Marching Our Way to a Healthy Lifestyle ~ March 2016 WISH Challenge

[tortilla24]

Let me know if you need help - I'm happy to help provide food options or ride planning.

Thank you, I'll let you know!

 

[PoohBelle]

What is your favorite holiday? If you’re not a big holiday person, is there a day of the year that is extra special to you (birthday, anniversary, kid’s birthday, etc)?​

How do you make Disney part of your holiday (and non-holiday) celebrations?​

Apologizes for the absence. I'm just going to jump back in rather then trying to catch up.

Favorite Holiday is a tough one for me now. I don't really get excited about them much any more. Maybe Easter because of the meaning and the songs.

I do love my Disney Christmas ornaments though. I have a bunch and especially a lot of Pooh Bear ones. My Mom has bought me a new one for Christmas each year since I was little and I still get really excited when I get it.

 

[dsnyfn1022]

This year it's December 9-16 -- but the last two years we have had to go Christmas week because of finals weeks. I love going when we do because it's the lull between Thanksgiving and the Christmas crowd showing up as we bounce. Christmas week is HORRIBLE. Anything after the 16th is death and you want to cry as to how crowded it is. You're literally walking shoulder to shoulder on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Always book the dining package! We go off the schedule from the last year and put 3 days between when we wanted to see the announcers so that as they're announced we can pick the better of the two. This year we're doing Tutto Italia Ristorante for the package, but in the past have done Tokyo Dining, Marakesh, and Coral Reef. All options are delicious with plenty of food. I think the 4:30 time put us perfect for the second show, which allowed us to do some character meet and greets and be back in time to our favorite viewing area for Illuminations with a Croque Glace!

Our Candle days this year are December 12 and December 15. Identical touring schedules planned until we get the announcers. Standard dinners will be at 6:30 with the Candle dinners at 4:30 (which ressies for these open in August).

Thank you for all that info! We're going to be down there Dec 2nd - 9th so we'll just miss each other! But I loooove that time frame too for the same reason. The weather is nice and the crowds are awesome! I think we're going to be doing Rose & Crown because we love the fish and chips at Yorkshire and my DH isn't an adventurous eater. I wondered about the timing too so thank you for the the tip! We'll be looking at the dining packages for the 4:30p dinner and the second show. Last year we were down there when NPH was. Fingers crossed he's there again!

 

[courtneybeth]

Last year our family went down to DW from Dec 18th through the 23rd.

We were also there December 18 - December 23, but shifted dining plans to see Daniel Dae Kim! We were at the Contemporary resort for our last on-property experience!

Congrats on the 45 pounds of WL. You probably already see it in your recent photos.

I'm just going to jump back in rather then trying to catch up.

This is me on weekends. I'm like "nope, just jump in last page".

! We'll be looking at the dining packages for the 4:30p dinner and the second show. Last year we were down there when NPH was. Fingers crossed he's there again!

I hope you get lucky too! Sorry we'll just miss you.

 

[Dr Gunnie]

We were also there December 18 - December 23, but shifted dining plans to see Daniel Dae Kim! We were at the Contemporary resort for our last on-property experience!

We went with the Beach Club and we really liked the location. Our room was right on the corner closest to EPCOT, so it literally took us about 3 minutes to walk from our room to the EPCOT gates. It was a great experience, but we haven't done the Contemporary yet and I would like to stay there at some point.

 

[mamattorney]

Wildcard Weekend – Friday March 25th:
​

What is your favorite holiday? If you’re not a big holiday person, is there a day of the year that is extra special to you (birthday, anniversary, kid’s birthday, etc)?
How do you make Disney part of your holiday (and non-holiday) celebrations?​

My favorite holiday is Christmas - I just love the whole season. They can't put Christmas music on the radio too early for me. @Flossbolna - your comment about everyone wanting to keep their childhood traditions is so interesting to me. There is only one small part of our Christmas celebration that bothers me and it's the one tiny piece that is unlike how I celebrated as a child! When I was a child, we used to open presents from our family (brothers, sisters, mom & dad -- basically anything not from Santa) on Christmas Eve. I loved it. It was a quiet evening at home and made those presents more special because they weren't part of Christmas chaos. My husband disagreed and said all presents should be opened on Christmas since they are Christmas presents. Since he had no traditions (he's Jewish), I figured I'd give him that one little concession, but even though we've done it this way for 13 years, it still bothers me!

Weekly Challenge – Week 4:

We’re introducing something new this month – weekly challenges! Every Friday I’ll post a challenge, and you’ll have until the following Thursday to answer the challenge. Challenges are about sharing with your fellow participants and bringing everyone closer to your favorite parts of living a healthy lifestyle.

Thanks to all those who participated in last week’s challenge – I know this was a tough one for many of you, but I did enjoy seeing a few people post great workout outfits/components!

This Week’s Challenge:
For our final challenge of the month, we’re going a bit freeform.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines healthy as “in good health” … but what exactly does that mean? Healthy can mean something different to each of us – and we each need to focus on what healthy means to us individually. The dictionary cannot define our quest for a healthy life (and apparently it doesn’t even try) – only we can do that.

This week’s challenge is all about you and what “healthy” means to you. Is it fitting into your wedding dress or tux? Learning how to plan healthy meals? Running a goal race? Seeing a number on a scale that you haven’t seen in 20 years?

Share a picture that represents your view of healthy – or what you want your “healthy” to look like!

Challenge Due Date: Thursday, March 31st ​

I'm so excited to answer this question. I haven't participated in any of the challenges and this one just happens to fit in with a discovery I made this week. I'm always reading about where you carry your weight is very important and that it is so vital for your health to reduce your waistline. I believe that women's waists are healthiest at 34 inches or below. In my 20's my waist was always between 27 and 29 inches. Not tiny (I've been overweight almost my whole life). Then I had kids, then I gained a ton of weight, etc. I've been losing weight since July of 2015 and I've come a long way (with a long way to go) but I keep feeling that I'm not adequately losing weight in my waist. For some reason, it's been really bothering me.

Two days ago, on a whim, I changed the measurement page of MFP to "all" instead of "1 month" and I realized that I took a measurement of my waist when I started on my journey to lose weight. I had completely forgotten that I had done that. Now remember, I sill have 60+ pounds to lose before I even reach a healthy BMI, but I realized that, since I started on this, I've lost 9.8 inches in my waist - a 20.4% reduction. I was so excited to see that. I AM making progress! So, while this isn't what healthy looks like, to me this is what represents the long road to healthy for me. Someday soon, I will see the number 34 or maybe 33.75 on this progress page and THAT, to me, means healthy !

 

[courtneybeth]

Weekly Challenge – Week 4:

This week’s challenge is all about you and what “healthy” means to you. Is it fitting into your wedding dress or tux? Learning how to plan healthy meals? Running a goal race? Seeing a number on a scale that you haven’t seen in 20 years?

Share a picture that represents your view of healthy – or what you want your “healthy” to look like!

Challenge Due Date: Thursday, March 31st ​

2 years ago I was 215 pounds. Today I am at 145 and working every day to further tone and condition my body so that I won't get to that point again.

It IS possible. It's a lot of work but YOU ALL CAN DO IT TOO.

(Pic is from last weekend's terrible race in Dallas - in pain but I don't care. Poor shoes RIP.)

 

[Flossbolna]

@mamattorney I am glad my story related to you! And by the way, here in Germany, and I think in most of continental Europe, Christmas Eve is present day. I think the morning of Christmas Day tradition is British and was exported from there to the USA.

 

[Flossbolna]

Hello!!!!!!

Did I kill the thread? No one checking in in over 12 hours?

Hope you all have a great start to the Easter weekend. I made my meal plan - it is not going to be the easiest weekend for eating. And the shopping is mainly done, too. So, I should get going and get some stuff done. Have spent far too much time hanging out on the computer already... Someone mentioned screen time as an unhealthy pattern and I think that is indeed one, that I can work on.

 

[Oneanne]

One more Friday check-in:
I've been super stressed at work lately, my job grew is scope quite a bit a couple weeks ago due to the restructure.

Weekly Challenge – Week 4:

We’re introducing something new this month – weekly challenges! Every Friday I’ll post a challenge, and you’ll have until the following Thursday to answer the challenge. Challenges are about sharing with your fellow participants and bringing everyone closer to your favorite parts of living a healthy lifestyle.

Thanks to all those who participated in last week’s challenge – I know this was a tough one for many of you, but I did enjoy seeing a few people post great workout outfits/components!

This Week’s Challenge:
For our final challenge of the month, we’re going a bit freeform.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines healthy as “in good health” … but what exactly does that mean? Healthy can mean something different to each of us – and we each need to focus on what healthy means to us individually. The dictionary cannot define our quest for a healthy life (and apparently it doesn’t even try) – only we can do that.

This week’s challenge is all about you and what “healthy” means to you. Is it fitting into your wedding dress or tux? Learning how to plan healthy meals? Running a goal race? Seeing a number on a scale that you haven’t seen in 20 years?

Share a picture that represents your view of healthy – or what you want your “healthy” to look like!

Challenge Due Date: Thursday, March 31st ​

Healthy to me is freedom of movement, sustained level of energy, youthfulness, happiness... And being able to wear cute clothing!

We took a group picture at work yesterday, the first pic I've had since losing weight. I definitely look smaller, and the top I was wearing is another one for the recycle bin, as it obviously doesn't fit any longer.

I got my one-derland reward yesterday... Didn't think one syringe of filler was going to be enough but man what a difference. 10years and a perpetually cranky face gone in minutes. I'm currently waiting for my flight, my super early in the morning flight, and the start of one and a half weeks of not weighting and being in a totally different eating environment. I'd like to stay even, but would also be OK with just a couple pounds gain.

 

[dsnyfn1022]

I'm so glad so many of you found the nutritionist tips helpful (or at least interesting) too! She just forwarded us a few more documents, so here are some other things I found enlightening.

She's coming at this from a nutritionist "this is how to help your body be as productive and healthy and purposeful as possible", not as a "this is how to lose weight fast" standpoint. But, obviously, if your body is working the way it should, you'll probably drop some weight.

• So much of this is psychological. Take your serving of food and put it on a giant plate. Take the same serving and put it on a smaller plate. See how much bigger it looks on the smaller plate? It's the same amount - it's just all in your head.
  
• Eat throughout the day.
• Keep your foods simple. If there are ingredients on the box that you can't pronounce, it's probably not the best for you.
• It's ok to eat the "bad" foods every once in a while.
• The 51 day thing? The more fast food or highly processed foods you're eating, the longer it takes to leave your body, and the less likely it becomes that it will leave your body completely.
• Harsh cleanses, juice cleanses, salt water cleanses, etc. might make you feel good that day or the next day, but it basically shocks your system. It's not jump-starting anything. If you want to cleanse healthily, incorporate lots more fiber and lots more leafy, green things into your day. Every day.
• Meats like fish take roughly 20 minutes for your body to process. Red meat can take up to 6 hours to process.
• The glycemic index is super important. If you're going to eat something with a high glycemic index (like rice or other heavy carbs), then you want to pair it with something with a low glycemic index (like spinach or kale or something along those lines) to avoid the sugar spike and the subsequent crash. 55 is the magic glycemic index number - foods that are under 55 make you feel fuller longer and makes you "less hungry" through the day.
• The low-glycemic foods are also anti-inflammatory foods, so you might notice that increasing the intake of those foods helps with joint pain or swelling, or especially headaches.
• You shouldn't eat high carb foods after 4pm because of how your body processes them. Not sleeping well at night? It might be because you're eating too many high carbs too late in the day. Also, when you eat high carb foods, make sure to eat them WITH a low carb food to help balance those carbs.
• Green beans have more calcium than milk.
• Spices are your friends. Cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, cloves, rosemary, and thyme are big in antioxidants and are anti-inflammatory.
• You. Need. Good. Fats. Don't be afraid of things like coconut oil, peanut butter, chia seeds, flax seeds, olive oil, walnuts, avocado... you need those fats. You just don't need a ton of them. Roughly 30-35g per day, but keep it to 5g per serving.
• Did you know a banana is really 2 servings? You should only eat half of it at a time because it's so high in carbs. Eat half, set the other aside for 20-30 minutes, then eat the other half. You'll feel fuller longer and you avoid the blood sugar spike.

Servings:

• Low carbs - 1/2 cup per serving, 6 times per day - pair with a protein and a fat
• High carbs - breakfast and lunch only, 1/4 per serving - pair with a low carb
• Vegetables - 1 cup per serving, 3-4 times per day - pair with anything or eat solo
• Fat - 5g per serving, 6-7 servings per day - protein fats (like peanuts) can be eat solo

If anyone's interested in the food lists as far as WHAT to eat, or what to eat with what, let me know and I'll post them or PM them to you. @dsnyfn1022 she lists a lot of things to eat for breakfast that aren't your typical eggs-pancakes-bacon-sausage type of foods!

I'd love it if you sent me that list!!

 

[dsnyfn1022]

Check in today - lost .5 pounds this week which puts me at 85% to goal. Im happy that I lost anything to be honest. It was a really really bad weekend

I'm committed to making this weekend successful! I've planned out breakfasts, lunches, and dinners and snacks and I'm not allowing us to eat out. The only "splurge" meal I have is going to be Easter dinner. I'm going to stay within my weeklies and not go over. I want to end this month at 100% and I can't do that if I spend the majority of the week losing what I'd gained over the weekend!

 

[mamattorney]

My check in: I lost 1.7lbs this week. That puts me at 8.2lbs total and 82% of the goal.

 

[JacknSally]

So last night I signed DH & myself up for a 5k in June! It's the Color Buzz 5k... I don't think it's a real 5k like we need to be super concerned about times or anything, and there's no medal, but it looked like a lot of fun and there is a t-shirt so. The photos make it look like it's basically a giant walking rave there's black-light paint and foam and stuff like that. It just sounded fun, and I figured fun would be good for a first 5k.

@dsnyfn1022 I'll send you that list today!

 

[courtneybeth]

I figured fun would be good for a first 5k.

Run if, if you can, to see if you like the ambiance and the vibe of a large group running party. This will help determine:

1. If you even LIKE running events
2. Where is your base for time (ie: this is the slowest you'll ever be so use this as a base line for improvement)
3. How you handle the distance.

You'll probably be like "ugh, what the eff did i do?" at mile 2, but by mile 3 you'll be loving it. So excited for you!!!

 

[JacknSally]

Run if, if you can, to see if you like the ambiance and the vibe of a large group running party. This will help determine:

1. If you even LIKE running events
2. Where is your base for time (ie: this is the slowest you'll ever be so use this as a base line for improvement)
3. How you handle the distance.

You'll probably be like "ugh, what the eff did i do?" at mile 2, but by mile 3 you'll be loving it. So excited for you!!!

I'm excited, too, honestly! I want to do a virtual one and get a medal. Just have to find a good one. DH is doing the color buzz with me and he can't run (he has bad knees) so I probably won't run that one (just push him to walk as fast as he can) but I'm going to look for another one for this year that I can try to jog.

 

[courtneybeth]

I want to do a virtual one and get a medal. Just have to find a good one.

The Harry Potter Running Club's Umbridge run!

http://www.active.com/hogsmeade-ga/...bridge-run-13k-or-until-it-sinks-in-2016?int=

 

[JacknSally]

The Harry Potter Running Club's Umbridge run!

http://www.active.com/hogsmeade-ga/...bridge-run-13k-or-until-it-sinks-in-2016?int=

I knowwwww but I don't want a pink medal!

 

[Dr Gunnie]

Weekly check-in:

I lost 4 lbs this week which puts me at 13 for the month. My goal was 14 this month, so I'm at 93% of my goal. Almost there!

 

[5xdisneyfans]

I am going to vent since my head is about to explode. I HATE holidays as of this minute. My mom is going to drive me mental! She obsesses over the food part which just makes me mad. I don't think a holiday and get together has to have the "perfect" foods and so much of it. I am so happy I am going away for Christmas this year. I love everything about Christmas but the family gatherings. I know it is not a good thing but I would be happy to be anywhere doing anything on hoildays with my DH and 3 kids. I sure hope I can calm down before tomorrow or I am going to flip out if she talks to me one more time about food!