Wagon Jumpers - January 11 - 17th, 2009 (Closed, Waiting List Available)
Welcome
(We are currently transitioning to 20 members (from 30). If you are interested in being on the waiting list, knowing that it will be a longer than usual list, please read below and e-mail 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 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.
Wagon Jumpers Participants
Week 36 Riders:
Supersized (myself)
Week 33 Riders:
Week 32 Riders - Congratulations on 8 Months!:
Week 29 Riders:
Week 27 Riders:
Week 26 Riders:
Week 25 Riders:
Week 22 Riders:
Week 21 Riders:
Week 20 Riders - Congratulations on 5 Months!:
Week 19 Riders:
Week 18 Riders:
Week 17 Riders:
Week 16 Riders - Congratulations on 4 Months!:
Week 14 Riders:
Week 12 Riders - Congratulations on 3 Months!:
Week 11 Riders:
Week 10 Riders:
Week 8 Riders - Congratulations on 2 Months!:
Week 7 Riders:
Week 6 Riders:
Week 4 Riders - Congratulations on 1 Month!:
Missing In Action:
Missing In Action - 1 Week:
Missing In Action - 2 Weeks:
Current Membership: 25
Current Waiting List: 2
Outstanding Wait List Invites: 0
12 Week CONSISTENCY GOALS
(as set w/o January 11th, 2009)
By April 4th, I will be...
Letsgetitstarted - consuming an average of 1,500 cal/day and 3 times a week for a minimum 30 minutes.
Rpete144057 - logging my food daily and exercising 5 days a week for at least 30 minutes.
Jessicaanne2001 - exercising 5 days a week for at least 30 minutes, and logging my food daily.
Supersized - logging all of my daily calories and eating in a calorie range of no more than 2,000 cal/day and no less than 1,500 cal/day (calculated by weekly averages).
Figurethefat - exercising a minimum of 1,500 minutes each month, and I will restrict using the scale to two weigh-ins per week on Monday and Friday.
Unlimitedana - eating between 1,500 - 1,600 cal/day and exercising three time a week.
Sarah1090 - logging my calories daily and eating dinner with my mom no less than 4 nights per week.
Cawilder - maintaining a 500 - 1,000 calorie deficit on a daily basis measured by my food log and, working out 5 to 6X per week combo of cardio and lifting.
Carryonandon - maintaining 300 - 500 calorie deficit daily and, exercising 3x per week.
Raven21 - drinking a minimum of 4 bottles (2L) of water daily and, exercising a minimum of 3X per week.
Nannygabber - doing the NROLFW program 3 times per week, and I will establish a 40/30/30 (Carb/Fat/Protein) macronutrient pattern on a weekly average for a minimum of 5 weeks of the next 12.
Germaica - exercising 3 times a week and logging my food for at least 4 days per week.
Pelkeyjm - logging my food daily and exercising at least 3x per week for at least 30 minutes.
The_Vitamin_Dominatrix - logging my caloric intake on calorie count at least six days every week and, exercising in the gym at least 3 days each week.
Tiegurl - eating 1,500 - 2,000 calories and exercising 5x a week.
Kyashiis - running 20 kilometers a week and making progress on the number of repetitions in my calisthenic exercises (starting at: 20 push ups, 30 sit ups, 0 chin ups, 2x 30 sec plank, 20-30 jump rope)
Lam7 - Logging all daily calories at least 6 times a week and, exercising minimum 40 minutes 3x per week.
Sjenn23231 - consuming and average of 1,500 cal/day and, doing SEAL team type workout 3 times a week.
Msmeg1984 - Following the 40-30-30 diet guidelines in NROLFW and working out 3 a week NROLFW plan.
Constanza - using the CC food log every day and, exercising an average of 4 times per week across the 12 weeks.
Defrog3 - eating with improved nutritional quality of food, specifically ensuring that I am getting enough daily protein and carbs and, walking six miles a week weather permitting.
Amber1l - working out 6 days a week for one and a half hours.
Wenchie58 - keeping my calorie intake between 1,400 - 1,500 a day and, drinking at least 2 liters of water daily.
Bigbitty - logging my calories daily and continue to drink at least 2 liters of water per day.
Previous Threads:
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
Wagon Jumpers - November 15 - 22nd, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - November 9 - 15th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - November 2 - 8th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - October 26 - November 1st, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - October 19 - 25th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - October 12 - 18th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - October 5 - 11th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - September 28 - October 4th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - September 21 - 27th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers September 14-20th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers September 7-13th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers August 31 - September 6th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers August 24 - 30th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers August 17 - 23rd, 2008
Wagon Jumpers August 10 - 16th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers August 2 - 9th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers July 27 - August 2nd, 2008
Wagon Jumpers July 20 - 26th, 2008
As always all members are encouraged to tag this thread so that it is easy to find.
THIS WEEK'S TOPIC: DECISION TIME, WHAT IS YOUR GOAL?
If you would like to participate in this 12-week consistency goal challenge this is the week to post your goal in it's final version to have it included in the main introduction post. Participating in this challenge is not a mandatory part of membership in the group, it is simply another topic to allow us to talk through common wagon jumping and consistency experiences. If you do want to participate read below:
Goal Posting Rules
1. Final goals must be posted this week, by Friday. All final versions of goals that will be included on the thread must be posted by Friday. An, advance thank you to everyone who gets their goal posted sooner. For a goal to be included it must meet all of the other criteria below, and be live on the this thread by Friday. Goals posted on last week's thread were for discussion, if you do not post your goal on this week's thread it will not be included.
2. Consistency goals only. We all have ultimate results goals about how many pounds we want to loose, or dress sizes, or inches, or cholesterol levels etc... However, we cannot meet those goals unless we do certain things with our eating habits and exercise habits consistently. I will only post goals that are things which you as an individual have direct control over and can do consistently. These could include how much you eat, what the nutritional breakdown is of what you eat, how much you exercise, how you exercise, or a number of others. How many pounds you want to loose will not be posted. There are many other challenges that cover that topic.
3. Goals must be measurable. You will need a way at the end of 12 weeks to decide if you succeeded at your goal. To do this you need to be able to measure your goal on a quantitative basis, not on speculation which will be determined based on how you are feeling that day. If you are going to exercise more, tell us what more is (30 min, 60 min, 2 days a week etc...) if you are going to eat healthier what does that mean (2 more servings of veggies / day / week, X number of calories?, a particular nutritional breakdown).
4. Prioritize 2 goals only. Wagon jumpers are great for the all or nothing mentality. At the beginning we are all going to log our food every day, eat a specific number of calories, with a specific nutritional break down, exercise everyday and get all our water and vitamins in.... You are still free to try for all these things, but in this challenge I will limit participants to choosing only 2 that you will put on a pass / fail basis.
5. Keep it simple. Your goal should be easily articulated in one or two short sentences, if it is more it is likely too complicated to track for 12 weeks let alone manage for 12 weeks or it is more than 2 priorities.
The challenge begins this week, this is week 1, it ends on April 4th, 2009, check in week will be the 12th week which is: March 29th, - April 4th, 2009.
12 Week Goal
By April 4th, I will be consuming an average of 1500 calories a day and exercising 3 times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes.
I have left the exercising bit vague so that I can do any exercise I like! I am more likely to reach my goal that way
Cheers,
Christine
Hi All!
MSMEG: hopefully your pup will definitely grow out of the murmur. I am new to the pet world, but know that the stress is just the same as with a human family member...i will be thinking of you in the coming weeks.
Sara: did you hear anything on your job interviews? I am sorry if you have posted already if so I missed it.
New 12 week goals.
1. To keep logging my food daily.
2. To exercise 5 days a week for at least 30 mins.
I was craving pizza big time this week, and I know that it can actually be sort of healthy if you pick the whole grain crust, no meat, and hardly any cheese...well that isn't what I wanted...to make a long story short...I had the chance and $$ to get the full fat, balls to the wall pizza, but decided that I had worked to hard to get to where I was now and my choices for the most part have been so much healthier....so I opted for a Turkey Sausage sandwich with tons of peppers, onions, garlic and tomato sauce...with a light dusting of part skim mozzarella..and actually loved the taste!! so guilt free for me! lol I am not wanting a "ATTA girl" for choosing the more healthier way in my road to healthgain....I just realized that all the information that I have gleaned has taken root in the grey cells up there..lol who would have thought it ?? lol
Have a great day everyone!!
Robin
Christine Great goals! I will post them soon.
Robin Great goals as well, I will post them in a few. I did hear back from all of the jobs, one I didn't get, one I was their second choice, one I got - but they are now on a hiring freeze - so I don't get it until (if) it is lifted, and the last one wrote back that they need another week to make their decision. ACK! Killing me!
What you deserve an "atta girl" for is not for making the healthier choice, it's for wanting to and enjoying it. I think that's one of the big mental shifts. I totally buy into the idea that junk foods are addictive, they don't really taste all that good, but our bodies and our minds become addicted to them. I've noticed that every time I do eat healthy if I go in for a little junk food it doesn't taste nearly as good as I thought it would and it often makes me feel, physically bad. On the other hand when I fall off the wagon completely then the junk food is all that I crave and it's like quitting smoking, I need to break an addiction to something that is not healthy, once the addiction is broken then the rest slowly falls into place. (Well the smoking analogy doesn't hold up 100% because you have to eat, you don't have to smoke)
Sara.
rpete-good job on not giving in!
I was completely the opposite this week. Good thing our new goals dont start until this week. I was thinking I was pregnant so I let that be an excuse to stuff my face and give in to being tired (hence not workikng out AT ALL). Well, I took a pregnancy test(more like 3 in the past week and half) and they have all been negative but I have still have not gotten "my friend". I think its just my body adjusting to being off bc.
ok, back to the topic.
my 12 week goals:
1. to exercise 5 days a week for at least 30 minutes.
2. To log my food daily
I can to this...I can do this...I can do this...I can do this...if I say it enough maybe I will believe it and do it!
Weekly Check-In
So I knew coming into this week that I was off the wagon big time. I got out the scale, got a shock, made some realizations about where I was, where I was coming from and where I wanted to go to.
I took this week as a 'data collection' week. I simply logged every single thing I ate, big and small.
The bad news is that I'm right back where I started, eating wise, not weight wise, plus 200 calories averaging 3,200 cal/day. Dear Gawd! So obviously, I'm no where near ready to let go of food logging.
This shows me something important about wagon jumping. I reverted to my old habits quite quickly after falling off the wagon and made them worse. If I kept on this path for 3 - 6 months, which is my usually pattern, 3 months on , 3-6 months off then it's easy to see how I loose 20 lbs and then gain 25 lbs each time, progressively increasing my each time I 'diet'.
I did gain some weight this week - that's not a surprise. What is a surprise is that I was able to look at it logically, based on what I was eating, I did not freak out, I'm not going to aim for 1,500 cal starting today. In fact, I actually said to myself, "this will be interesting, as I decrease my calories slowly I'll be able to see when my weight starts to plateau and then shift downwards".
My plan is to decrease my calories by 200, until I reach a weekly average of 2,500 cal/day and then by 100 until I get to 2,000 cal per day. I'm focusing on food in these 12 weeks but that doesn't mean that I'm not going to get my exercise in, I'm going to try out some of the exercises on the Health Habits blog and see if I can pick up the New Rules of Lifting for Women and try that, hopefully by the end of 12-weeks I will have an idea of what sort of exercise goal I want to set for the next round.
Goals
By April 4th, I will be logging all of my daily calories and eating in a calorie range of no more than 2,000 cal/day and no less than 1,500 cal/day (calculated by weekly averages).
Sara.
Jessica Good goals, a little worried about your lack of 'can-do' attitude. Why do you think you may not be able to do them? If you can answer that why then you can make a plan to meet the goals.
Weekly Check In: I have been so on the wagon the past 7 days! Logging everyday, staying under 1,500 calories, keeping the fat under 20% and also exercising. It feels good to be making the right choices when it comes to feeding myself. And yesterday we went and saw Gran Torino and I didn't even consider eating anything. Fantastic!
I've had a chance to rethink my 12-week goal. I was going to go for riding my bike, but I've decided it's a bit too restrictive. Any exercise will be fine, doing it, moving and not sitting around thinking about food is the important issue. So...
12 Week Goal
By April 4th, 1) I will be exercising a minimum of 1500 minutes each month, and 2) I will restrict using the scale to two weigh-ins per week on Monday and Friday.
WEEKLY CHECK-IN:
This week was my try out week for my new goals. The new exercise routine has kept me motivated since it's shorter and more active than my regular walk around the park. And on the calorie count front, I logged all my foods for a straight week and only had ONE day of overpassing the 1500-1600 range (and only for 100 cals). Since I feel comfortable with these new goals, I'm making them official:
By April 4th I will:
1. Eat between 1500-1600 cals/day
2. Do exercise three times a week (exercise + weight training)
Good luck in your new goal supersize! We can do this!
I'm doing pretty well this week. I wasn't tempted by the ice cream at the store I work at and I wasn't tempted by eating unhealthily when my friends were. This is a huge improvement from before. I don't want to completely deprive myself because I know that will just lead to bingeing later, but I think the little simple decisions I've been making lately are good ones.
By April 4th, I will be logging my calories daily and eating dinner with my mom no less than 4 nights per week.
This goal is definitely simpler than my last one and I am confident that I can stick with this and do it for 12 weeks!
Hi all,
msmeg - good luck with the doggy - we had two golden retrievers until I found out that I was allergic to them and it was absolute hell giving them back to the breeder - it was as close as I could come to giving away a child.
Sara - on the interviews - golly I know that it is very hard. We had 3 candidates - we were ready to give offers and needed them badly and then the hiring freeze at my company happened. We, who work there, are screwed because we are now still held to our commitments for the work. It's not a good situation all the way around...
rpete: give yourself as much credit as you can. I think all too often we downplay ourselves and our accomplishments. Be proud that you made a conscious decision what to put in your mouth. I think it is great.
My week in review:
Not bad. I kept within my calorie limits. We have these breakfast cookies at work for $1.20 and they are 310 calories (I think...). They are my diet undoing.. so now I pick up the free fruit that they give us at work instead and eat that. It has been hard but so far I have done pretty well this week.
I have a little phobia of the scale - because the number can dictate my mood and I don't want to feel bad so I am waiting until my clothes fit pretty loose before I will get on.
Exercising is getting better - treadmill, stairmaster, weights, etc. Finally got on the trail today, Sunday --- I was freaked by the car prowl so I ended up leaving my car at another part of the trail on the main road. It is further from our house but at least I felt that my car was more protected. I ran 7 miles - lots of trees and shoe sucking mud - but it was a glorious adventure run.
My goals by April 4th are:
Maintain 500-1000 calorie deficit on a daily basis measured by my food log
Work out 5 to 6X per week combo of cardio and lifting
I am not a sappy person as a rule BUT, I really want to say that I appreciate this group very much and the advice / support that is given. Sara, you do a great job on keeping us on task and keeping things rolling. THANKS...
For my check-in this week so far: At least I'm not eating more than I'm burning... My husband and I threw a dinner party for family members yesterday which was my only meal, but a big meal it was. The funniest part was that everyone was surprised we could cook! :-) The main course was Greek-style pork chops and potatoes. mmmmm... I made some nice green beans with a hazelnut-lemon butter that got an A in the recipe analyzer and only came in at 74 calories for 1 1/3 cups.
For the 12-week goal-setting, I'm stating the same thing I did last week:
1) Maintain 300-500 calorie deficit daily. I usually shoot for 500 and end up somwhere around 400 or 350. This works well if I'm able to log my food items.
2) Exercise 3x weekly.
Sara had asked about my vacation. It was really nice! My husband and I are both finishing up our post-graduate degrees this semester and it was nice to have the chance to visit his family in Greece during our last lengthy holiday. Mainly we just hung out with family, ate wonderful food and went out for coffees. The city is really easy to get around by walking, and while I seem to have maintained my weight, my clothes seem to be fitting a lot better. One of the best parts of the trip was simply escaping the harsh winter weather here in Michigan! We still needed jackets, but could walk along the sea and look to the east to see the mountains. There was snow on top of the mountains, but it was far away! Eventually, I will post some photos but here is a link to some photos and videos on the city of Chania.
Laura Great job on the food this past week that is spectacular especially with the reduction in fat. I agree that freeing up what type of exercise you are doing makes goals much easier to achieve.
Ana I'm glad you are enjoying the new exercise routine, what is it made up of?
Sarah Wow, working at an ice cream store, not sure I could handle that temptation, great job. Even better with the not being tempted with your friends. It's also great to see you are getting your head around making sure you do not feel deprived.
Carol I can relate to the scale phobia, I was certainly there last year (and for most of my life), being without it for a year has really helped me get in touch with my body and how it feels, and learning to focus on clothes and fit more than numbers. I'm glad you are not letting the one incident take you away from running and also glad you do have a safer place to park your car.
Carry You'll have to post one of those recipes next recipe challenge. My cousin and her new husband went to Croatia on their honeymoon, not a place that automatically springs to mind for me for travel, but the website on Greece reminded me a lot of their photo's the architecture is very similar.
All Thank you everyone for the compliments on the group and the encouragement. It's really great to have all of you in the group and to have such a solid group of participants. I started wagon jumpers when I was ready to fall off the wagon completely in the hopes of finding others who knew what that felt like. In the long run I have found so much more and learned a lot from everyone who has and is participating.
Well I had a great week last week! And much like a few other people, I discovered some of the things I used to really enjoy no longer give me the same satisfaction, my example is hot chocolate. I used to "crave" a cup of hot chocolate every night. Last night I decided to have one, after not having any for weeks, well I had a couple sips and then dumped the rest out, I didn't want it! Now does that mean I never will again, doubtful but it just didn't do it for me anymore.
I'm working really hard on upping the protein in my diet and have found the analyser on cc very useful.
On the goals side of things, here are my 12 week goals (they may look very familiar since they are pretty much the same goals I had last time):
1. Drink a minimum of 4 bottles (2L) of water daily.
2. Exercise minimum of 3 x a week
I am doing the first goal already and the second goal is well in hand so I think this will be a habit by the end of the 12 weeks, I'm very excited.
Sara - waiting to hear back from jobs can be stressful. I am usually on the other end (as a big part of my job is recruiting) and I can relate to the hiring freeze, only "essential" positions are still open and the projected hiring is certainly down from last year, good thing I have lots of other things to keep me busy and viable
MsMeg - Sorry to hear about your puppy but I am sure everything will work out fine. As someone who has a 1 year old puppy (yes I still call him a puppy), I can totally relate to the connection between you and your pup. I really is very much like having a child.
To everyone else. Congrats on setting your 12 week goals. I have a good feeling about this round, I think you'll see a lot more people completing their goals this time around.
Happy Monday everyone!
Raven
Weekly Check-in: I am so glad to be back on track! Food log and previous exercise goal achieved this past week. Also did replace the white wine glass with ice water! Pleasant change indeed!
Also a big thank you for the congratulatory personal message from Sara on my three month milestone! A very big CONGRATS to all who have reached higher monthly milestones with Wagon Jumpers!
Goal Setting: By April 4th I will be logging all my calories daily and exercising daily for a minimum of 30 minutes. I have decided to increase my exercise to daily as I know this can only be a good thing. Our weight system and treadmill are set up in the new house now, so there should not be any excuses. Surely I should be able to squeeze in 30 minutes within each day. Not to mention my desire to continue with my Aqua Turbo (fave) classes at least twice a week which are for 50 minutes. Will be sending off an invite to my two girlfriends to see if they will join me this time.
Have a great and successful week everyone!
Lee-Anne
WEEKLY CHECKIN:
I missed one day of exercise, due to having TTOM show up early, and feeling very yukky. I did however attempt at a replacement workout by cleaning up the house from top to bottom yesterday. My calves are actually sore from taking all the Christmas decorations up the stairs. Weird, because I thought my calves were pretty well conditioned... LOL! The little surprises, eh?
I managed my calories well, but recommitted to logging in detail. I have found that it is very very VERY difficult to reach the recommended grams of protein (140 to 150 for me) by having food only as the source. I am going to have to research for whey protein, and come up with a decent quality economical version... any ideas? I want to get myself on track here at the start of the next goal session!
GOALS:
Between now and April 4th, I will do the New Rules of Lifting for Women program as outlined by Lou Schuler 3 times per week, and I will establish a 30/30/40 (C/F/P) Macronutrient pattern on a weekly average for a minimum of 5 weeks of the next 12. (Feel free to reword to shorten, Sara...)
RE: NOTE FROM SARA
WOW! I have been here four months? Where has the time gone? LOL! Thank you so much for the encouraging note, and in response to your question about what I have learned... WOW... I think you may have to read my book one day... hehe... I have learned OH SO MUCH, and I want to thank you publicly for your input, your intelligence, superior level guidance, and dedication to this group. I truly enjoy being here, and can only hope that on occasion, I am an encouragement as well to others.
While you may think my answer to that question would be some tactical tidbit. Some essential fact that we all seem to overlook ... the secret key... the holy grail of health.... I learned this sort of thinking is not reality. What I have learned has more to do with gray matter than any other single fact or thing.
When I first began I quickly learned the three facets of healthgain.
1. Physical Exertion: Exercise
2. Nutritional: Food Intake
3. Emotional: well, emotions.
While I could grasp the first two fairly simply, even though I learned much about each... I had never really truly examined the third aspect, maybe I was afraid (fear is an emotion...lol - there's some irony there somewhere...) to find out! ...and it seems such an elusive topic, that not many I asked could give me straight answers, so I pretty much set out on my own to find out. I did find out that emotions are something that CAN BE leashed, and controlled. It really is a choice, and being one who "wears their emotions on their sleeve", this is very difficult for me to grasp, but I am doing it! Yet, I am still in discovery mode on this one. Therefore, the essence of what I have learned is not necessarily some tangible applicable fact, but these:
1. First and foremost, love myself.
2. Don't see a small failure as defeat, pick up where I left off before I hit the bump in the road, and keep going. Stop wallowing in self-pity.
3. Success, even small ones, make you feel good, and make you want to keep having more successes.
4. Make a plan. To fail to plan, is to plan to fail. (Thank you Susan) Stick to the plan.
5. This is not a diet. There is no such thing as a "diet" that works. It is a lifestyle, therefore requiring me to give up my "instant gratification" tendencies. I must TAKE MY TIME.
6. Stay positive. It's not weight loss... it is healthgain. Word-choice and self-talk are of great impact.
7. Muscle is highly important. In many many ways.
8. The media lies. A LOT. It took me a long time to "get this way", it will take me a long time to get out of it.
9. There are many others who are just like me. Needing encouragement, help, and adjustments in thinking patterns.
10. This can be done.
To sum all that up in one single statement, I might conclude that - Truly good health begins between your ears.
You also asked about my achievements. I to date, have lost 8 lbs, and 17 inches over all. (Not that I am really "counting") I have gained an unbelievable (to me) amount of strength and energy. My thinking has been adjusted toward the positive, and I just FEEL BETTER. While I am not where I see myself getting to yet, I know I am on the way.
I hope you all have a great day/week, and wherever you are, what ever you are doing, take a moment to know that you are worth the effort.
Happy Healthgain to All,
~Julie
PS... To quote Schuler - "You aren't what you don't eat. "
Hi everyone,
Thanks Sara for the congratulatory PM for my 1 month with wagon jumpers. I have really enjoyed being in this group. It has really helped me become more conscious of my diet and lifestyle. Reading about everyone's struggles and successes has kept me motivated and focused. I have a lot to learn and a ways to go, but I don't feel so alone anymore.
This week was an improvement over last week, I exercised more, and started writing my recipes in the analysis tool. It has opened my eyes. I didn't see how many calories where in my home made meals. I will be using this tool a lot more.
Goal setting for the 12 weeks consistency: By April 4th I will exercise 3 times a week and log my food for at least 4 days a week. I also allow myself 3 weeks off. My main goal is the exercise, my maintenance goal is logging. I already do 4 days a week, I really want to concentrate on the exercise. Since I have other health issues, I will work on these without the pass/fail.
Good luck to all on their goals, stated or un-stated.
Hi,
Sara - thanks for the 2 month congratulations - you asked in the e-mail to share with the group what I had learned, etc. (I think, I am paraphrasing...)
This past few months with the holidays, being snowed in, work, family issues have taken a toll on me focusing on me and my journey towards becoming a healthier person. During that time I focused on the few things that I felt I could control - I tried to choose healthier foods, if I was gonna cheat then restrict the portion.
I have learned from this group that I am NOT unique in my struggles. I have been ashamed for so long that on why can't I get this UNDER CONTROL. I am a smart person - I can figure most stuff out. It has been helpful to see others struggle and their solutions.
Thanks again!
Sorry, I also was forwarded this and thought it was kind of nice:
40 Tips for Better Life - 2009
1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today.'
5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2008.
7. Make time to practice meditation, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day .
13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.
14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, OR issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
17.. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the NEGATIVE BLUES away.
18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'
26. Forgive everyone for everything.
27. What other people think of you is none of your business.
28. REMEMBER GOD heals everything.
29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
30. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
31. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
33. The best is yet to come.
34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
35. Do the right thing!
36. Call your family often. (Or email them to death!)
37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.
38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.
40. Please Forward this to everyone you care about. I just did.
May your troubles be less, May your blessings be more, May nothing but happiness come through your door.
Here is my goals. I want to eat 15-2000 calories. Post at least twice a week on the form. Log in my food 7 days a week and exercise 5x a week. Plus start a weekly diary.
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New journal post Starting again by tinycecil 00:55 |
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New journal post Weigh in take 2 by skyaid07 00:42 |
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New journal post Day 3 by desi2009 00:32 |
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New forum message Working out at home...what equipment? by wanderlustful 00:21 |