WISH Away the Pounds -- Spectacular September Challenge!

[leholcomb]

Good Tuesday everyone. I fell off the wagon this past weekend and will now be hard pressed to meet my goal. Granted it was already aggressive but I truly thought I could make it. I have another week to go with my DietBet game and I may not hit that goal either.

I will pick it back up and keep trying. You never know what might happen.

 

[pjlla]

Hey all!

Just stopping by for a quick hello. I've been busy the past few days and will be busy again the next few days.

And of course, I haven't been sleeping well lately. I had a really rough night last night ... tonight is a little better, but I still was having trouble falling asleep, so I figured I'd get up and try again in a little bit.

Not much else going on with me. I hope everyone is having a great week!

Sorry you haven't been sleeping well.... that makes the rest of life kind of difficult. Prayers that you can get to sleep and stay asleep tonight!!

I am so sorry!!! I missed my Motivational Monday that I signed up for!! I only remembered that it was towards the end of the month and lost track that we are getting close to the end of September...

That's okay... instead of Motivational Monday, we'll call it "Terrific Tuesday"!

Anyway, a day later, here it is:

Goals - we all have them. But do our goals really help us in losing weight? Goals certainly can be a great motivational tool, but they can also frustrate us if we don't reach them. So, how can we make sure to set ourselves helpful goals? I found a good article on this topic: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=696 It focusses on the following 6 Characteristics of Effective Goals:

1. Challenging: Your goals should be realistic and suited to your present capabilities. You can’t go from habitual couch potato to world-class athlete overnight, or recover the “look” you had in your 20's if you’re pushing 60 right now. Small, progressive steps toward reasonable, long-term goals are crucial to success. But your goals should also push you to extend yourself beyond where you already are. Otherwise you will get bored and quit the game.

2. Attainable: Don't take the challenging characteristic (above) too far. Make sure you can actually achieve what you're setting out to do. Otherwise, you will get frustrated and quit the game.

3. Specific: Trying to "do your best" or "do better" is like trying to eat the hole in a donut. There's nothing there to chew on or digest. You need to define some very specific, concrete, and measurable action-steps that tell you what your goal looks like in real-life terms. Include how you will measure your results so you can tell whether you are getting anywhere.

4. Time-limited: Goals need to come with deadlines, due dates, and payoff schedules. Otherwise, they'll fade into the background with your daily hubbub, and you'll quit playing the game. If your long-term goal is going to take a while to reach, create some intermediate- and short-term goals. These will make your larger goal seem less daunting and keep you focused on what you can do here and now to help yourself get there.

5. Positive: Goals should always be framed in positive terms. Humans are not designed to white-knuckle their way through life, always trying to not do things or to avoid certain thoughts, feelings, actions or circumstances. We are much better at approaching what we DO want than avoiding what we don't want.

6. Flexible: Good strategies and goals are always flexible, because nothing in this world stays the same for very long, and staying alive and on course means being able to adapt to changing circumstances.

More, including examples, can be found under the above link.

So, do you think your goals are effective? Is there a way you can change them to make them help you better in your weight loss effort?

Love that list! So many folks say they are just going to "cut back" or "eat better" without thinking about specifics. Or they sign up for a half marathon on their FIRST DAY of training without realizing the work that it will take to be ready. And then when they AREN'T ready, they get frustrated and give up. One of my favorite motivational sayings is "A goal without a plan is just a WISH."

I am a planner with nearly everything in life, so the idea of creating a PLAN to lose weight or maintain a weight loss is actually APPEALING to me! I'm probably a bit unusual in that respect.

What I need to work harder on is EXERCISE/FITNESS plans/planning. I really fail with that.

Good Tuesday everyone. I fell off the wagon this past weekend and will now be hard pressed to meet my goal. Granted it was already aggressive but I truly thought I could make it. I have another week to go with my DietBet game and I may not hit that goal either.

I will pick it back up and keep trying. You never know what might happen.

Good for you for picking yourself up and trying again!! Here's hoping you are pleasantly surprised on the scale!

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

Morning all! I was scheduled to work but woke up with some sort of eye infection. I won't go into icky details..... not sure if it is conjunctivitis or just an irritation, but I took out my contacts at 4:45 am when I woke up and the eye feels a bit better, so I am holding off on calling the doctor for now.

Since I have a full on BONUS DAY at home today (not working at school OR at WW tonight.... that was cancelled due to work on the building) I want to do something extra productive. I think I will work on cleaning and organizing my bedroom and scrapbooking area. My eye is really light sensitive and it is super sunny out, so I don't want to do any yard work. But I will definitely work with the windows open, since the Fall air is beautiful today! The only thing I didn't get to downstairs yesterday was the vacuuming, so I will get that done as well.

Breakfast was a delicious open-faced egg white sandwich with sauteed mushroom, Laughing Cow cheese and fresh tomato! Also had a fresh pear that was PERFECTLY ripe. I am trying hard to remember to eat a little more for breakfast, but it definitely takes some THINKING! What did YOU have for breakfast???


BBL to chat........................P

 

[SarahDisney]

So, do you think your goals are effective? Is there a way you can change them to make them help you better in your weight loss effort?

Great topic! I love articles about goal setting.
Goals are a bit of a prickly subject for me because of one class I took that was basically all about SMART goals … and that I would now like to forget. So I need to learn to think of my goals not in terms of “SMART,” but still in an effective way.
I’ve started setting up monthly goals, which I think are working out well for me. For example, one goal (that I actually met yesterday – yay!) is “Get 200,000 steps in the month of September (according to Fitbit)”
It’s challenging, because I know there are a lot of days when I just sit in front of the computer and don’t do much, but I know it’s attainable because I’ve done it before. It’s a specific number of steps with a specific deadline (September 30th). It’s positive – instead of saying “don’t sit around in front of the computer,” I’m putting it in terms of what I want to do. And I’m being flexible – this is actually a lower step count than last month because I had a hard time meeting last month’s step count and I knew this month I might not have as much time to get my steps in.
I know some of my other goals need work, but I think I’m getting better at goals that help me get where I want to go!

Good Tuesday everyone. I fell off the wagon this past weekend and will now be hard pressed to meet my goal. Granted it was already aggressive but I truly thought I could make it. I have another week to go with my DietBet game and I may not hit that goal either.

I will pick it back up and keep trying. You never know what might happen.

Keep trying – hopefully you’ll still meet your goal, but even if you don’t, any progress is better than nothing!

Sorry you haven't been sleeping well.... that makes the rest of life kind of difficult. Prayers that you can get to sleep and stay asleep tonight!!

Thanks. I know I won’t be staying asleep (I always say I haven’t slept through the night in 20 years, which is not entirely true but very close), but if I can get to asleep easily, it usually means I’ll be able to fall back asleep easily when I wake up in the middle of the night.

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

Morning all! I was scheduled to work but woke up with some sort of eye infection. I won't go into icky details..... not sure if it is conjunctivitis or just an irritation, but I took out my contacts at 4:45 am when I woke up and the eye feels a bit better, so I am holding off on calling the doctor for now.

Since I have a full on BONUS DAY at home today (not working at school OR at WW tonight.... that was cancelled due to work on the building) I want to do something extra productive. I think I will work on cleaning and organizing my bedroom and scrapbooking area. My eye is really light sensitive and it is super sunny out, so I don't want to do any yard work. But I will definitely work with the windows open, since the Fall air is beautiful today! The only thing I didn't get to downstairs yesterday was the vacuuming, so I will get that done as well.

Breakfast was a delicious open-faced egg white sandwich with sauteed mushroom, Laughing Cow cheese and fresh tomato! Also had a fresh pear that was PERFECTLY ripe. I am trying hard to remember to eat a little more for breakfast, but it definitely takes some THINKING! What did YOU have for breakfast???


BBL to chat........................P

I hope your eye is okay!

I made myself a nice non-dairy coffee smoothie, which is actually not bad, even though I forgot to add one of the ingredients (the recipe I found calls for sugar/syrup/sweetener, which I rarely put in my coffee anyway … but I do usually put milk in, and this smoothie is non-dairy). I just got a new mini food processor (way smaller and easier to clean than my big one), so I’m going to be very into non-dairy smoothies for a while (no dairy allowed in it is basically the one house rule … but I’m okay with that). Of course, I had a bowl of sugary cereal with it, but … that is one thing I will never learn to give up. I like my Cheerios … but I like my Cookie Crisp too.

I finally got to sleep about 20 minutes after I posted last night … yay! My insomnia has been acting up the past few weeks … it’s frustrating me that I can’t fall asleep, and then I’m groggy the whole next day. Hopefully it’ll resolve itself soon … it usually does.

I am so behind schedule today, I'm just having trouble getting myself back on track ... oh well. I should probably go back to my RL now ...

 

[Zoesmama03]

Oh dear I'm behind again. I weighed in Sunday opps. I just sent it out to Lisa. Hope I'm not too late. Was down some but still not sure about the function of my scale. Sometime in the next few weeks I'll have to go in to see my NP for lab request then again. Sometimes wish she could just print them up and have me in for the results instead of twice. It doesn't cost me but a few dollars but its a waste of resources(I have medicaid at this time).

 

[pjlla]

Morning all! I'm home today because the kitty had an appointment this morning for a physical and her (overdue) rabies shot. She is getting older and just hasn't been herself lately, so I thought it was time for a check up. All the news from the vet was good, but I had them draw blood for a complete work-up, just in case. My "Mom intuition" is telling me that something is wrong and I just wanted to check everything while I had her there.

Got the majority of my bedroom picked up yesterday, but not dusted and vacuumed. The worst of the mess was pretty much limited to my scrapping area and my dresser. I'm tempted to dive into a scrapping/card making project today, but hate to waste this beautiful weather with an indoor project.

My eye is definitely better today. I think it was an irritation from the contacts because it wasn't weepy or goopy at all yesterday after removing my contacts. I'll wear my glasses for a few more days, just to be sure.

Working on the bigger breakfast thing and it is tough to remember! I had a Vitamuffin when I got back from the Vet's office because I realized I hadn't had that little "extra" for breakfast.

Last night's new recipe was delicious! Got a thumb's up from DH and myself. I even think that DS may have enjoyed it if I served it to him (minus the chicken I added). I wrote down the recipe and will definitely be adding it to the rotation. I'll share it over on the recipe thread later.

I'm off to be productive! TTYL...........P

 

[pjlla]

Wowza!! Did everyone disappear?? I expect quiet, but this is crazy!!

Well anyhow..... GOOOOOOOOD MORNING WISH BOARD!! (Read like Robin Williams in Good Morning, Vietnam!)

How's everyone doing today! Ready to make it a great one??? Last day before the last official Friday weigh-in of September!! Can you believe it? September has FLOWN BY!! By next Friday it will be October and we will be talking about Halloween and Columbus Day (for us Americans)!

So with this year flying by at break-neck pace, ask yourself this.....

Have you done EVERYTHING POSSIBLE this year to reach your weight loss goals? If not, what is holding you back? What little changes could you make, starting TODAY, to finish September on the right note and carry you into 2015 in the right direction?? If you have a GOAL, do you have a PLAN? Remember....."a goal without a plan is just a WISH".

I am up and moving and staying home today. I have some housework to do (as always) and I am working on a decoupage project that I'd like to finish today, so I'll stay busy, but hope to get in a good long walk before the rain starts. I am having my applesauce overnight oats for breakfast (love it when I plan ahead and have breakfast ready and waiting!).

I'll check back in again after I take DS to school and maybe some of you will have reported in by then! .........................P

 

[lisah0711]

Good morning all!

A friendly reminder that tomorrow is weigh in day! This is the last weigh in before the end of the challenge. Good luck to everyone!

Hey all!

Just stopping by for a quick hello. I've been busy the past few days and will be busy again the next few days.

And of course, I haven't been sleeping well lately. I had a really rough night last night ... tonight is a little better, but I still was having trouble falling asleep, so I figured I'd get up and try again in a little bit.

Not much else going on with me. I hope everyone is having a great week!

So sorry for the sleep problems, Sarah. It makes everything a little bit harder all day when you haven't slept well at night.

I am so sorry!!! I missed my Motivational Monday that I signed up for!! I only remembered that it was towards the end of the month and lost track that we are getting close to the end of September...

Anyway, a day later, here it is:

Goals - we all have them. But do our goals really help us in losing weight? Goals certainly can be a great motivational tool, but they can also frustrate us if we don't reach them. So, how can we make sure to set ourselves helpful goals? I found a good article on this topic: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=696 It focusses on the following 6 Characteristics of Effective Goals:

1. Challenging: Your goals should be realistic and suited to your present capabilities. You can’t go from habitual couch potato to world-class athlete overnight, or recover the “look” you had in your 20's if you’re pushing 60 right now. Small, progressive steps toward reasonable, long-term goals are crucial to success. But your goals should also push you to extend yourself beyond where you already are. Otherwise you will get bored and quit the game.

2. Attainable: Don't take the challenging characteristic (above) too far. Make sure you can actually achieve what you're setting out to do. Otherwise, you will get frustrated and quit the game.

3. Specific: Trying to "do your best" or "do better" is like trying to eat the hole in a donut. There's nothing there to chew on or digest. You need to define some very specific, concrete, and measurable action-steps that tell you what your goal looks like in real-life terms. Include how you will measure your results so you can tell whether you are getting anywhere.

4. Time-limited: Goals need to come with deadlines, due dates, and payoff schedules. Otherwise, they'll fade into the background with your daily hubbub, and you'll quit playing the game. If your long-term goal is going to take a while to reach, create some intermediate- and short-term goals. These will make your larger goal seem less daunting and keep you focused on what you can do here and now to help yourself get there.

5. Positive: Goals should always be framed in positive terms. Humans are not designed to white-knuckle their way through life, always trying to not do things or to avoid certain thoughts, feelings, actions or circumstances. We are much better at approaching what we DO want than avoiding what we don't want.

6. Flexible: Good strategies and goals are always flexible, because nothing in this world stays the same for very long, and staying alive and on course means being able to adapt to changing circumstances.

More, including examples, can be found under the above link.

So, do you think your goals are effective? Is there a way you can change them to make them help you better in your weight loss effort?

Great article, Magdalene! I know that my goals through the end of the year need to revamped and refreshed with these tips in mind. Thanks!

Good Tuesday everyone. I fell off the wagon this past weekend and will now be hard pressed to meet my goal. Granted it was already aggressive but I truly thought I could make it. I have another week to go with my DietBet game and I may not hit that goal either.

I will pick it back up and keep trying. You never know what might happen.

Bummer! It happens to all of us! Nice job learning and moving forward. You have a race soon!

Breakfast was a delicious open-faced egg white sandwich with sauteed mushroom, Laughing Cow cheese and fresh tomato! Also had a fresh pear that was PERFECTLY ripe. I am trying hard to remember to eat a little more for breakfast, but it definitely takes some THINKING! What did YOU have for breakfast???

Sounds like a yummy breakfast, Pamela! Most mornings I have toast made with Dave's 60 calorie Killer Bread and two scrambled eggs -- yes the whole egg! : This keeps me full until lunch time and uses just a bit less that 1/3 of my daily points allotment.

Oh dear I'm behind again. I weighed in Sunday opps. I just sent it out to Lisa. Hope I'm not too late. Was down some but still not sure about the function of my scale. Sometime in the next few weeks I'll have to go in to see my NP for lab request then again. Sometimes wish she could just print them up and have me in for the results instead of twice. It doesn't cost me but a few dollars but its a waste of resources(I have medicaid at this time).

It's never too late to send in your numbers -- it just may take a little while for me to update. Good luck with your labs!

Morning all! I'm home today because the kitty had an appointment this morning for a physical and her (overdue) rabies shot. She is getting older and just hasn't been herself lately, so I thought it was time for a check up. All the news from the vet was good, but I had them draw blood for a complete work-up, just in case. My "Mom intuition" is telling me that something is wrong and I just wanted to check everything while I had her there.

Got the majority of my bedroom picked up yesterday, but not dusted and vacuumed. The worst of the mess was pretty much limited to my scrapping area and my dresser. I'm tempted to dive into a scrapping/card making project today, but hate to waste this beautiful weather with an indoor project.

My eye is definitely better today. I think it was an irritation from the contacts because it wasn't weepy or goopy at all yesterday after removing my contacts. I'll wear my glasses for a few more days, just to be sure.

Working on the bigger breakfast thing and it is tough to remember! I had a Vitamuffin when I got back from the Vet's office because I realized I hadn't had that little "extra" for breakfast.

Last night's new recipe was delicious! Got a thumb's up from DH and myself. I even think that DS may have enjoyed it if I served it to him (minus the chicken I added). I wrote down the recipe and will definitely be adding it to the rotation. I'll share it over on the recipe thread later.

I'm off to be productive! TTYL...........P

Hope that your eyes are all better today, Pamela! And that your kitty is feeling more like herself. :kitty:

Oh, I see I have one more post to reply to. BRB.

 

[lisah0711]

Wowza!! Did everyone disappear?? I expect quiet, but this is crazy!!

Well anyhow..... GOOOOOOOOD MORNING WISH BOARD!! (Read like Robin Williams in Good Morning, Vietnam!)

How's everyone doing today! Ready to make it a great one??? Last day before the last official Friday weigh-in of September!! Can you believe it? September has FLOWN BY!! By next Friday it will be October and we will be talking about Halloween and Columbus Day (for us Americans)!

So with this year flying by at break-neck pace, ask yourself this.....

Have you done EVERYTHING POSSIBLE this year to reach your weight loss goals? If not, what is holding you back? What little changes could you make, starting TODAY, to finish September on the right note and carry you into 2015 in the right direction?? If you have a GOAL, do you have a PLAN? Remember....."a goal without a plan is just a WISH".

I am up and moving and staying home today. I have some housework to do (as always) and I am working on a decoupage project that I'd like to finish today, so I'll stay busy, but hope to get in a good long walk before the rain starts. I am having my applesauce overnight oats for breakfast (love it when I plan ahead and have breakfast ready and waiting!).

I'll check back in again after I take DS to school and maybe some of you will have reported in by then! .........................P

Sounds like a fun and productive day ahead for you, Pamela! Hope you can get a walk in before the rain arrives. We've only had one frost but it is looking like it is going to be a cold winter based upon the size of the rose hips and the crop of winterberries!

I need to do some ruminating and make some revisions for my goals for the rest of the year -- I totally know what is holding me back is me. Oh, and the bazillion things that need to be done around here. It is definitely something that I am going to work on as soon as I finish getting ready for IL company and entertaining them.

I will be looking for your PMs and updating when I have a bit of time! Have a great week-end!

 

[Flossbolna]

It really got very quiet here... Seems like the rest of the world has their weight issues solved and only a few of us still battle with superfluous pounds...

I never replied to my own MM post - but I picked that topic because it is an issue that I had been thinking about last weekend. I seem to have had the same goal for so long now and I never reach it. I lose some, then put on some, then lose again. I am usually hovering around a BMI of about 25, so not at a level that is extremely unhealthy. But I get annoyed with myself with never making it to my goal. So I was wondering whether I need to reset my goals.

While I still think my goal weight is a long term goal that I want to keep, I think I need to work with two of the aspects in the article: challenging and time-limited. Actually, these challenges have been great in providing these mini-goals along the way. But maybe I kind of got used to them, especially to never making those goals that I set myself because of all kind of excuses that happen. I think I need to set myself goals outside of the weight loss, but goals which help with the weight loss. Like sticking to my exercise schedule and tracking my food. I am still thinking about it.

One thing that really motivated me the other day was when I realised that I have finally reclaimed the majority of my closet! There are still a few things that are too tight to be comfortable, but at least I don't have to wear the same things over and over again!! I never formulated this as a goal, but it was one of the things that really frustrated me. I am thinking of maybe picking out specific pieces of clothing that I really like and set myself a goal as to fit into that piece by the end of the next month.

---

Pam, I liked your question about reevaluating the year so far. I am kind of torn on that. I did not have a great first half of the year with injury, the long vacation that brought quite a weight gain and then not being able to get it down. But for the last few months things have improved a lot. First, work is much less stressful and that helps so much. But I feel that I have made quite significant changes in many aspects of my daily routine. I am eating a healthy breakfast every day, I am far more active than I ever used to be in my daily life (not just exercise, but going out for a walk to the letter box in the evening to mail the letter instead of dropping it off when I pass one on my way to work the next day and things like that), I am eating slower and smaller portions, I have reduced the amount of white carbs in my diet and added lots of lean protein. These are all things that I think are becoming part of my lifestyle. So, if the last three months of the year go as the late summer, I would be quite happy!

 

[pjlla]

Sounds like a fun and productive day ahead for you, Pamela! Hope you can get a walk in before the rain arrives. We've only had one frost but it is looking like it is going to be a cold winter based upon the size of the rose hips and the crop of winterberries!

I need to do some ruminating and make some revisions for my goals for the rest of the year -- I totally know what is holding me back is me. Oh, and the bazillion things that need to be done around here. It is definitely something that I am going to work on as soon as I finish getting ready for IL company and entertaining them.

I will be looking for your PMs and updating when I have a bit of time! Have a great week-end!

Have a great visit with the ILs!

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

Okay friends! I've wasted enough time this morning on here, on FB, and on the phone, so time to get hustling! BTW, my overnight oats were delicious! Definitely one of my most favorite breakfasts! TTYL.....................P

 

[pjlla]

Hey all! Hope your day was good and productive. My decoupage project is nearly finished..... just needs a good coat of polyurethane, but that won't happen today. But yowza, it was a time sucker! Every time I sat down to work on it "for a few minutes" I would look up and an hour or more had gone by!

Scheduled to work tomorrow, but I'll be on in the a.m. to post our Wellness Weekend question!! See you in the morning................P

 

[pjlla]

Happy FRIDAY everyone and welcome to your

WELLNESS WEEKEND post!! I dug through my own personal archives of weight loss book and articles and information and came up with this gem that I had ripped from Ladies Home Journal 2 years ago and found it compelling enough to keep. I will provide a link to the whole article at the end, but I will paraphrase it here.

The Junk Food Monologues:

When temptation strikes, why do we always obey that self-destructive inner voice that commands us to do a face-plant in the nearest dessert?

"....Most of us are well aware of what constitutes healthy eating. I can't blame my splurges on lack of nutrition know-how, and chances are you can't use that excuse either. Nope, the real problem is that we feel powerless to challenge that inner monologue that gives us permission to eat the (many) enticing treats we encounter every day. Who can argue with a voice that is so utterly persuasive?

Well, you can. The next time you're faced with temptation, you're not going to fight it - you're going to reason with it instead. How? By asking yourself these five very simple questions.

1. Do I really have to have this?

2. Am I even hungry right now?

3. Is this food splurge-worthy?

4. How will I feel after I eat this?

5. Is the world going to end if I don't have it?"

Here is the link to the entire article..... she gives a compelling argument on how to answer each of those question realistically and how to face DOWN that voice in your head with another voice of REASON.

http://www.cbs5az-digital.com/cbs5az/lifestyles14?pg=8#pg8

I'll try to pop on later to chat, but I'm off to work for now!..................P

 

[lisah0711]

Good morning all!

A friendly reminder that today is the last regular weigh in day of the challenge!

I do not have a single PM in my box this morning.

It really got very quiet here... Seems like the rest of the world has their weight issues solved and only a few of us still battle with superfluous pounds...

Oh, if only that was the case!

I never replied to my own MM post - but I picked that topic because it is an issue that I had been thinking about last weekend. I seem to have had the same goal for so long now and I never reach it. I lose some, then put on some, then lose again. I am usually hovering around a BMI of about 25, so not at a level that is extremely unhealthy. But I get annoyed with myself with never making it to my goal. So I was wondering whether I need to reset my goals.

This is me exactly! I set goals but never make them even when I lower the bar. It is frustrating because the only one I have to blame is myself. I need to set goals that I can get excited about instead of having goals that seem to be a chore.

While I still think my goal weight is a long term goal that I want to keep, I think I need to work with two of the aspects in the article: challenging and time-limited. Actually, these challenges have been great in providing these mini-goals along the way. But maybe I kind of got used to them, especially to never making those goals that I set myself because of all kind of excuses that happen. I think I need to set myself goals outside of the weight loss, but goals which help with the weight loss. Like sticking to my exercise schedule and tracking my food. I am still thinking about it.

I think that you are on to something here!

One thing that really motivated me the other day was when I realised that I have finally reclaimed the majority of my closet! There are still a few things that are too tight to be comfortable, but at least I don't have to wear the same things over and over again!! I never formulated this as a goal, but it was one of the things that really frustrated me. I am thinking of maybe picking out specific pieces of clothing that I really like and set myself a goal as to fit into that piece by the end of the next month.

---

Pam, I liked your question about reevaluating the year so far. I am kind of torn on that. I did not have a great first half of the year with injury, the long vacation that brought quite a weight gain and then not being able to get it down. But for the last few months things have improved a lot. First, work is much less stressful and that helps so much. But I feel that I have made quite significant changes in many aspects of my daily routine. I am eating a healthy breakfast every day, I am far more active than I ever used to be in my daily life (not just exercise, but going out for a walk to the letter box in the evening to mail the letter instead of dropping it off when I pass one on my way to work the next day and things like that), I am eating slower and smaller portions, I have reduced the amount of white carbs in my diet and added lots of lean protein. These are all things that I think are becoming part of my lifestyle. So, if the last three months of the year go as the late summer, I would be quite happy!

You've had a great fall so far, Magdalene! You definitely have a healthy lifestyle!

Happy FRIDAY everyone and welcome to your

WELLNESS WEEKEND post!! I dug through my own personal archives of weight loss book and articles and information and came up with this gem that I had ripped from Ladies Home Journal 2 years ago and found it compelling enough to keep. I will provide a link to the whole article at the end, but I will paraphrase it here.

The Junk Food Monologues:

When temptation strikes, why do we always obey that self-destructive inner voice that commands us to do a face-plant in the nearest dessert?

"....Most of us are well aware of what constitutes healthy eating. I can't blame my splurges on lack of nutrition know-how, and chances are you can't use that excuse either. Nope, the real problem is that we feel powerless to challenge that inner monologue that gives us permission to eat the (many) enticing treats we encounter every day. Who can argue with a voice that is so utterly persuasive?

Well, you can. The next time you're faced with temptation, you're not going to fight it - you're going to reason with it instead. How? By asking yourself these five very simple questions.

1. Do I really have to have this?

2. Am I even hungry right now?

3. Is this food splurge-worthy?

4. How will I feel after I eat this?

5. Is the world going to end if I don't have it?"

Here is the link to the entire article..... she gives a compelling argument on how to answer each of those question realistically and how to face DOWN that voice in your head with another voice of REASON.

http://www.cbs5az-digital.com/cbs5az/lifestyles14?pg=8#pg8

I'll try to pop on later to chat, but I'm off to work for now!..................P

Great question, Pamela! I think #3 is the most important question to ask yourself. If it is something that is truly splurge worthy -- like something you can only get at WDW or Mom's special Thanksgiving dessert -- then it is worth going for it. But say a donut at work or a plain old chocolate chip cookie? Save those calories for something else. That is one of the nice things about WW -- you have those weekly points to use to eat anything you want.

Your question goes with this little thought I will leave you with today from Weight Watchers that showed up in my FB feed:

 

[myweegirls]

Here I am! Up 1.6 from last Friday, but I'm actually feeling okay about it. last Friday's WI was right after a 9.5-mile run, and I felt like it was artificially low. And I'm still under my goal for September by a smidge, so every little bit extra is less I need to lose in October!

We also went out to a new Mexican place here last night (well, new to us - we just got a Chuy's!), and I ate soooo much. So I'm sure I have a bit of the salt leftover thing happening this morning.

We were celebrating because DH got a job offer!!! The official offer will come Monday. It's a good job - only about 2/3 what he was making, so yikes, but it's a steady, stable place, and he can keep his eyes open for something a little more exciting while he's working. It looks like he'll start right after Columbus Day weekend, so we're starting to think about finding him a car, and getting back into the routine of two of us working. SO RELIEVED. Things will still be tight for a while as we adjust to a lower income and make up for time lost while he was out of work, but this is such great news...I'm not scared/freaked/worried now.

XOXO
Liz

 

[Flossbolna]

Pam, that is a great topic!!

I have started a strategy with regard to junk food that I find very helpful. I try to not just eat it on a whim. When I suddenly really want to have that treat, I try to take some time, think about it whether I really want it and need it. I guess this is the kind of reasoning that is described in your article. By just trying to pause for a moment and let my brain think about it for a little bit, I find that I can make better decisions. Of course it does not work all the time. But I find your article to be a good inspiration to build upon what I have already started!!

Lisa - I ALWAYS hate my Friday weight. Hopefully I find one that looks better over the rest of the weekend. I know that I am trending downwards, I can see it and feel it with my clothes. But for whatever reason my body seems to retain a lot of water during the night. I can feel it in the morning and also have the "evidence" by how often I need to visit a certain room during during the first half of the day. At least my current highest weight on the scale would still be a loss from the start of the month.

Liz, so great to hear that your DG has found a job! Hopefully he will be able to find a better paying one soon again. But being able to work again must be a huge relieve for the whole family!

My sister will be visiting this weekend, so I am not sure how good my eating is going to be... But we are planning to hit the running store to buy new shoes for me and her first pair of running shoes ever. She recently started to mix in some running into her walks and she seems to enjoy it.

Had a good run yesterday (even though I did not want to go out at all...), less than a week until my 6k. I have decided that I will be happy if I can maintain a 7 min/km pace for the whole race, so am hoping for a time under 46 minutes. The race offers automatic finisher photos and if it is not too horrible, I might treat you to mine!! I even mentioned to my sister that next spring we maybe could run the Avon womens run 5k in Berlin (where she lives) together, that was my first ever race in 2009. That would be fun to have an event in the spring to keep in training for in the winter. Maybe I really will try to get into that running group as that would be a good solution to the problem of not liking to run alone through a dark park. Not that my city is dangerous, it would be very unlikely for something to happen, but I would still be uncomfortable. And then there is also the issue, what if I fall and injure myself on a cold dark winter evening in the park...

Hope everyone has a great start into a healthy weekend!!

 

[pjlla]

Good morning all!

A friendly reminder that today is the last regular weigh in day of the challenge!

I do not have a single PM in my box this morning.

I will try to remember soon!!!


Great question, Pamela! I think #3 is the most important question to ask yourself. If it is something that is truly splurge worthy -- like something you can only get at WDW or Mom's special Thanksgiving dessert -- then it is worth going for it. But say a donut at work or a plain old chocolate chip cookie? Save those calories for something else. That is one of the nice things about WW -- you have those weekly points to use to eat anything you want.

Your question goes with this little thought I will leave you with today from Weight Watchers that showed up in my FB feed:

AMEN!! I don't want to call it CHEATING every time I made the decision (not the impulse) to have something indulgent! It has taken me nearly every day of the past almost 7 years of this journey to continue to remember and learn to ask myself those questions when I am confronted with a temptation that I should or should NOT be eating. And it is frustrating when I decide AFTER eating it, that it was NOT splurge worthy!! So many things that I thought I'd always "want" to eat have fallen into the "not worthy" category over the past 7 years.... wine, most cocktails, any kind of storebought cookies/pastries, most muffins, most cakes/pies (other than my aunt's homemade lemon meringue that I only get 1-2 times a year), most candy (other than peanut butter M&Ms!), cold cereal and granola, fast food of pretty much any type, white bread, white potatoes, take-out pizza (most of the time ).... it's not that these things aren't still yummy... but they aren't delicious enough for me to have to make up for it with a calorie deficit later in the day/week/month. Believe me, I'm not trying to sounds super virtuous.... there are PLENTY of things out there that I consider definitely splurge worthy!!! Short list.... light beer, the OCCASIONAL margarita, movie popcorn, the aforementioned peanut butter M&Ms, cheesecake, my DMIL's homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (well.... just the dough!), the occasional gooey slice of Costco cheese pizza , Five Guys french fries........anyhow.... I've learned the hard way about what is WORTH the splurge and what is NOT!

Here I am! Up 1.6 from last Friday, but I'm actually feeling okay about it. last Friday's WI was right after a 9.5-mile run, and I felt like it was artificially low. And I'm still under my goal for September by a smidge, so every little bit extra is less I need to lose in October!

We also went out to a new Mexican place here last night (well, new to us - we just got a Chuy's!), and I ate soooo much. So I'm sure I have a bit of the salt leftover thing happening this morning.

We were celebrating because DH got a job offer!!! The official offer will come Monday. It's a good job - only about 2/3 what he was making, so yikes, but it's a steady, stable place, and he can keep his eyes open for something a little more exciting while he's working. It looks like he'll start right after Columbus Day weekend, so we're starting to think about finding him a car, and getting back into the routine of two of us working. SO RELIEVED. Things will still be tight for a while as we adjust to a lower income and make up for time lost while he was out of work, but this is such great news...I'm not scared/freaked/worried now.

XOXO
Liz

Huge congrats to your DH on upcoming job offer!!! Glad you can take a deep breath and RELAX for a bit!!

Pam, that is a great topic!!

I have started a strategy with regard to junk food that I find very helpful. I try to not just eat it on a whim. When I suddenly really want to have that treat, I try to take some time, think about it whether I really want it and need it. I guess this is the kind of reasoning that is described in your article. By just trying to pause for a moment and let my brain think about it for a little bit, I find that I can make better decisions. Of course it does not work all the time. But I find your article to be a good inspiration to build upon what I have already started!!

Thanks. When I dug it out I remembered why I kept it.... it is a really great way to REFLECT on that impulse eating we are all prone to!

Lisa - I ALWAYS hate my Friday weight. Hopefully I find one that looks better over the rest of the weekend. I know that I am trending downwards, I can see it and feel it with my clothes. But for whatever reason my body seems to retain a lot of water during the night. I can feel it in the morning and also have the "evidence" by how often I need to visit a certain room during during the first half of the day. At least my current highest weight on the scale would still be a loss from the start of the month.

Maybe tomorrow the scale will show an improvement!


My sister will be visiting this weekend, so I am not sure how good my eating is going to be... But we are planning to hit the running store to buy new shoes for me and her first pair of running shoes ever. She recently started to mix in some running into her walks and she seems to enjoy it.

Maybe you could try to break in the shoes with a short run or run/walk together! Hopefully that will inspire you to "stay the course" with your healthy eating this weekend!

Had a good run yesterday (even though I did not want to go out at all...), less than a week until my 6k. I have decided that I will be happy if I can maintain a 7 min/km pace for the whole race, so am hoping for a time under 46 minutes. The race offers automatic finisher photos and if it is not too horrible, I might treat you to mine!! I even mentioned to my sister that next spring we maybe could run the Avon womens run 5k in Berlin (where she lives) together, that was my first ever race in 2009. That would be fun to have an event in the spring to keep in training for in the winter. Maybe I really will try to get into that running group as that would be a good solution to the problem of not liking to run alone through a dark park. Not that my city is dangerous, it would be very unlikely for something to happen, but I would still be uncomfortable. And then there is also the issue, what if I fall and injure myself on a cold dark winter evening in the park...

Hope everyone has a great start into a healthy weekend!!

Have a wonderful weekend with your sister! And stay SAFE when you run!!

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

Evening all!! I was the gym teacher today, so at least I got some extra movement in.... and I got to go to school in comfy yoga pants!!

Came home and prepped a bunch of veggies to make egg pies for dinner.... until I discovered we are nearly out of milk and the egg pies take a few cups. So quick change of plans and pulled out a frozen meatloaf and roasted up some carrots. And I have TOMORROW's egg pie veggies all prepped now, right??

Not exactly sure what is up for the weekend. I was going to take DS to Massachusetts for a farm event that was offering archery lessons and skills, but DH's oldest brother who lives about an hour north of us called and asked if DH and DS could come up and help him get his dock out of the lake. So they will probably go do that, but I'm not sure I'll go along. And that just leaves Sunday for DH to sealcoat the driveway.... something he's been trying to get to all summer! And this will be, without a doubt, the last warm weekend to get it done. Of course, there is always plenty of yard work, house work, and laundry to keep me busy here!

Off to check on the defrosting meatloaf.... and I'm making a huge pot of vegetable stock for the freezer, so need to see if that has started to simmer yet! Not sure I will pop on again tonight, as it is the season premiere of Amazing Race, so I'll probably snuggle in and watch it with my men! So TTY tomorrow!......................P

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I'm here. Just another drive by post.
I'm hanging in there. Life is just one big road trip right now though, it's been stressful.

Hope to be back 100% in October. I start my official 1/2 training and I have 5 virtual races to do too. Those I will incorporate into my training though

 

[pjlla]

I'm here. Just another drive by post.
I'm hanging in there. Life is just one big road trip right now though, it's been stressful.

Hope to be back 100% in October. I start my official 1/2 training and I have 5 virtual races to do too. Those I will incorporate into my training though

We are just happy to hear from you! I'm sure with every kid going in 100 different directions that you are super busy! Hope DH is doing well with the job. Can't wait to hear more from you and hear about your training!

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

Morning friends! Nice to have a bit of a lazy start to the day. I slept until 6:45, which is just fine with me! Then I spent some time reading and now the coffee is brewing! DH is up and DS is stirring and they both need to get going out the door in the next hour.... but my day is my own! Of course, that will mean a trip to the grocery store, so I want to find a few new recipes to try next week. I think I'll start by searching my "haven't tried yet" binder.... a binder full of recipes that I've saved, copied, torn out of magazines, or printed from the internet but never tried. No sense in saving them if I don't plan to try them! I usually pass a few recipes around the family to get a general sense of 'yea or nay' before going to the effort of making something.

I also need to hit the hardware store and buy some polyurethane for my decoupage project (after I check the basement to be sure we don't have any on hand).

So it seems like my afternoon will be spent putting away groceries, cooking, and slathering a coat of poly on my project.... but I definitely want to get OUTSIDE, since it is supposed to be in the 80's today!

Hope you all have a great weekend. And remember to send your final weight for October into Lisa! I'm off to do that now!...............P

 

[lisah0711]

Here I am! Up 1.6 from last Friday, but I'm actually feeling okay about it. last Friday's WI was right after a 9.5-mile run, and I felt like it was artificially low. And I'm still under my goal for September by a smidge, so every little bit extra is less I need to lose in October!

We also went out to a new Mexican place here last night (well, new to us - we just got a Chuy's!), and I ate soooo much. So I'm sure I have a bit of the salt leftover thing happening this morning.

We were celebrating because DH got a job offer!!! The official offer will come Monday. It's a good job - only about 2/3 what he was making, so yikes, but it's a steady, stable place, and he can keep his eyes open for something a little more exciting while he's working. It looks like he'll start right after Columbus Day weekend, so we're starting to think about finding him a car, and getting back into the routine of two of us working. SO RELIEVED. Things will still be tight for a while as we adjust to a lower income and make up for time lost while he was out of work, but this is such great news...I'm not scared/freaked/worried now.

XOXO
Liz

Sorry about the gain, Liz. I'm sure it will disappear just as quickly as it appeared. Congratulations to your DH on his job offer! I know it is a huge relief for you.

Pam, that is a great topic!!

I have started a strategy with regard to junk food that I find very helpful. I try to not just eat it on a whim. When I suddenly really want to have that treat, I try to take some time, think about it whether I really want it and need it. I guess this is the kind of reasoning that is described in your article. By just trying to pause for a moment and let my brain think about it for a little bit, I find that I can make better decisions. Of course it does not work all the time. But I find your article to be a good inspiration to build upon what I have already started!!

Lisa - I ALWAYS hate my Friday weight. Hopefully I find one that looks better over the rest of the weekend. I know that I am trending downwards, I can see it and feel it with my clothes. But for whatever reason my body seems to retain a lot of water during the night. I can feel it in the morning and also have the "evidence" by how often I need to visit a certain room during during the first half of the day. At least my current highest weight on the scale would still be a loss from the start of the month.

Liz, so great to hear that your DG has found a job! Hopefully he will be able to find a better paying one soon again. But being able to work again must be a huge relieve for the whole family!

My sister will be visiting this weekend, so I am not sure how good my eating is going to be... But we are planning to hit the running store to buy new shoes for me and her first pair of running shoes ever. She recently started to mix in some running into her walks and she seems to enjoy it.

Had a good run yesterday (even though I did not want to go out at all...), less than a week until my 6k. I have decided that I will be happy if I can maintain a 7 min/km pace for the whole race, so am hoping for a time under 46 minutes. The race offers automatic finisher photos and if it is not too horrible, I might treat you to mine!! I even mentioned to my sister that next spring we maybe could run the Avon womens run 5k in Berlin (where she lives) together, that was my first ever race in 2009. That would be fun to have an event in the spring to keep in training for in the winter. Maybe I really will try to get into that running group as that would be a good solution to the problem of not liking to run alone through a dark park. Not that my city is dangerous, it would be very unlikely for something to happen, but I would still be uncomfortable. And then there is also the issue, what if I fall and injure myself on a cold dark winter evening in the park...

Hope everyone has a great start into a healthy weekend!!

Love your strategy on the junk food! Sometimes you just need those few minutes to save yourself from eating something that isn't that great.

on a great run, Magdalene! You are going to rock your race for sure. It is fun to run with a group, especially when the weather isn't so hot -- misery loves company. LOL. Do you have a good case for your phone? I have an Otterbox case for my iPhone. Yes, it makes my phone big and bulky but it's been dropped a bazillion times and no problems whatsoever. Just a thought! It would be fun to do a run with your sister. Can't wait to hear what kind of shoes you buy.

You are not the only person who does not like their weight on weigh in day. Nothing will make me pick up a couple of mystery pounds faster than a step on the old WW scale.

AMEN!! I don't want to call it CHEATING every time I made the decision (not the impulse) to have something indulgent! It has taken me nearly every day of the past almost 7 years of this journey to continue to remember and learn to ask myself those questions when I am confronted with a temptation that I should or should NOT be eating. And it is frustrating when I decide AFTER eating it, that it was NOT splurge worthy!! So many things that I thought I'd always "want" to eat have fallen into the "not worthy" category over the past 7 years.... wine, most cocktails, any kind of storebought cookies/pastries, most muffins, most cakes/pies (other than my aunt's homemade lemon meringue that I only get 1-2 times a year), most candy (other than peanut butter M&Ms!), cold cereal and granola, fast food of pretty much any type, white bread, white potatoes, take-out pizza (most of the time ).... it's not that these things aren't still yummy... but they aren't delicious enough for me to have to make up for it with a calorie deficit later in the day/week/month. Believe me, I'm not trying to sounds super virtuous.... there are PLENTY of things out there that I consider definitely splurge worthy!!! Short list.... light beer, the OCCASIONAL margarita, movie popcorn, the aforementioned peanut butter M&Ms, cheesecake, my DMIL's homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (well.... just the dough!), the occasional gooey slice of Costco cheese pizza , Five Guys french fries........anyhow.... I've learned the hard way about what is WORTH the splurge and what is NOT!

Huge congrats to your DH on upcoming job offer!!! Glad you can take a deep breath and RELAX for a bit!!

Have a wonderful weekend with your sister! And stay SAFE when you run!!

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

Evening all!! I was the gym teacher today, so at least I got some extra movement in.... and I got to go to school in comfy yoga pants!!

Came home and prepped a bunch of veggies to make egg pies for dinner.... until I discovered we are nearly out of milk and the egg pies take a few cups. So quick change of plans and pulled out a frozen meatloaf and roasted up some carrots. And I have TOMORROW's egg pie veggies all prepped now, right??

Not exactly sure what is up for the weekend. I was going to take DS to Massachusetts for a farm event that was offering archery lessons and skills, but DH's oldest brother who lives about an hour north of us called and asked if DH and DS could come up and help him get his dock out of the lake. So they will probably go do that, but I'm not sure I'll go along. And that just leaves Sunday for DH to sealcoat the driveway.... something he's been trying to get to all summer! And this will be, without a doubt, the last warm weekend to get it done. Of course, there is always plenty of yard work, house work, and laundry to keep me busy here!

Off to check on the defrosting meatloaf.... and I'm making a huge pot of vegetable stock for the freezer, so need to see if that has started to simmer yet! Not sure I will pop on again tonight, as it is the season premiere of Amazing Race, so I'll probably snuggle in and watch it with my men! So TTY tomorrow!......................P

Good strategy for knowing what splurge is worth it and what can be passed up to save for something really good!

Nice to have all the cooking done for the week-end and a day to yourself, Pamela. I'm very intrigued by your decoupage project.

I'm here. Just another drive by post.
I'm hanging in there. Life is just one big road trip right now though, it's been stressful.

Hope to be back 100% in October. I start my official 1/2 training and I have 5 virtual races to do too. Those I will incorporate into my training though

Buffy! Thanks for stopping by! Sorry that times are so busy for you right now. You are going to rock your Princess training for sure. Virtual races are fun because you always get a medal. I have a really cool Dr. Who medal I got for a virtual run around the time of the 50th Anniversary show. I would like to hear more about your virtual races, too.

I have one WI so far for the week-end. I'll take them all week-end and through the 30th, of course, but I think that the writing is on the wall that the days of the WATP are drawing to a close. This format isn't working as well as it used to and I think the challenge has run its course. I'm going to try something totally new for the last month of the challenge in October to see if we can't go out with a bang instead of a whimper. Stay tuned!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Congrats on the job find Liz!!

I kept meaning to come back and see how things were going. DH did send your DHs resume up the line but he's been buried in a crisis with another company for 2 weeks. I haven't seen him in almost that long.

So I managed to lose some weight this week. I really need to scale back my starbucks visits. I've only been twice in the last 2 weeks and it think that's why there has been major improvement on the scale.