Join Me in the New Year -- Keeping "IT" Going!!!

CC and all the support and friendship I receive here have changed my life.  I started to cave in near the holidays and started a thread dedicated to NOT gaining the holiday weight and find some motivation to keep it going. 

all newcomers always welcome, but luna, amy_blue, ktcort, ribery, tamarabee, ajja, and molly-mouser, please join me in continuing our quest towards a healthier us in the new year!!!! 

I would also like to invite my XTC girls, abbs, peanut, mama jo, and jenna (and jessieca, sammid, and ribear) to come here and have fun. 

I would be inching ever closer to serious Jaba the Hut action if I had not find you all, so thanks for all you have done and all you will do to keep it going in the new year!!

Love you all!   Olivia

So this is the year =)

Also... from what you wrote on the other thread... of course 8 counts. It counts a lot. =) Talk about a great start.

hi! i am def ready to take this year on! I'm doing spin classes 2x a week and vowing to get at least 1 more workout in there in between. I'm hoping to see some results soon! My new goal is to be down from 193 to 170 by May 1st when my tri training starts again. I really thinkn I can do this so I've gott make it happen!

Olivia congratulations! I see you guys have gotten back on track!

I on the other hand have had a really bad week. I want to make this week a good one...

I need to get back in to my exercise routine and not let the pressures of moving get to me.

We can do it...

Okay so here are my goals for all to see:

1. stick to writing down my cals (I do it on  an excel sheet its faster) 

2. finish week 5 in the couch to 5k plan (I have been on and off for the last 3 weeks)

3. Do my pilates tape 3 times.

4. Next time the landlord, movers, roommate, parents get on my nervous write in my diary and take a walk - I will not go and get an ice cream! (It has been a really really bad week - the move has been postponed until Tuesday!)

I need to learn the trick to think postive in the present and have faith in the process...

I say good luck to us all...and I really am grateful I have a place to vent and have support! 

T 

count me in Olivia! I promise to be a more inspiring contributor this time around. I am daydreaming of where to book the family two weeks in the sun summer holiday and am giving Sardinia a good look. I refuse to be the only person on the beach in a frumpy one piece suit! I have until mid July.

WOWEE!!! 

I lost track of this post and just today thought to look for it again.  HURRAY!!!!! 

I am so glad you all came back.  ( :

Better days to tamarbee!!!   PRAYERS AND POSITIVE VIBES ~~~~~~
You can do it, girl!!  Good for you with your goals too--  if i did that all in one week, I would probably lose faster than I am.  =P

Ribery  --- I am SO jealous, Sardinia....  Will you send me a postcard?  ( ;   I always enjoyed your contributions, and lord knows, I was not a super conversationalist myself since Thanksgiving and J's aunt's death, but I know she would want me to be happy and live life in a positive way in her memory, so....  I am trying.

kt -- keep it going, lady!!   Sounds like your goals are reachable for sure, and will get you revved up for the next tri!

miss luna!  ( :   thanks  ---- I think when I got off my sad pony, I was up to 205 on a high sodium day, and today after work I weighed in a 192.5, so not too shabby.....  It is AMAZING to me what a huge difference it makes when I exercise even every other day vs. just eating right with no exercising.  I try to be good eating, no matter what, but wogging too makes the lbs seem less painful to remove from my big booty.  ( ;

I like the positive feeling in this thread. I also like that at the moment I can definitely add to it. I've been feeling great lately.

I decided a few days ago to up my calories to 1500 and damn do I feel good. I really do not feel like I am restricting as I get to eat quite a bit. But my favorite is that when I snack on something I shouldn't, it doesn't necessarily mean I went over my calories like it usually did when I aimed for 1300. What a difference those 200 cals have made. I feel great! =)

Oh... and the cool part about it is that I have been steadily losing since then. Before I would have days I would eat over maintenance so my weight would go up and down. But for the past days, I've been so happy/full with the extra cals 1500 gives me that I haven't had bad days, so I just see the weight decreasing. Cool!

Olivia, you are doing great! I know what you mean about exercising; it really does make a difference. I have been doing weight lifting 2-3 times a week for the past month or so, and I have seen a decrease in body fat % at the same rates as I saw last year when I was running every day.

I like the idea of us supporting each other. I really believe it makes a tremendous difference to have someone there to remind us of the positives when we are going through a rough time. Should we have like a weekly summary of progress, feelings, issues, etc.? 

   " I second thaat emotionnnnnn........." in super singing voice-----

I agree miss luna  ----- I am SOOOOOOOOOO GLAD to be feeling better, more back to my old self.....    ( :  

Good for you finding a situation that works consistently  because you are GORGEOUS, like you blow my mind, girl   ---  I only WISH I could ever be as pretty, wow   ( ;       I had an epiphany today walking with a very close friend.........

I love her to death.   I was shocked to realize while we walked today that despite my perception of her being "skinny"   or at least "skinnier" than me, she was really out of shape, at least caedio-wise.  I didn;t even need a shower I got such a light workout, but she was DYING.  If Sugar (the dog I walk) had not stopped to sniff poop so often, she would have been the one pooping out early and often. 

Is it bad/weird to be proud of that?   (blush)


Edited to add another thought.........     In the old forum I mentioned the 5 languages of love......       ;   I saw other girls on cc on another post debating about why they were up and down with weight, in and out as far as their participaton with cc and being "good" etc. and one said something this"  "the other times I was trting to lose weight, I read the forums religiously but didn't actually participate or make friends.   This time I am doing both.  It is easier because of the connection, the accountability factor"  She is absolutely right.  I love this place ---- it is totally the reason why I keep going!!!!       So at least one of my languages of love, to wrap up this novella epiphany, is obviously  " Words of Affirmation."  I LOVVVVVVE helping people, but especially my friends!   ( :       &n bsp;        ;    <3   

Thank you for the amazing compliment Olivia. It really is a great day to start the day =) I'm not that gorgeous though lol; I just know how to pick the right pictures =P Plus... I have always been told that I am one of those people where the personality/feelings/state of mind really shines through, and when those pictures were taken, I was beaming! =P Also... you are beautiful! Little note... You actually have similar features as both the coolest teacher I had in college, and the awesome priestess who married me. 

Anyway... It's interesting that you mentioned your friend who is thin but is so obviously out of shape. Just recently I was talking to my hubby about how we can't make a good guess about how in shape someone is by their weight. I told him about the dozens of people I have seen here on CC that if seen on the street people may call them overweight and fat, but that in reality could outrun us all. This should really be about health and not weight. Unfortunately, we are a society that relies on looks. It's been many, many years where being in shape was more valued than how one looks. After all, not that many wild animals to run from =P

It seems like you and I are beaming, Olivia. But where is everyone else? I hope our perkiness isn't scaring anyone off =P

HI everyone! I just finished a cup of green tea and am feeling righteous for NOT going for a coffee would have led me to the biscuit tin without even thinking.
Sardinia is booked! The pressure is on! We arent staying on the jet set side of the island but still....Its something to look forward to on these cold dark days and hopefully be a big motivator because I have not worn anything but a one piece swimsuit in 20 years. Can I pull this off?? Olivia, send me your address one of these days and I will for sure send you a card!

bye all!

I agree, luna -- you are absolutely beaming, but you are also honestly gorgeous and I am still jealous =P   lol  in a good way, of course...  I sure hope I don;t scare anyone off or make them shy with my perkiness......   ) :  that;s the last thing I want to do.....   I just know that for me, talking to other people and sharing what's going makes it easier for me to hold myself accountable and stay positive.....   Honestly --- if I am scaring anyone, tell me and I'll shut up!

Last night was one of the first times I ever thought, "Hey, I am doing all right at this 'getting fit' thing.'  I am nowhere near my weight loss goal, but last night did inspire me to keep going on my path of lifetime fitness and health.  ( :    YAY

ribery --- YYEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS, you can do it!!!   Good for you too, for changing a habit you know isn;t a good thing for you right now.  It doesn;t mean you can never have a biscuit (cookie, right?) ever again......just not right now.   ( :  Keep up the good work!!  WOO HOO, ribery!

Original Post by olivia77:

I sure hope I don;t scare anyone off or make them shy with my perkiness...... ) : that;s the last thing I want to do..... I just know that for me, talking to other people and sharing what's going makes it easier for me to hold myself accountable and stay positive..... Honestly --- if I am scaring anyone, tell me and I'll shut up!

 I didn't mean that you were scaring anyone off. I just remembered that in the other thread some people felt uncomfortable posting about what they were going through because they felt they did not want to bring down the mood of the posts.

I posted that with the intention of letting the other people know that regardless of how happy and perky we currently are, that we welcome their posts even if they are about challenging issues and negative thoughts. One of the coolest thing about being happy ourselves is that we can use all this positive energy to not keep ourselves up but also to try and help others.

agreed 

I just went through a long period of pretty deep depression myself after one of my bf's aunts died at a very young 50....      Feeling better is good, but I think we should all be able to talk about all the things that are going on.  No self censoring....   ( ;   well,   I should probably a little....

hey luna....  you asked me to define "crappy fence."    ( ;   lol

It's not really that bad.  She is just energetic and industrious, so I am worried she will get loose.   After being on a 15 foot chain your whole life (until Olivia moved next door and took you for walks), you too might want to get out of any fence put in front of you! 

There aren't an actual gaps.   I am concerned if she leaned hard on one of 3 gates, she might be able to weasel out around that.  On 1 and 1/2 sides, it is loose and flexible at the bottom, so that if she got smart she could push hard on it so that the fence bowed and then belly crawl her way totally out.  It's chainlink all the way around.  

Accepting all suggestion on the fence thing!

It is FREEZING here, but I got out and wogged HARD with Sugar for 30 minutes just now since tomorrow and probably the rest fo the weekend, she is not going to feel like going.  Getting spayed must suck, but I hope it's better than having puppies you can;t take care of....   ) :    prayers and positive vibes!

it's great to see you guys so happy! don't worry about scaring anyone away!

I have been having a tough time just w/ life, not necessarily food. My car broke down on my way home from teh gym the other day so it's in teh shop. The dealer tried to rip me off so i took it somewhere else and they are fixing it for like a quarter of what the dealer originally quoted me. but it sucks. i had pizza and wine the night i thappened. then after i foudn out how much it was going to cost me yesterday i had nachos. i was so mad. so i'm getting it fixed and then I'll sell it and buy a toyota yaris. they get great gas mileage so that's perfect for my commute.

But in better news, when i was at the gym that night, i signed up for a personal trainer. I"ll be doing strenght training w/ him and then doing my spin classes on top of that. I am going to live at the gym! But I"m lookign forward to having my ass kicked and getting hot! I've got a ways to go but I'll make it!

Sorry about your transpo, kt  -- that super sucks the big one, girl. 

BUT good for you for taking charge with the trainer.   I would love that --  let us know how it goes!!!   ( ;

Hi everyone

I'd like to join this thread - Olivia I have to admit I've lurked on the XTC board for ages and have loved reading all the posts there.

So - I'm just about to get back on track.  I've been "almost" maintaining since about the end of November (I'm actually up 3lbs, blush) and am now ready to get back to weight loss.  I've lost about 40 pounds since July and have at least the same to go and more probably 50.  But I know I can do it!  I love CC and all the support it provides and I think I'm going to need it!  The first 40 were straightforward enough but now that I'm so much happier in general, motivation is harder to find - bizarre I know, but that's us Brits for you!

So, great idea for a thread - am looking forward to seeing how we all get on.

Caro

hey caro!   ( :

SO you're a stalker....   lol   ( ;  totally kidding, I am glad you decided to speak up.  =P   I am overwhelming to people sometimes, both online and in person, so I cam glad luna pointed out maybe I was scaring people with my enthusiasm.  I find it helps me VERY much to have friends to count on and who also count on me too. 

Did you take a holiday break then from the weight losing?  I tried really hard not to, but I did....   I just got back to exercising almost every day and eating well (and trying to keep track carefully again here at cc of my cals....)

Talk to us at XTC too.   Those girls ARE THE REASON I was successful this summer and one of the strongest reasons I was able to pull myself out a terrible depression after a death in the family....  Friends are good!  ( ;

edited to add hey LUNA  ----I just bid on ebay for an electric dog fence package, so I can stop worrying about the fence thing. 

Now if only I can make it until next month's pay check on February 20th after putting out big bucks for dog spay, dog jennel, blankets and a fence if I win it.......   / :  dang...... 

hi everyone and welcome shrinking caro. Yesterday went pretty well for me food wise but not so great exercise wise - too busy, too wet, too dark, too I dont know! I saw a program on obesity on tv this week highlighting how high in calorie meals in restaurants are, especially in the childrens selections. The program was on British tv which we watch here in Ireland but I think the findings could be relevant to many countries. The average child should have no more than 500 calories for lunch according to this program and yet the menus at the zoo, typical high street restaurant, museum typically had sausage, beans, chips, burger etc adding up to over 1000 calories. Then there were the people who insisted that they had slow metabolism, thyroid problems, genetic dispositions, etc. and then undergoing medically supervised tests to see if these conditions existed and in every case the people tested were clear of these conditions. Not to say that these people represent the entire population but that there are many people out there in denial. the medical people kept saying - you've got to have a calorie deficit of about 600 - 1000.  I thought - yes!! Its all here on CC and one doesnt have to go to an expensive Harley street doctor to learn about weight loss. better go now 

hurray for the super cool interweb connecting me to everything I could ever need!!!  ( :

Is it possible to pack a family cooler for lunches on the go while on vacation? 

We were POOR, so we always did, but I never felt bad, more often I felt cool and special when we got to have a picnic on vacation.   All  the more neat a memory!

Hi all

Olivia - regarding my maintenance - it just happened really.  I decided not to be stressed over Christmas and my birthday (Jan 13th) and was pleased to pretty much stay level.  I am now struggling to get back on track but am determined that I will - I am NOT putting these 40 pounds back on, thanks very much and AM going to lose the next 40, ideally by the end of June.  No reason for that date but it would be great to look good in skimpy clothes by the summer (if we get one, sigh).

Exercise - I'm planning on getting off the train a stop early and walking home, gulp, but only if it's not p*ssing down, which it currently is :-(  It's a mile or so, which should take about 20 minutes, which is what I aim for when I can make myself do this - it's ages since I exercised.  Oh, apart from a week's skiing over New Year.  And dancing like a mad (very) drunken thing on Saturday and yes, that's because I was drunk!  It was lots of fun though and hopefully I burned off the alcohol calories!  I feel better now I remembered I haven't been a total slug - yeay!

As for being scary Olivia - not at all - I think you're great!  And obviously a big support and help to all your friends.

Caro

edit - sorry if that last bit turned your stomach - it sounds pretty yippy now I read it again!  Hope you get what I mean!