WISH Challenge Delight in December Chat Thread!

[SarahDisney]

Welcome to the Delight in December WISH challenge thread! For those of you who are new to the thread – this is a place for us to chat about weight loss, healthy eating, exercise, and anything else that comes up on our healthy journey. In the past we’ve done some challenges, but for now we’re just chatting and trying to help each other stay on track!

As it says in the classic song “Let it Snow,” ”The weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful!” For many of us, December brings cold weather, major holidays, and time sitting around the fire … it’s easy to get off track with our exercise and weight loss goals!

As Elsa says, you just have to “Let it Go” – because ”The cold never bothered me anyway.” You can do lots of exercising indoors (or even in the cold if you bundle up), and there are lots of healthy winter comfort foods to get you through the holiday season!

Together let’s turn our “Let it Snow” into “Let It Go” – don’t let cold weather and holiday food stop you from having a Delightful December!

Check in here and chat with us – whether you’re struggling, just had a major accomplishment, or things are the same as always, we want to hear about it! Feel free to share everything – struggles, accomplishments, advice, recipes, motivation. We want to hear it all!

I’ll try to post a motivation, exercise tip, or recipe at least once a week … and I encourage everyone to share anything they think the group can benefit from. I'm going to make a separate post with an index of all of the recipes, tips, and motivation shared by everyone - so check that out!
Mostly we’re just chatting – no formal challenges this month, just a way to check in and stay accountable, and a place to ask for help and advice (and support!) when you need it.

To all of our “old hands” and “newbies,” please feel free to introduce yourself and start chatting. I’m looking forward to a great month of chatting and hopefully everyone staying accountable and staying on track.

Let the chatting begin!

 

[SarahDisney]

**LINKS**

Motivation:
Never put off to tomorrow ...
Remember how far you've come ... (posted by pjlla)
Focus on successes ...
If You Eat What You've Always Eaten ...
It's not how you start ... Finish Strong!

 

[SarahDisney]

Hello everyone!

For those of you who don't know me, I'm Sarah, and I'll be your not-so-fearless hostess this month.

I've never hosted one of these before, so ... whatever. I'm hoping we can all come here and chat, share information, and hopefully work towards our goals together.

Anyway ... I'm writing this while watching a TV show that really needs my attention, so ... I'll stop here. I hope to see everyone here chatting tomorrow!

 

[SarahDisney]

Here's a nice quote to start off the month ...

I think this works really well for December - especially if you replace the "today" with "this month" and "tomorrow" with "next month." So many people wait until January to try to be healthier - but why wait? Do something good for you today. Your body will thank you.

I'll be back to chat a little later ...

 

[pjlla]

Sarah.... thank you so much for starting the December chat thread! I was scrambling to get on here this morning because I couldn't remember if any one else had volunteered to host for December. Between the holiday, being away and being without power for multiple days, I was all out of whack!!

I'm going to go catch up with the chatter from the end of November and then I'll officially make my move here!!! Thanks again!............P

 

[pjlla]

Okay..... I've packed my bag and officially made the move to the December thread!!! Hopefully everyone will join us here!

I'm at work M-W this week at school, subbing for the computer teacher, so at least I know I'll have some computer access to chat when I am free!!

I'll be back later to see how every one is doing!................P

 

[Zoesmama03]

So much for that fast moving November. Ready to make December successful.


Making some plans for the week for both food and walking. Gotta step that second part up a notch for sure. We took a 40 minute walk the other night it was brisk but comfortable in 60s. Thankful we don't get super cold like so many of you. It's great weather for walking. So dd and I will increase the walking and keep it consistent.

 

[donac]

I just found you guys. I am sitting and waiting for the first run through of a show I costumed. Don't have much power so I will be back tomorrow.

 

[pjlla]

So much for that fast moving November. Ready to make December successful.

Making some plans for the week for both food and walking. Gotta step that second part up a notch for sure. We took a 40 minute walk the other night it was brisk but comfortable in 60s. Thankful we don't get super cold like so many of you. It's great weather for walking. So dd and I will increase the walking and keep it consistent.

I agree with bumping up the exercise notch! I've been bad about that! Instead of walking during my break yesterday I did some online shopping.... so while I did accomplish something (Christmas shopping), I did NOT do as I intended (even remembered my sneakers!).

I just found you guys. I am sitting and waiting for the first run through of a show I costumed. Don't have much power so I will be back tomorrow.

I'd LOVE to see pictures of some of your costumes and quilts if you would ever care to share. Glad you found us here in December!

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

Morning all! I am back at work here for the computer teacher, so I have some online time again today!!

Last night I put the pedal down when I got home and banged out a big pot of vegetable soup to pack for my lunches for a few days, plus a batch of butternut squash for soup later in the week. Plus I got the laundry mostly caught up. I didn't stop moving until about 8:30 pm, but that's okay.... it will make the rest of the week easier.

As I said above, yesterday's walk did not happen and I have no one to blame but myself.... can't even use the weather as an excuse, as it was a pretty mild day for December in NH. I'll try to do better today, but it is MUCH colder out today and I forgot to bring a short fleece coat for walking.... I just brought my long suede coat for recess duty. I know.... just an excuse!

That being said, I am really feeling totally DETERMINED to make December a good one and end the year in a good place, both on the scale and mentally. Anyone else feeling like that???

I brought a small holiday project to work on while I have some short breaks between classes, etc here today, so off to start that! TTYL................P

 

[SarahDisney]

So much for that fast moving November. Ready to make December successful.


Making some plans for the week for both food and walking. Gotta step that second part up a notch for sure. We took a 40 minute walk the other night it was brisk but comfortable in 60s. Thankful we don't get super cold like so many of you. It's great weather for walking. So dd and I will increase the walking and keep it consistent.

Stepping up walking is a great idea - and I know you can do it! And I love that you're talking walks with your DD - it encourages her to get in more exercise!

I just found you guys. I am sitting and waiting for the first run through of a show I costumed. Don't have much power so I will be back tomorrow.

Hi!
I hope the run through went well!

I agree with bumping up the exercise notch! I've been bad about that! Instead of walking during my break yesterday I did some online shopping.... so while I did accomplish something (Christmas shopping), I did NOT do as I intended (even remembered my sneakers!).



I'd LOVE to see pictures of some of your costumes and quilts if you would ever care to share. Glad you found us here in December!

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

Morning all! I am back at work here for the computer teacher, so I have some online time again today!!

Last night I put the pedal down when I got home and banged out a big pot of vegetable soup to pack for my lunches for a few days, plus a batch of butternut squash for soup later in the week. Plus I got the laundry mostly caught up. I didn't stop moving until about 8:30 pm, but that's okay.... it will make the rest of the week easier.

Two kinds of soup ... yum!

As I said above, yesterday's walk did not happen and I have no one to blame but myself.... can't even use the weather as an excuse, as it was a pretty mild day for December in NH. I'll try to do better today, but it is MUCH colder out today and I forgot to bring a short fleece coat for walking.... I just brought my long suede coat for recess duty. I know.... just an excuse!

You can walk in your long suede coat ... it's a little harder, but should be doable. Don't let one coat derail you!

That being said, I am really feeling totally DETERMINED to make December a good one and end the year in a good place, both on the scale and mentally. Anyone else feeling like that???

I brought a small holiday project to work on while I have some short breaks between classes, etc here today, so off to start that! TTYL................P

I am with you! I'm determined to have a delightful December with very few disappointments! (how's that for alliteration?)

------

I woke up very tired yesterday, so I decided to sleep in today and hopefully wake up more refreshed. It worked a little, but now I'm frustrated that it's so late and I haven't gotten anything done. You really can't win sometimes...

I haven't eaten breakfast yet - I got caught up in something and I got distracted. Plus, I'm not really too hungry ... but I know I should eat something or I'll end up overeating later.

I have a night class tonight, so I have to figure out what's for dinner. Previous semesters I've just gone to my favorite coffee place and gotten a latte and bagel, sandwich, or cookie ... but I'm trying to do better this semester (yesterday I had a latte before class, but that was my only coffee for the day, and I brought PB&J for dinner). I tend to eat my dinner on the bus on the way home ... so it needs to be portable, easy to eat, and okay being stored and eaten at room temperature (sandwiches are perfect, but I tend to get sick of them easily).

Not much else on the schedule for me. I'll get some walking in walking to/from school, but I ran yesterday (3.2 miles!), so I scheduled today as a rest day.

Anyway ... I should probably have some breakfast, right? (although by now it's probably brunch)
Have a great day, everyone!

 

[pjlla]

Good morning friends!!! Waking up to icy road conditions and a TWO HOUR SCHOOL DELAY this morning!! (well.... woohoo for the delay, but not for the road conditions.)

I of COURSE, frittered away the extra two hours on silly stuff like laundry and Pinterest! And I did some brainstorming of a few Christmas things to make (I know.... not much time left for crafting!!).

I will have short classes today at school.... not sure about my recess duty and such.

Last night's WW meeting was a good time to reflect on the T.giving holiday and the eating that was involved. How do YOU feel about your Thanksgiving? Empowered? Bloated? Successful?? Why do you feel that way? What can you do in the future to feel better (if you feel negatively)?

I had mixed feelings about the weekend. I did really well at both meals, but feel into the lure of the desserts (which is a bit unusual as I am not really a big sweets person) and I did NOT get the amount of exercise I had planned (between the snowstorm and the super cold weather). But it wasn't a total disaster, I did NOT let the weekend be about the food, but rather about visiting and talking and enjoying my family. And once the two days of "Thanksgiving" were over, I was back on plan and I may even show a loss this week!!

Off to grab a protein from the freezer for tonight's dinner and then to get dressed! Woohoo for a short work day but FULL PAY!! ............P

 

[pjlla]

Hey! Where is everyone? Hope you are all just staying busy with post T.giving and upcoming Christmas stuff!

My afternoon just got a bit busier. DS doesn't need to be picked up until 4:30 so I have decided to dash into town when I leave here at 3pm (or so) to grab a few things that I need. If I hurry, I should be able to get there, buy what I need, and get back to the school on time. And then, of course, he needs to be BACK at school for 6:45.... so not sure what is going to happen with dinner.

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

 

[SarahDisney]

Pretty quiet around here . . . I hope everyone is busy with good stuff!

Pamela - yay for a late start ... and pinterest really is an easy way to kill time.

My Thanksgiving weekend wasn't great ... I wasn't paying attention to what I ate and didn't really exercise much. Oh well, at least my December is going better!

It's been a busy few days for me ... I barely got any time away from the computer today, and I didn't even finish my coffee until almost 5 PM! Made it hard for me to get my 8 glasses of water in, but I managed.
Yesterday I was tempted to stop for coffee and a cookie on my way home from school (I had 20 minutes to kill until my bus), but decided not to - so that was good.

Tomorrow morning I've got a walk/run scheduled ... but it's going to be cold! I just have to bundle up and hope I don't freeze - I've done it before
I should probably start thing about what I want for breakfast ... I've been pretty bad with my meal planning this week, and while I have still had mostly decent meals, some of my meals were not so great (like the morning when I had no idea what to have for breakfast ... so I just grabbed a fat-loaded muffin that I didn't really want). I have a hard time planning meals sometimes because I don't always know what I have in the house, and I'm afraid to get too complicated with cooking.
Anyone have some go-to meals that are easy to make that they want to share?

Anyway ... it's after 11 and I've been having trouble waking up all week, so I should probably get to sleep. I hope everyone's having a great week!

 

[Zoesmama03]

Took two walks today in the neighborhood. If the weather cooperates we will take a couple tomorrow as well at the park. We will experience school in the park.


My brother and dd will probably do some fishing too but I think I'll walk some extra and then maybe enjoy some relaxing by the lake(more like large pond).

 

[donac]

Crazy week here too. Last night was the final dress rehearsal for the local high school's show. the kids looked great. Just a couple of minor things to take care of tonight before the show.

I am hoping to get our tree up this weekend and the dog needs a hair cut. Maybe with the dog getting a hair cut every two months it will remind me to get one too.

I had to spend some time yesterday at the phone store. I am getting a replacement phone since yesterday it shut down three times. They think it is a battery problem. I am also waiting on a photo book I made my husband about our trip to Alaska. I can't wait to see it. It has 240 pictures in it. Then I have to start thinking about getting Christmas settled. Luckily by Sunday evening the show will be over and I can just deal with things that need to be done for Christmas.

Have a happy and healthy day.

 

[pjlla]

Morning all and Happy Thursday! I literally have one minute to say hello before I must dash, so no time for chatting or replies, but I will say it makes my heart happy to see a few others have taken the time to come and chat with us! It was starting to get a bit lonely!

I'm working today but I don't know what class, so no idea about possible computer access, so I will assume none. With that said, I'll talk to you all later today! Make it a GREAT DAY!....................P

 

[pjlla]

Pretty quiet around here . . . I hope everyone is busy with good stuff!

Pamela - yay for a late start ... and pinterest really is an easy way to kill time.

My Thanksgiving weekend wasn't great ... I wasn't paying attention to what I ate and didn't really exercise much. Oh well, at least my December is going better!

It is so easy to fall into that trap over Thanksgiving..... there is food everywhere and sometimes it is in your mouth before you even realize it!!

It's been a busy few days for me ... I barely got any time away from the computer today, and I didn't even finish my coffee until almost 5 PM! Made it hard for me to get my 8 glasses of water in, but I managed.
Yesterday I was tempted to stop for coffee and a cookie on my way home from school (I had 20 minutes to kill until my bus), but decided not to - so that was good.

Good job skipping the coffee and cookie. Perhaps it is something you could plan for another day and work it into your calories for the day??

Tomorrow morning I've got a walk/run scheduled ... but it's going to be cold! I just have to bundle up and hope I don't freeze - I've done it before
I should probably start thing about what I want for breakfast ... I've been pretty bad with my meal planning this week, and while I have still had mostly decent meals, some of my meals were not so great (like the morning when I had no idea what to have for breakfast ... so I just grabbed a fat-loaded muffin that I didn't really want). I have a hard time planning meals sometimes because I don't always know what I have in the house, and I'm afraid to get too complicated with cooking.
Anyone have some go-to meals that are easy to make that they want to share?

Anyway ... it's after 11 and I've been having trouble waking up all week, so I should probably get to sleep. I hope everyone's having a great week!

I have some super easy go-to meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that I can share later today.

Hope you slept well!

Took two walks today in the neighborhood. If the weather cooperates we will take a couple tomorrow as well at the park. We will experience school in the park.


My brother and dd will probably do some fishing too but I think I'll walk some extra and then maybe enjoy some relaxing by the lake(more like large pond).

Great job on TWO walks!! That is wonderful! And school in the park sounds like a lot of fun!!

Crazy week here too. Last night was the final dress rehearsal for the local high school's show. the kids looked great. Just a couple of minor things to take care of tonight before the show.

I am hoping to get our tree up this weekend and the dog needs a hair cut. Maybe with the dog getting a hair cut every two months it will remind me to get one too.

I had to spend some time yesterday at the phone store. I am getting a replacement phone since yesterday it shut down three times. They think it is a battery problem. I am also waiting on a photo book I made my husband about our trip to Alaska. I can't wait to see it. It has 240 pictures in it. Then I have to start thinking about getting Christmas settled. Luckily by Sunday evening the show will be over and I can just deal with things that need to be done for Christmas.

Have a happy and healthy day.

Good luck on opening night! I'm sure the costumes are terrific!

Sorry about the phone issues... what a pain in the butt! The photo book will be beautiful, I'm sure.

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

Afternoon all!! Slightly crazy day here at school, but it is nearly over. I am not planning to go to tonight's robotics meeting unless there is something on the meeting agenda that pertains to me, like fundraising. I don't need to spend 3+ hours of my evening driving/riding and sitting while the kids talk about programming and welding!!

I am planning a Christmas shopping day tomorrow, assuming I don't get called to work (but I will work if they need me). I have a bunch of coupons to sort out and need to get a final wish list from the kids. I've done pretty well on my shopping already and done a ton of online shopping. But now I need to take inventory of what I've bought and what I still need. My nephews are always the hardest to buy for and I have nothing for them yet, of course.

I made sure to get some extra steps in while I was here today..... I volunteered to escort people around, hand-carry phone messages to different wings, etc. Wish I had worn my pedometer today!

Off to get my kids ready for the end of the day!..................P

 

[pjlla]

Evening all! I am enjoying the most DELICIOUS butternut squash soup ... if I may say so myself! I shared the recipe earlier this year on the healthy recipes thread if anyone is interested. I added more squash and more apple this time plus a carrot.... so yummy and LIGHT (in calories) but super filling, warm, and creamy!! It feels so decadent to eat a HUGE portion of this, but it isn't really a calorie splurge because it is 99% 0 PPV veggies!

Anyhoooo..... dinner is made, applesauce for DS is simmering and the men are off to robotics. So I must get CLEANING! I told myself I could splurge on a few minutes of computer time and then I must get moving!!

I was hoping to see a few more folks over here chatting....oh well. TTYL..............P

 

[Zoesmama03]

Walked our booties off today. 1 1/2 miles in one stretch at the park. Then rested a bit while my brother fished. DD and I had to go visit the little girls room so we walked over a half round trip back to the bathroom at the park. And then we did another walk near a mile in the neighborhood after dinner. We will see if we are ready for more walking tomorrow. It's a little drive to the park but was a nice day once the rain let up so we made an afternoon of it since the rain stopped long enough.

DD throwing the leaves. We don't have too many trees in the area that make these beautiful fall colors. At least not in my daily life.

 

[SarahDisney]

Just stopping by quickly ... I can't really type much (I cut my finger a little and have a band-aid on, which makes it hard to type).

I just wanted to share some nice news:
Official weigh-in today ... down 1.5 lbs from December 1st. Yay! I hope this is the beginning of a trend of moving in the right direction.

I hope everyone else is doing well!