Wish Away the Pounds - August Challenge - with two new twists!

[pjlla]

Morning all! I see some of had good news on the scale and some not-so much.... but keep on trucking! You can turn it around! NEVER GIVE UP!!

Looks like it will be a sunny but cool day here today..... hoping to FINALLY get out on that hike I wanted to do. It won't be long, but it should be fun.

Guess I'm not feeling too chatty this morning, so I'm going to go now and make breakfast. I think today is a yogurt and fruit day. TTYL...............P

 

[lisah0711]

Well-Being Week-end

image blogs.disney.com http://blogs.disney.com/oh-my-disney/2013/07/22/hammock-day-the-goofy-way/

Remember last week-end's superest of the supermoons? Well, August 2014 has another special feature -- there are FIVE Fridays, FIVE Saturdays and FIVE Sundays this month. That is HALF the month!

Luckily there are some tips for a healthy week-end thanks to our friends at sparkpeople.com.

Keep it up. Your healthy habits, that is.

We all tend to relax – or be lax – on weekends; that’s what they’re for, right? But loosening our grips on a healthy lifestyle, even just for the weekend, can sabotage our efforts to reach health and fitness goals.

Recent studies indicate that we tend to take in more calories on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The exact number varies from an average of 85 calories per weekend day to 115, and while that may not seem like much, it adds up. A pound is 3,500 calories, so 345 extra calories a week will lead to nearly a pound after 10 weeks — or an extra five pounds over a year.

You may think, "So I eat a little more on Saturday night, I’ll exercise that off on Sunday." Sunday arrives, yet you find excuses not to exercise.

Church starts at 9 a.m.? Then get up at 7 a.m. and walk a few miles. You rise early to workout on weekdays, why not now?

Not a morning exerciser and you can’t miss 60 Minutes or Alias on Sunday evening? Tape or TiVo it and hit the gym.

Your wife wants your help in the garden? Good news – the experts deem yard work real exercise.

Watching your kids’ baseball games all day? Stand up while you watch: standing burns more calories than sitting. Or take a walk between games.

Do you just not feel like working out because, after all, weekends are for relaxing? Just a few minutes of exercise is better than none. Keeping up with your exercise routine will help you reach your fitness goals that much faster, and once you get into the groove of working out, you’ll crave it. Promise.

And it doesn’t stop with fitness. While it’s easy to drink the recommended eight glasses of water a day when you have a water bottle sitting on your desk at work, where you’re stuck for half your waking hours, weekends are different. You’re watching your kids’ soccer games or shopping or doing yard work or visiting the craft booths at the local art fair. Carrying a water bottle with you everywhere you go just doesn’t seem feasible.

Keep your eye on the prize: a healthier you. Be conscious of what you eat during the weekends, stick to your healthy lifestyle of eating right and exercising just like you do during the week. If you need to reward yourself for the hard work (or the diligence you’ve kept to your diet) through the week, see a movie or get a massage. DON’T get the cheesy fries appetizer or order an extra margarita – the study mentioned in the third paragraph shows that the additional weekend calories come from fat and alcohol.

On weekends, give yourself a break, but make it a healthy one.

Here is a link to the article if you are interested: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=219

WATP Musings Well-Being Week-end (8/16/14): How do you make your week-ends healthy? Do you have a tip to help keep us all on track?

 

[pjlla]

WATP Musings Well-Being Week-end (8/16/14): How do you make your week-ends healthy? Do you have a tip to help keep us all on track?

Often (lately at least) my weekend exercise routine is one of yard work and cleaning... and I'm okay with that. I would much prefer "productive" exercise. Lifting, pushing, pulling, digging, raking, etc is much more "me". That being said, I am not above using my TM, going for a good walk/run/hike.

I try hard stay ON TRACK with my eating for most of the weekend. I often allow myself one splurge meal each weekend though.... often on Friday or Saturday night. But other than that I stick with my normal routine. When I am being diligent with my meal planning, I plan my weekend meals as well as my week day meals. Then if I get into a project during a weekend, at least I don't have to drop everything and figure out what we are eating.

I also often take time on a Saturday or Sunday to do my meal planning for the upcoming week. I will also do my shopping (if I haven't already) and as much prep as I can to make a busy work week easier. Sometimes I'll even take a weekend day and do some BATCH cooking for the freezer. I really love myself when I can pull a container of frozen soup or stew out during a busy week and have a healthy homemade meal ready to drop in the crockpot or warm up in minutes! Plus batch cooking allows me to create one BIG MESS for one day and get it all cleaned up at once! And it certainly makes things quicker if I can chop all the onions (for example) for 5 meals at once, rather than taking the time on 5 different days to chop onions, wash the knife, clean the cutting board, etc. If I make 5 meatloaves all at once, I can bake them all at once (hence heating the oven just once), cool them, wrap them, freeze them, and then just defrost and warm in the microwave or drop it frozen into the crockpot on low for the day! Time and energy saved!

******************

Morning all! I awoke to some sunshine at 6 am, but it is gone now... I had planned to hose out the shed and start some repair work on the trim, but maybe not now?? I'll have to check the forecast before I dive into any projects.

After running errands to the transfer station and the Goodwill and Home Depot yesterday, DH treated me to dinner out with a $50 gift card he found in his briefcase! So in addition to a nice dinner (mostly OP other than splurging on a light beer) that I didn't have to cook, I was able to save the stewed chicken and veggies I was defrosting for dinner until tonight. So I don't have to cook tonight either! Plus with this month's grocery budget gone and the fridge getting very bare, that helped a lot! Just 8 days until payday.... we're gonna make it! (Think I could convince my 16 y/o DS to go on a diet??)

Off to feed breakfast to my DH. I did scrape up a few dollars to buy a dozen eggs for him.... he can't live without eggs. He eats them 3-4 days a week, at least. And we already had cheese and bacon in the fridge... so at least he is happy at breakfast this week! I will probably have the last of my carton of egg whites and then have oatmeal or yogurt for the remainder of the week.

(For those who are wondering if we are truly in dire financial crisis.... we are NOT.... I am just cheap and thrifty and when the grocery budget for the month goes to car repairs and a large delivery of organic compost for the new garden, then we need to SUCK IT UP and eat on the cheap and from the pantry as much as possible. I refuse to dig into savings for groceries! When I say things like "scrape up the money" that usually means scrounging the change from the cup in the laundry room where I deposit any money found in pants pockets !! ) )..........................P

 

[Flossbolna]

Finally!!! There was movement on the scale!! Yesterday I already woke up to a nice number and it even went down another 200g today. I am so pleased as I do hope to lose quite a bit before my next vacation and that is coming closer! While I am looking forward to the vacation (still over 3 months away) I also really need to lose some serious weight until then to feel comfortable in a swim suit!

Will update later tonight with the weights I got so far. Now I am going to spend some time working on my trip report which I haven't gotten around to for weeks!

I can also report that I had to high protein breakfasts this weekend. Yesterday had some eggs. That was nice, but I still feel it is not keeping me fed long enough. Today I had some new quark that I found (a kind of German fromage frais). I checked the label and with my portion this morning I had only 3 points and they had 22 grams of protein! I added some chopped strawberries and a teaspoon of honey and it was a delicious breafast! I am going to get more of the stuff! I think it might even work very well to prepare it the evening before, so I just need to take the bowl out of the fridge in the morning!

Wellbeing Weekend:

I often use weekends to try out new recipes that are healthy. I enjoy cooking, but when I get home from work I am often too tired. So, cooking something new (or just something that is more work) makes me feel that I am getting a treat. But it does not need to be unhealthy. Often I tend to make more than one portion, too, in order to have something stored in the fridge for the coming week, or I just pop the left overs into the freezer. I guess it is a bit similar to Pam's batch cooking, but on a smaller scale!

Another think I like to do on weekends is to combine an event with some exercise, mainly walking. For example go for a nice walk where I know that I can have a nice cappuccino after (or during) my walk. Going somewhere nice for a coffee feels like a treat, but if I combine it with exercise it makes me move more.

I have figured out (thanks to my fitbit) that eating during weekends is not my problem, but lack of activity. While I have an office job, there is quite a bit of walking involved with getting there, going out for lunch, going to a different floor to speak to some colleagues etc. However, weekends I tend to stay put where I am and while I might walk a bit in my apartment it really is not a lot. So that is something I need to work on.

 

[glss1/2fll]

On weekends, I do tend to splurge more. Mostly at breakfast. Love a cup of tea and a Costco muffin! But otherwise I stay pretty on track. Since I use MFP I can see how I'm doing and it's usually okay. Too bad the scale doesn't reflect that!

I need to figure out what I'm wearing to the interview tomorrow and eat some breakfast. Have a great day!

 

[lisah0711]

Good morning all!

I did a megareply this morning that seems to have poofed.

So I will leave you with this quote from my running newsletter and WISH you a very happy and restful Sunday!

"If we all did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves."
-Thomas Edison

 

[Flossbolna]

So, here is the current list! Remember, if you have not sent in a weigh in, you can still do so until Monday afternoon!

We added quite a bit of colour!

Flossbolna (Magdalene) 32%
lisa0711 (Lisa) 20 %
JennStars9
aberama76 50 %
desiree71081
SarahDisney 43 %
ohMom
mainemooncat (Elizabeth)
Ellie Badge 54 %
happysummer
GrandAdmiralStrife 106 %
myweegirls (Liz) 48%
glss1/2fll (Linda) 25%
Zoesmamam03 (Melissa) 23 %
jillbur (Jill)
DisFam95
bigsis1970 (Michelle) 17 %

 

[Flossbolna]

Good morning all!

I did a megareply this morning that seems to have poofed.

So I will leave you with this quote from my running newsletter and WISH you a very happy and restful Sunday!

"If we all did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves."
-Thomas Edison

Oh, so sorry!! There is a reason why the DIS provides the smiley being angry with the computer though...

I like the quote!!

 

[Zoesmama03]

Spent some family time this weekend. Watching a couple movies today with my brother just relaxing. Then I get a message from my bff if I would take her two younger kids tonight so she can go in to school with her 9 year old tomorrow who sprained his toes/foot. She has to go over instructions. So I will have a trying day of keeping dd on track with her schooling and hoovering over two toddlers(4 and almost 2).

So maybe I'll catch up tomorrow after they go home. Might throw some wrenches into having time to do a workout tomorrow morning but will have to work on getting on the bike in the evening after dinner(they should be gone by then). Got some time to make up for my goal of 800 minutes of exercise. Must get to walking with dd in the mornings too.

 

[pjlla]

Morning all! Sunny bright day here, but I just can't get over how coooool our nights have been for the past few weeks.... it feels like early fall! I'm not ready for that!!!

Worked my a** off in the yard yesterday with DH. I had intended to continue my clean out/fix up of the shed, but he needed help getting the new raised beds into their proper places after rototilling the remaining grass (aka WEEDS) under. The new beds look great. I hope we don't find it too much work or too much of a PITA to keep them up once they are growing next year! We used to have a VERY LARGE garden when the kiddos were little, but we had more time and more energy then! At least one bed will be dedicated to raising perennial shrubs and plants (hopefully for profit), so that won't take as much daily work. And a section will be dedicated to blueberries (I miss having my own berries... haven't had them in a long time) and another section will be overwinter stuff like garlic. That will leave us ...... about 9 beds to keep up with weeding and watering, etc, not including the portable greens bed.

Anyhow.... I'm sure I earned my activity Points yesterday! I lifted (heavy raised beds) and chopped (down some trees) and carried (lumber, tree limbs) and cut (some firewood) and shoveled (dirt) and scrubbed (the shed shelves and floor). We went out to work at about 10:30 am and other than a short break for lunch we didn't come in to shower and eat dinner until about 7pm or so. Thank goodness it was just a leftover night. I did NOT have the energy to make dinner.

Yogurt for breakfast (the last of it) with some frozen berries (also the last of). Now it is time to get even MORE creative with the remaining groceries (7 days til payday!!). I have about 3 potatoes left, so I am making DS homemade oven fries with cheese for lunch (he will think that is a great treat!)..... and I have 2 sweet potatoes left, so I will have a roasted sweet potato for lunch for myself and I will give DH the last of the stewed chicken I defrosted yesterday.

Dinner.... I have plenty of meat I could defrost, but very little other than some frozen stir-fry veggies to go with it.... and I am very nearly out of any kind of low carb bread (no wraps at all). For fruit I have 2 apples, so I could make two individual servings of applesauce or even two small homemade apple crisps for the men.... they would enjoy that! I have a small slab of cooked roast beef in the freezer and some frozen onions and peppers.... do you think they'd be okay with steak fajitas without the tortilla?? And DH is going away for work for a quick overnight tomorrow, so that is a handful of meals that will be eaten away from home on the company dollar.

OOoppss... just realized that DD will be home on Wednesday... there is no way I am going to make it 7 more days without shopping. Plus she is only home for a short time so I would like to make a few of her favorites! `Oh well.... it was a good try! Looks like I'll have to dig into the "slush fund" for some grocery money!

Hope everyone is well and staying OP! I know it can continue to be hard, even when you think you have a handle on it. I recently met a WW leader who has taken herself out of the meeting room because she has gained 15 pounds (and she feels hypocritical talking to others about weight loss and maintenance when she is obviously struggling).... so please realize the NO ONE is perfect! Even when you think "I've got this!".... it still takes constant vigilance and effort. But be assured... IT IS WORTH IT!!

Well... breakfast was good (ate it as I have been sitting here) and my second cup of coffee is delicious.... but time to get moving! Gotta get the washer going so I can hang out my clothes in the sunshine today!

TTYL..........................P

 

[lisah0711]

So, here is the current list! Remember, if you have not sent in a weigh in, you can still do so until Monday afternoon!

We added quite a bit of colour!

Flossbolna (Magdalene) 32%
lisa0711 (Lisa) 20 %
JennStars9
aberama76 50 %
desiree71081
SarahDisney 43 %
ohMom
mainemooncat (Elizabeth)
Ellie Badge 54 %
happysummer
GrandAdmiralStrife 106 %
myweegirls (Liz) 48%
glss1/2fll (Linda) 25%
Zoesmamam03 (Melissa) 23 %
jillbur (Jill)
DisFam95
bigsis1970 (Michelle) 17 %

look at all the pretty colors!

Oh, so sorry!! There is a reason why the DIS provides the smiley being angry with the computer though...

I like the quote!!

No kidding I don't have to use too often thankfully!

Spent some family time this weekend. Watching a couple movies today with my brother just relaxing. Then I get a message from my bff if I would take her two younger kids tonight so she can go in to school with her 9 year old tomorrow who sprained his toes/foot. She has to go over instructions. So I will have a trying day of keeping dd on track with her schooling and hoovering over two toddlers(4 and almost 2).

So maybe I'll catch up tomorrow after they go home. Might throw some wrenches into having time to do a workout tomorrow morning but will have to work on getting on the bike in the evening after dinner(they should be gone by then). Got some time to make up for my goal of 800 minutes of exercise. Must get to walking with dd in the mornings too.

Sounds like a busy start to your week -- enjoy!

Morning all! Sunny bright day here, but I just can't get over how coooool our nights have been for the past few weeks.... it feels like early fall! I'm not ready for that!!!

We've been having some cooler weather, too. I swear even our birds are leaving early.

Worked my a** off in the yard yesterday with DH. I had intended to continue my clean out/fix up of the shed, but he needed help getting the new raised beds into their proper places after rototilling the remaining grass (aka WEEDS) under. The new beds look great. I hope we don't find it too much work or too much of a PITA to keep them up once they are growing next year! We used to have a VERY LARGE garden when the kiddos were little, but we had more time and more energy then! At least one bed will be dedicated to raising perennial shrubs and plants (hopefully for profit), so that won't take as much daily work. And a section will be dedicated to blueberries (I miss having my own berries... haven't had them in a long time) and another section will be overwinter stuff like garlic. That will leave us ...... about 9 beds to keep up with weeding and watering, etc, not including the portable greens bed.

Sounds like a wonderful garden to enjoy next year!

Anyhow.... I'm sure I earned my activity Points yesterday! I lifted (heavy raised beds) and chopped (down some trees) and carried (lumber, tree limbs) and cut (some firewood) and shoveled (dirt) and scrubbed (the shed shelves and floor). We went out to work at about 10:30 am and other than a short break for lunch we didn't come in to shower and eat dinner until about 7pm or so. Thank goodness it was just a leftover night. I did NOT have the energy to make dinner.

Whew! That makes me tired just reading about it!

Hope everyone is well and staying OP! I know it can continue to be hard, even when you think you have a handle on it. I recently met a WW leader who has taken herself out of the meeting room because she has gained 15 pounds (and she feels hypocritical talking to others about weight loss and maintenance when she is obviously struggling).... so please realize the NO ONE is perfect! Even when you think "I've got this!".... it still takes constant vigilance and effort. But be assured... IT IS WORTH IT!!

Your poor co-worker. When you are struggling is when you need to be in the meeting room the most. I would a thousand times have a leader who knows first hand what it is like to struggle in the trenches every day.

A couple more pounds slipped away over the week-end so I will be fighting hard to keep them away for my next weigh-in.

How is everyone doing on their push-ups? My arms and back muscles are definitely noticing

I'm happy to keep on posting musings from my seemingly inexhaustible supply of questions but if would like to submit a question or even a request for a topic please feel free to do so by sending me a PM.

 

[amberama76]

We are back from our beach camping trip! It was crazy crazy! We went to a state park campground that had been destroyed by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 and just reopened to the public this year.

They have not put in any bathrooms with modern plumbing fixtures. It was basically a brick outhouse. There were no showers. There had been an influx of seaweed in early July and it was all over the beach turning black and rotting. It smelled awful. There was also trash all over the beach.

The campsites were very nice though. Perfectly level and clean.

Luckily we have an RV so we were able to shower in our camper but that is not easy at all. My hubby and I are both large and tall and the shower in the RV is about 2' x 2' square and the top of my head is about 4 " higher than the shower head so washing my hair was pretty difficult! But the important part was that I was able to wash the sand, sweat, and sunscreen off me.

I am not even going to go into what it was like to use the outhouse. But I feel EXTREMELY lucky that I am not very regular so I only had to use it once the last day we were there. We only allow pee in the camper toilet.

But despite all the hard work from packing up and walking the beach and riding bikes and playing with Nerf dart guns and swatting biting flies I managed to somehow gain FIVE POUNDS!

 

[leholcomb]

Since the month is more than halfway over, I guess I can't join in. Is this a monthly thing? I would LOVE to join for September!

I have a number of Dis trips planned and would be great to discuss food choices/options while I'm there.

I'll subscribe here so I know if a September one comes about. Thanks!

 

[sanscomment]

I'm gonna join now, I don't think it'll be a problem.

 

[lisah0711]

Since the month is more than halfway over, I guess I can't join in. Is this a monthly thing? I would LOVE to join for September!

I have a number of Dis trips planned and would be great to discuss food choices/options while I'm there.

I'll subscribe here so I know if a September one comes about. Thanks!

Feel free to join now -- it's never too late to join one of our challenges!

Read the instructions on the first page, send in your weight to our lovely hostess, and chime in!

I'm gonna join now, I don't think it'll be a problem.

Glad you were able to get your post count up!

 

[sanscomment]

Quick recap of my week. Not bad for my first week, but I could have done better. My goal is 10k steps a day, so 70k per week. I made the 10k 4/7 days and missed the weekly by about 7k steps. Sunday killed me, because I did so much walking on Saturday, I didn't feel much like doing anything.

Food wise, I was bad on the weekend, and this morning... But I'm already at 11k steps for today, so I feel like I'll be okay.

I need to be more stringent about counting calories and tracking in myfitnesspal, being honest in myfitnesspal. This is trying, and part of me feels I tried to change too much too fast, but it seems to be working for me. I'm down about 4 pounds this last week (or 2.4 according to my true weight app).

It's a struggle. But it'll be well worth it.

 

[ohMom]

where did last week go? I was not a good WISHer on the food journal and my WI last Friday reflected my poor decisions. After losing 2 lbs the week before, I promptly regained it. reality check that I have to be on track EVERYDAY if I want to lose. I let myself slip into this summer mindset and then I'm so frustrated I let 3 months go without losing anything! ugh!!! I did remember to get my pushups worked in my WO so I am on track with lose, and my pecs have been sore so this is a good one for me!

I was away last weekend at a scrapbooking retreat...oh my it was so fabulous and they fed us extremely well. I got 13 pages done, so that was success and my youngest DD went too and she got 20 pages done in a gift album she's making. there was a pool and hot tub and walking trails so I indulged in all the above. today I'm back on MFP thought I could not hardly get out of bed so the WO was not happening.

healthy habit for the weekends -- I struggle so much with this. but recently I have re-committed to my Saturday workouts

 

[lisah0711]

Tasty Tuesday

The month is already more than half way over. We are seeing some good numbers and there are some of us who are struggling. It happens to everyone and just in time are some suggestions from WeightWatchers on sticking with the healthy lifestyle.

Stick-With-It Strategies from Folks Who've Been There

1. Journal and track everything

2. Stick with it

“If you had an ‘off’ day, don't give up. Track your food and move on. You can't change the past, but you have control over what you do now and tomorrow.”

3. Accept that gains happen

4. Keep working the plan

Or as I think of it "follow the code!"

“Remember that this is not a diet; it’s a lifestyle change. it’s a way to learn the truth about what you have been eating.”


5. Use your online resources

WATP Musings Tasty Tuesday August 19, 2014: What is your stick with it strategy? It could be something from the list or an strategy of your own. Are you where you want to be this month or is there something that needs a little extra attention?

I'll be back tomorrow with my own answer and replies.

 

[Zoesmama03]

I'm having the worst Monday. My friend has been somewhat flaky for months now. She's been lying to me about things I know truth with actual seen by my eyes proof. Last night I had her littles it wasn't bad and I do love having them occasionally. But I had her 2 year old ds and 4 year old dd and I sleep with them in my bed when they are here. I wake up her dd is itching her head but I think nothing of it. Later I bath the baby in the sink instead of trying to wipe him down figured just giving him a bath would be better. Her dd wants one to so after I finish him put his diaper and clothes on I go back and bathe her up. Comb the babies hair then hers and notice black spots and then thought one moved. Sure enough lice. Worst part is when her friend finally came to pick them up for her she said my friend told her she knew about it a while. I still haven't heard a word from her on it. I had text her as soon as I found them. I got a call 4 hours later and thought I hung up digging it out of my pocket. Then I text her after she doesn't answer a return call and I hear back nothing but oh it was a pocket dial. So frustrated with her and hate to lose a friend(or the closeness anyway) but this is getting ridiculous. I feel like her personal babysitter to con kids off on. Her 12 year old is here every weekend visiting my brother. It would be one thing to not have the possibility she knew and sent them and didn't even ask me if I'd take them with them. Needles to say I washed my sheets because the diaper I put on her 4 year old after she had fallen asleep in living room was not on right and she leaked. Hoping we don't have an infestation next. Her kids had a LOT wasn't just a few and eggs it was a serious amount something I haven't seen in a long time since working in daycare and kids shelter. It takes weeks to get like that I think.

I'm so frustrated because I've caught her trying to lie to me so many times now that I don't trust a thing she says at all. We've been friends(quite close ones, more like sisters) since high schools so it would be sad to let her go out of my life even more. I know she is struggling with way too much in her life right now but again she lies and doesn't come to me at all and it hurts my feelings. I really should find some more real life friends. I haven't got that many others. I don't want to disown her really I just want to back off till maybe she figures her life out its not fair to me. I told her she can bring kids to me if she has appointments to take care of her physical or mental health(both need work at this point) but feel like any time she does ask its for nothing more than sleep which is okay if she said it was that but its usually off the wall crap and I'm putting two and two together and praying she gets well and straightened out soon.


Okay I promise I will read and catch up vent free tomorrow.

 

[SarahDisney]

WATP Musings Well-Being Week-end (8/16/14): How do you make your week-ends healthy? Do you have a tip to help keep us all on track?

I'm terrible on weekends. I just try to limit the damage by making sure to get some exercise in (after all, something is always better than nothing)

WATP Musings Tasty Tuesday August 19, 2014: What is your stick with it strategy? It could be something from the list or an strategy of your own. Are you where you want to be this month or is there something that needs a little extra attention?

When I'm having trouble sticking to my plan, I try something new. Best case scenario, I've just found something new that helps me. And if it doesn't help, then I know not to do it in the future.
For example, I've been having a lot of trouble with tracking my food lately, so I decided to try not tracking and just relying on myself to make healthy decisions. I've realized that when I don't track, I don't necessarily make healthy decisions - which re-taught me the importance of tracking, and has now given me a new enthusiasm for tracking my food.
(I don't know if that makes any sense to anyone but me)