Healthy Living from the INSIDE OUT - May 2016 WISH Challenge

[Zoesmama03]

QOTD - May 2

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Good morning! Welcome to your first "Mood Monday!" Let's talk about JOY today.

Is joy one of your ruling emotions? Are there things you do or would like to do to make your life more joyful? How does joy factor into your diet and exercise routines? Are you a celebratory eater? How do you handle special events, holidays, and other joyful eating opportunities?

Ruling? I dunno it's there but while I'm mostly content I don't think joy rules over. I have a lot of joy just I don't like to dwell on it because then I'm waiting for the next big joy. I guess I take things as they come as often as I can. Now with my anxiety disorder sometimes thoughts on future really get me wound up so I'm really trying to change that and be more present in the moments I'm in at the time. I think that really does increase joyful moments. So I'd just keep doing that. I'm finding some joy in working out because my friend and I have been meeting at the gym. We had gotten into a rut where we didn't really see each other much so its been nice and we are both enjoying it.

I'd guess we are celebratory eaters in my family. I usually handle special events/holidays by keeping low calories or very healthy clean stuff in morning and leave room for trying a bit of everything I want. I also do like others and fill up veggies and fruit first and then bits of other stuff that I like.

 

[courtneybeth]

QOTD - May 1st​

We are going to start out the month with an easy one! If you haven't already, introduce yourself! What is your goal this month? Weight loss? Exercise accomplished? General sense of well being found? Let's talk about any and all of your goals! What to do you to be able to say "I did that" about 31 days from now? What is your plan to make those goals happen? Specifics welcome! How are you going to track your percentage of goal complete each week? Finally, what can we do to help you achieve your goals?

Bonus QOTD - What is your earliest Disney memory?

Hi everyone, I'm behind so i'm going to do the bullet point version of my usual story:

• Realized at friend's wedding in June 2014 that I was fat at 215 pounds and spent 18 months losing over 70 pounds and met my goal weight in December 2015
• I am walking at my graduation at the end of the month - so I am going to look fab-u-lous in my photos. YEAH!
• I am now running half marathons - completed 6/15 so far for the month through RNR and I have the Disney Dumbo Double Dare race in September. (Probably will end up being around 20 at the end of the year)

Goal for the month: Exercise all 30 days at least 30 mins per day.

Side note: I'm really just here because you all hold me accountable and I love all of you and the thought provoking questions.


Bonus:
My first time to Disney World was in 1986 - I was three and I remember being on my dad's shoulders riding the monorail to EPCOT. That was my first-ever memory as a kid and my first time there --- we left the next week to move from Florida to Southern California

 

[Dr Gunnie]

For anyone that is doing the virtual 5k's that Disney just announced, I created a thread on the runDisney board to maybe help add some fun to the experience - check it out if you have time and introduce yourselves: http://www.disboards.com/threads/2016-virtual-5k-series.3507288

So @courtneybeth, how was your Nashville race?

 

[courtneybeth]

QOTD - May 2

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Good morning! Welcome to your first "Mood Monday!" Let's talk about JOY today.

Is joy one of your ruling emotions? Are there things you do or would like to do to make your life more joyful? How does joy factor into your diet and exercise routines? Are you a celebratory eater? How do you handle special events, holidays, and other joyful eating opportunities?

I think this graphic summarizes a little bit about how i feel regarding the ruling emotions. I would say that "Joy" is my second in command of my emotional console, while Disgust really takes the helm. I guess if you look at the chart it makes me "intrigue"

Happiness actually doesn't make me want to eat more - though celebratory events tend to bring out the sugary snacks. I think really just staying on the plan and not letting those 'sweet treats' get the best of you really.... is the simple part of it.

 

[courtneybeth]

Earliest Disney memory - 1986. This one will date me a bit.

I was also a 1986 memory - but yours is a little bit further along in your childhood

I just weighed in this morning I am at 91.2 kg or about 201 pounds - this puts me just over and into the obese category on the BMI.

You are so close to hitting ONDERLAND. I think by next week you'll be there. Keep up the great work.

I have been married for 23 years and have 3 children (their initials are S,K and I) hence my user name.

I just thought you really liked to ski. Cute way to honor your kids!

Overall, not a bad start to the week. Anyone else starting their week with a victory?

GOOD WEEK FOR YOU! Ride that momentum through Friday!

So @courtneybeth, how was your Nashville race?

Hi @Dr Gunnie - the race in Nashville was quite the experience. It turns out the foot problems I was having was because... of the shoes! Even with a proper fitting... these shoes were a nightmare. Too much gel cushioning turned my shoes into pillows and when I'd hit the hills I'd strain my knee and ankle due to lack of support. Combining a hilly race with really bad rains and a bad pair of shoes... you get a 3:36 finish time. Not my worst, not my best. I have new shoes now (went yesterday to the shoe store first thing) and am ready to rock it out at Tinkerbell this weekend. Time to redeem myself

Here's a photo highlighting the events. The first photo are the medals earned: Southern Charm is for completing 3 races in a set; the Guitar is for half marathon number 6; and the record player is the actual half marathon medal. Then you have me in my running shirt. I am promoting the fact that I was in corral 36/40 (so far far away!). And then my bro and I in our ponchos since it was pouring for most of the race. I gave him my visor and wore my headband on top of my poncho to keep my hood up. This was the first time ever running in the rain since I live in California - we don't get rain!

 

[SarahDisney]

I started working from home a couple of months ago and with that change the pounds started to creep on. I'm around all the food in the house all the time and I'm more stationary (don't have to walk to catch the train, etc.) All of a sudden our May Disney trip is just days away and ack!!! My cute mickey shirts and bottoms don't really fit so cute anymore! So it's a wakeup call to get organized and reverse course. I've started exercising regularly again and filled the house with healthy things and if I get started now, maybe by the next trip my tummy won't poke out so much in my favorite Disney shirts!!

Fitting into cute Mickey clothes is always good motivation!
(And I'm super jealous that your trip is so soon!)

I live in California - we don't get rain!

Except when I come visit
Seriously ... if it ever rains, you may want to check with me to see if I'm in town.
And look at it this way - now you have your first rainy race experience and you know how to handle it in case it happens again!

 

[courtneybeth]

Except when I come visit
Seriously ... if it ever rains, you may want to check with me to see if I'm in town.
And look at it this way - now you have your first rainy race experience and you know how to handle it in case it happens again!

Set a PR for rain running for sure!

We are desperate for rain out here - such a dry winter and Spring. You sure you can't come visit over the next few months and bring us some much needed rain? Just don't come this weekend - it's Tinkerbell 10K and I don't need to run back to back races in the rain.

 

[piglet1979]

Set a PR for rain running for sure!

We are desperate for rain out here - such a dry winter and Spring. You sure you can't come visit over the next few months and bring us some much needed rain? Just don't come this weekend - it's Tinkerbell 10K and I don't need to run back to back races in the rain.

We have had a ton of rain on Temps in the 40s. I will gladly send this weather your way. I am ready for some warm weather. At the rate the heat in disney in June is going to be a huge shock to the system.

 

[courtneybeth]

We have had a ton of rain on Temps in the 40s. I will gladly send this weather your way. I am ready for some warm weather. At the rate the heat in disney in June is going to be a huge shock to the system.

I'm curious how hot May is going to be. We've booked our days at the water parks and the night at the actual theme parks. It's a very different trip from our December vacations - the humidity and heat are bothersome for us.

 

[pjlla]

QOTD - May 2
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Good morning! Welcome to your first "Mood Monday!" Let's talk about JOY today.

Is joy one of your ruling emotions? Are there things you do or would like to do to make your life more joyful? How does joy factor into your diet and exercise routines? Are you a celebratory eater? How do you handle special events, holidays, and other joyful eating opportunities?

Hmmmmm... very interesting questions! I can be accused of being negative.... I never think I'm _____________________ (thin enough, smart enough, outgoing enough, patient enough, etc) and I am certainly NOT that person who is perpetually HAPPY and PERKY that makes you think of JOY... but that being said, I do have a tendency to be almost OVERLY optimistic, especially in the face of difficulties. I never imagined anything other than a good outcome when BOTH of my parents went through cancer treatments. Sure I was stressed and worried and did a lot of praying.... but in my MIND I never imagined anything other than full healing. So rather than say I am ruled by JOY I would say I am ruled by excruciatingly improbable optimism!

To make life more joyful I try to plan FUN and adventure into everyday life as often as possible.... a fun themed meal at home, a weekend of little adventures, a card game before dinner.

I try to NOT be a "celebratory eater" but it does happen. Especially if it feels like a "special" time, like my weekends away with DD! That being said, I try to find a way to fit that celebratory eating into my WW plan.... I still track and try to have reasonable treats (like a lowfat fro yo cone versus a sundae made with premium hard scoop and lots of toppings). I am at a point in my life where I truly EAT TO LIVE and not LIVE TO EAT, and as such food decisions to not generally dictate what I do, where I go, etc. And I can have a great time in a special place but have a brown bag turkey sandwich and an apple for lunch and STILL enjoy the day.

If it is a truly special day (holiday or wedding or such) I will do usually do an EITHER/OR food choice.... prime rib instead of chicken breast OR dessert....not both. Mashed potatoes with gravy OR pumpkin pie....not both.

If it is a celebration when/where it may be appropriate to bring a dish to share, I try to always bring a big healthy green salad and/or fruit platter so that I always have SOMETHING that I can fill up on if the rest of the choices are way off plan.

BTW..... I never answered the "first Disney memory" bonus QOTD yesterday! My first trip (to WDW) was in the first week of December 1974. And I DO have memories of it (although I think we only spent two days at MK) and it was truly MAGICAL. My grandparents had already been to WDW a few times and my grandfather was truly enthralled with it. He was a bit of a "Walt Disney" type himself..... self-made man, inventor, creator, self-educated. I visited with my parents, my younger brother and my grandparents. It was my FIRST time out of New England, my first plane ride, my first hotel stay. To say it was MEMORABLE is an understatement. I can literally remember laying awake most of the night before we left, staring at my Disney alarm clock for HOURS! The excitement was absolutely immeasureable!

My most specific memory is from the Stretching room at the Haunted Mansion. I was terrified of the dark as a young person and when the lights went out (for just a moment), I thought I "lost" my Mom and I was absolutely scared to death! Still not a fan of the dark and NOT a big HM fan..... in fact, DD has never been on it and as such I haven't been on in a while. But we may remedy that when we are at DL in September!!

The best thing..........I have HOME MOVIES of my first trip!!! Yes, they are silent and not super high quality.... but how WONDERFUL they are!! We actually have even have home movies from the Skyway!!..............P

 

[4Mickeys]

Good morning! Welcome to your first "Mood Monday!" Let's talk about JOY today.

Is joy one of your ruling emotions? Are there things you do or would like to do to make your life more joyful? How does joy factor into your diet and exercise routines? Are you a celebratory eater? How do you handle special events, holidays, and other joyful eating opportunities?

I don't think Joy is my ruling emotion - I wish it was. Like a few others on here I experience Anxiety and am always anticipating the worst. I have had joyful moments mostly related to my kids. And honestly our big holiday to SoCal was the most prolonged period of joy I think we have all experienced for a long time. To just get so far away from our usual lives and all the daily stresses and just be with each other and the only thing to worry about is what new ride, food, experience, thing to see that day together was just so joyful.

I definitely want to increase joyful moments in our life more often, it is so easy to get into a negative mind frame about yourself and others around you and life in general. My kids are getting older and I still want to make sure that we have some great times together - I want them to be about being out in the world being active and seeing things together - it doesn't have to be overseas travel or even interstate - I just need to get a little more creative and organised. A few years ago I was having regular phone contact with a friend going through a very hard time, she was in a very negative place which in turn fed my negativity - it wasn't until I had less contact with her (we are still friends its just that once I started full time work I had less time to chat) that I realised how much of a downer effect it had on me.

I think this graphic summarizes a little bit about how i feel regarding the ruling emotions. I would say that "Joy" is my second in command of my emotional console, while Disgust really takes the helm. I guess if you look at the chart it makes me "intrigue"

Courtney - I love this chart with all theemotions on there - I am going to incorporate this at work - I work with kids who can have trouble recognising emotions.

 

[courtneybeth]

Courtney - I love this chart with all theemotions on there - I am going to incorporate this at work - I work with kids who can have trouble recognising emotions.

I am so glad! This movie has done wonders for children and understanding emotions, especially with psychologists and parents that may need a little help. I read on one of the threads (can't remember where) that they bought the entire series of plush toys from the movie so the kids could use the toy to talk about their feelings!

 

[piglet1979]

I'm curious how hot May is going to be. We've booked our days at the water parks and the night at the actual theme parks. It's a very different trip from our December vacations - the humidity and heat are bothersome for us.

I normally don't like the heat and humidity until now. After having this weather since October I am ready for some heat and some time outside without freezing. I am starting to think summer is never coming.

 

[DisPup75]

Time to chat before collapse!

I am Stephanie. I am 36. After I started my current job 8 years ago I started gaining weight. I went from working in a daycare to a desk job. I am hoping to get back down to 120 pounds.

My goal is to get down to 135 by our disney trip June 4th. That means I need to lose 7 pounds. I am really going to try and hit this goal.

My goal for this month is to lose 7 pounds. This might be hard but I am up for the challenge.

Hi Stephanie! Those desk jobs are murder, aren't they? I was a substitute preschool teacher when I was in college - I can't even imagine how many steps I walked in those days. That Disney trip will be excellent motivation to hit that goal!

I am happy to report that my scheduled long run for today worked out wonderfully! Last week I was running through a snow storm, today the weather was perfect for running. 60 degrees and overcast. Wonderful! I tried a new route and I think this will become my standard for long runs from now on. It goes through two parks, is even signposted. I think once I know my way around a little more, I will be able to do variations in the second park (the first park is the one I usually go to, there is an about 1 km long connecting route between the two parks). There even are a few small hills in the second park! Overall it was a great run, I only started to feel a little tired on the last km. I ended up running 9.5km in one hour and 10 minutes. So, if my IPhone GPS was correct, I only need to be a little bit faster on race day to achieve my goal! However, I don't really trust my IPhone in that regard. We will see.

This post makes running sound fun!

My name is Marie, I'm 27. I need to lose weight, but I think I'm gonna base my goal on the amount of exercise I do versus the amount of pounds I lose, because I feel like my biggest challenge is to stick to a routine, which I always have a hard time doing. I don't think I can count the amount of times I've signed up for a gym and stopped going after two months, even with them taking the money out of my account for the whole 12 months still.

So, my goal is gonna be to do a minimum of 20 minutes of exercise, 5 times a week.

This is not counting leisurely walking, like when I walk to work (10 minutes from home to the metro station, another 5 minutes from the metro station to work), or the 10-15 minutes walk to the grocery store, etc. We don't have a car so we do a lot of walking But even though I've been walking a lot more than I used to since we moved here, it hasn't affected my weight at all.


Bonus question... Hmmm... Well, if we're talking Disney memory overall, not necessarily relating to the parks, I think my earliest memory would be when I was little and we went to see Disney on Ice in Montreal. It was Pocahontas Disney on Ice. I remember getting a souvenir cup with Pocahontas on it - it came with the snowcone purchase, and after looking on Google, I'm pretty sure it was exactly this one (although I remembered it bigger... maybe because I was smaller )

I'm not sure what became of it. My mom probably made the elective decision to get rid of it at some point.

Hi Marie! If I had all of the money I've spent in unused gym memberships over the years, I'm pretty sure I could fund an around the world vacation. Sigh... I love that mug!

Hello, I'm Lizanne. Currently 59 years old, single with no kiddo's, heck I still feel like a kiddo myself. I've struggled with my weight all my life, well kind of, the past four or so years I wasn't even trying and ballooned up to 220 pounds. Last winter was incredibly stressful at work and I kept getting sick, then one day after seeing Oprah's WW commercial I realized she was telling my story so I picked up the phone and joined the online program right there and then. So far I've dropped 29 pounds and am feeling much better, but I'm not even half way to my ultimate goal.

My May goals are split into non-vacation and vacation. I head out to WDW, for my annual spring migration, on a red eye next Friday evening... Less than a week away, yahoo! My goal for next week is to drop 2 pounds and get into the 180's... 189.9 will do! My vacation goals are to eat healthfully and keep the weight gain to around 3 pounds and also to average 20,000 steps per day. Post-vacation it's to lose any weight gained plus another pound or two.

Earliest Disney memory... I do remember watching the tv show as a kid and can picture the credits with the castle and Tink. But I don't recall that we even knew Disneyland existed or if we did, understood what it was. In the late 1980's I moved to the WDC area and had the idea that my then 11 year old niece would fly out and we'd drive down to Florida to go to WDW. Both the drive and the Disney World parts of the trip were a lot of fun and it started the tradition of taking nieces and nephews on a trip with auntie when they were 11, and the tradition of me going at least once a year. Since I moved back to Seattle in 1996 that trip has been in the spring, so I can get my first dose of sunshine. But the past few years I've also gone down in the fall or at Christmas time to meet up with friends... Last year it was both for a total of three trips! I've sure gotten my money's worth out of my AP!

Hi Lizanne! Great and sensible bifurcated goal!

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QOTD - May 1st​

We are going to start out the month with an easy one! If you haven't already, introduce yourself! What is your goal this month? Weight loss? Exercise accomplished? General sense of well being found? Let's talk about any and all of your goals! What to do you to be able to say "I did that" about 31 days from now? What is your plan to make those goals happen? Specifics welcome! How are you going to track your percentage of goal complete each week? Finally, what can we do to help you achieve your goals?

Bonus QOTD - What is your earliest Disney memory?

Hi! I am Amanda. I am 27. I've always been overweight and I have gained and lost weight a few time over my adult life. I've started losing some weight again and plan on just losing from now on

In addition to losing 4 pounds this month, I want to run the 13.11 (half marathon) in one goals. I have been working on the couch to half marathon program and have completed all the session except the race do to the weather, my schedule, and my body refusing to work together. But I am determined to do it and will keep trying until I do. I will just be tracking my pounds, but will post WHEN I finish my run.

I started making progress in my weight loss when I did a "whole 30" at the end of the month. Unfortunately, I let myself reform some bad eating habits so I am redoing it with some slight tweaks. I just finish day 5 and this time is definite easier than the first time I tired. I still get sugar craving, which is the worst part, but I seems to be able to settle them with fruit and keeping busy at the moment. I have a few friends that are also doing it with me, so that is very helpful.

This is my third month participating on these threads. I think they are helpful because it nice to get encouragement from everyone and be able to share with people who are also[/QUOTE]

Hi Amanda! What kind of changes are you making for your second Whole 30? I survived it a few years ago, felt great, and have never had the streng to do it again. Always curious about tweaks people use to make it a si chess!

An introduction - I'm a 43 year old mother of three kids from the suburbs of Chicago. I am also a lawyer, with my own practice that is not very busy right now (just finished a couple of cases) so I'm mostly a stay at home mom. I also take on (too many) volunteer roles with regards to my kids and their school/activities. I can't help it; when people need help, I step up.

I have been overweight basically all of my life, but the last 6 years have really done me in. I think it was the move from a full time job in the city (public transport, walking a lot for work) to being self employed in the car dependent suburbs. I just didn't move as much. And I was home more, which meant that I had more ready access to food. Together, they are a bad combination.

I "hit rock bottom" after our vacation last year. I could barely buckle the seatbelt on the plane and there were some other physical situations that brought to light just how large I had become. I made a change and started tracking everything I eat on MFP and made a commitment to getting 10,000 steps a day. I also set a rough goal of 100 carbs or less per day, 6 days a week (with one free day). My plan is working and since July 11th, I am down 90 lbs.

My goal is to lose 10lbs this month. I've come close the past two months (9+ lbs, but not quite 10), so maybe this will be the month! I am going to keep doing what I am doing. Eating well, logging and getting my steps.

I will have some challenges this month- two of my volunteer activites are very busy this month which will impact time available to get my steps (elementary school yearbook due to printer on May 20th and club soccer tryouts throughout the month of May), and three food related celebrations will make it harder to stay on track foodwise (Mother's Day, my husband's birthday and My sister's 50th birthday party), but I shall persevere!!!

We leave on vacation June 15th, so this is my last full month before the trip. I've got some big milestone goals that are within reach before we head out on vacation (things like hitting ONEderland (under 200lbs), being overweight instead of obese on the BMI chart, and losing 100lbs), but I have promised myself that this isn't a race and vacation is not some kind of drop dead date where I'll be a failure if I don't accomplish all of these goals. I need to take things one week at a time, one day at a time if necessary. I'm doing this for my future health and it takes as long as it takes!

Good Luck to everyone!

Bonus QOTD: I never went to Disney as a kid. My first trip was when I was in my 20's when my husband had a trade show in Orlando and I came along for a couple of days. It was early October, 2001 (within a couple weeks of the terrorist attacks) and the parks were almost empty because so many people were nervous to travel by plane and nervous to be in large, crowded public places like Disney. We had a wonderful time and felt the magic immediately. On that trip we went to Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Animal Kingdom. Didn't get to Hollywood Studios until about 10 years later!

What a year you've had! What a different trip you will have this year than last!!

I remember traveling those first few scary weeks are 9/11 so well. Everything was just so deserted. Can't even imagine what the Disney parks must have been like.

I hope to lose 3.5 kg this month but will be happy with anything over 2. I find the successes of others very motivating!

We will get you there!

ake at least 15 minutes every day to focus on myself - whether that's exercise time, reading, watching TV, or just lying in bed thinking about nothing. After last month, I need

I love this!

Disney memory in general? Asking my mom what happened to my favorite Little Mermaid dress (the answer ... a stain that she couldn't get out)
Disney parks memory? Main Street Electrical Parade in 2000 (my first trip)

LOL. That is such an adorable first memory.

I'm Paige! I'm 23 and from Kansas City (Missouri side). I've lost a total of 55 pounds and I'm almost to my initial goal.

I feel like I've been hitting a wall of motivation lately and my weight loss has stalled. Still losing weight but I feel like most of the month is spent gaining and losing and maintaining and I'm tired of it!

I'm shaking things up a bit for myself this month. My goal is to only have "dessert" once a week (which will probably be Sunday's). I do a terrible job of hoarding points and then splurging on cool whip and pudding and those points can be better spent elsewhere. I think this will help keep me more even keeled.

I'm also going to have an exercise goal of 5 days a week. Doing something. Running will take up 4 days but I want to shake up my work outs a little. No weight loss goal this month.

I like that! I'm so dependent on my daily treat when I'm hard core counting; I'm interested in how saving it for one good greet will work. It always seems like the better strategy!

Okay a little intro for any new folks or people that don't remember because I'm in and out of these challenges for so long. I'm Melissa 36 divorced(well one of the years I'll get if finalized/legalized but have been apart for about 10 years now) with a soon to be teenage girl, Zoe. I like photography, music, and knitting/crocheting. I am down about 22 lbs from my highest weight. Really starting to enjoy my gym time. My friend and I are going together 5 days a week at least. I've been pretty consistent with my tracking for over a week now. Saw 2.6 loss on the scale yesterday. My starting weight for the month is 309.8(was still at the same weight as yesterday morning) and my goal is 8 lbs in May. I'm so excited to see it dropping again and its very motivating. My friend has seen a 4 lb loss so far she walks in morning with another friend of ours that lives by her(I'm about 20 miles away). So we are both doing great. I'm following a reduced carb meal plan, mostly gluten free(working on 100% due to IBS symptoms). I only drink water or protein shakes(made with just water) pretty much. If I swim in heat I will drink sports drinks(Grape or white cherry Powerade) sometimes. I'm aiming for 100 grams of protein a day, my carbs are set to 40% of my daily calories and I may lower that further depending on if I keep consistent at 1 1/2-2 lbs a week.

My gym workouts are pretty fun with the friend. We do 30-45 minutes of treadmill(sometimes add some biking) and I alternate arms and leg circuits. Eventually I'd like to start trying out the Strong Lifts 5x5 program. I lift pretty heavy on the circuit machines too and am doing 5 sets of 5. If I get the pool key replaced for the new one I may start using our community pool to do some swimming too.

Everyone already does everything they can. I have my real life accountability too which will help a lot as well.

BONUS: My earliest trip was at age 10. I didn't remember too much of Magic Kingdom. Strangely enough I remember more of the car ride down(From Illinois) and the old Boardwalk and Baseball park. I do have a faint memory of the dumbo ride though I think my next trip was at 14 or so and I was hooked.

Hi Melissa! So glad to have you with us this month.

My goal this month is going to be all about nutrition. I am a stress eater, and ever since my dad's health crisis in December, I have continued to have cycles where I recognize the problem, work to fix it, then some new major stress starts (setbacks with my dad, health problems with my father in law, cancer diagnosis for my mother in law) and I lose control again. I am certain this is why the scale won't move. I definitely exercise enough, so it's all about my nutrition. I tend to get caught up in the deprivation aspect of eating well, versus thinking about what I can eat. So, I am going to focus this month on eating the things I know I need, as well as tracking my food. I am not going to focus on calorie goals, because then a) I don't track some days because I know I'll miss my goal, or b) when I know I'm going over, I'll eat even more because, hey why not? So I'm going to try to use this month to track honestly, and see where my real problems are.

So, goal 1 is to track my food everyday. This is what I will report on. There's 31 days in May, so each day tracked will count as it 3.23% toward the month. Don't worry I'll do the math.

Goal 2 is to focus on getting more healthy foods into my diet, hopefully enough so that I will not be hungry and craving junk. I'm going to try to get three servings of fruit per day, 7 servings of veggies, protein at every meal and snack, healthy fats at lunch (like avocado) to help keep me full for the afternoon, and three servings of dairy per day. Although I won't track this goal for the challenge, I will talk about it

QOTD: Earliest Disney memory - 1986. This one will date me a bit. It was October, weeks before my 11th birthday and my family took our first trip to WDW. We stayed at the Contemporary with a Castle view. My brother and I were early risers. As an early birthday gift I had gotten a purple "Le Disc" (anyone remember those?) camera and we were out on the balcony taking pictures of the castle as the sun came up.

Le Disc!!!! I'm so excited by this!!!! I spent last night curled up on the sofa drinking cocoa out of my Aristocrats mug while watching The Rescuers! I'm so excited to have yet another childhood memory triggered.

Love this part of your plan Sarah - I know I definitely don't do enough of this either.



Hi everyone,

I'm Samantha and I'm from the land Down Under - yes I join you guys from Australia for those that don't know me yet. I am 43 and a solo mum to 3 kids a 15 year old boy and 12 year old twins (boy and girl) - I love my boys but can I just say I am soooo glad I ended up with a girl to enjoy all of the Disney Princesses with me lol. Ok a little summary I love food always have, especially the bad food, as a kid, teen and in my early 20s I was skinny and could eat whatever I wanted pretty much. After having kids I had some trouble losing the baby weight, then went through a relationship breakdown that I didn't want and found myself raising my 3 kids all alone. I started eating yummy things to feel better and the weight just piled on. Over the last 10 years I have gone up and down - sometimes stress works for me and I lose but mostly I think combined with getting older now I just seem to keep piling it on. I am unhappy with my size, how it makes me look and how I have to fight my way into clothes. I have no energy and some days just doing anything can be hard work.

I just weighed in this morning I am at 91.2 kg or about 201 pounds - this puts me just over and into the obese category on the BMI. Obese never a word I thought would be used to describe me . I have having trouble trying to decide on a goal for the month. But I think I am going to focus on my eating. So I think that means by goal needs to be around calorie intake. I will aim to stay within the MFP calculated calorie goal of 1700 for 5 days per week - this was for an initial weight loss goal of .5Kg per week which is about 1.1 pounds. Now I really haven't had much luck with losing much of anything yet in the 4 months I have been joining you - I lost a tiny bit but it went back on. This is despite the fact that I am moving more than I have in a really long time - so obviously what I am inputting needs improvement.

You guys already help so much from the inspiration of those further along in the journey to just being able to share with like minded friends who are understanding, encouraging and non-judgemental when we slip.

On the positive side there are no family birthdays or big celebrations this month to derail me.

On the challenging side:

I got sick on Saturday - my daughter bought it home from school camp - sore throat, sore sinuses, headaches, feeling blaaah.
Keeping moving - it is starting to get colder here as we head into winter - mind you our winters are mild compared to some of yours but this may mean my paddling will get put on hold at some point.
Time management and planning - I struggle with this.

My plan:
To get better with meal planning.
I have a new little weekly whiteboard to keep in the kitchen so we all know that the dinner/breakfast options are for each day.
Doing some weekend pre-cooking where possible - to help with the time management.
Track, track, track my eating using MFP and Supertracker.



The music, Tinkerbelle and the Castle from Sunday night movie credits as a kid. I new Disneyland was out there and I knew about the Mickey Mouse Club - my parents had watched that when they were younger my Dad was an Annette Funicello fan I Always remember as a kid saying I wanted to do to Disneyland - this was impossible from my parents point of view back then. Wasn't affordable for them and my Mum hates flying. It was always still my goal though. I went to Disneyland for the first time in 1997 when in my early 20s and wow just wow. Then so many years later took my kids on a much needed break and it really worked its magic on me and the kids me especially I underwent a lot of healing emotionally on that 3 week trip to so SoCal. We just wish we were closer or could afford to visit more often



This is a great pic of you and your Aunty! I think you look good in this pic but great work for losing another 10 pounds since then



Me too - I know we all struggle with our weight journeys no matter if we started out skinny or overweight - but for me I just didn't build any skills around managing this better because I didn't have to



Desk jobs always take a toll!



So glad to hear you had a great run



Sticking to routine is part of my problem too - I have given up on joining gyms.



This is so frustrating isn't it? Since moving more in the last few months I also haven't seen any effect on the scales.

Hi Samantha! Are you sure you are not me? Same age, same former skinniness, same teetering on the edge of Onederland/Obesity weight which must mean the same height.... If you are as obsessed with avocados as I am, I'm convinced we are the same person.

Starting weight - 293.00

Goal Weight - 280.00

Goal to Loose - 13 LBS

This is the month to make it happen!

Good morning all! Wow.... May is more than 24 hours old now! YIKES!

Anyhow.... I'll do my mandatory QOTD intro and then be off to work! BBL tonight to chat!

I'm Pamela (the "P" in my user name) and I am the Mom of two adults children.... DD is a Jr in college and DS is about to graduate high school and head off to college too!

I have been an on-again-off-again Weight Watcher from my teen years.... but it finally STUCK in 2008 and I hit my goal weight in 2009, losing nearly 90 pounds from my all-time high. I've been a part of these WISH challenge without a break since they started (2009??).

I hit a LOW of 129 for ONE day in 2011 and haven't seen it since, but am reasonably happy maintaining the the low/mid 130's.... unfortunately I haven't seen that range in MONTHS! I have been struggling for the past 3 years to stay in the 130's (haven't topped 140, but it has been a struggle) and haven't seen 135 or less in months. But I will NEVER give up.

I've been married for 24 years this month and currently work full-time as a substitute teacher, part-time as a WW leader, and part-time as an online 24/7 expert chat coach with WW. I don't mind eating well and healthy and track my foods well.... but I've fallen off the "exercise wagon" in a HUGE way and need to be dragged, kicking and screaming, back on board!

Anyhow..... happy to just be a PARTICIPANT this month! I feel badly that I couldn't give the April challenge everything it needed, but it was a busy, busy month for me..... I realized yesterday that I wasn't home for a SINGLE weekend (robotics competition, two college visits, and this past weekend with DD at her school).

Off to work.... first day back after vacation week.... could be a sh*t show.... wish me luck!.....P

Welcome back! You did an AMAZING job hosting April!! And congratulations to your son for his great college choice. You must be over the moon that he will be so close!!

For all calorie counting Epcot cava del tequila fans - guilt free Epcot inspired drink

Melon (I used galia but any will work), juice of one lime, little pink rock salt optional and some ice. 30 seconds in my fruit ninja. Mine came at 70 calories and packs SOOOO much freshness and flavour. It feels like margarita little. Just you feel better after drinking it!

If you have the extra calories add some avocado!

Yummy!

*We interrupt this thread for an important Sarah announcement*

Guys, I'm declaring today "Major WooHoo Monday" for me. Here's why:

WooHoo #1: I'm eating a balanced breakfast! Cottage cheese (lowfat) with berries, whole wheat toast with butter, and coffee.
WooHoo #2: I measured almost everything in said breakfast. The only thing I didn't measure was the butter, and that's just because I can't figure out how to measure tablespoons of something I'm spreading with a knife.
WooHoo #3: I stepped on the scale for the first time in about 2 weeks and saw my lowest weight since February! Apparently the Passover diet (eating everything in the house for a week while cleaning it followed by eating very little because we only eat certain foods on Passover) works for me.

Overall, not a bad start to the week. Anyone else starting their week with a victory?

I'll be back later to answer the QOTD and chat ... I just needed to share my morning victories!

Woohoo!!!!!

 

[DisPup75]

QOTD - May 2

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Good morning! Welcome to your first "Mood Monday!" Let's talk about JOY today.

Is joy one of your ruling emotions? Are there things you do or would like to do to make your life more joyful? How does joy factor into your diet and exercise routines? Are you a celebratory eater? How do you handle special events, holidays, and other joyful eating opportunities?

I'm usually a pretty happy/glass half full kind of person but unfortunately joy isn't my ruling emotion. I'm a little too ruled by fear and that involves a certain amount of caution that lessens the purely exuberant emotions. But I will definitely be looking on the bright side and explaining why everything is just great even when I'm convinced I'm about to fall off a cliff!

I've been actively trying to get more joy in my life by really concentrating on my hobbies and interests -- cooking, drawing, bad photography, travel -- but work keeps getting in the way!

I am definitely an emotional eater (which I'll save for future Mood Mondays) but not much of a celebratory eater. When I'm happy and I know it, I don't have any desire to stuff my face. I have a weakness for cookies but an allergy to several tree nuts keeps me out of a lot of baked goods. I also don't care for many traditional holiday foods.

Joy is the ruler of me. I am a the glass is half full kind of person and happy I would say about 90 percent of the time. Sad has taken over a little but lately with my son turning 10 last month and getting ready to move to a new school next year. In out district 5th grade in an intermediate school and is set up like middle or high school. How can he really be old enough for that. Also, last week I had issues with my weight. I gained 2 pounds from what felt like no where. I ate good and I exercised and got at least 10,000 steps a day. So I would say anger and sadness ruled my Friday and part of Saturday. But i am back to myself and joy is ruling today.

I let my eating go a little bit at the holidays. I just eat 1 piece of cake or pie and tray to eat more fruits or veggies, if they are available. This weekend we had a wedding shower for my husbands cousin. I ate a ton of veggies and left out the dip. I figured I didn't the extra calories from the dip. I also ate fruit salad. I have a piece of cake and lunch was chicken salad on a croissant. I had water instead of pop to save some calories there too. Sunday I had a since visit with my grandparents also my Aunt was in town from Mich. I haven't seen her in years so it was a nice day. Of coarse Grandma had cake, pie, cookies, chips and pop. I did have a can of pop but then water after that. The only other bad things were the chips. I just kept eating them. I am not worried about it though because today I will be back on track. I have strawberries, a banana, a peach and cucumbers to eat today for breakfast and snacks.

Glad joy showed back up on Monday! Great job with the very quick getting sick on track!

I'll play catch-up today and answer yesterday's QOTD now and then come back in a bit to answer today's question.

I'm Becky and I've been participating in these WISH threads since the middle of February when I decided enough was enough (again). Typically when I decide I'm going to improve my lifestyle, I join WW, but this time I decided I was going to try MFP and see how that works. I'm a relatively private person and in my small town, it always seems like there is someone at my WW meetings that makes it awkward for me. One time it was my general manager's wife (who probably had about 10 pounds to lose vs me with 80 or so) and the next time my boss' wife was actually the WW employee who weighed you in. I know it shouldn't bother me, but it's just not comfortable for me. Anyway, that's why I decided to do it on my own with MFP. So far, so good. Since the middle of February, I'm down 20 pounds - I know it could be more, but I'm pretty happy with it.

I have been married for 23 years and have 3 children (their initials are S,K and I) hence my user name. My oldest is finishing up her freshman year of college, middle is graduating from high school this year and youngest is in the 8th grade. Where has time gone!

My goal for the month is to lose 10 pounds. It's more than I've lost most months, but I usually slack during the last week for some reason, so I'm going to try my hardest not to do that this month! I'm also recommitting to tracking EVERY DAY - I did so good with that at the beginning, but now I find I'm "tracking in my head" way too many days. That needs to stop. If for no other reason, I think it can help remind you of things that are good for snacks or meals. For instance, in the beginning, I was having a half cup of cottage cheese as an afternoon snack - I loved it and it filled me up until dinner. I completely forgot about it though until I was reading through what I ate when I started tracking. Guess what I bought at the store this weekend!

I'm really looking forward to this month's theme - I loved this movie. I might even see if I can find it somewhere to watch again!

Hi Becky!! So glad to have you with us again this month!, I also thought you were a ski fanatic.

I'd like to think Joy is one of my ruling emotions. I am a generally happy person, but I can have a short fuse at home (and in my head with myself) I would love to be more patient with my kids; I think it would make me more joyful. I think I will be more patient as this month moves forward because they will be outside more (one of the things that drives me nuts is when my foyer gets turned into a basketball court or a hockey rink -- it's SO LOUD! I feel like the Grinch from Dr. Suess sometimes complaining about the "Noise, Noise, Noise, Noise!")

How does joy factor into my diet and exercise routine? I try to eat things I like and exercise in a way that makes me happy. I rarely eat things I don't like the taste of because "it's good for me" (I'm looking at you Greek Yogurt); there's enough things out there that I enjoy and are healthy! For exercise, other than walking, I don't do much. But when I walk, I do my best to do it in a way that makes me happy -- mostly by myself (gets me away from the Noise!), sometimes in the forest perserve, always with my headphones and music I love. I could walk for hours; I really enjoy it. Someday soon, I'll add other exercise to my routine and I'll have to find some things that also make me happy.

Am I a celebratory eater? YES! I think it's part of my (American?) culture to celebrate with food. No matter my diet, I always have birthday cake. For some reason, refusing birthday cake really gets to me. My husband was on a strict diet for a long time and he used to refuse birthday cake and it always bothered me. I am also one of those parents who gets so irritated at our school's healthy holiday party rules. We can now only serve Rold Gold Pretzels (they are gluten free), whole fruit and water at class parties. No chocolate at Valentines Day parties, no candy at Halloween and no cookies or hot chocolate at Christmas. Something about looking at the fruit and pretzels gets me every time. I feel like my kids are missing out. Other parents say - they get enough junk throughout the holiday season, I'm thrilled that they are keeping the parties healthy. Not me . . . it just seems . . . wrong. It's a party - celebrate!

How do I handle joyful eating opportunities?
Well, I have a few rules for celebratory eating parties. (1) As I said, I NEVER refuse birthday cake. NEVER. (2) I will always have champagne if it is passed around for a toast. (3) I will always eat what is served (if we are eating a sit down meal), doing my best to eat more of the healthier options. However, if it's munchies, appetizers and desserts, then sometimes I eat nothing, sometimes I try to pick the healthier options. If it's a situation where I really don't want to eat any of it, and no one will notice if I eat or not, then I don't eat. I guess I don't want the host to feel bad should he or she have made food that doesn't make my diet "joyful". I think joyful eating situations are exceptions to a diet - not "it's Friday -- let's eat", but true celebrations. As a result, i refuse to feel anything but joyful when I consume those calories. Sometimes a few extra calories are worth it!

Mmm champagne! Always worth the calories! And I suspect that I know what your answer to tomorrow's question of the day is going to be.

For those who are new - My name is Josh, and I'm 41 years old. I'm married with two children and I'm a special education teacher and a high school football coach.

I started my weight loss in January as a new year's resolution. We did a Christmas trip to Disney World and when I hit the scale New Year's Day I was at an all time high of 320 lbs.

February was my first month that I participated with the WISH Challenge. From Jan 1 to April 30th, I've lost 61 lbs. My goal when I started was to lose 100 lbs. I've recently started running and I have my first 5K this Saturday. I've also signed up for all the Disney Virtual 5K's, so I'm open to doing some sort of "group run" with anyone else on here that signed up.

I'm sticking with a weight loss goal for this month. If it isn't broke...

Going with 14 lbs again for the third month in a row.



I'm pretty well balanced when it comes to my emotions. I think Joy has been coming out more and more with the weight I've lost and the closer I get to summer break! Special events and eating has always been my biggest hurdle, but I've gotten better. We will have a couple of these events during May (Kentucky Derby party this weekend, daughter's birthday in two weeks), so I'm hoping I can stay strong.

I suspect you are going to roll right over those obstacles and lose another 14 pounds!

Playing catch up over here-- I'm Patricia, and I am 27, married, and living in south Florida. I mention the Florida thing because I don't think it agrees with me. It's tooooo hot! I used to be more active when I lived in north Georgia and would actually go outside sometimes. At any rate, before I got married I was always hanging out around 155/160, but I got married and slowly put on about 30 more pounds. As of April 14th, I had lost around 14 lbs total since October when I started getting serious, but since we got back from Tokyo, it looks like I put on 3-4 lbs--I haven't weighed in a few days so I don't know exactly how accurate that is. I am hoping it was post-vacation bloat and water weight (I never feel right for a few days after a long haul flight). Also, my mother is still staying at our house which is A) throwing off my eating and B) throwing off my routines so I'm in an overall funk. She leaves tomorrow and so I am hoping to get things back on track tomorrow.

All that to say, I am going to set my goal for 4 lbs this month. I've been doing slow and steady and it's working since I am able to keep enjoying "sometimes" foods in small doses. I have noticed I do GREAT when I am having small dinners and large lunches, so I am going to keep trying to adjust "big meal" to earlier in the day on days we don't have Blue Apron (which we also stopped with my mom here and am SO excited to start up again this weekend!). I have a few bumps along the road in path that I can see already (company golf tournament w/good food and open bar, our wedding anniversary, and a long Disney weekend for Memorial Day). So I just need to keep balance so I can enjoy those bumps in the road with out derailing the whole thing!

Oh, and my insta is p.ryan55 for my cat, travel, and Disney pics haha!



I forget to say before-- I LOVE THE THEME! This is one of my favorite Pixars so far. Love it!!! Mood Monday-- so cute!

Yes, joy is definitely one of my ruling emotions. But I could have more in my life. I'm an artsy person, and haven't found my outlet down here. Up in GA I was very involved in the theater scene, but I have no connections to it now so that "brain/personality trait island" (or whatever it was in the movie) is suffering. I am thinking of learning our DSLR and maybe getting into photography. I don't know, but I think more creativity in my life could definitely bring me more joy and as a result help me be more active! As for food--- Mamaattorney said it perfectly below--- this... all this exactly! Only problem is-- I have a large, close family which lends itself to a lot of joyful eating situations!

Welcome back! Photography is a great hobby!! I'm terrible at it but I always have fun wandering around the neighborhood taking photos of things from odd angles.

Ha ha... I wouldn't normally consider myself a celebratory eater but yesterday I went to a birthday dinner for my Sister. We ended sitting on the bar for an hour waiting for a table, and you know you can't sit in a bar for free so I ordered a martini and we got an appetizer, then for dinner I had salmon and then just a couple bites of the ice cream and brownie dessert. I ended up burning thru most of my weeklies, even tho I had managed to save 20 of my dailies for dinner. The scale didn't look too bad this morning, so I've got my fingers crossed that not a lot of damage was done.

Although I think most people would say I'm a happy person, outright Joy is an emotion I actually struggle with. I have had a lifelong fear of something bad happening if something too good happens... I believe this is from growing up in an alcoholic household. So I'm fearful that if I open up into complete joy, I'll get karmically kicked in the gut. I think it's also why I love WDW so much, as once I get in to the Disney bubble I feel safe and can be happy, and sometimes even joyful. This upcoming trip I plan on getting up early and walking around Hourglass Lake, partly to get my steps in but also as a morning meditation to really set the day up right and fully embrace where I sm and how fortunate I am to be there.

I think you have an excellent morning meditation plan there!

I am honestly a pretty moody person and can cycl through lots of different "ruling emotions". However, joyous occasions plus food go together for me all the time and it's very frustrating. And it's not always my choice. Sometimes I just get stuck with it. And I don't have enough will power to resist.



Congrats on your awesome start to the week! Things can only get better from here!

I wish they would invent a will power pill because I could use some too!

This is going to sound really terrible, but I'm going to say it anyway:
Joy does not exist in my life. I'm not saying that because I want people to feel bad for me or anything ... that's just how it is. Sometimes there's a little bit of temporary joy, but it doesn't last very long. That's just how my brain is wired, and I've learned to live with it.
Since joy isn't a prevalent emotion in my life, I don't really need to worry about being a joy eater, which I guess is a good thing. I'm an emotional eater in general, so I'm guessing that if I was someone who was really into celebrating things, I'd be really into

I don't think it sounds terrible at all. It sounds like someone who really knows who you are. In fact, it reminds me a lot of my husband. I'm glad you can experience temporary joy (as can he); I think it can be tough to live in a world where happiness is the expected emotion when you are just not feeling it.

Yes! I am Joy I think that does not come through here all the time, because this is more about my struggle with my weight, but honestly, even that is not that joy depleting for me. I am at a healthy weight, just not a number that makes me happy. But, it doesn't make me sad, either its are a combo of anger and disgust (but at the scale, not myself). I think it is fine to celebrate with food, but not to overdo it, and not celebrate everything with food. I handle special events by enjoying the foods available within reason, but making sure my meals before and after are healthy choices and lighter.

As for things to make my life more joyful, this was probably the biggest switch for me, and the reason I finally found success 6.5 years ago when I first lost all my excess weight. Exercise makes me happy. I definitely get the runners high But I love all different kinds of exercise. When I am feeling down or stressed, I try to get in extra exercise instead of eating away my negative emotions, which I do a lot more lately unfortunately. It all goes back to the shift I had made way back when, but seem to have lost in the last year or so. To me food needs to be a fuel source, not a bandaid for sadness or stress. I need to think of the positive of food, not the negatives. So, I need to think that all the fruits and veggies I eat keep me healthy and energetic, and not think that I miss having a pint of ice cream every day. That wouldn't fuel me. I am trying to focus on the good, not dwell on the stuff I miss. When I was more successful than I have been lately, I did not deprive myself of things I love, I just tried to eat limited portions occasionally of those things, and it was enough. I had a 1/2 cup of ice cream most nights. I still got my beloved ice cream, just not a carton at a time

This is an awesome inspirational success story! I want exercise to make me happy.

Hi! I don't post much but I've joined these challenges in the past and found the accountability and the support SO helpful! They've ALWAYS really worked for me and I'm back in to get back on track!

I started working from home a couple of months ago and with that change the pounds started to creep on. I'm around all the food in the house all the time and I'm more stationary (don't have to walk to catch the train, etc.) All of a sudden our May Disney trip is just days away and ack!!! My cute mickey shirts and bottoms don't really fit so cute anymore! So it's a wakeup call to get organized and reverse course. I've started exercising regularly again and filled the house with healthy things and if I get started now, maybe by the next trip my tummy won't poke out so much in my favorite Disney shirts!!

I want to lose 5 pounds this month. Can't wait to join everyone!!

So happy to have you with us! I hope you chime in now and again as you make those 5 pounds disappear!

I am so glad! This movie has done wonders for children and understanding emotions, especially with psychologists and parents that may need a little help. I read on one of the threads (can't remember where) that they bought the entire series of plush toys from the movie so the kids could use the toy to talk about their feelings!

That chart was amazing!! I'm also really glad you are with us again! We need maintainers and losers alike here!!

 

[DisPup75]

Ruling? I dunno it's there but while I'm mostly content I don't think joy rules over. I have a lot of joy just I don't like to dwell on it because then I'm waiting for the next big joy. I guess I take things as they come as often as I can. Now with my anxiety disorder sometimes thoughts on future really get me wound up so I'm really trying to change that and be more present in the moments I'm in at the time. I think that really does increase joyful moments. So I'd just keep doing that. I'm finding some joy in working out because my friend and I have been meeting at the gym. We had gotten into a rut where we didn't really see each other much so its been nice and we are both enjoying it.

I'd guess we are celebratory eaters in my family. I usually handle special events/holidays by keeping low calories or very healthy clean stuff in morning and leave room for trying a bit of everything I want. I also do like others and fill up veggies and fruit first and then bits of other stuff that I like.

Good advice on produce first! Wishing you lots of joy.

I'm curious how hot May is going to be. We've booked our days at the water parks and the night at the actual theme parks. It's a very different trip from our December vacations - the humidity and heat are bothersome for us.

That is good planning - we didn't do that last week since the parks weren't open all that late and it backfired. I ended up in urgent care after an attack of heat exhaustion. Not the way to spend the middle of your WDW vacation but the unexpected heat/humidity was just too much for my bog girl self. Stay hydrated!

Hmmmmm... very interesting questions! I can be accused of being negative.... I never think I'm _____________________ (thin enough, smart enough, outgoing enough, patient enough, etc) and I am certainly NOT that person who is perpetually HAPPY and PERKY that makes you think of JOY... but that being said, I do have a tendency to be almost OVERLY optimistic, especially in the face of difficulties. I never imagined anything other than a good outcome when BOTH of my parents went through cancer treatments. Sure I was stressed and worried and did a lot of praying.... but in my MIND I never imagined anything other than full healing. So rather than say I am ruled by JOY I would say I am ruled by excruciatingly improbable optimism!

To make life more joyful I try to plan FUN and adventure into everyday life as often as possible.... a fun themed meal at home, a weekend of little adventures, a card game before dinner.

I try to NOT be a "celebratory eater" but it does happen. Especially if it feels like a "special" time, like my weekends away with DD! That being said, I try to find a way to fit that celebratory eating into my WW plan.... I still track and try to have reasonable treats (like a lowfat fro yo cone versus a sundae made with premium hard scoop and lots of toppings). I am at a point in my life where I truly EAT TO LIVE and not LIVE TO EAT, and as such food decisions to not generally dictate what I do, where I go, etc. And I can have a great time in a special place but have a brown bag turkey sandwich and an apple for lunch and STILL enjoy the day.

If it is a truly special day (holiday or wedding or such) I will do usually do an EITHER/OR food choice.... prime rib instead of chicken breast OR dessert....not both. Mashed potatoes with gravy OR pumpkin pie....not both.

If it is a celebration when/where it may be appropriate to bring a dish to share, I try to always bring a big healthy green salad and/or fruit platter so that I always have SOMETHING that I can fill up on if the rest of the choices are way off plan.

BTW..... I never answered the "first Disney memory" bonus QOTD yesterday! My first trip (to WDW) was in the first week of December 1974. And I DO have memories of it (although I think we only spent two days at MK) and it was truly MAGICAL. My grandparents had already been to WDW a few times and my grandfather was truly enthralled with it. He was a bit of a "Walt Disney" type himself..... self-made man, inventor, creator, self-educated. I visited with my parents, my younger brother and my grandparents. It was my FIRST time out of New England, my first plane ride, my first hotel stay. To say it was MEMORABLE is an understatement. I can literally remember laying awake most of the night before we left, staring at my Disney alarm clock for HOURS! The excitement was absolutely immeasureable!

My most specific memory is from the Stretching room at the Haunted Mansion. I was terrified of the dark as a young person and when the lights went out (for just a moment), I thought I "lost" my Mom and I was absolutely scared to death! Still not a fan of the dark and NOT a big HM fan..... in fact, DD has never been on it and as such I haven't been on in a while. But we may remedy that when we are at DL in September!!

The best thing..........I have HOME MOVIES of my first trip!!! Yes, they are silent and not super high quality.... but how WONDERFUL they are!! We actually have even have home movies from the Skyway!!..............P

Those home movies must be amazing! I hope you give HM another chance is Disneyland. Is is such s great rides,

I normally don't like the heat and humidity until now. After having this weather since October I am ready for some heat and some time outside without freezing. I am starting to think summer is never coming.

It will show up!

 

[HappyGrape]

For all calorie counting Epcot cava del tequila fans - guilt free Epcot inspired drink

Melon (I used galia but any will work), juice of one lime, little pink rock salt optional and some ice. 30 seconds in my fruit ninja. Mine came at 70 calories and packs SOOOO much freshness and flavour. It feels like margarita little. Just you feel better after drinking it!

If you have the extra calories add some avocado!

Oh man!! I forgot to say chilli! Add tiny bit of fresh chilli for bit of a heat! The magic is in the chilli

 

[HappyGrape]

QOTD - May 2

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Good morning! Welcome to your first "Mood Monday!" Let's talk about JOY today.

Is joy one of your ruling emotions? Are there things you do or would like to do to make your life more joyful? How does joy factor into your diet and exercise routines? Are you a celebratory eater? How do you handle special events, holidays, and other joyful eating opportunities?

On holidays historically yes it did. We go to minimum of 3 weeks holidays per year and when you add December parties it's really over a month. When you add that I get in holiday mood few weeks before and few weeks after. Not good. I used to view holidays (vocations as you guys call them in US) as opportunity to eat and enjoy life but in reality I would eat and when I come back it will be hard to go back to normal and I would feel tired, and annoyed that it's hard and not that much enjoy life to be honest! I decided that this isn't working for me and I need to eat to enjoy life, in way to allow me to enjoy life not to live to enjoy food.

Next test is first week in July we have a holiday in Spain planned and I plan to eat healthy and enjoy myself and the knowledge that my behavior supports my long term goals and vision of who I truly am.

I will need more cheering this week. I cleared out my wardrobe from few years ago. It was a mess and it needed sorting. It made me realize that there is still some way to go. While mentally I am back to normal, I eat well, I exercise, I feel happy. I crave healthy food. Still one month can't undo year and half worth of damage and I need to keep the focus. The scale is starting to be slow to move as well adding to the challenge.

But I am trying to focus on the fact that I am happy with the way I live, and I am not dreaming of ice cream or pizza but salads and watermelon, that many of my clothes fit better and I consistently and easy maintain small calorie deficit every day. That I enjoy my walks and workouts. And that someone that live in way to support their long term goals will get there - I just need to be patient.

 

[HappyGrape]

In way I am in better place then ever before as I no longer dream of ice cream cookie sandwich in front of the castle to make my day perfect, but exited about feeling good about myself and stocking up on tons of fresh fruit and veggies in publix. I am trying to choose ADRs that give value to my health and not good value on dinning plan, I used to dream about cocktails in Epcot - now I feel happy with glass of prosecco.

it just will take time for the physical changes to reflect my behavior. Unfortunately half of my clothes will remain packed away for another few months

 

[4Mickeys]

Hi Samantha! Are you sure you are not me? Same age, same former skinniness, same teetering on the edge of Onederland/Obesity weight which must mean the same height.... If you are as obsessed with avocados as I am, I'm convinced we are the same person.

I know its so funny isn't it - and yes I do love avocados - just had some in a nice healthy super yummy pulled chicken soft taco - these are the latest obsession in our house