WISHing Away the Pounds - 2015 Edition!! Everyone Welcome!

[WriteDisney]

Hi everyone! Is it too late to join?

I'm April, 29, from the Baltimore, MD area. I had a baby last March and I'm trying to get back into shape. I actually had complications with my pregnancy, and with lots of swelling I ended up gaining about 70 pounds. Eek!

But I've lost that 70 already (yay!) but definitely don't feel like I did before I had a baby. Plus, clothes still don't fit the way they used to. So, I'm trying to get healthy and fit this spring! I've been losing weight on my own for a while, but thought some support would be great!

My exercise goal is to be more consistent with workouts, and hopefully lose 5 pounds this month. I love running (I've done the disney marathon twice in the past!), but it hasn't been consistent since I had my baby girl. I used to run and workout early in the morning (and never, ever miss a workout!), but I can't get motivated to do it (not even the gym!). It actually would fit so much better with my new schedule with a baby (getting workouts done early in the morning before she gets up while DH sleeps). But I just can't get the routine going again!

Hoping to be motivated this spring to get back into healthy habits!

 

[Flossbolna]

Currently the treadmill is my favorite. I have been trying to lose weight for 10 years and I always sabatoge myself by getting ahead of myself really. I'd push myself and fail then give up. SO I am working on mastering the treadmill

Which really just means I am working on my pace since a Disney Run is a HUGE goal for me this seems to be working. It is giving me somethign specific to work towards.

In the past I have enjoyed Tae Bo and any dance cardio, I tend to enjoy hip hop the most. I am sure I look ridiculous though

So I sent my weight in and I am down 2 pounds

Seems like a great goal to just focus on mastering one thing at a time! And the treadmill can be a great way to get fit! I started running on one as well before I started to dare run outside!

A Disney Race is a great goal to motivat yourself!

Congratulations on losing 2 pounds, well done!

I'm currently on a minimum-10-minute-a-day exercise streak, so this week's healthy habit shouldn't be too hard - just adding an extra 10 minutes, which I do sometimes anyway.
Favorite type of exercise ... probably running. It used to be walking, but since I started running more regularly, I've really grown to love it!

Seems like you are already doing well with your exercise! And isn't it funny how running becomes addictive?

Apparently not the flu! Feeling much better today. My dr. increased one of my meds on Friday so I think maybe the "ick" I was feeling yesterday was due to that.

So I have the laundry almost done and I have vacuum jarred a Costco bag of romaine lettuce, cleaned and prepped celery for the week and made my eggs and some Wholesome Oat Muffins for the week.

DD14 and I are really trying to eat more wholesome foods-- not sure if clean eating is the right way to describe it? Less processed stuff, more things with fiber and healthier ingredients. So she wanted some better dessert options for school and found a recipe for low fat oatmeal choc. chip cookies and made those and they are really good. Hopefully much better than the Twinkies, zebra cakes and oreos she usually takes. Last week she made a batch of chili on Sunday and took that in a thermos all week for her lunch. Need to see what her plan is for this week.

Need to find my hand weights and the information I printed for my "desk workout" and get it ready for tomorrow. My biggest challenge will be getting from the front door to the computer lab without anyone stopping me to chat!

Happy to hear that you are feeling better!

And it is great that you and your daughter can work together in eating healthier! I have started to go into that direction about a year ago and find that I am just feeling so much better when I make sure to get plenty of fiber.

The Wholesome Oat Muffins sound delicious - do you have a recipe to share?

---

A great start into the new week to everyone!

I did go out for my run yesterday, ran for 10 minutes in the sunshine and was so happy about it. Then noticed some very dark clouds and another 5 minutes later the worst freakish snow storm started suddenly out of the blue. I had to fight against the wind and just ran home. By the time I got there, the snow storm was over, but it was still very windy and I was slightly damp and started to get very cold... Well, I still ran 25 minutes, so at least something! And enough for the healthy habit challenge.

I can also report that I did well with sticking to my meal plan yesterday. We will see how it will go for the rest of the week as it is always more difficult during work days. However, I am thinking that it will also make things easier as I won't have to think about what I am going to have for dinner, I just eat what is on the plan.

 

[Flossbolna]

Hi everyone! Is it too late to join?

I'm April, 29, from the Baltimore, MD area. I had a baby last March and I'm trying to get back into shape. I actually had complications with my pregnancy, and with lots of swelling I ended up gaining about 70 pounds. Eek!

But I've lost that 70 already (yay!) but definitely don't feel like I did before I had a baby. Plus, clothes still don't fit the way they used to. So, I'm trying to get healthy and fit this spring! I've been losing weight on my own for a while, but thought some support would be great!

My exercise goal is to be more consistent with workouts, and hopefully lose 5 pounds this month. I love running (I've done the disney marathon twice in the past!), but it hasn't been consistent since I had my baby girl. I used to run and workout early in the morning (and never, ever miss a workout!), but I can't get motivated to do it (not even the gym!). It actually would fit so much better with my new schedule with a baby (getting workouts done early in the morning before she gets up while DH sleeps). But I just can't get the routine going again!

Hoping to be motivated this spring to get back into healthy habits!

Welcome April!! It is never to late to join in! We are happy to have you!

Well done on losing the 70 pounds! That is quite an acchievement! I hope you can get to feeling more like yourself all around soon as well!

I am not at all a morning exercise person, so I am not sure how to help you to get motivated for an early morning exercise again. What were the reasons that you got you out of bed in the past and why are you now not getting out of bed? Maybe you are still getting too little sleep? Which I guess is always a problem with a baby. Is there another time during the day when you could fit in exercise? Have you thought of taking the baby with you on the run, I know quite a few people who run with the stroller.

Not sure if you want to take part in the weight loss challenge (seems like you already succeeded in that department). But if you want to take part, send me your start weight via PM and I will add you to the list. But you are welcome to just take part in the chats - and maybe the Healthy Habits weekly challenges. This week should be good for you: it is about exercise!

 

[Flossbolna]

Motivational Monday:

Do you have any story to share about getting up again after being knocked down?

My story is from last year. I went for a run on February 7th and stumbled over a piece of pavement. Had a huge wound on my knee (thanksfully nothing was broken). As soon as possible I went back to exercising. No way I would be running that soon again, I was kind of scared of it! But I got a new set of fitness DVDs and followed them.

 

[WriteDisney]

Welcome April!! It is never to late to join in! We are happy to have you! Well done on losing the 70 pounds! That is quite an acchievement! I hope you can get to feeling more like yourself all around soon as well! I am not at all a morning exercise person, so I am not sure how to help you to get motivated for an early morning exercise again. What were the reasons that you got you out of bed in the past and why are you now not getting out of bed? Maybe you are still getting too little sleep? Which I guess is always a problem with a baby. Is there another time during the day when you could fit in exercise? Have you thought of taking the baby with you on the run, I know quite a few people who run with the stroller. Not sure if you want to take part in the weight loss challenge (seems like you already succeeded in that department). But if you want to take part, send me your start weight via PM and I will add you to the list. But you are welcome to just take part in the chats - and maybe the Healthy Habits weekly challenges. This week should be good for you: it is about exercise!

Awesome! Thank you! I just PMed my start weight for this month. Yes, my schedule for the first few months was crazy, sometimes to bed super late, sometimes early (but then I'd still sleep late. I definitely need to get on a routine!

I was using a jogger but our weather has been very cold lately! This week my goal is to get up one day early for a run (starting the bar very low). That will probably be either Wednesday or Thursday.

I actually have night class two nights a week so I have time to hit the gym on those days. I've started doing hot yoga and I do that Saturdays! Feels good when it's only 7 degrees outside!

 

[Flossbolna]

Week 1 Results are in!

Flossbolna 26 %
CharityLynn 29 %
akhaloha 0 %
Mary Poppins ? %
SarahDisney 0 %
Tasha228 0 %
jillbur 25 %
GrandAdmiralStrife 0 %
dismom301930 0 %
ohMom 73 %
WriteDisney 0 %

Looks like a lot of pink to me and ohMom is currently far ahead of all of us!!

Congratulations to all the losers and a better week to all that are still at 0%!

Healthy Habit Week 1 Results are:

SarahDisney: 75%
Flossbolna: 100%

I think no one else reported their results, if you did and I missed you, please tell me and I will update the results!

 

[pjlla]

Hey all! Happy Monday! Sorry I don't have time to chat and do replies tonight. I just wanted to say a quick thank you for all of the words of encouragement and such for my worries about DD. Heard from her today (they are back in Panama City) and it sounds like the weekend was full of amazing adventures.... with many more adventures still to come this week!!

Not sure how many of you remember me asking for prayers for my DBIL last fall.... he was diagnosed with colon-rectal cancer and underwent 8+ weeks of chemo and radiation over the late fall. He had his surgery today and unfortunately they found that the cancer has spread to his prostate.... so more prayers, good thoughts, and pixie dust would be appreciated. He is a VERY YOUNG 55 years old with twin 10 year old girls.

Anyhow.... I'm feeling distracted with all of that (plus a trying day at school as a one-on-one) so I need some time to decompress tonight and as such I am stepping away from the computer for the rest of the night. TTY later.......P

 

[jillbur]

Hey Jill!!!

I am so excited for you! That sounds like a great job and you are still capable of making great changes with young children. My room was moved this year and I am in the middle of my kindergarten wing. It is a very happy place with a LOT going on. We have a lot of behavior issues in our kindergarten this year ... it has been very interesting. Maybe I will PM you for some suggestions!

How does you DS feel about you being in his school with him?

My boys are great. One at PSU and the other at IUP. Both are doing well (knock on wood). My youngest is now a freshman. Time flies. I really want it to stop.

WELL .... my biggest loser friends. I did really well this week in spite of everything. My mom broke her arm and I am the only child close enough to help her out. I have spent a lot of time at her house this week.

My husband is going to have surgery this Wednesday. This has been scheduled for a while. So ... I will not be on her much. But I am determined to put my weight in weekly. After my life slows down (I don't know when that may happen ... sigh) I will catch up on her.

Stay warm, safe and happy!

Fran

DSs actually like having me in their school! I don't see them too much, but I'm so glad I get to be around as this is my 6th grader's last year there.

Wow...your boys are growing up too fast, too!

I hope your mom heals quickly and DH's surgery goes well. We will be thinking of you and make sure to take some time for you

Hey all! Happy Monday! Sorry I don't have time to chat and do replies tonight. I just wanted to say a quick thank you for all of the words of encouragement and such for my worries about DD. Heard from her today (they are back in Panama City) and it sounds like the weekend was full of amazing adventures.... with many more adventures still to come this week!!

Not sure how many of you remember me asking for prayers for my DBIL last fall.... he was diagnosed with colon-rectal cancer and underwent 8+ weeks of chemo and radiation over the late fall. He had his surgery today and unfortunately they found that the cancer has spread to his prostate.... so more prayers, good thoughts, and pixie dust would be appreciated. He is a VERY YOUNG 55 years old with twin 10 year old girls.

Anyhow.... I'm feeling distracted with all of that (plus a trying day at school as a one-on-one) so I need some time to decompress tonight and as such I am stepping away from the computer for the rest of the night. TTY later.......P

Oh no I'm so sorry about your BIL. It's just not fair, that stupid, stupid cancer! I will definitely keep your family in my thoughts and prayers.


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

So, I ate like crap this weekend But, I'm owning it and moving on.

We had a 2 hour delay because of snow and ice today, so I thought I would be a super star and hop on the elliptical before work. Well, that's fine and dandy, but I don't work out in the mornings except summer. So, I was STARVING all day!! I ate a nice healthy breakfast and lunch, but was soooooo hungry. A snack size Heath bar may have been victimized after work!

Cold winter days drive me crazy because when it is -4 out (doesn't even really matter that wind chill was -15) I just want warm, comfort food. At least today was 30! We walked outside this morning and DSs both said it felt like a heat wave

So, not my best day, but I am going to log my food and possibly try to get another workout in tonight to help out. I really need to add some strength training back into my life.

I am thinking I need to sign up for a race to motivate myself and get a schedule that I have to keep. I'm thinking Flying Pig half on May 3 in Cincinnati. I will definitely decide by Saturday. I will probably sign up for The Biggest Loser half in Erie in June again. It's a fun race and super flat this year

Well, I see I'm rambling on and on again. I'll be back soon!

Jill

 

[SarahDisney]

Hey all!

Just a quick drop in for me.
The good news is, even though rain stopped me from running outdoors today, I decided to take advantage of the fact that I was in workout clothes and hopped on the treadmill. So today's 20 minutes of exercise were done before breakfast. I'm hoping to get out for the run tomorrow, even though it will be very cold.
The bad news is I've been eating non-stop. I've been pretty good at tracking meals and morning/afternoon snacks, but after dinner I keep eating and stop tracking. It's a habit I know I have to break, but I'm having a really hard time with it. Apparently just saying "I shouldn't do this" isn't good enough. Who knew?

Anyway, I have to get back to finishing up a few things so that I can get to bed early tonight. I hope everyone is having a good week so far!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Drive by.
I still need to pm my weight and my teensy loss.
Ramping up my 1/2 training, 4 Friday's to go!!!
Eating at home all the time now, we have limited ourselves to 1 dinner out a month and one breakfast out a month.
Trying to make the right choices when it comes to food. It's so darn hard when you have a sweet tooth. And if I don't eat sweets I crave carbs! I need to figure out how to curb that.

I also signed up on a four person team to do 2015 miles in 2015 to help keep me motivated after the 1/2 is over. My portion is at least 503.75 miles, and I'm currently at 18.63, which is just ahead of target. Now I just need to find races and virtual races to keep me going.

Anyway, that's about all for now. I'm determined to have lights out at 11 so I have 17 minutes to go.
I'll try to pop in tomorrow!

 

[pjlla]

Healthy Habit Week 2:

This week we will have an exercise challenge! Since I am posting this on Saturday, we will count the week from today including next Friday. Your challenge is to have 5 days of 20 minutes of dedicated exercise! So 5/7 will get you a perfect score! It does not have to be all in one, you could do 5 minute lunges during lunch break and then go for a 15 minute walk in the evening. Good luck!!

Fitness Friday:

In order to get you all started on the exercise and maybe to get you new ideas on what to do, I think this weekend's question will be: What is your favourite type of exercise?

Ick.... it's "exercise week"!! My answer would have to be walking/intervals WITH A FRIEND!

Taking a sick day today. Haven't done anything all day and don't feel too great so told DH I am counting it as a personal sick day! More sinus congestion than usual (I have year round allergies so am always congested), nauseous, and feeling tired and rundown. I figure I will either wake up feeling fine tomorrow or this is the first day of the creeping crud/flu that everyone else at school has had.

So I have been surfing the net for healthy recipes a lot of the day. Pinned some crock pot recipes I want to try. Pretty much stayed on plan eating today because I don't have the energy to cheat!

So, exercise is the healthy habit this week. As some of you know, I don't exercise. I hate exercise. I don't like to sweat. At. All. I do like to swim but no option for that. And to compound things I have mobility challenges that limit my options. BUT as part of my New Year, New Me Resolutions I decided I need to do SOMETHING.

So here is my plan (explained in my usual long winded way!):

They (no idea who "they" is) say you need to find just 15 -20 minutes in your day to do something-- anything. I am NOT a morning person. NOT going to get up at zero dark thirty to do something I hate more than mornings (exercise). By the time I get home from work I am done. My body is in pain and I am exhausted. I power through my disabilities at work but I give everything I have and have no more in me when I get home.

BUT

I drop DD off at school by 7:10 at the latest. I start work at 7:30 in the same building. I have 20 minutes where I have nothing to do. Usually I just go to my office and make my coffee and socialize and generally just start work early (even though I am not supposed to)
OR
It is the perfect amount of time to go across the street to the convenience store and get a muffin or donut or croissant breakfast sandwich.

So obviously it is 15-20 mins where I could do something healthy. But I am constricted by these facts:
I am dressed for work.
I have my hair and make up done and it has to stay done.
I can not go anywhere (other than the convenience store!)
I do not have my own private office.
I am horribly self conscious about anyone seeing me doing anything that could be construed as "exercise" because they would

I can't really walk inside the building because I will be stopped by everyone wanting to talk or ask questions or get me to fix the copier. I could probably walk a lap around the outside of the building if the weather is okay but not sure how that would affect the rest of my day since I will start work having already stressed my feet and hips. But even just some stretching and small weight lifting would probably really help me so I found a 15 minute chair/desk workout for those with mobility issues online. Been trying to figure out where to do it though-- my desk and chair are NOT an option! Then I realized that we have 3 computer labs right down the hall from my office that no one would be in before 7:30 am. And the workout has a video so I can just pull that up on one of the computers and follow along! So I am going to give this a try this week (assuming I don't have the flu! ) and see how it works.

So I have a mini goal this week of exercise at least 3 days. And I am adopting the idea of the 10 day mini goal and going for 10 days soda free.

I love to see that you have thought long and hard to come up with an exercise solution! Super proud of you!!

I hope you are getting through the no contact phase well! And to totally scare you: I was an exchange student when I was 17 and lived in Denmark for a whole year. This was 89/90. No internet. International phone calls were like 5$ per minute. I talked to my parents once a month for 15 minutes!!! For a year! But I got a lovely multi page letter every week from my mother (she was a teacher and had a late start on Tuesdays, so she would use the spare time before classes to write me that weekly letter), which was one of the weekly highlights. I still have these letters in a box.

I do understand that this is NOTHING compared to years ago!! I am SUPER grateful for things like Skype, cell phones, text messages, and FB messages! It is SO different than it would have been just 10-20 years ago!! How sweet that you saved your Mom's letters! DD and I have a communications journal that I started when she was about 13. We don't write in it very often, but I did write a message for her to read before she left on her trip and I hope that I get a short one back. The biggest drawback right now is getting the actual JOURNAL back and forth between us!

Sounds like a stressful day! I have noticed that eating on a schedule is good for me as well. Just as you say, once I am getting hungry, it often is too late. I have gotten much better at getting snacks in during the day, mainly fruit or some carrots or cherry tomatoes. Need to find more low calorie things that are not so tiny that I feel that I have not eaten anything. 5 nuts is just not a snack in my opinion (yes, I a big portion person unfortunately)

I'm one for QUANTITY as well! One ounce of nuts isn't enough to even COUNT in my book! I only eat them when I crave something crunchy and salty and low carb. Or if I get to the end of the day and realize I have a lot of PPV left to use. That is why I love my fat-free brown bag popcorn.... it is a great VOLUME of food!

I did end up making that file! So now I have a template that I can reuse! I was thinking of making a separate file (or just another page of the same file) with the different meals I eat regularly with the corresponding points value (maybe even with where the recipe is to be found), then I can just cut and paste it into the weekly plan. I also like to have it saved on my computer as then I can maybe go back and look at what I ate in weeks that were good weeks... I love the idea of color coding different proteins!! Great Idea! Thanks!

My meal planning binder is color coded as well.... based on what color index cards I could find. Blue is vegetarian/vegan meals, orange is chicken, purple is pork, and beef is pink. Plus I have some white cards for days like "Birthday or other celebration... eating out!" and "Every man for himself" and "Leftover night" and "Sandwich Night". But I ADORE your idea of adding the PPV for each meal!! As I update and add cards for new meals, I will have to think about adding this information!


Sorry that you were feeling low yesterday, I hope today is a better day!

I think you found a great solution on how to add in exercise into your daily life! I am totally with you about not being able to get up even earlier to exercise. I tried it a few times and my body is just protesting so hard against it!

Good luck on your mini goal! I gave up all diet soda this past summer (after reading how the fake sugars change the bacteria in your guts and make you take up more of the calories of the food you eat) and have only had one accidental relapse. But I do drink a lot of club soda.

I gave up Diet Coke in about 2009 and went almost exclusively to seltzer (I even bought a Soda Stream). I've had more "relapses" in the past year than in a long time..... and I KNOW that stuff in the Diet Coke is literally eating my brain!! So why??? One of my "mental goals" for 2015 is NO DIET COKE... ever, for any reason! I think I've had one since the new year started. But anyhow.... GOOD FOR YOU for striving to give up the soda too!!

Hopefully your DD will be okay ... I'm sure it'll be hard to be out of touch for so long, but if she's with a group, I'm sure they'll be okay. I'm sure you're counting down the days until she gets back to a place where she has internet and can call you!

Thanks for thinking of us!! She does seem to be enjoying this group. She has traveled in the past with some "Debbie Downers" and "Nellie Negatives" .... but so far this group seems like fun!


I'm jealous ... I was going to go out for a run this morning, but I woke up and decided that it was just too cold. We're supposed to get rain tomorrow, but I'm hoping that I can get a run in before the rain starts.

Fingers crossed for your weather!!

Currently the treadmill is my favorite. I have been trying to lose weight for 10 years and I always sabatoge myself by getting ahead of myself really. I'd push myself and fail then give up. SO I am working on mastering the treadmill

Which really just means I am working on my pace since a Disney Run is a HUGE goal for me this seems to be working. It is giving me somethign specific to work towards.

In the past I have enjoyed Tae Bo and any dance cardio, I tend to enjoy hip hop the most. I am sure I look ridiculous though

So I sent my weight in and I am down 2 pounds

Don't worry about how you look.... dance and ENJOY IT!!! Woohoo on being down 2 pounds!

Apparently not the flu! Feeling much better today. My dr. increased one of my meds on Friday so I think maybe the "ick" I was feeling yesterday was due to that.

So glad it wasn't the flu!!!

So I have the laundry almost done and I have vacuum jarred a Costco bag of romaine lettuce, cleaned and prepped celery for the week and made my eggs and some Wholesome Oat Muffins for the week.

You are on a roll!!!


DD14 and I are really trying to eat more wholesome foods-- not sure if clean eating is the right way to describe it? Less processed stuff, more things with fiber and healthier ingredients. So she wanted some better dessert options for school and found a recipe for low fat oatmeal choc. chip cookies and made those and they are really good. Hopefully much better than the Twinkies, zebra cakes and oreos she usually takes. Last week she made a batch of chili on Sunday and took that in a thermos all week for her lunch. Need to see what her plan is for this week.

HOW GREAT that she is looking to be healthier on her own!! Glad you are supporting her Mom!!

Need to find my hand weights and the information I printed for my "desk workout" and get it ready for tomorrow. My biggest challenge will be getting from the front door to the computer lab without anyone stopping me to chat!

Head down, hat on, no eye contact..... eventually folks will know you are there early for a purpose.

Hi everyone! Is it too late to join?

I'm April, 29, from the Baltimore, MD area. I had a baby last March and I'm trying to get back into shape. I actually had complications with my pregnancy, and with lots of swelling I ended up gaining about 70 pounds. Eek!

But I've lost that 70 already (yay!) but definitely don't feel like I did before I had a baby. Plus, clothes still don't fit the way they used to. So, I'm trying to get healthy and fit this spring! I've been losing weight on my own for a while, but thought some support would be great!

My exercise goal is to be more consistent with workouts, and hopefully lose 5 pounds this month. I love running (I've done the disney marathon twice in the past!), but it hasn't been consistent since I had my baby girl. I used to run and workout early in the morning (and never, ever miss a workout!), but I can't get motivated to do it (not even the gym!). It actually would fit so much better with my new schedule with a baby (getting workouts done early in the morning before she gets up while DH sleeps). But I just can't get the routine going again!

Hoping to be motivated this spring to get back into healthy habits!

Never too late! Welcome and congrats on the new(ish) baby!!

A great start into the new week to everyone!

I did go out for my run yesterday, ran for 10 minutes in the sunshine and was so happy about it. Then noticed some very dark clouds and another 5 minutes later the worst freakish snow storm started suddenly out of the blue. I had to fight against the wind and just ran home. By the time I got there, the snow storm was over, but it was still very windy and I was slightly damp and started to get very cold... Well, I still ran 25 minutes, so at least something! And enough for the healthy habit challenge.

I can also report that I did well with sticking to my meal plan yesterday. We will see how it will go for the rest of the week as it is always more difficult during work days. However, I am thinking that it will also make things easier as I won't have to think about what I am going to have for dinner, I just eat what is on the plan.

Glad you made it home safely in the squall!! And glad to hear that the preplanning is working well!

Motivational Monday:

Do you have any story to share about getting up again after being knocked down?

My story is from last year. I went for a run on February 7th and stumbled over a piece of pavement. Had a huge wound on my knee (thanksfully nothing was broken). As soon as possible I went back to exercising. No way I would be running that soon again, I was kind of scared of it! But I got a new set of fitness DVDs and followed them.

You were almost LITERALLY knocked down! I guess I was thinking of a time when I was mentally/figuratively knocked down. I guess it would have to be the many, many, MANY times I lost weight, stopped following the WW program (for one reason or another), and gained it all back PLUS MORE. But I NEVER GAVE UP the idea of getting to goal. Wish I had done it sooner when I was younger.... but glad I didn't quit!! Just celebrated my 7th anniversary with this particular "round" of WW success!! So proud of that!

Oh no I'm so sorry about your BIL. It's just not fair, that stupid, stupid cancer! I will definitely keep your family in my thoughts and prayers.

Thanks so much! He seems to be in good spirits so far..... but I don't know yet what the surgeons have told him. He was playing Words with Friends on his phone last night. DH is heading down to see him today. I'll probably go later in the week (he's in Boston).


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

So, I ate like crap this weekend But, I'm owning it and moving on.

We had a 2 hour delay because of snow and ice today, so I thought I would be a super star and hop on the elliptical before work. Well, that's fine and dandy, but I don't work out in the mornings except summer. So, I was STARVING all day!! I ate a nice healthy breakfast and lunch, but was soooooo hungry. A snack size Heath bar may have been victimized after work!

Cold winter days drive me crazy because when it is -4 out (doesn't even really matter that wind chill was -15) I just want warm, comfort food. At least today was 30! We walked outside this morning and DSs both said it felt like a heat wave

So, not my best day, but I am going to log my food and possibly try to get another workout in tonight to help out. I really need to add some strength training back into my life.

I am thinking I need to sign up for a race to motivate myself and get a schedule that I have to keep. I'm thinking Flying Pig half on May 3 in Cincinnati. I will definitely decide by Saturday. I will probably sign up for The Biggest Loser half in Erie in June again. It's a fun race and super flat this year

Well, I see I'm rambling on and on again. I'll be back soon!

Jill

Can't wait to hear what race you decide on!

Hey all!

Just a quick drop in for me.
The good news is, even though rain stopped me from running outdoors today, I decided to take advantage of the fact that I was in workout clothes and hopped on the treadmill. So today's 20 minutes of exercise were done before breakfast. I'm hoping to get out for the run tomorrow, even though it will be very cold.
The bad news is I've been eating non-stop. I've been pretty good at tracking meals and morning/afternoon snacks, but after dinner I keep eating and stop tracking. It's a habit I know I have to break, but I'm having a really hard time with it. Apparently just saying "I shouldn't do this" isn't good enough. Who knew?

Anyway, I have to get back to finishing up a few things so that I can get to bed early tonight. I hope everyone is having a good week so far!

Remember, you learn from every mistake.... so this is a learning opportunity, right??

Drive by.
I still need to pm my weight and my teensy loss.
Ramping up my 1/2 training, 4 Friday's to go!!!
Eating at home all the time now, we have limited ourselves to 1 dinner out a month and one breakfast out a month.
Trying to make the right choices when it comes to food. It's so darn hard when you have a sweet tooth. And if I don't eat sweets I crave carbs! I need to figure out how to curb that.

I also signed up on a four person team to do 2015 miles in 2015 to help keep me motivated after the 1/2 is over. My portion is at least 503.75 miles, and I'm currently at 18.63, which is just ahead of target. Now I just need to find races and virtual races to keep me going.

Anyway, that's about all for now. I'm determined to have lights out at 11 so I have 17 minutes to go.
I'll try to pop in tomorrow!

Wow! That's great about the 2015 and the fact that you are ahead of schedule! I can't believe there are just 4 Fridays until your big race!!

I can DEFINITELY tell what eating lots of carbs/sweets does to my cravings. That is why it is so hard to get back on track after a vacation or holiday. Just a day or two of eating processed sweets/carbs and I am craving them NIGHT AND DAY!! But after just a few days back on track with eating HEALTHY carbs (and even the occasional treat) I can feel my cravings diminishing. Don't get me wrong.... I don't eat Atkins-style (super low carb).... I enjoy my popcorn, fruit, Sandwich Thins, oatmeal..... but those things (in moderation) don't seem to kick start the carb cravings as badly as things like chocolates, cookies, pie, sweet wine, juices, white bread, etc. Sometimes I have to do a day or two (or three) of SUPER LOW CARB eating to get those cravings out of my system. It is hard for that day or two.... but makes it much easier in the long run! I skipped my popcorn last night for just that reason!

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

Okay friends! Happy Tuesday! I told myself I could spend a few minutes here reading, replying, and chatting.... but I just looked at the clock and realize that I have 17 minutes to get dressed and out the door for my chiropractic appointment!! Plus I have to start thinking about work tonight! I was going to load the trunk of the car with a load to drop at the GW, but now I'm not sure I have time!! Plus driving into the GW will definitely add 45 minutes or more to my day.

Sorry I forgot to get my weight in for this week and as such I didn't make the "list"..... I'll PM it later today and try to be better next week!

Hopefully I'll have time to chat later, but no promises!................P

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Thanks Pamela!!
It's that darn bread and potatoes and rice. I love those, then when I eat those I want chocolate. It's bad!!!!
LOL

 

[Flossbolna]

Wellbeing Wednesday!!

Today's topic is being chose because I am struggling with it at the moment and know I need to focus on it. It is SLEEP!

I found a good article on Sparkpeople on the topic of sleep:

"So you already know that a well-balanced diet and a regular exercise program are keys to your weight loss plan. But are you listening to that other recommendation you’ve heard more than once in your life? Get plenty of sleep. Recent medical studies show that sleep loss can increase hunger and affect your body’s metabolism in a way that makes weight loss more difficult. So if you’re making a good effort in your nutrition and fitness plans, you still might be able to improve your success with better sleep." it continues here: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=129

And if you want to get some ideas on how to get better sleep, read this: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=420

Do you get enough sleep? If not, can you actively change any of the factors that prevent you from getting enough sleep? Have you ever noticed that sleep or lack of sleep affects your weight?

To answer my own question: I have noticed that I do far more evening snacking when I don't get enough sleep. And currently this is the case. Just because I can't get myself into bed early enough. No reason for me to stay up late, I still do it. And then getting up in the morning is difficult... So, I hope to break that bad habit the coming days!

Sorry, I hope to catch up with replies later today. I am doing quite well this week with my meal plan. Tomorrow will be interesting though as I am supposed to try out new recipes...

 

[SarahDisney]

Too tired for long responses (I decided to wait for my Starbucks trip and not have coffee at home ... getting out of the house is more important to me than being caffeinated in the mornings), but I've read through and I'm so impressed with those who are doing well, and sending good thoughts to everyone struggling and/or trying new things!
I love that so many people are giving up diet soda (I've seen it on another site too - seems to be a common resolution this year). I've never been a diet soda person (to me it tastes like artificial sweetener), but I gave up regular soda a few years ago, and I think it has made a big difference for me. Even if I'm not necessarily losing weight from it, I feel better, and I get in a lot more water!

Motivational Monday:

Do you have any story to share about getting up again after being knocked down?

My story is from last year. I went for a run on February 7th and stumbled over a piece of pavement. Had a huge wound on my knee (thanksfully nothing was broken). As soon as possible I went back to exercising. No way I would be running that soon again, I was kind of scared of it! But I got a new set of fitness DVDs and followed them.

I don't know if mine counts, but ... I used to like running as a kid (and playing sports), no matter how terrible I was. When I was about 13 I had something called Osgood-Schlatter disease, which affects the knees, and caused me a lot of pain. I basically couldn't run and some days couldn't walk much because it was too painful. My very active lifestyle suddenly became very sedentary. Osgood-Schlatter is something you're supposed to grow out of, but I still had knee pain continuing for years afterwards. I became a little more active over the years and grew to enjoy walking on the treadmill, but I wasn't willing to try running because of the strain on my knee.
A few years ago I decided to just get over the knee pain and try running - and it turned out that my knee was able to adjust. I didn't start running regularly until a few months ago, but I finally made it! I don't know if I've finally grown out of it or if it's the running, but my knee pain is actually almost entirely gone!

Wellbeing Wednesday!!

Today's topic is being chose because I am struggling with it at the moment and know I need to focus on it. It is SLEEP!

I found a good article on Sparkpeople on the topic of sleep:

"So you already know that a well-balanced diet and a regular exercise program are keys to your weight loss plan. But are you listening to that other recommendation you’ve heard more than once in your life? Get plenty of sleep. Recent medical studies show that sleep loss can increase hunger and affect your body’s metabolism in a way that makes weight loss more difficult. So if you’re making a good effort in your nutrition and fitness plans, you still might be able to improve your success with better sleep." it continues here: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=129

And if you want to get some ideas on how to get better sleep, read this: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=420

Do you get enough sleep? If not, can you actively change any of the factors that prevent you from getting enough sleep? Have you ever noticed that sleep or lack of sleep affects your weight?

Sleep ... I miss sleep. I'm sure at some point in my life I slept, I just don't remember it.
I have a bit of insomnia, so I have a hard time falling asleep and I always wake up several times in the middle of the night. Over the past few months I've actually had a lot of problems falling asleep - as in, it can take me 2-3 hours to fall asleep.
I've actually discovered that if I go to sleep between 10 & 10:30, I fall asleep a lot more quickly, so I'm trying to do that, but it's hard.

I'm sure that sleep affects my weight, I just don't necessarily have enough of a sample of "good nights of sleep" to compare. The one area that I know it impacts is coffee - I'm not an every day coffee drinker, and if I'm in the mood for coffee, I'll just make myself a cup of plain unsweetened coffee, but when I'm tired, I really want my high-calorie flavored lattes. So I know that when I'm very tired I'm more likely to have more liquid calories. Since I'm on a budget, it's been easier for me to convince myself not to spend the money on expensive lattes as often, but I'm sure that once I'm working full-time again it'll be harder to stay away from the lattes.

 

[ohMom]

hi friends!! where has this week gone! well, I tell you what, a lot of my time spent on my dreadmill I have a group of 5 of us that last Monday started texting at the end of the day a checkin (calories, steps, water...whatever we each felt we needed to check in on ) and it's made a huge impact on me. I know it's the new year, and we are thinking about future vacations, graduations, reunions....etc...but I'm trying to break it down in small increments in my mind. focusing on January...getting through January with consistent food journaling and getting those steps in. like Pamela said, it took a couple hard core days to get the sweet cravings out...but I think they are gone for the most part. there is some sweets around here and they aren't tempting me. I gave up my nightly glass of wine that became too routine over the holidays too....all these things are what led to my big WOOSH last Friday....I'm just hopeful that this Friday the weight will have held steady and not fluctuated too much. I can fluctuate 5 lbs

here's my question --- being really tight on my calories and steps and well, i'll just be honest to keep my sanity I need to have a something in the near future that seems close enough that I can resist the temptations today b/c in a week, or a few days, or whatever I know the reward/cheat, call it what you may will be happening. do you guys schedule an off day, or cheat meal? I'm thinking of a cheat meal, not a whole day just a meal, once every two weeks. what do you think?

Monday's photo -- I think most of you know my story..but being sick with Cushing's really knocked me down BIG time. three years of continuous lab testings, surgeries, hormones literally spinning out of control...I was defeated as I've ever been. what turned it around for me was the life changing decision to have my adrenal glands removed and choose a disease that I could control and not having one that controlled me. now I have Addison's, and as you know it knocks me down too, but I can pharmaceutically pull myself back up and I take those 'sick days' when I need them to recover and recharge and start again the next day. as a matter of fact, just this past Monday was a sick day for me...so I'm going to have to gage if that continues to happen and adjust my daily step goal possibly

now sleep...oh heavens....don't get me started on sleep! Cushings brought insomnia big time as cortisol levels at night for me where what they should've been during the day; one of the many tests I had to repeated do was midnight cortisol to show this pattern. I'd be up to 2-3 am; fall asleep for 45 mins then be wide awake again, rinse and repeat. not sleeping is AWFUL and I implore any of you that struggle with insomnia to seek out a sleep medicine doctor to get help. About last spring, I reached a point where the sleep meds weren't doing anything anymore and had to go off for a while and retrain my brain to a sleep pattern.... here is a good link on sleep habits and sleep hygiene http://www.onemedical.com/blog/live-well/how-to-relieve-insomnia-without-medication-part-2/

as it is now, I rely on a sleep med to fall asleep...I had a bout of steroid imbalance that started back in nov (I'm sure it was due to holiday busyness, stress,activity, etc) and I wasn't falling asleep and it sets off this panic mode for me...I can tell myself it's illogical but when you lay there and can't sleep, all you can think about is that you can't sleep! I do take melatonin too. there are so many different hormones that affect sleep...another possible culprit if you are struggling

ok, off my soapbox

seems like everyone is doing so well!!! one more day the WI and I hope for you all to have a kind scall Friday morning!

 

[Flossbolna]

Hello dear friends! I hope you all are feeling confident for weigh in day tomorrow!! I also wanted to give you a warning that the Healthy Habit next week will be about FIBER!! I tought I better give you advance notice so that you can adjust your meal planning/shopping

I had a lousy day yesterday. Some minor things happened that annoyed me to no end and I just could not shake the bad mood. Today things look good again. One thing that helped was the downward movement that I saw on the scale today. I mentioned last week how I had decided to eat more this week as I think I am losing better if I eat more. I know, sounds strange. But today's number seems to confirm that theory. I will post the statistics tomorrow (who knows, I might find my famous mystery pounds between today and tomorrow...). And will keep on testing that theory.

Awesome! Thank you! I just PMed my start weight for this month. Yes, my schedule for the first few months was crazy, sometimes to bed super late, sometimes early (but then I'd still sleep late. I definitely need to get on a routine!

I was using a jogger but our weather has been very cold lately! This week my goal is to get up one day early for a run (starting the bar very low). That will probably be either Wednesday or Thursday.

I actually have night class two nights a week so I have time to hit the gym on those days. I've started doing hot yoga and I do that Saturdays! Feels good when it's only 7 degrees outside!

Hot yoga sounds like fun!! Makes me think that I need to schedule a visit to the sauna at the local pool some time in the future. Not for weight loss, but because it is just so nice in winter time!

I can understand that in 7 degree weather you can't really take the baby with you running... Hopefully you will manage a visit to the gym on those evenings!

Hey all! Happy Monday! Sorry I don't have time to chat and do replies tonight. I just wanted to say a quick thank you for all of the words of encouragement and such for my worries about DD. Heard from her today (they are back in Panama City) and it sounds like the weekend was full of amazing adventures.... with many more adventures still to come this week!!

Not sure how many of you remember me asking for prayers for my DBIL last fall.... he was diagnosed with colon-rectal cancer and underwent 8+ weeks of chemo and radiation over the late fall. He had his surgery today and unfortunately they found that the cancer has spread to his prostate.... so more prayers, good thoughts, and pixie dust would be appreciated. He is a VERY YOUNG 55 years old with twin 10 year old girls.

Anyhow.... I'm feeling distracted with all of that (plus a trying day at school as a one-on-one) so I need some time to decompress tonight and as such I am stepping away from the computer for the rest of the night. TTY later.......P

I am so sorry about your DBIL! I hope he will be able to get rid of the cancer! Sending all my best wishes to him!

So, I ate like crap this weekend But, I'm owning it and moving on.

We had a 2 hour delay because of snow and ice today, so I thought I would be a super star and hop on the elliptical before work. Well, that's fine and dandy, but I don't work out in the mornings except summer. So, I was STARVING all day!! I ate a nice healthy breakfast and lunch, but was soooooo hungry. A snack size Heath bar may have been victimized after work!

Cold winter days drive me crazy because when it is -4 out (doesn't even really matter that wind chill was -15) I just want warm, comfort food. At least today was 30! We walked outside this morning and DSs both said it felt like a heat wave

So, not my best day, but I am going to log my food and possibly try to get another workout in tonight to help out. I really need to add some strength training back into my life.

I am thinking I need to sign up for a race to motivate myself and get a schedule that I have to keep. I'm thinking Flying Pig half on May 3 in Cincinnati. I will definitely decide by Saturday. I will probably sign up for The Biggest Loser half in Erie in June again. It's a fun race and super flat this year

Well, I see I'm rambling on and on again. I'll be back soon!

Jill

Sorry for a not so great weekend, but it seems like you have a plan on how to move on from it! And signing up for races is always a good thing! You inspired me to look for races around here and I found one in March! Should help me get motivated to get out there for runs. It really is not as cold here (in the 30s), so no excuse to not go for a run!

Hey all!

Just a quick drop in for me.
The good news is, even though rain stopped me from running outdoors today, I decided to take advantage of the fact that I was in workout clothes and hopped on the treadmill. So today's 20 minutes of exercise were done before breakfast. I'm hoping to get out for the run tomorrow, even though it will be very cold.
The bad news is I've been eating non-stop. I've been pretty good at tracking meals and morning/afternoon snacks, but after dinner I keep eating and stop tracking. It's a habit I know I have to break, but I'm having a really hard time with it. Apparently just saying "I shouldn't do this" isn't good enough. Who knew?

Anyway, I have to get back to finishing up a few things so that I can get to bed early tonight. I hope everyone is having a good week so far!

Well done for getting yourself on the treadmill! And hopefully you can get the snacking sorted out! I am like that myself currently. I think it also has to do with it being cold and dark. Your body feels like it needs sugar in that kind of circumstances... Why don't you try to at least track every stupid snack. That would maybe be a first step towards stopping it? And then there is the old trick: brush your teeth directly after your last planned meal of the day.

Drive by.
I still need to pm my weight and my teensy loss.
Ramping up my 1/2 training, 4 Friday's to go!!!
Eating at home all the time now, we have limited ourselves to 1 dinner out a month and one breakfast out a month.
Trying to make the right choices when it comes to food. It's so darn hard when you have a sweet tooth. And if I don't eat sweets I crave carbs! I need to figure out how to curb that.

I also signed up on a four person team to do 2015 miles in 2015 to help keep me motivated after the 1/2 is over. My portion is at least 503.75 miles, and I'm currently at 18.63, which is just ahead of target. Now I just need to find races and virtual races to keep me going.

Anyway, that's about all for now. I'm determined to have lights out at 11 so I have 17 minutes to go.
I'll try to pop in tomorrow!

Good luck on the last training weeks! I am thinking that maybe craving carbs is also related to your training. A half marathon is not just a small run and your body needs fuel to run on.

Sounds like a fun challenge to run 2015 miles as a team!

 

[Flossbolna]

You were almost LITERALLY knocked down! I guess I was thinking of a time when I was mentally/figuratively knocked down. I guess it would have to be the many, many, MANY times I lost weight, stopped following the WW program (for one reason or another), and gained it all back PLUS MORE. But I NEVER GAVE UP the idea of getting to goal. Wish I had done it sooner when I was younger.... but glad I didn't quit!! Just celebrated my 7th anniversary with this particular "round" of WW success!! So proud of that!

I really love your WW story - because it shows that permanent success is possible and it is not necessarily after the first time one lost some weight. I am coming more and more to the conclusion that if you aren't inclined by nature to eat healthy and stay thin then it is a life long process of learning about yourself and your body in order to work towards the goal of being healthy.

I can DEFINITELY tell what eating lots of carbs/sweets does to my cravings. That is why it is so hard to get back on track after a vacation or holiday. Just a day or two of eating processed sweets/carbs and I am craving them NIGHT AND DAY!! But after just a few days back on track with eating HEALTHY carbs (and even the occasional treat) I can feel my cravings diminishing. Don't get me wrong.... I don't eat Atkins-style (super low carb).... I enjoy my popcorn, fruit, Sandwich Thins, oatmeal..... but those things (in moderation) don't seem to kick start the carb cravings as badly as things like chocolates, cookies, pie, sweet wine, juices, white bread, etc. Sometimes I have to do a day or two (or three) of SUPER LOW CARB eating to get those cravings out of my system. It is hard for that day or two.... but makes it much easier in the long run! I skipped my popcorn last night for just that reason!

I know exactly what you are talking about - and maybe I need to try to do a few very low carb days as well. I think my current snacking habit is due to lack of sleep combined with far too much sugar during cruise and vacation... And I meant to ask you about your popcorn: Do you pop it yourself? How do you do that? I am thinking that it would make a great snack for me as well, I just don't have a clue on how to make it.
*****************

Okay friends! Happy Tuesday! I told myself I could spend a few minutes here reading, replying, and chatting.... but I just looked at the clock and realize that I have 17 minutes to get dressed and out the door for my chiropractic appointment!! Plus I have to start thinking about work tonight! I was going to load the trunk of the car with a load to drop at the GW, but now I'm not sure I have time!! Plus driving into the GW will definitely add 45 minutes or more to my day.

Sorry I forgot to get my weight in for this week and as such I didn't make the "list"..... I'll PM it later today and try to be better next week!

Hopefully I'll have time to chat later, but no promises!................P

Unfortunately chatting on here often takes up a lot of time! I just tell myself that it is important for my weight loss to chat with all of you.

Too tired for long responses (I decided to wait for my Starbucks trip and not have coffee at home ... getting out of the house is more important to me than being caffeinated in the mornings), but I've read through and I'm so impressed with those who are doing well, and sending good thoughts to everyone struggling and/or trying new things!
I love that so many people are giving up diet soda (I've seen it on another site too - seems to be a common resolution this year). I've never been a diet soda person (to me it tastes like artificial sweetener), but I gave up regular soda a few years ago, and I think it has made a big difference for me. Even if I'm not necessarily losing weight from it, I feel better, and I get in a lot more water!

I often use trips to Starbucks as a way to have a reason to get out of the house, especially on Sudays!

I don't know if mine counts, but ... I used to like running as a kid (and playing sports), no matter how terrible I was. When I was about 13 I had something called Osgood-Schlatter disease, which affects the knees, and caused me a lot of pain. I basically couldn't run and some days couldn't walk much because it was too painful. My very active lifestyle suddenly became very sedentary. Osgood-Schlatter is something you're supposed to grow out of, but I still had knee pain continuing for years afterwards. I became a little more active over the years and grew to enjoy walking on the treadmill, but I wasn't willing to try running because of the strain on my knee.
A few years ago I decided to just get over the knee pain and try running - and it turned out that my knee was able to adjust. I didn't start running regularly until a few months ago, but I finally made it! I don't know if I've finally grown out of it or if it's the running, but my knee pain is actually almost entirely gone!

I think that is a great story: Even health issues can be worked around often if you don't let them defeat you!

Sleep ... I miss sleep. I'm sure at some point in my life I slept, I just don't remember it.
I have a bit of insomnia, so I have a hard time falling asleep and I always wake up several times in the middle of the night. Over the past few months I've actually had a lot of problems falling asleep - as in, it can take me 2-3 hours to fall asleep.
I've actually discovered that if I go to sleep between 10 & 10:30, I fall asleep a lot more quickly, so I'm trying to do that, but it's hard.

I'm sure that sleep affects my weight, I just don't necessarily have enough of a sample of "good nights of sleep" to compare. The one area that I know it impacts is coffee - I'm not an every day coffee drinker, and if I'm in the mood for coffee, I'll just make myself a cup of plain unsweetened coffee, but when I'm tired, I really want my high-calorie flavored lattes. So I know that when I'm very tired I'm more likely to have more liquid calories. Since I'm on a budget, it's been easier for me to convince myself not to spend the money on expensive lattes as often, but I'm sure that once I'm working full-time again it'll be harder to stay away from the lattes.

Sorry that you are dealing with so many sleep issues. And I think it makes a lot of sense that there is a window when it is easier for you to fall asleep. I am not sure which fitbit you have, but the fitbit one that I have can have alarms when it starts vibrating. I actually use it to wake me up in the morning. But recently I set one for the evening as well to remind me that it is time to go to bed. I find it helpful as there is a distinct reminder that this is now the time I want to get ready for bed.

hi friends!! where has this week gone! well, I tell you what, a lot of my time spent on my dreadmill I have a group of 5 of us that last Monday started texting at the end of the day a checkin (calories, steps, water...whatever we each felt we needed to check in on ) and it's made a huge impact on me. I know it's the new year, and we are thinking about future vacations, graduations, reunions....etc...but I'm trying to break it down in small increments in my mind. focusing on January...getting through January with consistent food journaling and getting those steps in. like Pamela said, it took a couple hard core days to get the sweet cravings out...but I think they are gone for the most part. there is some sweets around here and they aren't tempting me. I gave up my nightly glass of wine that became too routine over the holidays too....all these things are what led to my big WOOSH last Friday....I'm just hopeful that this Friday the weight will have held steady and not fluctuated too much. I can fluctuate 5 lbs

Seems like you are off to a great start into the New Year! Hopefully you can keep up that momentum!

here's my question --- being really tight on my calories and steps and well, i'll just be honest to keep my sanity I need to have a something in the near future that seems close enough that I can resist the temptations today b/c in a week, or a few days, or whatever I know the reward/cheat, call it what you may will be happening. do you guys schedule an off day, or cheat meal? I'm thinking of a cheat meal, not a whole day just a meal, once every two weeks. what do you think?

I have never scheduled things like that. I think I am too afraid that it would get me out of my routine. But I have allowed myself to cheat if there was an occassion. Maybe it is smarter to schedule it in, I like your reasoning. I don't think that one meal every two weeks is going to make you gain weight. The only backdraw I see is that it kind of is rewarding yourself with food. And that's not such a good habit. But then I think it is not really a "reward" - more kind of a break.

Monday's photo -- I think most of you know my story..but being sick with Cushing's really knocked me down BIG time. three years of continuous lab testings, surgeries, hormones literally spinning out of control...I was defeated as I've ever been. what turned it around for me was the life changing decision to have my adrenal glands removed and choose a disease that I could control and not having one that controlled me. now I have Addison's, and as you know it knocks me down too, but I can pharmaceutically pull myself back up and I take those 'sick days' when I need them to recover and recharge and start again the next day. as a matter of fact, just this past Monday was a sick day for me...so I'm going to have to gage if that continues to happen and adjust my daily step goal possibly

Thanks for telling your story again! It always is so inspirational to read how you are dealing with your illness!

now sleep...oh heavens....don't get me started on sleep! Cushings brought insomnia big time as cortisol levels at night for me where what they should've been during the day; one of the many tests I had to repeated do was midnight cortisol to show this pattern. I'd be up to 2-3 am; fall asleep for 45 mins then be wide awake again, rinse and repeat. not sleeping is AWFUL and I implore any of you that struggle with insomnia to seek out a sleep medicine doctor to get help. About last spring, I reached a point where the sleep meds weren't doing anything anymore and had to go off for a while and retrain my brain to a sleep pattern.... here is a good link on sleep habits and sleep hygiene http://www.onemedical.com/blog/live-well/how-to-relieve-insomnia-without-medication-part-2/

as it is now, I rely on a sleep med to fall asleep...I had a bout of steroid imbalance that started back in nov (I'm sure it was due to holiday busyness, stress,activity, etc) and I wasn't falling asleep and it sets off this panic mode for me...I can tell myself it's illogical but when you lay there and can't sleep, all you can think about is that you can't sleep! I do take melatonin too. there are so many different hormones that affect sleep...another possible culprit if you are struggling

ok, off my soapbox

seems like everyone is doing so well!!! one more day the WI and I hope for you all to have a kind scall Friday morning!

I should check out your link! I very rarely have sleep problems once I am in bed and the light is out. But getting there is what is difficult for me. Maybe there are some ideas on how to make sure that you go to bed as well.

 

[pjlla]

Wellbeing Wednesday!!

Today's topic is being chose because I am struggling with it at the moment and know I need to focus on it. It is SLEEP!

I found a good article on Sparkpeople on the topic of sleep:

"So you already know that a well-balanced diet and a regular exercise program are keys to your weight loss plan. But are you listening to that other recommendation you’ve heard more than once in your life? Get plenty of sleep. Recent medical studies show that sleep loss can increase hunger and affect your body’s metabolism in a way that makes weight loss more difficult. So if you’re making a good effort in your nutrition and fitness plans, you still might be able to improve your success with better sleep." it continues here: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=129

And if you want to get some ideas on how to get better sleep, read this: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=420

Do you get enough sleep? If not, can you actively change any of the factors that prevent you from getting enough sleep? Have you ever noticed that sleep or lack of sleep affects your weight?

To answer my own question: I have noticed that I do far more evening snacking when I don't get enough sleep. And currently this is the case. Just because I can't get myself into bed early enough. No reason for me to stay up late, I still do it. And then getting up in the morning is difficult... So, I hope to break that bad habit the coming days!

Sorry, I hope to catch up with replies later today. I am doing quite well this week with my meal plan. Tomorrow will be interesting though as I am supposed to try out new recipes...

I love my sleep and work at making sure I get 7 hours a night.... that is perfect for me on a regular basis. When life gets crazy I can get by with just 5-6 a night for a while.... and occasionally have been known to live for a few days on just 3 hours a night (while at Disney doing a commando-style visit!). But 7 hours is PERFECT. However, since my alarm goes off between 5:30 and 6:30 Monday thru Friday, that means lights out by 10 pm most nights.... which seems ridiculously early to my college-aged DD and my night owl DH and DS!! But it works for me!!

That being said, as I get older I can definitely tell I don't sleep as soundly. Neck pain, hot flashes, bladder issues all get in the way.

I'm with you on snacking more when I am up late. I often have to talk out loud to myself and remind myself to just make a cup of decaf tea and go to bed and stop rummaging in the cupboards! If, for some reason, I cannot go to bed, I try to stick with snacking on fruit to minimize the damage. If I get into the popcorn, nuts, pretzels, etc at night.... oooohhh... trouble!!

My Mom also told me about a study she heard about recently. Essentially two groups of mice were given the same number of calories every day.... but one group was limited to eating them during a 12 hour span and the others could eat any time they wanted during the day and night. The group that was limited to eating for just a 12 hour span stayed a normal weight.... the group that was allowed to graze day and night became overweight.... all on the SAME NUMBER OF CALORIES! Food for thought, huh??!!

Too tired for long responses (I decided to wait for my Starbucks trip and not have coffee at home ... getting out of the house is more important to me than being caffeinated in the mornings), but I've read through and I'm so impressed with those who are doing well, and sending good thoughts to everyone struggling and/or trying new things!
I love that so many people are giving up diet soda (I've seen it on another site too - seems to be a common resolution this year). I've never been a diet soda person (to me it tastes like artificial sweetener), but I gave up regular soda a few years ago, and I think it has made a big difference for me. Even if I'm not necessarily losing weight from it, I feel better, and I get in a lot more water!

Good for you!! And you are right.... diet soda tastes like chemicals! But it took me a while of being "off" of it before I realized that.

I don't know if mine counts, but ... I used to like running as a kid (and playing sports), no matter how terrible I was. When I was about 13 I had something called Osgood-Schlatter disease, which affects the knees, and caused me a lot of pain. I basically couldn't run and some days couldn't walk much because it was too painful. My very active lifestyle suddenly became very sedentary. Osgood-Schlatter is something you're supposed to grow out of, but I still had knee pain continuing for years afterwards. I became a little more active over the years and grew to enjoy walking on the treadmill, but I wasn't willing to try running because of the strain on my knee.
A few years ago I decided to just get over the knee pain and try running - and it turned out that my knee was able to adjust. I didn't start running regularly until a few months ago, but I finally made it! I don't know if I've finally grown out of it or if it's the running, but my knee pain is actually almost entirely gone!

My brother suffered from that during his teen/young adult years as well.... really impaired his activities at times. Glad yours has resolved fully!

Sleep ... I miss sleep. I'm sure at some point in my life I slept, I just don't remember it.
I have a bit of insomnia, so I have a hard time falling asleep and I always wake up several times in the middle of the night. Over the past few months I've actually had a lot of problems falling asleep - as in, it can take me 2-3 hours to fall asleep.
I've actually discovered that if I go to sleep between 10 & 10:30, I fall asleep a lot more quickly, so I'm trying to do that, but it's hard.

I'm sure that sleep affects my weight, I just don't necessarily have enough of a sample of "good nights of sleep" to compare. The one area that I know it impacts is coffee - I'm not an every day coffee drinker, and if I'm in the mood for coffee, I'll just make myself a cup of plain unsweetened coffee, but when I'm tired, I really want my high-calorie flavored lattes. So I know that when I'm very tired I'm more likely to have more liquid calories. Since I'm on a budget, it's been easier for me to convince myself not to spend the money on expensive lattes as often, but I'm sure that once I'm working full-time again it'll be harder to stay away from the lattes.

A decaf skim latte can be yummy too! Give them a try!

hi friends!! where has this week gone! well, I tell you what, a lot of my time spent on my dreadmill I have a group of 5 of us that last Monday started texting at the end of the day a checkin (calories, steps, water...whatever we each felt we needed to check in on ) and it's made a huge impact on me. I know it's the new year, and we are thinking about future vacations, graduations, reunions....etc...but I'm trying to break it down in small increments in my mind. focusing on January...getting through January with consistent food journaling and getting those steps in. like Pamela said, it took a couple hard core days to get the sweet cravings out...but I think they are gone for the most part. there is some sweets around here and they aren't tempting me. I gave up my nightly glass of wine that became too routine over the holidays too....all these things are what led to my big WOOSH last Friday....I'm just hopeful that this Friday the weight will have held steady and not fluctuated too much. I can fluctuate 5 lbs

Sounds like a great group of friends holding each other accountable! That is why I love my group here! I need someone to chat with and be accountable with!!

here's my question --- being really tight on my calories and steps and well, i'll just be honest to keep my sanity I need to have a something in the near future that seems close enough that I can resist the temptations today b/c in a week, or a few days, or whatever I know the reward/cheat, call it what you may will be happening. do you guys schedule an off day, or cheat meal? I'm thinking of a cheat meal, not a whole day just a meal, once every two weeks. what do you think?

YES I DO!!! When I am craving a pancake or an ice cream or a glass of wine on Tuesday (for example), it is good to remind myself that I can have that on Friday or Saturday! Sometimes the delayed gratification makes the craving go away.... but I can always have the treat over the weekend if I really still want it! And I plan for it, journal it, count it, enjoy it and MOVE ON! Plus it means I am eating something I really enjoy, rather than just indulging in a random craving!

Monday's photo -- I think most of you know my story..but being sick with Cushing's really knocked me down BIG time. three years of continuous lab testings, surgeries, hormones literally spinning out of control...I was defeated as I've ever been. what turned it around for me was the life changing decision to have my adrenal glands removed and choose a disease that I could control and not having one that controlled me. now I have Addison's, and as you know it knocks me down too, but I can pharmaceutically pull myself back up and I take those 'sick days' when I need them to recover and recharge and start again the next day. as a matter of fact, just this past Monday was a sick day for me...so I'm going to have to gage if that continues to happen and adjust my daily step goal possibly

now sleep...oh heavens....don't get me started on sleep! Cushings brought insomnia big time as cortisol levels at night for me where what they should've been during the day; one of the many tests I had to repeated do was midnight cortisol to show this pattern. I'd be up to 2-3 am; fall asleep for 45 mins then be wide awake again, rinse and repeat. not sleeping is AWFUL and I implore any of you that struggle with insomnia to seek out a sleep medicine doctor to get help. About last spring, I reached a point where the sleep meds weren't doing anything anymore and had to go off for a while and retrain my brain to a sleep pattern.... here is a good link on sleep habits and sleep hygiene http://www.onemedical.com/blog/live-well/how-to-relieve-insomnia-without-medication-part-2/

as it is now, I rely on a sleep med to fall asleep...I had a bout of steroid imbalance that started back in nov (I'm sure it was due to holiday busyness, stress,activity, etc) and I wasn't falling asleep and it sets off this panic mode for me...I can tell myself it's illogical but when you lay there and can't sleep, all you can think about is that you can't sleep! I do take melatonin too. there are so many different hormones that affect sleep...another possible culprit if you are struggling

ok, off my soapbox

seems like everyone is doing so well!!! one more day the WI and I hope for you all to have a kind scall Friday morning!

THanks for reminding us all to take care of ourselves and that there is nothing wrong with asking your doctor with help if you are struggling with something!

You continually impress me with the efforts you make to be at your maximum healthiness despite your medical issues. You haven't given up!! I think many people would have thrown in the towel and resigned themselves to a sedentary life of being overweight and miserable... you took the bull by the horns and took steps and are living a HEALTHY LIFE despite a chronic illness! WTG!!

Hello dear friends! I hope you all are feeling confident for weigh in day tomorrow!! I also wanted to give you a warning that the Healthy Habit next week will be about FIBER!! I tought I better give you advance notice so that you can adjust your meal planning/shopping

I had a lousy day yesterday. Some minor things happened that annoyed me to no end and I just could not shake the bad mood. Today things look good again. One thing that helped was the downward movement that I saw on the scale today. I mentioned last week how I had decided to eat more this week as I think I am losing better if I eat more. I know, sounds strange. But today's number seems to confirm that theory. I will post the statistics tomorrow (who knows, I might find my famous mystery pounds between today and tomorrow...). And will keep on testing that theory.

First of all, I have no problem talking about FIBER!!

Sorry you had a bad day yesterday (and glad today looks better!). Today I am feeling lousy as well.... the day at my house started with a melt-down from DS about some exam coming up and how he doesn't understand truss calculations (for engineering class) and DH bellowing at him about not studying enough. Sure, DH is probably right.... but getting on DS's case just as he is walking out the door for this exam and he is obviously already upset was NOT a good choice.... and of course, when I ask DH to let it go, I become the bad guy!! Sorry.... just venting. But I will say, it is definitely affecting my mental status today and I truly want to eat cookies.... any kind, all day. But since I know this is just my emotions talking and not true hunger, I am trying to ignore the bag of WW chocolate chip cookies that are in my bag. Sipping hot tea continuously today.

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

Hey all! The computer I am working on is about to die and I don't want to lose what I already typed, so I am posting this and then will go back and edit and do replies where I missed them!................P

Okay.... found the cord for the computer!! And finished up my replies!! And I have students in 2 minutes, so I must dash! Just one NSV to report...

yesterday after school all I could think about for the whole ride home was warming up my feet (they had been cold since recess duty at noon) and taking a nap!! But instead I hit the TM for two miles. I know, not much, but considering I wanted to nap it was a victory!! TTYL..................P

 

[ohMom]

Pamela -- great job on hitting the TM instead of the pillow and blanket! it's cold cold cold here too and it's definitely harder to get the steps in when there is snow on the ground

and thank you for the kudos, truly....it is hard and when you encourage me it means a lot I'm in an online group of like-disease folks and the majority do not get activity in their daily lives nor do they see how it will benefit. it reminds me of my DD juvenile RA, the more you move the better you feel even though moving is usually the opposite of what you feel like doing. another thing that motivates me is I remember how much better it feels to be in a smaller body, to not have the extra weight, and so I refuse to give up on that being my reality again

today is day 10 of my first mini-goal to food journal and get my steps in for 10 days in a row I made it with the journaling, I had one sick day that I didn't get my steps in. I'm really proud of myself for journaling for 10 days in a row...that is huge for me! tomorrow night is my cheat dinner for DH birthday, we are going out to eat. not a fav restaurant of mine so I think I can keep my portion from being obnoxious. then Saturday I will restart another 10 days of OP

have a great day everyone!

 

[CharityLynn]

Sorry I have been MIA this week, for some reason I was letting the blues get me. Not even sure why, just been down in the dumps. But feeling better now after a relaly good workout actually.

I've had to make some choices this week and while I am confident about it I am a bit sad. I am giving up my Weight Watchers, I have been unable to follow plan and haven't even tracked in a long time. I haven't even been to a meeting in over a month. Plus with me going over on the food budget we could use the extra $43 a month.

I am gonna hop back on Sparkpeople for journaling and tracking.

As for the sleep thing, it is somethign I am sort of struggling with too, since Christmas break really screwed up my schedule. My husband and kids were all home for 2 weeks, now I don't get a lot of time with my husband most of the year (Works 2nd shift) so I found myself staying up way later then normal, then sleeping in. I am however getting 7-9 hours of sleep every night. I need to remember to keep setting my fitbit for sleep