To think about for today....
February has some special events coming up. How do you plan to handle the Super Bowl and Valentine's Day?
Please share any healthy ideas and/or recipes. 
I have not decided yet about the Super Bowl. We might just watch it from home, in which case I think we might have a taco bar with homemade soft corn tortillas. We live in Charlotte and I love Peyton Manning, so a lot of excitement about the upcoming game!
My DH's birthday is Feb 6th so we will probably have dessert that day. We usually do a little something for Valentine's Day but I am going to ask for a no sweets gift. We are going to turn our extra bedroom into a little retreat, so maybe I will suggest we just use the money for something for that room.
I am married to a non sports guy and I am more of a hockey person. I know it is shocking a Canadian that loves hockey
haha. I am sure we will have it on the TV but no plans. As far as Valentine's Day I am a person that feels it is a Hallmark holiday. Never been a fan so besides my youngest trading valentines and the usually small treat for my kids that is it for me. My biggest challenge this month will be my sons hockey tournament and my husbands birthday at the end of the month.
@Rose&Mike congrats on your pound loss and on your no soda month. I am impressed with your squat challenge. WTG!
I am down another 2lbs this morning. Total of 15lbs this month! Way ahead of my 10lbs set for myself. I know next month will be harder to lose. Going to keep at it though.
Congrats on that 15 pounds! You had such a great January, I know you can handle that hockey tournament!
No sports fans here so don't have to worry about the superbowl. Actually, have no idea which day it is. We don't really celebrate valentine's day either. I usually get each kid a little box of chocolates but that's it. It is my father's birthday though, so it probably mean a meal out and cake
But i'll just have a small piece and fit it into my calories for the day. I feel like I might've gained weight this week, after cheating every day last weekend. Been good on the weekdays. I'll probably get out of denial and weigh myself later today
You can definitely fit in a piece of birthday cake!
The only appeal of the super bowl is usually the half time show for me. We are not a big sports following family. And I used toget 20/25 of the heart balloons and some candy for my boys when my sons were younger but now they have no interest. DH and I have never really done much of anything for valentines day. We might make a nice meal for ourselves, I dont want any more choc after the holidays, and I always say I prefer a plant over cut flowers. I think I am low maintenance!
Sounds like February will go well for you!
184lbs for me today, up 1 lb.
Guess i'll have to be better this weekend.....
Just one pound! It will come off soon!
So, my goal for February will be to complete every day of the Challenge Group I've joined.
My weight loss goal for February is going to be 10 pounds. It's ambitious, but I'm going to really challenge myself to add activity, and hope to see those pounds falling off. I've got that trip in June coming that I really need to focus on. I want to be fit enough to really enjoy all the outdoor activities we have planned: hikes, zip lining, white water rafting, etc.
I think exercise challenges are great motivators. And I notice a huge difference after completing all those squats last month!
Down another .9 lbs. For super bowl--I am in charge of the menu. I will plan to cheat but honestly when I am on a roll it is hard to get portion sizes/calories out of my head. I plan fun meals surrounding each city/state that is a contender, so I will just try to keep them light and supplement with things that aren't tooo tempting for me. And definitely a veggie tray with some kind of low cal dip so I can snack all day. Valentines Day? We are slackers on that front too, but nothing makes my v-day like a giant steak. So that is what I'll be budgeting for. An amazing steak and a baked potato too. And then LOADS of green beans and broccoli. And wine. I'm much more tempted by red meat than chocolate
Would love to hear your super bowl menu! Sounds like fun!
I have had a really good January, except for my "TO HECK WITH IT ALL" 3 day binge. The rest of the month has been pretty awesome. The miles are clicking away with Fitbit and the treadmill (right now I am over 200 miles with fitbit and 150 intentional workout miles). I need to focus for February to NOT have more than "TO HECK WITH IT ALL" binge days. Which means also...staying on the course and no cheats!
Good for you for getting back with the program despite those three days! Here's to a good February!
I have not really thought about how I am going to handle either one of these days. Luckily my children are in the middle of winter show performances and every weekend until the end of February is booked Friday & Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons with shows. So that will help.
We also asked MIL NOT to make her famous Valentine cookies that she makes every year for us. Thankfully DH told her that...not me. We are all trying to eat better...I doubt she will listen, though.
As for Super Bowl...my team is in, but we are not going to any parties or doing a party so pretty much just treat it like any Sunday football weekend. Maybe it will be nice and we can grill outside.
Could you freeze the cookies or take them to work? Which team are you pulling for?
We are going to a super bowl party but my plan is to stay the course. Valentine's day is going to be dinner out I'm sure but that's also going to be on plan
In other news Tuesday is my WID and I'm thinking that I'm not going to make my -4. I'm with Rose and going to have to be happy with 1 or 2. Better than a gain I say!!
Definitely better than a gain!
Really struggling last night and this morning with emotional garbage all caused by me and me alone...I shut down and shut out of life. I just want to bury myself in whatever I can find. I don't even want to exercise/walk (which has been my saving grace lately)...feel all over the spectrum of emotions.
I hope you got a walk or some exercise in. I have definitely had days like that. Remember your goals and be kind to yourself. If you didn't get a chance to get some exercise in yesterday, definitely make a plan for today. Here's to a better week.
@momabaarjo sorry your having a bad day. I totally understand where you are coming from and it can be so hard to push through it. Try and go for a walk even if it is a short one. Stay strong and it will pass. I am in the same boat as we speak. I am having a tough emotion morning. Going through my hating food moods and wish I never had to eat again because that would be so much easier than having to think about it all the time.
My friends want to go out for dinner tomorrow night. The friend organizing it picked a restaurant near her house which I have never been to and is a small local restaurant that has no nutritional information online. The menu is online but let me tell you there is now low calorie options
Feeling angry about it and think why do I bother. I am ready just to stay home. Everything is carbs and fat food. Not a salad in sight on the menu. Makes me hate food and feel out of control.
I know I have said this before, but I have gone out with friends/work folks before and just ordered unsweet tea. A little different for me because of the gluten, but the point of going out with friends is to enjoy their company, right? If you want to go off plan, then that's a different story, and you can work to plan the food into your week. But if you don't want to eat, then don't eat. Remember, it is about you. And your choices. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.
So i hit my 5 lb goal for jan- Happy about it and starting to look toward Feb.
Thanks for doing this and keeping track. It makes me feel accountable.
Congrats!
Yeah!!
Going out tonight for my dad's 79th birthday. A special day for us, as he was diagnosed two years ago this month with brain cancer (astrocytoma stage 3). I'm grateful he is here!
Anyway, I went to the Black Angus website, and planned my meal. A 36 point meal (unless I take home leftovers, which I might, since I typically do so). It sounds like a lot of points (and it is), but I have tracked everything. I made sure my breakfast and lunch were low points today (total of 8). I still have 22 remaining extra points for the week.
One thing that amazed me.....I initially planned on having the grilled shrimp. Fire grilled prawns are 780 calories, with 23 grams of saturated fat. The filet mignon is 320 calories and 8 grams of saturated fat. It's good to check the nutritional info if you can....it can be surprising.
Wow that is a huge difference! I hope it was a great family celebration!!
Weighed in 310.6 that's another 1.2 down this week. Well really more because of what I had gained last week but just shy of 5 lbs for the month. 4.7 lbs total lost this month so just .3 shy of the 5 lb loss goal I had. I am switching weigh in from Sunday morning to Saturday morning I think it will help me stay motivated on weekends better to keep better track of calories and macros through out the weekend and keep to plans.
February my goal will be 8 lbs. Which will be sooooooo close to my first mini goal reached. I can't wait because its been awhile since I was down under 300. I think 2009(well not true I did see 298.3 for a week in May then bounced back up) was last time. I was down to 230 or so but unemployment and other stuff happened. I don't want to see that 3 at the start again once I'm out. As soon as I find a full time job I totally want to join a crossfit gym with my 12 1/2 year old who wants strength for gymnastics(or just mad ninja skills she says. LOL) and balance for skateboarding she plans to take up as soon as she can get a board. Maybe the other two(my brother and my friends soon to be 14 year old) in the house would get involved too at his cost of course. Support and family together can be a big motivator. Of course those two and my DD would be doing it purely for the muscle gains or strength. hehe They are all at healthy weights.
Hope you have a great February!
Well started with the questions of the days. Well some of them. I will read more after I get back from the grocery store.
I've been more successful with exercise and tracking food. In February I'd like to improve those a bit more PLUS work on making sure I'm eating 6-8 veggies/fruits a day and cutting out two days of grain carbs. Will make these changes slowly until my diet is where I want it. I'm want to go gluten and dairy(completely already avoid some dairy) free. And even less processed foods. But I figure I can work on parts broken into smaller goals each month.
Sounds like a plan for a good for February!
I'm back
...
I have not been real diligent about recording my intake and I've also been way too busy to get to the gym, but I have been doing what I can when I can.
I'm happy to report that my weight today is 168.5 pounds
. That is a 6.5 pound loss for January
.
I have only been approved to continue PT until the end of February. My oldest daughter finishes her basketball schedule at the end of February and the youngest will be done with OM too. That means if I can post any loss for February, then I can go into March with a full head of steam and a wide-open schedule.
My goal for February is to hit 165...so only about 3 pounds. It's totally doable and I'm really going to work on my water intake. I've started my own drinking game....every time I think about or talk about a donut, I have to guzzle some water
...I drank over 100 oz on Wednesday
.
Congrats on that loss! I am smiling about your drinking game!
I took the knee out for a test run today. It was cloudy and overcast and around 40-degrees when I started...then it started to rain
. It was a cold, soaking rain and I was miserable. It was bad enough that I haven't been out for a "run" in over 3 months, but the rain just made it all the worse. I walked a 1/4 mile, ran 1/4 mile, walked 1/4 mile and ran a 1/4 mile and realized that 14 minutes was just not enough of an effort. So, I continued on past my house and power-walked up the street and back. All total, I did 1.57 miles in 22 minutes. Certainly not my best effort, but I was soggy and miserable and the fact that I went outside at all is still an accomplishment to me
.
Good Luck, Everyone! Let's put January behind us and get cracking on those February goals
.
Those are the runs that you can pull from when you just don't want to go out the door. You will be able to remind yourself that if you can run in that weather then you can get out there most days.
I would like to add exercise to my program. I have done well in January foodwise, but would like to add a walking regime to my efforts.
Great plan!
I'd just like to say (vent!) that I'm currently riding in a car surrounded by people eating horribly yummy things from Wendy's and the smell is overwhelming. And I'm drinking my water and eating an orange. And trying desperately to breathe out of my mouth instead of my nose!
Good for you!
@5xdisneyfans I told them all that they were going to have one extra fat roll in the morning and I was not. Haha!
Haha!
February is TERRIBLE for me! Not only do I have Valentine's Day and the Super Bowl, but THREE birthdays! My MIL is turning 60, my nephew is turning 18 and my sister has a birthday as well (but not a biggie like 60 and 18). Sigh...I'll just try my best and either avoid cake or only have a bite of DH's.
My final weigh in is 165.6. I am very pleased with January and hope February is just as successful. Will we be keeping this thread going for February? If so, my goal will be 4 pounds and I will just use today's weight as my starting weight. Is that okay Rose?
I put a cruise on hold today while DH double checks his vacation dates. I'm still not sure it's a definite (4 port stops with a family of 4 equals $$$$ for excursions). But it got me thinking, I want to feel good on vacation and look good in pictures so I better keep this going! 4 pounds a month could be a 20 pound loss and put me at my goal weight by July. That should light a fire underneath my big old butt!
Guess what I'm off to do? Laundry. Again. DSs have a tendency to throw everything down the laundry chute in one day. So, I had no loads to do yesterday and 2 today somehow. Sigh...
I'll be back tomorrow to check in for a new month! Good night
Jill
I know you will be successful in February Jill!
You had a great January!
A cruise is a wonderful motivator!
I would definitely like to continue for February. I will post something later today about weigh ins etc!
In February I plan on adding some crunches, squats and planks increasing it a little at a time through out the month. I am also going to try and drink more water everyday. I would love to lose 10lbs this month but after such a big loss this month I think I will set my goal for 8lbs and if I lose more great.
Sounds like you are ready for February!
***
Someone asked about the squat challenge I did in January. I was on a facebook group, but the original challenge/plan was posted on skinnyjeans.net.
I am off to update the chart and get it organized for February. 
