May I join this group? I have started a diet program and love all things Disney!
Hi All,
I'm happy to be joining the group. My name is Stephanie, and I am 44. I am from Sterlington, Louisiana. I have a husband of 15 years, two sons who are 5 and 9. I also have a Step-daughter and son-in-law and a grandson that will be 2 in October. I have been a chemist at chemical company near us since 1997. BUT, next week is my last week of work. I am quitting or I guess "retiring" to be able to help more with the kids and help my husband with several businesses that we own. My work hours were very long, about 60 per week, so I had no time for anything mush less losing weight and getting healthy. We are DVC members and travel to WDW a couple of times per year. It's about 850 miles for us.
I have been overweight a really long time, and this past year, it's really gotten worse with me gaining roughly 50 lbs. I have lots of back injury and that contributes but I have to get with a program and stick to it. I started my diet this past Tuesday and the hardest part hasn't been no carbs, it's no DR Pepper. LOL I am on a very low carb diet & high protein.
My goal this month, before July 31 is to lose 9lbs. I know it's a hard goal, but the diet that I am on should make this happen if I don't cheat
Thank you for welcoming me to the group and I am so glad to have folks to begin this journey with.
Welcome to our group! So happy to have you along! And congratulations on your upcoming "retirement"!
Best of luck on your new healthy eating plan! My DH has followed the Atkins plan (off and on, but mostly on) since 2010 (and a few attempt at it previous to that) so if you are looking for any recipes or meal ideas, let me know!
Good Morning Everyone! I can't believe it's Friday - holiday weeks always throw me off. It feels like about Wednesday or Thursday to me. My fitness activity is walking. Walking, walking, walking. What I make up for in not getting my heart rate way up (meaning, not running), is distance. I've been averaging almost 20,000 steps a day - which is about 4 times more than I averaged when I first got my fitbit. That's why it feels like a fitness activity to me. Sometimes I feel guilty (I may have mentioned this before) for not doing more, but then I figure - if it ain't broke. . .
I'm feeling a little sad this morning. My son is at his first sleep away camp and (unlike most camps) he's allowed to contact me by phone and text and he's telling me that he hates the "sleeping away" part. He just turned 11 and I thought he'd be having a blast - like having a sleepover every night. Sigh. I almost wish he couldn't contact me because there's nothing I can do about it.
I'm sorry that you are having to sit there and not help your DS the way you might like to be able to...... but I can relate. My DS has never been a clingy type of kid.... he was always fine leaving for school and overnight visits to grandparents and sleeping over at friends (although he never did overnight camp). But he took a trip abroad Sophomore year and called the first night in tears about hating the city he was in (they were only there one night) and wanting to come home! HE WAS ABROAD.... and I was home with no passport... and my BIG happy "no complaints", easy-going boy was in TEARS calling me from a foreign country! I just about died of anxiety that first night! I dreamed up scenarios where DH (he had a passport) flew to the country and "rescued" DS from this trip (that was my heart talking). But my BRAIN kept telling me that he would be fine and that he was probably just a little homesick and overtired and that once they got into the country side and got busy, he would be fine. DD has been on this SAME trip with mostly the SAME teachers/chaperones two years previous and she LOVED every minute of it (and she is MUCH more likely to be the clingy homesick type). Within 48 hours I was seeing pictures on Facebook and getting messages about how FABULOUS it was. When I talked to him about it when he got home he actually seemed a bit embarrassed that he reacted like that..... but he said that first city was really scary and dirty (keeping in mind he grew up in very quiet, very rural New England), but that after the first night he was fine. The HARDEST part was the fact that we couldn't talk often and so I had to really rely on what I saw on FB and the few messages we were able to exchange to gauge how he was doing.
Anyhow, my point is....give it some time. And even if he continues to hate the night time (that is usually the hardest part of being away), the fun during the days will probably outweigh it. Even if he comes home stating he never wants to go again, you can tell him how PROUD you are of him doing something that was hard! If/when he calls again, try hard to direct the conversation to what is going on during the day.... swimming, hiking, crafts, meals, friends....whatever. You may get a better idea of how he is feeling if he can talk excitedly about the daytime things. And a big virtual HUG from one mom to another.... you will get through this, I promise.
This is one ride I am looking forward to. I can't wait to see it.
Walking my dog is my form of exercise these days. I want to get back into yoga and I have been trying to get some yoga moves done in the evening to relax before bed.
My favorite Indiana Jones is The Last Crusade. I love Sean Connery in it. I think it is the best part of the movie. A local theater is showing it next month and the tickets are free so I really want to go.
Welcome
Today we mowed the lawn at my mother in law's house for the last time(My pedometer was at 8000 by 10am and it would have been more if I had to do one section that only had minor stuff to trim so dh did it with the weedwacker). My mother in law died in Feb and my sister in law is buying the house with her SO. We thought it would take all season for the selling and closing to take place but it will take place on the 18th of this month. Dh said he would cut it until it was sold. He has also spent some time trimming bushes so that the yard is in good shape. I didn't think he should do it since sil and SO live in the house. Dh's logic is that if they had to do the yard work they might not buy the house and then no telling how long it would take to sell. We are just keeping our fingers crossed that everything goes well on the 18th.
Have a happy and healthy day
Have a happy and healthy day
Oh my gosh... you've been talking about mowing DMIL's lawn for YEARS now! I cannot believe that has finally ended.
July 9 --- Onwards to New Orleans Square
Welcome to Blue Bayou - an experience all of its own. You're brought inside to literally dine within the
Pirates of the Caribbean ride. If you were to look across the rails you'd see the boats filled with travelers
just beginning their journey through the attraction. It's worth doing once - for the experience.
Your resident Disneyland Plaid found the food to be okay... but it smelled like Pirate water. Yuck!
However... let's focus on something cool... Club 33.
This is the original (and former) entrance to Club 33 - Disney's not-so-secret Secret Society within Disneyland.
It's located on the upper level of New Orleans Square - and is about $25,000 to join with a $10,000 annual fee.
It's the only place where alcohol is severed within Disneyland. And ... the one place where everyone wants to go!
Question of the Day - July 9th
Club 33 and Blue Bayou are two of Disneyland's signature experiences.
Has anyone here actually been to Club 33?! If so - brag about your experience!
What about the Blue Bayou - what did you think of the food, ambiance, and experience?
Anything on the menu of Blue Bayou look appealing?
Never been to Club 33..... in fact, we didn't even try to find the door during our 2005 trip, but I'd like to try this year!
Blue Bayou..... I remember seeing the restaurant when we rode POTC and thinking it looked cool. But we aren't big on table service meals, so I've never eaten there. But honestly..... I LOVE the smell of "pirate water"! That cool, damp, musty water smell that ALL Disney water rides have (POTC, Splash Mtn)..... LOVE THAT SMELL! DD and I catch a whiff of it other places and we IMMEDIATELY look at each other and comment on it! We smelled it when we walked under the rainbow bridge when walking a trail at the Niagara State Park a few years ago and the smell lingered for a while and I swear we walked slower just to stay near that smell! We call it the "Disney water smell".
Right now I have us at the Luxor, trying to stay on the cheap side but close to the start/finish line
We stayed in the main building (pyramid) at the Luxor in 2005 and LOVED the hotel!! Enjoy!
July 10 - A Pirate's Life For Me
Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean is much longer (and better!) than the Magic Kingdom version. After
two wild drops down down down, you enter into treasure caves (like the one shown in the sample picture) and end in the Burning Room as you begin your journey back up to the main level of the ride. It's one of the most fun attractions at Disneyland, rich with history and popularity. And a few random Captain Jacks within the ride.
Question of the Day - July 10
The lyrics of the song mentions the line "drink up me hearties, yo ho!"
Let's talk fluids and your intake of them. How are you doing on drinking more healthy options
rather than sugary drinks and sodas? Have you cut out your alcohol intake or are you limiting drinks?
Or... are you a pirate and someone will lose a hand if they try to steal your bottle of rum, aarrrrr?
Bonus questions: Which versions of the ride have you ridden? Do you sing the infamous song while on the ride?
I stopped buying Diet Coke for the house about 8 years ago. I enjoyed it occasionally, but DH clearly had a full-on addiction (about 4 liters a day... we had a specific shelf on the fridge door dedicated to holding 3 2-ltr bottles and it was always full). It is terrible for you and I decided if he wanted to kill his brain cells with aspartame that I wasn't going to help him. During the following years he would buy 2 liter bottles himself to have at home..... then he started getting into the habit of buying a big "to-go" cup at the convenience store every time he had to drive into town (including EVERY TIME he was coming home from the gym....ironic, no?!). But about 500 days ago he decided to give it up, cold turkey (I stopped drinking it in about 2009). As far as I know he hasn't had a DROP of diet soda of any sort since then! WOOHOO! I still occasionally have a diet soda (usually Waist Watchers as it doesn't have aspartame) but I mostly stick with iced/hot tea, seltzer (I have a Soda Stream), or water.... and of course COFFEE!
Alcohol..... I definitely cut back on my beer consumption for caloric reasons, but that being said, I cut back from 1-2 on the weekends to 1-3 a month.... so I was never drinking a lot. But I really enjoy beer! Fancy drinks..... I do enjoy the occasional margarita (on the rocks with salt please!), but for calorie and budget reasons they usually only happen once or twice a year now. I usually buy a bottle or two of wine for Christmas dinner and a bottle of champagne to make mimosas for Christmas breakfast.... and that's about it. We actually have booze leftover from our housewarming party 22 years ago that is still in the cupboard (does vodka go bad??).
I've ridden both versions that are available on U.S. soil.... WDW many times, and DL just once or twice during my only trip in 2005..... but I remember liking the DL version better. Those big drops at the beginning are really fun! But the queue at WDW is better (IMHO and according to my old faulty memory). And yes, I sing along!
********************
Hey friends! Enjoyed my quick visit with DD and we pretty much stayed OP without any meals out at our favorite place...
But it felt good to come home with some cash still in my pocket AND knowing that we didn't do any caloric damage. I brought the stuff to make a WW pizza for Friday evening (although 10 SmartPoints didn't fill my belly nearly enough) and then DD made us yogurt with berries for breakfast and I "fancied" up two WW frozen meals for lunch yesterday (I obviously got carried away buying them for her to have "in case of emergency".... she had about 10 in the freezer!!). She even shared a picture with me last night of her beautiful WW-friendly college fridge (she keeps a fridge in her room because the apartment fridge/freezer is small for 5 people to share). And she shared a picture of her and her roommates' food prep day and it was so lovely and healthy looking! So proud of her (and her friends) for not falling into the rut of being "traditional" college students and eating chinese food and pizza every day! Yeah for being ADULTS!
I had planned a day of yard work and hanging laundry outside, but Mother Nature is blessing us with a bit more rain today (which is desperately needed, so I won't complain), so I will be doing some inside tasks. My bedroom is in shambles so that will definitely get some attention, I'm going to give my bathroom and DS's bathroom a deep cleaning, and I want to finalize my food plan for my quick road trip I'm taking with DD in 11 days. For diet and budget reasons I am going to pack and bring along the majority of our foods..... but our hotel room doesn't have a fridge or a microwave, plus the MAJORITY of this trip will be spent in the car (about a 12 hour drive each way)..... so this will be a challenge! Any suggestions??
Eggs for breakfast today, since I am home and have the time to cook and enjoy them! Plus my first cup of coffee is empty.... time to remedy that problem!
BTW, no progress to report thus far for July. Had a tiny gain this week...... I'm sure that my holiday weekend splurges (although there weren't a ton of them) and my lack of adequate hydration this week (I know because more than once I came home at the end of the work day with lots of water still in my bottle) contributed. Trying not to be stressed/depressed about it and will take strides to make sure it is gone this week! ........................P
)
Of course I sing along, we even have the song on CD for car trips 
