry!

QOTD (10/1/15) -

So, I started out September AMAZINGLY well. I was at 80% of my goal with 2 weeks remaining, and that was with no exercise and eating literally whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I think I got unknowingly cocky. I didn't think of myself as "invincible", so to speak, but looking back, I sure acted like it... and it completely bit me in the butt. I ended the month at 20% of my goal. I know this month I don't have the time to really dedicate like i should or to make up the progress I should've made in September. For that reason, my October goal will be a little different than usual...​

GOAL:
My goal for October is NOT to gain any weight between now and the end of the month. Yes, instead of stressing over trying to shed pounds, I am declaring this a maintenance month for myself. I weighed in this morning at 204.0, so I will consider that my starting weight for the month. My final, official weigh-in will be October 24th... I might do one the morning of the 25th, but definitely not beyond that, because I will be in Disney World, and Disney World is a haven where scales do not exist. I'm hoping that in my desperation to make sure I don't GAIN any weight, I will inadvertently LOSE weight... We'll see how that backfires! Tracking this goal will definitely be tricky, though. See, this is why I said to pick something easy to calculate! Obviously, 204 is home base, so staying there means I'm at 100%... I am going to say that every .1 of a pound will be equal to 1%. So if I weigh in at 203.6, then I'll be at 104%.... If I weigh in at 201.0, then I'll be at 130%... But if I weigh in at 206.5, I'd be at 75% of my goal (since 206.5 is 2.5lbs more than 204, which would come out to a 25% deficit)... Does that make sense? If anyone sees a more logical way to calculate this, please let me know! ​

PLAN:
1. Diet. I've been saying for a couple of months now that I'm going to get back into my low-carb/high-protein routine... and I still haven't. So this time, I'm just going to say that I am going to do my best. No more eating dinner out every night - my bank account nor my belly can take it anymore! I'm hoping that we can throw some stuff together on Sundays to get us through the week. We shall see! ALSO - Must. Drink. More. Water. I can definitely tell a difference when I am well hydrated compared to when I'm not.

2. Exercise. The weather is finally wonderful again! No more heat, no more humidity... At least for the foreseeable future. So I'm going to try to walk on my lunch break at least twice a week... That's roughly 2 miles each time, so 4 miles total, which is 4 miles more than I'm getting now. I will also be walking a TON in Florida, which will hopefully put me in a decent starting position in November. I also want to start picking up light weights again. I didn't do that at all in September, and I actually really miss it. I've also lost what little definition I was starting to see in August.

3. Better Stress Management. I have got to figure out a way OTHER than carbs to combat my stress. Especially this month. Today I made a list of everything that has to get done before the wedding (at least that I could think of at the time), and I'm hoping that by having it somewhere tangible, rather than just floating around in my head, i can better tackle it - or decide what can go. Unfortunately I don't really have anyone to delegate things to, but whatever I can delegate, I will. I also need to make sure I get some decent sleep every night. And I won't turn down an evening on the back deck with a glass of wine. ​

OBSTACLES:
1) ME! I am, in fact, my own worst enemy. I know what to do. I know I need to do it. For 2 months now, I've set out a completely feasible plan for myself... and for 2 months now, I have completely ignored it. And then I've beaten myself up for it. But I have clearly not changed it yet. I don't know that this will necessarily be the month that I change it for good, but I'd certainly like to do better than I have been. With my wedding date fast approaching, I have to remember that the 24th is NOT my finish line. It's so hard to do, since that's the magic date I've been struggling toward for so long... It makes it hard not to just slack off even more than I have been. But I have to remember that, wedding or not, I need to get healthy, and I need to love the way I look, and that will never happen if I just quit when I get close to the mile marker.

2) This Saturday (October 3) is my bachelorette party. I don't necessarily see it being a HUGE obstacle, but it will be one nonetheless. I think there will be cake, and I am not at all a drinker (in college, yes. Now? I'm too old to party. ), but have been informed I will be having drinks bought for me. So there's that.
3) I am only 3.5 weeks away from my wedding, and only about 3 months away from being done with my wedding-still-to-do list. Free time is basically non-existent at this point, so I am really going to have to figure out how to manage my time so that I can take care of myself but also take care of everything that needs to be done. Tips are welcome, as always! Be it make-ahead meals, somewhat healthy take-out options, or time management advice. I'm all ears!​

 

[JacknSally]

I dint have a clue who that is!! Please tell me it is because I am clueless and not old.

There is a song by the band Green Day, called "Wake Me Up When September Ends"... It came out in 2005, and is wonderfully angsty, which spoke to me and my fellow 15-year olds at the time. HERE IS A LINK to the song on Youtube. Ever since it was released, every September 30, someone somewhere has to make the joke that it's time to wake up Green Day. It is NOT AT ALL a funny joke, to be 100% honest, haha.

This is so not the thread for this but yes. I apologize in advance if this causes you to say things like "maybe we should just emoji a pizza" after work. If you create a Dominos account and save a favorite order, you can link it to your phone so all you have to do is send a pizza emoji via text and then confirm it with a thumbs up emoji. 30 minutes later.... Pizza! It is quite possibly the greatest thing ever.

I don't know whether to be amazed and excited about the fact that this is even an option, or concerned at the new lows civilization is reaching.

 

[Flossbolna]

Good Morning everyone!!

October here in Germany is starting with brilliant sunshine and freezing (not literally, but nearly) temperatures! And for me personally with a victory on the scale. My official start weight for October is the same as my pre-vacation weight at the start of August! I think I never have been so successful at eliminating vacation damage as this time.

Goal: I have decided that for me aiming for 5 pounds a month is a good goal as it is not too challenging. I am also not that far from a healthy weight, so I know that weight loss is going to be slower anyway. And I am just not good at being hungry. So, I rather eat a bit more and lose slower.

Plan: I am just continuing what I have learned over the last years. I find that I am actually at a point where I have adopted a lot of healthy routines that help me to deal with this. I am going to continue counting calories on my fitbit app, aiming for a 750 calorie deficit daily. I have found that to be a sustainable number. I really don't follow any special meal plan, but I am very conscious of eating fruit and vegetables, fiber and I try to up my protein. I know that I should eat more fish for the iodine and am trying to improve in that regard. I am planning to continue my current exercise program, hopefully a bit more regularly than the last week, of mixing running and Jillian Michaels DVDs. The plan is to have at least one run per week during the weekend as it is getting more and more difficult to fit in a run during daylight and I don't have access to a treadmill.

Obstacles: It looks like October will be a quiet month for me (my birthday isn't until next month!) with not so many challenges. There is a party next weekend, but I am determined to not go overboard that day! I think I will aim for a nice long run that morning to have a buffer!! And I think staying away from any alcohol might be a good plan. Drinking usually causes me to throw all my good intentions with regard to eating overboard...

 

[meghammy]

Hello all! My name is Megan, and like our host, I am also 26!

I have been heavy nearly my entire life. Not only that, I was the tallest kid in class from preschool through sixth grade, when the boys started to catch up. I was fairly active as a kid, but when high school hit and my activities switched from softball, cheerleading, and dance to theater tech and advanced courses, my weight increased pretty rapidly.

I plateaued the final two years of high school, but college brought on all sorts more problems. A terrible sleep schedule, tons of free time, and an unlimited dining hall over the first 3 years of college were terrible to my waistline.

After leaving school before graduating and not gaining any physical hobbies, my weight continued to increase. I have tried nearly every diet there is, but I cannot make it more than 2-3 months on any of them. A special event comes up and I can't get back on track after. Or I get sick of the same foods over and over. Or I stop for McDonald's one night on my way to work, and next thing I know, I've been there every night for three weeks.

During my last trip to Orlando, I had no issues at WDW but could not ride the Dragon Challenge at UO's WWoHP. That was the big sign I needed to change something. And I tried. But moving across the state and starting two new jobs did not leave much time or money to cook healthy foods or exercise regularly.

Unfortunately, my main job is a full time overnight office job, so there is not a lot of movement during my shift, and the overnight work has made my sleep schedule even worse than it was.

I have trips to Orlando planned for October '16 and January '17, and I WILL be able to ride the Dragon Challenge (and everything else!) when I come back!

My GOAL for October is to remain under 285 pounds.
My PLAN includes eating no fast food, drinking 32 ounces of water a day, and getting at least 60 minutes of exercise per week.
My biggest OBSTACLE is persistence and consistency. I am terrible at finishing things I start. But this will NOT be one of them!

 

[Flossbolna]

I have tried nearly every diet there is, but I cannot make it more than 2-3 months on any of them. Aspecial event comes up and I can't get back on track after. Or I get sick of the same foods over and over. Or I stop for McDonald's one night on my way to work, and next thing I know, I've been there every night for three weeks.

Megan!

I think many of us can relate to your problem that one slip up leads to a whole landslide! I have found that this thread really helps me to get back on track far more easily. The people on here are a great support group that can help you to get motivated. Feel free to post when you struggle, you can be sure that there will be people here who want to help you and not judge you! And I can tell you from experience: If you don't give up and instead try to get back on track again and again, it does become easier! It used to take me a month or two after a vacation to get back into it. This summer for the first time ever, it only took me a week and a month later I lost all the vacation gain. That has never happened before!

 

[mickeyfanachey1999]

My goal: Drop 12 pounds this month.
My plan: Diet and exercise. The diet part is all about willpower and should be pretty easy because eating better than I was eating shouldn't be too hard at all. As for the exercise I signed up for the Star Wars 5k and started couch to 5k on Monday so I have that plan to follow.
Only big obstacle I see (other than my insane love for any and all pizza) is my birthday on 10-14. It'll be tough watching the family eat cake and ice cream.

 

[bigsis1970]

Ok, guys! If there is anyone lurking or anyone who finds us late, PLEASE jump in! It doesn't matter when you join AT ALL. Even if it's the 28th of the month. Seriously. In the meantime, though, without further adieu, I say we kick this show off with our FIRST QUESTION OF THE DAY!

View attachment 126644​

QOTD for October 1, 2015

It sounds pretty simple, I'll admit. Tell us all about your GOAL for October, and your PLAN to get you there. But I want everyone to go a step further - we did this somewhat inadvertently in the September thread, and I think it was actually really good for everyone! What obstacles do you need to overcome this month to stay on track? Are you your own worst enemy? Does your willpower and determination leave something to be desired? OR, is it your calendar that's got it in for you? Take a look at what you've got planned this month - vacations, weddings, birthdays, reunions, work projects, finals, marathons, yard sales, whatever. It doesn't matter what it is. Happy, sad, exciting, stressful. Take a look at that activity or event or occasion and anticipate HOW it might affect your goal or your plan this month. If you become aware of it now - really, truly aware - rather than let it sneak up on you, it will be SO much easier to jump that hurdle!

​

my goal is to lose 4 lbs..
my plan is to follow WW (my first mtg is today a noon where I get all my materials)
my obstacles are listed in my intro - I have a zillion birthday's including mine and a few scrapbooking events where there is almost no moving except to pack and unpack LOL but even with all that going on I am committed to tracking and staying within my points range (including the bonus points)

Thanks for the warm welcome I appreciate it and I find you all inspiring! here's to a great month!!

 

[Flossbolna]

My goal: Drop 12 pounds this month.
My plan: Diet and exercise. The diet part is all about willpower and should be pretty easy because eating better than I was eating shouldn't be too hard at all. As for the exercise I signed up for the Star Wars 5k and started couch to 5k on Monday so I have that plan to follow.
Only big obstacle I see (other than my insane love for any and all pizza) is my birthday on 10-14. It'll be tough watching the family eat cake and ice cream.

You need to find out what works best for you, but I find it easier to go into celebrations like this is to have a plan to eat a small treat. That way I am feeling less deprived, can actually look forward to the event and not go into it with bad feelings. And having a positive attitude really helps me to withstand the temptation to then eat more than I had planned!

my goal is to lose 4 lbs..
my plan is to follow WW (my first mtg is today a noon where I get all my materials)
my obstacles are listed in my intro - I have a zillion birthday's including mine and a few scrapbooking events where there is almost no moving except to pack and unpack LOL but even with all that going on I am committed to tracking and staying within my points range (including the bonus points)

Thanks for the warm welcome I appreciate it and I find you all inspiring! here's to a great month!!

Hope you have fun with WW! I really think it is a very good program that teaches you a lot about a healthy and sustainable lifestyle!

 

[bigsis1970]

This is me (my DS and Hubs at an All Star Hockey Conf for my DS)
3/15/15 I am basically at the same spot current weight 177.4 (I'll edit when I get back from my WW meeting) NOT nearly as bad as I thought..

 

[contempgal]

Hi all! My morning so far has certainly been a “murphy’s law” type of morning but I’m very excited to begin October with all of you!

My goal this month is to lose 10 pounds. That’s a lofty goal for me and possibly a bit too high but I know it’s doable. Regardless, I’m an any loss is a good loss type of girl.

My plan is to maintain my current exercise schedule. That is typically 4 to 5 times a week for 40 to 45 minutes. I use a fitbit and I am OBSESSED with meeting my step goal so I’ll continue to add additional movement in throughout the day as well. I work at a job that requires long periods at a desk and in a car so I try to get up and move as much as possible when I can. I also will continue to have dance parties with my little princess to work off some additional calories. Additionally, and most importantly, I will continue to tweak my food intake, specifically limiting sweets. Finally, I’ll continue my water intake of at least 64 ounces a day.

I’ll have several obstacles. First and foremost, my biggest obstacle has ALWAYS been myself. I can talk myself into anything, justify anything. I’ll eat JUST ONE. Nope. I’ll do better tomorrow. Not always. I can eat worse for lunch and better for dinner. Ugh! I totally need to work on my thought process. I’m my own worst enemy. I will face a pretty big obstacle over the next 3 days. Constant rain! I find that if I’m stuck in the house or office all day, I tend to eat more. Its thoughtless eating. I don’t need it, I just do it. That rain my save me tomorrow though as I HAD been considering making a trip to a local flea market where the makers of my all-time favorite sweet (the amazing Cinnsational Cinnamon Roll) will be set up for just a couple days. I will be far less tempted to make the journey to stand in line for that cinnamon roll in the rain. I’ll have two more obvious obstacles in October . . . my beautiful niece’s 5th birthday party and Halloween! I am, however, determined to overcome these obstacles!

Oh and I guess I should add that I'm starting this challenge at 241.2 pounds.

Good luck everyone!

 

[JacknSally]

Good morning, good morning, GOOD MORNING!!!!!!!!! Happy October, everyone! It's OFFICIALLY HEREEEE! Is anyone getting any great fall weather yet? I absolutely LOVE fall. We slept with the window open last night and the air was crisp and cool and the bedroom smelled like fall... I was in heaven! The high here today is 73 and sunny, but it was 60 this morning. Broke out the infinity scarf, leggings, and boots - I get hot super easily, so I feel very overdressed for 70 degrees, but I couldn't wait any longer! October is my FAVORITE month and I have dealt with Memphis summer for long enough! Not going to let anything dampen my spirits today, even the hateful negative Nellies in my office.

If you haven't yet, be sure to check out our QOTD for October 1st, which I posted late last night, so you may need to scroll back in the posts a little bit. Can't wait to see everyone's goals for the month, and everyone's obstacles. List anything and everything - no matter how big or small - that you think might trip you up. This way we can all know what to be sure we help you with! Any time you feel like you are about to slip up, POST HERE! Seriously. I get email notifications whenever someone posts to the thread, and I check my email pretty frequently (yes, I'm that person), so I can generally respond fairly quickly - but even if I specifically can't, there is a WHOLE TEAM of supportive people here for you. Don't be afraid to use us!

Good Morning everyone!!

October here in Germany is starting with brilliant sunshine and freezing (not literally, but nearly) temperatures! And for me personally with a victory on the scale. My official start weight for October is the same as my pre-vacation weight at the start of August! I think I never have been so successful at eliminating vacation damage as this time.

Goal: I have decided that for me aiming for 5 pounds a month is a good goal as it is not too challenging. I am also not that far from a healthy weight, so I know that weight loss is going to be slower anyway. And I am just not good at being hungry. So, I rather eat a bit more and lose slower.

Plan: I am just continuing what I have learned over the last years. I find that I am actually at a point where I have adopted a lot of healthy routines that help me to deal with this. I am going to continue counting calories on my fitbit app, aiming for a 750 calorie deficit daily. I have found that to be a sustainable number. I really don't follow any special meal plan, but I am very conscious of eating fruit and vegetables, fiber and I try to up my protein. I know that I should eat more fish for the iodine and am trying to improve in that regard. I am planning to continue my current exercise program, hopefully a bit more regularly than the last week, of mixing running and Jillian Michaels DVDs. The plan is to have at least one run per week during the weekend as it is getting more and more difficult to fit in a run during daylight and I don't have access to a treadmill.

Obstacles: It looks like October will be a quiet month for me (my birthday isn't until next month!) with not so many challenges. There is a party next weekend, but I am determined to not go overboard that day! I think I will aim for a nice long run that morning to have a buffer!! And I think staying away from any alcohol might be a good plan. Drinking usually causes me to throw all my good intentions with regard to eating overboard...

100% just out of curiosity - What is the time difference between us? I am Central Standard Time, if that helps. Your first post is timestamped 1:43am for me, so I assume it's something substantial! Or you are just MUCH better at early mornings than I am.

It sounds like you have a great plan in place for October! Can't wait to see what results it brings you. And I LOVE that you already have a plan in place to get you through that party next weekend - thinking like that is exactly what will help keep you on track!

Hello all! My name is Megan, and like our host, I am also 26!

I have been heavy nearly my entire life. Not only that, I was the tallest kid in class from preschool through sixth grade, when the boys started to catch up. I was fairly active as a kid, but when high school hit and my activities switched from softball, cheerleading, and dance to theater tech and advanced courses, my weight increased pretty rapidly.

I plateaued the final two years of high school, but college brought on all sorts more problems. A terrible sleep schedule, tons of free time, and an unlimited dining hall over the first 3 years of college were terrible to my waistline.

After leaving school before graduating and not gaining any physical hobbies, my weight continued to increase. I have tried nearly every diet there is, but I cannot make it more than 2-3 months on any of them. A special event comes up and I can't get back on track after. Or I get sick of the same foods over and over. Or I stop for McDonald's one night on my way to work, and next thing I know, I've been there every night for three weeks.

During my last trip to Orlando, I had no issues at WDW but could not ride the Dragon Challenge at UO's WWoHP. That was the big sign I needed to change something. And I tried. But moving across the state and starting two new jobs did not leave much time or money to cook healthy foods or exercise regularly.

Unfortunately, my main job is a full time overnight office job, so there is not a lot of movement during my shift, and the overnight work has made my sleep schedule even worse than it was.

I have trips to Orlando planned for October '16 and January '17, and I WILL be able to ride the Dragon Challenge (and everything else!) when I come back!

My GOAL for October is to remain under 285 pounds.
My PLAN includes eating no fast food, drinking 32 ounces of water a day, and getting at least 60 minutes of exercise per week.
My biggest OBSTACLE is persistence and consistency. I am terrible at finishing things I start. But this will NOT be one of them!

Welcome, other Megan! First of all, THANK YOU for spelling your name the CORRECT way! You and I have incredibly similar stories - I was heavily involved with theatre in high school, and was a theatre major in college. My only real physical activity besides the manual labor that came with theatre was marching band, but I stopped that after my junior year of high school and subsequently ballooned my senior year.

I'm SO glad you found your way to this thread, because I KNOW the people here will be a great resource and support group for you! Your plan looks great - it's amazing what something as "simple" as cutting out fast food and increasing water can do for you. Do you have any exercises that you love to do? How will you track your goal for the month?

My goal: Drop 12 pounds this month.
My plan: Diet and exercise. The diet part is all about willpower and should be pretty easy because eating better than I was eating shouldn't be too hard at all. As for the exercise I signed up for the Star Wars 5k and started couch to 5k on Monday so I have that plan to follow.
Only big obstacle I see (other than my insane love for any and all pizza) is my birthday on 10-14. It'll be tough watching the family eat cake and ice cream.

What an awesome goal! 12lbs is HUGE - I bet you'll do it! Do you feel that is a comfortable goal for you? I don't mean to sound like I'm questioning that number at all, please don't get me wrong! I wish I could even hope to lose 12lbs in a month - based on the last 2 months, I'm doing good to lose 1lb at this point.

Are you using any specific diet or exercise regimen? I personally find it's much easier FOR ME to have a specific plan in place, rather than "I will just eat better", because then I justify that 1 cupcake as "well, 1 cupcake is better than 3 cupcakes, so SURE I can have a cupcake!" - but everyone is different, and that's what's great!

Do you have any birthday plans yet? A party at home, or a fancy dinner out?

my goal is to lose 4 lbs..
my plan is to follow WW (my first mtg is today a noon where I get all my materials)
my obstacles are listed in my intro - I have a zillion birthday's including mine and a few scrapbooking events where there is almost no moving except to pack and unpack LOL but even with all that going on I am committed to tracking and staying within my points range (including the bonus points)

Thanks for the warm welcome I appreciate it and I find you all inspiring! here's to a great month!!

Definitely give us a follow up report on your WW meeting - I can't wait to hear about it! I'm legitimately interested in the WW program (I am VERY susceptible to any sort of positive marketing LOL) so I'd love to hear how it goes for you. Are you planning any exercise to help balance out your busy October? When I'm on track, I'm that weirdo that does squats while I brush my teeth, just to make sure I'm doing SOMETHING.

 

[dsnyfn1022]

I was still wearing blinders then….UNTIL….one day I was walking down the street and some guys yell “Earthquake” at me. While extremely hurtful,

Something similar happened to me once. I was in my car eating an APPLE of all things and someone yelled out "pig" at me. It was devastating. But it definitely served as a wake up call.

I KNOW you will see Onederland before 2015 is out!

Thanks! And you'll get there even sooner!!

My wonderful husband is another tall skinny one who can and does eat anything under the sun. Ito is beyond frustrating but is something we just have to learn to deal with. The good news is that they are very useful when you really need to try something. You can eat just one bite and make them eat the rest.

Sooooo frustrating! Now that we've been together for a good amount of time I've definitely come to understand that I cannot eat 2 McDoubles and a medium fry from McD's and still be a skinny person. And on the flip side I've helped him a lot with his own eating habits. We don't keep cookies or candy around. Sometimes we have a pint of ice cream in the fridge. Also, I definitely plan on doing that in WDW! I have quite a few sweets on my list of things to try and I've already told him we are splitting them!

This is so not the thread for this but yes. I apologize in advance if this causes you to say things like "maybe we should just emoji a pizza" after work. If you create a Dominos account and save a favorite order, you can link it to your phone so all you have to do is send a pizza emoji via text and then confirm it with a thumbs up emoji. 30 minutes later.... Pizza! It is quite possibly the greatest thing ever.

THIS IS REAL LIFE???? I definitely did not need to know this.

 

[JacknSally]

Hi all! My morning so far has certainly been a “murphy’s law” type of morning but I’m very excited to begin October with all of you!

My goal this month is to lose 10 pounds. That’s a lofty goal for me and possibly a bit too high but I know it’s doable. Regardless, I’m an any loss is a good loss type of girl.

My plan is to maintain my current exercise schedule. That is typically 4 to 5 times a week for 40 to 45 minutes. I use a fitbit and I am OBSESSED with meeting my step goal so I’ll continue to add additional movement in throughout the day as well. I work at a job that requires long periods at a desk and in a car so I try to get up and move as much as possible when I can. I also will continue to have dance parties with my little princess to work off some additional calories. Additionally, and most importantly, I will continue to tweak my food intake, specifically limiting sweets. Finally, I’ll continue my water intake of at least 64 ounces a day.

I’ll have several obstacles. First and foremost, my biggest obstacle has ALWAYS been myself. I can talk myself into anything, justify anything. I’ll eat JUST ONE. Nope. I’ll do better tomorrow. Not always. I can eat worse for lunch and better for dinner. Ugh! I totally need to work on my thought process. I’m my own worst enemy. I will face a pretty big obstacle over the next 3 days. Constant rain! I find that if I’m stuck in the house or office all day, I tend to eat more. Its thoughtless eating. I don’t need it, I just do it. That rain my save me tomorrow though as I HAD been considering making a trip to a local flea market where the makers of my all-time favorite sweet (the amazing Cinnsational Cinnamon Roll) will be set up for just a couple days. I will be far less tempted to make the journey to stand in line for that cinnamon roll in the rain. I’ll have two more obvious obstacles in October . . . my beautiful niece’s 5th birthday party and Halloween! I am, however, determined to overcome these obstacles!

Good luck everyone!

Good morning! I certainly hope your day turns around quickly! 10lbs is a great goal, and I know you can do it for sure. I am a boredom snacker, too!! It's a nasty circle where once you have chips (for example) while you watch TV a couple of times, then every time you watch TV your body craves chips, and then you have to give in because the craving is so strong and you feel like something is missing, and then it's impossible to quit! Here's to getting you off that carousel! I totally know what you mean about the justification and "Oh, well, today is a wash so I'll just do better tomorrow"... Eventually, you look back and you've got a year or more of saying tomorrow, tomorrow, I'll diet tomorrow.


Make sure you really look at your plan - I don't think it's bad AT ALL; I certainly hope my comments don't come across as judgmental or superior or anything. PLEASE no one take offense if I question an aspect of your goals or plans or anything. I only do it out of love! I just know that FOR ME, I tend to plan to do the same things over and over again, even though last month those actions might not have gotten me anywhere. If what I've been doing hasn't gotten me the results I want, then I need to do something new! So maybe if you've been doing 45 minute workouts for a while, this month you could try doing 60 minute workouts, and see if that extra 15 minutes makes a difference. Our bodies will definitely get used to routine, and QUICKLY, and that results in the dreaded plateau. OR, you know your plan works really well for you, and you are confident it will help get you the results you want - which is AWESOME!! And I am ecstatic about that and will do anything and everything I can to help motivate! I will not be offended at all if anyone tells me that I'm way off base and to mind my own business - YOU know yourself way better than anyone here does, and that is what is important.


Can I just say, though, that I don't know anything about the cinnamon roll at your flea market, but just the name of it makes it sound scrumptious?? Haha. What will you be doing for your niece's party? Do you know yet? A party at their home, or Chuck-e-Cheese, or going to a movie? How exciting that she'll be 5!! I love little girls around that age. They are just so FUN.

 

[JacknSally]

OK, I've been at work an hour now and haven't actually touched my work for the day yet, so I HAVE to get off here for a while. Did I leave anyone out of the participants list on the first page? Let me know if I missed you, and I will get you added!!

 

[JacknSally]

ALSO - If anyone wants to be friends, I am on Instagram as mnsmith89, and would LOVE to link up with you there! I'll be posting lots of pictures while I'm in Disney later this month, FOR SURE. My account is set to private so please please don't hesitate to send me a follow request!!

 

[dsnyfn1022]

Yay for another month!! I am so happy to get going!

GOAL: My goal for this month is to lose 5.5 pounds. I was quite a bit shy of that last month and I really need to start seeing some bigger numbers if I'm going to get to my lofty goal of Onederland by Dec 2nd.
PLAN: Continue with WW. I'm going to try and decrease the number of Activity Points and Weekly Points I'm eating though because I'm using them as an excuse to eat poorly all weekend long and it's just not a habit that I want to form. Plus I feel like most of the week I'm playing catch up. So I plan on using some. Just not down to 0. That's a lot of bad choices. I also will get to the gym 4-5 times a week. I have a 5k on the 24th! It's a Monster Dash and I don't have any costumes because we are trying to save money but it'll still be a good time. and my overall goal for 2015 was to run a 5k!
OBSTACLES: My 1 year wedding anniversary is on the 6th. So that's freezer burn top cake and a dinner out for me. Then my birthday this month! I'm having my brother make a cheesecake (because he's an excellent baker) and hopefully won't have any leftovers. That should be it though, fingers crossed!

 

[contempgal]

What will you be doing for your niece's party? Do you know yet? A party at their home, or Chuck-e-Cheese, or going to a movie? How exciting that she'll be 5!! I love little girls around that age. They are just so FUN.

She is having a monster themed birthday party at a local spot. She is 1 1/2 years older than my daughter and they are like sisters (fight like sisters too!). It should be a fun day. Luckily, birthday cake is something I can typically ignore pretty easily. Not a huge fan. The cinnamon rolls though....Ugh. Glad it will be pouring the rain.

And feel free to give any advice you wish! I'm always open to it. I actually just bumped the exercise up to that amount last month. Unfortunately, most of my exercise is done on my lunch break so I don't have much time to add on at this point but I am trying to get even more activity in during the evening time. It's not difficult to do really....with a 3 year old whirlwind and all. LOL Just need to keep the energy going so I don't crash and burn once home from work.

 

[pjlla]

Wowza!! So much chatter here...... and SO MANY new friends! I thought I'd be "popping" in to read and reply, but there is SO MUCH to read! I'll have to read later this afternoon..... I have one student finishing a test shortly and then I go and cover for a one-on-two aide (we call them paras)..... then lunch and then I'll have time to read while covering another testing sessions later today. Hoping I"ll be able to catch up then and answer the QOTD for myself!............P

 

[mickeyfanachey1999]

What an awesome goal! 12lbs is HUGE - I bet you'll do it! Do you feel that is a comfortable goal for you? I don't mean to sound like I'm questioning that number at all, please don't get me wrong! I wish I could even hope to lose 12lbs in a month - based on the last 2 months, I'm doing good to lose 1lb at this point.

Are you using any specific diet or exercise regimen? I personally find it's much easier FOR ME to have a specific plan in place, rather than "I will just eat better", because then I justify that 1 cupcake as "well, 1 cupcake is better than 3 cupcakes, so SURE I can have a cupcake!" - but everyone is different, and that's what's great!

Do you have any birthday plans yet? A party at home, or a fancy dinner out?

My eating plan is pretty simple. I've changed breakfast from biscuit and gravy to a variety of fruit...changed lunch from fast food to salad and changed dinner to more homecooked and healthy instead of pizza and fried chicken. I will miss the pizza. I've also added 8 cups of water versus the 0 I used to drink. I have enlisted the help of an online calorie tracker and weight monitor. For what it's worth, feel free to question the number...I actually lowered it a little from my first thought. I know it's quite lofty but with the diet changes and the couch to 5k training I think I can do it (thankfully there are 31 days in this month ) I'm starting today at 235.0. I'm looking forward to my first report of a new weight a week from today!!!

 

[SarahDisney]

Welcome to all of the new & returning participants. I love seeing so many people take their health seriously!

I'm going to be more lurking/occasionally chatting than participating, but I figured I'd introduce myself anyway.

I'm Sarah, I'm 29 years old, pretty much unemployed (I have a 4-5 hour per month part-time freelance gig, but nothing that actually pays bills), and I live with my parents (and older sister & younger brother). I've struggled with my weight over the years, and I've spent as long as I can remember trying to get down to 120 lb. My highest weight was about 153 lb a few years ago, and for the last two years or so, I've been hovering between 147 & 137 ... but I can't seem to get below 137 (in fact, I haven't even hit 137 in over a year). One of the great disappointments of the past few years is that I'm actually in the overweight range in terms of BMI (for a few years I was on the high end of normal, but now I'm at the low end of overweight and I hate it).

I'm also under quite a bit of stress with my work (or non-work) situation and some personal stuff. Add to that my family history of high cholesterol, heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, and I know it's important for me to cut down on the stress and take care of myself. But it's really hard and I've been struggling with this for years. Sometimes I just don't think I can do it, and I know that's a bad mindset to have.

On to the positive stuff ... more often than not you'll see me on here talking about my running. I've been running for about 14 months now, I've done one runDisney 5K, and I'm doing a 5K and 10K in January. My goal is to do the Disneyland Half Marathon in September 2016 ... but that's still almost a year away. I also talk a lot about trying to make better decisions ... but apparently talking about making better decisions doesn't equal making better decisions. Who knew?

Anyway ... that's my slightly angry sorry-for-myself deal. I had a rough September. So I'm hoping October is better.

This entertained me. Once I got it. At first it was just kind of "why is there a giant picture of Billie Joe Armstrong?" And, btw, I love that song.

QOTD for October 1, 2015

It sounds pretty simple, I'll admit. Tell us all about your GOAL for October, and your PLAN to get you there. But I want everyone to go a step further - we did this somewhat inadvertently in the September thread, and I think it was actually really good for everyone! What obstacles do you need to overcome this month to stay on track? Are you your own worst enemy? Does your willpower and determination leave something to be desired? OR, is it your calendar that's got it in for you? Take a look at what you've got planned this month - vacations, weddings, birthdays, reunions, work projects, finals, marathons, yard sales, whatever. It doesn't matter what it is. Happy, sad, exciting, stressful. Take a look at that activity or event or occasion and anticipate HOW it might affect your goal or your plan this month. If you become aware of it now - really, truly aware - rather than let it sneak up on you, it will be SO much easier to jump that hurdle!

I'm not setting a goal for this month, because I want October to be a low-pressure month for me. My "goal" for October is just to focus on one thing at a time. I'm not worrying about a specific number of pounds to lose. What I am thinking about is making the right decisions at every meal and being conscious of all the decisions I make. I want to take this month one meal and one day at a time. Hopefully that will make it easier for me to make the right choices.
My biggest obstacle is laziness ... sometimes I don't want to think about what I'm doing. For example ... yesterday I had pizza bagels for lunch. Because it was already 4 PM and I wasn't in the mood to think of a healthier lunch. Thankfully, by dinner I was willing to put a little more effort into it (I ended up with salmon over a bed of wild rice and mushrooms with a side of snap peas ... so I got my protein, my starch, and my veggies!). I need to learn to stop being lazy when it comes to my health and have more meals like yesterday's dinner. It's not hard for me to come up with something healthy that interests me - as long as I'm willing to put in the effort.