Wagon Jumpers - November 30 - December 6th, 2008 (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 30 Riders:
Supersized (myself)
Week 27 Riders:
Week 26 Riders:
Week 23 Riders:
Wenchie58 - recovery to December 6th, 2008
Week 22 Riders:
Week 20 Riders:
Week 17 Riders:
Week 15 Riders:
Week 14 Riders:
Week 13 Riders:
Week 12 Riders - Congratulations on 3 Months!:
Week 10 Riders:
Week 9 Riders:
Week 6 Riders:
Week 5 Riders:
Week 4 Riders - Congratulations on 1 Month!:
Week 3 Riders:
Week 2 Riders:
Week 1 Riders:
Carryonandon - Vacation Dec 15 - Jan 8
New:
Missing In Action:
Missing In Action - 1 Week:
Missing In Action - 2 Weeks:
Current Membership: 30
Current Waiting List: 1
Outstanding Wait List Invites: 0
12 Week CONSISTENCY GOALS
(as set w/o October 19th, 2008)
By January 11th, I will be...
At least 8 weeks successful on my 12-week consistency plan. That is 8 weeks at an average of 1500 cal/day (weekly avg) and gym 4x/week 2 hrs/session.
Working out 5x week. I will be eating 1500-2000 calories a day dependng on exercise.
Sticking with the NROL nutrition (40%-30%-30%) and working out 3x/week. This should have me almost complete with stage 4 of the program.
Consistently drinking 4 500 ml bottles of water per day and working out 3 times a week, this can include running, weights, etc...
Maintaining walking 10,000 - 12,000 steps a day and adding both Wii Fit exercise 2-3 times per week, while achieving a calorie deficit of 500 cal/day.
Exercising 5 days/week (cardio + strength) and eating 1500 calories on exercise days and 1200 on rest days.
Be eating 1450 cal/day, except on non-exercise days (1300) and exercising 6 days/week on a stationary bike, increasing the distance each week by 1/2 mile with a goal to reach 10 miles/session by the end of 12 weeks.
Journaling my food on CC everyday, and getting 30 min of exercise 2-3 times per week.
Adding interval training - Fartleks - to my running to reach a goal of running a 5K at 6 min/km. While maintaining a 600 cal/day deficit.
Eating 5-6 fruits and vegetables a day, and working out 5 days a week.
Eating at an average deficit of 500 cal/day 6-7 days/week, and exercising 5 times/week for at least 20 min/session.
Eat an average of 1700 cal/day and exercise 4x per week, according to my plan
Eating at 1600 cal/day and walking for 1 hour 3 days/week.
Drinking 2 mugs and 1 glass of water per day and logging my food everyday.
Exercising two times a week for 60 minutes at the gym or at home, and logging all of my food.
Exercising 2 times a week.
Maintaining a complete food log on the CC website daily to remain on track. Exercising 2x a week for minimum of 45 minutes.
Going to the gym 4 times per week (maintenance). Drinking ATLEAST 2 litres of water per day.
Exercising at least 30 min every day. Logging my calories on CC every day.
Previous Threads:
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
Wagon Jumpers July 6 - July 21st, 2008 (another, two week special!)
Wagon Jumpers June 22 - July 5th, 2008 (two week special!)
Wagon Jumpers June 15-21, 2008
Wagon Jumpers May 25 - 31, 2008
Wagon Jumpers May 18 - 24, 2008
Wagon Jumpers Week 1 (May 4 - 10)
Wagon Jumpers - Anyone Need a Lift? (initial thread)
As always all members are encouraged to tag this thread so that it is easy to find.
THIS WEEK'S TOPIC: 2 PARTS
PART 1: HALF WAY GOAL CHECK-IN
For everyone who was with us on October 19th, 2008 and set a goal, we past week 6 of 12 last week. We are now over half way to our 12 week goal. How are you doing with your goal? If you are on track, what is helping you stay on track, if you are not on track, what can you do to get on track in the remaining 6 weeks?
PART 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOU
Chances are we could all use a bit of extra support throughout the holiday's. The best way to build support is to get to know the people you are asking to support you, and you them.
Pick any one person on the Wagon Jumpers participant list. Send them an a private message asking to do this week's 'get to know you' exercise. You should each come back to the group and post an introduction to the group about the other person. This introduction should be about the person, not their weight loss goals. Maybe they live somewhere interesting, do some interesting volunteer work, do crafts, arts, sports..... the objective of the game is to get to know each other.
REMEMBER, YOU ARE INTRODUCING SOMEONE ELSE, NOT YOURSELF!
Group Size
Thanks to everyone who inquired about how I am handling 30 participants. Especially with the new bulk mailing feature it's not that difficult. Several people expressed that they do have some difficulty reading through the thread. And, I think the MIA's this week speak loudly.
I am going to transition the group down to 20 people, which is as low as I want to go. I think a number below 20 is really where we are transitioning out of a mid-sized group that will encourage diversity into an intimate group, and there are several small intimate groups on CC already.
At 20 members I will keep a watch to see if our posting diminishes dramatically, or if I don't think the thread is active enough we may increase the group size again.
I am going to honour the 2 people who are on the waiting list prior to us dropping the group size and invite them into the group as our numbers drop below 30, and not ask them to wait until we are below 20. New waiting list members will be asked to wait until we are below 20.
No one will be kicked out of the group. The only way that people are removed from the group is if they ask to be removed, or if they are on the MIA list for 3 weeks.
Weekly Check-In
The conference was not nearly as bad as I thought on the food front. They had enough vegan requests that the options were omnivore or vegan, they kept the food and service lines separated, and I only got a mild does of cross contamination once Saturday afternoon which was quickly solved by the digestive meds I'd brought with me.
As usual, a weekend conference has produced months of work, but that was expected. I'm still tired and recovering from the conference, so my expectations of making it to the gym are on a 'nice to do' level today and I will work on 'need to do' tomorrow.
Thanks to Lalie & Maureen who suggested perhaps food control stuff with mum, I hadn't even thought of that. And, it makes a lot of sense. I will try to connect with her this week, and see that we can sort things out. Robin reminded me so much of what seems to happen with family relations. She knows exactly how to push my buttons, and I likely hers. Unfortunately sometimes it may be unconscious.
Goal Check-In
I am really happy to say that I am on track to achieve my goal. This time last go around because my goal was to reach a specific consistency point I didn't have enough weeks in the cycle left to achieve it. This time round, I'm six weeks in, I've had five successful weeks, and then I need three more to achieve the goal.
Knowing that I can do it this time, and really not wanting to fail, mainly because I did last time is a pretty big motivator for me.
Sara.
Weekly Check-in
I haven't done well over the last week due to work factors and going out a couple of nights. I haven't reached any of my exercise goals. I can only commit to making this coming week a better week.
Hi, all,
quickly writing to say that despite the US Thanksgiving holiday, I think I did quite well this week. Exercise goals are on track, and size is shrinking. When I walked in to see my family on Thursday, everyone asked how much weight I've lost in the past 2 months--I haven't lost a pound, but they all think I looked smaller ('cuz I am!!).
Anyway, gotta run. Thanks Sara for the emails!
Denise
PART 1: HALF WAY GOAL CHECK-IN
I'm actually accomplishing half of my goal pretty well, I'm walking one hour for at least three days a week. But I still have problems with the calorie counting because I haven't planned my meals ahead of time and that it's critical for me in order to stay in the wagon. I'm not overeating as I used to but I know I could do a lot better. The exercise has helped me to lose inches in my tummy area but my weight has been the same for the last month or so.
I'm back from my trip!!
I have managed to read the thread from last week, I had to see what I missed! I'll throw in here, I never log my coffee. I drink it black, and figure it doesn't have enough calories to make a difference. In fact, I don't log any of my beverages unless they contain calories. I don't log water, tea (always unsweet for me), diet soft drinks, etc, etc... I don't know why, maybe just a time saver, but I just don't.
As far as logging, I have a question about the database. I get frustrated sometimes. I often can't find what I am looking for. Has anyone else ever had that trouble? IE: I eat a lot of my food grilled. Grilled chicken, grilled salmon, grilled shrimp... grilled burger. It would be nice if when I type "grilled", that a list of grilled items would show up! I get "cooked, roasted" as the methods on certain meats. How do you get them ( CC ) to add a food to the database? Or even a restaurant menu? We eat at Outback Steakhouse a lot... the grilled shrimp and asparagus is to die for! But its not to be found on CC.... Guess I 'll just wing it like I usually do, I am just trying to be a little more anal so I can be specific in my actual consumption.
Now, the trip... We had a very nice time, and it was really awesome to see all of the family, there were 38 of us in attendance, including two of my cousins who just recently returned from Iraq. And all the kids, wow do they grow fast!
I did ok with the food intake. I tracked most of it with pen and paper, only missing one day, which I can pretty much remember. I didn't really over eat, at least not the way I used to, where I ended up feeling like a beached whale. I hate that feeling. While I didn't achieve true hunger before most meals, I did carefully watch my portions. SO overall, I am not disheartened with the food intake.
Exercise, another story. WOW. What can I even say? There was 12 inches of snow!! No possible way to run, as mom had taken her treadmill to the storage place. And the snow... oh my the snow. I had forgotten how treacherous that stuff can truly be. I have a story for you, I'll try to keep it short... is that even possible for me? LOL!
On my way to mom's I had my son with me, we were heading out from Charleston, WV (to answer those who had asked what part of the US I live in) toward the central part of the state, middle of nowhere to be exact. It was cold, but no weather where we left from. Even so, I bought some sand bags for the bed of the pickup, for added weight "just in case".
About half way there, it started snowing. About 3/4 there, it was like a blizzard. I looked at my son, he looked at me... we kept driving, slowly, steadily... up the mountains, around the curves. Then, suddenly, the truck started to slide sideways, and we ended up in the ditch. My son tried to push it out, but the wheels found no traction at all, even after he climbed in the back to see if that would help. THEN, he had the nuts to say, "Mom, you shoulda got more sandbags." I had to laugh out loud!
We sat there, on the side of the mountain, in the ditch, for at least 30 minutes before we decided that all the sensible drivers had stayed home, and no one would come by to even notice we needed help. We decided to put our boots on, and start walking, it was at least 5 or 6 miles to the nearest house.
As SOON as we got out to walk, a truck came by. They stopped and tried to help push us to no avail. Then, another truck stopped. This guy had a cable and pulley, so he hooked up to us, and pulled us out of the ditch. I tried again to get going, but the truck was so light, and the snow so heavy... LOL! It just wanted to slip off the road again. SO, we decided to park it as far off the roadway as possible and leave it sit, including all the contents. IE: toothbrush, clothes, GROCERIES (lettuce, tomatoes, eggs, milk)
The guy who pulled us out, gave us a ride to Buckhannon, about 30 more miles up the winding road. I had to wait until we got part way there to even get cell phone service, but managed to get one of my lady friends on the phone before the battery died!! WHEW! As soon as I said "goodbye" the phone died! She had agreed to allow us to stay there until the storm passed and the roads cleared. THANK GOODNESS! Or we'd have had to pay for a room!
So the very kind man dropped us off from riding in his big 4x4 truck. (I don't normally take rides from strangers... LOL!!) I thanked him... Then we went into my friend's home and got warm and dry, and ordered a pizza. poor pizza guy! LOL.. And I was very good, I didn't even want any...
My sister in law came to get us the next day (an hour drive for her) and took us to our truck, then followed us home to make sure we made it. I couldn't believe the roads were completely clear, except for the snow on the sides where the snowplow had moved it. Fortunately it didn't block us in, and I was able to pull the truck right onto the road and get going. YAY!
WHAT a relief to have my truck back, thank goodness no other vehicles slid into it that night while it sat there all alone. I was so worried about it I couldn't even sleep. ugh...
Anyway, we got to Mom's, and the boys got to go deer hunting. My son got one too! I don't enjoy butchering that stuff, but someone has to. SO, I sucked it up and dived in. The meat is actually one of the better red meats as far as cholesterol, etc... anyway, we have a freezer full now.
Should have taken the ski's, I'd have gotten exercise that way!
**************************
So there's my story.... Hope everyone else had a nice Holiday... One down, one to go... LOL!
Sara- Sorry to hear you had a little blip with your mom. I am with the others on the food related tensions, and agree with you as well that it can def be subconscious. Hence, being unaware. I really hope you work it out. I know how unsettling that can be. Also, I hope you didn't starve at the conference! Hopefully there were some foods there that you could enjoy.
Additionally, I agree with the others as well that the group size is your call, entirely. I have definitely enjoyed getting to know a couple of the people here, and looking forward to more! Hopefully this will get to be a place where we can share things openly in addition to the basic reason we are here. I am open to what ever sized group is manageable for you. I already think you do a tremendous job with 30, but if 20 is better for you at this stage, then go for it! I won't be going anywhere... LOL!
**************************
Weekly Topic:
Part 1: Half Way checkin:
I am at 1600 calories average per week, which is below my goal. I am scheduled to exercise 5 days a week, and I usually make 4 which is on goal. In summation, I am on week 6 of 12. I started this session on week 3, so I have completed 3 of my target of 8, and have 5 to go, so I can't screw up... LOL! I will get it done. Going to the gym this evening.
Part 2: Getting to know you:
To follow.
Happy Healthgain to all, it's nice to be back!
~Julie
Hi all! I'm back! I think.....never know these days. I am healing well from the surgery (kidney transplant) and have spent a couple of week handling serious rejection issues, but I am here and functioning...so its all good!
So here is where I am midway thru the 12 week goal stream. My weight is down 5 lbs from pre surgery, which is good, but I have spent the better part of a month in the hospital bed or in my bed at home, SO...were there ever any muscles here? If so they are gone. I haven't been released for any kind of exercize at this point except walking, so that I am doing for now.
My food is also regulated due to the fact that the immune suppressant meds that I must take forever have caused me to have diabetes (hopefully temporarily).
So here is how I see my plan for the next few weeks. I will start back in logging my food and get back to calculating my intake vs usage. I am going to walk...starting with 15 minutes per day and work myself up until the release me to grab some dumbbells or do something more strenuous.
Glad to be back...and I have so much time now, since I dont have to report to the office til sometime in mid January!! I can actually read EVERY WORD of wagon jumpers!
Happy Monday all!
Kyashiis "I can only commit to making this coming week a better week" It doesn't sound positive but it really really is. This is the way we pick ourselves up. It doesn't matter what we did at lunch, yesterday, last week. This is a new meal, a new day a new week, and we will make things better starting now.
Denise Glad to hear things are on track, great to hear the compliments from the family. And, can I underline the "I haven't lost a pound, but they all think I look smaller ('cuz I am!!)"
Ana Half the goal is half way there. Maybe if you miss the mark on the 1600 cal/day then next time you make the goal maintain the walking, and simply to pre-plan your meals, once you have the pre-planning under control then you tackle the calories.
Julie Wow that sounds like a big ordeal! I'm a terrible winter driver, so I mooched a ride up to my snow covered convention this weekend, which ended up being quite good and vegan friendly. Also, great job on your goals!
Wenchie Welcome Back! Glad to hear you sounding so positive especially considering all you are going through. Please do let me know if you need some time off. I know recovery is not always a straight and narrow road. Do you have access to a dietician as part of your recovery? I know my mum did, but different countries and health care systems and all. If you do, take advantage while you can!
Well, last week was not my best - I still keep trying too hard! Still find myself not eating enough (which is funny coming from a woman who eats too much usually!) and the weight does not want to come off.
So since Saturday I have done my best to eat as close to 1200 cal. as possible, which seems like a lot because I had gotten used to less. I am concentrating on making sure I get plenty of exercise, mostly walking so far, but I have added in rowing (bought a second hand machine off craigslist last Wed.), swimming and I am going to go check out a weight lifting club at my local sports center this afternoon; they do competitive weight lifting and it is much less expensive than the gym.
Since upping my calories I have lost 0.5 lb so it seems to be working. I just have to resign myself to slower but hopefully steadier weight loss for the next 6.5 lbs!
Oh, the other fun thing last week: I bought new jeans! and I fit into a size 12 again!!! That was what I used to wear when I lost the weight before!! and not just one pair, but all the size 12 jeans I tried on fit (you know one could have just been a fluke!)
The other good thing about the jeans is that compared with my older pants which were hanging off me, these are kinda tight. So it reminds me that I am not at my goal yet... and I can more clearly see the belly fat I still need to lose (nicely puffed up by the waist band of my new jeans!)
I have started doing some research towards the getting to know you activity... will post again when I have to full scoop.
Lalie
Hi everyone. I'm alive! Sorry I was MIA for as long as I was.
I managed not to gain any weight between Thursday and today, which is a great accomplishment considering that my fiance's grandmother brought bucket loads of buckeyes, white trash and chocolate chip cookies (and that was besides the cheesecakes, pumpkin pies and banana bread).
I'm still having a rough time exercising regularly. I used to get up early and workout but after the days grew short and I lost my sunlight my motivation to get up at the arse crack of dawn disappeared. I'm managing to work exercise into my life as much as possible via calisthenics in the morning and such.
Well, Day One of this week for me, and I'm doing pretty well - even though most of my diet is turkey sandwiches, turkey leftovers and cornflakes. I'm looking forward to a little treat of cheesecake later tonight when my husband gets home. Aside from that - I just drink water and herbal tea.
Since I'm a student, I really have to plan out what I'm going to bring with me for lunch the next day. Luckily, we have a student lounge if I want to heat something up, but usually it's much more convenient to just bring a sandwich and some string cheese.
*****
Sara - Glad to hear the conference went well! Any sort of traveling always makes it difficult to follow a certain type of diet. Some places aren't very accommodating!
Lalie - Congrats on the jeans! Yay for progress.
Sarah (vitamin dominatrix) - I hear ya about the exercising thing. I'm not very motivated to exercise in the first place and am easily dissuaded from leaving the house by things like no daylight and layers of snow. Hang in there!
well, since I wasnt hear at the beginning I cant share my 6 week goal. I can however, share that my current goal is to be at 150 by the end of January. I am going on a cruise and know that at that weight I will feel confident.
Last week, I did not do very well. I did not exercise a single day and of course ate too much. All I can say is I plan to do much better this week(I already went to the gym today and picked healthy items to eat!).
I have had a minor emotional setback b/c I realized that the scale at the gym has me weighing 5 more pounds than my scale at home =(.
Made it to the gym... ugh. 25 minutes running. then lifted for 40 minutes. tired. need rest. I will do this.
Hi,
I was a late member to Wagon Jumpers so I didn't post a goal at the original time.
I am happy to report that as of today I am past the half way mark for my goal date of March 6/09 in which I'm aiming for 145lbs. It's going to be tough getting through Christmas but my emphasis actually is not to binge on the chocolates etc. I am going to still count my calories and allow ONE lb. gain for that week.
I lost a total of 3 lbs. for the month of November instead of the 4, I had hoped but rather than "beat myself" up over it....I patted myself on the back cause I've dropped inches, feel great! and the most important thing....I DIDN'T BINGE NOR EAT OUT OF EMOTIONS!. Therefore, I have to adjust and accept that one lb. a week is good and for that one week of the month, I just might not lose due to hormonal fluctuations. 
Sara, glad to hear you are ok from your conference.
Lalie: congrats on size 12!! ...ME TOO!! I even pulled out a size 10 pair out of my closet and guess what???...got them them up and zipped and although a wee bit tight....it is a big difference from wearing size 16.
I decided to join the squash club as a regular member and yesterday I went back to the gym for a killer workout....felt great!. I know exercise is one of the MAIN keys in success and if I should have a few extra bites of something, well I just get off my chair and get my body moving whether it's going up and down the stairs a few times, cleaning out closet, out for a little walk...anything!!
For those just joining, welcome and good luck. Patience, perseverence and committment will aid you along the way but remember...EAT TO KEEP THAT BODY FUELED...no other reason!
Cheers all,
Maureen from B.C. Canada
Hi,
Sorry about the MIA last week. I was sick on Monday, and had to travel for work Wednesday night, away from home on Thursday and Friday so Tuesday and Wednesday was pretty hectic in the office.
I do however think there was another reason I didn't post. I have not been doing well at all. I mean, I did well water wise and last week (due to the gym in the hotel) I got exercise requirements in and a bit more. However (and I might have mentioned this before), I have a Wii fit, got on it for the first time in ages (3 months) and discovered that I have gained 12 pounds in 3 months, not the pattern I was looking for. I had decided to lose the scale because I had heard great things from other people on how it had worked for them. I guess I need to see those numbers as it keeps me in check. So I will continue to use the scale on a weekly basis.
While I was away for work, I also made an appointment to visit a school I am interested in attending sometime in the future. The program is Registered Holistic Nutritionist through the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. I spent over an hour talking to one of the instructors and she was great! I wasn't 100% sure that this was the career path I'd like to take (I'm one of those people that has soooo many interests that I've wanted to do a ton of things over the years) but after our conversation I'm positive that this is what I want to do. Now it's just a matter of making it happen since I don't live close enough to attend classes, so it will probably have to wait until we finish renovating and updating our house and sell it (at least a couple years probably).
Anyway, so I guess my update for the halfway point is this:
PART 1: HALF WAY GOAL CHECK-IN
On track for water intake, about 75% for exercise. A little depressed over the weight gain and the_vitamin_dominatrix I can totally relate to the darkness taking about motivation. My parents are giving me their treadmill as they want it out of their house, I'm just not allowed to sell if should the thought cross my mind :) I just need to get it from their house to mine and build a platform for it since it's going in my basement.
The other thing I want to mention here is that I really need someone to hold me more accountable for what I'm doing, so if there is anyone in the forum that feels like giving me a good talking to I'm all for it
. I try to be more accountable to myself but that's not working out very well, and god love him (because I sure do), my husband really wouldn't care what size I was so he doesn't say anything!
So today has started out well. I had Special K cinnamon pecan for breakfast with skim milk and lunch will be a roast beef sandwich with mustard (no mayo), lettuce and tomato and cheddar cheese, snack is a pear.
I think I have written enough for today and sorry if it sounds like a rant but I needed to get a few things off my chest and this group has always been great.
Thanks everyone and congrats to all those making great progress.
Raven
Lalie I'm glad you are getting your calories to 1200 I'm still going to encourage you to push them higher. I know you may not want to hear that right now. I'm a former member of the under 1,000 club, and I did loose weight quickly diving my calories below 700 often on some days, and other days not eating at all. I also know you've been through the same results. You loose the weight, and then you gain it back and some. That is exactly what you set your body up to do when you depend on a super low calorie diet to loose weight. Your body needs to be taught how to use the food you give it for energy, and as long as it thinks you are not going to give it food then it will not use it for energy, it will save it for later.
6.5 lbs is really really close to your goal. I know that number holds special meaning for you, it is however still just a number. I love that Denise has posted that her family thinks she has lost weight, which she has not, but she is smaller because of the workouts and muscle building she has done. I'm guessing here, that if you lost the weight you wanted to loose that you also want to be a certain size and you have a particular body image of yourself that you want to obtain. If you focus on the second two you can do those while eating much more than you are now, which will significantly reduce your chances of bingeing and gaining it all back. This of course is contingent on eating healthy foods and exercising.
Good job looking into the weight lifting.
The Vitamin Dominatrix I'm back to being an afternoon work out person because of the lack of sun and the presence of snow. I just have absolutely no motivation to go out in the mornings. I'm glad you are back. How is your motivation sitting to get through the holidays? Are there any small goals you can set for the next six weeks?
Carry We have a few students on here, Sarah, Tiegurl, FantasyFlight, Unlimitedana, and a couple of others I may have forgotten. It might be a good idea for our students to swap some best practices for staying healthy at school.
Jessica While I don't want you to loose track of your end goal, one of the things I try to do here is to encourage people to focus on how you are going to reach your goal. There is nothing that you can directly do to be 150 lbs. However you can control how much you are going to eat, what you are going to eat, how and how frequently you are going to exercise, so on and so forth. Directly controlling these actions will lead to the end goal of weight loss.
I find this translates well when we focus on goals. It's easier to dismiss exercise and overeating if our goals are to be a certain weight or size. However, if our goals are clearly articulated around I am going to exercise X times a week for X min/hrs. The that becomes the focus and a direct imperative.
Julie Great job. I must make it to the gym tonight myself.
Maureen I think I'm going to disagree with you slightly today. While I do agree that emotional eating is one of the hardest eating disorders to break and that the way to break it is to be aware of when we are eating out of emotions I do think that food is more than fuel for the body. Food is so intimately involved in every aspect of our lives. This is why it is much harder to break food addictions than addictions to alcohol or smoking, because while we can completely cut out alcohol or cigarettes from our lives food will always need to be there. In that way I think the goal is to form a healthy relationship with food, a respect for food, and a knowledge base of how to enjoy food in moderation.
It's that last bit that is the most powerful for me. Having a negative relationship with food from either a sense of depravation or trying to devalue my enjoyment of food has not worked for me. I simply cannot convert food to only energy. Food is something that I do enjoy, that gives me pleasure both in the creation of food, the sharing of it and the act of eating it. This is never more prevalent than around the holidays. For me, it's a matter of figuring out how to have a healthy relationship with food that still allows me to like food, for food, for all that food symbolizes in my life and to not feel controlled by it.
Raven I think the no scale works best for the number junkies. I know that when I have had the scale in the past, if I get 0.2 of a lb then that sends me into a downward spiral full of no motivation to exercise and going to eat bad foods. In this context taking away the scale was good for me because I was/am constantly afraid that I must be gaining weight, therefore I've found myself trying much harder without the scale to exercise and eat right so that when I have the scale back I see a positive difference. I also very much do want to get confirmation from somewhere that I'm going in the right direction so I've become much more aware of my body and my clothes etc.... which are currently my only confirmations that I'm going in the right direction.
If not having the scale does not push you to the gym/run around the block, then having it can be a motivating force. Keep you honest about how you are or are not doing. I will have to begin to manage that relationship in a few weeks. The question is can you be honest about your actions when you do get on the scale, and also accept that the scale is not always an honest reflection of your actions.
On the other hand it sounds like you are building good habits if you are on track with your water and 75% of your exercise. The hard fact is that we likely do need to go all of the way to really see results, but going all the way right away seldom works out so it is about building that consistency. If you get the water under control in this 12 weeks, then that is your maintenance item in the next 12-weeks while you may try to increase your level of exercise and do more tracking on your calories.
I hope that everyone here finds people they can buddy-up with to generate more accountability and trust. Try the second part of the homework, reach out to someone, get to know someone. We've all been there before in the falling off, gaining the weight, and getting back to it. I really do hope that people come out of this group not only having met their goals, but feeling part of a group and closer to one or two people out there in cyberspace.
Sara.
Hi Everyone!!!
Today I went for an hour and a half walk around my town with a friend and it felt very good to sweat!!!! This past week was so so. My eating habits weren't great but they weren't awful. My snacking is what kills me. This past saturday I had a procedure done where I had the Copper IUD placed. This was very very painful if anyone was wondering. I am excited that it is a hormone free birth control but I was reading a thread last night and many of the posts claimed that they gained a tremendous amount of weight with it. I'm just wondering if anyone else has had this BC and what they experienced. Send me a PM if you have any info, I'd greatly appreciate it. I also noticed since then that I gained 6 pounds but I'm not going to freak out but instead drink a lot of water and increase my exercise and really really start a routine!!!! Also, I'm having my tonsils taken out on December 17th so I'll be out of commision for a little bit but will be back on the wagon in no time.
Jen
Hi,
Well, it was nice to be home for the week. While my eating was not out of control - I did not log my eating at all. Thanksgiving was under control and I ate mostly vegetables. I did 2 - 2 hour runs during the weekend - I think it was like 12 miles each run - they were trail runs so they are generally less mileage due to VERY sloppy conditions - mud, rain, etc.
Sara, Happy the conference was not a complete food disaster. I am going to another conference this week but it is in a Ritz Carlton - too much good food - head for the vegetables at all cost and Don't look at the puff pastry dishes. I plan on running along the California coast even though I hear it is very foggy and chilly.
Jen - I have an IUD but I have the Mirena - it does have hormones but they don't seem to bug me too much.
Sara - about your mum (I know this was last week but I had a thought...) sometimes people don't have any specific reason why they are so prickly and critical or difficult. I am sometimes that way (not too often) and I don't know it is because I just feel off and I am expressing it in the wrong way. It takes someone gently and firmly calling me on it to get me to recognize it.
I hope you all have a great week. I will be sending one of you a message so we can buddy up!!
Thanks all!
Carol
Hello Wagon Jumpers!
As part of this week's exercise, I’d like to take a moment to introduce another fellow jumper – Lalie (doug8120).
Lalie is from Montreal and turns 43 years young next month. She has 3 children – 2 girls and one boy whom are all homeschooled and loving it! She has a super lean, young at heart hubby. They stumbled upon each other one night after a boyfriend moved away and end of story! They’ve been together ever since. The family has two pets: a sweet Russian blue mix cat and is a foster family for a Bernese Mountain/ Labrador mix dog from the Mira Foundation. He will return to the foundation at the age of one to train to become a guide dog for the blind. She enjoys (maybe a little too much) adding fish and plants to her tropical fish tank!
Lalie is an amazing contemporary artist who is starting to gain some recognition. When asked where she finds inspiration she said ” it comes from all kinds of ordinary places - little weird coincidences. I like things that contradict themselves; things that are both beautiful but also repel us.”
Art, gardening, reading, cooking , planning her kitchen renovation and watching her kids do all sorts of cool things (swimming ,gymnastics, speed skating and more!) are at the top of her list of things she enjoys doing. She loves novels by Louise Erdrich, Jeanette Winterson. Her favorite TV shows include Bones, House, Heroes and Dr. Who. She defines herself as a feminist and generally left leaning.
While she is adept at working with her hands, learning new things and doing textile work such as knitting and embroidery, she notes that she is hopeless at skating, swimming and math.
Hopefully that wasn’t too long of an intro, but I was interested in everything Lalie had to tell me and I wanted to share it with you all!
 |
New journal post HAPPY THANKSGIVING! by sweetrandi 13:44 |
|
New journal post Happy Thanksgiving by clairelaine 13:42 |
|
New journal post Food diary 139 by merylwhite1 13:40 |
 |
joniboos added andycardnell as a friend |
|
andycardnell added joniboos as a friend |