Team Donald – Biggest Loser “No Excuses” 2012 Challenge

[jenanderson]

Hey there! I was so happy to see that I lost 4.5 pounds since Monday, but I can't help but wonder why! Weird I know. I did make a lot of changes like, drinking all the water (I thought I drank a lot of water before, but apparently not!) eating more fruit and vegies and being more active, but I didn't expect to lose that much. It makes me nervous for next week, to see if this week was just a lucky fluke or what! I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing and try to fit in more exercise though. I think knowing that I was going to post here and be accountable to people really helped me stick to it. That's me, being more active! haha!

YIPPEE!!!! 4.5 pounds since Monday = AMAZING! Looks like all your changes this week paid off. While I would expect that you won't lose this much every week, it is a great way to start!

What do you do to keep from getting discouraged when you seem to have reached a plateau? I realize I lost this week, but I was thinking this is usually what causes me to quit trying. I want to try and put an action plan in place for when these weeks occur to avoid the all or nothing frame of mind.

Any ideas?

Hello Kris - Plateaus are a big issue for me. I tend to use a bunch of little prizes to myself to keep at it. For example, even if I am not losing weight, I may tell myself that if I make it through the whole week staying on my plan that I will buy the new fingernail polish that I want. That way, I stick to the plan and even if the scale doesn't move...I still get my reward!

I didn't get a chance to weigh in ths morning as I was hurriedly prepping for the appraiser. I'll try to remember tomorrow.

Took the youngest to the dermatologist this morning and he had to have a mole on his foot removed. Now he's sporting 2 stitches right at the sneaker line He has a Urology appointment later today so we're just hanging out for a little while at home.

Hope your DS's foot feels better soon! Sounds like a rough day for him.

We have a final Christmas party tomorrow so that makes it a little harder and my youngest is making his 1st Reconciliation in the morning. I'm going to get up and exercise before I go his reconciliation. I will also make sure I eat a healthy lunch before we go to the party. Sunday should be easier. I need to go grocery shopping on Sunday so I will buy healthy stuff for me to eat.

Getting up and exercising before everything begins sounds like a great plan to deal with a busy day.

I'm also down 4.5 pounds this week. Woo hoo

Feeling really positive as I head into the weekend!!!

WAY TO GO Joslyn! Another person who lost 4.5 pounds! You should feel positive about your hard work!

Woo-hoo! 1.8 lb loss. I'm aiming for an average of 1.5 lbs per week, so I'm a little ahead. I wasn't expecting much, since I was a bit preoccupied this week. I've reworked my schedule for school - got rid of the terrifying organic chemistry and worked it so I can hit the gym 2 days per week. Which isn't a lot, so after talking to DH, I'm going to buy an elliptical for home. As a result, I've been working on clearing the junk out of the living room and moving furniture. It'll still be 2-3 weeks before we can get some of the old furniture out and actually get the elliptical bought and set up, but it'll be so nice to have.

Well, the weekends are actually pretty easy for me, since everyone's home. It's when only some of us are eating that I get lazy. Plus it looks like it'll be nice, so we'll hit the park, run a little, play some basketball, etc.

I'm more concerned about once I start back to school on Wed. I've been working on my schedule to fit some gym time in, and I'm starting to work on lunch ideas. It needs to be easily transported and not require heating. I'd really prefer to avoid a cooler too, since I already lug a billion lbs of books.

YOU GO GIRL! 1.8 pounds is great! I think you have a great average going!

Sounds like you are making plans to be active and get your exercise. Once school starts you will have to plan a bit more carefully but I know it can be done.

Thankfully my weekend job is pretty active which will help in getting my exercise in, but I'm still planning on taking at least 30 minutes each day walking on the treadmill or doing Just Dance 3.

If I have enough time to watch a 30 minute TV show, I can spend 30 minutes exercising.

This is so true and something that we all need to remember. I have also decided that if I am going to sit and watch TV for 30 minutes, I am going to multi-task and lift weights or stretch or do sit ups or planks or something.

 

[Ruthie5671]

Congratulations to everyone who lost weight this week! Once my new scale comes in I hope to join the club!!!

Friday's QOTD: What plans do you have in place to be sure you have a successful weekend?

Well, I think I have done really well this week as far as eating goes. My mind set is that I'm not "dieting" but "making better choices". For instance, instead of taking the candy from my co-workers office yesterday (which I desperately wanted) I popped some low fat popcorn. Not quite the same, but a better choice nonetheless. And today when I really wanted to eat Chinese for lunch, I went home and ate a peanut butter sandwich instead. This weekend - I'm not going anywhere. DH and I are going to clean the house, watch football and enjoy each other's company. The holidays were so hectic that we didn't have alot of time for each other. I'm planning to make a pan of lasagna tomorrow with lite sausage, lite cheese and ground sirloin. This will last us all weekend long.

Happy Friday everyone!

 

[jenanderson]

I've gotten behind in reading this thread. I joined Weight Watchers on Tuesday night; I purchased the monthly pass. So, there is another meeting (different leader) on Saturday morning, so I am going to that. I also want to go online and see what their program there is and how it works.

I plan to make menus this weekend and go shopping for what I need. Also, I need to drink more water: my goal is 32 oz daily (now it's just diet soda!!) And, I really want to try out the Weight Watchers Program seriously. I am good at sabotaging myself and then feeling very guilty about my actions or lack thereof.

I need to get into action. I have not done very well this week; I seem to be having a negative reaction to the idea of trying to lose weight. Maybe, that is the problem, I have tried so many times and have not been successful.

Cindy

Hi Cindy! It sounds like you are making a lot of plans to be successful! There are many of us here who do WW or some variation of it so feel free to chat about it or ask questions. I like that you are setting goals for drinking more water...I think you will find that to really help you. Think positive because there is TONS of support here and you CAN do it!

Happy to report that I lost 2lbs this week!
I don't know how to do the multi-quote thing so I'll just say:

WOOHOO to all you LOSERS!! We're off and running in the right direction! Keep it up!


Friday's QOTD: What plans do you have in place to be sure you have a successful weekend?

I have training for work all weekend so I knew it was gonna be a struggle. So after consulting the experts (you all) I have a bag of healthy snacks/lunch all ready and I'm planning on using breaks to walk as much as I can.

WAY TO GO! 2 Pounds is a great start for our challenge! Keep up the great work.

I am so glad that you planned your bag of healthy snacks and food for your training this weekend! That will help you keep on going with a positive attitude!

----------------------------
Well, it is time for me to be off for a bit. I had time between all my classes to keep up with the posts during the day but now it is time to head home and go for a run because it is beautiful outside!

I am really excited because I lost 1.5 pounds this week! YAY ME!

I am a bit worried about supper tonight because it is not planned out and those are the nights that typically find me eating the wrong things. So, I am planning on thinking about this as I run and being sure that I don't relax and eat the wrong things.

Chat soon everyone!
Jen

 

[cjdj4]

Down 3.8 pounds!!!!!! I am super psyched! I am also inspired by all the pounds being shed by everyone on TEAM DONALD! Go Team

I wish I could do so too. I am in awe of people that can do that and keep it all straight. I pull up a few here and there...but I always read through every post.

Glad to hear I am not alone!

Jenn - It is not ONLY 1 medal....it is one more medal then many people have! Be proud of your accomplishment and put that medal someplace where you can look at it often and know that you are strong!

Thanks for that!

Day 1 -- I made it a whole day with no soda! This is huge.

Good job! I am still struggling with this. I had 2 coke zero's today.

My name is Jen and I will be your coach this week!


Friday's QOTD: What plans do you have in place to be sure you have a successful weekend?

Thanks for coaching this week. My plan for this weekend includes a healthy birthday dinner for my mom tomorrow night. She requested Salmon, which makes tomorrow night easy. I will have to grocery shop tomorrow for the dinner and next week. I have been using spark people online and the app to track my food. They have a menu with a shopping list that I plan on tweaking and using to grocery shop. I think I will be ok. I am very ahppy about these 3.8 pounds that I don't think I will cheat.

 

[GoofyPredsFan]

My mind set is that I'm not "dieting" but "making better choices".

Happy Friday everyone!

Hi there! I totally agree with this! I think it is such an important part of succeeding too. I LOVE food, so there is no way I will ever last on a diet. But to know that I am simply making better choices in what I eat, makes me feel good, not deprived.
Lynda

 

[#1hoosierfan]

Wow!

Sounds like everyone has had a great first week!

Way to go!

I am down 2.8 pounds since I started on Monday.

Heading to dinner tonight with dh, and I am sure I will indulge some, but I plan to go right back at it tomorrow. I went to the grocery store today and have all of my meals planned out for next week already.


Have a super Friday night!

 

[Rose&Mike]

Hello to you all you Losers!

Congratulations to everyone who has made it through the first week, whether you are a loser, maintainer, or gainer you are still here and reading. And that's a success!

I wanted to throw this out there for all those folks who saw modest losses this week (say under 1.5 pounds).

NO GETTING FRUSTRATED!!! Ok, got that? It took me 8 months to lose my first 42 pounds--that is the weight I first went to maintain at. So if you divide that by 8 months that's a loss of ~1.25 pounds per week. Some weeks I lost nothing, some a little more. And I remember at the time feeling like I was doing something wrong for not having a bigger loss.

There is no right or wrong. It's awesome to see some of these big losses and they should be celebrated.

BUT, you should also be celebrating, smaller, more modest losses.

A loss is a loss is a loss and should never be seen as a disappointment or frustration.

Ok, that's my pep talk for the day.

Back to your regularly scheduled weight loss thread.

 

[Rose&Mike]

Please when you are sending in your weight to Sue, remember to include your TEAM NAME. This will makes things much easier for her.

 

[amykathleen2005]

Hello to you all you Losers!

Congratulations to everyone who has made it through the first week, whether you are a loser, maintainer, or gainer you are still here and reading. And that's a success!

I wanted to throw this out there for all those folks who saw modest losses this week (say under 1.5 pounds).

NO GETTING FRUSTRATED!!! Ok, got that?

I wouldn't call it a modest loss. That seems a bit condescending, at least to me (even though I realize that you meant to be encouraging). Losing weight too quickly will mean it is probably more likely to return anyways.

 

[mommyof2Pirates]

1lb lost!

Great Job!!!!

I lost 3.4 this week, which I was really surprised about! I think I had been eating so much junk since Thanksgiving, and maybe lots of salty stuff, so maybe all the water helped! I don't know, but I will take it!

Great Job and have fun during your alone time this weekend.

I lost 5 lbs this week! I cant believe it.

Wow excellent work.

I am happy i lost 3 pounds.

I am lucky husband is cooking for the kids this weekend, so I do not have to do it.
i hope everyone has a great weekend.

Great job on the loss and woohoo for the extra helpful husband.

2 pounds down since Wednesday! YAY! My plans this weekend... well I'm going to NYC for the day tomorrow, so I will be walking a lot.

Great work this week and woohoo for the weight loss. Have a great time tomorrow in NYC.

Hey there! I was so happy to see that I lost 4.5 pounds since Monday, but I can't help but wonder why!

Why???? because you worked at changing your diet and making it and your lifestyle a bit healthier....thats why. Good Job and Great work! You have great goals for this week too.

What do you do to keep from getting discouraged when you seem to have reached a plateau? I realize I lost this week, but I was thinking this is usually what causes me to quit trying. I want to try and put an action plan in place for when these weeks occur to avoid the all or nothing frame of mind.

Any ideas?

Kris

I dont have any ideas but this is often what happens to me too. I have not patience therefore when I plateau I tend to get frustrated and often give up a bit. I like that you are being proactive and trying to prepare yourself for when this occurs because we know it will. Thanks for putting that question out there. Hopefully we get some great ideas to help us.

Took the youngest to the dermatologist this morning and he had to have a mole on his foot removed. Now he's sporting 2 stitches right at the sneaker line He has a Urology appointment later today so we're just hanging out for a little while at home.

That doesnt sound like fun. poor guy. I hope the foot heals quickly.

I tried the baby spinach, which I was committed to doing this week!!!

Good Job!!!! My mom always told me if you dont try it you wont know if you like it. It took me almost 30 years to try new things. But I am starting to give things a shot and finding alot more foods that I love.

I need to get into action. I have not done very well this week; I seem to be having a negative reaction to the idea of trying to lose weight. Maybe, that is the problem, I have tried so many times and have not been successful.

Cindy

Yep I think the first step is to get the negativity and the past out of the mind and just move forward. Weight Watchers is a great program and easy to follow. I bet you will be very successful.

Happy to report that I lost 2lbs this week!

Great Job!!!!! Way to go.

I am really excited because I lost 1.5 pounds this week! YAY ME!

Awesome Job Jen

Down 3.8 pounds!!!!!! I am super psyched! I am also inspired by all the pounds being shed by everyone on TEAM DONALD! Go Team

Excellent Job on the loss this week. I agree team donald is looking good.

I am down 2.8 pounds since I started on Monday.

Great work this week. Awesome weight loss.

Congratulations to everyone who has made it through the first week, whether you are a loser, maintainer, or gainer you are still here and reading. And that's a success!

I agree a big congrats is in order for everyone just being here whether you lost or not.

I wouldn't call it a modest loss. That seems a bit condescending, at least to me (even though I realize that you meant to be encouraging). Losing weight too quickly will mean it is probably more likely to return anyways.

Rose is not a condescending person and meant that truly as a positive. Compared to some of the losses this week 1.5lbs seems modest but as we all know any loss is wonderful. 1-2lbs a week is completely healthy and your right the slower it comes off the more likely you are to keep it off. Most big losses the first week is lots of water weight and it is quite normal to loose more than average your first week.

Either way everyone should be celebrating your loss, gain, or maintain this week because you are here and even if the week didnt plan out exactly as you wanted it you are still conciously making the choice to be here with us ( a support group to get ourselves healthy) and that is a great start.


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

Wow am I glad the work week is over for me. It has been quite a crazy one with the full moon on the horizon. Hopefully next wk turns out better. I stayed on plan today and now I am going to head to the gym to get my run on!!!!!!!!!!

Talk to you all later.

 

[buzz5985]

Good Morning Team Donald!

"Monday through Friday, we juggle work obligations and family activities, and rush to get dinner on the table. Then when the weekend finally comes, we kick up our heels, shift into relaxation mode -- and enter a dietary danger zone, where healthy eating and fitness routines may get cast to the wind."

At this point, we have worked hard to make it through our first week. We have made changes, adjusted our eating, drank tons of water, found time to exercise and more. We do not want to cast all these routines aside on the weekend.

Friday's QOTD: What plans do you have in place to be sure you have a successful weekend?

I am actually more busy on weekends than during the week - or it seems that way!!! I have to take the rest of the decorations down - I put up a Village - 10 tubs of buildings and accessories. I really need to cut it back a bit. DS has a wrestling event tomorrow. I think homemade pizza's are on the menu for Saturday night. I make my own dough, and sauce so I know what's in it. Just portion controlled. I will weigh out the dough for my pizza and try to roll it really, really thin. Weight and measure the toppings. I will splurge and have an all natural root beer from my Sodastream. Sunday is my day to take my DF out. He lives in a closed alzheimers unit of an Assisted Living unit. May just take him to the mall to walk around and people watch. Grocery shopping, iron my clothes for the week.

Okay, I sent my numbers into CC, and now I have to send in my (lower)weight to Sue, and take my measurements. That will probably happen tomorrow morning when they're at their lowest, haha! I'm so excited about this new life, I can't even begin to tell you guys

PS, Jen, I will keep you posted about any ideas for my costume for the race...I'm thinking possibly Little Mermaid?

Great job on your lower numbers. Since you are running in the Tower of Terror race - how about a Bell Hop costume???

The weather is suppose to be nice and a little warm this weekend. I plan to walk for at least 30 minutes today, sat and Sunday. I have also started a declutter progject. Each weekend I pick on spot to declutter in the house. This weekend is the dining room.

I think it's supposed to be 52 here - I may try to get outside for a bit. Good luck with the declutter project.

Hi Jen! Hello Team Donald Well, I like the weekends because there is more time for me to do fun things with the kids. My son (10) is very active and likes to say he's my coach! So when the weather is decent we like to go to the track and try to run (ok, he runs, and I try!!). My daughter (12) loves to go to the gym with me, so sometimes we do that. We all like to go to the park and hike around there. I live on an Army post, so fitness is all around me, but it's a bit intimidating to work out with all these soldiers!! So, I'm not exactly sure what we'll do yet, but I think it's suppossed to be nice weather and I plan to get out there and take advantage of it!

Have fun with whatever you do.

ON the ANchor. 2 years ago, I bought a ring I had always loved at Silpada, and it was when I just started running and I was going to use it as my anchor and motivation, and did wear it for my 1st 5k, but don't wear rings much, so in reading about all of you using your medals and race bibs, I am going to use my Princess half medal as my anchor. I have it hanging in the play room, and whenever i do look at it, I feel so proud of myself and how I set my mind to do it, put in the work and trained, and actually did it. I did a half marathon at 47 yo, never running before in my life. If I can do that, I can certainly get this eating under control and lose this weight.

Thanks Jen, for coaching this week.

I'm happy it's friday, and hope to have more time on the weekend for more personal replies. Have a fabulous friday everyone!! Good luck on the scale!! Hope you all see lots of pounds gone for good!!!

I love Silpada. I love the prices for it on Ebay even more!!!

Good Morning Donalds!

I'm off to do my weigh in, which I'm not feeling good about... But I will report it honestly to everyone and myself! Accoutablity is what I need.

Have a good day everyone and drink that water!

Sometimes our bodies don't respond as quickly to our healthy lifestyles as we would like. Stick with it and you will be rewarded by a lower number on the scale.

Good Morning Team Donald:

I have not fallen off into never never land, my computer is just having some issues, so I am able to read but not always post. I am cheering from the sidelines.

I am 100% thrilled as I have lost 3 pounds to kick off this challenge. The best thing is I am just making small changes: drinking water, eating, exercising and finding ways to get just a bit more exercise in like parking in the back of parking lots when going to stores or appointments to encourage more movement.

I look forward to another exciting week for Team Donald!

Kris

Great!!!!

Well, I reported my first week weight! And I'm happy to report I lost 1 LB... I was really worried that I had gained, since I just started drinking all that water and I haven't been eating too well. I do think I will be getting a new scale, because mine is a really old, about 8-9 yrs, digital one and it only does whole and half pounds. I also noticed today that it had lost one of its little pads that help keep it balanced and no slidding. I had to pull off the other 3 just to make it so it wasn't off kilter.

Good job!!!

Crazy hectic day but just wanted to say I lost 3lbs
Chuffed to bits
Heading back to read

Great loss!!!

My weekend plans include finding a couple new recipes to make this weekend and plan meals for next week. It is going to be 50 degrees here today, so I am going to do day 2 of C25K outside. I also have plans to do some major cleaning and decluttering.....still have to take down the Christmas tree.

Oh, and look at my ticker, 6.8 pounds down today

Oh My!!!! with loses like this - Team Donald is sure to win the Weight Loss!!!

Janis

 

[Rose&Mike]

I wouldn't call it a modest loss. That seems a bit condescending, at least to me (even though I realize that you meant to be encouraging). Losing weight too quickly will mean it is probably more likely to return anyways.

Nope I am not a condescending person. I just know that I personally struggled with thinking that I was not doing well if I didn't have a huge loss and the last thing I wanted was for someone else to feel bad.

 

[buzz5985]

Success!! Another 2lbs lost!!

ONEderland, here I come!

Hope your doing a happy dance!!!

I was so excited to jump out of bed and weigh in today. First time in a long time that I didnt dread standing on the scale. I am down 4.6lbs this week. I am really happy but would be lying if I didnt say I had a real small piece of disappointment in me because I was really hoping for 5. I am such a type A personality overacheiver. Nothing is ever good enough for me. Really overall I am thrilled!

Then I came into work and was standing in the front office and a patients mom was like "oh my god your pregnant again". I was like umm no. and of course she felt horrible. In her defense I was standing with my arms across my waist like you do when your pregnant. Either way it was not a really great feeling but I was able to shrug it off and not be bothered by it.

I was back to my usual breakfast today since I stopped at the store to refill my diet tea and banana supply. Did not even think about a hashbrown this morning. Its getting better.

Im so glad we dont have much planned for the weekend. Hopefully it is a relaxing one.

Great loss and a good job shrugging off the comment.

1lb lost!

Yay to all the losses!

I lost 3.4 this week, which I was really surprised about! I think I had been eating so much junk since Thanksgiving, and maybe lots of salty stuff, so maybe all the water helped! I don't know, but I will take it!

Good luck to the rest of you weighing in!

Great loss!!!

I lost 5 lbs this week! I cant believe it. Being "forced" to weigh weekly has really helped be curb my unhealthy eating habits.

Next week I want to focus on exercise. I am thinking about trying the c25k since it seems like people have had success with that. But I do not have a stop watch, so I need to figure out how to time myself. That will be my weekend project & help me stay focused on my goal.

I am so thankful for all of the posts. I dont have time to respond much, but I faithfully read through the posts every evening.

Great loss - can we see a Team Donald win with all these great numbers????

Congrats to everyone who lost weight.
I am happy i lost 3 pounds.

I am lucky husband is cooking for the kids this weekend, so I do not have to do it.
i hope everyone has a great weekend.

The pounds are just falling off everyone!!!

Hey there! I was so happy to see that I lost 4.5 pounds since Monday, but I can't help but wonder why! Weird I know. I did make a lot of changes like, drinking all the water (I thought I drank a lot of water before, but apparently not!) eating more fruit and vegies and being more active, but I didn't expect to lose that much. It makes me nervous for next week, to see if this week was just a lucky fluke or what! I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing and try to fit in more exercise though. I think knowing that I was going to post here and be accountable to people really helped me stick to it. That's me, being more active! haha!

another great loss.

 

[buzz5985]

What do you do to keep from getting discouraged when you seem to have reached a plateau? I realize I lost this week, but I was thinking this is usually what causes me to quit trying. I want to try and put an action plan in place for when these weeks occur to avoid the all or nothing frame of mind.

Any ideas?

Kris

You already made the first step - your aware it could happen. I just read the following - by motivational speaker Zig Ziglar in the current WW magazine. "People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing -- that's why we recommend it daily."

Everytime you falter a bit - remember that anchor you picked. Use storyboarding to see yourself at the end of the journey. Go to your local library and look for self improvement books, or diet books, exercise books. Start a journal about what your feeling when these thoughts get in your way.

Post on here that you are struggling - no shame in that. Post any suggestions that you discover and share with us too.

Hello everyone!

Happy Friday! Having a great day. I tried the baby spinach, which I was committed to doing this week!!! I though I might weenie out right beforehand, but went with a friend to and told her my plan so that I had back up.

It was good! I mixed it with iceberg, and added chopped eggs, quinoa, carrots, grilled chicken and a bit of shredded white cheddar. Ate half the salad and was full. I'm saving the remainder for my afternoon snack.

I'm also down 4.5 pounds this week. Woo hoo

Feeling really positive as Ii head into the weekend!!!

Joslyn

Great weight loss!!!

Woo-hoo! 1.8 lb loss.

I'm more concerned about once I start back to school on Wed. I've been working on my schedule to fit some gym time in, and I'm starting to work on lunch ideas. It needs to be easily transported and not require heating. I'd really prefer to avoid a cooler too, since I already lug a billion lbs of books.

Great loss!!! How about a salad with some chicken thrown on top?? Or how about a old fashioned thermos - with soup in it??

I've gotten behind in reading this thread. I joined Weight Watchers on Tuesday night; I purchased the monthly pass. So, there is another meeting (different leader) on Saturday morning, so I am going to that. I also want to go online and see what their program there is and how it works.

I plan to make menus this weekend and go shopping for what I need. Also, I need to drink more water: my goal is 32 oz daily (now it's just diet soda!!) And, I really want to try out the Weight Watchers Program seriously. I am good at sabotaging myself and then feeling very guilty about my actions or lack thereof.

I need to get into action. I have not done very well this week; I seem to be having a negative reaction to the idea of trying to lose weight. Maybe, that is the problem, I have tried so many times and have not been successful.

Cindy

You can do this!!! I suggest you take all your WW material and read it cover to cover. Then read it again, and again, and again. Baby steps.

Happy to report that I lost 2lbs this week!
I don't know how to do the multi-quote thing so I'll just say:

WOOHOO to all you LOSERS!! We're off and running in the right direction! Keep it up!


Friday's QOTD: What plans do you have in place to be sure you have a successful weekend?

I have training for work all weekend so I knew it was gonna be a struggle. So after consulting the experts (you all) I have a bag of healthy snacks/lunch all ready and I'm planning on using breaks to walk as much as I can.

Great loss.

Congratulations to everyone who lost weight this week! Once my new scale comes in I hope to join the club!!!

Friday's QOTD: What plans do you have in place to be sure you have a successful weekend?

Well, I think I have done really well this week as far as eating goes. My mind set is that I'm not "dieting" but "making better choices". For instance, instead of taking the candy from my co-workers office yesterday (which I desperately wanted) I popped some low fat popcorn. Not quite the same, but a better choice nonetheless. And today when I really wanted to eat Chinese for lunch, I went home and ate a peanut butter sandwich instead. This weekend - I'm not going anywhere. DH and I are going to clean the house, watch football and enjoy each other's company. The holidays were so hectic that we didn't have alot of time for each other. I'm planning to make a pan of lasagna tomorrow with lite sausage, lite cheese and ground sirloin. This will last us all weekend long.

Happy Friday everyone!

Have a nice weekend!! My scale wouldn't turn on today when I stepped on it. Hope it's not a sign!!!! I will buy batteries for it in the morning.

 

[akhaloha]

Hello to you all you Losers!

Congratulations to everyone who has made it through the first week, whether you are a loser, maintainer, or gainer you are still here and reading. And that's a success!

I wanted to throw this out there for all those folks who saw modest losses this week (say under 1.5 pounds).

NO GETTING FRUSTRATED!!! Ok, got that? It took me 8 months to lose my first 42 pounds--that is the weight I first went to maintain at. So if you divide that by 8 months that's a loss of ~1.25 pounds per week. Some weeks I lost nothing, some a little more. And I remember at the time feeling like I was doing something wrong for not having a bigger loss.

There is no right or wrong. It's awesome to see some of these big losses and they should be celebrated.

BUT, you should also be celebrating, smaller, more modest losses.

A loss is a loss is a loss and should never be seen as a disappointment or frustration.

Ok, that's my pep talk for the day.

Back to your regularly scheduled weight loss thread.

Thank you soooooo much for saying exactly what I needed to hear right now!!

All day I have been feeling kinda disappointed with myself for only losing 1 pound. I know that it's still a loss, but I typically lose more the first week of being on track. (Can you tell I have started and re-started many times before?)

I'm going to print out your words of encouragement and post them in the front of my food journal!

Now I will proudly pm my weight to Sue! Thank you...thank you...thank you! You truly just made my day!!

 

[momofdjc]

Nope I am not a condescending person, especially since I was talking about myself. But thanks so much for capping off what has been an absolutely craptastic day.

I am happy to not offer encouragement if it will be seen as condescending. I just know that I personally struggled with thinking that I was not doing well if I didn't have a huge loss and the last thing I wanted was for someone else to feel bad.

As someone who lost less than 1 lb, I didn't feel it was condescending at all. I was seeing all the posts of 2, 3, and 4 lb losses and was starting to feel somewhat discouraged. Your post reminded me that any loss is a loss and should be celebrated. Sorry you had a craptastic day today.

 

[akhaloha]

Nope I am not a condescending person, especially since I was talking about myself. But thanks so much for capping off what has been an absolutely craptastic day.

I am happy to not offer encouragement if it will be seen as condescending. I just know that I personally struggled with thinking that I was not doing well if I didn't have a huge loss and the last thing I wanted was for someone else to feel bad.

I just posted how much your encouragment meant to me...so please don't stop! I can't express enough how your words really helped to turn my day around!

 

[Rose&Mike]

I just posted how much your encouragment meant to me...so please don't stop! I can't express enough how your words really helped to turn my day around!

It's all good.

I was extremely short with my reply--which is not my style either--and I apologize to Amy for being so curt and cranky.

I actually edited my original reply and then you all quoted to me, so I am stuck with it.

I am really glad that you and momofdjc understood what I was trying to say. I just truly remember feeling like a failure when I was only loosing a pound at a time (if that). But it was what was healthy for ME and that's all that really matters.

Everybody is different and everyone is going to do it differently.

And EVERYONE should celebrate their victories no matter what they are. I know that I do not congratulate myself enough, and I want everyone to be proud of themselves.

Thank you for your kind words. You really brightened my day.

 

[jenanderson]

Oh dear....I went out to run, had some dinner and then did a few errands with DD and you all were posting away without me!

I am now going to relax, have a glass of wine (I had to budget for this splurge tonight) and do some posting here. Before I reply to all the posts, I thought I would do some personal posting first!

I did get out for my run and am looking for some insight from my other running friends....DH and I ran all the time this summer and I was loving my 20 mile runs (yes....I know this is crazy but it was true). When school started, my workouts were a little off and for some reason my long runs were causing pain in my knee, hip and shins. I tried to be careful and made it to the marathon in October. We did run the first 13 miles in record time for us (2:05) and then the pain kicked in. DH and I ran/walked the last 13 miles and when I crossed the finish line everything hurt and I knew I had done something wrong. Instead of dealing with the injury, taking care of things and getting back out on the road....I basically quit running. DH and I did not run until mid-December. Just as we were starting, I got bronchial pneumonia and quit again. The last week of December I finally felt better and we started up again. We have been running 3-5 miles (5-6 days a week) since that point (it has been 2 1/2 weeks now).

Here is the issue....I am struggling so bad with my breathing still. Am I expecting too much too fast? Is it just a matter of doing other cardio work? Is it because I just got over pneumonia? Is it probably just a combination of everything?

Tonight when we went out to run, I made it 1.5 miles before I had to walk a few moments (it was all a gradual downhill and we were running at a 9:45 pace). I then ran (gradual uphill home) 1 mile and had to stop as we reached the top of one of the hills (just for a moment or two) and then ran the last bit home. It was a horrible struggle. I know it is going to take time but it just seems like I should be able to run longer and faster.

Any advice from my fellow runners?

 

[jenanderson]

Well, I think I have done really well this week as far as eating goes. My mind set is that I'm not "dieting" but "making better choices". For instance, instead of taking the candy from my co-workers office yesterday (which I desperately wanted) I popped some low fat popcorn. Not quite the same, but a better choice nonetheless. And today when I really wanted to eat Chinese for lunch, I went home and ate a peanut butter sandwich instead. This weekend - I'm not going anywhere. DH and I are going to clean the house, watch football and enjoy each other's company. The holidays were so hectic that we didn't have alot of time for each other. I'm planning to make a pan of lasagna tomorrow with lite sausage, lite cheese and ground sirloin. This will last us all weekend long.

Happy Friday everyone!

I love what you write about the fact that this is not a diet. It is so true that it is about making better choices that we can live with! Have a great weekend with your DH...it sounds so nice that you are going to enjoy each other's company this weekend! Sweet!

Down 3.8 pounds!!!!!! I am super psyched! I am also inspired by all the pounds being shed by everyone on TEAM DONALD! Go Team

Thanks for coaching this week. My plan for this weekend includes a healthy birthday dinner for my mom tomorrow night. She requested Salmon, which makes tomorrow night easy. I will have to grocery shop tomorrow for the dinner and next week. I have been using spark people online and the app to track my food. They have a menu with a shopping list that I plan on tweaking and using to grocery shop. I think I will be ok. I am very ahppy about these 3.8 pounds that I don't think I will cheat.

WAY TO GO! 3.8 pounds is SUPER! That great feeling will help carry you through the weekend! That is so nice that your mom requested salmon because that is so healthy!

Hi there! I totally agree with this! I think it is such an important part of succeeding too. I LOVE food, so there is no way I will ever last on a diet. But to know that I am simply making better choices in what I eat, makes me feel good, not deprived.
Lynda

So true! There are just things that I am not willing to give up (like a glass of wine on Friday night) but I know I don't have to when I am making healthy choices all day long.

I am down 2.8 pounds since I started on Monday.

Heading to dinner tonight with dh, and I am sure I will indulge some, but I plan to go right back at it tomorrow. I went to the grocery store today and have all of my meals planned out for next week already.

WAY TO GO Michelle! That is a great loss and I bet you feel great!

It is not all bad to indulge a bit for a special meal out with DH...the important part is that you do get right back at it and make good choices the rest of the weekend.

Hello to you all you Losers!

Congratulations to everyone who has made it through the first week, whether you are a loser, maintainer, or gainer you are still here and reading. And that's a success!

I wanted to throw this out there for all those folks who saw modest losses this week (say under 1.5 pounds).

NO GETTING FRUSTRATED!!! Ok, got that? It took me 8 months to lose my first 42 pounds--that is the weight I first went to maintain at. So if you divide that by 8 months that's a loss of ~1.25 pounds per week. Some weeks I lost nothing, some a little more. And I remember at the time feeling like I was doing something wrong for not having a bigger loss.

There is no right or wrong. It's awesome to see some of these big losses and they should be celebrated.

BUT, you should also be celebrating, smaller, more modest losses.

A loss is a loss is a loss and should never be seen as a disappointment or frustration.

Ok, that's my pep talk for the day.

Back to your regularly scheduled weight loss thread.

Rose - You beat me to the message. As I was typing today and congratulating everyone on their losses, I realized that I should type a message like yours. I know that on weeks where I had only lost 1 pound, or stayed the same, or even possibly gained weight while others were losing that I would sometimes become discouraged. You are so right that we have to celebrate every single day that we keep at this.

So, you are inspiring me to tell everyone this...

YAY to ALL of US! We made it through the week! We thought about being happy and healthy and THAT is a SUCCESS! Celebrate ANY loss...big or small! Celebrate EVERY single healthy choice you made this week. Celebrate that you found your way to this thread and that you are MAKING CHANGES big and small that will help your life!

Thank you Rose!

Please when you are sending in your weight to Sue, remember to include your TEAM NAME. This will makes things much easier for her.

Thanks for this reminder as well! I forgot to put this when I put out the reminder this morning. This is the first challenge I have done that has 2 teams and so I am still getting used to how it all works.

Awesome Job Jen

Thanks Lindsay! It was a huge surprise. I actually got off the scale and got back on again to be sure it was right!

Rose is not a condescending person and meant that truly as a positive. Compared to some of the losses this week 1.5lbs seems modest but as we all know any loss is wonderful. 1-2lbs a week is completely healthy and your right the slower it comes off the more likely you are to keep it off. Most big losses the first week is lots of water weight and it is quite normal to loose more than average your first week.

Either way everyone should be celebrating your loss, gain, or maintain this week because you are here and even if the week didnt plan out exactly as you wanted it you are still conciously making the choice to be here with us ( a support group to get ourselves healthy) and that is a great start.

This is all so true! You, Rose and the others I know from previous challenges are just the most special people with the most kind intentions. I am already beginning to appreciate all the new people as well and know that our team is made up of many special people!

Love the last part that your wrote as well!

I am actually more busy on weekends than during the week - or it seems that way!!! I have to take the rest of the decorations down - I put up a Village - 10 tubs of buildings and accessories. I really need to cut it back a bit. DS has a wrestling event tomorrow. I think homemade pizza's are on the menu for Saturday night. I make my own dough, and sauce so I know what's in it. Just portion controlled. I will weigh out the dough for my pizza and try to roll it really, really thin. Weight and measure the toppings. I will splurge and have an all natural root beer from my Sodastream. Sunday is my day to take my DF out. He lives in a closed alzheimers unit of an Assisted Living unit. May just take him to the mall to walk around and people watch. Grocery shopping, iron my clothes for the week.

Sounds like a busy weekend Janis. I also love to make homemade pizza on the weekends. It seems like such a treat but is actually so low in points because I am very careful about what I put on it. Enjoy your root beer!

Oh My!!!! with loses like this - Team Donald is sure to win the Weight Loss!!!

As I said, this is the first time that I have done a challenge with 2 teams. Do we compete with our weight loss?

Nope I am not a condescending person. I just know that I personally struggled with thinking that I was not doing well if I didn't have a huge loss and the last thing I wanted was for someone else to feel bad.

Rose, I just wanted to give you a big hug. You totally are not a condescending person. This is what I sometimes hate about the computer and posting...it is really hard to tell emotions in a typed message. I will say that your posts have often been what made me feel like I should continue on even when I didn't want to. You are so encouraging and realistic about this journey we are on and I appreciate it.

Post on here that you are struggling - no shame in that. Post any suggestions that you discover and share with us too.

I ALWAYS post my struggles here. I am more likely to post my struggles, challenges, problems and other things. It is here where I find answers, encouragement and ideas! I hope everyone feels this is a great place to feel free to share!

All day I have been feeling kinda disappointed with myself for only losing 1 pound. I know that it's still a loss, but I typically lose more the first week of being on track. (Can you tell I have started and re-started many times before?)

Kristina - I am going to say YAY for that one pound! I totally get it though. I really feel bad when I lose less then 2 pounds and that is something I have to learn to deal with because I have so many weeks where it doesn't happen. I think it is hard for those of us who have been through this before.

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YAY for me! I have kept up with the postings all day! I am truly sincere when I say that every single person here is now on my list of important people! It takes all of you for me to find success and I appreciate every word of encouragement, every story that is shared, every struggle that is admitted to and just every post. It is what helps me find success!