WISH Away the Pounds--January 2013 challenge--Everyone Welcome!

[Desiree]

I'm in.

Today was a very hard day for me. I went to the doctor for my 6 months medication check up (just maintenance stuff, migraine meds, etc.). And my doctor finally brought up the topic he has never breached before... my weight. I've been so sad and defeated today. All he said was that I since my parents have a history of high blood pressure, if my weight stays high, I will eventually get high blood pressure too (I don't right now... but I got his hint). It wasn't anything dramatic and it was a small comment, but it enough to make me face the music.

I realized what I really needed was a community to help me. I hope you guys here at the DIS can help me! I'll PM my weight and goal Jan. 1st!

Let's do this!

So sorry. I had the "talk" from my ob/gyn on November 6th and he recommended bariatric (sp?) surgery. That was the kick in the pants that I needed to get off my duff. I'm down 12 pounds since then but my scale hasn't moved too much throughout the holidays. (I suppose it is better than a gain though..) We can do this! This will be a new year and a new us!

 

[Desiree]

QOTD December 29, 2012

Do you have trigger foods? Do you have a plan for dealing with them? Are you going cold turkey or can you eat them occasionally? Do you have certain things you just need to cut out of your diet for good?

I also have weakness foods but what I've been doing is trying to keep my calories within 1200-1350 per day. If I find that I have say, 200 calories left over after staying on plan all day, I will split a Snickers Ice cream bar with hubby. Plus it keeps me in check and still having something sweet to look forward to rather than indulging in a whole pint of ice cream.

So yes, Ice Cream is such a trigger for me. I don't know when to stop. I'd also say Zapp's Salt and Vinegar chips too. But... I have found that Target sells them in small bags of about 220 calories each so I'll just divide them in half with hubby also so that I don't eat the whole thing.

 

[Rose&Mike]

QOTD December 29, 2012

Do you have trigger foods? Do you have a plan for dealing with them? Are you going cold turkey or can you eat them occasionally? Do you have certain things you just need to cut out of your diet for good?

I feel like I am starting over from zero with this one, even though I have a lot less pounds to lose. In 2010 I had a system where I didn't keep anything in the house that was temping except ice cream. I would have ice cream a couple of times a week in little tiny custard cups.

No potato chips (biggest weakness), no french fries, no cookies, cakes, sweets etc. I am such a binge eater that this was the only way I could do it. I would have treats occasionally when we went out and it worked great for me. Fast forward to 2011 when I went gluten free and all of a sudden the treats out came to a screeching halt, and I have been a lost puppy since then. Just not sure how to handle my trigger foods, when 98% of what I eat is from home now. So this is what I will be working on for this challenge.

I am a binge eater. I will probably always be a binge eater. I did really well with it for a while, but I see old habits and mind sets creeping back in.

But I think with some time and planning I can find a new system that works.

I am most proud of the fact that I have not had a diet soda or any artificial sweeteners since Dec of 2009. So even though I have some work to do, I am not starting from zero.

Hola friends! I'm here! I can't believe this got to 2 pages before I had a chance to post!

I will definitely need to be a LOSER after this holiday eating! Thank goodness I started the holiday at the low end of my maintenance range!

We are having our Christmas celebration with my extended family today, so I need to dash into the shower. TTYL............P

Nice to see you Pamela. Enjoy your family celebration today!

I'm going to start off with a big goal for January -- 10 pounds. That is one of the advantages of being at a higher starting weight, you can knock out some big numbers at first. I'm ready to see some new numbers on the scale in 2013. I'm going to give myself tunnel vision like I do sometimes for a run with one mile at a time and take things one month at a time.

Ack! More thinking! I think I've finally at the point where I don't have any trigger food worries. I have no idea why or how I managed to finally get here. I have two food items in my house that I would consider trigger food -- fudge and Chex Party Mix -- and they just don't sound good to me in anything but a reasonable serving. Just so I don't jinx myself they will be disappearing here!

Lots of thinking over the next 10 days or so. I am in a thinking mood!

That is awesome that you are not dealing with the trigger foods. If you figure out the secret I would love to hear it!

I think that you have a great goal for January. I really like the new format as well. I think we will really be able to celebrate watching everyone meet their goals.

I also have weakness foods but what I've been doing is trying to keep my calories within 1200-1350 per day. If I find that I have say, 200 calories left over after staying on plan all day, I will split a Snickers Ice cream bar with hubby. Plus it keeps me in check and still having something sweet to look forward to rather than indulging in a whole pint of ice cream.

So yes, Ice Cream is such a trigger for me. I don't know when to stop. I'd also say Zapp's Salt and Vinegar chips too. But... I have found that Target sells them in small bags of about 220 calories each so I'll just divide them in half with hubby also so that I don't eat the whole thing.

Sharing is a great way to do things. I do ok with the ice cream cause I put it in a teeny bowl. Chips are my weakness. I have tried buying the small bags, but then I will just eat all the small bags! I just need to not have them around until I feel a little better in control. Did you say you are using MFP? I am going to start up again in January. I got a smart phone this month and being able to scan the foods in is going to make it so much easier!

*****
I hope everyone is having a good Saturday. We are having direct tv installed today--and of course there were issues. But I think we are on the right track now. We have lived in this house since 94 and have not had anything except over the air tv, so we are excited!

Yesterday I made cinnamon rolls (gf). Ok, I realize that does not sound very healthy living like, but it falls in the whole trigger food thing. I can't really eat stuff like that out anymore so I have to find a way to make it work with healthy eating. Part of the reason I am back in this needing to lose place again is because I just ate what I wanted when I went gf and didn't think about it. I did ok for a while because I think I was pretty malnourished, but I am healthy and the pounds are coming back on quickly. So anyhow, made the rolls yesterday. Reheated one today. I think they will freeze well, so I think they can be a weekend treat. I just need to make a plan and put the treats in my plan. In the past Mike and I would go to Panera after running and I would have a treat (and get a stomach ache ), so I need to have a plan for my treats.

Lots of thinking and planning going on in the next couple of weeks.

 

[cclovesdis]

Good Morning!

I have lots of ideas for 2013. I haven't decided which to make as my first goals. Right now, I'm working on increasing my steps to 10,000 per day, with a particular focus on Saturdays and Sundays. I get to 10,000 steps about 3x Monday-Friday, so I know this is a goal I can achieve.

I would love to lose 10 pounds in January and 15 by my 6 month GI appt in mid-February. I am going to see where I am on Jan. 1 and then decide on my goal. Losing 15 pounds by this appt would be about 20 pounds lost in 6 months. Then, I'd have another 2 full months before my annual with the ob/gyn. I have been telling my doctors that I'm working on my weight, but they are not seeing it on the scale.

I better go. My parents probably want to eat lunch, and there's some drama about an upcoming wake. I met her once, but my grandmother is close to her and my grandmother no longer drives.

Hope everyone has a great day!

 

[Mom2aJessieGirl]

Took some time off in December, but I'm in! I'd LOVE to lose 6 pounds this month, and I think I can do it. Woot!

QOTD--December 28, 2012
So since Jan 1 is still a few days off, I want you to start thinking about your goals.

Do you have a goal in mind for January, or even 2013? How did you come up with this goal? Is it based on pounds, inches, clothing size, or something else?

For the purpose of this challenge we are measuring pounds, so how does your goal fit in with the challenge?

Don't think so much about HOW you are going to achieve it yet, but think in terms of what is realistic and start breaking it down into smaller parts.

Share with the group what you would like about your goal.

My goal is 6 pounds for this month, but since I've started working with a trainer I realize that it may not happen since I'll be building muscle. I WILL be happy with any toning and inch loss in place of pounds dropping!

QOTD December 29, 2012

Do you have trigger foods? Do you have a plan for dealing with them? Are you going cold turkey or can you eat them occasionally? Do you have certain things you just need to cut out of your diet for good?

Bread. Crackers. Carby snacks. We just don't keep them anymore because they are awful for us!

 

[jayna22]

I don't think I have trigger foods as much as trigger situations. Bad day at work? Pizza..chips..chocolate. Bad relationship? More of the same. It's all a mental game in my world. I do have one successful day under my belt!!

 

[ChrisandBJ]

I am new to posting on the dis but have been lurking for some time. Can I join? I am on a mission this year and hope to lose some weight!! (A lot) looking forward to getting to know everyone.

 

[lovetoscrap]

I'm in.

Today was a very hard day for me. I went to the doctor for my 6 months medication check up (just maintenance stuff, migraine meds, etc.). And my doctor finally brought up the topic he has never breached before... my weight. I've been so sad and defeated today. All he said was that I since my parents have a history of high blood pressure, if my weight stays high, I will eventually get high blood pressure too (I don't right now... but I got his hint). It wasn't anything dramatic and it was a small comment, but it enough to make me face the music.

I realized what I really needed was a community to help me. I hope you guys here at the DIS can help me! I'll PM my weight and goal Jan. 1st!

Let's do this!

You are in the right place! This is such a great way to get support, encouragement and advice. Do you have a specific plan you are going to follow (like Weight Watchers), or has your Doctor recommended anything?

My health was a big kick in the rear for me. I was really paranoid about diabetes and my blood pressure was getting higher. Not in the "high" range but high for me.

I'm in! I need some motivation. I was down at a great weight and then bursitis set in to my hips and I let it kick me down. I'm back and going to get myself back where I want to be.

I had bursitis in one hip years ago and it was so painful! I eventually got a cortisone shot and haven't had a problem since. Glad you are doing better. This is a great place for motivation!

QOTD December 29, 2012

Do you have trigger foods? Do you have a plan for dealing with them? Are you going cold turkey or can you eat them occasionally? Do you have certain things you just need to cut out of your diet for good?

I have a lot of things that I try to avoid -- I think popcorn is a huge one. We are a popcorn family! DH and I would have it several times a week. He is a popcorn master and makes it better than the movie theater. When I lost weight before I had to pretty much ban popcorn from being cooked. My family suffered but were mostly understanding. And no, plain air popped is not a "substitute"! I would rather eat cardboard. Of course sweets and chips/crunchy snacks are a big trigger too. I also try to allow myself a piece or 2 of dark chocolate a day but often I go past that limit. Currently I have several bags of chocolate that I got for Christmas that are problematic. I need to figure out a way to control it. I will probably go hide it upstairs and maybe just bring 2 pieces down in the morning. I rarely ever go back upstairs after I come down in the morning so if it is out of sight/ out of mind it will be easier.

At my job they keep bags of mini chocolate candy bars in the supply closet. That is going to be a huge problem too. I am going to just have to have will power. And of course people are always bringing in sweets and junk. It is harder when you just have to rely on willpower. I don't think anyone at work will join me in this so I am on my own. I am not sure yet how supportive they will be.

Hola friends! I'm here! I can't believe this got to 2 pages before I had a chance to post!

I will definitely need to be a LOSER after this holiday eating! Thank goodness I started the holiday at the low end of my maintenance range!

We are having our Christmas celebration with my extended family today, so I need to dash into the shower. TTYL............P

I also have weakness foods but what I've been doing is trying to keep my calories within 1200-1350 per day. If I find that I have say, 200 calories left over after staying on plan all day, I will split a Snickers Ice cream bar with hubby. Plus it keeps me in check and still having something sweet to look forward to rather than indulging in a whole pint of ice cream.

OMG! I can't even buy Snickers Ice Cream bars-- I LOVE them! I could literally eat the entire box in one day (not saying how I know that ). I love ice cream too but I do okay with having it in the house. As long as it isn't Snickers Ice cream bars. . .

Happy Saturday! I did some breakfast experimenting this morning. I made 3 recipes from Pinterest to try to find some low carb breakfast options that I can make on the weekend and reheat during the week. I made a GF Cream Cheese pancake-- they were okay, think I need to tinker with the recipe a bit. I tried two egg dishes, a breakfast casserole with eggs and bacon that was really good, and an egg muffin that wasn't as great. I only had a few bites of each of them and I want to see how they reheat tomorrow. I always overcook the egg casseroles so I need to figure out the perfect timing so they are cooked enough that reheating them finishes the cooking with out them getting rubbery.

Next up I need to figure out snacks and lunch for work. I like soup and salad for lunch. Usually I have the soup about an hour or so before lunch, so it ends up being more as a snack, then I have the salad. I am very fortunate that where I work the other secretaries make breakfast around 9am every day so there is no problem with me heating something up and no one seems to have a problem with me eating at my desk as long as I am discreet about it. My trouble time is around 4pm, when I get off of work and get home. That is when I just start snacking on anything I can find. I need to plan out set snacks and stick to it. Unfortunately I found out that a lot of the snacks I used to have were what was making me sick so this will require some planning.

Better go clean up my kitchen. It is still covered with with my breakfast experiment mess!

 

[lovetoscrap]

I don't think I have trigger foods as much as trigger situations. Bad day at work? Pizza..chips..chocolate. Bad relationship? More of the same. It's all a mental game in my world. I do have one successful day under my belt!!

Totally agree with this! Those situations are the killer. Emotional eating is so hard to control.

I am new to posting on the dis but have been lurking for some time. Can I join? I am on a mission this year and hope to lose some weight!! (A lot) looking forward to getting to know everyone.

!!! Great to have you here!

 

[coffeecassie]

I'll give this a whirl, I usually have a hard time staying motivated, but I'm hoping to lose 20 lbs before my trip to The World in May!

 

[Meetmeinmontauk]

I'm in! I'll be visiting WDW in almost a year & I'm hoping to lose at least 30 pounds.

 

[MercoBear]

I'm in too. I was working 3rd shift for a while and lost some weight the unhealthy way by not eating or sleeping. Now that I am back on days I have gained back the 10-15 lbs I lost plus at least 5 more. I'm going to start out with a goal of 1 lb per week, but I'm looking forward to exciting bonuses!

 

[Rose&Mike]

Good Morning!

Welcome CC.

Took some time off in December, but I'm in! I'd LOVE to lose 6 pounds this month, and I think I can do it. Woot!

Welcome!

I don't think I have trigger foods as much as trigger situations. Bad day at work? Pizza..chips..chocolate. Bad relationship? More of the same. It's all a mental game in my world. I do have one successful day under my belt!!

So true. I also have the "just can't eat one" problem. Congrats on your successful day!

I am new to posting on the dis but have been lurking for some time. Can I join? I am on a mission this year and hope to lose some weight!! (A lot) looking forward to getting to know everyone.

Welcome! You need 10 posts in order to be able to pm your weight and goal on Jan 1.

I made a GF Cream Cheese pancake-- they were okay, think I need to tinker with the recipe a bit.

What was in this recipe? I need to join pinterest. I had an invite at one point, but I keep thinking I don't need another distraction. On the other hand I have heard it's a great place to go for recipes....

I'll give this a whirl, I usually have a hard time staying motivated, but I'm hoping to lose 20 lbs before my trip to The World in May!

Welcome! Remember you don't have to be perfect or perfectly motivated all the time, you just need to keep moving forward.

I'm in! I'll be visiting WDW in almost a year & I'm hoping to lose at least 30 pounds.

Welcome!

I'm in too. I was working 3rd shift for a while and lost some weight the unhealthy way by not eating or sleeping. Now that I am back on days I have gained back the 10-15 lbs I lost plus at least 5 more. I'm going to start out with a goal of 1 lb per week, but I'm looking forward to exciting bonuses!

Welcome!

****
One of the things I remember from my first biggest loser challenge:

You wouldn't throw out an entire set of dishes just because you broke one. One bad meal, one bad day, one skipped workout is not a reason to give up. The important thing is just keep swimming.

Hope everyone has a great Saturday night.

 

[Mary•Poppins]

[SIZE="3"][COLOR="DeepSkyBlue"]...hanks for the words of encouragement already!

 

[alicia080979]

I've been reading the W.I.S.H boards for a while and it has helped me lose 40lbs this past year. New Year, new goals!
This month I would like to lose 8lbs to stay close to 2lbs per week.

 

[ChrisandBJ]

Thanks for letting me know. Better get my post count up!

 

[lovetoscrap]

What was in this recipe? I need to join pinterest. I had an invite at one point, but I keep thinking I don't need another distraction. On the other hand I have heard it's a great place to go for recipes....

****
One of the things I remember from my first biggest loser challenge:

You wouldn't throw out an entire set of dishes just because you broke one. One bad meal, one bad day, one skipped workout is not a reason to give up. The important thing is just keep swimming.

Hope everyone has a great Saturday night.

Here is the link to the recipe on the blog it came from: http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/2012/01/cream-cheese-pancakes.html
There is also a recipe for a breakfast "lasagna" made with them. I think they would be good to use as "tortillas" for a breakfast burrito. I would love to make some breakfast burritos and freeze them to pull out when needed. Here is another one I haven't tried-- not as quick and easy to whip up as the first one: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/cinnamon-toast-pancakes

Pinterest has been an amazing source of recipe ideas for me. Many of them are from blogs like the one above so when I find one recipe I like often looking around that blog provides many others. I love that I can look at a variety of things and try to adapt them as needed. I used it to find some ways to cook quinoa since I had never tried it before. I have tons of recipes pinned to try and I have tried a lot of them. I print or save (in word or evernote) a copy of the recipes that I like. That way if the link ever goes away I will still have the recipe. A search for Gluten Free could keep you busy for hours-- you just have to budget your time like with everything else. But when you find a few recipes that the family loves and that can help with your WISH goals it is worth it. I surf Pinterest while watching TV with the family. I am not a sit still an stare at the TV kind of person.

If you need an invite let me know.

Thanks for letting me know. Better get my post count up!

Come on over to the Welcome Board and introduce yourself and say "Welcome" to other newbies and you will have 10 in no time. Or just go to our Technical Support board near the bottom of the main page and on the Test board you can post just to get your 10 posts.

 

[pix13dust]

Hi! My name is Melinda and I'm an overweight vegetarian, ... Wait, wrong group? Lol

A quick note about myself. I was always the slim pretty girl in high school and college. I started putting on weight around age 25, about the same time I went vegetarian - not sure if there's a correlation there or not. In the last 20 years I've put on about 100 pounds- shocking to see it on writing- I guess it's only 5 pounds a year, to put a positive spin on it
Well, fast forward to November 2011, we took a 2 week trip to Disney! I had been planning/waiting for years for that trip. I weighed 240+, I say " + ", because I stopped weighing myself at 240. That trip was shameful for me. I was ashamed that I could only just barely fit in the plane seat, I couldn't keep up in the parks - too much walking, standing, sore muscles etc. after returning home I was lost as to how to start to lose weight and get in shape.
In April 2012 I started doing Zumba in my living room, I decided to stick it out for 2 weeks, after which I could quit if it was too much for me. I cried every time I did it- mostly from shame from being so out of shape! It was so hard! I saw results almost immediately! I promised I would stick it out 4 more weeks. I kept doing Zumba 4-5 days a week until July. In August I decided to try the Galloway run/walk 3 days a week and modified my eating habits to healthier, lighter eating. I ran until October, now I've started yoga- really love it and plan on continuing with yoga until the spring. In all I've lost just over 30 pounds. I would like to lose 50 in 2013, that's about a pound a week. I find breaking the year down into manageable chunks ( quarters) i can accomplish my goals easier. some quarters i focus more on healthy eating and some i focus on physical fitness.
Sometimes friends and family dont react well to change, even positive change, for that reason I truly appreciate all support from the Disboards.

Thanks so much Rose for hosting this month and coming up with this great idea!

Melinda

 

[ColoradoLime]

Hi Everyone!

I would love to join the challenge. Last year I got really dedicated to losing weight and lost 25lbs in six months. Then life got crazy and I fell off the wagon. I definitely need to get back in the groove.

My goal for January will be 3lbs. I could probably go higher, but I want it to be obtainable and I want to slide back into this gradually.

 

[Rose&Mike]

Hi Everyone. I am in .... and thank you Rose for starting this. I am really appreciative of all the time everyone gives in order to make these threads work.

I was down this summer to my lowest weight (145). This was right before my July vacation to Key West. Ever since then, I have been having a hard time getting back on the wagon. I am up 8 pounds from that weight and I am not happy with myself.

My ideal weight would be 135. I am really going to give it a good try. My goal for January would be to lose one pound a week. I think that is reasonable.

Glad to be back with all of you.

I have found that when I eliminate the sweet and salty items from my diet, I CRAVE them for about two weeks. After that, it gets easier to keep them out of my diet .... and I am better with avoiding them. Does anyone else finds this happens to them too?

As for trigger foods, I really like cookies and cakes and really can't have those foods in the house at all when I am dieting. My sons know that starting January 1st, there will not be snack foods in the house. They are already moping about it ....
Thanks for the words of encouragement already!

Maintaining is definitely not as easy as it sounds sometimes. But it sounds like you are catching things pretty early on. I think we are in a very similar spot with very similar goals.

I agree with you about the sweet and salty--especially the sweet. It is painful at first but does get easier. I sweat so much salt and still get nauseous sometimes after long runs that I don't watch my salt as much as my sugar. Mike said he was hungry the whole time I was losing last time, so he knows what he is in for this time. Actually I think he doesn't mind too much cause we eat really healthy with lots of good food.

I've been reading the W.I.S.H boards for a while and it has helped me lose 40lbs this past year. New Year, new goals!
This month I would like to lose 8lbs to stay close to 2lbs per week.

Congrats on those 40 pounds and Welcome!

Here is the link to the recipe on the blog it came from: http://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/2012/01/cream-cheese-pancakes.html
There is also a recipe for a breakfast "lasagna" made with them. I think they would be good to use as "tortillas" for a breakfast burrito. I would love to make some breakfast burritos and freeze them to pull out when needed. Here is another one I haven't tried-- not as quick and easy to whip up as the first one: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/cinnamon-toast-pancakes

If you need an invite let me know.

Thanks for the links. I think I will take you up on that invite. I have heard multiple times now that it is a great place for gf recipes.

Hi! My name is Melinda and I'm an overweight vegetarian, ... Wait, wrong group? Lol

A quick note about myself. I was always the slim pretty girl in high school and college. I started putting on weight around age 25, about the same time I went vegetarian - not sure if there's a correlation there or not. In the last 20 years I've put on about 100 pounds- shocking to see it on writing- I guess it's only 5 pounds a year, to put a positive spin on it
Well, fast forward to November 2011, we took a 2 week trip to Disney! I had been planning/waiting for years for that trip. I weighed 240+, I say " + ", because I stopped weighing myself at 240. That trip was shameful for me. I was ashamed that I could only just barely fit in the plane seat, I couldn't keep up in the parks - too much walking, standing, sore muscles etc. after returning home I was lost as to how to start to lose weight and get in shape.
In April 2012 I started doing Zumba in my living room, I decided to stick it out for 2 weeks, after which I could quit if it was too much for me. I cried every time I did it- mostly from shame from being so out of shape! It was so hard! I saw results almost immediately! I promised I would stick it out 4 more weeks. I kept doing Zumba 4-5 days a week until July. In August I decided to try the Galloway run/walk 3 days a week and modified my eating habits to healthier, lighter eating. I ran until October, now I've started yoga- really love it and plan on continuing with yoga until the spring. In all I've lost just over 30 pounds. I would like to lose 50 in 2013, that's about a pound a week. I find breaking the year down into manageable chunks ( quarters) i can accomplish my goals easier. some quarters i focus more on healthy eating and some i focus on physical fitness.
Sometimes friends and family dont react well to change, even positive change, for that reason I truly appreciate all support from the Disboards.

Thanks so much Rose for hosting this month and coming up with this great idea!

Melinda

Thanks for sharing Melinda. I truly believe breaking it down into manageable chunks will help a lot of people stick with it. It is so easy to get excited at the beginning of the year and not lose 20 pounds the first week and then get frustrated and quit. And I totally understand the frustration that everyone feels. But hopefully as we all achieve our goals there will be excitement instead of frustration.

As for the overweight vegetarian--I think it is not that uncommon. DS had a friend in college who was an overweight vegan--cause all she ate was tater tots and pasta.

Hi Everyone!

I would love to join the challenge. Last year I got really dedicated to losing weight and lost 25lbs in six months. Then life got crazy and I fell off the wagon. I definitely need to get back in the groove.

My goal for January will be 3lbs. I could probably go higher, but I want it to be obtainable and I want to slide back into this gradually.

Welcome!
25lbs in 6 months is awesome!