Team Donald – Biggest Loser “No Excuses” 2012 Challenge

[GoofyPredsFan]

QOTD Friday March 16 Thumper from Bambi
"Eating greens is a special treat, It makes long ears and great big feet. But it sure is awful stuff to eat." I made that last part up myself.
How have you increased your "greens" since starting the challenge? (for us lets consider "greens" to be Vegetables and fruit in general) Have you got the same opinion as Thumper regarding greens being awful? Do you tolerate them, embrace them, continue to avoid them? Do you notice a difference in your success in a week if you conciously incorporate more "greens"?

I love greens, so I have tried to add a salad of some type in every day. When I do, I definitely notice a difference in my success. The problem is that in the winter, I feel like a salad is cold and I really crave warm foods!! So, as the weather is getting warmer I think this will get easier

 

[buzz5985]

For the QOTDs this week, I thought it would be interested to take a look at some of the characters that play a supporting role, a minor role or even a bit role in a Disney animated feature. Sometimes we can gleam quite a bit of wisdom from one of these characters if we take a moment to think about it.

QOTD Friday March 16 Thumper from Bambi

"Eating greens is a special treat, It makes long ears and great big feet. But it sure is awful stuff to eat." I made that last part up myself.

How have you increased your "greens" since starting the challenge? (for us lets consider "greens" to be Vegetables and fruit in general) Have you got the same opinion as Thumper regarding greens being awful? Do you tolerate them, embrace them, continue to avoid them? Do you notice a difference in your success in a week if you conciously incorporate more "greens"?

Thank you for coaching this week.

I try to have a huge salad and/or gazpacho in the fridge. We like our veggies.

Janis

 

[D73]

Well Done my friend!!! VERA is such a great treat!


I would go back to the 50's....poodle skirts and sock hops! I would also figure out how to buy some Disney stock while I am back there!!

Oooh yeah....I wish I had thought of that too! Smart!

Glad I could be of help!! I'm just beginning my "Dream Board" for my 40 things by age 40 and I love to look at it...so inspiring!!!
Dream Board are awesome things to have. This journey I am one should see me to a happier healthier me for my 40th. I hope to celebrate it at Aulani!! Though if I convince my family to have Christmas that year on board the Dream, that would trump my 40th in Hawaii....so it just goie son my to do by 45 list

I've never done HH and it looks like I just can't resist this week!!! I'm just about to clip coupons!!


I love greens such as spinach but I still have a tough time with lettuce. I like to eat it, but I HATE to make a salad. If somebody came here everyday and made me a salad I would eat it...happily! I do need more greens in my diet though...


WOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! Thank you for inspiring me to stay on my journey!!!


Look at you and the 40 pounds!!! You are on your way to those coasters!!! THANK YOU!! for being our coach this week
I am excited. It was so close last year when I tried to ride HP at IOA........if I was there now I imagine I could ride. But not stopping until I am sure!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Howdy Friday afternoon!

I finally finished my calls for today and have yet to get out of my pajamas! So much to do now before dinner with the girls tonight! Foodtown has Chobani on sale for $1 so I better get my butt over there before they run out! I also need to hit the gym. I have been a bad gym goer this week....lack of energy and just an ick feeling since yesterday. Ive skipped out on my WW weighin too

Ok, back on the wagon (again) and motivation for the rest of the day!!!

Happy OP Day Donalds!
~Karen

That's the nice thing about this wagon, the tail gate is always open and there are those that are riding in it to help pull you back on board. Just hold on. We got you!

Thanks for all the encouragement!!



WOOHOO on the pound!! Way to go!
And Happy Mother's Day to you!!

Funny thing, I was watching a couple Ellen Degeneres videos a few weeks ago. One was hugh laurie and they were playing a slang game. One of the questions he asked Ellen was what "Chuffed to bits" meant. She guessed it meant angry. I had no idea it meant happy, so I guess I actually learned something watching Ellen!




Glad you are off one of your meds and getting better!




Thank you!!
I am pretty strict with myself when it comes to calorie counting and snacking. I have been entering my calories on myfitnesspal everyday since January 16th!

With that said I definitely plan all of meals while I'm eating the current one or at least keep it in the calorie range if I haven't planned anything. Hopefully with Spring Break means more runs outside or bike riding!
Here's hoping for for blue skies, warm days and gentle breezes.
Skiing sounds like tons of fun!

That's awesome!! I'm glad you and your students are enjoying it! It makes me happy my hard Disney work is being appreciated by more than just me. We are on "68 wishes on a star" right now!



Thanks! Hope you start feeling better!

Apparently I didn't quote the post that said something about Newsies. Yes! I saw that they are putting it on Broadway now. I would love to go see it!

---
Well, I am officially on Spring Break.
A friend and I wanted to try this pizza place that is right beside the university so that is where we went for lunch. I was pretty dissapointed. The pizza was okay, but it was expensive. And I think pizza is one of those trigger foods for me that I just want to eat slice after slice. I had 2 small cheese breadsticks and a thin slice of pizza. I had half a salad with spinach, lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, and some olive oil vinegrette too. It was good.

I took some "before abs" pictures on Wednesday after my first 30DS workout. I plan on taking another set after or just before my half-marathon in May and comparing them to see how much I've progressed. Wished I would've taken some pictures in January.

Oh pictures of the before is such a good idea. I am never brave enough to take them as I have avoided the camera religiously for so long. I really should do this too though.

I have made a BIG attempt to eat more vegetables and it has made really helped me lose weight. For breakfast I keep a bowl of berries on my desk ... open so that I eat it before the mints I have for the kids. At lunch have a salad or a piece of marinated chicken with mushrooms or broccoli. And at dinner, a side salad with my veggies on my plate. I really am not a veggie person. My mom did have veggies for dinner at night, however, they were always out of a can. When I first tasted fresh vegetables cooked .... WOW!



Wow Christopher ... you have really inspired me here. Thank you! I too think this is going to be a really great week!

( ... and dag ... I am coaching in 2 weeks ... you are going to be hard to beat!)

Thank you for the encouragement. I hope I can do well enough to help the team. I admire you stepping up to tackle the merged thread.

I love greens, so I have tried to add a salad of some type in every day. When I do, I definitely notice a difference in my success. The problem is that in the winter, I feel like a salad is cold and I really crave warm foods!! So, as the weather is getting warmer I think this will get easier

Spring is coming spring is coming. Readily available fresh fruit and veggies on the horizon.

I'm a little behind this morning, but I have a few things I needed to post. (Excuse me for being a litlte selfish.)

If you haven't already, please read page 129 of the Team Mickey thread. There is a very important announcement from one of our Princess 2011 runners on it.

My doctor's secretary called this morning. She actually woke me up, but that was after a great night's sleep, so no harm done. He is fine with the med changes that I discovered as helpful and I couldn't be happier about it. My mom called this morning and when she asked, as usual, if anyone had called, I told her and she was very happy. My other doctor (I have 2 doctors and 1 APRN prescribing meds) called on Wednesday and said I could taper one of my meds. I had called to ask if I should refill it at the suggestion of my APRN and he was gungho about me going of it, just slowly. My nutritionist teaches my stress reduction class and she was very excited. I should probably e-mail her today's news now that I think about it.

Today is a Friday during Lent, which is always an OP day. I need to go eat breakfast and then I'm probably going to Target. I never made it there yesterday.

Have a great day Donalds!

Such great news from the doctor. I hope that this really helps you stabilize and leads to a great result this week.......even though you are earning those pounds for Team Mickey. Just Kidding
°°°°°°°°°°

All right team.....the sleeping hour has arrived for me. Have a great even and will see you all tomorrow!



Christopher

 

[belledreamer]

QOTD Friday March 16 Thumper from Bambi

"Eating greens is a special treat, It makes long ears and great big feet. But it sure is awful stuff to eat." I made that last part up myself.

How have you increased your "greens" since starting the challenge? (for us lets consider "greens" to be Vegetables and fruit in general) Have you got the same opinion as Thumper regarding greens being awful? Do you tolerate them, embrace them, continue to avoid them? Do you notice a difference in your success in a week if you conciously incorporate more "greens"?

Even though I have greatly increased my fruit and veggie intake, I really don't care much for them. I've really been craving mushrooms and asparagus lately though.

 

[jillbur]

Whoa~I ran out of time yesterday and finally getting caught up!

Good Morning! Here is today's QOTD:


You've been given a time machine!! It is a one-time-use machine and it is stuck in REVERSE, so you can only go BACK in time (You get one trip there and then back to real life). What time period would you go to and why? Who would you like to meet or what event in history would you like to witness? You CANNOT change history in any way (like you can't prevent the sinking of the Titanic or prevent Pearl Harbor), but you can interact with people in history.

BBL to chat....................P

I'd go back to see relatives before they came to the country. I'd love to see where they lived (especially since countries and borders changed so much in Europe back then) and what their lives were like. I would love to simplify my life a little and I'd like to see what it was like to live with less.

Thanks! Congrats on reaching your goal!

Thanks CC!

This wkend we have a St Patrick's Day 5K we are running. It is right before the Parade. The forecast is 68 and sunny so I am crossing my fingers that stays that way so we can have a nice day.

Hope all of you are doing great! Keep up the good work.

Good luck on your run and have fun!! Are you wearing all green?

That is great!! Congratulations I really love that idea. I don't really do so well with rewards because I find that I don't always follow through, but if I actually ordered myself something I've been wanting and had it sitting in the box in front of me, I think that would motivate me. I may have to do that! Again, great job!!
--Lynda

Thanks! It was really motivating to have ordered online and seeing a brown box sitting there. I wanted to see what was inside so bad! You should definitely try it.

QOTD Friday March 16 Thumper from Bambi

"Eating greens is a special treat, It makes long ears and great big feet. But it sure is awful stuff to eat." I made that last part up myself.

How have you increased your "greens" since starting the challenge? (for us lets consider "greens" to be Vegetables and fruit in general) Have you got the same opinion as Thumper regarding greens being awful? Do you tolerate them, embrace them, continue to avoid them? Do you notice a difference in your success in a week if you conciously incorporate more "greens"?

I have been eating a ton of veggies lately. They fill me up and I eat less carbs. I have to say, though, that our mild winter helped quite a bit. I have a hard time eating cold veggies (like salads) when it's 10 degrees and snowing. I am a huge fan of veegies. I also love all fruits. I try not to eat too many in a day, but usually have a banana for breakfast and apple or grapes for lunch.
I am so looking forward to summer and fresh produce from the farmer's markets!

---
Hope everyone has a fantastic day today!
I'm finally out of the 150s! 140 is my ultimate goal for this challenege, but I'm just happy I've gone from the middle number being a 6 to a 4!

Today is my last day and it's Spring Break! I'm boring and not going anywhere since we are trying to save money for WDW so it'll probably be easier to workout and eat next week. I have a date with Jillian Michaels this afternoon. My legs are still sore from 30DS and running the past two days, but I power on!

ETA: I also just wanted to thank everyone on this thread for being so kind and motivating! I'm sure without this thread I would have gotten discouraged many times, had many questions go unanswered, and never pushed myself as hard. I firmly believe I would have not had so much success on my own! So, I'm very happy I joined this challenege.

Yay for the 140s!! Great job! Enjoy your spring break!

I feel the same way. I wouldn't be where I am if it wasn't for all the support and encouragement here. What a great group of "friends" that are also strangers!

OOhh... loving the coupon challenge! I already did most of my shopping for the next week or so, but I'm always up for a challenge! We'll see what I can do! SO GLAD you are better today! Hope that continues!

Ended up with a double-workout day yesterday. I had already done a few miles on the TM in the morning, but DD couldn't get her carpool to the Y last night, so I had to drive and decided rather than come home (since her practice time is shortened since they are tapering), I would hang out at the Y. Since my "official" workout was already done, there was no pressure.... I was free to pick and choose what I wanted to do. I did 20 minutes on the stairclimber.... and then did another 12. Then I did 35 on the elliptical at a great steady pace. My favorite bike was broken and most of the treadmills were full, so I called it done at that point. But that brought my exercise yesterday to a total of 103 minutes, so no shame there.

If anyone here is doing a low(er) carb diet and would like a recipe for a pretty yummy muffin, I have a new one! It was sent along to DH by his sister and we made it yesterday and again today (makes a single serving that cooks in the microwave.... super quick and easy!) and I found it pretty yummy. That said, it isn't particularly low cal or low fat, so it isn't something I will be indulging in.... but PERFECT for South Beach or Atkins or the like.

I can hear the TM calling me ever so faintly! I'd like to ignore it a bit longer, but I'm anxious to get to my scrapping table! BBL to chat........P

I already went shopping for the week also (for the coupon challenge). And, most of the things I buy do not have coupons (fresh foods vs packaged). I'll be on the lookout, though. I don't know if we can top CC!

Great job on that workout. I love it when I get extra unplanned workout time.

I would love that recipe if you don't mind sharing. Thanks!

I reached 40 pounds lost since I started on 10 January. I have all of you to thank. I am so glad that I found the DIS boards and then followed my questioning mind when I saw someone's signature with a Team Micky symbol. This is the best place to keep me going.

I will check back later to see if others have come by to chat.

Here's to a great week!!

Christopher

40 pounds is really impressive! You must look totally different. Do you notice it?

Well Done my friend!!! VERA is such a great treat!

~Karen

Thanks! And it's even better when it's on sale

I took some "before abs" pictures on Wednesday after my first 30DS workout. I plan on taking another set after or just before my half-marathon in May and comparing them to see how much I've progressed. Wished I would've taken some pictures in January.

I bet you'll notice a big difference. Have fun on break!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yikes I've been crazy busy! Thanks to all who stepped in to coach last week and thanks to Christopher for coaching this week. I hope I can keep up when we merge!

We finished up state testing today. I helped the other sped teacher give an alternate assessment for a low functioning 11th grader today. It requires us video taping the test. The student cracked me up. He just kept looking at the camera and smiling. All the time. He even didn't hear some questions because he was smiling at the camera. I needed a good laugh like that to end my week.

DS8 is with his friend at a sleep over at his friend's church. It was pretty well organized and I'm excited that he was so excited to go. DH is working, so DS5and I are having a late night movie night. I can't believe he is still awake! He picked a Pound Puppies movie and Happy Feet 2. We'll save Happy Feet 2 for tomorrow.

I had planned to go to yoga tomorrow moring at 9, but DH just texted me that a few of the people he works with are going to Quaker Steak and Lube (wings place) for their St Patty's day green eggs and ham breakfast (with some green beer too). So, I doubt he'll be home by 9. Luckily, I made plans with Dsis to walk tomorrow while DS8 is at a birthday party.

We also have another birthday party Sunday! It's for the child of a friend who helps watch my kids after school two days a week, so both boys are invited. And, it's a karate party, so it'll be cool to see my kids learn karate. They wanted to take lessons and the person doing the party is who we were going to go to for lessons. Now they'll know if they like it or not.

Other than that, that's what's going on with me. DS5 is doing much better~thanks for all the well wishes. I am hoping to tackle laundry and dusting tomorrow. I cleaned the pantry and it is so beautiful. I was sad to throw out a few expired things (I hate wasting money) and hoping my new organization will keep that from happening. Now if I could find someone to clean my windows and the bathroom

Enjoy your weekend and eat healthy!

Jill

 

[Heather.Mohler]

Luvpoohandcompany, I adore Duke Special. Thanks to house gigs he has flown in twice and stayed with us. Such a wonderful guy. And to tie this in to Disney, he talked about how much fun he had taking his son to Disneyland Paris.

QOTD: I love my veggies! My favorite snack is cherry tomatoes and hummus. I pretty much always have veggies with lunch and supper. Can be pretty filling, too.

 

[D73]

For the QOTDs this week, I thought it would be interested to take a look at some of the characters that play a supporting role, a minor role or even a bit role in a Disney animated feature. Sometimes we can gleam quite a bit of wisdom from one of these characters if we take a moment to think about it.

QOTD Saturday March 17 Chef Louis from The Little Mermaid

Les... pois... sons, les poissons / How I love les poissons / Love to *chop* and to serve little fish / First I cut off their heads, then I pull out their bones / Ah, mais oui ça c'est toujours delish / Les poissons, les poissons, Hee-hee-hee, ho-ho-ho! / With the cleaver I *hack* them in two / I pull out what's inside, and I serve it up fried / 'Cause I love little fishes, don't you? / Here's something for tempting the palate / Prepared in the classic technique / First you *pound* the fish flat with the mallet / Then you slash through the skin, give the belly a slice / Then you rub some salt in, 'cause that makes it taste nice!

Chef Louis has an obsession with fish which perhaps is better to obsessed with than chocolate or potato chips/crisps. Have you found that as you diet you have become obsessed with a food or recipe that you yourself eating all the time because you know how the calorie counts or WW points without thinking about it too much? Do you find yourself preparing your food in the same manner without much variety? Has this led to boredom and ultimately sending you seeking something "bad" to fill a need for a different taste? How do you avoid an obsession and having your food become monotonous?

BONUS: In the honor of St Patrick's Day, what do you do to celebrate? Is it a big part of your community or just another day on the calendar?

 

[D73]

Good morning Team Donald!!

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY!!!

Hopefully everyone has remembered to weigh in and has already sent your weight via PM to dvccruiser76. Loss, gain or maintain it is important and helpful to remain accountable so that you can keep yourself (and others) motivated. Remember No Excuses.

How did you do with Healthy Habits yesterday? Do you have a plan to incorporate them today? Here's a reminder of the 4 habits to try for each day.

Exercise each day. The length of time is your decision.

Drink 64 oz. or more of water each day. .

Each day, journal/record what you ate and its portion size as well as one nutriona aspect of it.

Each day, do something for you. It can be fun, relaxing, short, long, etc., but it has to be something you chose to do.

Let's make this the best week we can!!!
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Well, Friday afternoon the first challenge to my will power reared its ugly head in the form of a phone call from my sister. She had that tone in her voice so I knew that bad news was coming. It turns out that my godfather died very suddenly on Wednesday morning of a heart attack while walking his dog.

So of course first instinct is reach for the food. What can I eat to feel better? Because this is how I have reacted to bad/sad news all my life!

Well I am happy to say that the TEAM DONALD me kicked in and sent me on a walk to clear my head. Rather than gorge on chocolate or something else, I found ways to deal with the news while still staying on track for my healthy goals. I also used his death as a reminder of what can happen to me if I do not lose the weight. He was over weight for most of his life and sadly had only reached 65 years of age. I want to see at least 85 so on the wagon I stay!! I say a prayer and for him and his family and keep on keeping on.

Plans for today include doing the. Living in a Swiss apartment has some strange rules when it comes to laundry. I am assigned a block of time to use the laundry room and that is the only time I am "allowed" to wash. So I was assigned Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. This is much better than my last apartment which was 1 block of time every 2 weeks. OUCH.

After noon when my laundry time is complete, I will go to the gym for a workout and steam....ahhhhhh! That's my me time!

I need to fix my breakfast and then I will be back to reply to the posts that came in after I went to bed last night!

Christopher

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Luvpoohandcompany, I adore Duke Special. Thanks to house gigs he has flown in twice and stayed with us. Such a wonderful guy. And to tie this in to Disney, he talked about how much fun he had taking his son to Disneyland Paris.

Just went on their website-they're as busy as ever-must chat to my daughter about going to a concert, they've one here in May Dont know why they'd fallen off my radar I see they're planning another trip over to you guys later in the year He seems like a nice guy-raises alot for DePaul (homeless charity) here.

QOTD: I love my veggies! My favorite snack is cherry tomatoes and hummus. I pretty much always have veggies with lunch and supper. Can be pretty filling, too.

I had never tasted houmous until I joined this challenge Pamela mentioned it in 1 of her posts and I tried it and loved it

For the QOTDs this week, I thought it would be interested to take a look at some of the characters that play a supporting role, a minor role or even a bit role in a Disney animated feature. Sometimes we can gleam quite a bit of wisdom from one of these characters if we take a moment to think about it.

QOTD Saturday March 17 Chef Louis from The Little Mermaid

Les... pois... sons, les poissons / How I love les poissons / Love to *chop* and to serve little fish / First I cut off their heads, then I pull out their bones / Ah, mais oui ça c'est toujours delish / Les poissons, les poissons, Hee-hee-hee, ho-ho-ho! / With the cleaver I *hack* them in two / I pull out what's inside, and I serve it up fried / 'Cause I love little fishes, don't you? / Here's something for tempting the palate / Prepared in the classic technique / First you *pound* the fish flat with the mallet / Then you slash through the skin, give the belly a slice / Then you rub some salt in, 'cause that makes it taste nice!

Chef Louis has an obsession with fish which perhaps is better to obsessed with than chocolate or potato chips/crisps. Have you found that as you diet you have become obsessed with a that you yourself eating all the time because you know how the calorie counts or WW points without thinking about it too much? Do you find yourself preparing your food in the same manner without much variety? Has this led to boredom and ultimately sending you seeking something "bad" to fill a need for a different taste? How do you avoid an obsession and having your food become monotonous?

BONUS: In the honor of St Patrick's Day, what do you do to celebrate? Is it a big part of your community or just another day on the calendar?

QOTD
I find myself eating certain "standby" foods that I know the points of all the time so that its easy to stay OP. I do try to add in extra fruit/veg to them in order to alter the taste a wee bit to stop me being bored. I like the BL recipe thread on here for new ideasDefinitely helps to change things up a bit My big obsession is crisps-Tayto cheese n onion ones to be exact I simply havent eaten them because 1 bag leads to chocolate (to kill the stinky breath provided kindly by the crisps) which leads to all sorts of unhealthy things Best to step away from the aisle selling crisps-if I dont buy them I cant eat them

Bonus. We do celebrate St Paddys day, surprised right lol
We will be wearing our green and sporting our shamrock as we head out today. Its beautiful here today. The sun is shining and the frost is melting so it should heat up a little for later. Theres a parade in the city centre today and fireworks and music tonight but my youngest was sent home from school on thursday feeling unwell so I dont think we will make it this year We will go visit my mum instead because Granny is baking treats for the kids today and apple tart for us which is 8pts ww per slice!! I have budgeted for 1 slice and will skip the cream! Yum

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Christopher I'm so sorry to hear about your Godfather. Well done for finding a way to deal with your grief other than food. Take care.

 

[D73]

Thank you for coaching this week.

I try to have a huge salad and/or gazpacho in the fridge. We like our veggies.

Janis

Pleasure to give the coaching a go.

Having the veggies prepped and ready is a helpful way to get them into a daily diet.

Even though I have greatly increased my fruit and veggie intake, I really don't care much for them. I've really been craving mushrooms and asparagus lately though.

Do you prefer the green asparagus or the white asparagus? This is one that I have to avoid as for me it always turns into asparaGAS

I have been eating a ton of veggies lately. They fill me up and I eat less carbs. I have to say, though, that our mild winter helped quite a bit. I have a hard time eating cold veggies (like salads) when it's 10 degrees and snowing. I am a huge fan of veegies. I also love all fruits. I try not to eat too many in a day, but usually have a banana for breakfast and apple or grapes for lunch.
I am so looking forward to summer and fresh produce from the farmer's markets!

There is a farmers market just around the corner from me that is open every Saturday. Do I get there to buy my veg....not frequent enough even though it is close and on a non work day......hmmmm need to fix that I do believe. And with spring arriving , the offerings will be more varied and more vibrant as well.




40 pounds is really impressive! You must look totally different. Do you notice it?
THanks!! My partner commented last night when we were talking on Skype. So that felt really good. And my work clothes are really starting to hang off me and I get comments at school. not being down to Swiss sizes yet means I have to sinch the belt and go with the baggy clothes until I can shop in the USA during Spring Break.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yikes I've been crazy busy! Thanks to all who stepped in to coach last week and thanks to Christopher for coaching this week. I hope I can keep up when we merge!

We finished up state testing today. I helped the other sped teacher give an alternate assessment for a low functioning 11th grader today. It requires us video taping the test. The student cracked me up. He just kept looking at the camera and smiling. All the time. He even didn't hear some questions because he was smiling at the camera. I needed a good laugh like that to end my week.

DS8 is with his friend at a sleep over at his friend's church. It was pretty well organized and I'm excited that he was so excited to go. DH is working, so DS5and I are having a late night movie night. I can't believe he is still awake! He picked a Pound Puppies movie and Happy Feet 2. We'll save Happy Feet 2 for tomorrow.

I had planned to go to yoga tomorrow moring at 9, but DH just texted me that a few of the people he works with are going to Quaker Steak and Lube (wings place) for their St Patty's day green eggs and ham breakfast (with some green beer too). So, I doubt he'll be home by 9. Luckily, I made plans with Dsis to walk tomorrow while DS8 is at a birthday party.


We also have another birthday party Sunday! It's for the child of a friend who helps watch my kids after school two days a week, so both boys are invited. And, it's a karate party, so it'll be cool to see my kids learn karate. They wanted to take lessons and the person doing the party is who we were going to go to for lessons. Now they'll know if they like it or not.

Other than that, that's what's going on with me. DS5 is doing much better~thanks for all the well wishes. I am hoping to tackle laundry and dusting tomorrow. I cleaned the pantry and it is so beautiful. I was sad to throw out a few expired things (I hate wasting money) and hoping my new organization will keep that from happening. Now if I could find someone to clean my windows and the bathroom

Enjoy your weekend and eat healthy!

Jill

Quaker Steak and Lube has been a definite stop on my visits to my sister's at Christmas and summer. We go to the one on Robinson Township just west of Pittsburgh. Wings have been my food downfall when I return to the USA. Will have to be careful on my next visit.

I have gotten much better about not throwing things away since I started this journey. I buy what I need for a few days at a time and don't just have stuff in the fridge that gets forgotten and "dies".

QOTD: I love my veggies! My favorite snack is cherry tomatoes and hummus. I pretty much always have veggies with lunch and supper. Can be pretty filling, too.

Do you make your own hummus or do you purchase it pre made? It is not hard to make and then you can control the ingredients better.

QOTD
I find myself eating certain "standby" foods that I know the points of all the time so that its easy to stay OP. I do try to add in extra fruit/veg to them in order to alter the taste a wee bit to stop me being bored. I like the BL recipe thread on here for new ideasDefinitely helps to change things up a bit My big obsession is crisps-Tayto cheese n onion ones to be exact I simply havent eaten them because 1 bag leads to chocolate (to kill the stinky breath provided kindly by the crisps) which leads to all sorts of unhealthy things Best to step away from the aisle selling crisps-if I dont buy them I cant eat them

I have avoided the crisps area as well. I used to order Walkers Smoky Bacon and Cheese and Onion from the online shop. BUt I have managed to avoid those as well........Even the little bags are dangerous... because one leads to another....

Bonus. We do celebrate St Paddys day, surprised right lol
We will be wearing our green and sporting our shamrock as we head out today. Its beautiful here today. The sun is shining and the frost is melting so it should heat up a little for later. Theres a parade in the city centre today and fireworks and music tonight but my youngest was sent home from school on thursday feeling unwell so I dont think we will make it this year We will go visit my mum instead because Granny is baking treats for the kids today and apple tart for us which is 8pts ww per slice!! I have budgeted for 1 slice and will skip the cream! Yum

Enjoy your day!!! And great way to plan ahead to be able to celebrate with family and still stay OP

Christopher I'm so sorry to hear about your Godfather. Well done for finding a way to deal with your grief other than food. Take care.

Thanks. It has been years since I have seen him. But the initial shock of the news sent me into "survival" mode....and I was glad to overcome it as well.
°°°°°°°°°°

Ok I am caught up from yesterday, I think......and got a head start on today with my Irish friend. Look forward to hearing from more of you later. Will answer my QOTD after while when I check back in.

Christopher

 

[::Snow_White::]

For the QOTDs this week, I thought it would be interested to take a look at some of the characters that play a supporting role, a minor role or even a bit role in a Disney animated feature. Sometimes we can gleam quite a bit of wisdom from one of these characters if we take a moment to think about it.

QOTD Saturday March 17 Chef Louis from The Little Mermaid

Chef Louis has an obsession with fish which perhaps is better to obsessed with than chocolate or potato chips/crisps. Have you found that as you diet you have become obsessed with a that you yourself eating all the time because you know how the calorie counts or WW points without thinking about it too much? Do you find yourself preparing your food in the same manner without much variety? Has this led to boredom and ultimately sending you seeking something "bad" to fill a need for a different taste? How do you avoid an obsession and having your food become monotonous?

BONUS: In the honor of St Patrick's Day, what do you do to celebrate? Is it a big part of your community or just another day on the calendar?

I make this scrambled tofu and hash browns fairly often because I have the entire meal saved into myfitnesspal so I just have to click it! It's pretty easy to make and it tastes soooo good. I don't really get bored because it has peppers and is quite spicy. I use vegan cheese which is delicious, so I really just enjoy every bit of it.

I guess I've been having a hard time finding different ways to cook my frozen vegetables which have really low calories. I cook them on the stove without butter and I guess I just need to find some kind of sauce to put on them to give them a little more flavor. Luckily I usually have the veggies as a side and something very delicious with it so I don't get too put off by the same old veggies when I have a complete meal.

Bonus: We don't do anything over here for St. Patrick's Day.

Whoa~I ran out of time yesterday and finally getting caught up!
I have been eating a ton of veggies lately. They fill me up and I eat less carbs. I have to say, though, that our mild winter helped quite a bit. I have a hard time eating cold veggies (like salads) when it's 10 degrees and snowing. I am a huge fan of veegies. I also love all fruits. I try not to eat too many in a day, but usually have a banana for breakfast and apple or grapes for lunch.
I am so looking forward to summer and fresh produce from the farmer's markets!

Yay for the 140s!! Great job! Enjoy your spring break!

I feel the same way. I wouldn't be where I am if it wasn't for all the support and encouragement here. What a great group of "friends" that are also strangers!

I bet you'll notice a big difference. Have fun on break!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yikes I've been crazy busy! Thanks to all who stepped in to coach last week and thanks to Christopher for coaching this week. I hope I can keep up when we merge!

We finished up state testing today. I helped the other sped teacher give an alternate assessment for a low functioning 11th grader today. It requires us video taping the test. The student cracked me up. He just kept looking at the camera and smiling. All the time. He even didn't hear some questions because he was smiling at the camera. I needed a good laugh like that to end my week.

DS8 is with his friend at a sleep over at his friend's church. It was pretty well organized and I'm excited that he was so excited to go. DH is working, so DS5and I are having a late night movie night. I can't believe he is still awake! He picked a Pound Puppies movie and Happy Feet 2. We'll save Happy Feet 2 for tomorrow.

I had planned to go to yoga tomorrow moring at 9, but DH just texted me that a few of the people he works with are going to Quaker Steak and Lube (wings place) for their St Patty's day green eggs and ham breakfast (with some green beer too). So, I doubt he'll be home by 9. Luckily, I made plans with Dsis to walk tomorrow while DS8 is at a birthday party.

We also have another birthday party Sunday! It's for the child of a friend who helps watch my kids after school two days a week, so both boys are invited. And, it's a karate party, so it'll be cool to see my kids learn karate. They wanted to take lessons and the person doing the party is who we were going to go to for lessons. Now they'll know if they like it or not.

Other than that, that's what's going on with me. DS5 is doing much better~thanks for all the well wishes. I am hoping to tackle laundry and dusting tomorrow. I cleaned the pantry and it is so beautiful. I was sad to throw out a few expired things (I hate wasting money) and hoping my new organization will keep that from happening. Now if I could find someone to clean my windows and the bathroom

Enjoy your weekend and eat healthy!

Jill

We used to have a farmer's market on the weekend in our town, but it's become so small that it's basically nonexistant anymore! Pretty sad, especially living in the midwest you'd figure there would be a lot of people, but I guess they just don't want to spend the time going out.

Thanks!

Wow, you do sound busy! Karate party? Cool!

That's the nice thing about this wagon, the tail gate is always open and there are those that are riding in it to help pull you back on board. Just hold on. We got you!


Oh pictures of the before is such a good idea. I am never brave enough to take them as I have avoided the camera religiously for so long. I really should do this too though.

Christopher

I guess another positive is when you take them you are faced with reality and it's like you "have to" work hard and change because these are called BEFORE pictures. No use in before pictures if there aren't going to be any AFTER! I think sometimes we forget how far we've come because the changes are so small but add up over a period of time.

Good morning Team Donald!!

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY!!!
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Well, Friday afternoon the first challenge to my will power reared its ugly head in the form of a phone call from my sister. She had that tone in her voice so I knew that bad news was coming. It turns out that my godfather died very suddenly on Wednesday morning of a heart attack while walking his dog.

So of course first instinct is reach for the food. What can I eat to feel better? Because this is how I have reacted to bad/sad news all my life!

Well I am happy to say that the TEAM DONALD me kicked in and sent me on a walk to clear my head. Rather than gorge on chocolate or something else, I found ways to deal with the news while still staying on track for my healthy goals. I also used his death as a reminder of what can happen to me if I do not lose the weight. He was over weight for most of his life and sadly had only reached 65 years of age. I want to see at least 85 so on the wagon I stay!! I say a prayer and for him and his family and keep on keeping on.

Plans for today include doing the. Living in a Swiss apartment has some strange rules when it comes to laundry. I am assigned a block of time to use the laundry room and that is the only time I am "allowed" to wash. So I was assigned Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. This is much better than my last apartment which was 1 block of time every 2 weeks. OUCH.

After noon when my laundry time is complete, I will go to the gym for a workout and steam....ahhhhhh! That's my me time!

I need to fix my breakfast and then I will be back to reply to the posts that came in after I went to bed last night!

Christopher

I'm so sorry about your Godfather. Good for you, for staying on track! I find that exercise helps deal with life's ups and downs.

That's strange, but I guess helpful for everyone else in the apartment.
Once every 2 weeks!? Well, I guess I am a girl so I do love to wear tons of clothes so I think my laundry would be into one massive pile within 2 weeks and I wouldn't have anything to wear!

-----
Sometimes I think as a vegetarian who is trying to get in shape I'm required to like hummus but the one kind I tried from Walmart was so disgusting. Maybe that brand is just not good...

Jillian kicked my butt yesterday. I went out and played some tennis with my brother (horribly, I am so terrible at sports) then did 30DS. Dang!

Our university is hosting a 5k this month. Debating on whether to sign up. I want to, but I can't convince anyone to go with me and considering it would be the real first "race" I don't want to go alone. -Sigh- I suppose I'll probably just end up going solo. I mean, who wants to pass up a 5k when they can do it? One of my new year's resolutions was to run a 5k this year and I'm already signed up for a half marathon!

 

[pjlla]

Pamela I'd love the muffin recipe. Sounds like it might be a perfect fit for the occassional treat Thanks

No problem. But I'll post later from the desk top. Typing is still tricky here on my IPad.

I'm a little behind this morning, but I have a few things I needed to post. (Excuse me for being a litlte selfish.)

If you haven't already, please read page 129 of the Team Mickey thread. There is a very important announcement from one of our Princess 2011 runners on it.

My doctor's secretary called this morning. She actually woke me up, but that was after a great night's sleep, so no harm done. He is fine with the med changes that I discovered as helpful and I couldn't be happier about it. My mom called this morning and when she asked, as usual, if anyone had called, I told her and she was very happy. My other doctor (I have 2 doctors and 1 APRN prescribing meds) called on Wednesday and said I could taper one of my meds. I had called to ask if I should refill it at the suggestion of my APRN and he was gungho about me going of it, just slowly. My nutritionist teaches my stress reduction class and she was very excited. I should probably e-mail her today's news now that I think about it.

Today is a Friday during Lent, which is always an OP day. I need to go eat breakfast and then I'm probably going to Target. I never made it there yesterday.

Have a great day Donalds!

Thanks for the heads up about Lisa's news. And I'm so glad you are getting better!

I have increased my vegetables for sure. But completely eliminated fruit. This is the guidelines of the program I am following. Though fruits will be introduced back into the prgram as part ofthe consolidation phase of the program.

I tend to eat a lot more raw vegetables than I used to eat. Gone are the sautéed in butter or smothered in sauce day of eating my veg.

My hope with the questions this week is to help us stop and really think about what we are doing to our body as we make these changes. The improved energy is a definite plus in my book too. Well done!

I think that this is a great reminder that all our victories are not necessarily related to the numbers on the scale. Being able to recognize that the healthier choices are leading to feeling better or disappearing symptoms that have been plaguing us as we unwittingly were poisoning our bodies is a great achievement. And it definitely helps me open my eyes and realize that where I was is not where I want to be again.

CONGRATS on the scale victory today! That is something to be very proud of.

Enjoy your time off. If you have not put together a plan for the week, I encourage you to do so. Sometimes having the extra time in your day can lead to wandering to the fridge......ok, maybe that is a self observation but worth being aware of it.

I had a week vacation not long ago (Ski week....it's a Swiss thing) and I did not travel or do anything extra as I am saving for Spring Break which is coming in 2 weeks time. I enjoyed being able to shop when I wanted. Go to the gym when I wanted, eat my meals when I wanted and not be stuck on the school schedule. But having a plan made it so much easier.

BTW....thanks again for the countdown that you made and sent to me. Today is "15 friends on the other side". It hangs over my desk at school and the students are constantly looking at it and asking questions. I will definitely use it for all my Disney countdowns!!!:

Thanks for the welcome. I am a bit nervous and hope that I can live up to the great leadership we have had so far. But I too have a really good feeling about this week. So let's all make it happen!!!

And I chime in on this as well......THANK YOU ALL....I would have given up (again) long before now if not for the support, encouragement and celebrations that are found here. I count myself lucky to have found my way to the boards.

Well team, it is my chance to thank Pam for stepping in the last couple of days as the coach. You were awesome. Always an inspiration. I hope I can live up to your example.

I reached 40 pounds lost since I started on 10 January. I have all of you to thank. I am so glad that I found the DIS boards and then followed my questioning mind when I saw someone's signature with a Team Micky symbol. This is the best place to keep me going.

I will check back later to see if others have come by to chat.

Here's to a great week!!

Christopher

WOW on the 40 pounds! And well said about the non-scale victories!

I would go back to the 50's....poodle skirts and sock hops! I would also figure out how to buy some Disney stock while I am back there!!

Glad I could be of help!! I'm just beginning my "Dream Board" for my 40 things by age 40 and I love to look at it...so inspiring!!!

I've never done HH and it looks like I just can't resist this week!!! I'm just about to clip coupons!!

I love greens such as spinach but I still have a tough time with lettuce. I like to eat it, but I HATE to make a salad. If somebody came here everyday and made me a salad I would eat it...happily! I do need more greens in my diet though...

WOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! Thank you for inspiring me to stay on my journey!!!

Look at you and the 40 pounds!!! You are on your way to those coasters!!! THANK YOU!! for being our coach this week

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Howdy Friday afternoon!

I finally finished my calls for today and have yet to get out of my pajamas! So much to do now before dinner with the girls tonight! Foodtown has Chobani on sale for $1 so I better get my butt over there before they run out! I also need to hit the gym. I have been a bad gym goer this week....lack of energy and just an ick feeling since yesterday. Ive skipped out on my WW weighin too

Ok, back on the wagon (again) and motivation for the rest of the day!!!

Happy OP Day Donalds!
~Karen

Keeping your spot in the wagon warm! Glad you found your way back.

I used to feel that way about salads too. They were always better when made by someone else. But I stopped being cheap and started buying better salad ingredients....and preprepped if available...and it makes salad making much easier. I can make myself a huge salad in very little time. I try to prep a bunch of veggies at once..usually enough for 2-3 days. And I buy easier to use stuff....like organic spring mix rather than head lettuce that needs to be cut or torn and washed. And a container of grape tomatoes that only need a wash, rather than large tomatoes that need to be chopped. Dice up a few peppers, a few stalks of celery and a cucumber all at once....then throw it all in a resealable bowl in the fridge...and you can just toss a scoop on your greens when it is salad time!

I try to veer off of the standard green salad sometimes too....to make it more interesting. Yesterday's lunch was greens with diced apple and goat cheese and a cranberry pomegranate vinaigrette. Tonight is taco salad!

Anyhow....HTH!

Funny thing, I was watching a couple Ellen Degeneres videos a few weeks ago. One was hugh laurie and they were playing a slang game. One of the questions he asked Ellen was what "Chuffed to bits" meant. She guessed it meant angry. I had no idea it meant happy, so I guess I actually learned something watching Ellen!

Glad you are off one of your meds and getting better!

Thank you!!
I am pretty strict with myself when it comes to calorie counting and snacking. I have been entering my calories on myfitnesspal everyday since January 16th!

With that said I definitely plan all of meals while I'm eating the current one or at least keep it in the calorie range if I haven't planned anything. Hopefully with Spring Break means more runs outside or bike riding!

Skiing sounds like tons of fun!

That's awesome!! I'm glad you and your students are enjoying it! It makes me happy my hard Disney work is being appreciated by more than just me. We are on "68 wishes on a star" right now!

Thanks! Hope you start feeling better!

Apparently I didn't quote the post that said something about Newsies. Yes! I saw that they are putting it on Broadway now. I would love to go see it!

---
Well, I am officially on Spring Break.
A friend and I wanted to try this pizza place that is right beside the university so that is where we went for lunch. I was pretty dissapointed. The pizza was okay, but it was expensive. And I think pizza is one of those trigger foods for me that I just want to eat slice after slice. I had 2 small cheese breadsticks and a thin slice of pizza. I had half a salad with spinach, lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, and some olive oil vinegrette too. It was good.

I took some "before abs" pictures on Wednesday after my first 30DS workout. I plan on taking another set after or just before my half-marathon in May and comparing them to see how much I've progressed. Wished I would've taken some pictures in January.

Enjoy your spring break!

Whoa~I ran out of time yesterday and finally getting caught up!

I'd go back to see relatives before they came to the country. I'd love to see where they lived (especially since countries and borders changed so much in Europe back then) and what their lives were like. I would love to simplify my life a little and I'd like to see what it was like to live with less.

Good luck on your run and have fun!! Are you wearing all green?

Thanks! It was really motivating to have ordered online and seeing a brown box sitting there. I wanted to see what was inside so bad! You should definitely try it.

I have been eating a ton of veggies lately. They fill me up and I eat less carbs. I have to say, though, that our mild winter helped quite a bit. I have a hard time eating cold veggies (like salads) when it's 10 degrees and snowing. I am a huge fan of veegies. I also love all fruits. I try not to eat too many in a day, but usually have a banana for breakfast and apple or grapes for lunch.
I am so looking forward to summer and fresh produce from the farmer's markets!

Yay for the 140s!! Great job! Enjoy your spring break!

I feel the same way. I wouldn't be where I am if it wasn't for all the support and encouragement here. What a great group of "friends" that are also strangers!

I already went shopping for the week also (for the coupon challenge). And, most of the things I buy do not have coupons (fresh foods vs packaged). I'll be on the lookout, though. I don't know if we can top CC!

Great job on that workout. I love it when I get extra unplanned workout time.

I would love that recipe if you don't mind sharing. Thanks!

40 pounds is really impressive! You must look totally different. Do you notice it?

Thanks! And it's even better when it's on sale

I bet you'll notice a big difference. Have fun on break!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yikes I've been crazy busy! Thanks to all who stepped in to coach last week and thanks to Christopher for coaching this week. I hope I can keep up when we merge!

We finished up state testing today. I helped the other sped teacher give an alternate assessment for a low functioning 11th grader today. It requires us video taping the test. The student cracked me up. He just kept looking at the camera and smiling. All the time. He even didn't hear some questions because he was smiling at the camera. I needed a good laugh like that to end my week.

DS8 is with his friend at a sleep over at his friend's church. It was pretty well organized and I'm excited that he was so excited to go. DH is working, so DS5and I are having a late night movie night. I can't believe he is still awake! He picked a Pound Puppies movie and Happy Feet 2. We'll save Happy Feet 2 for tomorrow.

I had planned to go to yoga tomorrow moring at 9, but DH just texted me that a few of the people he works with are going to Quaker Steak and Lube (wings place) for their St Patty's day green eggs and ham breakfast (with some green beer too). So, I doubt he'll be home by 9. Luckily, I made plans with Dsis to walk tomorrow while DS8 is at a birthday party.

We also have another birthday party Sunday! It's for the child of a friend who helps watch my kids after school two days a week, so both boys are invited. And, it's a karate party, so it'll be cool to see my kids learn karate. They wanted to take lessons and the person doing the party is who we were going to go to for lessons. Now they'll know if they like it or not.

Other than that, that's what's going on with me. DS5 is doing much better~thanks for all the well wishes. I am hoping to tackle laundry and dusting tomorrow. I cleaned the pantry and it is so beautiful. I was sad to throw out a few expired things (I hate wasting money) and hoping my new organization will keep that from happening. Now if I could find someone to clean my windows and the bathroom

Enjoy your weekend and eat healthy!

Jill

.

Glad you had a chuckle at the end of your week!

Enjoy your busy weekend!

For the QOTDs this week, I thought it would be interested to take a look at some of the characters that play a supporting role, a minor role or even a bit role in a Disney animated feature. Sometimes we can gleam quite a bit of wisdom from one of these characters if we take a moment to think about it.

QOTD Saturday March 17 Chef Louis from The Little Mermaid

Les... pois... sons, les poissons / How I love les poissons / Love to *chop* and to serve little fish / First I cut off their heads, then I pull out their bones / Ah, mais oui ça c'est toujours delish / Les poissons, les poissons, Hee-hee-hee, ho-ho-ho! / With the cleaver I *hack* them in two / I pull out what's inside, and I serve it up fried / 'Cause I love little fishes, don't you? / Here's something for tempting the palate / Prepared in the classic technique / First you *pound* the fish flat with the mallet / Then you slash through the skin, give the belly a slice / Then you rub some salt in, 'cause that makes it taste nice!

Chef Louis has an obsession with fish which perhaps is better to obsessed with than chocolate or potato chips/crisps. Have you found that as you diet you have become obsessed with a that you yourself eating all the time because you know how the calorie counts or WW points without thinking about it too much? Do you find yourself preparing your food in the same manner without much variety? Has this led to boredom and ultimately sending you seeking something "bad" to fill a need for a different taste? How do you avoid an obsession and having your food become monotonous?

BONUS: In the honor of St Patrick's Day, what do you do to celebrate? Is it a big part of your community or just another day on the calendar?

Sometimes I don't try a new recipe because I don't want to deal with figuring out the points.

I try to avoid boredom by mixing things up when time allows (llike today). I tried a new pancake recipe. It was a nice change from the usual egg whies or hot cereal.

I avoid my obsessions by not allowing them in the house! Sweet potatoe chips come to mind first. Out of sight, out of mind.

Good morning Team Donald!!

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY!!!

Hopefully everyone has remembered to weigh in and has already sent your weight via PM to dvccruiser76. Loss, gain or maintain it is important and helpful to remain accountable so that you can keep yourself (and others) motivated. Remember No Excuses.

How did you do with Healthy Habits yesterday? Do you have a plan to incorporate them today? Here's a reminder of the 4 habits to try for each day.

Exercise each day. The length of time is your decision.

Drink 64 oz. or more of water each day. .

Each day, journal/record what you ate and its portion size as well as one nutriona aspect of it.

Each day, do something for you. It can be fun, relaxing, short, long, etc., but it has to be something you chose to do.

Let's make this the best week we can!!!
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Well, Friday afternoon the first challenge to my will power reared its ugly head in the form of a phone call from my sister. She had that tone in her voice so I knew that bad news was coming. It turns out that my godfather died very suddenly on Wednesday morning of a heart attack while walking his dog.

So of course first instinct is reach for the food. What can I eat to feel better? Because this is how I have reacted to bad/sad news all my life!

Well I am happy to say that the TEAM DONALD me kicked in and sent me on a walk to clear my head. Rather than gorge on chocolate or something else, I found ways to deal with the news while still staying on track for my healthy goals. I also used his death as a reminder of what can happen to me if I do not lose the weight. He was over weight for most of his life and sadly had only reached 65 years of age. I want to see at least 85 so on the wagon I stay!! I say a prayer and for him and his family and keep on keeping on.

Plans for today include doing the. Living in a Swiss apartment has some strange rules when it comes to laundry. I am assigned a block of time to use the laundry room and that is the only time I am "allowed" to wash. So I was assigned Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. This is much better than my last apartment which was 1 block of time every 2 weeks. OUCH.

After noon when my laundry time is complete, I will go to the gym for a workout and steam....ahhhhhh! That's my me time!

I need to fix my breakfast and then I will be back to reply to the posts that came in after I went to bed last night!

Christopher

Sorry for your sad news. But good for you for dealing with it in a positive way! That is a huge step! You recognized the emotion and the trigger response.....it is hard to change habits that you don't see.

Enjoy your weekend!

I had never tasted houmous until I joined this challenge Pamela mentioned it in 1 of her posts and I tried it and loved it

QOTD
I find myself eating certain "standby" foods that I know the points of all the time so that its easy to stay OP. I do try to add in extra fruit/veg to them in order to alter the taste a wee bit to stop me being bored. I like the BL recipe thread on here for new ideasDefinitely helps to change things up a bit My big obsession is crisps-Tayto cheese n onion ones to be exact I simply havent eaten them because 1 bag leads to chocolate (to kill the stinky breath provided kindly by the crisps) which leads to all sorts of unhealthy things Best to step away from the aisle selling crisps-if I dont buy them I cant eat them

Bonus. We do celebrate St Paddys day, surprised right lol
We will be wearing our green and sporting our shamrock as we head out today. Its beautiful here today. The sun is shining and the frost is melting so it should heat up a little for later. Theres a parade in the city centre today and fireworks and music tonight but my youngest was sent home from school on thursday feeling unwell so I dont think we will make it this year We will go visit my mum instead because Granny is baking treats for the kids today and apple tart for us which is 8pts ww per slice!! I have budgeted for 1 slice and will skip the cream! Yum

Happy St. Patrick's Day to our resident Irish! Enjoy the tart!


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

Morning friends! Wearing your green?

I'm up and moving but the family is starting slow today. DS is up and playing something on the desktop. I made a batch of baked oatmeal for the kids and 2 flaxseed pancakes for myself...nice treat! DH will probably have eggs.....again.

Swim meet is tomorrow only, so I see some scrapping in my future today ( after exercise, of course ).

TTYL.............P

 

[donac]

Good Saturday morning everyone

Happy St Patrick's Day

I slept till 7 today which is a big surprise for me. It is very foggy here. It was supposed to clear when the sun came up but here it is almost 9 and it has not cleared up yet.

The local school's show went well last night even with the lead not feeling well. She did a great job and was a true professional.

I have to be back there this afternoon to see about next week's 50 anniversary special. Last night I saw a few friends that I hadn't seen in a while.

For the QOTDs this week, I thought it would be interested to take a look at some of the characters that play a supporting role, a minor role or even a bit role in a Disney animated feature. Sometimes we can gleam quite a bit of wisdom from one of these characters if we take a moment to think about it.

QOTD Saturday March 17 Chef Louis from The Little Mermaid

Les... pois... sons, les poissons / How I love les poissons / Love to *chop* and to serve little fish / First I cut off their heads, then I pull out their bones / Ah, mais oui ça c'est toujours delish / Les poissons, les poissons, Hee-hee-hee, ho-ho-ho! / With the cleaver I *hack* them in two / I pull out what's inside, and I serve it up fried / 'Cause I love little fishes, don't you? / Here's something for tempting the palate / Prepared in the classic technique / First you *pound* the fish flat with the mallet / Then you slash through the skin, give the belly a slice / Then you rub some salt in, 'cause that makes it taste nice!

Chef Louis has an obsession with fish which perhaps is better to obsessed with than chocolate or potato chips/crisps. Have you found that as you diet you have become obsessed with a that you yourself eating all the time because you know how the calorie counts or WW points without thinking about it too much? Do you find yourself preparing your food in the same manner without much variety? Has this led to boredom and ultimately sending you seeking something "bad" to fill a need for a different taste? How do you avoid an obsession and having your food become monotonous?

BONUS: In the honor of St Patrick's Day, what do you do to celebrate? Is it a big part of your community or just another day on the calendar?

I have been trying to cut down on gluten. Dh has had some stomach issues and one may be a sensativity to gluten. We don't know exactly what sets him off. We are still trying to figure that out but because of that I am trying to cook healthier meals. We are also eating at home a little more so we can control what he eats.

Christopher Sorry to hear about your godfather. Good work on not eating.

Off to get some things done.

THis is our last week with just us. Next week we join forces with Team Mickey.

Have a happy and healthy day.

 

[donac]

Someone was talking about "Newsies" the other day.

It opened last fall as a musical at a theater here in jersey and last week it opened on Broadway.

Ds2 saw it in the fall with a friend and loved it. Tomorrow he is taking his gf to see the Broadway version. It should be interesting to see if they changed it anyway.

 

[lisah0711]

to all my TEAM DONALD friends for the congratulations on finally reaching ONE-derland after 20 years!

I did the work but I would not have been successful after all this time without the help and support of my WISH teammates so I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

 

[pjlla]

I make this scrambled tofu and hash browns fairly often because I have the entire meal saved into myfitnesspal so I just have to click it! It's pretty easy to make and it tastes soooo good. I don't really get bored because it has peppers and is quite spicy. I use vegan cheese which is delicious, so I really just enjoy every bit of it.

I guess I've been having a hard time finding different ways to cook my frozen vegetables which have really low calories. I cook them on the stove without butter and I guess I just need to find some kind of sauce to put on them to give them a little more flavor. Luckily I usually have the veggies as a side and something very delicious with it so I don't get too put off by the same old veggies when I have a complete meal.

Bonus: We don't do anything over here for St. Patrick's Day.

We used to have a farmer's market on the weekend in our town, but it's become so small that it's basically nonexistant anymore! Pretty sad, especially living in the midwest you'd figure there would be a lot of people, but I guess they just don't want to spend the time .

I guess another positive is when you take them you are faced with reality and it's like you "have to" work hard and change because these are called BEFORE pictures. No use in before pictures if there aren't going to be any AFTER! I think sometimes we forget how far we've come because the changes are so small but add up over a period of time.

I'm so sorry about your Godfather. Good for you, for staying on track! I find that exercise helps deal with life's ups and downs.

That's strange, but I guess helpful for everyone else in the apartment.
Once every 2 weeks!? Well, I guess I am a girl so I do love to wear tons of clothes so I think my laundry would be into one massive pile within 2 weeks and I wouldn't have anything to wear!

-----
Sometimes I think as a vegetarian who is trying to get in shape I'm required to like hummus but the one kind I tried from Walmart was so disgusting. Maybe that brand is just not good...

Jillian kicked my butt yesterday. I went out and played some tennis with my brother (horribly, I am so terrible at sports) then did 30DS. Dang!

Our university is hosting a 5k this month. Debating on whether to sign up. I want to, but I can't convince anyone to go with me and considering it would be the real first "race" I don't want to go alone. -Sigh- I suppose I'll probably just end up going solo. I mean, who wants to pass up a 5k when they can do it? One of my new year's resolutions was to run a 5k this year and I'm already signed up for a half marathon!

Try roasting your veggies in the oven. It brings out a lot of natural sweetness and eliminates the need for "sauce". Guess I'm unusual in wanting my veggies pretty plain. I was trying to buy a bag of veggies to have in the freezer for emergencies and every one I picked up was "in sauce"....which I thought sounded yucky. Try fresh instead of frozen! Better taste and texture.

I say go for it with the 5k!

to all my TEAM DONALD friends for the congratulations on finally reaching ONE-derland after 20 years!

I did the work but I would not have been successful after all this time without the help and support of my WISH teammates so I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

You're welcome!!! Glad to be able to celebrate with you!

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

I hear the TM calling but I'm ignoring it. Feeling lazy this a.m. BBL to chat.........P

 

[RemembertheMagic98]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yikes I've been crazy busy! Thanks to all who stepped in to coach last week and thanks to Christopher for coaching this week. I hope I can keep up when we merge!

We finished up state testing today. I helped the other sped teacher give an alternate assessment for a low functioning 11th grader today. It requires us video taping the test. The student cracked me up. He just kept looking at the camera and smiling. All the time. He even didn't hear some questions because he was smiling at the camera. I needed a good laugh like that to end my week.

DS8 is with his friend at a sleep over at his friend's church. It was pretty well organized and I'm excited that he was so excited to go. DH is working, so DS5and I are having a late night movie night. I can't believe he is still awake! He picked a Pound Puppies movie and Happy Feet 2. We'll save Happy Feet 2 for tomorrow.

I had planned to go to yoga tomorrow moring at 9, but DH just texted me that a few of the people he works with are going to Quaker Steak and Lube (wings place) for their St Patty's day green eggs and ham breakfast (with some green beer too). So, I doubt he'll be home by 9. Luckily, I made plans with Dsis to walk tomorrow while DS8 is at a birthday party.

We also have another birthday party Sunday! It's for the child of a friend who helps watch my kids after school two days a week, so both boys are invited. And, it's a karate party, so it'll be cool to see my kids learn karate. They wanted to take lessons and the person doing the party is who we were going to go to for lessons. Now they'll know if they like it or not.

Other than that, that's what's going on with me. DS5 is doing much better~thanks for all the well wishes. I am hoping to tackle laundry and dusting tomorrow. I cleaned the pantry and it is so beautiful. I was sad to throw out a few expired things (I hate wasting money) and hoping my new organization will keep that from happening. Now if I could find someone to clean my windows and the bathroom

Enjoy your weekend and eat healthy!

Jill

Sounds like a packed weekend for you! Karate party sounds pretty interesting! I'm cleaning the kitchen cabinets today too...yes, I hate throwing things out...such a waste...I need to do a better job at looking in the fridge before starting a meal from scratch.

f I lived closer I would at least do the bathroom for you!!

Chef Louis has an obsession with fish which perhaps is better to obsessed with than chocolate or potato chips/crisps. Have you found that as you diet you have become obsessed with a that you yourself eating all the time because you know how the calorie counts or WW points without thinking about it too much? Do you find yourself preparing your food in the same manner without much variety? Has this led to boredom and ultimately sending you seeking something "bad" to fill a need for a different taste? How do you avoid an obsession and having your food become monotonous?

BONUS: In the honor of St Patrick's Day, what do you do to celebrate? Is it a big part of your community or just another day on the calendar?

Hmmmm....I would love to be obsessed with healthy foods...sadly I am not....ice cream is still my downfall. My go-to meal seems to be grilled chicken and steamed spinach. I also seem to go to liquid egg whites with veggies in a cup in the microwave...great breakfast choice. I have had a sugar craving lately so I had a run in with some jelly beans last night ...again. I didn't have that many and it really filled the sugar hole for me.

Coming from an Irish family, St. Patrick's Day has a special place in my heart. I will be making some Guiness car bomb cupcakes for tomorrow's dinner along with my corned beef and cabbage. I'm heading to a ST. Pat's dinner dance tonight for a church fundraiser.

My family is from County Mayo and County Claire. My great-great grandmother grew up in Kilrush and was born in a little town called Core. I still have cousins there and last time I was over we were able to see the house where my great-great grandmother was born. Pretty cool stuff!! I have been in Ireland for St. Pat's Day twice and I really think we celebrate the day in the US in a grander fashion than in IRELAND! We actually had dinner in a wonderful restaurant called Fire (in Dublin, off of St. Stephen's Square) Can't wait for my next trip over!!

Good morning Team Donald!!

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY!!!

Hopefully everyone has remembered to weigh in and has already sent your weight via PM to dvccruiser76. Loss, gain or maintain it is important and helpful to remain accountable so that you can keep yourself (and others) motivated. Remember No Excuses.

How did you do with Healthy Habits yesterday? Do you have a plan to incorporate them today? Here's a reminder of the 4 habits to try for each day.

Exercise each day. The length of time is your decision.

Drink 64 oz. or more of water each day. .

Each day, journal/record what you ate and its portion size as well as one nutriona aspect of it.

Each day, do something for you. It can be fun, relaxing, short, long, etc., but it has to be something you chose to do.

Let's make this the best week we can!!!
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Well, Friday afternoon the first challenge to my will power reared its ugly head in the form of a phone call from my sister. She had that tone in her voice so I knew that bad news was coming. It turns out that my godfather died very suddenly on Wednesday morning of a heart attack while walking his dog.

So of course first instinct is reach for the food. What can I eat to feel better? Because this is how I have reacted to bad/sad news all my life!

Well I am happy to say that the TEAM DONALD me kicked in and sent me on a walk to clear my head. Rather than gorge on chocolate or something else, I found ways to deal with the news while still staying on track for my healthy goals. I also used his death as a reminder of what can happen to me if I do not lose the weight. He was over weight for most of his life and sadly had only reached 65 years of age. I want to see at least 85 so on the wagon I stay!! I say a prayer and for him and his family and keep on keeping on.

Plans for today include doing the. Living in a Swiss apartment has some strange rules when it comes to laundry. I am assigned a block of time to use the laundry room and that is the only time I am "allowed" to wash. So I was assigned Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. This is much better than my last apartment which was 1 block of time every 2 weeks. OUCH.

After noon when my laundry time is complete, I will go to the gym for a workout and steam....ahhhhhh! That's my me time!

I need to fix my breakfast and then I will be back to reply to the posts that came in after I went to bed last night!

Christopher

Oh Christopher....I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. My godfather is current in the hospital and they are not sure when is going on. I wish you peace and I am so happy that you were able to take a walk and sort out some grief rather than eating.

Sometimes I think as a vegetarian who is trying to get in shape I'm required to like hummus but the one kind I tried from Walmart was so disgusting. Maybe that brand is just not good...

Jillian kicked my butt yesterday. I went out and played some tennis with my brother (horribly, I am so terrible at sports) then did 30DS. Dang!

Our university is hosting a 5k this month. Debating on whether to sign up. I want to, but I can't convince anyone to go with me and considering it would be the real first "race" I don't want to go alone. -Sigh- I suppose I'll probably just end up going solo. I mean, who wants to pass up a 5k when they can do it? One of my new year's resolutions was to run a 5k this year and I'm already signed up for a half marathon!

I love hummus...but not all kinds. I love the Saabra hummus with olives

I used to feel that way about salads too. They were always better when made by someone else. But I stopped being cheap and started buying better salad ingredients....and preprepped if available...and it makes salad making much easier. I can make myself a huge salad in very little time. I try to prep a bunch of veggies at once..usually enough for 2-3 days. And I buy easier to use stuff....like organic spring mix rather than head lettuce that needs to be cut or torn and washed. And a container of grape tomatoes that only need a wash, rather than large tomatoes that need to be chopped. Dice up a few peppers, a few stalks of celery and a cucumber all at once....then throw it all in a resealable bowl in the fridge...and you can just toss a scoop on your greens when it is salad time!

I try to veer off of the standard green salad sometimes too....to make it more interesting. Yesterday's lunch was greens with diced apple and goat cheese and a cranberry pomegranate vinaigrette. Tonight is taco salad!

Anyhow....HTH!


Morning friends! Wearing your green?

I'm up and moving but the family is starting slow today. DS is up and playing something on the desktop. I made a batch of baked oatmeal for the kids and 2 flaxseed pancakes for myself...nice treat! DH will probably have eggs.....again.

Swim meet is tomorrow only, so I see some scrapping in my future today ( after exercise, of course ).

TTYL.............P

Thanks P!! I really need to get my salad juices going....It's a food shopping day so I am planning on some lettuce on the menu. Taco salad sounds yummy too!!!

Someone was talking about "Newsies" the other day.

It opened last fall as a musical at a theater here in jersey and last week it opened on Broadway.

Ds2 saw it in the fall with a friend and loved it. Tomorrow he is taking his gf to see the Broadway version. It should be interesting to see if they changed it anyway.

Gotta love Newsies!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Good Afternoon!!
Just watching the parade in NYC on my tv and getting ready to actually do something today! I still feel kinda icky so I am still in my pajamas and moving slow....

Have a great St. Patrick's Day Donalds!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Hiya Karen-how cool that your family are originally from here (well a wee bit further south than me but still same land mass right). Glad to hear you are keeping tradition alive with your celebrations
We got up this morning and my 5yr noticed the frost on the ground and said "thats to keep away the smell of boiled cabbage"
Its a line from a story we read that Jack Frost comes out to protect humans from Goblins and the smell of cabbage but it was so appropriate today given the dinner cooking in alot of houses tonight (not mine though-I dont like cabbage)
Hope you have a great day

 

[::Snow_White::]

Someone was talking about "Newsies" the other day.

It opened last fall as a musical at a theater here in jersey and last week it opened on Broadway.

Ds2 saw it in the fall with a friend and loved it. Tomorrow he is taking his gf to see the Broadway version. It should be interesting to see if they changed it anyway.

Cool! Wish I could go see it.

to all my TEAM DONALD friends for the congratulations on finally reaching ONE-derland after 20 years!

I did the work but I would not have been successful after all this time without the help and support of my WISH teammates so I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

WOOHOO! Congrats!!

Try roasting your veggies in the oven. It brings out a lot of natural sweetness and eliminates the need for "sauce". Guess I'm unusual in wanting my veggies pretty plain. I was trying to buy a bag of veggies to have in the freezer for emergencies and every one I picked up was "in sauce"....which I thought sounded yucky. Try fresh instead of frozen! Better taste and texture.

I say go for it with the 5k!



You're welcome!!! Glad to be able to celebrate with you!

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

I hear the TM calling but I'm ignoring it. Feeling lazy this a.m. BBL to chat.........P

Thank you for the suggestion! I guess I just assumed it wouldn't taste much different but I roasted some carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower for lunch today and it was absolutely delicious! Way better than the way I fix it, and I didn't need any kind of sauce. Guess I have a new routine!