Wagon Jumpers - May 3 - May 9th, 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 5 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 52 Riders - 1 YEAR!!!:

Supersized  (myself)

Week 48 Riders:

Msmeg1984

Defrog3

Week 44 Riders - Congratulations on 11 Months!:

Wenchie58 - away May 9th, 2009

Week 42 Riders:

Raven21 

Week 41 Riders:

Tiegurl

Week 37 Riders:

Kyashiis

Week 35 Riders:

Unlimitedana

Week 35 Riders:

The_Vitamin_Dominatrix

Week 32 Riders - Congratulations on 8 Months!:

Nannygabber

Week 28 Riders - Congratulations on 7 Months!:

Lam7

Week 25 Riders:

Maureenz

Week 24 Riders - Congratulations on 6 Months!:

Cawilder

Week 23 Riders:

Figurethefat

Week 22 Riders:

Carryonandon

Week 21 Riders:

Constanza

Week 20 Riders - Congratulations on 5 Months!:

Germaica

Week 18 Riders:

Jessicaanne2001

Week 5 Riders:

Thesilverstar121

Missing In Action:

Pelkeyjm

Missing In Action - 1 Week:

Missing In Action - 2 Weeks:

Current Membership: 20

Current Waiting List: 5

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 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

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

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

THIS WEEK'S TOPIC: MOTIVATION

One of the commonalities of wagon jumpers is the motivational ups and downs. There are times when we are super motivated and can conquer the world, and then there are days when getting out of bed is a real challenge, forget cooking healthy food and making it to the gym too. 

When do you feel overwhelmed? What do you to to try to keep your motivation up during these times?

APRIL: MOTIVATIONAL GURU WINNER: MsMeg

Congratulations to MsMeg for winning this month's motivational guru prize. You win a $10 itunes card (assuming that I have one that is valid for the US), otherwise you may get something more consumable. 

GROUP SIZE

Okay I know we've gone back and forth on this one a lot... last time I promise. I swore I would never drop the group below 20 people, and I'm sticking to that. I like a mid-sized group for the diversity and also because it usually means there is at least one or two posts a day so that we can stay engaged with each other. As we are coming into the vacation season I know there's going to be members away. And, I've been finding the thread a bit slow lately.

How do you feel about increasing the group size back up to 25 people?

First, I want to say thank you to Nannygabber aka Julie for checking up on me. I appreciate it plenty. 

I feel overwhelmed when I have some much going on in my life. Sometimes, I feel like I have a million and one things to do. When I do, a lot of my concerns go out of the window which isn't cool. I just got back into exercising. :)

It is hard for me to keep my motivation up during this time so I follow my just do it rule. Depending on what I want to do, I have to do something to motivate me. If I know I need to go the gym and don't want to, I put on my gym clothes. If I'm in them that means that I have to go to the gym. Plus, putting them on and not going would be pointless. If I'm doing a workout DVD, I have to put the DVD in before I get motivated to put on my clothes and get my water ready. Its just to push myself.

Do you feel like we can handle 25 people? I know you are in charge in keeping with us the most although everyone tries to keep up with everybody. I think it will be fine.

 This week I feel like I did good with motivation.  I worked out by myself 2 times and 1 time with my trainer and am going again today to make it 4 times to the gym!!  It is a small victory for me to get in 4 days of working out.  One of the days I was super starving after leaving the gym and wanted to eat anything and everything I passed on the drive home.  I realized though that since I couldnt pin point exactly what I wanted that I was really just hungry and not craving anything in particular.  I did not give in and came home to eat!  One of the other days,when it was a TAKS (Texas Standardized test) day, I felt really tired.  I came home, took a nap, ate dinner, and so on.  Usually when I do this I def. do not make it to the gym.  However, I managed to get my butt up and went!  I was so proud of myself.

What has motivated me?  Really , recently it has been my trainer.  I received 4 free sessions because I  joined a new gym and its part of the membership and now I meet with her 2 times a month.  I of course would love more but it is already $70 more a month and that is all I can afford.  When we do meet she looks at my food log(print outs from here=) and writes me workouts and plans for the weeks when I do not see her.  Even though she doesnt yell at me when I mess up I dont want to let her down.

Another thing that motivates me is this story.... A few weeks ago I was shopping at Wal-Mart and I passed by this group of people that included managers and a customer who had fallen out of the motorized cart.  The thing is that this customer was a beautifull women who was only in her early to late 30's and who was obese.  She seemed ok but was staying down until the EMT's came.  She didnt have a cast or anything on so I am not sure why she was using the cart in the first place.  I felt really bad for her because she was so young and already had to rely on a cart to help her get around and I am assuming it was because of her weight.  I do not want to be that person and have to deal with those kind of daily struggles.

I follow a classic cycle - lose a few pounds quickly, then a month or two later when i haven't lost anything else, I sabotage!

I'm currently in the sabotage stage... I pulled a back muscle on top of that, so i wasn't able to get in much exercise to counteract the eating.  I don't know what to do to motivate myself to get out of these slumps... Its so disheartening when you go for so long without losing lbs or inches and you are doing everything right.  I do have a feeling that much of my overeating comes when i'm feeling bored and unengaged. I need to find things to do to keep myself busy.

I do enjoy journal most mornings. Really helps me put the day before into perspective and helps to set some expecations for the day ahead of me.

THank you Sara for the prize! I just hope that my little emails were helpful to everyone :)

As for group size. I am ok with 25 people as long as you feel like its manageable. We don't want to overwhelm you! :)

Hi,

Aaahhh Motivation!!

This is a subject that has so been near and dear to me recently.

On the days when I was overwhelmed but still stayed motivated - I just remember little steps. I remember playing golf and I was in lessons and they always taught us to do little things and check the little things because if you did it would end up having a great big nice swing and you would clock the ball.

I always remember that. So I play games with my self on my runs or on my workouts - "ok, Carol, just go for 20 mins - I mean anyone can make it for 20mins" then when I get into it I will make a bargain, "Hmmm, you seem pretty good - you can make it to 25 mins..." and so forth - or I will say - ok, I will quit at the next slow song or fast song but the point is that I do it in small steps. I know that taking the first step is the hardest, but if I can play mental tricks then it helps.

On my food I have to confess - I am less than responsible. Yes, I want that ice cream sandwich and I want it NOW. It is a very difficult thing for me because it is comfort to me. I have not found a way to really turn my back and make small adjustments before the mini-binge or slip begins. So, I just try not to feel too guilty and I work on righting myself. I try to figure out what I am going to eat the rest of the day or the next day and stick to it.

On the 25 member group - I am ok either way.

Motivation - Usually I get overwhelmed when I'm super busy doing everything for school - but in about 2 days (one more paper and one more exam) that will be over and I'll be graduating soon with my MBA! yay. It's been a whirlwind 2 years. 

During school it has been tough to be motivated to get into a good schedule as far as exercising goes, though I have plenty of friends who've been able to do it - so there really isn't any excuse :-) Luckily I was able to find a pretty good balance on eating due to planning ahead and learning to like the idea of logging the calories on here. It was motivational to begin to build my intuition about what a good portion size is and how many calories are in most types of food. This way when I don't have my laptop handy, I can still make good choices amongst foods I already like.

In the coming few months before we move to SC, I'll get a chance to focus on the exercise piece more. I might try putting a white board on the fridge with weekly eating and exercise goals to check off. Maybe that will carry over into the next phase of my life more easily.

MsMeg - congrats on being the motivational guru! You definitely deserve it.

Sara - congrats on being on the wagon a whole year!! I just noticed that as I was scrolling down to this week's thread.

Group Size - Of course, the size of the group is up to you, but since 25 people seemed a little overwhelming before, you might consider upping the number of members incrementally - one by one - until you feel you've hit the sweet spot. :-) Maybe we would be perfect at 23 for instance. I've noticed there's a 5 person wait list, though! So maybe there's some pressure from that end.

Another perfect topic for me..MOTIVATION!

For me, I have to set my priorities straight.  Getting this extra weight off is one thing, but I have to reinforce that my HEALTH will benefit if I keep motivated to exercise, eat properly and reduce stress in my life.  What motivates me??? When a co worker comments on how I am looking OR finding my clothes are fitting a big loser OR I have more energy OR I'm smiling more???   It's not easy that 's for sure and we have temptation around us 24/7 and at times we like to take the lazy way out and not get out of bed etc. but I find putting my mind in a positive frame right at the start of the day and focus and keeping a positive outlook on life itself, will get me through.  I also take it one day at a time as the cliche goes.  I find I "think too much" and some of those thoughts trigger "emotional eating" so I have to motivate myself to keep thinking "nice thoughts".  Since may 1st, I've really been doing well and now that the warm weather is upon us, I am out on the tennis court.  My energy level has increased and I just remember how good it feels when all is well with the world...if I can maintain those thoughts...then that MOTIVATES ME!

As for increasing the group.....I think it would be ok to increase a small number at a time.  Either way, the group we have now is AWESOME!

GOOD LUCK TO ALL THIS WEEK....keep motivated :) :)

Maureen

hey everyone! sorry for not being around last week, actually it was due to this week's topic

When do you feel overwhelmed? What do you to to try to keep your motivation up during these times?

I feel overwhelmed when I'm unsure about something, especially about family or work. My strategy is to prioritize, some stuff it's not worthy enough to worry about it but some other it is. Sometimes I have to step down from the wagon just to fix things in my life but now it's easier to go back to the wagon than down from it than before.

GROUP SIZE: I would love to have more people around! Thanks for everything super! and also thanks for everyone who sent reminders.

unlimitedana - I happened to check out your photos from Spain! How fun that you've been able to spend some time in Valencia during las fallas. I wasn't there during the main festival, but did happen to be in town when they let off all these fire crackers in the main square - everything shook  - even my pants - haha. Hope you had a great trip! Spain is one of my absolute favorite places.

Ok - done procrastinating for now... :-)

CHECKIN:

Last week I stayed on track. I am pretty pleased about it simply due to the fact that life is basically driving me right now. Unexpected things come up that I wouldn't normally be doing, and my time and agenda do become compromised, but I have managed to stay on track.

Which leads me to this week's topic of MOTIVATION.

I like what Tiegurl said. I would call that "active motivation" - Its similar to when you have a friend who is coming by to work out with you. Or when you have a message to give someone at the gym... or a question to have answered, its like having an alterior motive. There is another reason that is forcing you to act, so your choices become limited.

I have to admit. I bask in the fact that I say that I am doing this for my health. And I think.... yes, (after thinking... lol).... I THINK... I really mean that. Because its a major benefit! And while I have placed it on the top of the priority list... the mental list, the printed list, the "what I tell friends" list... I have to ask myself, what is the real, root, sincerest reason I can think of that I do this. Is it really my health? When I have an answer to that question, I may know what really motivates me.

Success motivates me. It feels good to win. It makes me want to do it again. It builds an ongoing trust in myself, a belief that I can do it, that I am worthy of doing it, and continuing to do it.

But ask... why do I want to succeed? Because each little step at which I succeed, takes me that much closer to my goal. Here is the real question.

What is my goal? I have to look deep inside to really know this. Am I fooling myself by saying a number on a clothing tag or on a scale doesn't matter to me? Am I serious when I say my health is important to me? Am I sincere when I say I just feel good doing it, in fact i feel better than I ever have? What is my real true goal?

I think far in the depths of every woman, we really want to be stick-thin, model-quality, goddess-looking women. I mean seriously. Let's just admit it! Envy won't really turn us green!  It's like the battle of hunger, that little orange dude on the Weight Watchers commercials... ADMITTING IT IS FREEING. And at some level, I believe we (I) may be just placating ourselves into believing that health is the goal because of self-doubt which cripples us from believing we can truly reach the goal we really want.

At least it's true in my case. After thinking through all this, long and hard and deeply, I believe that the catalyst to getting what I want has become my health. True, its a major benefit, but is it the real motivator?? Or am I just masking my superficiality by sugar coating it to appear upstanding?

I suppose I'll just admit it here and now. What truly motivates me is looking great, feeling sexy, being youthful in body and attitude, and even being one of those girls who gets the looks. I may sound shallow, but at least I am being honest. I LIKE all the attention I've been getting.... LOL!

***DISCLAIMER**** Yes, I know that last bit possibly makes me sound like a bloomin' idjit... I tend to overanalyze, and become brutally honest with the results. Maybe just an outlet of stress during this time of disarray, hence my admitance to being an absolute nutcase currently. But, who knows, I may be right. LOL! Additionally, wanting to be goddess-looking does not necessarily equate to starvation and anorexic tendencies... getting there the healthy way is A-OK! I'm just saying that its ok to admit "wanting" it. Isn't it? Opinions??********

Ok, *sigh* that's over with! NOW... how to STAY motivated? Have I reached my goal yet? Nope, got work to do!! So.... I have to stick with it.

I don't know if I lost the standard 2 lbs last week. I haven't had time to check. If I did, great, if I didn't... I can live with it. Life has thrown me some curveballs, and even though I am meeting minimum goals, I somehow feel guilty for not keeping the same schedule as I had before. LOL - I guess I am just missing the routine, and the stability of it.

I can hardly wait to get this move over with, and settled into my new place. The official move date is May 16/17. Any volunteers? LOL! - I'll still have access to the computer, due to the fact that is where I work, I won't be far from it at any time.

Healthgain to all,
~Julie

Julie - I completely agree with you!

I am doing it because I want to be skinny, i want to turn heads, I want to wear a bikini without worrying about my rolls showing. I don't want to see those dimples on my thighs anymore. I want to wear single digit sized clothes!

I want guys to hit on me so I can turn them down! (because maybe that will motivate my boyfriend to finally pop the question, lol).

So yeah... Just laying all that out there.

Healthy is a plus for me, but I want to look good and feel good too.

Meg - Thanks! I sorta thought I was a little off base, possibly even betraying the spirit of the group somewhat.... but you know... I feel SO MUCH better after admitting that!

....psychology!

Julie (Nannygabber) Thanks.

I also agree with you too. My health has never been in jeopardy but losing the weight wouldn't be bad too since I'm overweight. I would much rather be normal although there have been studies showing that sometimes being overweight is a little bit better than being normal. However, I'm also trying to look good in a bathing suit and my little black dress that's hanging over the closet.

Carryonandon congrats on graduating. I'm an undergrad and will be graduating in two weeks. Bachelors of Arts

Daily check in: This topic meant a lot today. I was really hungry because I hadn't eating since breakfast and left my snacks home. While out running errands I was still hungry. I told myself that I would stop by Einstein Bros Bagels. But with a lot of will power I managed to come home and eat a healthy lunch. I was so happy.  Could have ruined a good day with a bad meal.

To everyone who is moving good luck. I'll be moving soon too.

You know ladies...I too have to admit that I am also doing this so I look good.  Even though I am very happy in my current relationship it sure is a nice feeling to be "hit on" by a cute guy.  I want to feel sexy again!   O-ya, being healthy is awesome too!

I would have to echo what has been said by Julie, Meg, Tiegurl and Jessica, yup it's about the looks, however coming in a close 2nd is my health and making sure that I'm in the best health possible since hubby and I are talking more about kids (like in the next 5 years kind of plan).

Tiegurl - congrats, great job on the will power. I had a big win on that one yesterday as well. Around 9pm last night (when I usually get hungry) my husband was like, I want pizza. So I said I would go pick it up for him, which I did and didn't have any myself! I just drank another 500ml of water and this morning I was down 2 pounds from the weekend when I indulged a bit too much.

Julie - thanks for saying what a lot of us were thinking :)

MsMeg - on the proposal thing, I can relate. My husband was the kind of guy that said he was never getting married but what he really meant was he wasn't ready at the time, some guys like to take things slow (like 8 years or more!) but eventually they get moving lol

carryonandon and unlimitedana - I would LOVE to go to Spain. I have a friend with a condo on Majorca who said we could stay there but I would have to get to the mainland as well and see the Dali museum etc.

Carol - I have to think in little steps as well. If I think about the big picture I get totally overwhelmed. My latest revelation is that if I aim for a 6lb/month loss (not out of the relm of possibility) then in 6 months I could be 36 pounds lighter. Before I was thinking, I need to lose 30-40 pounds, how am I going to do that, but by breaking it down it doesn't seem so bad.  I also do the same sort of thing you do with the running, just one more song or just 5 more minutes, etc, it does help. I am also less responsible with my food which is probably what has made it harder for me to shed the weight (they say it's 80% diet), so I'm trying to focus on that.

So for me, what motivates me? This group for 1, seeing everyone's successes, hearing what motivates others, knowing there are other people out there like me. Small losses that I know will add up over time etc. Oddly, compliments from people don't seem to motivate, they might actually hinder my weightloss which is kind of odd isn't it?

I read a new book while I was on vacation, Master your Metabolism, written by Jillian Michaels of Biggest Loser fame. The book made a lot of sense to me in that many of the things we ingest reek havoc on our systems and hormones which doesn't help in our weightloss efforts. It's an interesting read of anyone is looking for a new book.

Well I must get started on this work day.

Oh and Sara, I agree with everyone else on the group size, if 25 is manageable go for it, I have noticed some days are slower than others on the thread.

Carrie

Thanks Raven. Good job on not eating the pizza. Will power can get you a long way. Yay for two pounds gone.

Looks like this topic is on everyone's radar today. Mine as well, I know these next few weeks are going to be ultra hectic, new job, new office, new clothes, new hair.... and I may have found a house to rent as well... oh god a move on top of everything. I must be crazy!

I like Tiegurls active motivation, I need to try that more often. Too often I look at the whole picture, and then decide it's just too much. If I can just put one foot in front of another I may get further. 

Lists are critical for me. I forgot to do my list yesterday because I was "too busy" and I've been without a map until 30 min ago when I said: spend the 10 minutes to plan the day so I don't waste the day. Setting small goals and measuring against them to see if I can do the basics is critical for me to keep moving the ball forward. 

I'm with Jessica and Julie, while I am doing this for my health, and I don't want to be the 30 year old obese woman fallen off a scooter in wal-mart, I also do get self esteem from my looks. I'd like to say I can feel sexy at any size, but that simply isn't true. I now know that I don't need to have my hip bones poking out to feel sexy, but I do want to have less jiggle to feel strong and in control of my body... oh wait... maybe I'm just a control freak... totally possible.

Thanks to Carrie & Maureen for the increase it incrementally rather than shooting back up to 25, I was pretty happy at 25, but I also realize we were loosing 1-2 member a month at that size and mainly due to them not being able to keep up with the thread.

So, if there are no objections (which there don't seem to be so far) I will ask Dovelette to join us, she has been following the thread and is very active on e-mail I think she will be an excellent addition to the group. I will wait another 2-4 weeks (TBD) before inviting another member to see how the group adjusts. The group will never exceed 25 members. 

Just checking in as I need to think about motivation.  Upping the group numbers is fine with me as long as it's not to much work for you Sara...

Doing great with my goals as usual.  I got enough exercise over the last four days to last for a couple of weeks.  I hope it helps the scale numbers to go down...  I am zigging and zagging to my heart's content.  I have a little post it on my computer to remind me how many calories to consume for the day. It works well.

More later.

LOL, Julie, you hit it on the nose!  Of course I want to be healthy and not have physical pains, but at the end of the day, I want to feel great and look good.  I don't think that a clothing size or a number on a scale is as important to me now as it once was (even at my skinniest as an adult I was 148 pounds and a size 8!), but FEELING AWESOME is something that I want to be--everyday.  When I'm out of shape I feel sluggish and slow, my mind isn't as quick, and I get all negative and depressed.  When I've been active and eating right, I perk up and am able to become a superwoman! 

Of course, I can't go a week without saying that I'm also doing this so that I'm able to make a healthy little baby.  The pregnancy continues to go well (I'll be 6 months along on Thursday!), but this kid has started to cook me for a few hours each day--i.e., hormones are kicking in and I'm getting awful hot flashes!  Also, my chest has grown so much that I'm starting to get thoracic back pain from the weight.  I'm doing upper back exercises at my desk to counteract it, but it still not fun... :( 

I am happy, though, that I've gained only 12 pounds here to now.  While I'm not on track to gain the 15 pounds that I had set as my initial goal, I feel as though a gain of 20-25 pounds is totally doable, if I watch what I eat and keep up with drinking lots of water.  My doctor doesn't seem concerned even if I were to gain 30-35 pounds, but because I started out at an "obese" level, I don't want to push it!

Msmeg, raven, I can totally relate to the boyfriend not wanting to commit thing.  Maybe too long a story, but this is actually kinda' funny:  I had to give my husband an ultimatum -- basically, I gave him a deadline within which to propose or else we were breaking up:  6 months (I was 32 and he was 33--I mean, we were no longer kids, had been dating for 3 years, and I wanted to have a family at some point).  Of course, he promptly forgot about the deadline, which I realized 5.5 months later when I started hinting around that the deadline was approaching.  Because he is an absent-minded professor sort of guy (and I really didn't want to break up with him), I gave him a two week ultimatum extension.  He of course then waited until the end of the extension period, but at the end of the day he did propose...  Let me tell you, once he did, so much pressure came out of the relationship.  We were married 10 months later, and now its been nearly 4 years since the wedding.  It keeps getting better, even though he is a complete PITA.

Sara, I think that the number of the group is fine as it is, but adding incrementally would be OK.  I think that 25 may be a little big, though...

I'm not sure I'd use the word overwhelmed in relation to my motivation.  Usually I lose mine when I'm out of my regular routine.  If I'm away from the house visiting others, or if I've got an unusual schedule that keeps me too busy to eat properly and exercise.  

It's easy to fall into eating stuff that is full of calories, and that just leads to more mindless eating.  I ate too many lollies when I was driving up to Oregon and back, and tended to go for the less healthy choices when we stopped in for a meal.  Eh!  Too easy to slip into bad habits.

And sometimes I just get sick of the whole deal, and say, well I won't say that here, but hopefully you get the picture.  I'm doing ok right now, maintaining, but I still have a bit more to lose so i have to keep on track.  

I struggle to get to know the 20 members in the group already... admittedly this is my own fault!  Too many other things going on :/