Jiminy's June 2015 W.I.S.H. Weight Loss Challenge!! Any and All welcome to join!!

[Flossbolna]

Oops! Sorry that the multiquote made my reply so big!!

I had an ok day yesterday. I tracked everything, including the two snacks that were over the limit. But I also found out that last week while in vacation I gained 73 activity points. Especially hiking up 2000 feet to a spectacular waterfall on one of the port days added a lot of points (30.000 steps and 260 staircases on my fitbit!). Still, I did not step on a scale. I hated my result before vacation so much that I don't want to see the current number. I will continue to do my thing to lose weight and not look at the scale, but measure my success by how well my clothes fit.

The back is starting to improve, I hope I am fit enough to restart my exercise program by the weekend!

 

[Rose&Mike]

I PASSED my exam this morning! What a RELIEF! I honestly had no right to pass it considering that I didn't actually learn anything - I only crammed.

I also ate so stupidly all weekend because I was completely stressing myself out about this test. So, gotta get back on that horse AND start studying the next course for my September exam. Perhaps I will behave more responsibly this time. You know... create and follow an actual schedule to cover the material and possibly even learn something this time... Yeah. We'll see.

I missed it--what are you going to school for?

I'll be honest, I thought about knocking him down and force feeding him a box of Little Debbie cakes. I'm taller than he is and, now that he's lost 7 pounds, I outweigh him. I think I could have done it. And while I'm not unhappy for him, I would be happier if it were me.

I've wondered if my metabolism is just too old. I'm not posting the exact age because I'm in denial but in less than a month I'll be turning a certain age, there's a 0 and a 5 involved.

So I am not quite to 50 yet (48 in Sept) but I have gone through menopause already--boo! Sounds like a good thing, but really it's not. Anyhow, having said that things definitely change metabolism wise but it is still possible to lose. Here is what I have found:
1. I have to exercise. I have to. I cannot lose if I don't. I cannot live off of 1200 or less calories today and when I exercise I do eat back some of the activity calories.
2. I still eat carbs, but I try to eat more good for me carbs--like fruit. Or a baked potato loaded with vegetables and cheese (yes cheese )
3. I have to track. Before I could do it on portion control but I can't anymore. I have to track and I have to be pretty vigilant about it.

fwiw--My DH is 6'3" and less than 15% body fat. He is very thin and very healthy. It depresses the crud out of me that I once again weigh more than he does. But I try not to let that be the reason I throw in the towel.

You can do this!

****
Sorry for disappearing. Crazy couple of days. Didn't do great with the food but I am down over 3 pounds for the month!

I had a job interview Monday and a job interview last Thursday.
Plus last Thursday we got a new foster dog. I don't think he has lived indoors before. He is not house trained and he has been a handful. But he was on the list to be euthanized so I am glad we could help out until he finds a forever home. His sponsoring agency is in PA so in a couple weeks he will be going up north.

Sorry the pictures are so big.
The other two dogs are ours.

Anyhow, I am keeping up with my exercise (despite the nasty heat) and ran 3 miles with the dogs this morning.
Doing ok, with the food. Still slowly going down so I will take it!!

 

[ohMom]

Morning all! Sorry that this will be quick fly-by hello and QOTD as I am running a bit late!

Here is your QOTD for Tuesday, June 16, 2015:

Night owl or early bird? Night owl by design, early bird by Addison's disease

Pink or red? Pink

Mexican or Italian (food)? Mexican all the way

Walking or running? Powerwalking

Coffee or tea? Both, cup o'joe in the am with splash of creamer, decaf iced tea in day, hot tea in winter

Movie or book? Both! As family we love movies, but I read at bedtime each night

WDW or DL? Haven't been to DL yet, DH and I will go soon in future

Cat or dog? Dog

Adventures or relaxing? Paced adventures followed by recovery relaxing

Camping or fancy hotel? Fancy hotel

Mickey or Donald? Mickey

Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks? Starbucks

City or country? City

Traveler or home body? Traveler

 

[JacknSally]

I missed it--what are you going to school for?


I had a job interview Monday and a job interview last Thursday.
Plus last Thursday we got a new foster dog. I don't think he has lived indoors before. He is not house trained and he has been a handful. But he was on the list to be euthanized so I am glad we could help out until he finds a forever home. His sponsoring agency is in PA so in a couple weeks he will be going up north.

Just wanted to say 1) congrats on your job interviews, and I'm sending pixie dust your way! and 2) THANK YOU for being a dog foster! As someone who got her baby from a shelter, I truly appreciate the time and energy you put into giving this puppy a home until he can find permanent parents, instead of letting him be put down. We hope to have enough house and land one day to be able to foster a TON of dogs!

 

[Connie96]

I missed it--what are you going to school for?

I'm working on the CPCU (Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter) certification through my job. I don't really need it for my position but, there are some very nice incentives so, I decided to go for it. There are 8 courses to complete the certification and I only just barely eeked out a pass on the first one. So, I'm gonna try and actually learn stuff for the second one. As it stands, I'm planning to do two courses per year and should finish in the fall of 2018. I'm not in a hurry because I don't want to burn out before I finish.

For each passed course, I'll get a one time bonus check ($200!).
For completing the certification I'll get a small, permanent salary increase.
For completing the certification, the company will pay for me *and my DH* to travel to the CPCU Society annual meeting for my conferment ceremony AND every third annual meeting after that. I'm not sure where it will be held the year I finally finish but it comes around to HAWAII and ORLANDO regularly. So, yes, I'm mostly in it for the free vacations!

The incentives are pretty dang good because it's a tough certification so, I should probably start taking it a bit more seriously.

 

[tsme]

I'm at a loss. I use to be so active, loved to workout, watched and wrote down everything I ate, and was 40lbs lighter. Now I can't even seem to start. I know what I should do, but instead I hide in my room most of the time, I'm embarrassed to go back to the gym, I hate going anywhere because I can see the look of "OMG, look how much weight she gained" on people's faces, and I look horrible in clothes. I have no desire to workout at home either, guess I've become lazy. And every night, I say to myself tomorrow I'll do better. The next day I make until 10ish, then I break and eat junk. The funny part (no so much) is I won't even eat a meal, just junk. Also, I've hit that age where things start to slow down & I'm very short, so every pound shows. Plus, when I have tried and made it thru a week, I'd barely lose a pound. Oh and I also have a husband who sneezes and loses 10lbs. He has now loss some weight from not mowing down ice cream at night, but still eats large plates of food & chips. He saying look I'm getting rid of my tummy (which was never existing anyway). So depressing, I want to hit him (kidding, sort of). I know this is one big pity party paragraph. I'm sorry. I just don't know how to motivate myself to follow thru & do something, without giving up or sinking into a depression. I love disboards, everyone is always so nice and helpful, I thought maybe someone would be able to say something that would snap me out of this.

 

[bearybubba]

Well forgot to update for last week but I gained 4lbs. Beyond frustrated too. But I'm going to keep plugging away!

 

[SarahDisney]

I put my answers to the questions in purple ...

Night owl or early bird? Neither - I used to be a night owl, but it's getting harder for me to stay up, and I'm not getting up any earlier

Pink or red? Pink

Mexican or Italian (food)? Mexican (I just had some for dinner on Sunday!)

Walking or running? Both ... but more running right now

Coffee or tea? Both

Movie or book? Book

WDW or DL? WDW for the overall experience, DL for the parks

Cat or dog? Neither. Not an animal person

Adventures or relaxing? Depends on the day

Camping or fancy hotel? Running water (aka fancy hotel)

Mickey or Donald? Mickey

Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks? Starbucks. I find DD coffee undrinkable most of the time.

City or country? City

Traveler or home body? Homebody, but I do wish I traveled more

Kind of a boring day for me. The cable guy came today to run wires up to the 2nd floor and basement, so we now have cable in the room with the treadmill ... I would celebrate that by taking a walk on the treadmill, but we don't have a good TV stand yet (the TV is sitting on boxes), and I don't want to be shaking the floor. So I'll have to "celebrate" when our new TV stand comes next week.
I actually had a really nice lunch - pan roasted vegetable wrap with babaganoush. Of course, I had an Uncrustables a few hours later, but ... that was the last of the Uncrustables and we're not buying more any time soon.
No exercise yet today, but I haven't decided if I want to try to squeeze something in before bed or just take it as a rest day - I am planning a 62 minute run tomorrow morning, so a rest day is okay with me.

I've been skimming through posts but haven't really had time to read/comment - I hope everyone is having a good month, and for those who aren't, try to stick to it, start with small changes, and know that we're all rooting for you!

 

[JacknSally]

Sigh. We had lots of errands to run tonight and by the time we were done, we were too tired to cook, so we got Mexican. planning on doing as much as possible on the treadmill in the morning to make up for it! Really hope I didn't put back on those 2lbs and then some!

 

[pjlla]

Morning all! Once again I must tell you this will be a fly-by post and QOTD. But I MAY have time during the day today to pop on and say hello. Teaching 4th grade and then home for a quick dinner before we head back to school for Spring Sports awards night, so another go-go-go type of day.... but ONE WEEK left of school, so the end is in sight! And DS starts two days of finals today and then he is DONE!................P

 

[pjlla]

Your QOTD for Wednesday, June 17, 2015:

We are all really good at negative self-talk..... TOO GOOD in fact. We talk to ourselves (both out loud and in our heads) in a way that we would NEVER talk to our friends and loved ones. We lament about our size, our wrinkles, our curly hair or straight hair (cause no matter WHAT you got, you want the other!!), our acne or freckles (or both), our lack of "willpower", our forgetful nature, our sloppiness.... whatever it may be, we are HARD on ourselves!



Today we are going to celebrate the GREAT things about us and SHARE it here with friends. Don't think of it as bragging, think of it as positive feedback to ourselves! So list the top 10 GREAT things about yourself!! Ready.............GO!

 

[finny1981]

Your QOTD for Wednesday, June 17, 2015:

We are all really good at negative self-talk..... TOO GOOD in fact. We talk to ourselves (both out loud and in our heads) in a way that we would NEVER talk to our friends and loved ones. We lament about our size, our wrinkles, our curly hair or straight hair (cause no matter WHAT you got, you want the other!!), our acne or freckles (or both), our lack of "willpower", our forgetful nature, our sloppiness.... whatever it may be, we are HARD on ourselves!

View attachment 103616

Today we are going to celebrate the GREAT things about us and SHARE it here with friends. Don't think of it as bragging, think of it as positive feedback to ourselves! So list the top 10 GREAT things about yourself!! Ready.............GO!

Wow this is hard for me, but
1. Work Ethic - I am a very hard worker and I am at work everyday 15 minutes early, I only miss work if I can't get out of bed (happened one time in the past five years) or if I have sick kids like when both daughters ended up with pneumonia at the same time. Even then it is PTO time so I never really miss any work that I don't rightfully get off anyway.

2. My kids - ok this is sort of not about me, but at the same time I have raised four insanely great kids who are respectful, smart and loving and I would like to believe that it comes from how I raised them, so it really is about me.

3. Giving nature - I am a giver and would much rather give something to someone than get something for myself

4. Organization - Ok this is a double edged sword, but I am super organized which is sometimes an issue, but most of the time is a wonderful thing!

5. Cooking - I am an amazing cook, too good for my own good a lot of times, but I love to try new recipes and find things we all really like.

Ok I will be back later when I think of 5 more things lol

 

[pjlla]

Hey! I'm here with a computer for 10 minutes! And it just dawned on me that I never posted a progress update on Sunday or Monday! I'm so sorry! If I have any other time on the computer while I'm here today I will DEFINITELY get that done....otherwise it will be done tonight!

Trying to catch up here too! BB in a minute with replies!.....P

 

[pjlla]

I actually don't have any tips for this issue, as I've yet to pull myself back up! I have motivators for losing the weight (like I can't sit AND breathe at the same time in my wedding dress! ) but haven't made much progress yet and have a hard time bouncing back when the scale doesn't change because it's so discouraging. So I allow myself one splurge night because I'm discouraged... which turns into more because, well, if I've already had one... And I wonder why I even bother getting up and wasting time on the treadmill or walking outside, because it's hard and hot and not making a difference. So I'm excited to see others' tips on this! I've tried putting pictures around of myself from when I weighed less as goals, or hanging the clothes I want to fit back into in plain sight so I can keep my goal in mind, but when you're making changes and they aren't working, it's really frustrating!

Squeezed in 20 minutes on the treadmill before work this morning. The plan is to fit in a 30 minute session with Daily Burn when I get home and do some weights sometime before I go to bed. Hopefully that will get accomplished. I'll be ok with just getting the weights in, but I feel like I need to ramp up my cardio.

We've got our first wedding shower this Saturday, so I'm really worried about staying on track... DH2B's family is hosting a couple's shower, and because it's the in-laws I don't want to not eat their food! But on the other hand, I don't do well with large groups of people focused solely on me in a setting like that, so I probably will be too anxious to eat haaaahaha. We'll see how it goes! Maybe I'll step up my game this week in anticipation. I didn't get in any treadmill time yesterday but I did mow the yard yesterday morning, so that counts, right? LOL.

You can DEFINITELY stay on track during the shower! You will be so busy greeting people and being the center of attention, there will be little time to "nibble" mindlessly! Enjoy the day, the company, the gifts, and being the BRIDE!! Have fun!

Thanks for the encouragement Pamela. Think I will try to keep up with it all but if I don't post progress at the weekend I won't worry so much knowing that I've put it out there that I'm struggling to check in. Thanks for being so understanding. Today has been a better day as i managed to fit a walk in the park in this morning and eating is on track so far today. Just taking it one day at a to and trying to stay on course but between wedding plans and caring for my mum and working I've been known to throw in the towel and order carry out (more than once last week)! Resolving to eat home-cooked food at least 6 days this week and trying to plan better. Looking forward to reading everyone's tips later in the week . Thanks again

Don't forget, your home-cooked meals don't need to be Martha-Stewart worthy!! Sometimes a nice soup and sandwich or whole wheat pasta with a nice sauce is good enough.... especially if it means that you will eat and OP meal AND save some money!

My "go to" meal on Tuesdays (when I work late) for DH and DS is a crockpot of frozen meatballs (found a reasonably healthy brand that isn't TOO expensive) with sauce and a side of steamed broccoli. SUPER fast and easy and they love it. Sometimes DS will grab a roll or some bread and make it a meatball sub, but more often than not they just eat the meatballs and sauce in a bowl. I'm not interested in meatballs so I don't care that I miss it.... and the bag is just the perfect size to split between two hungry men with no leftovers to worry about!

Sometimes little things can remind us that just the smallest change can make a difference. A reminder that just one or 2 days of good can really have an effect. I have only been back "on plan" for 2 days, but today can easily button a pair of shorts that were just a bit too tight to button last week. Not because I have lost any weight but because I am not bloated like I was. Just a few days of better eating makes a big difference right away. So don't worry about the long term, jump right back on the wagon and know that even a small setback is easy to counteract.

THANKS so much for that reminder!! You are SO RIGHT!

I know what it feels like to hit rock bottom. How I get out and push forward is Thur my DH,DS and awesome friends. I post on Facebook and they are my cheerleaders/support team. If I fall behind or start to give up, they turn into my coaches. I find it very helpful to be able to talk and get advice. Sometimes I need to be yelled/pushed lol. Having a group like this helps a lot.

That is what makes this group so wonderful! There is always someone around to offer support, encouragement, suggestions, etc! And that is what makes a real WW meeting so great too..... so many ideas, so much feedback!

Sometimes I need to ask hard questions here or make strong suggestions.... but it is always meant with the most sincere love and dedication to our group! I want us all to be winners on this journey!!

***********

Out of time for now! Try to BBL to catch up more!.......P

 

[JacknSally]

The top 10 list will definitely take some pondering today, so that will have to get done later. But I am proud to say that, despite my splurge last night, I weighed in another 2lbs down today! That's 4lbs down from the beginning of the month, so 40% of my goal!!! It sounds small but I AM STOKED!

 

[bearybubba]

So I just weighed myself and I lost 7lbs since last Friday! It has to be water weight, but I will take it!

So the 10 things that are GREAT about me:
1. (Going to 'steal' from finny1981) - Work Ethic: I just had my review at work yesterday and the best compliment I got was that I work as though I own the company and as my boss says, "Employers strive to have those kind of employees".
2. (another 'steal' from finny) - Giving person: My husband and I were not able to have children so we LOVE to spoil our friends' kids. We also do Operation Shoebox each year and instead of doing 1 or 2 boxes, we do 6: 1 for each gender and age group 'cause we can never decide who should not get a box..
3. Great friend: I think my friends feel lucky that I am their friend because I would do anything for them.
4. Determined: Even though I have many, many obstacles and challenges in my life, I am determined not to let them define who I am. And I am determined that I am going to run that Jingle Jungle 5K in a few months and cross that finish line!
5. Walt Disney World lover: Even though I HATED WDW on my first trip in 1987, I'm so glad that I gave it a second chance! This trip in November will be my 10th and it keeps getting better and better. It lets me be the kid that I never got to be...

That's all I can think of right now. Beside I probably should get some work done today!

 

[dsnyfn1022]

I love the QOTD! Sometimes when all you do is think negative things about yourself it starts to feel like bragging or arrogance to actually think positive things about yourself.
1. Cooking skills - I bring meals from home for lunches at work and it never fails that someone smells it while I'm microwaving. They're always shocked when I tell them it came from my house!
2. Good listener - I don't judge and I truly listen to what people say. I offer advice if they're seeking it but don't insert myself where I don't belong.
3. Work ethic(stole from finny too ) - when I first started my current job my boss told me to brand myself and make sure that everyone knows my name and I've spent every day since then doing this! I even got an award in March!
4. Curly hair - As pjlla said as a kid I HATED my curls. They were different from everyone else's hair and all I wanted was straight hair. Now that I'm older I love my curls! So convenient and they're easy to style.
5. Smart - I got my undergrad degree in 3 years.
6. My eyes - Another one about my looks but I always get compliments on my eyes. They're probably my favorite feature.

....I think I'm tapped out for now! Thanks @pjlla for this!

 

[EvieBug]

Your QOTD for Wednesday, June 17, 2015:

We are all really good at negative self-talk..... TOO GOOD in fact. We talk to ourselves (both out loud and in our heads) in a way that we would NEVER talk to our friends and loved ones. We lament about our size, our wrinkles, our curly hair or straight hair (cause no matter WHAT you got, you want the other!!), our acne or freckles (or both), our lack of "willpower", our forgetful nature, our sloppiness.... whatever it may be, we are HARD on ourselves!

View attachment 103616

Today we are going to celebrate the GREAT things about us and SHARE it here with friends. Don't think of it as bragging, think of it as positive feedback to ourselves! So list the top 10 GREAT things about yourself!! Ready.............GO!

Can one of my top ten be how great I am at negative self talk? No?

1) I'm strong. Physically, emotionally, mentally. I've been through quite a lot and am still standing, and I consider that a victory.

2) I made great kids! (I know some of that is genetics and what not but I am taking some of the credit!)

3) Brains. I'm smart, and actually am probably smarter than I give myself credit for.

4) Crafty - I love to do crafty stuff, and especially love to give my projects to people I love!

5) Detail oriented and organized - as someone upthread mentioned, this can be a double edged sword but it serves me in a positive way more often that not.

6) Sense of humor - I can make people laugh. That brings me a lot of joy. I ADORE making my husband and kids laugh.

7) I have nice eyes!

8) And nice legs!

9) Independent - I have always been determined to do things myself, my own way, etc. I can take care of myself (even if I don't ALWAYS want to).

10) Determined - I can be a slow starter, but once I set my mind to things I get the job done!


PS - this was a great QOTD - and a really challenging one. It says something that I struggled to do a list of 10! Ask me about my best friend or my husband or my kids and I bet I can do the list faster than I did my own. Something for me to think about.

 

[EvieBug]

I am being awful about keeping up in here but I am happy to report 4lbs down! 2 lbs remain for me to hit my goal by the end of the month. Fingers crossed!!


Also a tip - squeeze in some stretches or strength moves at times while doing other things! I do plie squats or calf raises while brushing my teeth or doing dishes. It doesn't make a big difference in my fitness level I am sure, but it has become a habit and that is half the battle!

 

[Connie96]

I'm at a loss. I use to be so active, loved to workout, watched and wrote down everything I ate, and was 40lbs lighter. Now I can't even seem to start. I know what I should do, but instead I hide in my room most of the time, I'm embarrassed to go back to the gym, I hate going anywhere because I can see the look of "OMG, look how much weight she gained" on people's faces, and I look horrible in clothes. I have no desire to workout at home either, guess I've become lazy. And every night, I say to myself tomorrow I'll do better. The next day I make until 10ish, then I break and eat junk. The funny part (no so much) is I won't even eat a meal, just junk. Also, I've hit that age where things start to slow down & I'm very short, so every pound shows. Plus, when I have tried and made it thru a week, I'd barely lose a pound. Oh and I also have a husband who sneezes and loses 10lbs. He has now loss some weight from not mowing down ice cream at night, but still eats large plates of food & chips. He saying look I'm getting rid of my tummy (which was never existing anyway). So depressing, I want to hit him (kidding, sort of). I know this is one big pity party paragraph. I'm sorry. I just don't know how to motivate myself to follow thru & do something, without giving up or sinking into a depression. I love disboards, everyone is always so nice and helpful, I thought maybe someone would be able to say something that would snap me out of this.

I don't know what to say to help you "snap out of it" but, I can tell you that I know EXACTLY the feelings that you're talking about.

My suggestion... take it however you want because I can't tell you that it's magic or whether it even works for me because I am still struggling with food and such, too... Pick one thing and do that one thing every day. Don't try to change everything all at once and don't let the scale decide if you're successful or not. Focus on one behavior. My one thing is getting 10k steps a day. If 10k is too much of a change, you could pick 6k or 8k or anything. Do you have a fitbit? We could be friends on fitbit and help cheer each other along. (Did you know that if you have an iPhone5s or later, all you need is the free fitbit app to take advantage of step counting?? You don't even have to buy a fitbit gadget!)

Other than that, I'm still struggling, too, but, I'm starting out by giving myself credit for doing SOMETHING! So, pick your one thing and pat yourself on the back for doing that one thing. After a couple weeks or even a month, maybe add one more thing.

Hang in there, hun!