Wagon Jumpers - April 12 - 18th, 2009 (Closed, Waiting List Available)

Welcome 

(If you are interested in being on the waiting list, please read below and e-mail me. We currently have a waiting list of 4 people.)

Welcome to the Wagon Jumpers weekly thread. We are a group of CC members who have identified that one of our main challenges with achieving our weight loss, maintenance or general health goals is consistency.

This thread is designed to encourage long term commitment to our goals by publicly declaring them and asking the other members of this thread to hold us accountable. The primary focus of wagon jumpers is not how much weight you have lost, or need to loose, but what you need to do on a daily basis to meet your long term goals. 

There are two rules for Wagon Jumpers:

1. All members must post once per week between Sunday and Friday.

2. All members must check the thread for members who have not posted by Saturday (a short list is posted on Thursday) or are on the MIA list on Sunday and send them a polite and positive message to stay involved in the group and on track with their goals. 

If you would like to be a member of this thread please see the guidelines below and send me a PM if you are still interested (there may be a waiting list).

Medium Size Group = Some Time Commitment

The original idea of Wagon Jumpers was to create a close community where participants could get to know each other and hopefully form virtual-life and perhaps even physical-life bonds to create a support network as they attempted long term weight loss.

We quickly discovered that this was impossible with an 'always open' group as there were too many people coming and going. For this reason the group is capped at 30 participants. 

A medium sized group means that we have an active thread that produces between 40 - 60 posts per week. Members do not need to read / respond to every post every week. I do notice that those who respond regularly do tend to keep their goals top of mind, and have a better chance to achieve them. I estimate the average time spent by an active member on Wagon Jumpers to be between 1-2 hours per week. 

If you are looking for an always open group  on CC there are several that operate by different weight criteria, similar motivational patterns etc... There are also many small groups that cap their numbers between 4-10 people to keep the group more intimate, and easier for members to keep up with. 

Interested in Joining?

General Guidelines for Joining

1. Are you a wagon jumper?

Do you know how to loose weight, you often have success but then you find yourself loosing interest in your plan, or sabotaging your plan. It's not the "how" to loose weight that is the problem, it's the "how" to stay motivated.

2. Do you have a long way to go?

This group is designed so that members can get to know each other and support each other. Ideally you are planning to be a CC member and part of this forum for at least 6 months or more to achieve your goals and hopefully stay in motivation for a further 6 months or more.

Yes. This is, a long term plan.

3. Do you have the time?

This is a medium sized group, the thread does move fairly quickly each week. If you do not have regular internet access this is likely not the group for you. 

Still interested?

Send Supersized a PM. (Please do not reply on the thread)

An overview will be sent to you, you will have a chance to ask questions and an invitation will be sent to you once a spot is open. 

Google Group

We have recently added a google group as an option for members, past members, and members on the waiting list. If you would like access to the google group (and are in one of the above categories) send a message to beaglesmuggler (at) roger.com with your username and e-mail address and I will add you to the google group.

Wagon Jumpers Participants

Week 49 Riders:

Supersized  (myself)

Week 45 Riders:

Msmeg1984

Defrog3

Week 41 Riders:

Wenchie58 - away April 18th, 2009

Week 39 Riders:

Raven21  - Vacation April 17-28th, 2009

Week 38 Riders:

Tiegurl

Week 34 Riders:

Kyashiis

Unlimitedana - Vacation April 11 - 20th, 2009

The_Vitamin_Dominatrix

Week 29 Riders:

Nannygabber

Week 25 Riders:

Lam7

Week 22 Riders:

Maureenz

Week 21 Riders:

Cawilder

Week 20 Riders - Congratulations on 5 Months!:

Figurethefat

Week 19 Riders:

Pelkeyjm

Carryonandon

Week 18 Riders:

Constanza

Week 17 Riders:

Germaica - Getting Married! April 12 - 25th, 2009

Week 15 Riders:

Jessicaanne2001

Week 4 Riders: - Congratulations on 1 Month!:

Thesilverstar121 - Vacation April 9 - 19th, 2009

Missing In Action:

Missing In Action - 1 Week:

Missing In Action - 2 Weeks:

Current Membership: 20

Current Waiting List: 4

Outstanding Wait List Invites: 0

12 Week CONSISTENCY GOALS

(as set w/o April 5th, 2009)

By June 27th, I will be...

Msmeg1984 - Maintenance: I will continue to eat less than 1800 cals/day on average New: Exercise at least 3x a week at least 9 of the 12 weeks.

Defrog3 - To continue eating healthfully for me and my little fetus, which means I need to stick to 2,000 balanced calories/day. My NEW goal is to start exercising regularly, meaning moving my butt in some fashion for 30 minutes, 3 days a week.

Cawilder - NEW: Attain a 30 / 30 / 40 food combo 80% of the time. MAINTENANCE: Running @ least 5 hours / week and 2X weight lifting. 

Unlimitedana - Maintenance goal: Eat 1550-1650 cals a day. New Goal Achieve the 40-40-20 at least two days per week.

Raven21 - 1. Exercise at least 3 x a week (maintenance) 2. Average daily calorie intake of 1450-1650 (new)

Figurethefat - For maintenance:  I will continue to complete a minimum of 1,500 exercise minutes per month.  New goal:  I will drink at least 1.5 litres of water per day.

Supersized - MAINTENANCE: Continue to eat at or below 2,000 cal/day average for at least 6 of 12 weeks, and never over 2,500 cal/day average. NEW: start going to the gym (again), and achieve at least 4 weeks where I attend the gym 3x/week. 

Lam7 - NEW GOAL:  Participate in our Navan Walking Club 10 Week Program (Tuesdays) starting April 21-June 26; as well as attend 6 "Spring into Spring" Interval Classes which will run on Thursday evenings starting April 9th, 2009. 

Constanza - (new) Eat an average of 1700 calories/day. (maintenance) Exercise at least twice weekly (calculated by average)

Thesilverstar121 - Excercising at least 3x a week.

Kyashiis - Maintenance goal:Exercise for a minimum of 20 minutes a day 5 days a week. New goal: I will zig-zag on my food intake consistently throughout the week and end up with an average daily calorie count of 1,200 cals. 

Nannygabber - Maintenance goal of doing NROLFW 3x per week with an allowance of two weeks slack for this 12-week session.

Pelkeyjm - Maintenance: Exercise a minimum of 30 minutes at least 3x per week. New Goal: Log ALL food on calorie count.

The_Vitamin_Dominatrix - Maintenance goal - I will continue to eat 1400-1500 calories daily with a ratio of 15% fat, 25% protein, 60% carbohydrates. New goal - Gym or no gym, I will workout 3 to 4 times a week.

Previous Threads:

Wagon Jumpers - April 5 - April 11th, 2009

Wagon Jumpers - March 29 - April 4th, 2009

Wagon Jumpers - March 22 - 28th, 2009

Wagon Jumpers - March 15 - 21st, 2009

Wagon Jumpers - March 8 - 14th, 2009

Wagon Jumpers - March 1 - 7th, 2009

Wagon Jumpers - February 22 - 28th, 2009

Wagon Jumpers - February 15 - 21st, 2009

Wagon Jumpers - February 8 - 14th, 2009

Wagon Jumpers - February 1 - 7th, 2009

Wagon Jumpers - January 25 - 31st, 2009

Wagon Jumpers - January 18 - 24th, 2009

Wagon Jumpers - January 11 - 17th, 2009

Wagon Jumpers - January 4 - 10th, 2009

Wagon Jumpers - December 28 - January 3rd, 2009

Wagon Jumpers - December 21 - 27th, 2008

Wagon Jumpers - December 14 - 20th, 2008

Wagon Jumpers - December 7 - 13th, 2008

Wagon Jumpers - November 30 - December 6th, 2008

Wagon Jumpers - November 23 - 29th, 2008

As always all members are encouraged to tag this thread so that it is easy to find.

THIS WEEK'S TOPIC

Now that we are all set for our goals for the next 12 weeks, and many of us have set exercise goals tell us:

What is your most successful workout and why is it successful for you?

If you don't have a 'most successful workout' tell us:

What elements does a workout need to have to be successful for you?

I'm not really much of an exercise person, but I've found that I feel superb after doing about 45 minutes on the treadmill with some interval training.  Using 3.5 mph at 3.5 incline for 2 minutes, then kicking it up to a jog at 5 mph with a 5 incline for just a minute.  About 5 or 6 sets with warm up and then during the cooldown I'll grab some weights and work my arms.

Usually I'm just walking outside or riding my bike and those things don't really seem like a workout.  The above is the closest I get and makes me feel like I've accomplished, well, a workout :)

My most successful workouts vary from time to time. I need variety to keep boredom at bay.   I have to say for cardio, C25k is my fave and as far as weights go - NROLFW all the way.

I also can't do hours upon hours in the gym, so the quickness of each is a major plus!

Hi,  Happy Easter to those who celebrate!  I tried to stay away from the carrot cake with cream cheese icing, I really did TRY!!

This week's topic:

Unfortunately, I don't have any real workout regime now, given that I'm preggers.  I kinda' hate it, in fact, because I'm so used to pushing myself.  But during my first trimester I was so wiped out all the time, and it was so cold outside, I just couldn't bring myself to leave the house after getting home from work, and the weekends were so, uh, busy (?), I guess??  Excuses...

I've started to walk more now that its warmer outside, which is great.  I just find that I'm moving more slowly than I used to (e.g., I used to be among the fastest on the Manhattan sidewalk, walking to work.  Now I'm in the middle of the pack?).  I'm also doing some more stretching in the morning, which helps to work out some of my stiffness from sitting all day.  Just this morning I tried a prenatal yoga DVD, which was pretty cool.  I hope that I can try it again later this week.

Really, I would like to find a yoga class that I enjoy, but there isn't a pre-natal yoga class that is local enough to me to be able to go on a regular basis.  When I was single and working out consistently, I built the workout around the yoga class I was taking.  On Wednesday nights, I would run on the gym treadmill for a half an hour or so, then do three hours of yoga.  Two or three other nights of the week I would run outside for 3-4 miles, then come home and do an hour of yoga on my own.  Then on the weekends, I would go for 10 mile hikes in PA or NY State with the Appalachian Mountain Club.  It was a great schedule, I was 145 pounds, 23% body fat, rather fit and very flexible.

I think that for an exercise regime to be successful for me, I need:

1) Variety (instructor led classes, hikes in various locations)

2) To be outdoors (I spend far too much time in the office!)

3) Focus on flexibility (I gain muscle very easily.  To look leaner, I need strong stretching)

Happy Easter Everyone!

Today was veeeery busy. 3 Easter dinners. The first was Easter breakfast where I did portion controlling and skipped the pancakes. The second dinner was lunch and I had no seconds and was very good. I did have a small piece of cake but it was a birthday as well as Easter....at the third dinner I didn't eat anything since I was full from the other meals. All in all it wasn't a bad holiday!!

This week's topic:

I find that running has given me results. I run approximately 3 miles 3x per week or more and am just a beginner but have gone done a pants size in 3 weeks and will be comfortably in those pants in the next 2 weeks hopefully. I haven't done a weight routine consistently enough to get results but am going to try something soon.

Happy Monday Everyone!

I would have to echo some of what has already been said. I need variety and something that doesn't take forever. I have been able to stick with running thanks to the C25K program, however I am starting to get bored with the treadmill so thankfully the weather is now getting better and I can run outside again (not that I wouldn't run in the cold and snow but I don't live in a city with sidewalks so there really isn't anywhere outside I can run in the winter when it snows and is icy.

I am also now committed to the NROLFW and it feels so good to use my muscles. I need a workout that I can feel and that keeps me motivated as well. I also started using my Wii Fit again last night. Did 30 minutes of boxing, strength and cardio. It was great. I can feel it in my core and arms today (not a lot but a bit for sure). I am going to try and do at least 15-30mins daily on the Wii Fit and track my progress that way as well.

Well have a great day everyone.

Carrie

Hi,

I hope everyone is doing well after the Easter / Passover Weekends.

What is your most successful workout and why is it successful for you?

Trail Running is my panacea. I love it. I is successful for me in that it is different every time - not just in routes but also in condition of the trails, trees down, etc. It is meditative because I get into a rhythm and I just keep going. It is also gratifying to look at my watch and see how many calories I have burned. Sometimes though it takes me 20 minutes to get into a good heart rate where it is right where I want it.

I also like weight lifting / plyometrics because it gives me satisfaction of how far I can push myself.

I should like Yoga and I do like Vinyasa because it is more physical and fluit but I have hard time wiht anxiety and waiting for the next move.

I have been having a hard time with hip bursitis so I have had to go easy for a bit. Fun fun.

See you.

What is your most successful workout and why is it successful for you?

My most successful workout is one where I have pushed myself further than I did the last time, and succeeded.

A workout where I accomplish all that is on the agenda for the day, and walk out of the gym feeling sweaty and weak-kneed, wobbling down the steps from the weight area toward the door. And as I walk out it, feeling the fresh air brisk and cool, tempting me to take off running. Sometimes I do run to the car. LOL!

A successful workout to me is where I have done all the weight lifting as prescribed by NROLFW, and done the HIIT that follows. Or if it is a non-lift day, I feel so good when I leave Zumba class and know beyond a doubt that I pushed myself hard. I'll be sweaty, and ready for a shower!

Hope your day is healthgain,
~Julie

What is your most successful workout and why is it successful for you?

I can say that I am most successful in the presence of other folks, like last Thursday's interval class.  I have come to realize that the time goes by much quicker.  Moving to different "stations" really kept the session interesting, and allowed us to work several body parts throughout the hour.  Before I knew it, the hour was up, and all I wanted was another round.  I am so looking forward to this week's session.  I am also starting with the walking club this evening.  Walking outside in the fresh air is something I also like to do.  I have even planned for inclement weather times, as I am sure they will occur on occasion.

Good luck to all, and have a great remainder of the week!

Lee-Anne

First to check in:  I've been keeping up with my goal of zigzagging my calories over the week and ending up with an average daily of 1,200 cals.  My maintenance of doing 20 minutes of exercise 5 times a week is good too.  I hope accomplishing these goals will lead to a drop in weight.  Time will tell.

What is your most successful workout and why is it successful for you?

I've been thinking about this... At first I drew a blank, but after giving it some thought I came up with the following:

• The workout has to be scheduled regularly rather than hit or miss or whenever I feel like it.
• For running and calisthenics, I like to have music in the background to help keep a good rhythm.
  
• I need to start out with a warm up of stretching or walking.
• It's hard for me to get started often, but just "doing a few" will get me in the mood most of the time.
  
• The next part would depend on what the exercise is as variety is important for me.
• Running - reaching my planned time or distance and exceeding it by a small margin
• Hiking -  not feeling too much exertion while hiking but at the same time needing to push myself a little
• Calisthenics - need to feel my form is good or improving, follow through with the routines as planned
• I like to work up a sweat and feel that my heart rate has gotten up.
• A final stretch brings the exercise time full circle, and I really enjoy that time.

I find I can do calisthenics mindlessly and enjoy the muscles getting a workout.  I also am curious about other forms of exercise and often spend time researching exercise ideas that might be good for me.

Weekly Check-in Last week wasn't a stellar start to my new goals, I skimmed 2,500 cal, and didn't make it to the gym. However, what with having my contract signed, and telling my current sr. partner today I'm aiming to make it to the gym tomorrow. And, my calories are doing well this week so far. My weight is up again from last week, which is pushing me back to the gym.

Elements for a workout to be successful

1. Routine, I actually do need a routine, I don't like carrying a sheet of paper around the gym with me. And, I hate not knowing what I'm supposed to do next. I prefer a routine that may get old over one that I am completely new to. This is always a challenge when I'm trying new things. 

2. Some cardio. I know cardio is not the most effective, but it makes me feel good. 

Sara.

I don't have a succesful workout as of right now.

In order for a workout to be successful it must first be enjoyable. If it is not enjoyable then I won't do it and it makes it harder for me to push through. Plus it causes me to lose motivation.

It has to be fun. Enjoyable and fun aren't the same thing. I can exercise and it is not always fun but it's enjoyable. I like things that are fun because these are the things I turn to when I can't do nothing else and they help keep me motivated.

I like routine. When I was working out I had a daily rountine and having a routine helps me stay on track when I need to be on track.

Weekly check in:  Thanks for the 5 month hooray Sara.  I have to say the first month I was still gaining rather than losing weight.  But since the beginning of the year I've lost 15 pounds so I feel like I'm definitely riding the wagon.  I like the 12 week goal program.  Knowing I need to drink that 1.5 litres of water everyday to make my goal really motivates me :)  Actually with the warmer weather that goal gets easier and easier... water is hardest to drink when it's chilly outside.

Nice to read about what everyone thinks is a successful workout.  Makes me realise what a lazy butt I am :)  Today I went on the treadmill for 45 minutes, no HIIT but it was still a good workout using higher speeds and elevations.  

Hi all,

Thanks for the note Sara and you too Lee-Anne.  I was away for 5 days visiting my son for Easter and when I returned last night, I picked up some flu bug so am not up to par totally.

However, I read this week's topic and I have to answer is walking with my IPOD.  Not only do I get the heart rate up, muscles going but also it releases a lot of stress for me as I "boogey" on down to my favourite tunes.  I aim for a total of 50-60 minutes but do it in 3 sessions so I don't feel that it's a drudgery of trying to do the whole thing at once.

I also find playing a sport with a good player helps me as I enjoy the challenge of the sport.  I guess I've always been competitive and it is that that drives me harder .....not only to sweat but to win! ha!

Good luck to all, I'm in a bit of a slump  after being away 5 days for Easter and I wish that the Easter bunny would hop on out of my cupboards and stop leaving me goodies :) :)

I'm determined to do better next week or should I say ..........tomorrow!

Take care all,

Cheers,

Maureen

Dear Wagon Jumpers,

(If anyone is around today feel free to answer this 'dear Abby' question)...

Today a new friend of mine is coming over to teach me how to make tortillas. I'm fairly open about my weight loss efforts, so when some friends start their own journey they often talk to me. In this case, this friend is starting weight loss for the first time. Two questions:

1. She's starting on an Atkins diet, as a result she doesn't want to eat any of the tortillas that we make, she's coming over around dinner, I'm wondering what I can feed her. I'm primarily vegetarian and know very little about cooking meat, I can do fish. 

2. I know she's going to ask advice about exercise, diet etc... I remember how in the early days I had so much faith in the books / diets I read. Now I've come to realize diets don't work, so I take it slow and steady and don't do anything that involves 'can't have's'... wondering how open I should be with her about this. Also anyone have any positive experiences with Atkins that may help a positive dialogue?

Sara.

Hi Sara,

It's been a long time since I did the Atkins diet but I was quite successful on it (lost 30 pounds, can't remember exactly how long it took). The thing that I think gives Atkins a bad rep is that people think the basis of the diet is eat bacon and cheese and you'll lose weight, this is NOT what I did. What I did do was cut out sugar (yes even fruit, at least for phase 1, this is one thing I disagree with then it comes to Atkins) and breads, pasta, etc. I ate lots of veggies, protein in lots of different forms, nuts and dairy. One thing I really liked about the diet was that I wasn't hungry all the time due to the protein I was eating, one thing I didn't like is that it was hard to maintain in social setting at times. Although I find I have that same problem now with not being able to eat gluten. I can always find something on the menu when we go out to eat but it's usually prefaced with "So, what can you eat on this menu anyway?" which gets to be a tad old after awhile.

I can't remember now why I stopped the Atkins "diet" but it was probably due to family dinners etc where I wouldn't be able to eat most of what was on the menu.

I would share your own experiences and ask her if she thinks she can sustain this diet indefinitely.

Here is a link to the aktins website:

http://www.atkins.com/phase1.html

As you can see phase 1 is pretty restrictive but does include lots of options for veggies and protein. Not fruit or alcohol or breads/grains and sugar.

Hope this helps and if you have any questions please let me know.

Oh and in my opinion, some of the Atkins products like the bars etc really aren't that good but that's just me. I'd rather eat a Lara bar or fruit or veggies etc.

Carrie

Sara,  I also did the Atkins diet when it was a new craze.  I lost about 50 lbs on it, and I enjoyed the food.  I basically didn't eat any vegetables - only meat, fish, eggs,  and fats.  I kept the weight off for about two or three years.  I have no idea how the diet has evolved.  The reason I don't do it now is that I think it's not good to eat an un-balanced diet too heavy in any particular food group. 

For the new friend, how about deviled eggs or a halibut steak broiled with some grated cheese on top?  It seems like eggs and fats like mayonnaise were allowed.  Fish was what I lived on mostly and a little cheese was ok.  Sure wish we could get halibut here.  It's my favorite fish.  A stir-fry of mixed seafoods would probably work too.

On advice, you have a lot of knowledge.  If she asks tell her about your own diet journey.  I think all of us are interested in how others have been successful as well as unsuccessful in our weight loss journeys.

Enjoy the tortillas.  Yum.

I don't know much about Atkins except for that a guy in our office does it - drops 25lbs in about 2-3 weeks and then gains it back over a few months and does it again - and repeat this cycle over and over. 

I would be in a coma without carbs, so I can't offer much assistance on this topic...

WEEKLY CHECKIN:

I'm doing well so far this week, Got my 7 day average back under 1800 cals. I didn't meet that goal last week...Due to a crappy binge at the last minute consisting of 500 calories of junk. That put me 131 cals over for the weekly average. Before I was at 1848 and was going to call it a success for the first week, but 1931.... Not so much.

I did get in exercise 3x last week. I re-started C25k and its going well.  I just got in my second day this week of it. I did it outside because the weather is beautiful today!

Hope everyone else did well on their first week of new goals!

Have a good day.

My friend seems pretty pumped about her Atkins diet so I don't want to bring her down, my experience with Atkins has been from afar watching people drop weight then gain it back. I figure one of the best ways to support her is to just continue on my own journey and talk about it, that way if she does find herself demotivated on Atkins I can offer her other suggestions. 

Speaking of continuing my journey, I'm aiming to get back to the gym today... noonish. 

TWO DAY REMINDERS

Is it really Thursday already?! Here are our members who may be thinking the same thing. Watch for them to post today or tomorrow. If they have not posted by Saturday or are on the MIA list on Sunday please send them a polite and positive reminder to stay on track with their goals and involved with the group.

The_Vitamin_Dominatrix

Constanza

Missing In Action:

Carryonandon

Jessicaanne2001