TEAM DONALD--Biggest Loser 11 Spring Team Challenge

[JVL1018]

2011 Questions of the Day- Team Donald!!

Sat 1/1/11- How did you ring in the New Year?
Hung out with my husband and 2 kids at home-lots of snacks and played games

Sun 1/2/11- What are your hobbies?
I read a lot.
I volunteer at my kids' elementary school-I'm the treasurer of the Parents' Association and run a few things at the school, so besides the 10 hours a week I get paid to be there(part time work in the school office) I am there often.
I go walking with a friend of mine when the weather is nice enough and like to go out for dinner with my husband or my girlfriends whenever possible.

 

[Heather.Mohler]

dh ran away from home the week before thanksgiving Hey, I guess that makes me 162 pounds lighter already :woohoo

Sweet baby Jeebus, I think I love you!!! He obviously didn't appreciate you sense of humor enough! Good job throwing all the crap out. It's easier to stay away from it if you have to fork over money again for stuff you just threw away. And I know what you mean about relying on your pets - I whine to mine all the time. They're the only ones who don't get tired of it.

QOTD for 1/2/11: My hobbies? I have a deep passion for all things music. I play flute and have since 1994. I have been blessed by God with overwhelmingly supportive parents that let me live at their home while I get my degree in Music Education. I always loved high school band, so I'm shooting for that. So my main hobby is also what I plan on doing with my life. I also really like to watch movies, read, and play Epic Mickey (Thanks, Pete, for adding to my long line of couch potato hobbies!). One of the things that makes me most happy, though, is driving. I love to put on my ipod and just drive to no where. I absolutely LOVE driving to Disney. It is a 5 1/2 hour drive from here, so it is long enough to really get excited about the trip without having to stretch it out over two days. In fact, I'm surprising my DB (16) with a trip on the 28th. I can't wait!


Heather

 

[RutgersAlum]

Question of the Day - What are your hobbies?

QOTD: What are my hobbies? In all honesty, I can list several: reading, scrapbooking, doing cross stitch, etc., but the reality of my life is that I don't actually spend time doing these things. I have the material, etc, but when it comes down to taking the time for myself, I end up doing household chores, or mindlessly surfing the internet, and eating.

One of my goals this year is to make myself spend time doing things I like and want to do.

LOL, I could have written this verbatum! Down to the hobbies that I do far too irregularly...that is one of my goals this year as well!

I started C25K today. Again. It worked years ago with me, so I'm optimistic... Good thing no one fainted at the gym when I showed up after such a long absence

 

[buzz5985]

QOTD - What are your hobbies? I enjoy reading, photography, gardening, I liked hiking - hope to rejoin that after losing some weight.

For those of you that drink sparkling water - we received a SodaStream for Christmas - you can make your own soda and seltzers. You just carbonate regular tap water and add flavorings to the water. They have "all natural" selections. My DH really likes the flavored waters - and finds the ones from the Sodastream, the same quality. Just 1 tsp flavors 1 Liter of water. My DS has a lot of teenage friends that for some reason like my home to hang around in and I was spending a fortune feeding them. LOL I know soda isn't the best option - but the sodastream flavors do not contain High Fructose Corn syrup and are 35 calories for 8 oz.

 

[LuvBaloo]

Hi there Team Donald!

My name is Shannon. I'm married with 2DD's. I work full time, just switched to a new career in accounting last fall and am busy taking courses to get certified. I live in Beautiful British Columbia Canada, and am excited to be going on a cruise this spring to bring the Wonder to Canada and then staying on to go up to Alaska!

My goals for January are to get back on track with less junk food, more exercising and being an active participant in the thread.

Happy Belated Birthday to Tarheel618!!!

How did you ring in the New Year?

We followed our tradition of staying home, having snacks and playing board games. And we watch the countdown on the Seattle TV station and see the fireworks and then we get a family picture with the fireworks in the background.

What are your hobbies?

I have lots of hobbies but unfortunately not enough time for them all. The most active one is boardgames. DH has turned me into a boardgamegeek. Our collection of games is over 200 and its my main hobby as its something DH and I can do together and also do as a family. When its not winter, we also do geocaching :. As an individual I love reading, enjoy needlework of all sorts (knitting, crocheting, cross-stitch, and sewing)

Thanks Dona for leading the team and taking on week 1 for coaching. I'll check my schedule for my course and then sign up for a coaching week.

Thanks to Connie and CC for doing the WIN and HH. And thanks to Rose for keeping the whole challenge organized!

 

[asktriplets]

Hi All.

Hope you've all had a successful day! I had a GREAT swim at the gym (which I've been to 3 out of the last 4 days!), and I got in my water and veggies. I've discovered over the last few days that it is easy to drink WATER when you're not full from drinking multiple diet Cokes...imagine that! The carb snacking got to me today... even though I chose food that is WAY healthier than what I've been eating over the holidays, it's still just extra calories that I don't need!!

I just read that people who get 7+ hrs of sleep a night do a better job of losing weight/keeping weight off. I know that for me, that'd be the case if for no other reason than because I am too weak to resist the lure of the kitchen after 10pm! My goal was to just go to sleep by 10 or 11, but here it is 2:30am (like it was last night, and the night before....), and I just haven't made it to bed yet. It's definitely one of my goals for the rest of the week.

Well, it has taken me nearly all day but I have 4 weeks worth of South Beach compliant dinners figured out. Now to turn that into a grocery list and figure out what to have for breakfast, snacks and lunch. I am not much of a breakfast eater so I may just go for Protein shakes there, and maybe another one for an afternoon snack.

Hopefully DH and I can go grocery shopping tomorrow.

GREAT IDEA! DH and I made up a list of healthy menu options over the break, but I think I'm going to modify it add more South Beach meals, now that I'm trying to be a bit more committed to this. I have done a modified South Beach diet (not willing to do almost no carbs for those first 2 weeks, so I do low carb, high protein) on and off over the last few years and it is always a nice motivation to lose a few pounds right off the bat!

Good Morning Team Donald! Hope everyone was off to a good start yesterday. I did my HH Goals yesterday. The water will be easy for me. The 3 veggies a day will be hard. If it were fruit instead, I would be good to go!
I guess you could call it my hobby- I volunteer at a rabbit rescue twice a week, cleaning cages, and feeding the bunnies. The shelter is similar to a Humane Association, but with all rabbits instead of cats and dogs. There are usually about 75 rabbits there at any time, waiting for a home. All the rabbits are litter box trained before being adopted, and spayed/neutered.
I have 2 buns of my own at home, Schotzie and Dalton. They do their part at keeping me busy too

Bernie

What a great thing to do!
We just became bunny owners ourselves. My niece's 4H rabbits had babies so we got 2 Netherland Dwarf boys for my girls' b-day. They are so fun to watch and interact with!! Do you mind if I ask you a litterbox question? The bunnies are about 4mths, we just got them fixed, and we have 2 litterboxes in their cage...any chance they might start using them exclusively soon? We keep some fresh hay in the litterboxes all the time, and clean them regularly, but they don't seem to use them any more than they do any place else in the cage.


As for the QOTD, Like many of you, it seems, I enjoy doing crafty things (sewing, knitting, cooking), but I did them with much more frequency before kids. I've been getting my crafty-fix these last few years by leading Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, volunteering at school 3-4 days/week, and doing loads of crafts/cooking with my kids. I love reading and traveling, too.


Have a great night everyone!

 

[asktriplets]

Holy cow, I am so behind already!

Hello everyone, I'm Tau ...
2010 was a difficult year for me. My last surro baby died 1 day after his due date, and was stillborn the following day. My Intended Parents were really awful about the whole thing and it was the most traumatic event of my life. I'm still neck deep in the grieving process and losing weight will help me find the 'me' I think I've lost.

.

I hope you find peace in 2011.
It sounds like you have a wonderful, fun family!

Good morning losers! I am off to a pretty good start for this challenge, even though we started over the weekend. Hope you did well yesterday and if you did slip a little, today is a new day

Wow, triplets I blame my ONE 14 year old "baby" for my weight gain, so I can totally understand this What genders are they, if you don't mind sharing? Have you ever checked out www.flylady.net? A great way to get organized and she advocates "baby steps".

Shawn

I have 2 girls and a boy.
THanks for the suggestion of flylady. My mom got into it a while back and it really helped her declutter and learn some great, basic housecleaning habits that she still follows years later. I've gone over to the site a few times, but never really done much more. My problem is really motivation. I KNOW what I need to do, I just don't want to do it! I aspire to live in an organized home, but I am laaaaazzzy when it comes to following through and I can ALWAYS think of something else (anything else!) that needs to be done other than cleaning out closets, organizing drawers, putting away laundry, etc. Perhaps, though, this is the time to try it again!

 

[donac]

Good Monday morning everyone. I got in all three HH yesterday. Back to school for me today.

It will be easier for me to stay on track today since I will be busier than on the weekend.

QOTD for 1/2/11: My hobbies? I have a deep passion for all things music. I play flute and have since 1994. I have been blessed by God with overwhelmingly supportive parents that let me live at their home while I get my degree in Music Education. I always loved high school band, so I'm shooting for that. So my main hobby is also what I plan on doing with my life. I also really like to watch movies, read, and play Epic Mickey (Thanks, Pete, for adding to my long line of couch potato hobbies!). One of the things that makes me most happy, though, is driving. I love to put on my ipod and just drive to no where. I absolutely LOVE driving to Disney. It is a 5 1/2 hour drive from here, so it is long enough to really get excited about the trip without having to stretch it out over two days. In fact, I'm surprising my DB (16) with a trip on the 28th. I can't wait!


Heather

Heather my ds2 played the flute all through grammar school and high school. He played it a couple of seasons in marching band. He also learned to play the alto sax because the fingering is similar. By playing the sax it also enabled him to play in the jazz band at the high school. We had an alto sax around from his older brother who played tenor sax all through high school.

Question of the Day - What are your hobbies?



LOL, I could have written this verbatum! Down to the hobbies that I do far too irregularly...that is one of my goals this year as well!

I started C25K today. Again. It worked years ago with me, so I'm optimistic... Good thing no one fainted at the gym when I showed up after such a long absence

Where is jersey do you live? My ds1's gf is a rutger's alum. I am off exit 105 on the parkway.

Shannon how is the house coming and the new job?

Hi to everyone else

Have a healthy and happy day. Will be back later, after I order ds2's books for next semester. I can only imagine what 5 engineering books are going to cost me.

 

[collins316]

Do you mind if I ask you a litterbox question? The bunnies are about 4mths, we just got them fixed, and we have 2 litterboxes in their cage...any chance they might start using them exclusively soon? We keep some fresh hay in the litterboxes all the time, and clean them regularly, but they don't seem to use them any more than they do any place else in the cage.

Thhey are just babies still, but they will get the hang of it. Rabbits are very clean animals, like cats, and they want to keep their areas nice. Getting them fixed was the most important thing you could do, not just for their health, but also for their litter box habits. Give them a couple more months to mature, and you will be amazed at how well they use the box!

 

[mikamah]

Good morning fellow losers!!

I'm back to my regular work schedule after only working 2 days over the school break. It is defniitely easier for me to eat better when I am at work as long as I plan my meals. I work in a hospital and the hardest part of my day used to be to not eat the Lorna Doone's that we had for patients, but they stopped stocking them to save money and the graham crackers just aren't as tempting, so work is easier.

I am going to take a quick run/walk 30 min/2 miles when ds gets on the bus this am as long as the roads look clear enough. It sounds cold and windy out, but I need to get back into a routine.

Shannon/Luvbaloo- Great family portrait. What a fun tradition and exciting to be in your new house for the new year. I just recently heard about geocaching from cub scouts, and it sounds like a lot of fun.

Collins- Your bunny in you siggie is so cute. I didn't realize you can train bunnies like cats.

Love reading about everyone's new years and hobbies. Have a happy, healthy monday everyone!!

 

[Rose&Mike]

Shannon--so nice to see you posting again! Looks like you all were having a great time on New Year's Eve!

Hi Kathy and Lisa and Shawn!

Dona--I am lurking on your thread. I don't have time to read it all, so someone needs to tell me if something important or exciting happens!

 

[Wendaeh]

Good morning -- I am new to Team Donald -- my name is Wendy and I live in southern NJ. Am looking forward to getting started!! Off to take my measurements.....

 

[karliebug]

I am already discouraged. I blew the dust off the treadmill that has been used as a place to hang clothing for a couple of years and tried to do my HH of 20 minutes. I could only do 10 and I feel like a failure. I was huffing and puffing after only a few minutes and that was at a slow speed.

 

[lucky978]

Where's lucky978? I think you may be another fellow Mass resident

I'm here in Methuen, MA! Would love a MA/NH meet at some point! Sounds fun!!!

 

[lucky978]

Hi all! I think I'm going to like this forum! Hopefully I can check in as much as I need to so that I don't get too behind!

I did a Zumba class yesterday at the gym with a friend! It was fun. We went to see the Blue Man Group in Boston in the afternoon. There were 23 of us and of course we went out for dinner afterwards! Good choices not made but today is another day! No work today either (it's our New Year's Holiday) so I'm going to try to hit the gym and get to the grocery store for a much needed trip. Stocking up on fruits and veggies!

Have a great day everyone!

 

[mefordis]

I LOVE the SodaStream!!! We have saved so much money from not buying seltzer!

QOTD - What are your hobbies? I enjoy reading, photography, gardening, I liked hiking - hope to rejoin that after losing some weight.

For those of you that drink sparkling water - we received a SodaStream for Christmas - you can make your own soda and seltzers. You just carbonate regular tap water and add flavorings to the water. They have "all natural" selections. My DH really likes the flavored waters - and finds the ones from the Sodastream, the same quality. Just 1 tsp flavors 1 Liter of water. My DS has a lot of teenage friends that for some reason like my home to hang around in and I was spending a fortune feeding them. LOL I know soda isn't the best option - but the sodastream flavors do not contain High Fructose Corn syrup and are 35 calories for 8 oz.

 

[Rose&Mike]

I am already discouraged. I blew the dust off the treadmill that has been used as a place to hang clothing for a couple of years and tried to do my HH of 20 minutes. I could only do 10 and I feel like a failure. I was huffing and puffing after only a few minutes and that was at a slow speed.

I really should be getting ready for work, but just had to comment on this. I understand your frustration. BUT it was 10 more minutes than you did the day before right? That's a success!!!!! Woohoo!

If 20 minutes at a time is too much right now, break it down. You could do 4-5 minute sessions, or 3 7minute sessions, etc. Set a plan that starts out slow and gets you up to 20 minutes in a couple of weeks. Hang in there!

 

[alison16]

I am here to, just joined last night.

 

[alison16]

One more thing, I need to PM my weight by tonight. Anyone know who the contact is? thanks

 

[lisah0711]

Good morning TEAM DONALD!

Hi fellow Donald's!
QOTD 1/2--My hobbies mostly center around sports...I play broomball in the winter (just had our first game today and I'm sure I am going to be SORE tomorrow ), and I play Ultimate frisbee most of the rest of the year.

So I am curious about broomball -- can you tell me more?

I got lost somewhere and forgot to post

No worries -- just pop on where we are!

Greetings from Massachusetts!

This is my first Biggest Loser Challenge...feeling a bit overwhelmed but Happy to be on Team Donald!

Jacki! Sounds like you have the activity part down so the food part of the equation won't be too bad. One of wise BL participants, corinnak, said "I know I can always eat more calories than I can run off." She will be doing the Donald (WDW half marathon this week). Even before I started running myself this made a lot of sense to me because before I would say "Well, I worked out today so I deserve to eat this!" I don't know why I thought I deserved to sabotage all my hard work.

Good evening Team Donald! Hope everyone is doing well.

QOTD: Hobbies that I enjoy are scrapbooking, paper crafting, sewing, baking, and photography. Unfortunately, I don't have much time to devote to any of them. I also want to learn to crochet this year.

Hope everyone had a wonderful day. Tomorrow is back to work for me. DH will be home so he is going to take down the Christmas decorations for me. I anticipate my house to be turned upside down by the time I get home, but I'm going for a walk before I even come home.

Hope the house elves were nice to you!

I've taken the time to read all 11 pages and it looks like we are off to a GREAT start!! Sad to say, though, as your only "MAINTAINER", I'm off to a bad start..... I'll actually be starting the year as a loser.... holiday overeating definitely got the better of me this week.

Hi pjlla! So nice to see you! You'll be a maintainer again in no time and hopefully there will be some more folks joining you soon. After all, we all want to be maintainers!

Hello Donald-ites,

Since everyone else is posting a little about themselves..

I will be turning 41 in just a couple of weeks and body wants to be 41 but I don't. Lost about 20 lbs last yr with doctor supervision but pretty much gained most of it back once the weather started to get nasty. I guess I finally came to terms with the fact that my metabolism is not 18 anymore or even 30. Up until the last couple yrs, I could pretty much eat what I want and just the little bit of exercise I got from teaching dance maintained my weight.

So looking for a little motivation through these dreary cold winter months to keep me active and eating right. Looking to lose about 15lbs.

Do you still teach dance? What kind of dance do you teach?

Hi everyone on Team Donald! I'm Gretchen and I'm super excited to be starting this challenge with you all! I also love to visit the parks since I am within driving distance. Hopefully I'll be able to add an exercise class to this list soon!

Walking lots of steps at WDW sounds like a great way to burn some calories!

Hi everyone!
My name is Vicki-I'd like to lose a total of 30 lbs, but I like to keep my goals in smaller amounts. 30 lbs seems so hard.

I already know from my way up to this weight that if I lose 5 lbs, I'll fit into more than the 1 pair of jeans I fit into now. When I lose 12, I'll go down a size, when I lose 20 I'll be at the weight I was last April when I felt pretty good...etc..so right now I am looking forward to my first goal of getting the first 5 lbs off.

Hopefully your vacation pounds will come off quickly since you are right back on track now!

BRB had to break up my replies.