New Traditions & Holiday 2006 Challenge ~ Let us Give Thanks & Enjoy the Holidays

2006 New Traditions & Year End Holidays ~ A Lifestyle Challenge!


Let us Give Thanks & Enjoy the Holidays

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson


Remember to take the time each day to make yourself a priority ~ this year will fly by too fast!  Try to set aside some personal time to focus on you, how you eat, and to get your exercise in, your own needs... 

If you are shy on time and doing your normal routine is just impossible because you just don't have an hour to spare right now, look for moments to get a little extra physical movement into your life :)  Look for alternatives!  Just don't give up and abandon all of your goals.  Enjoy the Holidays ~ the people, friends & family :)  They are important ~ not the food.

Worth repeating ~  Here are some gr8 tips for dealing with emotional eating!  Thanks Willow :)

And lest we forget the wise words of Erma...

• "What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets.  I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?"  - Erma Bombeck, "No One Diets on Thanksgiving"

Happy Holidays! 


~ super food of the week ~ Turkey!

Turkey ~ did you know it's considered a super food ~ the skinless breast meat that is!  Even leaner than chicken, 3 ounces of the skinless turkey breast meat only has 115 cals and 0.2 grams of saturated fat (71 mg cholesterol) ~ Remarkable!  Highly Nutritious, low in vat, inexpensive, versatile and always availble, perhaps we should eat turkey all year :)   

The recipes are never ending ~ from the delicious holiday turkey recipes to the endless variety of left-over recipes :)   Turkey ~ Truly a culinary delight!  

So many ways to lighten the calories and fats in our Holiday meals and the all-time favorite recipes really are easy to adapt with simple little changes and a few ingredient substitutions.

~ inspiration ~

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." - John Fitzgerald Kennedy

OK, I'm starting right now....

Tips for fitting it all in --

My main strategy is

• make a list,
• priortize list,
• don't stress about the stuff at the bottom of the list.

Adapting Recipes:

I tried to adapt a recipe and it still got a C- so I'm not sure that's good enough....   Has anyone gotten an A dessert recipe?

This is the recipe --

http://www.calorie-count.com/recipe/9242.html   (crust)

http://www.calorie-count.com/recipe/9244.html   (filling)

Thanks for your reply,

How much do you have to lose?

Count me in.   I am 27 I just had a baby back in June, I have about 25 pounds that I would like to shed, I have lost about 15 since my diet start September 6.  As far as my diet is concerned my recommendation is 1450, on most days I stay beneath, but on cheat weekends I get up to 1900-2100, but I also workout very hard on the weekend.  For the holidays I am having my family in town for Thanksgiving, so I will be feasting reasonably, I will count my calories, but enjoy my food.  I will probably do a maintenance calorie intake and work out in the morning before I start the festivities.  I am going on a big vacation next year and I just want to get down, which I know I will.  Prior to getting started I was so lazy and could barely run around the block, now I love the fact that I can run non-stop for an extended amount of time, I used to envy those who ran around the neighborhood and wonder how can they do it, and now I do it.  And as far as diet, I have transitioned and educated myself on the importance of nourishing my body and staying away from harmful substances.  I eat things that I know have a purpose in my body and I feel great that I am doing it for me and my family.  I hate Yogurt to death but after learning of the healthy effects I make sure to drink Kefir Smoothies with crushed ice and bananas at least 3 times a week.  I eat a colorful aray of veggies and I love it, I feels good.  The added bonus to this is that I am shedding pounds off while I do it.

Part a) Meet & Greet ~ Get to know you! 

::waves::  Hi all!!  My name is Chelle - a.k.a. WillowRaven - and I have been on a diet AND a part of CC since September 3rd, 2006.  I am 41 yrs old (will be 42 on the 19th of Nov) and have 4 wonderful children, ages 4 yrs to 17 yrs.  My 2 oldest children, Kristopher and Rebecca, live with me, while my 2 youngest sons, Gabriel and Joshua, are currently residing in Massachusetts with their dad and his girlfriend.  I haven't seen them since 10/16/03 and miss them terribly.  ::sigh::

Anyways, I am - in medical terms - morbidly obese.  From the start of my diet to my intended goal weight, I have about 275 lbs to lose.  I know that is no minor task and will take approximately 2.5 years to accomplish.  However it has finally clicked for me and I am sick of being the size I am, and feeling the way I do and I am losing it this time.  As I told the women on my weight loss yahoogroup, this is the last time I'm gonna diet, so I better get it right!!  And at this point I'm not even calling it a diet, but more like a change in living.  My daily caloric intake ranges between 1500-1700, which leaves me plenty of food to eat.  I was diagnosed with BED (Binge Eating Disorder) in 1997, and I know that I will have to deal with that the rest of my life.  Some days are tougher than others, and I just take it day by day and try not to go hog-wild with food and if I do find myself snacking, I try to go for snacks that are healthier than what I would have gone for in the past.  For example, in the past I would have gone for chips and dip without blinking.  Now I go for popcorn, or a fat-free yogurt.  I have found that if I deprive myself, I end up eating what I said "no" to, and 5 other things on top of it!!  My willpower just isn't all that good.

I go to the gym roughly every other day (when life doesn't kick in and decide it has other plans for me!), and I am liking it.  I grew up *hating* anything even resembling exercises, and now I find myself looking forward to going.  I started on just the stationary bike and now I have worked up to the different resistance machines and find I'm liking them a lot more!  My favorite one is the Power Leg Press, with one of the arm presses coming in a close 2nd.  I have 3 lbs hand weights that I hope to use at home - trying to find some exercises that I like that I can do at home.  I would like to also get one of the big medicine balls and incorporate that into my 'home exercise' plan. 

Holidays around here are fairly low key.  We have Thanksgiving here, where everyone kicks in and brings stuff, so we don't get saddled with ALL the cooking and preparation.  Christmas is about the same thing, and the atmosphere is laid back.  We don't have a alot of money, so not a lot of gifts to open, however that's ok.  I think the holiday is too commercial anyways, and find that I enjoy the season and getting together with friends and family more than the 'trappings' that go with it.  Being pagan, we celebrate Yule (also known as the Winter Solstice) on the 21st, and then celebrate Christmas with our family & friends.

Ok... I think I've rambled on enough.... not sure if this is what you wanted or what.  Are we suppose to be posting our stuff here, or in our journals, or either, or...?

I know I'm late, but here is my reply for last week (now I have to get started on this weeks):

Week 1 ~ Taking Stock & Looking Ahead to the Holidays ~ Our current & Holiday Goals & Traditions! 

Feel free to share here on the thread or if you prefer for some parts in a private place :)  Do part or do all! The questions are just guidelines for thought!  Really ~ it's all about {{{you}}} ~ your hopes & dreams & your journey! 

• Part a) Meet & Greet ~ Get to know you!   My name is Jim. I'm 41 year old father of 2 plus 1(all in my bio). I'm a chemist in a Q.A. lab in the petro chemical field. Found C-c while searching for a food item on a lark and was impressed by the food logging capabilities offered by the site(because I'm terrible at keeping a written record and I knew logging would help). I started my weight loss journey(again) in January 06 when my wife signed us up at the local YMCA(I weighed 405 at the time). In August 06 , I found C-c (weighed 371 lbs) and added food logging and monitoring to my plan on top of the exercise regimen I had been establishing since January. My focus at the moment is livng healthier and losing weight through the exercise and heathier, reasonable food choices and portions. I'm trying to keep outside life like work from interferring in the weightloss process - it's hard not to let busy schedule and life in general from disrupting my regimen, This is something I have to work harder at.
• Part b) All about {{{you & your journey}}} ~ Start at the beginning! What have you already Done?  Take a few minutes and someplace private if you prefer, make a note about where you are now! The things that are important in your own journey!  What you focus on!  for example, How much do you weigh now and much have you lost this year so far? 
  • As stated above, I started in January to seriously try to lose weight. That consisted mostly of establishing a consistent exercise routine. At the time I weighed 405 lbs - by August when I started at C-c I was down to 371 lbs. It is now November and I'm at 343 lbs -  that's a total of 62 lbs so far. My stamina has increased and my flexibility has started to return to what I had  many years ago when I was a student of Tae Kwon Do. I feel better and my clothes are fitting better so that has done a lot for my confidence, hopefully I can continue and reach my temporary goal weight of 200 lbs by my 43rd birthday.
  • Currently I try to make it to the gym 4 -5 days a week. My exercises consist of walking 1- 2 miles on the track, stretching for approximately 20 - 30 minutes and either rowing on the indoor rower for 20 - 30 minutes or lifting free weights for 30 plus minutes. As far as eating plans - nothing specific, just healthier within calorie alotment - which at present is about 2650 cals per day
  • I try to include more veggies and fruits, as well as high fibre grains in my daily meals(I've also tried to keep my protein percentage between 20 and 30 percent).
  • Right now the only major priority I have is losing weight and being healthy - the way I see it, everything else will follow. 
• Part c) Just this week? What are your goals for this week that you plan to do? 
  • This week(November 2-7 has been pretty spotty - hopefully I can come up with and stick to goals for next week.
• Part d) Just this Month of November?  What are your goals for the next 30 days? 
  • Exercise? try for 4-5 days a week - increasing intensity as I'm able.
  • Meal Plans?  stick to my calorie allowance - cycling between high and low to keep my body guessing:)
  • Health or Special Nutrition? More protein for muscle building. Get a family doctor somehow.
  • Maintain, lose or gain weight? Lose, lose, lose ... 
• Part e) For the rest of this year!  Where do you want to be at the end of the year???
  • Did you want to hold the line? Hold firm in my resolve and stay on track.
  • Gain or Lose or just Maintain? Continue to lose - 325lbs by years end would be nice year end weight.
  • Exercise or lighten up over the Holidays? Continue pushing and not let holidays prevent improvement.
  • Actively pursuing your journey with meal plans and exercise or take a vacation?  Continue, hold to course

• Part f) Share your Holiday Traditions! 
  • How do you celebrate and what holidays? Born and bred in Canada to a WASP family - celebrate typical North American holidays - Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc...
  • What events do you look forward to and participate in? Like to take kids to local Santa Claus parade if I'm able - not something I've done every year but would like to see as long as kids want to.
  • Do you usually host or are you usually a guest?  Don't really do a lot of 'get together' stuff - but my preference is to have family over to my place.
  • Do the Holidays cause you discomfort emotionally and why? Only as far as money being tight affecting things.
  • Does eating or *dieting* over the holidays and/or during the events concern you?  No. Not overly much.
  • Do you abandon your diet or do you diet harder? Stay the course.
  • What would you like to do different this year during the holidays? Can't think of anything.

• Last Week's Goals 
  • Finally bust into the 170?s. (not quite. 1lb away!)
  • Run for 27 minutes at least once (Yay! I actually ran for 30 minutes straight last night!)
  • Donate  blood (Couldn?t because my Iron was too low; I?ve made an appointment to try again next week)
  • Spend more time on homework than on CC! I suck haha.

·       & nbsp;  Goals for Nov. 13th ? Nov. 19th

o       &n bsp; Join the 170?s club for real!

o       &n bsp; Run for 33 minutes or 2.75 miles

o       &n bsp; Donate blood.

I realize this isn't really one of the requested things for the challenge, however I thought that it was related to what we are trying to cover during the challenges:

Yahoo: Health

I thought it was an interesting article about emotional eating and the holidays.

2006 New Traditions & Year End Holidays ~ A Lifestyle Challenge!

Feel free to join late (double back, pick up the prior weeks here and catch up if you want, or just join us now :)  If you have to skip a week, don't fret!  Life happens this time of year.  Let's do the best we can to have a gr8 end of the year instead of the same old, same old eat our way to New Years!  Gah!  Let's send 2006 out with a bang!  A Healthy bang :)


Kiss Strategies for the Holidays!

Can you believe another week flew by & November is 1/2 way over???  Already!!! 

Time to shop for turkey, pumpkin pie & all those special treats!  Parties... Buffets @ work.  Holiday baking!  We've talked about this already but here are some more tips for Making over the Holiday Meals! 


This week!  Remember to set your goals and make yourself a priority this week.  Try to set aside some personal time to focus on you, how you eat, and to get your exercise in. 

If you are shy on time and doing your normal routine is just impossible because you just don't have an hour to spare right now, then try alternatives & look for moments to get a little extra physical movement into your life :) 

Walking! Any idea how much movement you really do get?  Maybe more than you think!   Consider wearing a pedometer for a week or 2 to see how close you get to the typically recommended goal of 10,000 steps per day!  Here's a gr8 article to check before buying a pedometer and lots of links to more info....  If you are sedentary, like in the 2,000 to 3,000 step range, look for simple ways to get more steps in!  Like put a pack of m&m's across the room.  Take 1 m&m each time you cross the room ;)  Hide the remote and get up to change the channel.  Get up and move during commercials ;)  Go shopping and do hot laps around the perimeter of the store...

This week!  Check in & say hi :)  Share your tips for moving more, dealing with the holiday time crunch, the goodies that people keep tossing in front of you, or anything that stresses you out right now!  In other words, how do you deal with the obstacles this time of year?  Think about what gets you off track and what you can do to overcome the obstacle!  Here are some gr8 tips for dealing with emotional eating!  Thanks Willow :)

Kiss Strategies!!!  try to Kiss!  Keep it simple & sweet :)  Sometimes it's easier if we just focus on 1 thing...   try to change 1 behaviour that gets in our way...  or try to keep 1 particular goal for the week, do 1 extra thing.  Deal with 1 problem... Won't you share your simple & sweet obstacle busting strategy with the group this week?


That's it for this week :)  Have a gr8 one!

~ super food of the week ~ pumpkin!

Maybe pumpkin pie isn't so bad afterall!  Consider skipping the crust but enjoy the rest for a nutritious treat!   Did you know pumpkin is a super food?  High in nutrition and too often overlooked, relegated to pumpkin pie for the holidays?  Consider incorporating it into your eating plans more frequently!  The orange color = anti-oxidant super powers...  and it's delicious too!  Check out recipes, nutrition benefits & more here!

~ inspiration ~

"Now is no time to think of what you do not have.  Think of what you can do with what there is."  - Ernest Hemingway

Hi everyone how is it going?  I work in the afternoon and yesterday I went to work after eating lunch at home and there was a Thanksgiving dinner for everyone-I wasn't told about.  I made a tooken eating but I still felt bad about eating two lunches, for supper at home I didn't eat.  My family understood why. 

2006 New Traditions & Year End Holidays ~ A Lifestyle Challenge!


Let us Give Thanks & Enjoy the Holidays

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson


Remember to take the time each day to make yourself a priority ~ this year will fly by too fast!  Try to set aside some personal time to focus on you, how you eat, and to get your exercise in, your own needs... 

If you are shy on time and doing your normal routine is just impossible because you just don't have an hour to spare right now, look for moments to get a little extra physical movement into your life :)  Look for alternatives!  Just don't give up and abandon all of your goals.  Enjoy the Holidays ~ the people, friends & family :)  They are important ~ not the food.

Worth repeating ~  Here are some gr8 tips for dealing with emotional eating!  Thanks Willow :)

And lest we forget the wise words of Erma...

• "What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets.  I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?"  - Erma Bombeck, "No One Diets on Thanksgiving"

Happy Holidays! 


~ super food of the week ~ Turkey!

Turkey ~ did you know it's considered a super food ~ the skinless breast meat that is!  Even leaner than chicken, 3 ounces of the skinless turkey breast meat only has 115 cals and 0.2 grams of saturated fat (71 mg cholesterol) ~ Remarkable!  Highly Nutritious, low in vat, inexpensive, versatile and always availble, perhaps we should eat turkey all year :)   

The recipes are never ending ~ from the delicious holiday turkey recipes to the endless variety of left-over recipes :)   Turkey ~ Truly a culinary delight!  

So many ways to lighten the calories and fats in our Holiday meals and the all-time favorite recipes really are easy to adapt with simple little changes and a few ingredient substitutions.

~ inspiration ~

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." - John Fitzgerald Kennedy

How's it going? 

Time to get through the end of the year the best we can & then we'll be celebrating the New Year before we know it!  Perhaps it's time to think about what we would like to do in January, when things slow down a bit, eh? 

In the meantime, do the best you can ~ enjoy all the happy making moments and remember, it's the people who count!  Not the food ;)

**bump**