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

[robndani]

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

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.

I would also say laziness is my biggest obstacle. Even though I do a million things and take care of my kids, the house and everything else, I HATE cooking and I get lazy and throw a pizza in the oven (even if it's an Amy's Organic Cornmeal one). My kids certainly eat better than I do!

Now that they are in school and temperatures are cooling off I will start doing more crock pot recipes and in fact I'm about to make apple and pear pork chops right now. Wish me luck. Seriously. I need it.

 

[courtneybeth]

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!

Goal: Lose 6 pounds.

With 5 Saturdays this month, there will be 5 opportunities for weigh-in. I'm aiming to lose at least 1 pound per week, but some weeks may be .5 and others may be 1.5. I figured I'd error on the side of "enjoying life" and not put too much pressure on myself.
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How I'm Going to Get There

• Weight Watchers. Online member since July 3rd and have done so well on the program. Just going to keep it up.
• 10,000 steps per day. I want to break 70,000 steps per week, or the equivalent of 10,000 per day average.
• Abstain from candy for the month that is all about candy. One you start you can't stop!

This month will be interesting, as I have Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland on 10/16 and a slew of team project meetings and midterms at the beginning of the month. (10/5 and 10/13).

Taking it one day at a time and doing the best I can each day.

 

[courtneybeth]

Taking a page from @JacknSally's post -- I'm also on Instagram, so please add me! courtneybeth83 is my username.

 

[DisPup75]

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!

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I'm so excited for this fresh new month! I'm going to set one simple goal: lose five pounds. I weighed in at 203.4 this morning and so plan to see 198.4 on the scale on October 31st. Along the way I will be saying goodbye to obesity (201.2 is just plain overweight for me) and the 200s and hello to 199.8.

Plan: I'm going to continue WW and will also likely double track with MFP because I like the additional data. I'm really loving my WW meetings and I like my coach as well. With all of the resources at my disposal, including all of you, I can't help but be successful, right? I really want to focus this month on cleaning up my diet. I've done a pretty good job since June of reducing and removing a lot of the junk but somehow I seem to have also largely eliminated vegetables. That is not OK since I need the nutrients and I need the volume. So I'm also pledging to eat some sort of produce with every meal or major snack. And white potatoes don't count as produce in my world.

Activity: I'm going to continue to use my Fitbit and not set a real goal. I manage to average 10,000 steps a day without too much difficulty and I'm happy with that. I feel a little bit more energetic with every pound lost and my regular walks get a little bit longer and faster. I still hope that someday soon I'll be inspired to do some strength training but I'm not going to push it right now.

Obstacles: This is a relatively event free month for me. We will be with the in-laws for a week but they are usually pretty healthy eaters so that shouldn't be a deal breaker, although I'm kind of sad that I will have to miss a meeting. Work is as insane as usual but I'm starting to do a better job at stocking healthier snacks at work so I don't dive into the inevitable cookies/cupcakes/donuts the minute I see them. And I'm finding healthier eating out options near my office for those days when I need to work late or have lunch out. My biggest obstacle is still me and my seeming need to occasionally sabatoge myself with horrifyingly bad decisions. I'm getting better at putting the brakes on - one bad meal is NOT an excuse for a week's worth of poor decisions - but I still need to work on this. I also need to get much, much better at making a meal plan for the week, buying the groceries, and following said plan. I do OK eating on the fly most of the time but I know that I'm making it so much harder on myself by not having a plan for what I'm going to eat. It could also be a reason for some of the self sabatoge described above. I can only say no to whatever it is (generally involving bread and cheese) so many times before I crack. If I had a better plan, I wouldn't be faced with choices so many times and I would have few opportunities for going off the rails.

I suppose in the end, like many of us, I know what to do. I just have to do it!

 

[bigsis1970]

Good morning, good morning, GOOD MORNING!!!!!!!!!
Welcome, other Megan! First of all, THANK YOU for spelling your name the CORRECT way! Y

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.

WELL I weighed in less then what I thought I might (177.4) so that was good.. The at work meeting was all about what was in our welcome packet and how to use it to get the most benefits from the program. so that was a good refresher for me - I did WW 2011 and 2013.. My Weekly says "it's all about me time" so that likely the topic at the center, I am going to our local center on Saturday with my DD so she can sign up and that will become our home base. altho from time to time I will end up doing the at work one for my weigh in (quite possibly for the next few weeks as my Saturdays are crazy!)

as for exercise I HATE IT. so no I am not adding that in YET.. I am giving myself the whole month of Oct to just focus on the food changes. I know I will have to add it in but not right now..

AND wanted to say my DD's name is Megan as well - spelled the correct way.. BUT I have a cousin who knew I would be naming my DD Megan and found out they were having a girl 6 weeks prior to me and they named her ........................... MEAGHANN ... I cried for about a month then realized that we never see them except for Christmas so it was just fine to both have Megs..

here is a picture of her and I two weekends ago at my sister in laws bridal shower .. don't mind my crazy eyes I really don't know what is going on with them HAAAAAA

 

[pjlla]

Let's get started with just some introductions. As you claim your spot amongst the October participants, give us a little bit about you! We all get to be a kind of family here, and it's always nice to know who we're on this journey with.


I feel like I've answered this QOTD 100 times on here until EVERYONE must know me!! I'm going to do a copy/paste of my intro from last January.... it is short and to the point (unlike me, most of the time! )

I am Pamela, turned 50 last year . Was a overweight off and on through my teen/college/adult years, but hit my highest weight after the birth of my second child. Decide to try WW (again) in early 2008 before heading to Disney and this time it STUCK! I lost nearly 90 pounds, hit my goal, and have stuck with it ever since!! I now work as a WW leader. I've been involved in these WISH board challenges for longer than I can actually remember.... probably 7-8 years now. And I love them! Great ideas, motivation, sharing, etc! HUGE thanks again to this month's hostesses!!


As of October 1, I am now just 23 days away from my wedding, and [number - will update after September final weigh in!]-lbs away from my wedding-weight-goal. This is just a mile marker on my weight-loss/healthier-living journey. I've still got a long way to go, but with the help and support of these threads and the people in this forum, I know I can do it!

So glad you have the MINDSET that the wedding date is the "end" of this journey!! That is what you MUST HAVE to keep you going LOOONNGG after that wedding day is a memory!!

Who's next?!

Thanks for hosting!!

I’m Amanda and this is my very first WISH Challenge! Yippee!!! So, a bit about myself….let’s see….I’m 38 years old. I can’t remember a time in my life where I wasn’t overweight. Sometimes that thought depresses me. Sometimes I wonder what it would feel like to be a normal size. I guess I’m lucky in the sense that my weight never seemed to make me any different from anyone else in high school and even in college. BUT THEN….I got married. It wasn’t a good marriage. Not in any sense of the word. And I think I used food to cope with it, which made this already big girl an even bigger one!

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, that was the moment that FINALLY opened my eyes. I couldn’t believe what I had become. I was 310 pounds and miserable.

The next few years brought several changes. A divorce. An exercise regiment. Better eating habits. An establishment of self worth! It was, and still is, a roller coaster process.

By 2011, I was at 220 pounds. That’s huge to many but was awesome to me. I was sooooo looking forward to finally seeing a 1 at the beginning of my weight. BUT THEN….I got pregnant. TOTAL SURPRISE.

I didn’t really gain much weight during my pregnancy but started slowly packing the pounds back on after my little princess was born. By January of this year, I was up to 270 pounds and was miserable AGAIN. I started back to exercising, back to eating better but also found that rollercoaster again. Did I mention that I HATE rollercoasters!

So now, I’m around 240 pounds (will weigh in exactly to start this challenge). Better than I was. Not nearly where I want to be. I’m not getting any younger and have a small child. I want to be there for her as she grows older. And by “there,” I don’t just mean being with her, I mean doing things with her. I don’t want my weight to hold me back in any way. And as an added bonus, I’d also LOVE to be able to ride on an airplane without a seatbelt extender.

WELCOME!!! and a giant....(rock to the head) for whomever decided that he/she was SPECIAL enough to judge another human being that they didn't even KNOW!! Congrats on ESTABLISHING your self-worth BEFORE the weight loss...... so many folks get stuck into thinking that they will take better care of themselves, love themselves, become a (cleaner, neater, more organized, more loving, more loved, smarter, happier, more WHATEVER) person when they reach goal weight...... but those things (well, at least some of them) need to happen FIRST.... or at least along the way! If you don't LOVE YOURSELF and see your own value, how can you want to help yourself get HEALTHIER!??? Your desire to BE THERE and DO THINGS with your DD sounds like some of what I was thinking throughout this journey. I did NOT want to be "that" mom..... the one who the other kids made fun of..... the one that embarrassed her own kids (or at least in her own mind she did).... the one who could NOT participate in field day or the parent/coach game or WHATEVER because I was too fat and unhealthy! When I had trouble doing this for ME, I could usually pull out the gumption to do it for my kiddos...... because like most any parent, I would do nearly ANYTHING for one of my kids! And along the way I learned that doing it FOR MYSELF was also doing it FOR MY KIDS..... because I was leading by example..... I was showing them what healthy eating, regular exercise and a healthy LIFESTYLE looks like!! I let them know that as much as I loved them (and their Dad) that taking time to keep MYSELF healthy was important!

Well, I'm in for another fantastic month!

I don't think I've actually fully introduced myself to the group yet.

Hello my name is Nathan. I am the N in ANforever1030. I do talk about my DW2B on here occasionally. We are getting married on October 30 and leaving November 3 for our Disneymoon! Similarly to @JacknSally I am using my upcoming nuptials as a goal for weight loss, but it is not the end goal.

I was athletically nerdy growing up. I was usually a little taller and athletics came naturally, but I was never truly muscular or faster than those my age. I stopped getting taller my senior year of high school/freshman year of college and that first semester of college put on the traditional freshman 15 (or in my case it was probably closer to freshman 25) as I was mostly eating pizza or whatever I could get from the on-campus store as I regularly missed meals. My second semester I enrolled in a racquetball course and began lifting weights. I dropped most of the weight and actually put on some muscle. This continued to repeat itself for the next couple years until I started working out with some friends who did amateur bodybuilding. I actually got interested when I was about five months away from visiting a cousin for her wedding in California and wanted to look good on the beach. I dropped about 30-40 lbs and looked good doing it. I even continued after the wedding and began training for my own first competition. Unfortunately, before I could get there I caught pneumonia, then tore a shoulder muscle within the same month. I kept eating the same way I did while I had been training though and put on about 30 lbs.

Over the years I kept getting into the pattern of gaining some, hitting a new high in weight, then dropping about half of what I'd gained, then falling back into the old habits. Late last year, I realized something needed to change. I was tired all the time. I had been diagnosed with sleep apnea. I had a chronic cough which I found out was due to my chronic acid reflux. I stepped on the scale and I was at 317 lbs. I may have a big build at 6' and enough muscle that I shouldn't drop below 205-215 lbs, but even so I couldn't believe I had gotten that big. I knew something needed to change and I needed to drive that change. So, my DW2B and I began exploring different options. We tried the GM cleanse -- that did not work AT ALL. We then began a nutrition program she got from Dr. Oz's website. It helped get the weight loss started. Following that I got into the gym. We planned a vacation to Mexico in April and I wanted to lose 50 lbs before then. I worked extremely hard, busted my tail and achieved the 50 lb. mark the day before we left.

Of course, while in Mexico I drank...A LOT. It was all-inclusive and I definitely took advantage of that. I also ate...A LOT. We were on Isla Mujeres and there were numerous local establishments with fantastic food. When I got home I found that I had gained about 15 lbs in six days. I should have gotten back to the gym and eating properly right away, but I didn't. As a result, in late July, after a summer of not working out and eating out way too frequently I found myself at 307 lbs. So, I began using StrongLifts 5x5 as a workout program and watching what I eat. I haven't gotten to the point where I track every calorie, although I have definitely considered it, but I do make sure I am in the gym three days a week and usually spend about 1.5 hours lifting, then stretching. I have dropped my weight down to 282, but more importantly I have seen my muscle mass increase and my fat percentage decrease. I have exponentially more energy today than I did ten months ago and I am excited about walking around Walt Disney World and no longer apprehensive about it.

I am only seven pounds away from my wedding goal of 275, although I will likely set 270 as my final wedding goal now that it seems within reach.

I can't wait to spend more time talking with everyone this month

Wowza.... that is quite a story! Thanks for sharing it! And I can't wait until all our soon-to-be newlyweds return from their honeymoons and can share lots of wedding pictures with us!!

You have confirmed with me that I do NOT EVER want to vacation at an all-inclusive resort!! I am far too cheap and would be stressed about getting my "money's worth"!! I would probably gain 15 lbs as well!!

Checking in! It's been a few months since I've done a challenge, and boy do I need it.

In a nutshell, I had lost sixty odd pounds since May 2014, was feeling great, and then started to slack May of this year. June rolled round, and over the course of a few weeks several horrible events happened in my life that really knocked me on my butt. My anxiety issues went through the roof and I started stress eating like crazy. I still went to the gym once or twice a week and kept up with my trainer but the determination I previously had was pretty much gone.

Once I fell into the habit of stress eating, that was pretty much it. Now it's twenty pounds later, and I'm starting to see what I've done to my body- my muscle definition is gone, tummy gained too much pudge and I've lost a lot of my previous strength, acid reflux is back. It's a tough pill to swallow but I'm trying not to beat myself up too much over it.

Anyways, now it's time to dig myself out of the hole I'm in. I've gotten back into tracking food via myfitnesspal to hold myself accountable (~15-1600 cal per day, minimum 90 g protein). I'm big on prepping meals on the weekend and freezing them to eat during the week. It's so helpful coming home from work and having something ready to grab from the freezer, it definitely cuts down on the too-lazy-to-cook-pizza ordering. As far as exercise, I do lifting at the gym- I'm not a cardio kind of girl (except skipping, love skipping). I've had to retrain a lot of my lifts as my form fell apart, but hoping muscle memory will kick in soon.

I'm down a couple of pounds already, but my goal for October will be to take four more pounds off. It may be a bit ambitious, and I'm more concerned about gaining muscle definition to be honest but that's much harder to quantify.

I literally just downloaded SL two days ago, but I'm a bit on the fence about using it. Currently doing a PPL type thing, and debating between sticking with that, SL or Strong Curves (the lady/more glute friendly version of SL). I'm afraid that on SL I wont' progress fast enough and be stuck on deloads all the time. How've you been doing on it?

Good for you for catching it before the "hole" swallowed you up and buried you!! I too love a good meal-prep weekend. Lately my time for meal prep has been spent preparing my men to be able to eat while I am away in a few weeks..... but I think I will find the time this weekend to AT LEAST make a batch of lentil soup for the freezer! It is finally getting to be soup weather around here!!

Hello everyone. I'm in for the first time. My name is Melissa and I'm from pittsburgh, the city that puts fries on everything. I am turning 33 next month and have been on a healthy lifestyle journey for the last 3 years. I was always average, never thin or overweight. I have migraines and hit a rough patch in my late 20s. The medicine that I was on, coupled with being depressed from feeling awful, I packed on some weight. I peaked at 150 which was a lot, I was usually around 120 and in 5`1. So, prior to my 30th I joined weight watchers. I got down to 115, but it was all diet and no regular exercise.
I kept the weight off until this spring. I gained a few pounds here and there, in actually dont know how much I weigh, last time I checked I was in the mid 120s. I ended up hating myself for letting myself go. I wasn't mentally ready for weight watchers. I loved it and know I can eat whatever I want in it, but I worried if I failed I would go down a path that would be hard to turn around.
I randomly bought a jaw bone in the beginning of august. I started running, until my ankle told me it didn't like to run. I walk, play golf (walk with my clubs) or do insanity 3 to 4 times a week.
I feel great, but in feel even better that I am not doing it for weugh loss, for an end (class reunion, etc...), or anyone other than myself .
My goal is to get my 10k steps everyday, but be ok with myself if i don't. I am gone 15 hours a day and there are days I can't exercise. I want my overall step average to be 10k.
I fear about putting my weight out there. I don't want to be judged for being a healthy weight. I just want to feel better on the inside.
I look forward to continue on my health journey with all of you!

WELCOME! Nice to meet you! The part that I bolded and underlined..... is such a HUGE KEY! So many folks start a "diet" for a specific end goal without looking BEYOND that date! I'm very guilty of this! THANK GOODNESS at some point in time I came around and realized that I needed a PLAN beyond that "special" date/event! And I also realied that it needed to be a LIFESTYLE, not a "diet"...... seems like you realize it too! Away 15 hours a day? You must work like a mad woman and/or have a crazy commute! I give you credit for EVER fitting in exercise!!

Yay!!!! I love new months!! Fresh starts!! New goals!! To badly paraphrase Anne of Green Gables, a whole month full of new days in which you haven't made any mistakes yet!

Sweet! I need to re-read that story..... it was delightful!!

I'm Maggie aka @DisPup75. First, I am BLUSHING at all of @JacknSally 's kind words about our September thread! I agree it is a great thread but all of the credit goes to the FABULOUS list of participants. If you haven't done so yet, head back over for your final check-in. We've got some great results brewing (and are also about to break through to over 600 posts). We had a great month and I'm looking forward to extending the party into October.

A little about me since I think I failed to introduce myself back when I started following the challenges back in July.... I'm 42 and (after being lucky enough to be a pin-thin kid and young adult) have been struggling with my weight since I was in my late 20s. I became severely hypothyroid when I was about 27 and packed on about 50 pounds in about two years. It took almost three years to normalize my thyroid levels but I was never successful at taking the weight back on. Instead I put on 5-10 pounds every couple of years and got more and more miserable and unhappy with myself. I joined WW seven or eight times but never even managed to follow the program for more than a few weeks straight. Needless to say, I was never very successful at it. I also tried every other diet under the sun for a day or two (or sometimes three) at a time. It wouldn't be fair to say that nothing worked. I just never committed.

Life in general took several sharp turns about five years ago and I started to cope by eating more and more. The scale went from hovering in the 190s to the 210s and this spring I started to occasionally see the 220s. I felt AWFUL. I got winded walking up a flight of steps or around the block. None of my clothes fit and I was embarrassed to buy new ones. My knees hurt. My back hurt. And then I finally made some time to download the photos from my 40th birthday trip to Disneyland. Rule number one in my life is NO PHOTOS. I made an exception for that trip because it was special for a lot of reasons beyond my birthday. It took me almost two years to download those photos because I was afraid of what I might see. I really didn't like what I did see. And that was without the ten pounds I'd added since that trip.

I'd had enough. I started joining my husband on walks with our rambunctious pup, slowly increasing my distance until I could do her favorite 3 mile loop without feeling like I was going to die. I lost a few pounds. On June 15, I bought a Fitbit and joined MyFitnessPal. I've tracked every single thing I've eaten and every step I've taken since that day. I broke my ankle two weeks later and still didn't give up, managing to fairly quickly and easily lose that first ten pounds. The walking boot came off in August and I just fell apart. I was still tracking but I was hungry and irritable and at a loss about what to do. I went up and down for several weeks and managed to maintain the loss. Unfortunately, I couldn't quite get it together enough to add more than a pound or two to that loss. So back to Weight Watchers I went. I'm sitting just a few pounds over the magical 199.9 and IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN OCTOBER.

Still thinking about other goals but I'm not letting another month go by without the big one. I look forward to chatting with everyone throughout the month. I love this board and consider it my #1 success tool!

(My bolding above)....YES IT IS!!!!! And we will ALL be here to celebrate with you!!!

YES, YES! Please feel free! I'd love to see what you do. I've got TONS of "make ahead meal tips" pinned on Pinterest, but most of the food they're prepping is stuff I don't eat, ESPECIALLY when I'm trying to stick to my low-carb/high-protein diet, so I'm at a loss. I've also got several crock-pot recipes pinned, but run into the same problem there... Plus they're all usually done cooking in about 8 hours, and DH2B and I are away from the house for at least 10 hours every day.

I could definitely share some lower carb make-ahead and crockpot meals..... I follow WW, but DH is a true-blue Atkins follower. Also, regarding the slowcooker and the timing..... I have one that goes down to "warm" after a certain amount of time (either 4 or 6 hours on high or 8 or 10 hours on low).....worth its weight in GOLD..... or you could plug it into a regular wall timer (like the kind used to turn on a lamp while you are on vacation). If the food in your crock is COLD when you put it out (I will fill the crock at night and leave it in the fridge overnight), I think it would be fine to sit on the counter for an hour before it starts cooking (JMHO, of course). This would work especially well if your meat were still at least partially frozen.

I would love to join this challenge! I'm 37 and have 5 year old twins that just started Kindergarten. My daughter dances (my mom and I own a studio) and my son does karate. Everyone thinks because I've always been a dance teacher that I get plenty of exercise, but that's not really true. I spend more time correcting and explaining then doing (that ship has sailed - lol).

I don't really need to lose a lot of weight, but I'm not happy with how my body looks. I've always had a big butt and thighs, but I need to drop a few pounds and tone everything up! I easily slack off with both eating and exercise. Bread and cheese are my favorite things! If I don't watch what I eat and do some exercise I can quickly put weight.

Is it possible to set a number of minutes of exercise/activity per day? I did a different September challenge and that's how they did it. Even though I didn't reach my goal of 600 minutes for the month, it was an easy way for me to track my progress. If it's not okay, just let me know.

I'm going to Disney for week in October so I'm sure I'll reach my goal!

You seem like such a nice, positive group of people!!!! Good luck everyone!

Nice to meet you!! Welcome to our group! And yes we ARE a VERY NICE positive group of people!! No negative energy allowed!! Helpful suggestions, yes, cruel criticism....NO!

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

Phew! Slowly playing catch up! So happy to see an active group for October! .........................P

 

[Trith]

Alright, here goes:

Goal: -4lb by the end of the month, starting weight of 145.8lb. It's a bit ambitious, at my weight most resources would say 0.5lb a week is sufficient but I'm hoping there's still some water weight that needs to come off the speed up the process.

Plan:

Tracking- I need to be consistent with tracking! I'm aiming at between 1500-1600cal per day as a starting point. My biggest problem here is that when I have off days and eat a ton of junk I don't log it... because if I don't log it it didn't happen. Hopefully I can overcome that, having a few days in the red on MFP isn't the end of the world.

Eating- Once again I sing the praises of meal prep! I always do so much better when I have portioned meals waiting for me in the freezer, it's so much harder to justify getting takeout (except now I can get pizza via emoji? I wonder if that works in Canada. Best not to test it out). I'm trying to get better at having healthy snacks around so I have something to reach for when I need food NOW. Also, at least 90g protein, 25g fiber before snacks.

Exercise- I'm going to try to aim for 3-4 gym days a week. I keep telling myself it isn't that much, and it really isn't. I just need to bully myself into going over there. Nice thing is, on gym days it's way easier for me to control food intake for some reason.
I also walk 25 minutes to work every day, although it gets more difficult as the cold weather rolls in (I've accidentally done it a few times in -40 celsius and it ain't pretty. Morning autopilot Trith doesn't understand cold weather).

Obstacles:

Party this weekend. Canadian Thanksgiving next weekend. Oma's birthday next weekend. Oh dear.

Usually with events I'll just let go for the evening and eat what I want. However, the parties we throw are always dangerous as parties=wine and wine=EAT ALL THE THINGS. So the plan for this weekend is a) vodka with low cal mixers, b) guacamole and salsa. Still not low calorie but a bit healthier than the alternative.

Besides events, just like everyone else I'm my own worst enemy. I get bored and I'll stuff my face for something to do. I'll have a stressful/sad day at work and eat emotionally. I think the only way to combat it is sheer willpower. All I have to say is "no". I think if I can keep up with my tracking it will be much easier as it makes me hold myself accountable (or at least I can shock myself with the sheer amount of calories I'm consuming).

TL;DR: Prep, track, gym, willpower.

Also I need MFP friends to yell at me when I don't log days I'm Trithie over there.

 

[SureAsLiz]

Hi! This is my first post ever on the WISH board, but now that I know I'm sticking with the Dis for a while (the number of boards I have joined and left is kind of ridiculous) I wanted to jump in here.

About Me:
My name is Liz. I'm 22. From Colorado, spent 2.5 years in Oklahoma for school, and now live in Florida as a Disney intern. I've always wanted to start taking better control of my health, but never really did. It was a *once I finish this school year, or go to college, or graduate college* type of thing. And now here I am, 10 months out of college and I still haven't done anything (the change to FL heat/humidity was rough and I wanted to spend approximately 0 minutes outdoors). I really want to get serious about doing something. I've been vegetarian for 5.5 years now, and since moving to FL have been a lot better about drinking water, but the physical fitness part is limited to park time.

Goal- 10,000 steps a day
Plan- I just moved to a new complex with a wonderful walking path right outside my door. I need to start using it. I have a Microsoft Band that has wonderful fitness capabilities to track with.
Obstacles- FL heat and general laziness haha. When I go and spend time in the parks, I can usually hit about 6-10k steps depending on how long I am out. But the days I stay in I am lucky to hit 1k. I really need to build up that consistency.

 

[DisPup75]

Wowsers there is a lot to read today! I'm all caught up with the reading but too tired to catch up with the replying. I'm so impressed with all of the great goals and plans! This is going to be a wonderful month!!!

 

[belle032]

Hi ya'll! This is my first ever WISH challenge and I'm super excited to join in!

Me:
My name is Lauren and I'm 28 years old. (29 on Oct. 11!) I was a competitive rower and in the best shape of my life in high school. Even in college I didn't really gain a lot of weight. It wasn't until I did the DCP that I started packing on some pounds. Working ridiculous hours, making no money, and spending your free time drinking is not a recipe for being healthy! However, I met my now fiance when we were both CMs so that is a positive! In 2012, we moved from Orlando to upstate NY (his hometown) and it is where we currently live. I had a really hard time with the move. We live in a rural area and while he has he friends and family all close by, I had no one but him. He also started working at a new job immediately so I had a lot of days where I was completely alone. I hadn't found a job yet and I didn't know a soul! So I did a lot of boredom eating and depressed eating and gained a lot more weight. Finally, I saw the scale hit 200 lbs and I was in shock. I couldn't believe I had let myself get to that level. So I signed up for the TOT 10 Miler and started training for that. I felt amazing training for that race and did really well with eating healthier and running consistently. It felt so great to be able to accomplish that. After that, it went downhill again. I've realized if I don't have some sort of goal or program to follow, then I don't really know what to do with myself. So I'm basically back to where I started. 200lbs and unhappy. It's time to change that!

Goal:
30 minutes of exercise 6 days a week. I'm hoping to lose 10 lbs. Might be a stretch but I'm going to shoot for it. We go to WDW the 1st week of November so it's a good target.

Activity:
I bought the P90x3 program and I am starting on Monday the 5th. Like I said before, I need a program to hold myself accountable and this program is 30 minute workouts which I know will be extremely challenging, but doable.

Obstacles:
Meal planning! October is a super busy time at work and when I come home I never want to cook. On Sundays I want to make a plan of what to have for dinner each night so I know exactly what I'm doing when I get home. If anyone has any healthy crockpot recipes, please share!
Me! I need to stop procrastinating and making excuses as to why I should skip a workout or eat that handful of chips! I always feel so great after a workout, so I just need to force myself to put on my sneakers, suck it up, and do it!

 

[ANforever1030]

I want to welcome all of our returnees and all of the wonderful new faces we have this month. It definitely looks like it will be a good month.

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!

​

Goal: Lose 10.8 lbs to reach 270 lbs by October 30 (wedding day)

Plan: Work out Wednesday, Friday and Sunday using StrongLifts. Continue to eat a balanced, low-carb diet. Perform cardio at least twice a week and walk for 10-15 minutes on each of my work breaks.

Obstacles: Bachelor party on October 16th. Overall busyness of being less than a month before the wedding.

 

[DVCFan1994]

I am back in and even more determined to make progress this month! My goal is 5 pounds again.

A little quick history. I was genetically lucky as a kid and teenager. I could eat anything and everything and stay at a healthy weight. Sounds great, until I hit about 22 and slowly but surely that superpower began to fade.

It was a gradual onset. Thanks to lack of a scale and the onset of vanity sizing I really did not think about my weight much. Then came trying to get pregnant in my late 20s. I struggled and eventually ended up with a fertility doctor, who told me my weight, which was right at the top edge of the healthy weight range for my height (5'3") was likely part of the problem. Ouch, wake-up call. She put me on the South Beach Diet (as well as my husband who didn't make it through the first 2 weeks!). I also had other issues requiring surgery. We were really lucky, and after surgery, once my recovery period was up, I became pregnant naturally. Phew. But, that meant I was starting pregnancy at the top end of the healthy range. My OB said since I was still in the healthy range I should not try to limit my weight gain to less than the normal recommendation, so while I knew I wasn't supposed to be eating for two, I was not watching everything I ate. In the middle of my pregnancy my husband changed jobs, which meant a sudden transfer. I had been working full time in a job I enjoyed that had me on my feet a good part of every day. We moved back towards our family, in with my parents while we looked for our own home. My mom insisted on waiting on me and feeding me. I am adult, it is not her fault, but man she is a great cook and an even better baker, and she stuffed me with lots of deliciousness, plus, I wasn't working so I was sitting around the house a lot. I ended up gaining close to 50 pounds during my pregnancy.

When my DS was about 1 I decided it was time to get serious about getting the weight off. I had lost about 30 pounds already, from a high around 190. I was in the low 160s, so I had about 20 to go to not be clinically overweight (141), 30 to a weight I could live with, 40 to the weight I wanted to be at (121). I started tracking what I was eating and taking my son to a park where I'd push him in a stroller for a half hour then we'd go to the playground. I lost 10 pounds in 2.5 months. And then, despite doctors telling me that due to my history I would likely need surgery or other assistance to get pregnant again, I found out I was pregnant again. Repeat of the same pattern. Ate too much, exercised too little. Gained too much.

When DD was 1.5 I joined a gym with childcare and got serious. I lost about 25 pounds in 4 months. I exercised daily on weekdays and tracked my calories online (this was pre MFP). I got to my live with it goal weight of 130. I kept losing and gaining, floating between 128-132 for 5 years. Then, this spring I had a surgery that had a very limiting recovery period. The success of the surgery depended on my taking it very easy for the 6 weeks afterward. I gained 10 pounds, fast. It was depressing. Exercise had become my stress relief, my escape. Not being able to exercise not only led to weight gain, but a return to old coping habits of eating comfort foods. So, I was back at 140. I've gotten to 135 now. But I really want to get back to 130 at least. However, I turn the big 4-0 this month , so I feel like metabolically, I am hitting an age where if I don't get to the weight I really want to be soon (122) I will never get there. But, I have decided 122 may be unrealistic, although I chose it for a reason. I am 5'3" so a healthy weight is 107-141 (107 - really?) The middle of that is 127. I am medium framed, so 127 seems reasonable. I chose 122 because its 5 pounds less, and it would give wiggle room for life's ups and downs. But I think I am getting ok with never hitting 122. So, I am at 135 now. I want to be 130 by halloween, 127 by Thanksgiving.

Sorry, that was all longer than I meant it to be!!!

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 130, 5 pounds less than today.

Obstacles:

1) Me. I stay really focused for a while, and then I lose all focus. I am a stress eater. I am a celebration eater. I am a hormonal eater. My life revolves around food. I love to exercise (good thing) but it makes me think I can eat everything, and I can't anymore.

2) Schedule - I have a lot on my plate this month. My husband is out of town for work twice (including now) and that limits my chances for exercise on weekends. It also means added stress which sends me running for chocolate or ice cream, or both Plus my kids schedules and my schedule are busy, so although I think I can still keep up with my exercise plans, I will be fitting it in a tighter schedule than usual. I will need to find a way to make up for those days where life gets in the way.

Plan:

1) Be scared. Sounds ridiculous, but true. 40 is a mere three weeks away. If I do not start regaining control now, its not going to get any easier, and its going to start to require more effort to lose the same weight. I know plenty of people who have gotten into better shape and/or lost substantial weight after 40, so I am not saying 40 is the end of the world. But I am technically at a healthy weight, and I am in good health and good shape. If I can't find a way to harness those things now and get to my goal weight, I am only making it harder for myself down the road.

2) Be honest. Example: I use My Fitness Pal to track calories. Right now, I know it is missing calories, but I am not going to fix it, because I know I will be over my goal. Now, that goal is at a 500 calorie deficit. So, my glass of wine that will take me 40-50 calories over goal (I'm still under at the moment) needs to go on there, and I will still be negative for the day, but I don't won't to see that I went over my goal today. So, when I leave Disboards I will head to MFP and correct it, and I will be honest for this month, to see where it really gets me.

3) Relax. I think I put a little too much pressure on myself. I have several friends who are crazy fit, some who even compete in bikini body builder competitions. I think it skews my perspective a bit. Thanks to two pregnancies where I gained far too much weight, and the stretch marks to prove it my bikini days are loooong gone. I should not be comparing myself to those friends. I just want to be fit, healthy and know I am not teetering at the top of my healthy weight range. I have a very strong family history of weight related health issues. For this reason, my doctor says I am fine at 130, but she thinks that I should strive to stay between 125 and 130 vs closer to 140, to stay away from the risks of these weight related health concerns. So if I can realistically get to 130, fantastic. But bottom line is I am trying to improve my nutrition in general and keep up my exercise habit. Meeting those two goals are more important than numbers on a scale.

4) Keep training. I am doing the Infinity Gauntlet Challenge (10k and half) at DL in November, and I am throwing in the 5k with my DH and kids for fun. I did the Glass Slipper the last two years. I will get my Coast to Coast medal in November for doing a half on both coasts in 2015. Very excited. I am getting toward the peak part of my training. 8 mile run tomorrow... My exercise is my saving grace. It is how I lost 40 pounds almost 6 years ago, its what makes sure I don't gain crazy amounts of excess weight now. I just need to use it to my advantage to lose these 5-10 pounds as opposed to using it as an excuse to eat a ton of junk.

5) Keep moving. I have days when I exercise, and then sit around for the rest of the day. I need to make sure I keep moving, and keep burning calories.


Man I am long winded tonight. I need to do these earlier when I am not so tired! I am more concise then.

 

[JacknSally]

More people! More stories! More goals! More posts! I AM SO STOKED!!

I am caught up on reading, but I want to make sure I really take some time to respond to all the recent posts adequately, so I will do that in the morning, along with your QOTD for October 2! YAY!! Something to think about in the meantime... Day 1 is behind you now - how did it go? Did you start off strong? October is already moving quickly, so don't blink!

 

[courtneybeth]

Day 1 is behind you now - how did it go? Did you start off strong? October is already moving quickly, so don't blink!

Day 1 went great - it was Thursday, so another trip to Disneyland and I ended the day with 16,000+ steps. Yeah!

Feeling really positive for the month - all of the activity is great and I hope the new faces will stick around with us 'old faces'

 

[JacknSally]

Good morning, wonderful people! I hope everyone has a FANTASTIC FRIDAY today! Our veterans will remember how much I LOVE FRIDAYS! Our newbies will soon figure it out.

TIME TO DO THE FRIDAY DANCE!







The end of the week is officially here! What are your plans for the weekend? Anyone doing anything fun? Anyone doing anything boring?

I'm happy to say that, while we ended up being out much later than anticipated, and we didn't get as much done as we wanted, DH2B and I had a fairly productive night last night, running all over trying to pick up things we know we need for the wedding and/or Disney trip. My bridesmaids get in town tonight until Sunday morning, so our productivity is really going to flatline until they leave. I'm trying very hard to learn to delegate (not an easy task, because I can see exactly what I want in my head, but have trouble articulating it so that others see it, too, resulting in "No, that's not right... No, it's more like this... No, no, not like that... No, it's like... here, I'll just do it myself". It's easier if I just do it, but my to-do list is currently 2.5 pages, not including anything I might have forgotten about... ) as well as learn that while, yes, I may very well be able to DIY everything I want to do, sometimes it's worth it to just spend the extra money (as long as it's not astronomical) and buy it and have someone else do the work. It's been a difficult process! Haha.

I'm starting this morning out with some time on the back deck as I check in with everyone. It's cool (ok, no. It's downright cold. I never wear shoes around the house, and certainly not shoes AND socks, but I had to dig out shoes, socks, AND a hoodie to come outside this morning. 55 degrees! Winter needs to back off a little bit.) and calm and peaceful out. I need to be careful, though, that I don't sit here too long and make myself late for work. I'm really good at being late for work... ​

 

[Flossbolna]

Hello everyone! I am thrilled that we have so many new participants signing up!! My advice to al the newcomers: become an active part of the discussion here, it really helps!

Someone asked yesterday about my timezone (sorry, forgot who it was! ), I am in Central European Time, currently on Daylight saving time. This is 6 hours ahead of EST daylight saving time. I don't get up horribly early!!

It all will become interesting later this month though when we fall back to normal time a couple of weeks earlier than the US. It is always very confusing, especially because the "DISboards dark hours" then fall differently. The DIS actually goes down for backups every night at 4am EST to about 5:30am EST. For me that is between 10am and 11:30am, so it would be a great time for a work coffee break...

I finally saw Inside Out yesterday - it just started yesterday here in Germany and I went to the first showing at my cinema. What a wonderful film!! I think one of the best Disney/Pixar films I have seen in a long, long time! It might even become my favourite - or at least one of my top three films!

I was also proud that I was able to withstand all the cinema temptations! And because I was not hungry before the film and then not really hungry after it either, I ended up with a rather low calory intake yesterday, while walking to and from the cinema added a lot of additional steps to the day. So, I feel like I need to eat a little more today.

QOTD: (ETA: oh, the question about the weekend was not the QOTD!! I see there is now one after my post... So, just see the below as just a general comment!!!)

I am signed up for a 6k race this weekend, but I am not sure if I want to do it. I have not really gotten back into a running routine since I came back from vacation. I only got up to runs of 4k and I felt mainly lousy during those. And I kind of have a scratchy throat... Originally I was supposed to run with my sister, but she has been battling a nasty bronchitis over the last two weeks, so she will definitely not run. I guess I will give it a try though and just try to take it slowly. I should be able to run 6k, even without a lot of training, if I run slowly and maybe take walking breaks now and then. And I know that it will be good for me mentally to do it!

 

[JacknSally]

QOTD for Friday, October 2, 2015



(on a side note, if my images are huge or the GIFs make it difficult to load/read the thread, please let me know! The images look really big on my screen, but I don't know how much of that may be my zoom...)

If you've never heard "I Can Go the Distance" from Hercules, go look it up on YouTube really quickly. It's ok. I'll wait.



Welcome back! Don't you feel inspired now? Hopefully you found the movie version, not the Michael Bolton version, but that one's good, too, so it's ok.

Today, we're going to talk about motivation. We all joined this thread for accountability and motivational purposes. We're all here because we have a goal that we want to achieve. But WHY do you want to achieve it? What was your motivation to get started? I know @courtneybeth , for example, is here because she has a huge life achievement coming up in a few months and she wants to be in amazing Kate-Spade-wearing shape when it gets here! @contempgal , as another example, is here because she wants to be able to make memories with her daughter without anything holding her back! So WHY are you here? It doesn't have to be a huge life achievement "I need to weigh this much by this date" reason. It can be anything. And don't feel self-conscious about your reason, because it may not sound like someone else's reason! ANY reason to get up off the couch and get healthy is a GREAT reason!

BUT, we all know that it unfortunately just isn't enough to WANT to get started, or to get motivated to join a thread. I AM SO GREAT and getting HUGE bursts of motivation and taking on these BIG projects aaaaaaaand fizzling out two or three hours or days or weeks later. So what will help KEEP you motivated this month?

I love visuals. I do the before-during-and-eventually-after picture mash-up. I LOVE the Pinterest visual where you have one jar labeled "pounds to lose" and fill it with rocks, 1 for every pound, and another jar labeled "pounds lost", and whenever you lose a pound, you move 1 rock from the first jar into the second jar, until all the rocks have been transferred. A lot of you guys know I love the "one pound of fat = THIS MUCH disgusting yellow lard" picture... I'm sure it will show up here soon.

Maybe visuals aren't your thing, though. Maybe you are a person that REALLY connects with music, and you have a song that speaks to you and really makes you want to make a difference. That's AWESOME! Play that song every morning. Before you do anything else. Make it your alarm song if you can. Start out EVERY DAY motivated to just make it through these 24-hours. And listen to it again whenever you feel weak!

OR. Maybe you are a rewards-person! Come up with a non-food reward (or a food reward, if it works for you! I am still at the point where one little bitty reward instantly turns into OMG-YES-I-CAN-HAVE-THIS-ALL-THE-TIME-HOW-DID-I-DO-WITHOUT-IT-EVER) for along the way. Work out 4/4 days this week? Treat yourself to a new candle. Walk 85,000 steps this week? Go ahead, pick up that cute top you've been eyeing. Finish the week with a ton of extra points? Have a glass of wine, or a little piece of chocolate. WHATEVER WORKS FOR YOU!

Basically what I want to know is - what can you do for you, and what can I do for you, and what can this group do for you, that will help keep you motivated to stick to this journey and this goal plan all October long?


So, after that INCREDIBLY LONG introduction (my sincerest apologies!), I present to you, in summary...

Your THREE PART QOTD for Friday, October 2, 2015

1 - WHAT was your motivation for getting started on this journey, or joining the thread this month?
2 - HOW will you, as a participant, try to keep yourself motivated this month? Visually, with pictures or a "pounds to go" jar or a graph? Audibly, with an "Eye of the Tiger" type get-up-and-get-moving theme music? Which, by the way, if that's what you'll do, PLEASE tell me what song you pick! Tangibly, with rewards along the way?
3 - HOW can we as a group, and I as a host, help keep you motivated throughout the month? Thought provoking questions? Daily PM's? Buddy systems? Sending little happies in the mail or electronically when you hit 100%?




(And now that I'm late for work, I have to run find clothes to wear today and get out the door... in literally the next 5 minutes. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten that I owe individual responses!)​

 

[mickeyfanachey1999]

Time to share two small victories...I had a rough day at work yesterday and got home in an ill mood. I was looking forward to hitting the treadmill to get away from everything but then tee-ball practice for DS4 entered the picture. Long story short I got home at 7:45 pm after leaving for work at 6:15 am. Now I was really ill. I cracked a beer and sat on the couch. Half way through the beer I asked myself what the heck I was doing, dumped it down the drain and got on the treadmill for 45 minutes.
Second small victory...I come in to work this morning and someone has gone to Chic-Fil-A and gotten everyone chicken biscuits for breakfast. Food in our office should have been one of the things I listed as an obstacle. I love Chic-Fil-a biscuits so it's pretty tough eating this apple for breakfast while I am typing this post instead.

 

[pjlla]

This is the first time I have ever participated in one of these challenges. My name is Blake and I'm from Georgia. I'm the one in the blue shirt in my avatar picture. I have spent most of the last 20 years on a weight roller coaster everywhere from 170 to 270. I doubt I will ever see 170 again but at 6'0" tall I do want to see my weight start with a "1". I have already begun working towards this goal so I will have some happy feelings about my weight when I weigh in for the official start tomorrow. I also started a couch to 5k program on 9-28. I have never been much of a runner but I am hoping the program and the fact that my son and I are registered for the 5k at the Star Wars-Dark Side Half Marathon weekend in April will give me the drive to continue running for my health. I am 43 (44 in 2 weeks) and have a 4 year old son who I want to always be able to do things with and getting my weight down is important for that. I'm looking forward to following everyone's progress and hopefully posting some positive progress of my own. As for my goal I am hoping to lose 12 pounds in October.

Welcome!!! Woohoo on the SW 5K!!

Hi Everyone, I am Michelle and all in for October.. I am 44 currently for 10 more days (my 45th is 10/10) I have type 2 diabetes and am on a host of meds that I’d like to get rid of (or mostly get rid of) I am a Yo-Yoer, but tomorrow 10/1 at Noon is my first WW meeting at work.. I have convienced my DD to join with me and instead of attending my meeting at work each week her and I will go to the local center every weekend. I have a Hubs who is a chef and an awesome guy and I have a DD who is almost 22 and DS who is almost 19 both are in college and are working hard towards their degrees. We have a 4 legged fur baby (cat) Hunny who is a 5yr old orange striped love bug.. Our goal is to get a new mobile home hopefully in the spring but this summer we worked hard on our 1972 12x60 mobile inside and out to last a year or two more if needed.. Oh enough about me.. onto to my weight/health goals


So I am going to say I will make a 4 lb loss this month as my goal.. I do have tons going on like 10/2 my sisters Bday and rehearsal dinner, 10/3 my DS bday and sister in laws wedding, 10/10 my bday weekend including a trip to visit my parents 2 hrs away to help with their winter wood (activity points!), 10/17 all day scrapbooking event, 10/23-24 a weekend scrapbooking event and my nieces Bday, 10/25 a surprise Bday party for my mother in law and her twin sister and then of course 10/31 is Halloween! However I plan to follow the WW plan and use my bonus/activity points for special treats..


Thanks for letting me join in.. Michelle

Happy early birthday my friend! So glad to see you back here with us. I truly hope and pray that you LOVE WW and that your leader is helpful and inspiring and that it is the "magic" trick for you and your success!! Your month is SO FULL!! If you can be successful this month, you can be successful ANY TIME!!

Great job @JacknSally and @DisPup75 on a fabulous theme and fun introduction post. October is going to be a great month -- sign me up to participate!


Hi everyone! I'm Courtney and I'm so happy to be a part of this month's challenge. Over the last four years I experienced a significant weight gain in a period of bad luck, including: losing my house, being unhappy in a job, and the stress of starting a graduate program (MBA). In March of this year I reached my breaking point and decided to make a change: I changed my perspective and embraced the opportunities that lay before me. I got a new job, I stopped blaming myself for being a victim of poor lending practices, and I started to focus on things that made me happy. I wasn't going to eat my feelings anymore!

I started my current job on May 4th of this year and since then I have lost over 32 pounds to date. I am just 18 pounds from my desired goal of 150 - huzzah! I finish my grad program in December and walk at graduation in May - and my ultimate goal is to look amazing in my cap and gown... and to wear a Kate Spade dress to my graduation and party.


My husband and I are Premier Disney passholders, which means that we go to Disney World 1-2 times per year and Disneyland about once per week. We're fortunate to live near Disneyland and we use that weekly trip to not only boost our step count for the week but to also reward ourselves for great progress made during the week.

I look forward to cheering all of you on during the next month and learning from your progress about how I can improve my weight loss plan. Good luck everyone and I hope we all meet our goals this month!

SO JEALOUS of your Disney passholder status! Congrats on approaching the end of your grad program. DD has just started looking at grad school (she just started her junior year) and when she gets back from her semester abroad she will probably have a list of schools in New England that she wants to go see (I think there are two on the list already).

WOOHOO.... a Kate Spade dress? Any particular one in mind?

This month is going to be SO EXCITING! I seriously can not wait. I can already tell we've got some great participants and I'm really, really looking forward to all the conversation and motivation. You guys ROCK!

(Did I completely date myself with that reference? Any Green Day fans/familiars in the thread? "Wake Me Up When September Ends"? *crosses fingers and hopes that someone thinks she's funny*)​

Be thinking about your October goals and your plan of action to reach those goals - we are now just HALF A DAY AWAY from OCTOBER 1ST and our very first OCTOBER QUESTION OF THE DAY!! Here's a little sneak-preview-hint for our QOTD: I'll be asking for your goals and plans. No turning back! When you wake up tomorrow, it will be the beginning of a WHOLE NEW MONTH and a WHOLE NEW YOU!

Okay.....I'm old. I was absolutely CLUELESS as to the identity of that scary looking guy! But I am familiar with the song!

Hi all! I'm so excited to find this very supportive group, right when I'm jumping back on the fitness wagon!

It's been so interesting, and encouraging --and I'm totally commiserating!-- as I've been reading other people's introductory posts here. Changes in our body shape affect us so deeply-- even though I "know better", I'm very aware that how "good" I look is very tied to my self-esteem. I can't seem to think my way out of that one-- although it's something I know I need to get a better handle on, and not have my self-worth be so tied to looks-- I'm at that age where we're forced to deal with the issue.

I'm a 44-year-old woman (how did THAT happen?), and I've also done some roller coastering up and down the scale.

Like so many others have mentioned in their introductions, I've sometimes responded to difficult periods of life with emotional eating, and my negative self-judgement also comes out in many forms of self-neglect, e.g. not exercising, eating unhealthiiy, social withdrawal, accepting and staying in stressful/unhealthy work situations and relationships...and the shame and pain just builds. It's a tough spiral to break out of!

I've been 70 pounds overweight (early 30s), then rail-thin (mid-late 30s), then a little overweight, then after 40, very thin, then firmly chubby, then thin again, then overweight again (now). Wow-- it's disturbing to lay it out like that. Pretty extreme-sounding. Some very disordered eating in there, for sure, on both ends of the spectrum. Well-- part of helping myself with this is being willing to look at it honestly, right?

I loved what a PP said, about coming to a point where she's trying to take responsibility for her fate, not feel like a victim, and changing the crappy job and many other things. I so hear that! I've just swung back into that mode, myself. Just broke off a year-long relationship, work is very stressful, my health is noticeably suffering, and I'd just hit "that point" of misery. Time for change!

Looking back (it's an interesting exercise to write this!), I'd say this is also part of my pattern-- I've gone from periods of weight gain and attendant self-loathing, to hitting some breaking point where some way or another I find the motivation to make a shift into self-actualization, and make healthy changes in diet, exercise, socializing, etc. Then I get complacent (I seriously am befuddled by the repeat delusion I've had, where I really think that previous weight gains were "just a fluke" --and that I would magically stay at my "natural" thin weight without keeping up all the diligence!), or something goes wrong, the bad habits creep back (or descend in a landslide), and there I am again, overweight and feeling very poorly about myself.

I think that perhaps one of the good things about hitting middle age is that it has become impossible to keep calling these patterns "flukes." (I just remembered not everyone here will know American idioms-- a "fluke" is not the fish, but a singular, odd/random occurrence, that doesn't follow the usual way things work...an outlier that we ignore.) At this point, I can see the patterns...because they've happened too many times to ignore.

So what I'm really trying to do this time, with a growing self-acceptance and understanding of my issues, is to find a better way to help myself through life's ups and downs and changes, a real manageable plan. One that's all about loving and supporting myself, in a really deep way, stopping the cycle of self-abandonment. To me, it's been an important step to just really own that this cycle is an ongoing problem I have, which I need to develop a lifelong strategy around.

I'm so grateful to have found such a supportive group to share with during such a transformative time for each of us!

As for goals-- I'll have to think overnight about exactly which and how to come up with a single number to measure. I'm going for weight/inches lost, and an exercise goal-- I signed up for that Dark Side Half Marathon at Disney in April! Whoa!

Me too, I'm using MyFitnessPal and MapMyRun. Considering getting a wearable tracker. I started Monday, recording all my foods (MyFitnessPal I really am liking for this), and started a couch-to-half-marathon running plan last week. Yay!

Sounds like you have a GREAT plan in place! BTW, can I ask about your Disboard user name? Are you a swimmer? Just asking because DD was a swimmer for 11 years.....I have a soft spot in my heart for swimmers!

I'm in!

My name is Paige. I'm 22 (will be 23 on the 22nd of this month).

As others have said weight is something I have always struggled with. In elementary school I was always the chubby girl and it always really bothered me. Then the end of my 8th grade year into my freshman year of high school I decided I didn't want to be the "fat" girl anymore. So my mom was doing WW at the time and I joined her by sharing her account. I love a lot of weight (probably around 40 pounds) and was at about 155.

Then I let things slide. I think I never hit my "goal" weight and felt like I'd be stuck eating so little forever so I just gave up. Gained it all back and then some. Then same situation in my senior year. I decided I was done being "fat". Joined WW. Got down to about 167. I maintained that through my senior year and even my first year of college. I felt good but at that point was working out like 2-3 hours every day and got burned out. We went on a vacation and I didn't work out and ate like crap and it just snowballed from there.

Plus I met my now DH and he's one of those lucky and frustrating people who can eat a package of Oreos and maintain their weight at 130. So I ate with him. And everything he ate. And gained it all back and then some yet again.

So last year I found myself engaged and at my highest weight ever at 215. I told myself that I would lose weight for my wedding...I gained 21 pounds in 10 months!. I looked back at the pictures from my disneymoon and my wedding and just feel so sad that I let myself do that far. And I was starting to suffer medically because of my poor choices.

To date I've lost 23 pounds and am hoping to make it to ONEderland by the end of this year!

SO glad to have some "young blood" to balance out the old ladies (well..... particularly ME!). You are just a bit older than my DD (but at a far different place in your life!), so forgive me if I ever come off sounding like "Mom"!!

Glad you are here with us and can't wait to celebrate ONEderland with you!!

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.

"LALALALALALALALA" (she says with her fingers in her ears)..... "I DON'T HEAR YOU!!" Well.... it wouldn't matter anyhow.... the nearest Dominoes is about 45 minutes away! We wouldn't even DREAM of a pizza delivery out here in the boondocks!!

* 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!​

You are being SO SMART this month!! You do NOT need any added stress!! And I think that your stress management plan should be TOP OF THE LIST!!

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...

WOOOHOO on being back to pre-vacation weight!! I think you are the only one here who doesn't have a busy October coming up! Well...... mine isn't totally crazy OTHER than my trip.

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!

I have ridden Dragon Challenge and it is WORTH THE WAIT! Ride it in the DARK if you can..... crazy fun!

An overnight job would be terrible for me! I am NOT a night person.

Just remember that this is a LIFESTYLE..... so there is NO "finish line"........ just a matter of learning as you go and developing (and hanging onto) good habits!

Taking a page from @JacknSally's post -- I'm also on Instagram, so please add me! courtneybeth83 is my username.

OOohhh.... my DD helped me get an Instagram account a few years ago. I rarely put anything on there (and when I do it is usually food!). I'll try to remember what my username is and post it here!

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Okay.... it took FOREVER to get caught up to here...... and now I'm having computer issues, so I am hoping this will post when I get back to the work wifi tomorrow!! Otherwise I've just wasted time sitting here at home in my bathrobe!

Off to make my green tea..... weigh in in the morning! Hope the scale is kind to EVERYONE (including me!)....................P

ETA: WOOO it posted!! But of course, I am still 2 pages behind!

 

[contempgal]

Your THREE PART QOTD for Friday, October 2, 2015

1 - WHAT was your motivation for getting started on this journey, or joining the thread this month?
2 - HOW will you, as a participant, try to keep yourself motivated this month? Visually, with pictures or a "pounds to go" jar or a graph? Audibly, with an "Eye of the Tiger" type get-up-and-get-moving theme music? Which, by the way, if that's what you'll do, PLEASE tell me what song you pick! Tangibly, with rewards along the way?
3 - HOW can we as a group, and I as a host, help keep you motivated throughout the month? Thought provoking questions? Daily PM's? Buddy systems? Sending little happies in the mail or electronically when you hit 100%?

My motivation is 100% my DD. She was a surprise baby, born when I was almost 35 years old. I had no intentions of having children so my world was turned pretty much upside down. Now, 3 years later, she is my entire world. I love her so much and she is my little best friend. While I have been lucky in the sense that I've had very few health problems, I know that this could easily change, especially as I grow older. I'm not overweight, I am obese. I know that for me to stay active and involved in my DD's life, I have to make changes. I don't want to be the mom who has to sit on the sidelines because I can't physically keep up with her. I owe her as much. After all, she brought "life" back to my life.

How will I keep motivated? I'd like to say its simple and looking at my sweet DD will keep me motivated but alas, it is not always the case. While she is my motivation, its also so very easy to fall victim to temptation. So this month I am going to try a new strategy. I was recently on my sisters facebook page going through some old pics when I found one that she had posted of me from several years ago (prior to my first weight loss). Wow. As embarrassing as that pic is, I saved it to my phone. From this point on, when I get that "this is too difficult" feeling, I am going to take a peek at that pic. AND....I'm going to keep in mind that I am going WDW next month for my DD's first visit so I want to make sure I can keep up with her.

How can everyone else keep me motivated? SUGGESTIONS. I know some things that work but could always use some additional suggestions. This can include ideas for getting in some extra movement during the day, dealing with lack of sleep, super yummy healthy recipes, etc. A virtual pat on the back or "I've been there too" is always helpful as well. It helps to know that there are others out there dealing with the same barriers as you.