Wagon Jumpers - August 9 - 15, 2009 (1 waiting list spot available)
Welcome
(I keep the waiting list capped at 4 people as it can be a 16 week wait with that length, if you are interested in spot 4, read below and contact me.)
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 finding its optimum level is between 20 and 25 participants.
A medium sized group means that we have an active thread that produces between 30 - 45 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
Year 1 - Week 14 Riders:
Supersized 
(myself)
Year 1 - Week 10 Riders:
Year 1 - Week 9 Riders:
Defrog3 - Maternity Leave to October 31, 2009
Year 1 - Week 6 Riders:
Year 1 - Week 4 Riders - Congratulations on 1 Year & 1 Month!:
Raven21 - Vacation Aug 5 - 9, 2009
Week 51 Riders:
Week 46 Riders:
Week 42 Riders:
Week 38 Riders:
Week 36 Riders - Congratulations on 9 Months!:
Week 34 Riders:
Week 28 Riders:
Week 13 Riders:
Dovelette - vacation July 30 - Aug 15
Week 9 Riders:
Week 3 Riders:
Week 1 Riders:
Missing In Action:
Missing In Action - 1 Week:
Missing In Action - 2 Weeks:
Current Membership: 22
Current Waiting List: 3
Outstanding Wait List Invites: 0
12 Week CONSISTENCY GOALS
(as set w/o June 28th, 2009)
By September 19th, I will be...
Msmeg1984 - NEW: eating a weekly average of 2,000 cal/day and, MAINTENANCE: exercising 3x/week for at least 9 of the 12 weeks.
Dovelette - NEW: NROLFW 3x week for 9 out of 12 weeks.
Merimeriqcontrary - NEW: 3 times/week exercise for at least 9 out of the 12 weeks.
Wenchie58 - NEW: Logging my food intake of <1500 cals per day at least 5 days per week.
Figurethefat - NEW: to run/walk a minimum of six 5ks per month. MAINTENANCE:to continue doing a minimum of 1,500 exercise minutes per month.
Kyashiis - NEW: Run a minimum of 3 kilos 12 times over the 12-week period. MAINTENANCE:I will zig-zag on my food intake consistently throughout each week and end up with an average daily calorie count of 1,100 cals.
Raven21 - NEW: Eat all my yummy, healthy meals (3) and snacks (2) before 9pm for 12 weeks, with no more than 12 days missed. MAINTENANCE:Exercise at least 3 times a week
Supersized - NEW: Go to gym 3x/week for 6 of 12 weeks. MAINTENANCE: Log all food for 9 of 12 weeks.
Cawilder - NEW: Log my food 85% of the time. MAINTENANCE: Running at least 5 hrs/week and lifting 2x/week.
Lam7 - NEW: Consistently log all calories 5 of 7 days a week. MAINTENANCE: Exercise at least once a week.
Nannygabber - MAINTENANCE: Strength training 3x/week for 9 of 12 weeks. Macronutrient ratio of 40/30/30 (carb/fat/protein) for 9 of 12 weeks.
Germaica - NEW: Exercise at least 3x/week for at least 30 min for 9 of 12 weeks. MAINTENANCE: Continue to eat 1 portion of high iron food at least 4 times per week.
Jessicaanne2001 - NEW: Keep calories under 2,000 checking by logging food 4x/week. MAINTENANCE: workout at the gym 4x/week
Carryonandon - NEW: Exercise 3x weekly MAINTENANCE: 300-500 calorie deficit daily.
Constanza - NEW: For the next 12 weeks, less twelve days I will follow this meal plan: 3 meals, 1 snack and 1 dessert per day, no more than 7 alcoholic drinks per week. MAINTENANCE: exercise an average of 2x/week.
Jnielsen006 - NEW: exercise at least 2 days a week for 45 minutes at least 9 of 12 weeks.
Previous Threads:
Wagon Jumpers - August 2 - 8, 2009
Wagon Jumpers - July 26 - Aug 1, 2009
Wagon Jumpers - July 19 - 25, 2009
Wagon Jumpers - July 12 - 18th, 2009
Wagon Jumpers - July 5 - 11th, 2009
Wagon Jumpers - June 28 - July 4, 2009
Wagon Jumpers - June 21 - 27th, 2009
Wagon Jumper - June 14 - 20th, 2009
Wagon Jumpers - June 7 - 13th, 2009
Wagon Jumpers May 31 - June 6th, 2009
Wagon Jumpers May 24 - 30th, 2009
Wagon Jumpers - May 17 - 23rd, 2009
Wagon Jumpers - May 10 - 16th, 2009
Wagon Jumpers - May 3 - 9th, 2009
Wagon Jumpers - April 26 - May 2nd, 2009
Wagon Jumpers - April 19 - 25th, 2009
Wagon Jumpers - April 12 - 18th, 2009
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
As always all members are encouraged to tag this thread so that it is easy to find.
This Week's Topic: Half Way Goal Check In
That's right we passed the half way mark this past week. How are you doing on your goals? Are you still on track to meet them? If so, how are you going to keep it that way? If not, can you still meet them - what are you goin to do to make sure you do? If you are unable to meet your goal at this time what can you change about your goal next time to be sure you achieve it?
Motivational Guru
I need to look through the July thread to figure out the Motivational Guru for this past month. (Sorry move). If you want to be the motivational guru for the month encourage MIA list members to come back and members who are late in posting to not go MIA.
Wow Sara it's hard to believe we're already 6 weeks into this round of goals. I'm very much 100%, and just ran my 2nd 5k of the month this morning. And if I continue my exercise hours for this month at the same pace I've set the first week I'll do 2000 minutes!
That said, my eating sucks. I've been eating junk. Why is it that once one starts down that path it's so hard to get back to eating the good stuff. Yesterday I pigged my way through half a loaf of Cinnamon Burst bread (from the bakery). Plus I had 3 serves of tortilla chips with melted white cheddar and salsa last night. Not good! And on Thursday I ate myself silly at a buffet type place.
Thanks for the 9 month congratulations. I so need to get back on the wagon with the healthy food choices. It's so typical of me to get to a maintenance level then derail myself. It's possible that with all the exercise I need to be upping my daily calorie intake. I think I'll eat more, but still eat within limits so I don't end of going overboard!
The past two weeks were fun but very hard on the fitness front. I spent July 25 through Aug 1 on the beach and overate during that time. I was in California Mon thru Thurs this past week and returned to participate in a 3 day extravaganza family reunion through the weekend. My husband and I hosted a BBQ on Fri night, we attended a dinner on Sat night and a brunch today. Results were mixed. I exercised heavily in CA but overate. I did not exercise this weekend but ate very well. I avoided drinks and desserts and stuck to lean protein, fruits, veggies and water at all the events. That was a victory for me. I can't remember the last time I was able to maintain control at a big eating event.
I feel strong going into a new week. I enjoyed myself recently but missed my routine. I want to recommitt to logging food, drink more water, complete three workouts a week in NROL Hypertrophy II and walk twice a week. By Sept 19 I would like to be done with fat loss so I can start a bulk.
In that past, the main obstacle to achieving that goal has been my eating habits. I love NROL so exercising is not the challenge. I find it difficult to run a caloric deficit when lifting heavy. To achieve success this time around I am going to try to keep the deficit small - no more than 300 calories, throw in some maintenance days for sanity and try visualization techniques. I used that technique this weekend before each big food event. I pictured myself enjoying cold sparkling water, crispy fresh vegetables, colorful sweet summer fruit and lean protein. It worked! I am going to try more of that.
I did speak to one of our members for last week's assignment. I will share my findings with the group in the next few days. She is a delightful and interesting person.
Figurethefat: Good job with the exericse. I hear you on the eating difficulties. I struggle with the same thing. The visualization technique I spoke about was covered in the Daily Blog a few days ago right here on CalorieCount. It sounds hoakie, but it worked for me this weekend. Not sure if it will continue to work, but at least it helped this weekend.
So far this week I have five words to say: all you can eat buffet. UGH
And the boot camp thing isn't going to work out because the 10 am class won't be offered in Sept, and there's no way 6:30 is happening.
In lighter news, I'm back to the lightest I've been since having Tristan! Considering I balooned up about 12 pounds since the last time I was here, yay!
Laura Good job on the exercise front. I find that I get stuck in good foods or bad foods. My transition seems to be when I get busy I first start by picking up grocery convenience food and then fall off the wagon completely into take away food, greasy chinese, pizza etc... The only thing that really works for me is a lot of planning, and when I'm busy that is difficult to do. Hopefully I'll figure it out soon.
Laura42 Well sounds like you have both halves of the formula you just need to get them to synch up. I think your starting with a small deficit is a good plan.
Peera Congratulations on the lightest weight since baby. Those all you can eat buffets are a nightmare. I try not to go, but the boys always love them. Maybe Laura42's visualization plan can work for both of us.
Halfway? Yikes!! I am running about 40/60 lately and I better get to it to show a reasonable number at the end!
Last weeks homework: I chose to ask Meri a few questions. She lives in Bucharest, Romania, a bustling city that sounds interesting from her description. (Even for a country gal like me who doesn't DO cities). She enjoys rollerblading and hiking. She has even camped amidst bears and other sorts of wild creatures! She doesn't have time for many hobbies, but she did fess up to playing Dungeons and Dragons.
I enjoyed getting and reading Meri's note. I'm glad that although late, I took part in the assignment! Oh yeah....a quote from Meri
":P I love the group and I think this needs to be shared."
Thanks Meri!
Hi,
HMMMM... well, I have started to swim and run in the pool. I hate chlorine - I mean I really hate it. But you know, I was in the pool on Sunday morning and I saw this very very large woman two lanes over and she was there before I got there and then she was there after I was done (only did 45 mins). At one point we were turning at the same time and I smiled and said hi - she was shocked that someone had said, hi. I kind of thought - how sad that she was surprised that someone would say hi or what. I wanted to give her some encouragement and have her be proud of herself.
Needless to say I am trying to get some exercise - I realise how much my freestyle stroke really stinks - breast stroke is better. I have learned how to run in the pool and can get things going a bit better there but no where near my 140bpm that I can when I actually run. I think do just upper body and abs and some non-knee straining leg movements.
Naturopath did not have any additional ideas on my knee but did some adjustments to my joints, back, etc. and I got some acupuncture. They still think that it is ligament / tendons which are upset and secreting fluid into my knee. But it is interesting because my left illiobands are loose but my right are tight - my right hip has bursitis but my left is fine and my left knee is screwed up. So, I have a feeling that it is all connected in some weird way.
My eating is OK. It is interesting but I am not finishing anything at all lately. I just am not hungry and I don't seem to crave chocolate.
Go figure..
Laura and I exchanged info - it was great -
Here were our list of questions / answers:
1. Where do you live?
Nothern VAm just outside of DC.
2. How long have you lived there?
I moved to the area in 1998. Before that I lived in NY for most of my life.
3. What do you like to do? Like if you had a completely free day?
I love photography, gardening, walking, biking, some crafts like tie dying and mosaics. I can also be very lazy and spend the whole day reading. Things I want to get to but haven't found the time - relearning Italian and French through Rosetta Stone tapes or something like that (minored in French and Italian in undergrad), piano lessons (took lessons as a child and have forgotten everything), swing dancing lessons (took lessons before I got married and would love to do more).
4. Best place where you have taken a vacation and place where you want to take a vacation?
I went to Italy on my honeymoon in 1999. Rome, Florence and Tuscany. I would like to get back there. But we have been discussing an outdoor adventure type vacation like Alaska, Hawaii, Yellowstone National Park. Something like that because we have two young children and I don't think they would enjoy a cultural sight seeing type vacation just yet.
5. Family - married, how many children, etc.
I am married with two children - 8 yr old daughter, 6 yr old son.
6. Favorite exercise / Least favorite exercise
I looooove weight lifting. I finished NROLFW and am woking my way through NROL. I don't think I have ever enjoyed an exercise program as much as I am enjoying these books. I also like walking and biking a lot. I hate high impact exercises like running. I also get nauseous just thinking about spending time on the cardio machines in the gym.
CHECKIN:
I just have a minute or two, and wanted to say Hi and Happy Healthgain. This summer has been consumed of late with website design, and because I am so inexperienced at it, its a trial and error game plan until I get it all correct. I can't wait to publish it!
I have also hired a new person to work for me with my freight business. Training takes time and energy, but this will work out well, I can already see it.
As for my goals, I am losing grip. I have to be honest. I missed the gym yesterday, due to the need to put time into design, and I have basically logged nil. I will make it to the gym the rest of the week, but I will get to lift only twice. Bummer.
I have to stay focused though! Vacation is T minus 25 and counting. I have lost another 5 lbs, and hope to drop a few more by then. I don't know what I am complaining about!! I am losing again. I guess its just frustrating that I set goals and am not meeting them.
Anyway, got to go for now. Take care all! And hope your day is healthgain.
~Julie
Hey Nannygabber, 5 pounds is 5 pounds. Celebrate!! It sounds like you are busy with your professional life right now. If you can continue to make progress despite increased demands on your time, that is a good thing.
Congrats to everyone making progress!
Hard to believe it's Wednesday already! I'm happy to report exercise and eating success so far. Other than that, I'm just feeling a little culture shock at being in a totally new place and not really knowing anyone. Luckily, one of my girlfriends is from the area and will be here for a few weeks.
I am doing fine with my workouts, but not with my eating. I go well for a few days, then off track a few and repeat. I'm back up to a weight I told myself i never wanted to see again since i got under it last time - 160... :-( i don't know what it is, but i just don't feel like I have it in me to keep my eating under control.
Looks like I need to give myself some sort of tangible reward to work for.
Wenchie Thank you for the introduction to Meri Looks like there are a bunch of us closet gaming geeks on this thread. :)
Carol Good for you getting to the pool. I love to swim but have to admit I'm nervous about putting on a bathing suit. I need to get past that. Thank you for introducing Laura
Julie "hi", let me know if you can use any friendly tips or a second eye on your website. I've got a reasonable amount of design (although not developer) expereience and communications is pretty much all online now, so I spend a lot of time re-vamping websites for market focus and interactivity.
Carry Hope you are slowly starting to settle in, it will eventually feel like home (or I keep telling myself that as we're now onto the decorating phase).
Check In I'm doing well with my goals. They're not too hard and I have enough time to achieve them. I'm aiming for 3x at the gym this week, I've been once and I should go again today.
MsMeg "hi" I hear you on the eating (see below).
Update: Hired a Nutritionist
So I bit the bullet and plunked down the money for a nutritionist. Part of me wants to think I'll be pro-active enough to figure out my macronutrient ratios like Julie did and go from there, but I'm struggling to keep it under 2,000 cal and I'm stalled in weight loss, mainly for food reasons I think.
For the last not quite one year since the initial weight loss success I've managed to maintain, but, I keep letting the calories creep up, I can battle them back to around 2,000 but then as soon as I try to get them under I go off the wagon again.
I have to admit much of the nutritionist thing is simply handing over the money. While I have tried a lot of 'fad' diets, I've never put down money for one. So I'm telling myself that if I'm going to pay for the meal plan I better damn well use it.
I'm also using it to take me out of the caloire counting mind for a bit. Not that I'm going to stop logging I will keep logging. But focus on what she tells me to eat, log that, look at how the macronutrients change, monitor for energy levels and try to go from there. I'm not going to freak out if the plan has me eating more than 2,000 cal or much less. I'll give it at least 3 months to work and keep folks updated on the progress.
I'll try to put in as many details of the plan as I can, of course keep in mind this plan is tailored to my dietary restrictions, allergies, lifestyle, and prefrences. So it may not be your cup of tea.
Sara.
Sara - Thanks for the encouragement. :-) We are very near the decorating stage ourselves and I think that will help a lot in making the place seem homier. Right now, all our photos and artwork are clustered randomly on the tv stand and countertops. The personal touches are needed because almost all my old stuff from prior to the wedding was ruined in storage and all the furniture we have is new to me. (Unfortunately, the garage we used was a poor choice given that it was prone to winter flooding as the snow continually piled up, melted and flowed through). Another struggle is that my husband doesn't care for some of the art I've acquired and that makes me feel like I'm in my element. Oh well, he can't have everything his way right? :-)
Off-topic request regarding doilies: This is unrelated to our thread topic, but I haven't been able to find too many ideas for this online and thought you creative people might have some suggestions. Our home is contemporary/modern in design (kind of like the pics at this link - especially the kitchen photos) but I'd like to incorporate some very traditional, white/off-white antique doilies into the decor (made by my husband's grandmother). Some are round, square and there are table runners.
So far, the best idea I could come up with for our white walls (can't paint, we're renting) is to display them in photo frames on a black matting, but I'd like to try something more creative, if possible. Any suggestions?
Reading through the posts I get the feeling that keeping up the exercise or keeping down the calories are both doable, but not at the same time! That's what I want to get a handle on: balancing the two things!
cawilder -- my friend recently had a knee replacement, she mentioned that she thought she had hip issues (opposite to the knee) but it turned out that the bad knee was causing her to put extra strain on her opposite hip! So yes, all interrelated. Good luck with the pool.
Julie -- great job on losing another 5 pounds. Hope you find a chance to up your gym time.
peera -- I so hear you on the all you can eat buffet, is there any other kind? I think it might be best for me to either 1) stay away entirely or 2) starve the day before I go, rather than the day after.
carryon -- we've both been in the group for 9 months! Congratulations :)
Sara -- let us know how the nutritionist works out. Interesting concept.
Thanks to everyone for doing the "getting to know" thing. Nice to learn about other members of the group.
Well, the good news about the evil buffet:
I managed to do one plate proteins, one plate salad, and another plate of proteins (and then 2 relatively small pieces of cake) instead of carbing out as I'm usually guilty of.
I spent the whole next 2 days on my feet. My knees and hip aren't happy, but at least I got the exercise.
When all's said and done, I'm only back up 1 lb. I can handle 1 lb.
I'm here! Sorry Sara but I forgot to tell you that I was going to Australia and would be away for awhile. I'm back now(to my home in TX and to CC). My trip was awesome but its back to reality meaning its back to work and watching what I eat. I did a horrible job of eating healthy in the weeks leading up to my trip and while I was there. Im already working on getting back on track though. I went shopping today and bought lots of high fiber low calorie snack like options and then went and did a pilates class! Yay!
On a negative note...my legs have been aching a lot and since my gyno shared her concerns about possible blood clots caused by birth control I too have been concerned. I have been taking my calcium supplement everyday in hopes that its just a calcium difficiency but since it flared up after my airplane ride I cant help but worry. Im going to call and see about getting in to see a hematologist and discuss tests that would help me figure out whether its a blood clot ot not.
Hi everyone,
Weekly topic: doing well and on track. Last week I used up my 2nd slack week, but even with that I'm still good. 4 weeks out of 6 as planned. Being motivated to exercise is easier now than when I started out. I'm pacing myself and being patient with me when I'm not going as fast (running part) as I would like. This makes it less overwhelming and easier to stick to.
Last weeks assignment was great, I loved participating in it and reading about everyone. I loved kyashiis' intro to Wenchie. I am totally on the same page as you, that the healthgain/weightloss journey is more than just about the outside. It's an inner transformation, or maybe it changes us a long the way. Anyway rambling... I'm just loving the changes in me. Even hubby has seen a difference, noticed some of my leg muscles are firmer, that I'm less winded after a work out and more energy than ever.
One step at a time, one day at a time. Have a great week all,
Caroline
Checking In: I haven't posted goals, but right now I'm just trying to get back on track after last week. I had a friend in from out of state and I did not count calories at all, even though I could do the math in my head. So this week I'm back to logging in everything I eat and trying to keep a sensible calorie deficit. I'm rather dismayed that last week in the midst of eating what I wanted I lost a couple of pounds and this week I've gained three. I also hope to get back to the gym and regular excercise this week.
bleedtoblue - I hear you on the losing when you're not paying attention to calories and gaining when you are, same thing happens to me. For instance I was not very "aware" while I was away last week at ACDC concert or at the wedding and reception I attended last Saturday, however I am down a pound which I found odd. My husband says it's a sign I need to drink more (lol). The only thing I can think of is when I was away I only ate when I was hungry, didn't really "plan" meals so I'm continuing that this week and so far so good. Exercise isn't so great this week, work has been super busy but I did get in a yoga session and a walk with the dog. We're headed to Halifax on Saturday so there'll be lots of walking then too because we're taking the dog with us to stay in the hotel and going to see the Buskers down on the water front and we generally walk Dexter all around the city which is quite hilly down town.
Sorry I missed the get to know you topic last week, I really enjoyed it the last time around.
Sara - I have thought about hiring a nutrionist from time to time. I did when I was a young teenager since I've always been chubby. I'm relucant to do it now, mostly for the money and since I have read so much information I feel like I should know what to eat but again, needs to be tailored to your needs and likes which articles aren't. Good luck and keep us posted!
Carrie
Where can I see 1/8th or 1/6th of a pie or angel food cake?
This is the best way to picture a portion of pie or cake: Draw a circle to represent the circumference of the cake or pie (9" pie? 10" cake?... Read more