WISH Away the Pounds January Challenge -- Jumpstart the New Year -- Everyone Welcome!

[Rose&Mike]

Which leads me to the QOTD for Saturday, January 4, 2014: Are you surprised by how much (or little) you can eat for the calories, depending on which foods you choose? Do you have a meal that you enjoy that gives you a lot of bang for the calorie buck?

Always love seeing those pictures. What a great reminder.
I love roasted vegetables with a side of beans. So delicious and easy.

****
Got my mile in outside today. The brutal cold front arrives tomorrow. My DS goes back to school tomorrow as well, so we are all a little sad tonight.

Hope everyone is having a great Saturday!

 

[Rose&Mike]

Lots planned for today.

DS left this morning. Mike is at the grocery doing our shopping for the week. Then dinner goes in the crock pot and we are off to the Y.

This afternoon we are going to an open house (or two) and shopping for a project I am working on. I am going to turn a cheapy bookcase into extra counter space for our apartment. Hoping to be home before it gets too cold.

Have a good Sunday!

 

[lisah0711]

Good morning all!

Had a few snacks today and ended up and Chuck E Cheese. At least it's paper thin pizza so not horrific I guess.

Skipped dinner (to make up for the pizza and snacks) and made my Superfood smoothie of Goji berries, banana, cacao, chia, hemp, cinnamon and almond milk. It tastes a bit like a mocha coffee drink. I'm not a coffee drinker so that's what I imagine it tested like.

I need to come up with some healthy dinners. I'm in a rut! I was tempted to buy the Super Shred book. I like that guy (forget his name- dr ian?). BUt I feel like it will be one more wasted attempt and a failure - that book mocking me on my bookshelf!

I had a technical error and didn't get to reply to this yesterday -- sorry!

I think it is ABC that published the first week of the Shred Diet online -- google it and I'm sure you will find it. I looked at it and I don't think there is anything magical about it except that it is very restrictive and you don't have to think about what to eat because it is all planned out for you. It is just a matter of finding what is right that works for you.

Many, many of our participants love finding new recipes on Pinterest. Also we do have a recipe thread that we have been building since 2010 -- you may find some ideas there. http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=36324235&postcount=1

Have you looked at the Biggest Loser Recipe thread here?

LOL, I just pasted a link to that thread. Some of the best recipes are ones that LTS found when she was doing South Beach.

Can you get the book at the library? That way you can try it out and see if you like it before you buy it.

Salad! I love salad and eat it several times a week. I am not a very "adventurous" salad eater so i keep it pretty simple. My usual salad is lettuce (usually iceberg), cucumber, tomato, mushrooms and some protein, usually leftover grilled chicken or steak. I keep preportioned baggies of leftover meat in the freezer so it is quick and easy to grab. Some days I put a little low fat cheese on it. If I have spinach I like to add that too. Of course the problem is always the added calories and fat from the dressing but I have been using the Bolthouse Greek Yogurt Ranch and LOVE it! Salad keeps me filled up for quite a while and for the most part the veggies I use are very low in calories and carbs.

Mmmmmm, now I want a salad for lunch!

Another person who loves the Bolthouse Yogurt dressings! They are with the refrigerated dressings. Great idea for putting together delicious salads and using those leftovers!

"Which leads me to the QOTD for Saturday, January 4, 2014: Are you surprised by how much (or little) you can eat for the calories, depending on which foods you choose? Do you have a meal that you enjoy that gives you a lot of bang for the calorie buck?"

I am often surprised with cheese how little I can have for the amount of calories. But veggies are like insane amounts for so little calories. I can fill myself up on broccoli and only eat like 100 calories.

I love this board. I love having others who are losing weight/getting healthy in part with disney in mind.

I totally pictured epcot in my mind while I was racing in spin this morning, it made the sprints SO much easier!!

This is a great group and we are glad that you joined us. : If you have access to Netflix while you are working out sometimes you can watch Disneyworld travel videos -- that helps the time to pass quickly for sure!

"Which leads me to the QOTD for Saturday, January 4, 2014: Are you surprised by how much (or little) you can eat for the calories, depending on which foods you choose? Do you have a meal that you enjoy that gives you a lot of bang for the calorie buck?"

Hmm. Here is my major problem with losing weight and exercising. I have to exercise in the mornings or I literally don't have any other time during the day to do so. I have serious stomach sensitivity and some acid reflux, so if I don't have some kind of starch in the mornings, or before a workout, I can't make it my train ride into work without getting off every stop to make sure I'm not gonna puke.

My normal breakfast is a bowl of Cheerios, a banana and a Nutri-grain bar. Over the years, I've attempted to replace that Nutri-grain bar with something starchy that, well... isn't as bad for you as a Nutrigrain bar haha

I've had very little luck - open to suggestions, though!

When I work out in the morning, I can't have all of that beforehand because then I'm doing crunches with a full stomach, which doesn't feel so hot. =/ So, I try and eat the Nutrigrain bar and one or two of those mini muffins from Entemanns that come in packs of 4. And then after my workout and shower, I have the bowl of cereal with banana. I know I need to eat a little bit more to not just be dieting but to be dieting and exercising, but it feels counterproductive when I'm putting in such a big breakfast every day into Weight Watchers.

What do you guys eat for breakfast every day? OR rather, what do you eat before a morning workout? Anyone else need something starchy in order to go about their day?

In terms of something that fills me up that is low on the calorie and points scale, I have 6 wheat things and a wedge of laughing cow light cheese. They come in pre-cut, individually wrapped wedges, and they are one point. I LOVE cheese, and spreading it on those 6 wheat thins crackers for a 2 point snack is amazing to me.

Me too! I love it! This is the first time I've been a part of a board like this while trying to stay healthy and I have to stay, it keeps health on my mind more often and is keeping me very motivated!! Thanks everyone!

We are glad that you are here, too.

I have great sympathy for your tummy troubles. I have them, too, especially during races. It takes trial and error to see what works for you. For my short morning workouts I don't eat at all before I work out and then have breakfast. Maybe ask your doctor for some suggestions.

I wouldn't worry too much about using too many points for breakfast if that is what you need to start your day. Isn't there a saying "Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper?" I wonder if your breakfast would feel like it lasts last longer if you added some protein, like an egg. Did you look at the new Simple Start materials for breakfast ideas?

I think I have some scale issues. I've never liked my scale and never really trusted my weights on it. I weighed in on Wed. morning at 207. Weighed in this morning at 201. Now, I know I've been good but there is no way I have lost that much weight in 3 days. I'm going out today to buy a new scale and get my FitBit. I'll weigh in tomorrow morning and let you know where I am.

Also I splurged on my breakfast this morning but I am determined to get back on track the rest of the day. Wish me luck!

[QUOTE/]
Salad! I love salad and eat it several times a week. I am not a very "adventurous" salad eater so i keep it pretty simple. My usual salad is lettuce (usually iceberg), cucumber, tomato, mushrooms and some protein, usually leftover grilled chicken or steak. I keep preportioned baggies of leftover meat in the freezer so it is quick and easy to grab. Some days I put a little low fat cheese on it. If I have spinach I like to add that too. Of course the problem is always the added calories and fat from the dressing but I have been using the Bolthouse Greek Yogurt Ranch and LOVE it! Salad keeps me filled up for quite a while and for the most part the veggies I use are very low in calories and carbs.

Mmmmmm, now I want a salad for lunch!

Salad is my go to food as well. I've got to try that Bolthouse dressing. I dearly love ranch dressing but I've been avoiding it because of the calories.

I also love the idea of keeping salad meat in the freezer for easy grab and go. Will have to try this as well.[/QUOTE]

Scale woes can be very frustrating. Let us know what kind of FitBit you get tell us about your scale. I know my home scale is wonky but I just don't know if I can find a scale that doesn't have memory -- don't need the whole family watching my numbers.

One thing that is also awesome for salads (which I think I learned about here) is to make "Salad in a Jar" http://www.salad-in-a-jar.com/how-to-make-salad-in-a-jar-2 I usually don't actually put the whole thing together in one jar but just chop up my lettuce ( I use iceberg) on the weekend, fill jars with the lettuce and vacuum seal them. I have had lettuce remain green and fresh for 2 weeks this way! The only problem I had was that the family now wants me to make jars for them.

I will chop up my other ingredients every few days. Cucumber, tomato and mushrooms don't really keep well after a few days. And I keep a bottle of salad dressing at work so I don't need to have the dressing in the jar.

The Bolthouse dressing is found in the Produce section with the other jarred dressings. A lot of people also love the Salsa Ranch.

Thanks for sharing that link! I am sadly lacking in the old time kitchen skills.

Always love seeing those pictures. What a great reminder.
I love roasted vegetables with a side of beans. So delicious and easy.

****
Got my mile in outside today. The brutal cold front arrives tomorrow. My DS goes back to school tomorrow as well, so we are all a little sad tonight.

Hope everyone is having a great Saturday!

Hope things warm up quickly in your neck of the woods, Rose. We had brutal cold for a week here not too long ago -- froze our 60 gallon water trough we use for a fountain solid!

BRB with our QOTD.

 

[lisah0711]

Good morning all!

All of our numbers and colors have been updated so be sure and check out our beautiful rainbow.

Most of the time we just have one QOTD for the week-end but since it is our first week-end I thought I would go ahead and post one last question because I think it nicely rounds out the back to basics theme and is an area we tend to forgets sometimes . . .

Is Your Weight Loss Puzzle Missing a Crucial Piece?

When it comes to succeeding at weight loss, knowing what to do is only half the battle. The real challenge is sticking with your healthy lifestyle in the midst of all the other responsibilities you have on your plate. Even with hard work and self-discipline, it's easy to get tripped up by pitfalls like emotional eating, waning motivation, and erratic weight fluctuations without a good game plan.

On your road to weight loss, you will encounter a few major triggers that I like to call the three Os—overwhelm, overload, and overeating. The first two Os-- overwhelm and overload-- both create incredible challenges for new habits and lifestyle changes by triggering the third O--overeating. When you are stressed, your biochemistry makes you hungry. When you don’t take the time to care for yourself in other ways, food can tempt you as an easy-to-reach stress relief, or a way to “energize” and keep going.

Here’s what you need to know. Having a food or fitness plan is not enough. If you don’t address the three Os, you are setting yourself up to fail at weight loss—no matter what plan or approach you choose.

Regardless of how motivated they are, many people fumble a few weeks into their weight loss plans because they are missing one crucial component. There is a strategy that can help you get right to the source of your weight problems, and as an added bonus, it addresses those pesky three Os that can make everything else seem like too much work.

The ingredient that may be missing from your weight loss plan is called self-care.

Self-care is not a luxury: it is a crucial part of the weight loss equation. Self-care nourishes and soothes your soul and your spirit in a way that carbs never will. Your self-care goes far beyond good nutrition and includes adequate sleep, support, time for comfort and relaxation, physical activity, stress release, and maybe a shoulder to cry on after a tough day. Self-care is usually a work in progress, and for busy women who expect a lot of themselves, it often gets neglected.

Big mistake.

Self-care is essential. Like an athlete preparing for a major race, you need to be in prime form, especially when life demands a lot of you while you are taking on challenges like weight loss and lifestyle changes.

Ignoring self-care (or letting your needs fall to the bottom of your priority list), doesn’t mean your needs go away. Instead, it means that you are very likely to try to tend to them in ways that don’t really fix the problem and may sabotage your progress.

How often have you reached for food when what you really craved was some other nourishment for your spirit? Emotional eating includes eating due to stress, boredom, or as a reward for a job well done. Emotional eating (which can be a big cause of overeating, weight gain, and diet failure) is really an ineffective (but tempting) substitute for self-care. It can take over your life big time if you are overloaded and overwhelmed.

If you are committed to creating peace with food and want to achieve lasting weight loss, make a commitment to self-care and start taking these doable steps to put yourself on your priority list.

Quick and Easy Ways to Jump-start Your Self Care

I know you are busy. Don’t worry. Self-care doesn’t need to take over the rest of your life. In fact, when you give yourself what you really need, you are likely to be more energized and productive.

You can start spiffing up your self-care routine today with three simple acts.

Create a habit of checking in with yourself. This is how you will stay connected with yourself and start identifying the care that you really need. Journaling is an excellent way to do this. If writing just isn’t your thing, schedule ten minutes at the start of your day to sit or walk quietly and reflect on your needs and priorities. This may not come easily at first, but gradually, you will become more aware of what you need and how you feel. Self-care means paying attention to your needs and addressing them directly, instead of avoiding them or resorting to habits like overeating or procrastination.

Start putting you on your priority list. Don’t add more stress. Take small steps. Put yourself on your calendar--plan and commit to meeting your needs. Set a goal of doing one lovely thing for yourself daily. It doesn’t have to be major, just something that works that self-care muscle. Put flowers on your desk, take a short walk at lunch, or make time to call a friend and share a laugh.

Give yourself time to get comfortable. Don’t feel silly if self-care doesn’t come naturally at first. Many busy people have more experience taking care of others than they do with taking care of themselves. Don’t let guilt stop you. Make a list of all the ways you function and serve the world better when you give yourself what you need. Learn and tweak as you try things out.

Self-care is an ongoing process, and as you get better at it and start really meeting your needs, some of those vices like overeating will have much less power. You'll find the three Os showing up less often, and when they do, you'll be better able to respond effectively. That's the real key to making changes that last.

Here is a link to the entire article, thanks to my friends at sparkpeople.com, without whom I could not coach, http://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=is_your_weight_loss_puzzle_missing_a_crucial_piece

QOTD Sunday, January 5, 2014: What is your favorite way to add self-care into your busy life? Do you like to treating yourself to a luxury item, like a massage or a bubble bath? Take some quiet time to read, journal, or exercise or spend time with the people you love?

BBL with replies and my own answer. Happy Sunday! :

 

[Eliza32]

Hi Guys, hope you're all having a good weekend.

Proud of myself that I did the parkrun yesterday even though it was only 2 degrees (again) and pouring with rain. Time was the same as last week (33:21) and my poor running shoes are saturated from running through puddles. The new running jacket that I got for Christmas did it's job at keeping most of the rain off my top half at least!!

QOTD for Saturday, January 4, 2014: Are you surprised by how much (or little) you can eat for the calories, depending on which foods you choose? Do you have a meal that you enjoy that gives you a lot of bang for the calorie buck?

Hard one for me to answer this as the diet plan that I follow has nothing whatsoever to do with calories. Foods are split into groups: free (unlimited) like fruit, vegetables, lean meat, fish etc, Healthy Extras (One A choice - dairy and one B choice - fibre) and synned food (a bit like weightwatchers points I think). All prepared food like salad dressings, processed foods etc are synned, but carb laden stuff like potatoes, dried pasta and rice are free!!! (Bread is synned though)

Looking at what most of you post, I see that you nearly all avoid carbs like they're the devil!!! I couldn't do that!. The diet is restrictive in that you have to cook from scratch or the syns soon add up, but using free ingredients I can eat just about anything...rice pudding, fries (well oven baked at least), noodles, pasta bake...all free and unlimited quantities. Sounds odd I know, but it works!

Getting more bang for my buck really relates to chocolate, what can I get most of for the least syns??? A 2 finger KitKat is 5.5 syns and we can have up to 15 syns a day. Light mayonnaise is 1 syn per level tablespoon just to give you some idea.



QOTD Sunday, January 5, 2014: What is your favorite way to add self-care into your busy life? Do you like to treating yourself to a luxury item, like a massage or a bubble bath? Take some quiet time to read, journal, or exercise or spend time with the people you love?

I like to lie in the bath and read a book but at the moment these tend to be textbooks for my environmental course!! As I have said before, I love to run on my own, headphones in, thoughts to myself. The dark nights here at the moment mean this isn't an option for me though, so spending most of my exercixe time at the gym on the 'dreadmill' during the week and only manage to get outrdoors on a weekend.

For every half stone that I have lost, I have given myself a reward......an indian head massage, an aromatherapy session, a reflexology session, had my belly button pierced.....not sure what the next one is going to be yet, but go a way to go before I have to think about it!!


The weather here today was much nicer than yesterday, so OH and I walked to the shops to buy screen wash for the car and I carried a gallon of the stuff back in my backpack!! The walk was 4.5K according to my GarminFit app on my phone and burned 198 calories, so that's extra I was not expecting to do this weekend, which is good.

Made good food choices for the last couple of days and my clothes are starting to feel a little looser again! Had porridge for breakfast, a bacon, mushroom and onion omlette for lunch and having beef chilli with rice and cheddar on top for dinner later.

Talk soon

 

[araes2102]

QOTD Sunday, January 5, 2014: What is your favorite way to add self-care into your busy life? Do you like to treating yourself to a luxury item, like a massage or a bubble bath? Take some quiet time to read, journal, or exercise or spend time with the people you love?

Well I definitely think I do not do enough of this. It is hard in the middle of working full-time at a stressful job, raising two kids with homework, sports, and girl scouts, as well as wedding planning! But I think my exercise time has become this self care time for me. For instance, my friend and I go hiking whenever we can (since I have been off over the holidays and she generally works evenings, we were able to go 3 times in the past week! Usually we go 3 times per month) and this gives me time to take care of my body and my spirit because of this awesome friend time. Plus when I make it a priority to go to the Y 2-3 times per week for zumba, I feel great about prioritizing my health. But I do think I need just "down time me time." But really, then I feel like I am neglecting my family. Maybe my hour or two of guilty pleasure tv before bed (after the kids are in bed) counts as this. Of course then I am sacrificing time with DF.... ahh! NOT enough time in the day for it all!

 

[honkytonkmama]

One thing that is also awesome for salads (which I think I learned about here) is to make "Salad in a Jar" http://www.salad-in-a-jar.com/how-to-make-salad-in-a-jar-2 I usually don't actually put the whole thing together in one jar but just chop up my lettuce ( I use iceberg) on the weekend, fill jars with the lettuce and vacuum seal them. I have had lettuce remain green and fresh for 2 weeks this way! The only problem I had was that the family now wants me to make jars for them.

I will chop up my other ingredients every few days. Cucumber, tomato and mushrooms don't really keep well after a few days. And I keep a bottle of salad dressing at work so I don't need to have the dressing in the jar.

The Bolthouse dressing is found in the Produce section with the other jarred dressings. A lot of people also love the Salsa Ranch.

In the dollar spot at target I found these cool salad cups. They have a cup for the dressing in the lid, and a fork that attaches to the side. I got one for my friend who takes her lunch to work. It does not work as well for me as I had hoped because I stay at home and I may as well just make it in a bowl, ykwim.

 

[XrayChicken]

Got a new scale yesterday. Weighed in at 207 this morning so I've at least maintained.

Also bought my Fitbit. Went with the Zip model. Going over to set it up now. I'm excited about having it!

QOTD: I love a good pedicure and that is my favorite self care thing. My local place does a sweet orange pedi where they use all of this great orange smelling oils and scrubs. And they add on this hot rock massage. It is pure heaven. I'm way overdue for one of these!

 

[pjlla]

HOLY GUACAMOLE! I take a few days off for the holidays and WHAMMO!! I'm never gonna get caught up now!

Anyhow.... I just wanted to pop on and say hello and I'm not dead and I've been thinking of EVERYONE who is running at Disney this weekend!

I gave myself a much-needed computer break for a few days, so that I could concentrate on time with family, but now I'm back. The holidays were GREAT, eating was good and bad at times, but my overall holiday gain wasn't anything to panic over and now I'm right back on track.

I'm slated to start coaching tomorrow morning, so I'll spend some time this afternoon reading and catching up here a bit so I am ready to hit it bright and early tomorrow morning! TTYL..................P

 

[Rose&Mike]

HOLY GUACAMOLE! I take a few days off for the holidays and WHAMMO!! I'm never gonna get caught up now!

Anyhow.... I just wanted to pop on and say hello and I'm not dead and I've been thinking of EVERYONE who is running at Disney this weekend!

Missed you Pamela! I have actually been posting every day.

QOTD--I am considering the 8 minutes a day that I spend meditating as my self-care. I am flirting with high blood pressure, my stress has been through the roof, and while I do have a lot of free time, I do not do a lot of things (other than exercise) that are really good for me. I have been meditating since about mid-December and I am feeling much more grounded, along with the fact that I think the worst of the menopause stuff is over.

 

[jillbur]

QOTD January 3, 2014: What is the single best exercise for you? And what type of activity would you like to try? Is there any activity that you tried and you swear you will never do again?

Be back in a bit with replies and my own answer.

The best exercise for me is weights (circuit training) and running. I also think spinning and yoga are pretty good as well. I usually try anything and enjoy most exercises.

In college (YEARS ago lol) I tried a step class and I HATED it! Any kind of aerobic/dance type workout is terrible to me!

Which leads me to the QOTD for Saturday, January 4, 2014: Are you surprised by how much (or little) you can eat for the calories, depending on which foods you choose? Do you have a meal that you enjoy that gives you a lot of bang for the calorie buck?

BBL with replies and an update to our numbers. It's so fun to see all these PMs and great numbers.

Anything with veggies gives me the most bang for the buck. I am disappointed how many calories small things like salad dressings, butter, and mayo have!

QOTD Sunday, January 5, 2014: What is your favorite way to add self-care into your busy life? Do you like to treating yourself to a luxury item, like a massage or a bubble bath? Take some quiet time to read, journal, or exercise or spend time with the people you love?

BBL with replies and my own answer. Happy Sunday! :

My way for self-care is yoga and walking. I do these activities on my own, so it's peaceful to me.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I only had time to read and catch up and reply to the QOTDs today. I guess I will have to chat more tomorrow
Stay warm!!

Jill

 

[willonlyflytodisney]

I wouldn't worry too much about using too many points for breakfast if that is what you need to start your day. Isn't there a saying "Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper?" I wonder if your breakfast would feel like it lasts last longer if you added some protein, like an egg. Did you look at the new Simple Start materials for breakfast ideas?

I did! You're definitely right - its a lot of trial and error! I think tomorrow I'm going to try splitting my meal in half - half before, half after. See how that goes!

QOTD Sunday, January 5, 2014: What is your favorite way to add self-care into your busy life? Do you like to treating yourself to a luxury item, like a massage or a bubble bath? Take some quiet time to read, journal, or exercise or spend time with the people you love?

QOTD: I love a good pedicure and that is my favorite self care thing. My local place does a sweet orange pedi where they use all of this great orange smelling oils and scrubs. And they add on this hot rock massage. It is pure heaven. I'm way overdue for one of these!

I'm with XrayChicken on this one! Pedicures all the way! I guess I'm just not really a manicure/pedicure/spa person. It falls down the to-do list all the time. But, when I do make time for it, I try to use it as a treat because afterwards, it makes me feel SO great! Someone once told me that all problems start with the feet, that if you take care of the feet, other things may fall into place.

Today, I started Power90 - for real, not just occasional! I up-ed the weights and instead of using 3-pounds, I used 5-pounds. Normally, people stop doing exercises because it's too hard, but I think I only did Power90 occasionally because I wasn't "feeling it." Today felt like a real workout that I could be be proud of finishing! I'm sore but I feel empowered and motivated!

Ready for tomorrow!

 

[araes2102]

Got a new scale yesterday. Weighed in at 207 this morning so I've at least maintained.

Also bought my Fitbit. Went with the Zip model. Going over to set it up now. I'm excited about having it!

QOTD: I love a good pedicure and that is my favorite self care thing. My local place does a sweet orange pedi where they use all of this great orange smelling oils and scrubs. And they add on this hot rock massage. It is pure heaven. I'm way overdue for one of these!

Congrats on the new scale and the fitbit! Exciting, I know how excited I was to receive my bodymedia armband when I splurged and bought myself one last year!

And OH how I love pedicures! I really wish I could afford to indulge in this more often! And that sweet orange pedi sounds HEAVENLY!

HOLY GUACAMOLE! I take a few days off for the holidays and WHAMMO!! I'm never gonna get caught up now!

Anyhow.... I just wanted to pop on and say hello and I'm not dead and I've been thinking of EVERYONE who is running at Disney this weekend!

I gave myself a much-needed computer break for a few days, so that I could concentrate on time with family, but now I'm back. The holidays were GREAT, eating was good and bad at times, but my overall holiday gain wasn't anything to panic over and now I'm right back on track.

I'm slated to start coaching tomorrow morning, so I'll spend some time this afternoon reading and catching up here a bit so I am ready to hit it bright and early tomorrow morning! TTYL..................P

Great to see you Pamela! Glad you had some much needed family time!

 

[Friend of a Mouse]

I just PM'd Lisah. I would like to join. My goal is to lose 5 lbs this month.

 

[Rose&Mike]

Good morning! Back to work today for me. I know it is going to be a crazy, busy week of catching up, but I am excited. I know I have an important role in our agency and I am looking forward to a great week!

It is not as cold here (only going to go down to -3 ) as they thought, and the bitter cold is only supposed to last 2 or 3 days. My DH scraped the ice off my car this morning so I just need to bundle up.

The plan is to hit the Y after dinner for a mile and strength class.

Hope everyone has a great Monday. I will try to get back to answer the QOTD tonight, but if not I will do it in the morning.

 

[pjlla]

Good morning all! Sorry to be popping in with the QOTD late, but we have no school today (again) due to icy conditions, so I shut off my alarm clock and slept later than I expected!

QOTD for Monday, January 6, 2014:

After all of the holiday eating and excuses, what is the best way that you have to get yourself "back in the wagon" (i.e. back on plan)? Do you do a few days of juicing? Extra time at the gym? Be super strict about your food journaling? Read an especially inspiring quote?

If this is your first "ride in the wagon", what do you think will help you in the future if you get off plan?



BB after breakfast to chat!...............P

 

[HippieChickadee]

QOTD for Monday, January 6, 2014:

After all of the holiday eating and excuses, what is the best way that you have to get yourself "back in the wagon" (i.e. back on plan)? Do you do a few days of juicing? Extra time at the gym? Be super strict about your food journaling? Read an especially inspiring quote?

If this is your first "ride in the wagon", what do you think will help you in the future if you get off plan?

Somehow, I just jump back on that wagon food wise. It's easy for me to just eat when I should and avoid what I shouldn't.

The exercise wagon is a different story. I've been bad at that one- I haven't don't any planned exercise yet this "year"!!! I've been remodeling the house (painting, pulling up carpet and restoring wood flooring). I think the weather has a lot to do with the exercise thing. I like being outdoors and doing a variety of things- walk, run, bike, swim. The indoor track, bikes and pools just don't cut it for me.

And right now there is a foot of snow and it's been between -15 and 20 degrees around here.

 

[lisah0711]

Hi Guys, hope you're all having a good weekend.

Proud of myself that I did the parkrun yesterday even though it was only 2 degrees (again) and pouring with rain. Time was the same as last week (33:21) and my poor running shoes are saturated from running through puddles. The new running jacket that I got for Christmas did it's job at keeping most of the rain off my top half at least!!

Congrats on starting off the year with your first park run in the rain, Helen!

Well I definitely think I do not do enough of this. It is hard in the middle of working full-time at a stressful job, raising two kids with homework, sports, and girl scouts, as well as wedding planning! But I think my exercise time has become this self care time for me. For instance, my friend and I go hiking whenever we can (since I have been off over the holidays and she generally works evenings, we were able to go 3 times in the past week! Usually we go 3 times per month) and this gives me time to take care of my body and my spirit because of this awesome friend time. Plus when I make it a priority to go to the Y 2-3 times per week for zumba, I feel great about prioritizing my health. But I do think I need just "down time me time." But really, then I feel like I am neglecting my family. Maybe my hour or two of guilty pleasure tv before bed (after the kids are in bed) counts as this. Of course then I am sacrificing time with DF.... ahh! NOT enough time in the day for it all!

It is hard to make time for yourself when you are pulled in a dozen different directions, Amanda. But remember you can't take care of everyone else if you don't take care of you.

In the dollar spot at target I found these cool salad cups. They have a cup for the dressing in the lid, and a fork that attaches to the side. I got one for my friend who takes her lunch to work. It does not work as well for me as I had hoped because I stay at home and I may as well just make it in a bowl, ykwim.

Or maybe you could do two meals for one prep period and use that extra time for yourself sometimes?

Got a new scale yesterday. Weighed in at 207 this morning so I've at least maintained.

Also bought my Fitbit. Went with the Zip model. Going over to set it up now. I'm excited about having it!

QOTD: I love a good pedicure and that is my favorite self care thing. My local place does a sweet orange pedi where they use all of this great orange smelling oils and scrubs. And they add on this hot rock massage. It is pure heaven. I'm way overdue for one of these!

Your pedi sounds heavenly! Can't wait to hear how you are enjoying your FitBit.

HOLY GUACAMOLE! I take a few days off for the holidays and WHAMMO!! I'm never gonna get caught up now!

Anyhow.... I just wanted to pop on and say hello and I'm not dead and I've been thinking of EVERYONE who is running at Disney this weekend!

I gave myself a much-needed computer break for a few days, so that I could concentrate on time with family, but now I'm back. The holidays were GREAT, eating was good and bad at times, but my overall holiday gain wasn't anything to panic over and now I'm right back on track.

I'm slated to start coaching tomorrow morning, so I'll spend some time this afternoon reading and catching up here a bit so I am ready to hit it bright and early tomorrow morning! TTYL..................P

Nice to see you back, Pamela! We did miss you! Sounds like you had a great holiday with your family and are already back in the groove.

Missed you Pamela! I have actually been posting every day.

QOTD--I am considering the 8 minutes a day that I spend meditating as my self-care. I am flirting with high blood pressure, my stress has been through the roof, and while I do have a lot of free time, I do not do a lot of things (other than exercise) that are really good for me. I have been meditating since about mid-December and I am feeling much more grounded, along with the fact that I think the worst of the menopause stuff is over.

Glad that you are enjoying the meditation, Rose. I read something on FB this week that there are several apps for meditating. I have an app on my Kindle I really love for sleeping -- they have apps for everything these days.

Stay warm!

The best exercise for me is weights (circuit training) and running. I also think spinning and yoga are pretty good as well. I usually try anything and enjoy most exercises.

In college (YEARS ago lol) I tried a step class and I HATED it! Any kind of aerobic/dance type workout is terrible to me!

Anything with veggies gives me the most bang for the buck. I am disappointed how many calories small things like salad dressings, butter, and mayo have!

My way for self-care is yoga and walking. I do these activities on my own, so it's peaceful to me.

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I only had time to read and catch up and reply to the QOTDs today. I guess I will have to chat more tomorrow
Stay warm!!

Jill

Stay warm and safe, Jill!

Today, I started Power90 - for real, not just occasional! I up-ed the weights and instead of using 3-pounds, I used 5-pounds. Normally, people stop doing exercises because it's too hard, but I think I only did Power90 occasionally because I wasn't "feeling it." Today felt like a real workout that I could be be proud of finishing! I'm sore but I feel empowered and motivated!

Ready for tomorrow!

Yay for you and and an intense workout to start your week!

I just PM'd Lisah. I would like to join. My goal is to lose 5 lbs this month.

Good morning all! Sorry to be popping in with the QOTD late, but we have no school today (again) due to icy conditions, so I shut off my alarm clock and slept later than I expected!

QOTD for Monday, January 6, 2014:

After all of the holiday eating and excuses, what is the best way that you have to get yourself "back in the wagon" (i.e. back on plan)? Do you do a few days of juicing? Extra time at the gym? Be super strict about your food journaling? Read an especially inspiring quote?

If this is your first "ride in the wagon", what do you think will help you in the future if you get off plan?



BB after breakfast to chat!...............P

I just get back to what I was doing before on plan as soon as I can. My WW leader said something that really resonated with me this year -- it's a holiDAY, not a a holiMONTH.

Have a great Monday and for those of you in cold areas -- stay warm and safe!

 

[lisah0711]

Somehow, I just jump back on that wagon food wise. It's easy for me to just eat when I should and avoid what I shouldn't.

The exercise wagon is a different story. I've been bad at that one- I haven't don't any planned exercise yet this "year"!!! I've been remodeling the house (painting, pulling up carpet and restoring wood flooring). I think the weather has a lot to do with the exercise thing. I like being outdoors and doing a variety of things- walk, run, bike, swim. The indoor track, bikes and pools just don't cut it for me.

And right now there is a foot of snow and it's been between -15 and 20 degrees around here.

Snow shoveling burns a lot of calories -- I would call it exercise for sure! Sounds like you are doing great!

A shameless plea for a coaching volunteer . . .we have one coaching slot left that starts on Saturday, 1/11 and runs through 1/15. Coaching is fun and motivating and you don't have to reinvent the wheel because we have our QOTD archive to use for inspiration. Please consider volunteering to coach -- we can even do a coach for a day if we have enough people who want to try that. Thank you!

 

[willonlyflytodisney]

It is not as cold here (only going to go down to -3 ) as they thought, and the bitter cold is only supposed to last 2 or 3 days.

WHAT?! -3!!! Where do you live? We have CRAZY weather here today in NYC - right now it is 50 degrees and by tonight at 10pm it will be 8 degrees. Needless to say, my body is totally and completely confused. I don't know if I'd prefer the -3 for 2 or 3 days or the back and forth lol

QOTD for Monday, January 6, 2014:

After all of the holiday eating and excuses, what is the best way that you have to get yourself "back in the wagon" (i.e. back on plan)? Do you do a few days of juicing? Extra time at the gym? Be super strict about your food journaling? Read an especially inspiring quote?

If this is your first "ride in the wagon", what do you think will help you in the future if you get off plan?

I am very big on "starting." My family is one of planners, not doers. We are known for planning things months in advance, and then when the day comes, being too "tired" or "sick" or just plain lazy and not going. So, when it comes to exercise or eating right, I'm so big on the day to start. For instance, I was supposed to start Power90 in December. But, then I left my DVD at my friend's house. Instead of going to pick it up and starting the next day, I waited until the next week. Then, it was the holidays and I was making gifts and things were tough. Instead of exercising when I could, even if it was just 2 days a week, I kept pushing the date to start. When I eat a huge meal, I start indulging myself, saying well, I've already eaten this much, let's just keep going and I'll start fresh next week.

So, I think my problem is figuring out a way to "fall of the bandwagon," so to speak, and just keep on going! Because every time I fall for one day, I say, okay, I'll start again next week, or next month. I guess I have to start accepting that if I miss a day, I can just keep going! I don't have to wait around for the next "cycle."

When it comes to getting back on, and staying on, I use INO - comes from that book, Secrets of a Former Fat Girl. INO stands for It's Not an Option. Whenever I think about how that extra hour of sleep would be so nice instead of my workout, I have a piece of paper next to my bed that says INO in big letters! So that unless I am ill or injured, I know that it isn't a choice, its something I have to do! I try to be my own personal cheerleader!

I just get back to what I was doing before on plan as soon as I can. My WW leader said something that really resonated with me this year -- it's a holiDAY, not a a holiMONTH.

I like that! I'm definitely going to have to start telling myself that! I mean, I'm a bit obsessed with holidays - I go all out for every one, even in my teeny apartment. Xmas just came down yesterday and I'm already feeling the emptiness of no holiday decorations!! I might put up Valentine's Day things tomorrow....

But, in terms of eating right - definitely have to stick just to the day!


This morning, I tried eating a Nutrigrain bar and a banana before my workout. Well, stressing about eating that much meant I was almost late for work! All over a silly banana lol

It turned out I didn't need that much fuel. Tomorrow I'm going to try waking up earlier, to give myself more time for digestion and eating HALF of a banana haha

Hope everyone is staying nice and warm! Sending you all lots of sun!!