TEAM DONALD--Biggest Loser 11 Spring Team Challenge

[pudge the fish]

ok I missed a few days
but here goes

Question of the Day
What is the one thing that you have done this week that is helping you along this journey?
Planning.. making menus, shopping for those menus and planning for disasters and bumps during the week. So there was no excuses by saying I am too tired to cook , lets go out and eat 500 zillion calories.

1/7/11 QOTD: Are you surprised by how much (or little) you can eat for the calories, depending on which foods you choose?
YES.. Then even more shocked when you read it will take about 3 miles of 15 Minute Per mile waking to undo a donut.. it is so not worth it.

I really love the eat this Not that series of books. They show you how to choose foods that are almost the same but healthier for you.

have an awesome day everyone!
Heading to MK & Epcot tomorrow for a late Bday celebration I will stay away from anything that is BAD to eat. also want to check out the new tea & spice shop at DTD.

 

[MommyTaraLee]

Thanks, everyone, for your encouragement yesterday! I weighed in this morning, and was down 1 pound for the week.... not the best week, weight wise, but in every other change, I'm very happy!

I really did NOT feel like going to gym last night to run, by DD was soooo excited to go to the babysitting room, that I couldn't back out. I ended up running a bit slower than I did on Tuesday, but still got in 2.5 miles in 32 minutes, and I was able to actually complete both of the 3 and 5 minute runs at the 1.0 incline, which I didn't do on Tuesday!

It's going to be a tough weekend. We are celebrating Christmas with my family tomorrow, and I know my Mom is making a big turkey dinner. In addition to that, I am helping throw a Baby Shower for a friend, and on top of all of the other food that will be there, I am making the cake! I've already baked a 4 tier cake (half chocolate chocolate chip, half vanilla almond), I just have to make the icing and cookie decorations and then put it all together... In my head, the cake looks awesome. It will probably end up being 3 tiers (saving a tier for DH, DD and my dad!), and will be decorated to match the Hey Diddle Diddle nursery rhyme. There will be cookies in the shapes of a cat and the fiddle, cow, moon, little dog, dish and spoon, to decorate the layers.... I hope it turns out ok!

1/7/11 QOTD: Are you surprised by how much (or little) you can eat for the calories, depending on which foods you choose?

I wasn't overly surprised when I started doing this... but what did surprise me was how quickly those calories added up! The one cookie here, a bite of DDs chicken nuggets there... at the end of the day, really added up! Now that I'm tracking, I can see exactly where those calories are coming from, and make much better decisions on what I am eating!

I also found that even when I took a break from tracking, I was much more conscience of that, and I was able to keep off, for the most part, the 30 lbs I lost since last January!


Like I said, this weekend will be crazy, so I'll probably miss alot on here... I hope everyone has a great weekend!

 

[cuteduck223]

Qotd: I'm not so much surprised as I am upset when I make poor choices. I use myfitnesspal to track, which keeps me accountable all day.

 

[MickeySP]

In the bottom right of each post next to the QUOTE button is a button with a quotation mark and a plus sign "+ . Click this button on each post you want to quote and it will change to a minus sign "- (because you click it again if you change your mind and don't want to quote it) and change colors. Then when you are done and ready to post you can just click on Post Reply and the Reply to Thread box will open with all of the posts you are quoting in it. Then you have to go through and look for the quote tags

text [/QOUTE] (spelled incorrectly here so it show up) and post your replies under each one. You can also edit out information you don't want to include within the tags, just be sure that you don't delete any of the code.

Thanks so much, this is so much easier

so true, I feel the same way. It is so hard to get over the need to lose weight quickly. I get very discouraged when i think about how many more weeks or months ahead I have to diet to get to where I want. But I also know i don't like the weight I am right now!

Same here - it took me 2 years to add the extra poundage. Realistically I know I can do some but not all in 4 or 5 months.

1/7/11 QOTD: Are you surprised by how much (or little) you can eat for the calories, depending on which foods you choose?

I was kinda shocked at hidden calories on condiments, salad dressing etc.. As far as amount yeah I can eat more than I thought when I choose healthier.

I am thrilled by my loss this week

I need to get a tracker I think.

 

[charming23]

1/7/11 QOTD: Are you surprised by how much (or little) you can eat for the calories, depending on which foods you choose?

I am surprised sometimes but what surprises me more is what foods fill me up and keep me full.

I was feeling better this morning so after breakfast, half an english muffin with peanut butter and a banana with apple juice, I did the Dancing with the Stars Cardio Dance dvd. It was so much fun. I did the Jive section and it was a good workout. I am looking forward to trying some of the others.

 

[phorsenuf]

1/7/11 QOTD: Are you surprised by how much (or little) you can eat for the calories, depending on which foods you choose?

I haven't really tracked calories this week so I can't really say.

Just got out the Wii and dusted it off. Put in my routine and did 30 minutes of yoga and strength training. It felt sooooooo good. I didn't want to stop but knew if I didn't I'd be worse tomorrow then I already know I will be.

It's gonna take me a bit to be diligent of quoting everyone and responding, so bear with me. But yay to everyone and keep up the great work.

So, I didn't really delve right in this week because it's been a bit funky. But I've been more careful inn my choices, trying to knock off the night time snacking and drink more water. I was quite surprised when I weight in and I lost 3.1 pounds!! I was shocked, buy yay! Wouldn't it be nice to lose 3 pounds every week.

 

[NCRedding]

QOTD: I am always surprised when I get on track and with the WW program, how much food I can have if I eat according the plan, especially now with plain veggies being no points on WW.

I was suprised that I recorded a loss this morning since I haven't been following WW, just tracking my points. I didn't do well on the HH challenge either. I am concerned that they are calling for snow this weekend and the first of next week, since I have a tendency to do nothing but eat when I am snowed in (and snowed in here means we have 2 inches on the ground).

I can not seem to stay asleep all night. I get to sleep fine, then wake up hot and sweaty (stupid hormones). Then, I can't turn my brain off and all the stresses of my life crowd around my head. I wish the brain had an off switch!!

 

[lovetoscrap]

So happy! I met my loss goal for this week! 3 pounds gone. I want to see about getting a ticker for my signature. Gonna have to figure out how to fit it in.

Another thing I wanted to mention about the Poof Fairy. I use Firefox and Google Toolbar so not sure if others have this but look at your menu options on the very top left of your screen/browser. I have File. . . Edit. . .View. . etc. Under Edit the first option is my very favorite one-- UNDO! So if you accidentally hit something and your entire post disappears try that first. Click undo and see if it comes back. Sometimes I have to click it a few times depending on how bad I have messed things up.

1/7/11 QOTD: Are you surprised by how much (or little) you can eat for the calories, depending on which foods you choose?

Absolutely. Usually more surprised by how small a serving size actually is, and how quickly something that looks not too bad adds up to lots of calories and fat when you exceed the serving size.

I'll have to go back to my teeth whitening strips. I woujld pop one in around 7:30 pm, leave it on for the 30 minutes and after that I wouldn't want to eat. So it prevents me from snacking and I get white teeth. It's a win-win.

I will go and brush my teeth if I feel a snack attack coming on, or just after eating a healthy snack or meal. There is not much that tastes good right after brushing and good breath and healthy teeth are always a good idea!

Good Friday morning

I haven't weighed in yet but I did get 17/18 points for the HH.

Have a happy and healthy day.

on the 17/18!
I love your "have a happy and healthy day". It puts a smile on my face and adds motivation for the day

Hi! I'm going to be on your team for this challenge. I did some of the previous challenges, but found the huge thread to be too overwhelming so ended up not participating..

Don't worry about keeping up. The Question is posted on the first page along with all the other information you need to know. Check in and read the last page if you want and then let us know how you are doing.

Weigh-in was very good to me this week. Like ridiculous - I lost 8 and my husband lost 10 (Go HappyMatt ). There's a long road ahead - but we are very motivated. Can't wait to see how next week goes, we will be sticking to our eating plan. (no excuses, right?)

We are going to treat ourselves to a little something nice - non-food. For me, it's a stick vacuum

to both of you on the great loss!

Isn't it sometimes funny what we see as a treat? I have my eye on a new floor cleaner too!

I've already baked a 4 tier cake (half chocolate chocolate chip, half vanilla almond), I just have to make the icing and cookie decorations and then put it all together... In my head, the cake looks awesome. It will probably end up being 3 tiers (saving a tier for DH, DD and my dad!), and will be decorated to match the Hey Diddle Diddle nursery rhyme. There will be cookies in the shapes of a cat and the fiddle, cow, moon, little dog, dish and spoon, to decorate the layers.... I hope it turns out ok!

Please post a photo when it is done! I would love to see how it turns out. And drool over it a little. .

In the bottom right of each post next to the QUOTE button is a button with a quotation mark and a plus sign "+ .

Thanks so much, this is so much easier

So glad that I can help

If anyone has any other questions about how to do things on the boards you can take a look at the FAQ thread linked in my signature or just ask. If I don't know then I am sure someone else does or I can find out for you.

 

[NCRedding]

Good Friday morning I just had a post and it went POOF!!

I haven't weighed in yet but I did get 17/18 points for the HH.

Good luck everyone

Have a happy and healthy day.

Great job with the HH points. I didn't do so well in that department this week!

Good morning, and good luck to everyone who as you weighin today. Hope you all see good numbers on the scale that motivate you to continue on this healthy track.

If you do not see the number you are hoping for, hang in there. Our bodies are amazing things and can do funky stuff with electrolytes and fluid, and our success and accomplishments do not always show on the scale. Don't give up. The small changes we all make will add up, and patience and persistance will help us all reach our goals!

I am down 2 pounds today. For me on my journey, that is a fabulous weight loss, and my goal is to continue what i'm doing, and slowly and steadily, I know I can continue to lose.

Have a wonderful friday!!

Congrats on the 2 pounds, and thanks for the encouragement!

Hi! I'm going to be on your team for this challenge. I did some of the previous challenges, but found the huge thread to be too overwhelming so ended up not participating. I am an elementary school teacher and was just married in December. I have struggled with my weight for a few years now, but have managed to lose 10 lbs since last year. I'm hoping this will motivate me to keep losing.

Welcome to the team Eeyores Butterfly!

Welcom to Team Donald ! Full Disclosure that this thread moves very fast. But there are great nuggets of advice to be found. I find that I can't read everything on a daily basis and that is OK !

Weigh-in was very good to me this week. Like ridiculous - I lost 8 and my husband lost 10 (Go HappyMatt ). There's a long road ahead - but we are very motivated. Can't wait to see how next week goes, we will be sticking to our eating plan. (no excuses, right?)

We are going to treat ourselves to a little something nice - non-food. For me, it's a stick vacuum

I hope everyone is having a GREAT Friday and good luck on all the weigh-ins and even more importantly, the Healthy Habits !

WOW, what a great loss!!!

QOTD - I'm not surprised by the calories in a particular food but I do always find myself surprised by portion sizes if that makes any sense.

I hope it was a good weigh in for most. I'm up a half pound. It's a little disappointing because this week was SO MUCH BETTER with both eating and exercising then the past 4. I can feel myself getting back on track and I know that if I continue it will go down. The best thing I did this week was select the days I was going to the gym and stuck to them. It didn't matter that I was tired or not in the mood, I went. This week, I will plan out the gym days and my meals and my goal will be to stick to it.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone. If the scale was good to you, remember what you did to make that happen and try to do the same this week. If the scale was not a pleasant experience this morning, don't get too discouraged, look into how you were successful and how you were not and try to improve this week!

Thanks for the words of encouragement!

OK guys, I have to post this quickly and get kids to school. I'm really bummed - the original scale I used broke (long story about kids trying to weigh one of the 70 lb dogs). Anyway, bought a new scale yesterday, but it is weighing differently (more). I know I have lost weight this week because I have been exercising at the gym and using the scale there. I'm down 4 lbs according to that scale. But I have to go with this new one at home and feel like I'm back at square one. Sorry to have to post the gain for the team.

Better luck next week!

ok I missed a few days
but here goes

Heading to MK & Epcot tomorrow for a late Bday celebration I will stay away from anything that is BAD to eat. also want to check out the new tea & spice shop at DTD.

Color me envious! Have fun!

 

[lovetoscrap]

I can not seem to stay asleep all night. I get to sleep fine, then wake up hot and sweaty (stupid hormones). Then, I can't turn my brain off and all the stresses of my life crowd around my head. I wish the brain had an off switch!!

Have you tried Melatonin? It is in the vitamin area of the store. It helps you to relax and fall asleep but isn't a "sleeping pill" so you don't wake up groggy and icky. And you don't fall so far asleep you can't wake up. I find it just helps me shut my mind down and drift off. The only side affect I have is some really bizarro dreams but nothing bad. I actually kind of enjoy them!

Last night is the first time in a VERY long time (like several years) I haven't woken up hot and sweaty in the middle of the night-- our heater broke! So it was lovely and comfy for me and the rest of the family is freezing

 

[princess_reject]

Weigh-in was very good to me this week. Like ridiculous - I lost 8 and my husband lost 10 (Go HappyMatt ). There's a long road ahead - but we are very motivated. Can't wait to see how next week goes, we will be sticking to our eating plan. (no excuses, right?)

We are going to treat ourselves to a little something nice - non-food. For me, it's a stick vacuum

Awesome work this week! It's so motivating when you have a big week...really makes you think "I can do this!" And nice choice on treating yourself with something not food related. I know I always like to go out for dinner as a treat, but I am realizing that maybe I should find a different reward for myself.

I haven't weighed in yet but I did get 17/18 points for the HH.

17/18...awesome! I am going to strive for that kind of week this week! I think I did well with my HH, but I know I can do better!

I had a pretty good week and am posting a 2.8 lb loss...I would love to just round up to 3, but since I have a digital scale and it reads out to the tenth of a pound, I am going to use it I'm hoping for similar numbers next week (maybe a nice, round, actual 3) the only thing that is kind of getting me down is that I weighed myself last Sunday (after starting on Saturday) and was showing a 4 lb loss. I know that it was just water weight and I had just gotten back from playing broomball, so I'm sure I was dehydrated, but I was kind of hoping to pst 4 as the actual number this week. Oh well...any loss is a good one, right?

QOTD 1/7--I'm not especially surprised anymore. A few years ago I was very diligent about counting calories, (but I stopped, and subsequently gained back most of the weight I lost ) so I think I have a pretty good idea about what most things are. The only ones that really get me are the serving sizes of treats...like ice cream...1 serving is really little! So for me it is easier to stick to things that are packaged as a single serving, especially for snacks.

Great work this week everyone! Keep it up...or down as the case may be!

beth

 

[Zoesmama03]

I was down 2 lbs this morning. What a surprise. I just completed Walk Away the Pounds 3 mile dvd. I used weights and was still a tad sore from yesterdays 30 Day Shred but it wasn't bad.

QOTD: 1/7/11 QOTD: Are you surprised by how much (or little) you can eat for the calories, depending on which foods you choose?

Not as much as I am by serving sizes on some of the things that will be on the "little" list in such cases. I am not overly surprised by how much fresh foods you can eat for the calories. I try to avoid packaged foods for that reason those are the ones that really become shockers when you read and measure out servings.

I decided not to eat before exercising today so now I'm enjoying 2 slices of Earthgrain 7 grain toast with Smart Balance peanut butter. I figure I need the protein(17g) Calories are bit higher with 2 but its later. Hopefully I can get by on veggies later at noon. Maybe some turkey and a cheese stick. I'll see how the hunger goes. I think for dinner I'm making my homemade green enchilada sauce and making some chicken and cheese enchiladas. Its been awhile but the sauce is amazing tasting from fresh tomatillos. Can't wait. I used to make it with cream of chicken soup and sour cream in the filling but will be leaving it out(its more authentic that way anyway). I'll be heading to the store this evening to refresh our produce.


KimG,
I have no clue what an AMT machine is but it sounds like a challenge.

Lisa,
Strange thing is my meals were usually pretty low. One day my snack totals were more than any meal because I was snacking a lot and on junk. My morning Mountain Dew could save for some snacks(skipped it this morning ). I meant by putting these extras in with the snacks I could see what could/should go. Regardless of being over I was down this week so all was good. I know I won't always be able to get away with that.

rainyday,
I agree they need more flavors in the regular ones. I'm not allergic to it but in my opinion aspartame is bad bad news. My fat intake is fine and towards the middle of the range set for Sparkpeople so low fat is not necessarily what I need. I like the gogurts especially the cotton candy flavor but don't eat them that often. DD has them around a lot for snacks after school.

Tracey,
Sorry I sent my weigh in before I saw the note. Sorry! I'll remember to add it next week.

Kelli,
welcome to the 30 Day Shred trend going on. I really like it. It gives me a better workout in 20 minutes than my 45 minute Walk Away the Pounds does.
Don't let the one bad day get you down. Today is a whole new day. I think we will all have those days and even the thin people that eat healthy have those days. As long as it stays those 'days' and doesn't turn into a collapse of your progress. We have to learn to get past those 'days' and I think we will find this a lot easier to manage.

alison,
I don't like to do the quoting. I get lost is all the quote codes and tried it but prefer my method of opening the post reply in a new window or new tab and fill in replies as I read. I have tried the word or notepad before but I like to put the smilies and emoticons in as I go rather than remember where I wanted to use them. You'll find a method you like and that works for you. Don't feel bad if you can always reply to everyone its just unlikely with so many folks. I have my days where I can only skim.

Tauwillow,
Yes I have gotten in that rut before where I just stop tracking since I already screwed it up. I'm working to try another approach where I put it in anyway and not beat myself up about it. Then the next meal or the next day can be a fresh start to do what needs to be done. Otherwise I fall completely off track and not track the next day either. Its a vicious cycle.

Kathy,
Congrats I see you joined my club on losing 2 lbs. It is a great number. I never expect to see BL weight drops. But 2 lbs is awesome.

Dona,
Great job on the HH points. I never tracked those last challenge before I fell off track.

Jessi,
Hi welcome to team Donald.

karlie,
small steps are the way to make the changes build into habits. WTG! getting the treadmill out and walking while you watch tv. I'm not a tv person in many senses. I have a few shows that I follow when I can. But when I do get into a series and watch a lot in a row I always think how I wish I had an exercise bike or treadmill to use.

Timon Tracy,
WTG! I've had those kind of first weigh ins but was more than pleased with my 2 lbs.

Dreamer,
You probably gained muscle with the exercise too. But exactly like you said don't get discouraged.

Tink lover,
What a bummer on the scale breaking. Does the new one need to be calibrated? Maybe you could calibrate it to the the gym scale if you know the gym and former scale were on track.

lovetoscrap,
I'll remember the undo thing if it happens to me one day. Its been awhile. So far this challenge it has not happened to me yet. I use melatonin from time to time if I can't fall asleep.

 

[phorsenuf]

So I put a weight ticker in my signature but I don't like how it only calculates to whole pounds and not tenths. Is that something in the setup I can change or is that just how it is?

 

[goldcupmom]

Weighed in this morning. Down 1.8 on my scale, but at WW I was up 1.6.
Which means my scale is now about 3 lbs off from theirs whereas before it was nearly the same. Weird. But seems it depends which scale there I step on.

At 4:15 this morning DH opened our bedroom door and told me to get up as he was turnng on the lights and I needed to be awake. Our sewage pump....that failed 10/11 and was replaced, then failed again on 10/30....was NOT running and was within 2" of overflowing. He took the dogs out & heard a rumble from downstairs. Got up, started labeling all faucets, toilets, etc. 'don't use' and noticed DD was in the hall bathroom upstairs & flushed . Ended up not flooding. He finally called plumber at 5:30, then went back down to check pump & it started working when he tried it manually. So, no plumber bill, but still scared of the stupid thing!

We have lived here 10 yrs and this happened 1x 6 yrs ago. now almost 3 times in 3 months. UGH!!!!!

Vein Dr. appt. this afternoon and hopefully I will be released to do other exercise.

QOTD: I'm not surprised by calories. I've been WW off & on since 1/28/2003, so I'm pretty good on knowing. I am not good on the new points, tho. Too confusing and seems things 'cost' a LOT more. But, I haven't really used it yet, so maybe will be ok.

This week I HAVE to be very strict with recording points & Bugg, so I can get my drive back to get this done.

Looks like all are doing pretty well! Go Team Donald!!

 

[phorsenuf]

Oh phooey. So I'm making a spreadsheet so I can track my daily healthy habits, food tracker and then an area to put my monthly measurements. But I can't find the piece of paper I put my measurements on. I have the total but can't find the individual ones.

Duh- nevermind. I remember I put it on my phone.

Is there a sparkspeople group for us?

 

[honugirl]

Hey Donald peeps! Chillin' at school waiting for my next class. I lost a little weight this week, I went from 196, to 194.2, so I can't complain. It's better than I thought I'd do. I'm not counting on having weight loss next week because I lost this week, so I have to keep it all in perspective. Still dealing with my health challenges so I haven't been able to workout like I want to. I just had to drop curling now too because it's just too much for my body to handle. I'm already worn down from this week (OK, the mid-week trip to Seattle probably didn't help...) but I can't be out until 11 pm on a Sunday night curling, then get up at 6:30 the next morning for class.

I am hoping to go to drop in hockey class next week and get back on the ice for an hour a week. I think I can handle that. We'll see though... I may also go get my student ID and get the quarterly gym membership for here and bring my workout gear. Wednesdays and Fridays I have 2 hours in between classes and I can't leave campus because parking is a nightmare, so that might be a good strategy to get more exercise in the week.

 

[RutgersAlum]

Hey Donalds, I'm a little frustrated at my weigh in, lost only I pound (I know, I know, on the bright side, I LOST and didn't GAIN, but still...) and I really was a good little teammate this week.

15/18 on the HH, finished Week 1 of C25K, tracked everything I ate on Sparkppl, staying in bounds on the calorie/fat, etc. limits they set for me.

I'll be ok...it just makes me all Last year, I think I lost 3 lbs the first week!

Maybe next week I need to up the exercise to each day, gotta figure out how to work that in with all the demands on this Modern Woman's time, lol.

A clone to go to the gym for me (and maybe to cook meals while I'm driving kids around) would be very handy! I'll figure it
out...going to Outback tonight and I went to their website last night and checked nutritional info and *planned* what I'm having, woo hoo, that's a good start!!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

This week's 3 Healthy Habits are:
1) Drink Six 8 oz. glasses of water. (Up to 1 glass of coffee or tea count.)
2) Exercise a minimum of 20 minutes a day.
3) Journal/track what you eat.

Oh good!! I need #3!

1/7/11 QOTD: Are you surprised by how much (or little) you can eat for the calories, depending on which foods you choose?

Sometimes. Something I think would be low in calories isn't. I need to track better, just not sure how to do it when it's not prepackaged stuff. I tend to feel like I undercount.

Tracking takes a bit but it is so worth it! Is that an iPhone app for WW? I need to check that out.

Yes it's an iPhone app called WW mobile. But it looks like I need to join WW to open all the features. I have to see the cost and talk to DH about that.

 

[mom2knk]

1/7/11 QOTD: Are you surprised by how much (or little) you can eat for the calories, depending on which foods you choose? - I think at first glance it's surprising, but when you actually look at the dishes and think about what the ingredients are it makes sense...


Weight held steady this week, but I've only really been at it since Monday and at least it wasn't a gain. HH were a little better.


Looking ahead to our new HH challenge - I've never literally tracked my food before. (I know...sinful to make such an admission, right?!)

Does anyone have a great android app that they use for tracking and would like to recommend? I've seen some of you mention "Lose It", but can't find it in the android market, so I assume it's for the iphone. - TIA

 

[Zoesmama03]

Looking ahead to our new HH challenge - I've never literally tracked my food before. (I know...sinful to make such an admission, right?!)

Does anyone have a great android app that they use for tracking and would like to recommend? I've seen some of you mention "Lose It", but can't find it in the android market, so I assume it's for the iphone. - TIA

Sparkpeople.com has online tracking just type in the food and it tells you calories, you can find most everything. BUT they also have android apps from what I've seen(iphone ones too and I assume free).
http://www.sparkpeople.com/android/

Not sure you need to be signed up(either way its completely free) to view the link but its as simple as scanning the barcode I take it.