COUNTDOWN CLUB: AWESOME AUTUMN AND COUNTING (Open, Ongoing) September 1 through December 1

Welcome to COUNTDOWN CLUB: Awesome Autumn Counting Together!!! 

This group is always OPEN!

This is an open, ongoing weight loss support group, whether you've got 10 pounds or 100 to lose ... everyone is welcome.  All we ask is that you post three to five goals to introduce yourself, and check back in with us regularly. We'll be posting our world famous "QUESTIONS OF THE DAY" (QOD) daily as an incentive to have you come back and visit us!  You do not need to go back and read other posts, just join in and say hello! (Post your progress how/when you want to share.)

AWESOME AUTUMN GOALS

• Start weight for this thread:     291 pounds
• December 1 Weight Loss Goal:  276 pounds (15) 
• Fiber Goal: aim for 50g daily
• Veggie Goal: aim for 7-9 servings daily
• Exercise Goal: increase current levels
• Water Goal: increase current levels

QUESTION OF THE DAY INDEX (MOST RECENT QUESTIONS)

• Sep 25 ... Post 263, Page 14
• Sep 26 ... Post 270, Page 14
• Sep 27 ... Post 275, Page 14
• Sep 28 ... Post 279, Page 14
• Sep 29 ... Post 285, Page 15
• Sep 30 ... Post 288, Page 15
• Oct  01 ... Post 292, Page 15
• Oct 02 ...  Post 299, Page 15
• Oct 03 ...  Post 303, Page 16
• Oct 04 ...  Post 306, Page 16
• Oct 05 .... Post 308, Page 16

Hi I'm Courtney 5'1 and 121 my goal is to be about 105-110.  My fall goals are:

1. Drink more water

2. To find an exercise class I enjoy so I don't get bored and quit

3. To increase jogging from 30min to 45

4. To lose some body fat( I'm skinny fat)

5. To cut back on the processed vegan food to 4 times a week

 

My son is my motivation and I love spicy food.  I put those red hot pepper flakes on everything.   I live in New England so fall is my fave!

SCALE REPORT -- YAY!

Well, I must admit that the scale is cooperating nicely, and my initial "sticker shock" scale report on the EVENING of Aug 19 (291.2) seems to have been short-lived (thank goodness!) Yesterday the scale was down to 283, and today (Aug 21)  it whooshed down even further to 279.4 ... bringing me to a loss of 95.6 pounds. THAT seems more like it! Tomorrow (Aug 22) is my one-year anniversary of dieting, and I really did want to be "near" the 100 pounds lost mark ... and this morning my wonderful DH smiled and said that 95.6 pounds was "definitely close enough to count, dear!" Isn't he a sweetheart? I am so thankful that he is so very encouraging and supportive through all of this.

MOLLY

HI please help me with what it is that you are doing I really need to find someone that is winning the game, I have been short of the goal for a very long time now and needto find something that really works.

Original Post by jst_warningu:

HI please help me with what it is that you are doing I really need to find someone that is winning the game, I have been short of the goal for a very long time now and needto find something that really works.

 Welcome aboard!

What's working for me? Counting calories, logging everything, and taking things one meal at a time, one day at a time, and one pound at a time!

YOU CAN DO THIS!!!

MOLLY

QUESTION OF THE DAY -- FRIDAY AUGUST 22

Do you plan your meals/menus as you go throughout the day, or do you plan ahead? (Like when grocery shopping?) How and when do you decide what you will be eating on any given day?

MOLLY

Original Post by mollymouser:

QUESTION OF THE DAY -- FRIDAY AUGUST 22

Do you plan your meals/menus as you go throughout the day, or do you plan ahead? (Like when grocery shopping?) How and when do you decide what you will be eating on any given day?

MOLLY

 I try to make a general plan on the weekend for the coming week to aid in grocery shopping.  I used to plan the next days meals each evening but haven't been or haven't been following through with the plan lately.  It seems to really help if I know ahead of time what I'm going to be eating so that is one of the things I'm working back into my routine.

Hi Everyone,
I sort of slacked off towards the end of our last group and am hoping to get back to it.  After losing 50 or so pounds I spent the summer maintaining (gained a pound).  I want to renew my goals and get the final 20-25 lbs. off.  So here goes:
Goals:
1. Log foods daily
2. exercise 5 times a week
3. add 2 strength training work outs per week
4. Start planning my meals again
5. Join a club or learn a new activity

QOD:
I want to lose weight so that I'm in better overall health- which allows me to participate more fully in all activities.  I've also enjoyed being able to wear a variety of clothes and no longer have to settle on what I can find that fits.  I really like not being obese.  Having been overweight for most of my life- now in my 40's- I'm finding this a wonderful change. 

QOD: I do like spicy foods- though I've had to learn to slow down while eating otherwise I end up a coughing mess.

Howdy group!

I'm following Molly from the Summer Countdown thread to this Fabulous Fall thread.  I started dieting in January of this year and have lost about 34 pounds so far.  Just in the last two weeks, my scale has crept back up a pound, which seems impossible since my calories have still been in the deficit, so I'm wondering if a plateau is hitting (ugh).  I only have about 16 or so pounds to go to hit my main goal of 120 pounds, and it's getting harder and harder as I get closer.

My goals for Fall:

1. Lose that last 16 pounds!

2. Start exercising more. So far, I've lost weight primarily by watching my calories, but I can tell that my metabolism has decreased and I don't want to be having to constantly be a nazi about food, so I need to build a good exercise habit, get the metabolism up so I can be a little more free.  Plus, even though I'm a lot skinnier than I used to be, I'm still flabby.  Need to tone!

It seems like I've been doing this for a long time, even though I know I haven't been doing it as long as some others.  But I'm close enough to my goal that I am just so ready to be done!  I want to get into maintenance before the Holidays if at all possible.

Valerie

Hi, everyone.  I met Molly in another group--I'm still experimenting to see which groups work best for me.

I just started CC a few days ago.  Yeah...the day I tipped the scale at 250.  According to CC's BMI tool, I should be around 140 (youch!).  I really just want to feel better.  Plus, I previously went on two mission trips to Mexico and I'd love to go back, but it's physical work that I don't think I can do today.

Goals for Fab Fall:

1.  Increase daily activity level (should be easy because I'm not very active)

2.  Log my food every day

3.  Limit Diet Cokes to special occasions (like eating out, which we don't do much anymore)

Regarding today's question:  We try to eat a family meal for dinner every night, but we aren't always able to.  I usually plan 3 or 4 meals per week, ensuring we have all the ingredients for each.  I don't worry about which meal we'll have when.  Now that the kids are back in school, we just keep stuff for sandwhiches around for lunches on weekends.

Biggest challenge is to cook a supper that works for me (lots of veggies) without putting the whole family on a diet (they like mashed potatoes!).

Original Post by mollymouser:

QUESTION OF THE DAY -- FRIDAY AUGUST 22

Do you plan your meals/menus as you go throughout the day, or do you plan ahead? (Like when grocery shopping?) How and when do you decide what you will be eating on any given day?

MOLLY

My food planning for the week starts at the Saturday farmer's market.  I see what's cheap, what's in season, and what just looks really good.   I try to get a good balance of things that have to be eaten within a few days and things that will last all week.  After I take my fruits, veggies, mushrooms, and cheeses home, I go to the grocery store and get some groceries that complement the produce I have.  I usually end up going back to the grocery store in the middle of the week, too.  I don't have a car, and I walk to the grocery store.  I can't carry a week's worth of soy milk home all at once.

After that, deciding what to eat every day is based on how the produce bins are looking.  I just eat what needs to be eaten soonest.  I don't formally plan my meals, but I'll check things out in the morning, so I usually have a fair idea of what I'll be making for dinner when I get home.  Of course, busy work days get quick meals, while days off get more elaborate dishes.  That's about as detailed as I get.

Hi new people!  Hi old people! (You know what I mean.)

ONE YEAR DIETING ANNIVERSARY ... WOO HOO!!!

Today is the one-year anniversary of when I started my new adventure in healthy eating and weight loss. I've had my share of ups-and-downs over the past 365 days, but I'm about as close to my one-year-100-pounds-lost goal as I could've hoped to be ... the official one year loss is ..... (drumroll, please) ....... 98.2 pounds!!! WOO HOO! (I'm going to just say "about 100 pounds" and call it good!) So ... where am I going from here? My next goal is to lose another 25 pounds, then another 25 pounds ... for 50 more pounds. Isn't 150 pounds a nice, round number for a goal???

FRIDAY MENU -- I CAN HAS OSTRICH BURGERZ?

BREAKFAST

• one cup Fiber One Cereal
• one-half cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze
• one Western Bagel Perfect 10 Bagel
• two tablespoons eggplant hummus

LUNCH

• two servings of spicy egg white salad
• one-half cup low fat cottage cheese
• one blueberry fiber cake (bran muffin)
• one cup of cherry tomatoes, sliced
• one sliced cucumber

DINNER

• one Western Bagel Perfect 10 bagel
• two lean ostrich burger patties
• two slices of fat free cheese
• four servings of fresh broccoli
• two cups of sliced radishes

SNACKS

• six hardboiled eggs whites
• five slices of fat free turkey bologna
• one cup of cherry tomatoes, sliced
• two sugar free popsicles

NUTRITIONAL DETAILS

• 1435 calories
• 9 veggie servings
• 77 grams of fiber
• 169 grams of protein
• 111 grams of net carbs
• 27 grams of fat (14.4%)

 

Original Post by mollymouser:

QUESTION OF THE DAY - AUGUST 21

Spicy? Sizzling hot? Do you like chili peppers? Spicy foods? Hot sauce? Tabasco? Do you like (or avoid) spicy foods? Did you know spicy foods can boost your metabolism?

MOLLY

 Liking spicy foods - yes and no.

I don't like the flavor of a lot of the peppers used in Latin American or Jamaican cooking - and I think most of them are too hot to boot.  Same for Tabasco - yucky.

However, I love Indian curries and Sichuan food (chili paste w/garlic, yum - and why isn't that listed in the food browser, I'd like to know???).  And I'm a garlic-loving fool.

I'm far from a chile-head.  If I can't taste the food because of the heat, IT'S TOO HOT.

Original Post by mollymouser:

QUESTION OF THE DAY -- FRIDAY AUGUST 22

Do you plan your meals/menus as you go throughout the day, or do you plan ahead? (Like when grocery shopping?) How and when do you decide what you will be eating on any given day?

MOLLY

 I definitely plan ahead.  My main grocery store is close to my church, so I go directly from services to the store, list in hand.  If I'm not prepared, I do have a short list of fall-back recipes to draw on, but I like to try new things when possible. 

I also know that if I haven't made a list I'm more likely to buy quick, carb-laden, and/or salty foods that aren't satisfying and leave me hungry and tired when my blood sugar drops. 

I'm also moving away from the pre-packaged energy bars and the like I used to eat, filing them under "edible food-like products" rather than food.  This means I have to cook more of my own food, but oh well.

With the bulk of my shopping done Sunday, anything I either can't get there or can get cheaper and better elsewhere gets separate trips after work.

I do my shopping on friday but I plan my meals out the day before.  The only thing I don't plan out is my after dinner snack but I usually leave about 120 to 150 for that. Its easier for me to pack my lunch for work if I already know what I'm eating that day.   

Hi!  My name is Brianne, and my goals are as follows:

Fiber: 25 or more grams

Water: 2 liters

Fruits and veggies: 2-3 servings of each

Fat:  30 grams or less

Ultimate goal:  Started at 170, now 146.8, want to be 125!

I've been following Molly's Diet Rants for some time now, though I never post.  What would I say?  "Funny as ever"?  But I love the idea of this group!

Original Post by mollymouser:

QUESTION OF THE DAY -- FRIDAY AUGUST 22

Do you plan your meals/menus as you go throughout the day, or do you plan ahead? (Like when grocery shopping?) How and when do you decide what you will be eating on any given day?

MOLLY

 I usually plan the night before in my head, but try to be flexible.  I have a lot of cravings.  :)

Usual meals:

Breakfast: 24 Frosted Mini Wheats biscuits, 1 cup skim milk, 1 banana

Lunch: 1 pb and j, carrot sticks, and more milk

Dinner: pasta with lean ground beef and veggie sauce, dark chocolate stick

May vary as new, exciting healthy alternatives turn up in grocery stores.

Hi Everyone,

It's nice to see the new thread and new people! Here are my stats:

SW (May 24, 2008) - 204 lbs

CW - 177.2 (almost half way to my goal!)

GW - 150

Goals for this Fall:
1. Log foods daily

2. walk at least 6 miles a day, 6 days a week

3. do weight training 3 times a week

4. Keep counting calories and staying between 1000 and 500 calories below my burn meter

5. Loose at least 20 more pound

6. Get into a size 12, then 10!

QOD Aug 20:
My main motivation was/is health. One scary trip to the ER with heart palpitations and high blood pressure is enough for me.

I'm also motivated to look my best. I know it's vein but I'm enjoying looking good again and can't wait to be as trim and firm as I was when I was 30. That's my goal.  

QOD Aug 21: I do like spicy foods? I do like spicy foods. I did not know it raised my metabolism, though. So, I think I may have to start eating them more.

QOD Aug 22: Do I plan my meals? When I first started CC, I always planned a day ahead. I've gotten a bit lazy about planning lately, though. But we eat a lot the same things. And I have several optional menus that I know work well for counting calories. I do need to get back to planning more for variety sake.

~ Beth

Happy Anniversary Molly!  And yes, u can has burgerz.  150 pounds is a great goal.  (Of coarse, I'm prejudiced because that's my goal, too.)

My Fall Goals:

1.  To get to 160 lbs

2.  To keep on walking 2 miles/day

3.  to drink 100 ozs of water/day

4. To get into a sz 10! lol

What's my motivation for weight loss?

To relieve some pressure on my back and legs bc I have chronic pain in them and I think the less I weigh, the better my back is.

Do you plan your meals/menus as you go throughout the day, or do you plan ahead? (Like when grocery shopping?) How and when do you decide what you will be eating on any given day?

Plan?!?! What is THAT???  I TRY to plan my days, but it's hard when I'm the chauffeur for my 15 yr old son!  I never know when I can find the time to cook sometimes. So I just cook my meals when I find the time!  sometimes I cook meals one thing at a time and eat it when it finally all gets done. lol

 

 

QUESTION OF THE DAY - SAT AUG 23

Saturdays are my "official weigh-in days" (OWIDs). Sometimes I have unofficial sneaky weigh-in days (USWIDs) in between.  Do you have an official weigh-in day?

MOLLY