Spring into a New Beginning- APRIL 2017 WISH Lifestyle/Weight Challenge

[Lady Marie]

Now that April has official begun let's all take a moment to get to know each other. Introduce yourself and to shake things up tell us you favorite Disney memory, it could be anything from your first trip to Disney World to watching a Disney movie that inspired you. Also, please share your goal for the month, anything that may get in your way and how you're going to overcome it.

I'm Patricia- living 3 hrs south of WDW and trying to live the Florida life haha! I've been on the WISH board for a while now and hit a plateau. I am finally seeing new results as of last month. I was just mulling this over this weekend, actually. I was thinking what a waste it is spending money on Orange theory when I can literally do almost all of that stuff at home with my equipment. BUT I don't-- and apparently I have to pay for them to motivate so so be it! I can live with that.

My goal for this month is going to be 7 classes (I did my 8th already the last day of March). I am seeing changes and I like it! So I'm going to power through. I am going to up the classes next month, but I am in Orlando this month for a total of 11 days (split over two trips) and I just don't want to put too much pressure on myself this month.

Fave Disney Memory: I can't pick one. I have two. One silly sentimental, one super sentimental.

Silly: Last Memorial Day, DH and I were about to head home and decided to pop over to AK for a little bit. Preface: I LOVE Splash Mountain and the Uncle Remus tales (I know there is controversy, but I don't mean written in dialect. There are versions out there that aren't and are just great funny stories). Anyway, Brer Fox was randomly meeting guests out front and I literally ran to go get in line to meet him. His handler was saying he was leaving soon, and I was getting so nervous I wouldn't get a picture so when he finished with the last kid, I practically begged to grab a quick picture. He must've sense that I was about to leap out of my skin with excitement, because he took me by the hand and ran over to a bench with me away from the crowd. He sat us down and we had a "conversation" about Brer Rabbit and took some great pictures. I was 27 but felt 5 again. I even cried. So magical.

Super Sentimental: Our last night at Tokyo Disney. Riding Sinbad's Storybook Voyage over and over again. A CM noticed and handed me a card that had an explanation of the ride and the words to the song in English. On our next go on the ride, we were singing along now (some was already in English), as was another little girl in the boat but in Japanese. So we were all riding and singing along and smiling. I don't know but in that moment I really felt how Disney magic literally transcends cultural and language barriers. It's universal magic. And the song's message made it that much more so perfect:

"Life is the greatest adventure, There is no map, there's no chart.
But if you seek life's great treasure, follow the compass of your heart!"

Ok, choking up just thinking about it..... On to the next question!

Just like Walt, where we grew up can affect us for the rest of our lives. How does where your from affect you? Maybe you're from a region that eats lots of fried food or maybe from where hiking is a way of life. Do you still live in that kind of area or have you moved on?

Bonus question- Where were you born?

HA! This hits the nail on the head! I was born and raised in South GA-- and we like to fry it up! I am trying so hard to learn healthier ways to cut back on oils in my life. However, I did get out more because we had seasons there. Fall, Winter, and Spring were lovely times to be outside. Now living in South FL, we have two seasons: "Hot as Heck" and "Sun Surface" ..... I hate going outside now. That's one of my problems with being active now. Another reason why going to an indoor air conditioned gym is absolutely necessary to getting me moving!

 

[dsnyfn1022]

I forgot to reserve my spot this weekend so I am in for the month! I'm going to combine the QOTDs with my little intro and goal.

I'm Paige. I'm 24 and live in KCMO (born and raised) with my kitten child named Nancy. I have maintained a weight loss of 40 pounds for a little over a year now. I'm not at my goal weight but I'm finding it hard to continue on the path that I'm going so I'm switching things up a little bit. Previously, I was doing WW which is a fabulous program that has taught me the value of eating healthy and choosing fruits and veggies more frequently. However, for me personally I have found that it promotes binge eating in me and doesn't support my exercises in the way that I'm looking for.

I think that my geographical location hasn't influenced much in terms of my unhealthy lifestyle previously. It's more or less been the habits of my family that have influenced the bad habits. But I'm in control of my habits now so I can't really go around saying that anymore.

My goal for the month is to hit my macros +/- 3 for 20 days this month. It'll be a little bit of a challenge while I'm still getting it all figured out but will be totally worth it.

 

[Flossbolna]

QOTD:

I was born in Munich in Germany. When I was 9 we moved to the countryside. And for me this move definitely affected who I am. I was a shy kid and already slightly chubby and also very good at school. When we moved to the countryside, I stood out as the city kid who did not speak the dialect. And my shyness was often interpreted as me being arrogant and the good grades did not help either. Today you would say that there was quite a bit of mobbing going on. That was when I turned to food as comfort when I was feeling sad and lonely. And the chubby kid became a fat kid. Took me a long time to break that habit - until I returned to Munich where I went to university.

 

[Oneanne]

Hello, Lizanne here: I'm a singleton of a "certain age" and I've struggled with my weight for most of my life. Right now I am at my all time heaviest and am fighting my way back to a weight where I am more comfortable.

My goals for April: to lose 5 pounds, preferably before I head down to Texas in two weeks, and to maintain this elimination diet eating plan for 14 days... I am currently on day 6.

Favorite Disney memory: there have been a lot of happy moments but my second trip, when I took my Niece when she was 11, is a standout (so much so that I'm pretty sure I've told this story before). I had given her the Disney World for Kids book and told her to pick three things in each park that she really wanted to do and then after that we'd just explore. One of her choices was Space Mountain: the wait time when we got there was about 30 minutes, we spent the time in line gabbing away. Then up towards the top she starts to notice kids around her age bailing out of line and walking back down out of the ride... we kept chatting... kids kept bailing... she kept watching. Then when we got to the warning sign saying "if you are pregnant, have a heart condition etc you should not ride..." she turns to me with a grave look on her face and says "I have a condition and can't ride." "Really, what, you're Mom didn't mention anything." "Tennis elbow." Truth be told the sign freaked me out too, but we'd been in line so long I made her ride it - she loved it and I hated it.

Where am I from: I am a native Washingtonian, I was born in the most southwestern corner of the state in a little fishing village called Ilwaco. At the time I think the population was around 500 and it is still under 1000 today. My Dad was a teacher in the high school, and we stayed there until I was five (this is where I go when I need beach time). Then we moved to Bellingham, a college town up north about an hour south of the Canadian border and where there for several years while my Dad worked on his Master's degree. After that we moved down to and settled in Seattle. The Pacific Northwest is certainly known for seafood, but I don't remember my Mom cooking a lot of it, other than salmon every now and then. She had the classic seven dish repertoire of things like meatloaf and mashed potatoes, tuna noodle casserole, hamburger paddies with mac-and-cheese, Jell-o salads. These days the region is deep in to the farm-to-market movement, has lots of farmer's markets, and there are lots of great "foodie" places to eat.

Random other stuff: The elimination eating plan is going well. I stuck around the house over the weekend, days four and five which are generally the hardest days, so I didn't throw any public temper tantrums or punch anyone. I am feeling better, the puffiness in my ankles has finally cleared, my skin seems clearer and the bags under my eyes are greatly reduced, all nice benefits. I'm concerned about not eating enough so today I brought a large salad for lunch, with some salad dressing I made myself, which actually turned out good.

Friday night I went to the viewing of 'Embrace' which I found really thought provoking, and I'm still thinking about it and processing. The movie was shown in a yoga studio that I'd been curious about, and it turns out to be something that will fit me perfectly, plus I chatted with the Nutritionist about doing a series of appointments. In the past the Nutritionist and Yoga gal have doe a six week program together and thought they would be putting one together soon, so I'm looking forward to signing up for that.

We were also blessed with sunshine yesterday with more going on today, such a nice relief.

Happy Monday everyone.

 

[iivye]

I'm late to the party but definitely in for April.

I'm Ivy and I am from the St. Louis area. I started running in January and now have running fever. I have one daughter, a 13 yo, who I'm trying to get into running and she reluctantly agreed to do a little but is not totally on board with my new hobby. My husband participates in all the races I sign us up for but we train separately so I'm mostly solo. I'm no where near my goal weight but I've decided to take a step back from the scale and concentrate more on increasing my activity and making better food choices.

My goal for the month is 65 running miles and 45 biking miles. On Saturday I did a 5k race and on Sunday I did 9 biking miles so I'm off to a good start. Looking forward to a new month and better weather!

Favorite Disney memory - I never went to Disney when I was a kid and I've only been once with my family last year so not a lot of park memories. We have done 6 Disney cruises and I would say my favorite Disney memory would be the first cruise we took on Thanksgiving about 5 years ago. There wasn't one specific event but just the trip in whole was the best family vacation we have ever had and it really hooked us on Disney in general.

 

[piglet1979]

My favorite Disney memory is from my first trip with the kids (my second trip). My daughter was 4 at the time and love Tangled. I think it just came out that year. Now this trip I made several mistakes since it was the first one I was planning. I talked to my boss several times about rides and meet and greet since he had gone several times. The one mistake I did not make was getting to Rapunzel at rope drop. We still had a little bit of a wait but not long. At this time she was meeting next to the castle where brave meets now. When we got there she went to color since Rapunzel wasn't out yet. When she arrived I pointed her out to my daughter. She stopped coloring got in line and never took her eye off of her. She also had to take her hair out of her ponytail to show Rapunzel how long her hair was. It was just really cute. This is dad with my daughter.





My other favorite memory was from this trip too. My son was 5 at the time. We saw the princesses right after Rapunzel and my son was not happy about it. Cinderella was first. He told Cinderella that he was only doing this so he could do what he wanted to. Cinderella told him that he needed to see the princesses so he could find his princess. He was hooked after that. To this day he loves to see the princesses.



This is the two of them having the conversation.

 

[MommaoffherRocker]

I would much rather be on the outskirts of the country.

I totally agree with you, I love being on the outskirts.

And then the CMs made some weired signs with their hands and we realised that they were asking if we wanted to go again. There was no one in line. We road three or four times in a row before we felt too dizzy to do it again.

Hahaha We had this happen once on EE and it was awesome!!

Now living in South FL, we have two seasons: "Hot as Heck" and "Sun Surface"

I can so relate (even though I am sure being 5 hours south of me makes it even worse!) Are you still liking Orange Theory? I might get around to trying it this summer when there are no races on the schedule.

I have maintained a weight loss of 40 pounds for a little over a year now. I'm not at my goal weight but I'm finding it hard to continue on the path that I'm going so I'm switching things up a little bit.

Even though you are finding things hard right now it is still amazing that you have lost 40lbs and kept them off for a year!! Good luck with switching things up this month

That was when I turned to food as comfort when I was feeling sad and lonely. And the chubby kid became a fat kid. Took me a long time to break that habit - until I returned to Munich where I went to university.

Food is soooo easy to turn to and once you create that habit it is so hard to break.

I stuck around the house over the weekend, days four and five which are generally the hardest days, so I didn't throw any public temper tantrums or punch anyone.

I LOL'd at this one, I get that way when I try eating less. I get so mean, DH is like please eat a cheeseburger.

I'm Ivy and I am from the St. Louis area. I started running in January and now have running fever. I have one daughter, a 13 yo, who I'm trying to get into running and she reluctantly agreed to do a little but is not totally on board with my new hobby. My husband participates in all the races I sign us up for but we train separately so I'm mostly solo. I'm no where near my goal weight but I've decided to take a step back from the scale and concentrate more on increasing my activity and making better food choices.

Running fever is a for real thing! Just wait until you do your first runDisney race

My favorite Disney memory is from my first trip with the kids (my second trip). My daughter was 4 at the time and love Tangled. I think it just came out that year. Now this trip I made several mistakes since it was the first one I was planning. I talked to my boss several times about rides and meet and greet since he had gone several times. The one mistake I did not make was getting to Rapunzel at rope drop. We still had a little bit of a wait but not long. At this time she was meeting next to the castle where brave meets now. When we got there she went to color since Rapunzel wasn't out yet. When she arrived I pointed her out to my daughter. She stopped coloring got in line and never took her eye off of her. She also had to take her hair out of her ponytail to show Rapunzel how long her hair was. It was just really cute. This is dad with my daughter.

View attachment 229076



My other favorite memory was from this trip too. My son was 5 at the time. We saw the princesses right after Rapunzel and my son was not happy about it. Cinderella was first. He told Cinderella that he was only doing this so he could do what he wanted to. Cinderella told him that he needed to see the princesses so he could find his princess. He was hooked after that. To this day he loves to see the princesses.

View attachment 229077

This is the two of them having the conversation.

I have had the best meet & greets with Cinderella! That picture of the three of them is adorable



Well DD5 with the stomach bug now has 102 fever, I did not see this coming I am really praying no one else gets this. Is it just me or have the illnesses been really bad this year?! I am off to to check on her, have a good rest of your day!

 

[#17 Cherry Tree Lane]

Hey ya’ll! My name is Katie. This is my first time ever participating with a monthly challenge but I’m excited! I figure I’ll just do my intro and the daily quotes in one post


My goal for April is to finish Whole30 (I’m currently on day 3), drink at least 100 oz of water a day and hit my step goal at least 5 days out of the week The water intake is definitely my biggest struggle but since starting Whole30 on Saturday I’ve actually been drinking a lot more. Here’s to keeping it going!


For my favorite Disney memory, it would have to be when we took our daughter to Disneyland this December. She was finally tall enough to ride on Splash Mountain. She was so excited, told everyone in line it was going to be amazing. She was so happy when we were in the log…until we went down the drop. Now she tells everyone the ride is fun but much too splashy. Next time we’ll bring her a poncho if she insists on sitting in the front!


I was born, raised and still live in Phoenix, AZ (though I’ve moved around the valley tons and even to Southern California when hubby worked for Disneyland) The only thing regionally that really affects me is that there is an abundance of Mexican food choices. My biggest issue is that my husband is an executive chef so food is life for him. Every decision is based around food. It actually kind of makes me resent food and cooking a lot of the time. Which then just translates to getting something quick or easy and hasn’t been healthy. I’m actually doing this improved healthy lifestyle solo so that's going to be the hardest challenge for me.


Thanks for letting me join the challenge!

 

[Oneanne]

Hey ya’ll! My name is Katie. This is my first time ever participating with a monthly challenge but I’m excited! I figure I’ll just do my intro and the daily quotes in one post


My goal for April is to finish Whole30 (I’m currently on day 3), drink at least 100 oz of water a day and hit my step goal at least 5 days out of the week The water intake is definitely my biggest struggle but since starting Whole30 on Saturday I’ve actually been drinking a lot more. Here’s to keeping it going!


For my favorite Disney memory, it would have to be when we took our daughter to Disneyland this December. She was finally tall enough to ride on Splash Mountain. She was so excited, told everyone in line it was going to be amazing. She was so happy when we were in the log…until we went down the drop. Now she tells everyone the ride is fun but much too splashy. Next time we’ll bring her a poncho if she insists on sitting in the front!


I was born, raised and still live in Phoenix, AZ (though I’ve moved around the valley tons and even to Southern California when hubby worked for Disneyland) The only thing regionally that really affects me is that there is an abundance of Mexican food choices. My biggest issue is that my husband is an executive chef so food is life for him. Every decision is based around food. It actually kind of makes me resent food and cooking a lot of the time. Which then just translates to getting something quick or easy and hasn’t been healthy. I’m actually doing this improved healthy lifestyle solo so that's going to be the hardest challenge for me.


Thanks for letting me join the challenge!

Welcome! I'm currently doing a modified Whole30... it's going to be a Whole14, because that's all I can get in before I go on vacation. Beware of days 4 and 5... they can be really bad , but you'll get thru it.

 

[piglet1979]

Well DD5 with the stomach bug now has 102 fever, I did not see this coming I am really praying no one else gets this. Is it just me or have the illnesses been really bad this year?! I am off to to check on her, have a good rest of your day!

I hope she feels better soon. It always stinks when the kids are sick. The illnesses have been horrible up here in Ohio. We have stayed around 30-50 degrees all winter. The Lake Erie never even had any ice on it. Normally we hit below zero and that kills the viruses. Luckily we have only had colds here but it is still running rapid in the schools so hopefully we can survive the rest of the year.

Hey ya’ll! My name is Katie. This is my first time ever participating with a monthly challenge but I’m excited! I figure I’ll just do my intro and the daily quotes in one post

Welcome!

 

[MommaoffherRocker]

Hey ya’ll! My name is Katie. This is my first time ever participating with a monthly challenge but I’m excited!

happy to have you joining in!!

I hope she feels better soon. It always stinks when the kids are sick. The illnesses have been horrible up here in Ohio. We have stayed around 30-50 degrees all winter. The Lake Erie never even had any ice on it. Normally we hit below zero and that kills the viruses. Luckily we have only had colds here but it is still running rapid in the schools so hopefully we can survive the rest of the year.

Thanks, I think you're onto something with it being warmer than usual. Her fever got scary high last night but after we gave her Tylenol it came down and she wanted to eat again. Thankfully she is much better this morning.

 

[MommaoffherRocker]

​

After 4 years in Marceline Walt's father, Elias, decided to move the family to Kansas City. Their life there was very different from their life in Marceline. Elias became a distributor for a local newspaper. Walt and his older brother, Roy, went to work for their father. Delivering newspapers was hard work and Elias was very strict about how it was to be done. Unhappy with Elias, Roy eventually left home (the third son to do so because of their father). This made things even harder for Walt. Even though things were hard for Walt he found ways to amusement himself. He put together his own circus parade after watching the real circus come to town. When his little sister was sick he would draw to lift her spirits. He would also play tricks on his parents. On time his mother answered the door and started talking to a nicely dressed woman. After a minute she realized it was Walt in her own clothes!!

Just like Walt's work delivering newspapers, sometimes our healthy lifestyles can be hard. Instead of Walt letting it get him down he found ways to have fun. What do you find to be the hardest part of a healthy lifestyle and how do you have fun?

Bonus question: What was your first job?

 

[Flossbolna]

Just a very brief check in! I am off to stay overnight with an old friend from university before I am all day at a course tomorrow. But wanted to say hi here in order to get some motivation that my night out with my friend does not turn into something bad for the scale!

@#17 Cherry Tree Lane to the challenge! We are happy to have you here!

Bonus QOTD:

Easy to answer therefore only the bonus, not the real one (which would require thinking, not time for that now): I was helping out in a factory that was making souvenir plates for all kind of sights around Germany. I was glueing the hooks onto the backs of the plates so that you can hang them on the wall. I learned a lot about German gegography because we had stuff from all over the country and I wanted to know where all theses places were.

 

[Oneanne]

QOTD: For me the hardest part of healthy living is consistency... I'm not a good food planner so often end up shoving the most convenient thing in my mouth and I'm not a good cook so I also eat out a lot. I can "diet" for a while, but haven't succeeded in turning that effort into an on going lifestyle change because I get to feeling better and lose focus.

First job... very first was picking strawberries when I was in about the 4th grade. The berry farm would send a bus in to town and we would ride out to the fields and pick all day, scooting around in the dirt. I "got" to spend my earnings on my new school clothes in the fall... a pretty good deal for my folks, but it made me quite proud. First as a semi-adult would have been in high school when I did commercial sewing for a company that made high performance hiking and mountain climbing gear. I was quite adept at getting the zippers properly sewn in to the curved front doors of the tents.

 

[piglet1979]

Thanks, I think you're onto something with it being warmer than usual. Her fever got scary high last night but after we gave her Tylenol it came down and she wanted to eat again. Thankfully she is much better this morning.

The high fevers can be very scary. My son on a few occasions has gotten to 105. Thankfully he doesn't get sick often because he always spikes high fevers like this.When he has fevers like this I have to give him Motrin and Tylenol alternating between the two every 4 hours and he never gets below 101-102. The last time he got this fever was over Christmas 5 years ago. He had strep and then ended up with scarlet fever.

I hope today is much better and her fever stays down.

Just like Walt's work delivering newspapers, sometimes our healthy lifestyles can be hard. Instead of Walt letting it get him down he found ways to have fun. What do you find to be the hardest part of a healthy lifestyle and how do you have fun?

Bonus question: What was your first job?

The hardest for me is working out. I have to make a point to get up and walk during the day while at work and to go to the rec in the afternoon. I have made it fun by either playing pokemon while walking outside or watching TV shows while on the treadmill. These TV shows I only watch while working out so I am more excited to go. I have finished season 1 and 2 of how to get away with murder and I am almost done with the first season of the crown. Once I am done with the crown I will watch the 3rd season of how to get away with murder.

My first job was babysitting. I started babysitting when I was 11 or 12 and babysat until I got engaged. Sometimes I still miss it. The last 2 girls that I babysat (more like their nanny) are graduating high school now. Other then babysitting my first job with a paycheck was McDonald's.

 

[dsnyfn1022]

Just like Walt's work delivering newspapers, sometimes our healthy lifestyles can be hard. Instead of Walt letting it get him down he found ways to have fun. What do you find to be the hardest part of a healthy lifestyle and how do you have fun?

Bonus question: What was your first job?

I like following healthy accounts on instagram and getting inspiration from those people. Both BoPo babes as well as flexible dieters, bikini competitors, WW folks, etc. It's nice to see what people are eating, doing to work out, etc. The hardest part for me is staying motivated! So for me, that's fun.

I worked at Best Buy from the age of 16 until 21 when I got the job I'm at now. I quit for 2 months in the middle to go to another retailer that I won't name because I absolutely hated working for them. Gave them same day notice, quit that job, and went right back to working at Best Buy. It was an awesome place to work at. The atmosphere was fun. Full of nerds like me. I really came into my own there.

-----

So this is my only full day completely off plan and I'm still trying to make decent choices. I'm making choices where I feel pretty comfortable saying "could have been better, could have been worse". Which I don't love but I have to remember that tomorrow I'll be right back to it. And I did work out this morning. It wasn't my normal work out, only 30 minutes on the elliptical. There were no dumbbells or anything. So weird. Anyway, ready for it to be Wednesday!

 

[MommaoffherRocker]

What do you find to be the hardest part of a healthy lifestyle and how do you have fun?

The hardest part of living healthy is watching everyone else get to eat what they want. I know they aren't necessarily healthy but I want to be able to do that and look good!!! To make it more fun I will have a cheat meal where I don't care about calories every once in awhile and I run Disney races because they are so much fun and a great way to keep me exercising.

My first job I guess would technically be working for my dad. He owned his own business pulling the fiber optic cables through new buildings. I had totally forgot about doing this until writing the question for today but it was so much like Walt. My brothers and I were forced to do it because he was short handed and it was hard work. I did get paid a little bit. The first job I got on my own was working at Wendy's. I hated it and I didn't last more than a couple months.

 

[MommaoffherRocker]

I was helping out in a factory that was making souvenir plates for all kind of sights around Germany. I was glueing the hooks onto the backs of the plates so that you can hang them on the wall.

This so tedious and yet so fascinating at the same time

For me the hardest part of healthy living is consistency... I'm not a good food planner so often end up shoving the most convenient thing in my mouth and I'm not a good cook so I also eat out a lot.

I have a problem with consistency too. I like to be fly by the seat of my pants type person but that doesn't translate well for weight loss. I have started keeping the prepackaged cocoa almonds near by so I have a snack while making last minute meal plans.

I have made it fun by either playing pokemon while walking outside or watching TV shows while on the treadmill. These TV shows I only watch while working out so I am more excited to go. I have finished season 1 and 2 of how to get away with murder and I am almost done with the first season of the crown. Once I am done with the crown I will watch the 3rd season of how to get away with murder.

Those are great ways to make it fun! Having something to work forward can make all the difference. I have heard great things about The Crown I might have to check it out.

I like following healthy accounts on instagram and getting inspiration from those people. Both BoPo babes as well as flexible dieters, bikini competitors, WW folks, etc. It's nice to see what people are eating, doing to work out, etc. The hardest part for me is staying motivated! So for me, that's fun.

Everytime I watch biggest loser or similar shows it always pumps me up to lose weight so I can see how following healthy social media would be fun and motivating!!


DD5 is almost back to normal this afternoon, she is acting normal and her fever is low grade now. I think one more day out of school and she will good as new! Now I'm off to disinfect the entire house...

 

[#17 Cherry Tree Lane]

What do you find to be the hardest part of a healthy lifestyle and how do you have fun?

It's a combo of both the cost of healthy food and feeling overwhelmed by everything. We've been struggling financially for a couple of years so it's literally been buy to survive. And the cheapest foods are not the healthiest. We're finally to a point where we have some slight breathing room, hence finally doing whole30. However, personal hurdles are always just myself self sabotaging because I don't think I can do it or I'm not worth it. I'm trying to not do that! It helps I have a sweet little cheerleader that reminds me of why I'm doing this journey. I haven't really gotten the fun part of the journey down yet but I'm working on it.

Bonus question: What was your first job?

First real job was working at the local movie theatre. I did ushering, concessions and box office. I miss free movies, that was a great perk.

 

[ski_mom]

I"ll just in again. I'm Becky from central Illinois and have been on and off these threads for a little over a year now. I've been having a rough year getting into the swing of things for some reason. I did well the first half of last month, but then really fell off at the end. I have nothing to do but try again, so here I am.

I'll jump in with today's question - I feel the hardest part is planning. I love eating healthy foods, but I have a hard time planning what to eat and preparing them. Honestly, the time I did the best with losing weight, we were eating out about 4 times a week because DS was playing in an indoor soccer league and we eat out after all of his games. I was looking online for whatever restaurant we chose and choosing something healthy and within whatever calories I had left for the day. It amazed me the good choices I had everywhere we left. I learned that there was something I could eat almost no matter where it was.

At this point, the hardest part of my eating day is lunch. I work close to home and come home most days for lunch. For some reason, I've been making terrible choices even though I have good stuff available. It's maddening.

Bonus question: My first job (besides babysitting) was at our local dime store. It was on our small town main street. I loved working there. We had a bulk candy bin and I thought it was so much fun weighing out the candy the customers chose. I was probably about 15 when I started there.