TEAM DONALD--Biggest Loser 11 Spring Team Challenge

[Rose&Mike]

Hello Donalds!!! I hope everyone is staying warm!

I am down to two spots to fill for coaching. If you are interested please PM me. I skim the thread, but I'm afraid I might miss a post.

3/4--3/10
3/25-3/31

Coaching really is a fun way to have what many people find to be a really on plan week. When we run two teams we have to have twice as many coaches. So, we really need some new folks to volunteer. Can you imagine how busy it would be if we were all on the same thread right now???

Thanks in advance for volunteering and thanks to lovetoscrap for signing up yesterday to coach in March!

 

[mom2knk]

It's been a crazy week, and I've missed a few days, but will attempt a quick catch-up...

QOTD - Wednesday 1/19/2011 - What is one healthy swap you can make to your eating this week?​

I'd have to say that I reach for something healthy when I feel the need to snack, like veggies or nuts instead of chips or chocolate...

I just got engaged, so now there is even more incentive to get back on track (well that and the fact that I want to look good poolside when we head to WDW for our honeymoon!).

Congratulations on your engagement! What great motivation!

QOTD Thursday January 20, 2011 - There has been a lot of talk about journaling. Please share how you journal and what you record, is it just the foods or do you list calories, fat, protein, fiber, etc for each food?​

Thanks to the HH challenge, I started using the Sparkpeople app on my droid, and I track food intake and exercise. It has really made me aware and accountable!

Friday, 1/21/11 QOTD- List some positive changes you have made or felt over the past 3 weeks. Let's all celebrate our successes so far with this challenge and inspire each other to keep on this healthy path.

I've started journaling for the first time in my life, and really like that it makes me think about what I'm eating and when.

I wasn't going to check in here this morning because I am going to be late but I just had to share because I am so stinking excited Down 4.5 lbs this morning!!! I totally didn't see that coming! Definitely makes up for the bad week last week and the hissy fit I had earlier this week.

Congrats on the loss!

how many calories are burned shoveling for 2 hours?

Thinking about this is the only thing that's gotten me through the week! Too cold and snowy!

Good evening everyone! Been a very emotional afternoon for me! I was able to get into work and so glad I did. One of my clients was a 16 year old with about 2 weeks left to live! She has a bucket list and 2 things on it were to get a facial and have a massage! Her family is beautiful! Her cousin was my other client and when she goes to college she wants to go into pre-med! I couldn't wait to come home and hug my girls and I will be praying that my girls stay healthy and that my client has peaceful and happy last days! She has been to visit the Cake Boss as part of her Make A Wish. Tomorrow her family is taking her to Ben & Gerry's in VT. They were calling to make sure they would be open tomorrow! I feel very fortunate to have met this girl and her family. It puts life in perspective doesn't it!

Hug your kids and family and pray for this lovely young girl and her family!

Thanks for sharing this. It must've been very emotional for you, but you should feel so good about doing a wonderful thing for this young lady and her family! I'll definitely give my girls some extra hugs.

I spent last night working at the local high school on costumes for their musical. It opens at the beginning of March. They need lots of pixie dust sent to them. Last year a week after the show closed they started renovations and ripped the theater apart. The walls are still not done because they are waiting for an electrical inspection. There are no seats and no floor. I don't know how it is going to come together but I am hoping for the kids that it does.

Good luck to them! Both my DDs are involved with the theatre at their HS, and I can't imagine the added stress of having your space a mess like that! On behalf of all theatre parents everywhere, thanks for giving your time and talent to make our kids look great on stage!

Saturday 1/22/11- It's the weekend, let's talk disney!! When was your first trip, your most recent trip, and when is your next trip? Care to share a favorite memory too?

First trip with Mom and Dad in 1974. Grandparents lived about an hour away, so we got to go to WDW for the day while visiting them. Grandma had a disney drawer in her kitchen where all the visiting relatives (Dad was one of nine kids, and there were 34 of us cousins, so there were lots of visitors!) would leave their leftover tickets, maps, etc. Before we headed to Orlando, we picked through the drawer, got maps to read in the car and lots of extra tickets for rides (of course, there were NEVER any E tickets in the drawer, but lots and lots of A and B!).

Most recently went with DH and DD's this past August. Ten days of heaven...we even manage to have a great time when the temp is hovering around 100!

Don't have a future trip planned right now, but I have some wishes and Dreams...I'll have to see if I can make it happen!

That's all for now...gotta get back to work on a major project. <sigh>...need to be done with this one!

TTFN!

 

[SetzKitten]

Saturday 1/22/11- It's the weekend, let's talk disney!! When was your first trip, your most recent trip, and when is your next trip? Care to share a favorite memory too?

My first trip was in 1976. Only the Magic Kingdom was there. I thought it was the most wonderful place on the planet. My most recent trip was in October. I ran the halloween 5K. I had so much fun.

I think one of the best times I had was watching a space shuttle launch from the observation deck of the Contemporary. It was like an impromptu party. One guy had a transister radio and let us all know when the countdown began. We all started screaming out the countdown, and a few seconds later saw the shuttle. There was lots of celebrating and pouring of alcohol. It was a good time.

 

[lovetoscrap]

One of my clients was a 16 year old with about 2 weeks left to live! She has a bucket list and 2 things on it were to get a facial and have a massage! She has been to visit the Cake Boss as part of her Make A Wish. Tomorrow her family is taking her to Ben & Gerry's in VT. They were calling to make sure they would be open tomorrow! I feel very fortunate to have met this girl and her family. It puts life in perspective doesn't it!

What an amazing story. So sad but also so inspirational. This family could be spending this time feeling sorry for themselves and just sitting around waiting for the inevitable but instead they are seizing every moment and doing all they can together and making wonderful memories that will last them forever. It brought tears of sadness and of joy to me when I read it. Thank you for posting it.

I've had a bit of an emotional week myself, but not nearly as serious as that. I have been struggling with work for the past few weeks, actually. It seems that everything I touch goes bad, somehow. Midas touch in reverse. Things are slowly, but surely turning around. But it sure has been stressful. I haven't been able to focus on doing the right things for myself and that is not good for me at all.

and for a great week.

HI Everyone! My name is Erica. I just wanted to say hi, this is my first time doing the BL and I am stoked to be on Team Donald!

Great to have you here. Jump in when you can. I am finding that being here is really helping me to stick with things.

First- I will send my weight in tomorrow morning as I still need to go try a 3rd scale to see which of my 2 is the accurate one

Maybe you should just take the average of all three!

I've seen a loss 3 weeks in a row, a new low number that I haven't seen in over a year. 6 more pounds to ONE-derland!!

That is great. I love that-- "one-derland"! I am trying to get there to! Too bad we can't just fall down the rabbit hole and have it happen much faster.

Up early to head to my first fitness class at the gym. I signed up for a Saturday morning one that is 8 weeks long and they are going to introduce all the classes offered. This morning it is strength training and I will follow up on the treadmill for some cardio.

Being on the road this week was tough. I tracked everything with sparkpeople, but clearly, the nutritional info listed under various sites is inconsistent at best. I would love meal suggestions from people who travel for work and are on a limited budget. I mentioned before, but the cut in per diem is really difficult adjusting to - I used to be able to have fish, chicken, salad, etc. Now it is at a fast food level. HELP!.

That sounds like a neat class. More places should do that. What a great way to see what might work best for you.

So far the others have made most of the suggestions that I had for you. If you have a car then I think the grocery store may be your best option. If you have a microwave and fridge in the room that would really help, but some hotels at least have a microwave somewhere that you can use. And most fast food places have some healthier choices that you can choose. I like Wendy's for their grilled chicken and baked potato, salads (I get a balsamic vinaigrette dressing), Subway, Chick-Fil-A, and even McDonalds for grilled chicken and salad.

Drinking water can save you almost $3 at most sit down restaurants and is better for you. If you need to go out try to do it at lunch-- the lunch menu is usually cheaper and there is usually a good soup and salad option or half sandwich. Then have a smaller meal at night, maybe just in your hotel room. Also check the appetizer menu for lower priced options. Usually they have some of the higher fat and calorie items but sometimes you can find something and adapt it, like a quesadilla no sour cream and request they go light on the cheese. Then only eat a sensible portion, not the entire thing. Sometimes you can also just order "sides" like a baked potato and steamed veggies. Also ask about getting a half portion-- some of the chains will let you get their huge salads as a half which cuts the calories and the price!

Are you staying in hotels that offer free breakfast? If not do you have any control over that to try to choose ones that do? They usually have fresh fruit and fruit juice and you can get a 1/2 bagel or oatmeal.

My most recent trip was in September of 2009 with my mom. We went because my dad and I had been planning to take a family trip there to celebrate my 25th birthday. He passed away in June of 2009 and my mom and I needed to get away. So off to Disney we went. We spent a week at CBR and had a wonderful time. Just what we needed to relax and celebrate my dad.

So now that I have caught up with the QOTD's I can report in. I hope everyone had a good week. Mine started out good and then Thursday morning I slipped on the ice and fell. I was in some major pain and have not exercised for the past few days. I also went out to dinner with a friend last night and did not make good choices. But the good news is I stayed the same and did not gain any. I hope to get back on track for next week.

So sorry for your loss of your dad. It is great you and your mom were still able to go and have a good time. Sounds like that is exactly what he would have wanted.

OH NO on the ice fall! Did you get yourself checked out to be sure that nothing is broken? You are still right where you need to be and this is a new week so just make it all you can! If you aren't up to exercising you might try to modify your food a little more to the lower end of calories and fat and you may still see some smaller numbers at the end of the week.

 

[Yunchman]

Hello all! I am your newest member of TEAM DONALD! My name is Stacy and I am a LOSER! I just got married in November of 2010 on Castaway Cay! I lost about 20 lbs before my wedding and it was a wonderful and I was happy with the way I looked on my wedding day! However, I have since slacked off during the holidays and gained back about 6 so now I want to get back on track and lost another 30-40 depending on how I look along the way. I want to be healthy and more than happy with how I look. Looking forward to losing some weight with you all!

 

[lovetoscrap]

Saturday 1/22/11- It's the weekend, let's talk disney!! When was your first trip, your most recent trip, and when is your next trip? Care to share a favorite memory too?

First real Trip was in 2003. It was our "One and Only, Once in a Lifetime, We are Never Going Again" trip. I had wanted to go for years and years. We had been to Disneyland a few times when I was a kid but I really don't remember much, my family wasn't much for amusement parks. And I vaguely remember going to WDW back when it was just MK (they were building Epcot) but again, with parents that didn't really do amusement parks it was not really a magical experience. So I count the 2003 trip as my first.

DH wasn't supposed to go-- my Mom was taking me and my girls. He really had no interest in going to that place for kids. But as I got into my intense planning and shared things I learned about what to do he began to get a little more interested. And as I started making a list of things to take and carry in the park he started saying things like "that backpack is going to be too heavy for you" and "you aren't going to be able to carry the stroller on the bus and help the kids" and "you will never find your way around, you may need me to help read the maps" (I can't read a map to save my life!), and "You are going to need me to take pictures aren't you?" . So, yep, he decided he better go and carry the heavy stuff, take pictures, and make sure we didn't get permanently lost in AK! Two days into our Once In a Lifetime, NeverEver going again trip, he started saying things like "Next time we come we should eat there again", and "Next time we should ride that again", and so on and so on. I just quietly and .

And there have been several next times, including 2 that he was the one that said this is a great deal we should go! He isn't a Disney fan, but he knows how happy it makes me, and he likes that it is "easy" and there is something for everyone so we all have fun, and it makes our girls happy. Our last trip was in August of last year and we don't have anything planned. Most likely my next trip would be without the family but I don't know that the finances will allow that for a few years.

I have so many favorite and wonderful memories. One would be when we were in AK and I was getting tired and cranky and was trying to read the map (see above). I was totally confused but didn't want to ask DH for help. Finally he got frustrated and asked what I was trying to figure out. I snapped back "I am trying to figure out which way is Dinoland so we can go there next." He looked at me, looked up above me, looked at me and burst out laughing as he pointed above me. I had been standing directly under the directional sign that was pointing towards Dinoland the entire time! We all had a great laugh and it really renewed my spirit. So now sometimes when I am looking lost DH will ask if I am trying to find Dinoland!

Interestingly Disney really has also been a constant part of the issues with my feet. All three sets of cortisone shots I got were before a Disney trip so that I could walk (or try to walk). Most of my surgeries were scheduled around a Disney trip. My first use of an ECV for more than in a store was there, and the decision to go ahead and buy one was largely because we knew that it would pay for itself quickly because of the rental costs. And because using it at Disney showed me that I could go ahead and be myself, be independent, and get on with my life if I had one to use all the time. So many days my favorite memories are of when I actually was able to WALK down Main St and STAND in line. I have actually improved a lot in the last year and with PT I am getting stronger but the doctors can't tell me if I will ever be able to walk at Disney again. They have said that my only hope of even having a chance is if I continue PT and lose some of the weight (of course a whole lot of the weight went on while I was unable to walk at all). Right now our hope is that I will be able to improve enough to not need my ECV for the normal day to day things like going to the mall or a long grocery shopping. But it does seem unlikely that I will ever be able to do a week on my feet at Disney again. But I also thought that I would only go to Disney once in my adult life so never say never!

 

[Disneyland_emily]

So the battle of the scales was not in my favor as the new scale is apparently right vs my old scale so technically I "gained" 6 lbs this week

But I'm going with the fact I am 3.6 lbs lighter today than day 1 with the new scale and not let the overall 9 lb set back between scales get in my way...

Now on to Saturday 1/22/11- It's the weekend, let's talk disney!! When was your first trip, your most recent trip, and when is your next trip? Care to share a favorite memory too?

First trip: DLR was in 81 (which I don't remember as I was well a year old) 2nd trip was in 84 (vaguely remember that.) Started annual (topped out at 5 trips in 1 year) trips in 92-05

First WDW trip? College Program 2001. Only been to WDW once as a "vacation" in 2004

Most recent trip? Well It's been a 4.5 year vacation DLR? December 09

Next trip? DLR? September- WDW technically in 2 hrs for work

 

[lovetoscrap]

So the battle of the scales was not in my favor as the new scale is apparently right vs my old scale so technically I "gained" 6 lbs this week

But I'm going with the fact I am 3.6 lbs lighter today than day 1 with the new scale and not let the overall 9 lb set back between scales get in my way...

I wonder if tigger183 could adjust your starting weight for you based on the new scale so that your losses will show correctly?

 

[Kallista]

Hugs to those who may not be happy with the scale today. It does stink when our hard work doesn't show in the numbers, but we know what we've done right, and we must not let that scale have the power. We have the power to make the positive changes in our lives to make us all healthier individuals.

fI you're exercising, and watching your diet, don't worry if you're not losing weight. Whenever I start a new training program, I almost always put on a little muscle and lose a little fat first, and that makes my weight go up at the beginning. I'm still thinner. I'm just not lighter. If I stay with my exercise program, I will lose some weight, along with the inches, eventually.

 

[50sjayne]

I'm just trying to catch up a little.....



My goal is to hit the gym every day and either do BodyPump (hour class) or the elliptical(45 -60 min.) I can usually get to the gym every day. This past week my DD6 was sick and home from school Monday - Wednesday and my DD was traveling for work so I missed the gym a few days. I was able to work out at home with the wii, but I really missed the gym. I did get to the gym on Thursday and Friday and I felt so much better.

This week I'm getting back on track.....
Fri. - 65 minutes on the elliptical
Saturday - 55 min. elliptical
Sunday - Would love to do BP but it looks like 60 min. elliptical again
Monday - elliptical again - 55 min.
Tuesday - BodyPump + elliptical 30 min
Wednesday - elliptical
Thursday - BodyPump + elliptical 30 min

Criminy. Just started doing that machine at the pool and honestly 45 minutes about kills me. That includes warm up and down + stretching. I do put the resistance up to 10, but still.

HAd to share a laugh. My mom bought Sophie an EDWARD TWILIGHT BARBIE. She missed the whole Twilight part of it, just bought him because his name was Edward, which was Daddy's name. Sophie would have never known, if AK hadn't said "That's a twilight Barbie, Granny". Sophie kinda looked at him oddly, I was scrambling and said "look Sophie, he's sparkly!" She looked harder and ran and hugged mom and said "thank you so much for the sparkly Barbie man, Granny". Later, she was playing with him and the Belle Barbie from her great grandmother and said to MIL, "let's pretend that he's a real man, just a sparkly one. Not a vampire"

Have a great day everyone!

Ha! I want a sparkly Edward...

So I went and bought my "reward" scale today...

Did not think there would be a 9 lb difference between new scale and old scale...

Not sure I want the new scale

Lol!

Well I'm up to page 60 now. Slowly but surely.

QOTD - Saturday 1/15/2011 - What is your favorite vegetable? Please share your favorite ways of preparing/cooking/eating it!

Toss up between sweet potatoes, corn on the cob or mushrooms. Sweet potaotes-make fries. Trick is to separate them all on a cookie sheet so they don’t touch. Season with what you like—for me shake them in a bag with olive oil, salt pepper, garlic salt and sprinkle some cumin on the top. Mushrooms—sauteed in olive oil Johnny’s garlic seasoning added towards end or crushed garlic.

QOTD Sunday 1/16/2011 - How do you avoid eating for reasons other than your body being truly hungary?

It’s so hard when you are conditioned to eat when you are not hungry. Seems all my eating is centered around emotion though—whether I’m eating too much or not eating enough. I found chewing gum really helped—sometimes just having something to chew is comforting. Lots of water—flavored water helps, I’ve made my own with lime. Dealing with stuff helps but honestly sometimes you just need escape—as in a good movie or book. Or music…

QOTD - Monday January 17
What is your favorite way to get yourself back on track?

Good question. I need to do that right now. When I was losing weight—journaling food eaten helped even though I hated doing it. Now that I need to gain weight—I’m thinking I had just better pay more attention to calories eaten. I just haven’t had any appetite. Probably planning meals better would help too—making food more appealing… I know what my problem is—I just didn’t think this would last his long…I think it’s because of circumstances—everything is more intense, and prolonged I guess. Meanwhile—I want to stay in shape but doing that and not losing weight is the problem. I just need to eat more…baaah.

1/14/11 Friday QOTD - What does a typical weekly exercise plan look like for you? How often, when and what do you plan to do? How often do you meet these goals?

No plan—just lifestyle. Lately—2-3 times a week elliptical at the gym, 2 sessions a week with the mat at home for back /core exercises (stomach)
When the weather permits—long bike rides along the river, walks at night with the kid. My work is very physical.

 

[RemembertheMagic98]

Saturday 1/22/11- It's the weekend, let's talk disney!! When was your first trip, your most recent trip, and when is your next trip? Care to share a favorite memory too?

I could talk Disney for waaaay too long!

First Trip: I was maybe 6 yrs old (think during the late 70's) and we stayed in the cabins in Ft. Wilderness. I remember spending hours at River Country (now defunct) and watching the fireworks from Main Street.

Most Recent: My parents took me, sister, brother-in-law and my 3 yr old nephew last February to the Poly for 7 days. It was a first trip for the little guy and he was just floored by everything His favorite ride was the monorail Now that it's been almost a year since the trip I am so surprised that he remembers so much! He just asked me the other day when we can go back to Mickey's House (not the literal house in Toontown...so sad, but the entire WDW). It was the most amazing trip just watching him experience Disney for the first time

Next Trip: Disney Princess Half Marathon February 2012 (unless somebody out there offers me a free trip before then!)

Best Memory: In 2009 I went to Disney with my best friend in the world. He and I had such an amazing trip which began with dinner at Victoria and Alberts. It was sooooo delish and romantic (we are not dating due to other circumstances). After a 3 hour meal we went over to MK for Magic Hours until 1am We were exhausted by 1am in a good way and just enjoyed spending time with eachother. Awesome memory


On another note, ribs are feeling better today and allowed me to hit the treadmill for 3 miles this morning. It felt really good to be active! Tonight I am off to a Murder Mystery Dinner at a local restaurant....I would love to solve the mystery (brings me back to the days of readng Nancy Drew!)

Have a wonderful afternoon/evening Donalds!!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

For a 150 lb person ***827***, for a 200 lb person ***1104***
WOW

SWEET!! So between shoveling and running/walking I've done about 1500 calories the other day and today.

Saturday 1/22/11- It's the weekend, let's talk disney!! When was your first trip, your most recent trip, and when is your next trip? Care to share a favorite memory too?

My first trip: Disneyland 25th anniversary
Don't remember much and I have 1 picture, which my dad focused on the steam boat instead of me and my brother.
One specific memory was riding Dumbo. I still have to do that first!!


First trip: July 2004 - We were bitten by the Disney bug!! First family vacation ever!
Best memories: Aladdin (in the Share a Dream Come True Parade) points to DS14 (on his 8th birthday) and says I've never had a friend like you. And when he met Mary Poppins (his ultimate crush) and she kissed his cheek. His face is priceless!!!
Same parade DS9, 2 at the time - Pinocchio says I'm a Real Boy! DS giggles no hims a girl!!!
Epcot - DS10, 3 at the time got kidnapped by Chip and Dale. the lady behind us shouts Hey they just stole somebody's kid!!

Best memory not first trip:
April 2005, DS10 4 at the time grabs my face during Illuminations and says Mommy, this is the bestest bacation ever.

Latest trip: July 2010
With PrincessNancy96 and her family. Had a great time just hanging out.
Best memory:
Taking her and the kids on Everest for the first time!! They had a blast!

Next trip:
Probably December 2011
Either DL Paris or WDW and maybe a cruise.

 

[charming23]

So sorry for your loss of your dad. It is great you and your mom were still able to go and have a good time. Sounds like that is exactly what he would have wanted.

OH NO on the ice fall! Did you get yourself checked out to be sure that nothing is broken? You are still right where you need to be and this is a new week so just make it all you can! If you aren't up to exercising you might try to modify your food a little more to the lower end of calories and fat and you may still see some smaller numbers at the end of the week.

Thanks. My mom and I still say that the trip was the best thing for us. We had planned to go in February of 2010 but decided we needed to move it up and get out of town for awhile.

I did get myself checked out and nothing was broken. I landed on my rear end and have never felt so relieved to be so cushy. Today I was up to some light exercise (walking) and have adjusted my weekly menu a bit to be a little lower in calories.

 

[mikamah]

Being on the road this week was tough. I tracked everything with sparkpeople, but clearly, the nutritional info listed under various sites is inconsistent at best. I would love meal suggestions from people who travel for work and are on a limited budget. I mentioned before, but the cut in per diem is really difficult adjusting to - I used to be able to have fish, chicken, salad, etc. Now it is at a fast food level. HELP!

You got lots of advice from some others, but taco bell has healthier options and they are fairly cheap too. I think buying healthy snacks/fruit that doesn't need refridgeration to have available in the room would help too. Sorry your hours have been cut.

So is it just me or are any of you still watching Christmas themed shows Dylan just fell in love with Curious George's A Very Monkey Christmas and Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Chrismtas, so we saved them on the DVR and he keeps saying yes when we ask him if that's what he wants when he takes the remote. I even have the Grinch CD in my car and if he gets fussy I turn it on and he starts swaying to the music.

How cute. We started the christmas dvd's in early nov, so we haven't watched any since christmas break. Are we going to be slammed with more snow this week, or what? I hope not.

But tomorrow is an unusual day for us.... NOTHING ON THE CALENDAR! After church we have a totally free day!! I see some more scrapbooking in my future!! Or maybe.... oh well. P

How fun to have a trip with dd now. I bet both your kids just love the memories of their special trips with mom. Enjoy your totally free day!! Don't think I've heard you say that before.

Kathy: We had scrambled eggs, bacon and toast - mine was 333 calories...

Nice work on the breakfast. I can't wait to take a cruise. I've been planning to take on for my 50th bday in 2014, but don't know if it will be disney or not, depending on who comes with us. If it's just me and Michael, disney it is, but I hope my brother, sil and niece will come, so the kids will be in the kids club together. I

I was there opening day! my Mom's ex -husband had an uncle who was a big important type management guy at an Orlando paper. He & his wife had no kids and they would take me places. He and his wife called and asked if I was able to go see something exciting. I had no idea what would happen- I was 8 after all! I thought it was the most wonderful thing I had even seen and basically cried all day I was so happy. He had VIP status and it was so exciting! we ate at the Liberty Tree Tavern . Peter Pan wasn't even opened yet I still have old ticket books from the 70's.

I have so many memories that it would take PAGES- one of the best recent memories was the December before MGM became hollywood studios. we had just seen the HSM show and DD was dancing afterwards in front of the hat and I was being silly with her. Asking what time is it and shouting it's our vacation. Well A CM came running up and asked what we were so happy about. DD told her it was Disney and everyone had to be happy! We ended up getting picked for the Parade- one of the last cars & stars parades. it was fun and exciting! We were treated like we were famous.

How wonderful to have been there on opening day, and to be in the parade. So fun.

My most recent trip was in September of 2009 with my mom. We went because my dad and I had been planning to take a family trip there to celebrate my 25th birthday. He passed away in June of 2009 and my mom and I needed to get away. So off to Disney we went. We spent a week at CBR and had a wonderful time. Just what we needed to relax and celebrate my dad.
My favorite memory is from 2009 when we went to MNSSHP. When I was little my dad and my Aunt Maggie always called me their little Snow White because I had dark black hair and looked sort of like her. My dad also loved Snow White since it came out the year he was born (1937). So at the halloween party I got the opporotunity to get my picture taken with all seven dwarves. It made me smile because my dad and Aunt Maggie would have loved that.

So sorry for the loss of your dad. I lost my mom the same month, and it's so hard. So nice you and your mom were able to get away and celebrate your dad. I've heard it's tough to get all 7 dwarfs together, I think your dad and aunt were shining down upon you.

Hello Donalds!!! I hope everyone is staying warm!

I am down to two spots to fill for coaching. If you are interested please PM me. I skim the thread, but I'm afraid I might miss a post.

3/4--3/10
3/25-3/31

Coaching really is a fun way to have what many people find to be a really on plan week. When we run two teams we have to have twice as many coaches. So, we really need some new folks to volunteer. Can you imagine how busy it would be if we were all on the same thread right now?

Most recently went with DH and DD's this past August. Ten days of heaven...we even manage to have a great time when the temp is hovering around 100!

We went last august too, and I was amazed how much I loved it. The hot summer here probably helped with that.

I think one of the best times I had was watching a space shuttle launch from the observation deck of the Contemporary. It was like an impromptu party. One guy had a transister radio and let us all know when the countdown began. We all started screaming out the countdown, and a few seconds later saw the shuttle. There was lots of celebrating and pouring of alcohol. It was a good time.

How cool that must have been.

I love that-- "one-derland"! I am trying to get there to! Too bad we can't just fall down the rabbit hole and have it happen much faster.

Now that would be nice, but I guess if we don't have to work hard to get there, we're not going to appreciate being there half as much.

Hello all! I am your newest member of TEAM DONALD! My name is Stacy and I am a LOSER! I just got married in November of 2010 on Castaway Cay! I lost about 20 lbs before my wedding and it was a wonderful and I was happy with the way I looked on my wedding day! However, I have since slacked off during the holidays and gained back about 6 so now I want to get back on track and lost another 30-40 depending on how I look along the way. I want to be healthy and more than happy with how I look. Looking forward to losing some weight with you all!

Welcome Stacy. Congratulations on your wedding. It must have been amazing. I'd love to hear more about it. Was it just you two, or did you have a big destination wedding and reception and all on the island? I can imagine disney made it pretty much a dream wedding.

But it does seem unlikely that I will ever be able to do a week on my feet at Disney again. But I also thought that I would only go to Disney once in my adult life so never say never!

Love how your husband made the first once in a lifetime trip, and was totally sucked in. Doesn't sound like you even needed to brainwash him much. You have such a positive attitude, and are working so hard. I hope one day you are able to walk a full week at disney.

But I'm going with the fact I am 3.6 lbs lighter today than day 1 with the new scale and not let the overall 9 lb set back between scales get in my way...

Most recent trip? Well It's been a 4.5 year vacation DLR? December 09

Next trip? DLR? September- WDW technically in 2 hrs for work.

Congrats on the 3.6 pounds, and I'm jealous you get to go to wdw every day!! Where do you work? You may have said before, but I can't remember. I just checked out your blog, how cool to have gone every day, for 2 years, was it? wow.

fI you're exercising, and watching your diet, don't worry if you're not losing weight. Whenever I start a new training program, I almost always put on a little muscle and lose a little fat first, and that makes my weight go up at the beginning. I'm still thinner. I'm just not lighter. If I stay with my exercise program, I will lose some weight, along with the inches, eventually.

Now that I need to gain weight—I’m thinking I had just better pay more attention to calories eaten. I just haven’t had any appetite. Probably planning meals better would help too—making food more appealing… I know what my problem is—I just didn’t think this would last his long…I think it’s because of circumstances—everything is more intense, and prolonged I guess. Meanwhile—I want to stay in shape but doing that and not losing weight is the problem. I just need to eat more…baaah.

I hope circumstances improve for you soon. How are the kitties? Any new family members?

I Next Trip: Disney Princess Half Marathon February 2012 (unless somebody out there offers me a free trip before then!)
On another note, ribs are feeling better today and allowed me to hit the treadmill for 3 miles this morning. It felt really good to be active! Tonight I am off to a Murder Mystery Dinner at a local restaurant....I would love to solve the mystery (brings me back to the days of readng Nancy Drew!)

Whoo hoo for the princess 2012!! Have fun tonight. I loved nancy drew, but loved the hardy boys more.

First trip: July 2004 - We were bitten by the Disney bug!! First family vacation ever!
Best memories: Aladdin (in the Share a Dream Come True Parade) points to DS14 (on his 8th birthday) and says I've never had a friend like you. And when he met Mary Poppins (his ultimate crush) and she kissed his cheek. His face is priceless!!!
Same parade DS9, 2 at the time - Pinocchio says I'm a Real Boy! DS giggles no hims a girl!!!
Epcot - DS10, 3 at the time got kidnapped by Chip and Dale. the lady behind us shouts Hey they just stole somebody's kid!!

Best memory not first trip:
April 2005, DS10 4 at the time grabs my face during Illuminations and says Mommy, this is the bestest bacation ever.

Latest trip: July 2010
With PrincessNancy96 and her family. Had a great time just hanging out.
Best memory:
Taking her and the kids on Everest for the first time!! They had a blast!

Next trip:
Probably December 2011
Either DL Paris or WDW and maybe a cruise.

Love all your special memories. Chip and dale are the best.

I did get myself checked out and nothing was broken. I landed on my rear end and have never felt so relieved to be so cushy. Today I was up to some light exercise (walking) and have adjusted my weekly menu a bit to be a little lower in calories.

Glad you didn't break anything in your fall. Bet you'll be sore for a bit. Hang in there.

qotd- my first trip was in the early 90s with a boyfriend at the time who showed me wdw his way, which was running from ride to ride without taking in much of the magic. Maybe it was the relationship, not the place that wasn't so magical. My second trip was in 96, about 6 months after my dad had died, and my sister was going with a friend and her family, so she invited our whole family, so we all went except one brother, and it was so fun, and my mom had such a great time. I loved that trip, and had a blast, but fell totally in love with the place when i took ds- michael for his 5th birthday. We've been back 4 more times, and our next trip is in 5 weeks for the princess half. As a single mom, I love how I know my way around and feel very safe there, just the two of us.
One of my favorite memories was ds's first trip, after dinner at LTT, we were heading to get out bracelets for the christmas party, and we were right on main st when wishes started. Prior to this, michael was terrified of fireworks and I was so nervous he was going to freak out, but he started watching them, and wasn't scared at all, and when I said what do you think, he said it was "awesome", and of course that was the first time I cried that trip. Later on his birthday just he and I went for the opening ceremony at MK, and I was so overwhelmed with gratitude for how lucky I was to be here with him, and to be blessed with such an amazing son.


I loved reading everyone's disney memories. It is such a magical place.

We went snow tubing this afternoon, which was really fun. I did get out this morning and did 6 miles walk/run with a friend, and since there was no wind, it was actually pretty nice. cold but nice. No big plans for tomorrow. I think we'll sleep in, at least I will, and ds can get up and watch tv.

Have a nice evening.

 

[donac]

Good Sunday morning Team Donald. It is cold this morning. And supposed to be colder tomorrow morning.

Had a great day sewing yesterday but I was exhausted when I got home. THere 6 people there but only three of us sewing. We got out 63 pillowcases. The people who weren't sewing were cutting and pressing. We had quite a system going.

What does everyone have planned for today? Kathy snow tubing sounds fun but it is going to be too cold to do it today. I have church and I should go grocery shopping. I do have to write up a couple of short worksheets for my calc classes. I know dh willl be watching the football games. I will stay out of his way. Maybe it is a good day to quilt.

Saturday 1/22/11- It's the weekend, let's talk disney!! When was your first trip, your most recent trip, and when is your next trip? Care to share a favorite memory too?

It has been fun reading all the fun times people have had.

My first trip to DL was on our honeymoon. We got into LA the night before and the first stop was DL. We were there all day. We had no plan but we got on most of what we wanted to do. I don't remember any kind of research just that we went.

OUr first trip to DW was with Dh's family. We stayed at Yellowstone Campground in one trailer for 8 people. My gf and her dh met up with us. We did MK but I don't remember how many days we went. I know it was the summer or two before Epcot opened because we took a monorail tour to see Epcto before it opened.

I think my favorite memory was a day we had gone to BB and because we only had some many days on our pass we were not doing a major park that day. We got back to the hotel and decided to go over to FW to have dinner at Trails End. We took a bus to the MK and then took the boat over to FW. After dinner we took the boat back to the MK to catch a bus. It was just starting to rain so no one was in the front of the boat. Just as we left FW the fireworks started and we watched them from the boat. It was beautiful night.

Our last trip was our first trip to DW with dh and myself and no kids. It was fun to not have to worry about what they wanted and just what we wanted. We also took it slow because I had bunion surgery 6 weeks before. It was also a last minute trip. About 3 weeks after my surgery dh suggested it. Within a half an hour I had booked a room, with a discount, and the airfare. Not bad.

We don't have a trip planned but we are in the talking phase. Ds graduates college in May 2012. Dh said the other night maybe we should plan a trip to celebrate. We haven't booked it yet because I know he wants to pay off some bills and tuition before we decide. If it is in his mind then we are probably going. That also may be the year we stay with dsis and her family at BLT in a 3 bedroom villa.

Sorry to have written a novel

Have a healthy and happy day.

 

[mikamah]

Kathy snow tubing sounds fun but it is going to be too cold to do it today.

About 3 weeks after my surgery dh suggested it. Within a half an hour I had booked a room, with a discount, and the airfare.

We really lucked out with the weather for tubing yesterday. It was a scout event, so we couldn't have changed the date.
I love how you just need the word from dh and you can quickly have a trip booked. Proof of a true disney fanatic. No apologies for a novel, we all love to read and write about disney.

Not much on here for today. Need to take a quick trip to the mall that we were too tired to do last night. May go see Tangled with my sister, niece and nephew. I'll call them in a bit.

Enjoy you sunday everyone!!

 

[flipflopmom]

We went snow tubing this afternoon, which was really fun. I did get out this morning and did 6 miles walk/run with a friend, and since there was no wind, it was actually pretty nice. cold but nice. No big plans for tomorrow. I think we'll sleep in, at least I will, and ds can get up and watch tv.

Since you posted so early, I'm assuming you didn't sleep in? HOw in the world are ya!

Good Sunday morning Team Donald. It is cold this morning. And supposed to be colder tomorrow morning.

Stay warm! Your knee will feel better!

Hey eveyone. I literally have no time, so I just skimmed this page, and these two ladies were the early birds that got replied to! Hope you guys are doing well, I'm trying to get out of the water so I don't drown, swimming doesn't seem to be an option this week for this Dory!!!

Have a great day! Miss you guys!
Taryn

 

[mikamah]

Today's qotd is inspired by my friend Jane who called about an hour ago to ask if she could take my son to boston for a track meet. So I have several hours alone!!!

Sunday 1/23/11 QOTD- If you have one day all to yourself, no commitments, no kids or spouses, just total time for you, where would you go and what would you do?

Since I have several hours right now, I'm going to do a quick house cleaning, the go to the mall and do a few errands, things for me- get some things for the princess half, check out ac moore, and then I am going to see what movies are playing, and go see a grown up movie for a change!!
Not very exciting, but if I had the whole day, I might add meeting a friend for a grown up lunch or a walk, if I was feeling rich, I'd love to have a massage.
Maybe curl up with a good book and a cup of tea after the massage.

Not very exciting, but relaxing. Now, off to do the dishes and make the most of my "me" time!!

Have a great sunday, and hope you all can take a little time for yourself today too. We all deserve it.

 

[mikamah]

Since you posted so early, I'm assuming you didn't sleep in? HOw in the world are ya!

Hey there!! Doing fine, and you? Miss you and all the Mickey peeps. I actually did sleep in til 6:55 and michael slept very late til 7:20!! Can't wait til he's a teenager and I have to drag him out of bed. OH wait, theres a lot more that goes with that, so i think I'll keep him little as long as possible and enjoy my early mornings.

 

[pjlla]

First trip with Mom and Dad in 1974. Grandparents lived about an hour away, so we got to go to WDW for the day while visiting them. Grandma had a disney drawer in her kitchen where all the visiting relatives (Dad was one of nine kids, and there were 34 of us cousins, so there were lots of visitors!) would leave their leftover tickets, maps, etc. Before we headed to Orlando, we picked through the drawer, got maps to read in the car and lots of extra tickets for rides (of course, there were NEVER any E tickets in the drawer, but lots and lots of A and B!).

My grandparents kept their extra ticket books in their junk drawer.... and they lived in MA, not FL. They had been several times before we went with them in 1974, so they had extra tickets to share with us! I can remember seeing those extra tickets in the junk drawer for years.... wish I had them now.

Hello all! I am your newest member of TEAM DONALD! My name is Stacy and I am a LOSER! I just got married in November of 2010 on Castaway Cay! I lost about 20 lbs before my wedding and it was a wonderful and I was happy with the way I looked on my wedding day! However, I have since slacked off during the holidays and gained back about 6 so now I want to get back on track and lost another 30-40 depending on how I look along the way. I want to be healthy and more than happy with how I look. Looking forward to losing some weight with you all!

Welcome, welcome, welcome!

Interestingly Disney really has also been a constant part of the issues with my feet. All three sets of cortisone shots I got were before a Disney trip so that I could walk (or try to walk). Most of my surgeries were scheduled around a Disney trip. My first use of an ECV for more than in a store was there, and the decision to go ahead and buy one was largely because we knew that it would pay for itself quickly because of the rental costs. And because using it at Disney showed me that I could go ahead and be myself, be independent, and get on with my life if I had one to use all the time. So many days my favorite memories are of when I actually was able to WALK down Main St and STAND in line. I have actually improved a lot in the last year and with PT I am getting stronger but the doctors can't tell me if I will ever be able to walk at Disney again. They have said that my only hope of even having a chance is if I continue PT and lose some of the weight (of course a whole lot of the weight went on while I was unable to walk at all). Right now our hope is that I will be able to improve enough to not need my ECV for the normal day to day things like going to the mall or a long grocery shopping. But it does seem unlikely that I will ever be able to do a week on my feet at Disney again. But I also thought that I would only go to Disney once in my adult life so never say never!

AMEN!

How fun to have a trip with dd now. I bet both your kids just love the memories of their special trips with mom. Enjoy your totally free day!! Don't think I've heard you say that before.

And the "free" day has begun with sleeping late and being lazy! I've even skipped church. My scrapping will begin soon... first I gotta feed the family a nice breakfast.

Today's qotd is inspired by my friend Jane who called about an hour ago to ask if she could take my son to boston for a track meet. So I have several hours alone!!!

Sunday 1/23/11 QOTD- If you have one day all to yourself, no commitments, no kids or spouses, just total time for you, where would you go and what would you do?

Since I have several hours right now, I'm going to do a quick house cleaning, the go to the mall and do a few errands, things for me- get some things for the princess half, check out ac moore, and then I am going to see what movies are playing, and go see a grown up movie for a change!!
Not very exciting, but if I had the whole day, I might add meeting a friend for a grown up lunch or a walk, if I was feeling rich, I'd love to have a massage.
Maybe curl up with a good book and a cup of tea after the massage.

Not very exciting, but relaxing. Now, off to do the dishes and make the most of my "me" time!!

Have a great sunday, and hope you all can take a little time for yourself today too. We all deserve it.

Well... I'd probably just scrapbook. It is what I LOVE to do. I'm not a big shopper and I don't have a lot of friends, so nobody to hang out with. If I could have a day without laundry, dishes, cooking, and kid-taxiing, I'd be so happy!


Well... here I am, wasting my free day just gabbing here and watching stupid TV Land shows. Time to get the family fed and get to my scrapping table!.............P