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Robbys Girl
12-27-2006, 03:57 PM
:hearts: Hi Everyone! Welcome to the ♥ ♥ Lose those Love Handles for Valentine's Day ♥ ♥ Challenge!! This challenge goes from Jan. 2 to Feb. 14, but anyone can join in at any time! It's a NEW YEAR! We need to lose the fat and blubber we've collected over the years, we need to become leaner, healthier, and happier for 2007! This challenge is for those of us who would like to lose those blubbery love handles, saddlebags, beer bellies, and whatever else is breaking our hearts and causing us sorrow. Bring more romance into your life by dropping those pounds and becoming more sexy and irresistible by Valentine's Day!! :heart:

Please start by stating your goals:
:heart: How many pounds and/or inches would you like to lose?
:heart: What are your exercise plans & goals?
:heart: What food challenges and weaknesses do you want to overcome?
:heart: What are your diet goals?
:heart: Do you have any particular article of clothing you'll use to gauge your progress?

Let's get started! :hearts:

Robbys Girl
12-27-2006, 04:04 PM
Here are my goals:
:heart: Lose 8 pounds (starting weight: 153, goal weight: 145)
:heart: Jogging and Lifecycle, free weights, floor exercises, walking.
:heart: I have to cut WAY down on my portions, and cut out the sweets and daily hot cocoa mix in my coffee. I need to cut down on alcohol intake, and dinners out with DH. I need to increase my fruit and veggy intake.
:heart: I'll post a before picture soon.

Kristie
12-28-2006, 12:27 PM
I'M IN!
Here are my goals:

:heart: Lose 10lbs

:heart: Going to the gym 3 times a week (30 min cardio x 3 + 45 min of weights x 3) Plus walking 6 days a week (30-60 min per day)

:heart: I need to cut down on my sugar which I hope will be easier once I eat all my christmas chocolate :lol:

lalalola
12-28-2006, 12:46 PM
How many pounds and/or inches would you like to lose? I would like to lose between 5-10 lbs
What are your exercise plans & goals? Riding my stationary bike, pilates. As for eating, I cut out all junk food/fast food and limit my carbs.
What food challenges and weaknesses do you want to overcome? I need to stop my night eating. Since FH is out of town for the whole winter, I always go through are cupboards and throw everything unhealthy and processed away. Last winter I consisted of veggies and fruit, beans, cottage cheese and whole wheat pasta. I also need to start drinking water every day and cut back on my double double's cuz they have 200+ calories in them and I drink atleast 2 a day.
Do you have any particular article of clothing you'll use to gauge your progress? No, I'll probably take the most unattractive underwear picture and gauge my progress from that.

mrs.g
12-28-2006, 12:49 PM
I'm in too. I lost 6 lbs/3 inches in the last challenege, I want to loose just a little bit more and maintain it once I loose it.

:heart: How many pounds and/or inches would you like to lose? 4 lbs/3 inches.
:heart: What are your exercise plans & goals? N/A
:heart: Mental plans & goals: Continue the positive affirmations and guided imagery.
:heart: What food challenges and weaknesses do you want to overcome? I am cutting out dairy cheese.
:heart: What are your EATING goals? Continue watching my portions and drink more water on the weekends.
:heart: Do you have any particular article of clothing you'll use to gauge your progress? DH's tape measure. ;)

septbride
12-30-2006, 07:52 AM
I'm in for sure this time! I gave up over the holidays, and yep, gained back the few pounds from the last challenge I did :( But FH and I decided for the new year to start eating healthier and exercising more. So I'm going to give this one a try!


:heart: How many pounds and/or inches would you like to lose?
Starting weight: 150 Goal weight: 135
:heart: What are your exercise plans & goals?
Treadmill, Turbo Jam, and whatever else I can come up with!
:heart: What food challenges and weaknesses do you want to overcome?
Fast food! We are soo busy with working and school that we eat out alot. Also junk food! Need to cut out all those sweets and soda
:heart: What are your diet goals?
To start eating healthier with smaller portions. start exercising on a regular basis

~Sara~
12-31-2006, 10:34 AM
After failing absolutely miserablely at the New Year's challenge, I'm going full speed for this one!! We're having a Biggest Loser contest at work that starts January 8th, so I'll use that as my start date!


How many pounds and/or inches would you like to lose? I'm going to go with 10 pounds (about 2 per week)...I'll have my starting weight on 1/8

What are your exercise plans & goals? I plan to work out at least 3 times per week..including at least one day of lifting weights.

What food challenges and weaknesses do you want to overcome? My darn cravings are my killer every time! I crave sweets, then salty, then sweets. I need to learn to only eat when I'm hungry, not when I'm bored and also cut down on going out to eat!

Do you have any particular article of clothing you'll use to gauge your progress? I guess I could get out my bathing suit :caught:

MelBel
01-01-2007, 01:10 AM
I'm back ready and raring to go!!!

Please start by stating your goals:
:heart: How many pounds and/or inches would you like to lose? 12 pounds (2 a week)
:heart: What are your exercise plans & goals? walking, jogging, biking, jump roping, pilates, I don't know...just a little bit of everything
:heart: Please start by stating your goals: I was down to 130 last summer and I want to make it back there! Planning on drinking lots of water and cutting out all junk food!!!
:heart: Do you have any particular article of clothing you'll use to gauge your progress? pair of pants that were looking so loose that are now looking so tight!!! :(

MelBel
01-01-2007, 06:03 PM
:heart: Starting weight 144.6

I did exercise somewhat today. Went for a walk/jog for about 40 mins, 18 of that was jogging.

I should do more, so tired today though.

lunarmagic
01-01-2007, 09:18 PM
I'm in!!

:heart: How many pounds and/or inches would you like to lose? I want to lose 6lbs. I'm not sure what I'm at right now though, but I know it's up from last time I checked.
:heart: What are your exercise plans & goals? I need to do SOMETHING, but I'm not sure what yet. I can't afford to maintain a gym membership. I think pilates/light weights/dance - maybe I'll buy a new DVD or something. If I could do it three times a week I'd be thrilled.
:heart: What food challenges and weaknesses do you want to overcome? I'm a constant snacker, and I have a huge sweet tooth. It's just killing me... it's so hard to cut out those really sweet, junky foods, I crave them so bad. :(
:heart: What are your diet goals? I am going to throw out/put away all junkfood. I need to get back to eating the organic, whole grain foods like I was last summer. I just need to make healthier choices.
:heart: Do you have any particular article of clothing you'll use to gauge your progress? Not really. :)

I so need to do this. I was feeling very complacent, until the holidays and I feel so disgusting now.

MelBel
01-02-2007, 06:07 PM
Hello hello, how was everyone's day. First day after the holdiays. I did ok. Didn't eat any junk. Walked. Rode the bike some and am getting ready to go finish. I need to get into the 130's. I will feel so much better once that happens and hopefully soon!!!

mrs.g
01-02-2007, 06:21 PM
Hello! That's great you didn't eat any junk and got some exercise in!

I've done pretty good today - except for my water intake. The water machine at work is broken, the hot water that comes from the coffee machine has black particles in (so I won't drink that), and I forgot to buy water. :blush: But eating wise, I've done well. :D

Hope everyone has had a succesful day.

septbride
01-03-2007, 12:33 PM
How is everyone's day so far today? I haven't been TOO bad, ate a bagel this morning. Needed that cream cheese on it, but it was lite, not like that matters much. had a small piece of lasagna and salad for lunch. not the best diet food, but better than what I'd normally eat :) just need to up the water intake for today!

As for exercising, no progress. Except last night FH and I played some of the Nintendo Wii, and I'll tell ya what, my arms are killing me today!

Kristie
01-03-2007, 12:46 PM
I haven't done that good... I've been sick for 2 days (still sick) so I'm not up to doing anything... this is my first cold/flu in 2 years!

I haven't given up yet though.... Once I start feeling better I will join in :)

Julie
01-03-2007, 12:49 PM
I want to join in late. I lost a little on past challenges, but I know I gained over the holidays. I'm not sure what my current weight is because I don't want to depress myself by checking! I thought I'd kick myself in gear for a week, and then check so it's not so bad.

mrs.g
01-03-2007, 01:33 PM
I've done well so far today. :)

septbride
01-03-2007, 02:25 PM
I've done well so far today. :)


that's great to hear :)

Robbys Girl
01-03-2007, 04:27 PM
I have to totally re-establish ALL good habits I seemed to have lost! I don't have anygood habits anymore. They're all BAD habits! I'm on my way to UNDO all bad habits!

I'm drinking green tea again.

I'm focusing on smaller portions this week. My stomach is all stretched out from all the overeating during the holidays, so it's taking larger portions to satisfy me. I want to get my stomach used to smaller portions so that I get satisfied with less.

Less sugar in my coffee! I'm going to eventually go to NO sugar at all.

MORE water!

mrs.g
01-03-2007, 04:43 PM
that's great to hear :)

Thanks! :D

~Sara~
01-03-2007, 08:05 PM
I made the decision to go back on WW. It worked so well for me the first time around and now my parents are going to do it too!

septbride
01-04-2007, 11:14 AM
WW sounds like it would work well, I know someone who has been on that for years, and has lost a ton of weight. I just wish I could afford it!

septbride
01-04-2007, 11:15 AM
Besides that, I had a slice of pizza for lunch, with mushrooms? So how bad is that?

~Sara~
01-04-2007, 03:49 PM
I did WW for about a year and lost about 50 pounds a couple years ago and it's surprisingly affordable! I did the WW at Home, where you order a package with everything that you need in it. I think it was around $100 but there are no weekly/monthly fees after that. You don't go to meetings but I couldn't afford that either!

I also ordered Turbo Jam! I can't wait for it to come in!

septbride
01-04-2007, 04:29 PM
Oh ok, I thought you had to go to the meetings every week or whenever they are. I so cannot afford that!

I have Turbo Jam, I just can't get myself to stick with anything. Told myself this year I am going to start using it. we'll see.....

mrs.g
01-04-2007, 04:41 PM
Besides that, I had a slice of pizza for lunch, with mushrooms? So how bad is that?

As long as it wasn't a gigantic slice, I think that's acceptable. ;)

Sara, good luck with the WW and turbo jam!!!! :D

Robbys Girl
01-05-2007, 08:06 AM
I had one slice of pizza last night too but to me that was doing WELL because usually I have 3 or 4. I was sooo tempted to grab another piece but didn't even though I was still starving! We had a late company meeting and that's all I had a chance to eat. One piece isn't bad, I don't think, as long as you did well the rest of the day!

septbride
01-05-2007, 05:19 PM
I've been doing a little better, I haven't been snacking during the day. If I get hungry I grab a few pretzels. but that's it. My problem is at night. seems like I just can't be satisfied.

Kristie
01-06-2007, 03:46 PM
I'm still resting up from my cold/flu type thing I have had for a week. I was going to go to the gym today, but I still dont feel that good.

No matter what, I'm going on Monday! :)
Every year I say I'm going to lose weight come summer so I can wear the things I want without worrying how I look and I NEVER do it.
This will be the year I DO it! :D I know it!
Plus DH and I have been together for 10 years this Oct so I want to get back down to close to what I was when we first started dating... :)
AND were going to go away in November to Thailand (and probably Maldives) so I gotta look good :D :D

I'm starting a colon/body cleanse this coming week so there will be some food I have to avoid... hopefully it will help with my weightloss and eating habits.

I'm feeling good about this year :)

Robbys Girl
01-08-2007, 02:27 PM
I am SOOOOOO with you Kristie!! EVERY YEAR I say the same dang thing!! And I do lose about 10 pounds by spring but then it all goes to hell and even with those 10 pounds lost I'm still looking BAD in short sleeves, shorts, NEVER EVEN MIND a bathing suit! I haven't seen a beach in I don't know how long! NOT this year! I'm going to lose MORE than those same dumb 10 pounds (which I put back on during the holidays mind you! :lol: ). Count me in, this will be the year we do it!! I want to get back down to the weight I was when I was first dating my DH too! It'll be 9 years this Sept. for us. How much weight do you ultimately want to lose? I need to get rid of 32.

The holidays flew by, right? so the summer is going to get here before we know it, so we can't let ANY time waste, Let's get started NOW!

I started yesterday by jogging for 1 hour. I'm not waiting until the spring like I do every year (because I'm wimpy when it comes to cold weather!) to start my jogging routine. So the time is NOW! Tonight I'm doing one hour on the stationary bike, situps, and floor exercises! My sleepy non-existent ab muscles will feel it tomorrow and the next few days that's for sure!

Kristie
01-08-2007, 04:22 PM
Lorraine, I'd like to ultimately lose 30lbs (although I'd need to lose 40-45 to be back to what I was 10 years ago...but again... I was 14! :lol:)

mrs.g
01-08-2007, 04:34 PM
Lorraine, that is great!

I know you girls can lose the weight you want to, just stick to it. :D

I need to take my measurements...off to put the reminder on my phone...

Robbys Girl
01-08-2007, 04:36 PM
Lorraine, I'd like to ultimately lose 30lbs (although I'd need to lose 40-45 to be back to what I was 10 years ago...but again... I was 14! :lol:)
:pointlaugh: Oh forget about THAT! I think I must have been 100 pounds IF that at 14 :lol: Jeez probably 95 pounds :lol: I think I'm all set as far as getting down THAT low! :lol:

Thanks Mrs Garcia! I took my measurements not too long ago actually but too embarrassing to post here! :blush:

Julie
01-08-2007, 04:52 PM
I weighed myself this morning and it wasn't too terrible considering the holidays had just passed. I spent two weeks at my parents which is always killer on my diet and before I went there I weighed 173, now I'm at 171! I don't want to know what I weighed in between that time I could just tell by how my clothes felt that it wasn't good. So I'm considering my starting weight as 171 (that's with AF in town too!) I did really well with eating last week and working out, I had one splurge day to keep me sane so that helps, I'll be following WW too. I'd like to lose 11lbs. overall, and would just like to lose on this challenge I don't want to set a specific number of lbs.

Kristie
01-08-2007, 05:36 PM
:pointlaugh: Oh forget about THAT! I think I must have been 100 pounds IF that at 14 :lol: Jeez probably 95 pounds :lol: I think I'm all set as far as getting down THAT low! :lol:


My body was actually the same at 14 as it is now. I'm the same height and my...umm... boobs :lol: haven't grown much since then either (I developed VERY early!

~Sara~
01-08-2007, 06:25 PM
Alright ladies..I'm officially starting today. We had our Biggest Loser weigh-in this morning at work and I clocked in at a whopping 173. Ugh. I started WW today and made a yummy dinner for my mom and me :) She decided to do WW with me! I stayed within my points and drank tons of water!

lunarmagic
01-08-2007, 10:57 PM
I weighed myself last friday.... 141, exactly where I thought I'd be. (And as a total aside, my dog weighs 31, she's put on weight too. But she carries it better. ;) ) I haven't taken my measurements yet.

Kristie
01-09-2007, 12:22 AM
Sara, have you gained alot of weight since your wedding? How much? (if you dont mind me asking) ;)

septbride
01-09-2007, 07:37 AM
How has everyone been doing??? I haven't been too bad. Started drinking more water, but I did have myself a fun size snicker yesterday :( But I figure if I don't cheat a tiny bit, I will just go wild. So i'm hoping for the best. going to weight in sometime this week for a starting weight

Robbys Girl
01-09-2007, 09:29 AM
jt555 ~ Wow you're off to a GREAT start, 2 pounds already lost DURING the holidays, can't beat that! And with AF in town!

Kristie ~ I wish I knew what height I was when I was 14, my weight, etc. I have no clue! I know that I was a toothpick at that age and I put on weight each year during HS (I can at least remember getting bigger sizes each year).

Sara (bgsara16) ~ WW is great, just from what I've seen with my friends who have tried WW, they all were successful at losing the pounds! It's a great program!

Natalie ~ What kind of a dog do you have?

septbride ~ I totally agree with you! There's no way I could do well overall if I didn't have a small treat every now and then! You end up going insane if you deprive yourself of everything!




Last night I did 1 hour on my stationary bike. I'm starting out at level 3 which isn't bad since I'm out of shape. The day before I did an hour of jogging. So tonight I'm going to give it a rest, and see what the weather is like tomorrow, and if it's nice enough, I'll go for another jog.

My meals yesterday included
coffee/lite cream
oatmeal with 1/4 cup raspberries
1 tuna sandwich with 2 slices cheddar cheese on whole wheat
whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce
1 orange
1 skim milk
green tea
oh yeah and 1 piece of white chocolate :lick:

mrs.g
01-09-2007, 10:59 AM
I did good yesterday, but something did not agree with my body because I've been sick since 3AM. :puke: On a positive note, my tummy is skinnier. :lol:

johnsdeere
01-09-2007, 11:47 AM
Hi Everyone!! I'm chiming in a little later here but, I would like to participate if that is okay with everyone else??

I started WW again yesterday...I have had great sucess with them in the past and I am currently waiting to receive my Turbo Jam DVD's.

Please start by stating your goals:
How many pounds and/or inches would you like to lose? 10 lbs
What are your exercise plans & goals? 5 days week...TJ
What food challenges and weaknesses do you want to overcome?
Continuously sticking to my diet!! That is a accomplishment in itself!!
What are your diet goals? To lose 55lbs
Do you have any particular article of clothing you'll use to gauge your progress? No...just the results on the scale and according to my tape measure....the clothing will come as I lose the weight. I have a closet full of clothes at my parent's house that I seriously cannot fit into...that is the goal.

johnsdeere
01-09-2007, 11:55 AM
Here is my food consumption yesterday...and the point values for everything...

Monday, January 8th

Morning
1 stick Kraft String-Ums String Cheese 2pts
1 large banana(s) 2pts
2 small apple(s) 2pts
1 cup water 0pts
Subtotal 6 pts

Midday
1/4 item Dole Cantaloupe(s) 1pts
1 cup beef and broccoli 4pts
3/4 cup cooked white rice 3pts
Subtotal 8 pts

Evening
2 items Dole Kiwi(s) 1pt
1 cup mixed baby greens 0pts
2 Tbsp reduced-calorie salad dressing 2pts
Subtotal 3 pts

Snack
7 cups Orville Redenbacher's Smart Pop! 94% Fat Free Kettle Korn 1pt
2 sugar free fat free pudding 2pts

Subtotal 3 pts

Total Food POINTS values used 20

Food POINTS Balance
over (-) under (+) +4

septbride
01-09-2007, 01:06 PM
Johnsdeere ~ is the dole cantaloupe and kiwi something that you buy canned? or just the brand of the fruit you are buying :) just curious! would love to buy that type of fruit already cut up, I am just too lazy to do it myself :)

johnsdeere
01-09-2007, 01:11 PM
Septbride...
It was the only way that I could enter the points into my points tracker for WW. None of it is canned it is all fresh. :( Sorry...I know it is easier to eat the good stuff when you don't have to slave in the kitchen.
It is a pain peeling a kiwi...let me tell you what!!
For the cantalope....I will cut the whole cantalope up and put them in small rubbermaid containers..that way I can just grab and go. ;)

johnsdeere
01-09-2007, 01:13 PM
oh...by the way...every Monday I will weigh in and report my weight on here.

Robbys Girl
01-09-2007, 03:07 PM
Mrs Garcia ~ UGH I hate being sick!! And why does it always getcha in the middle of the night, it's AWFUL!!! I hope you're feeling better now. I always get paranoid about having to be sick :puke: But hey yeah you're stomach shrunk :lol:

JohnsDeere ~ Welcome to this challenge! I'm excited you joined us :yippee: Your diet is GREAT so far!!

johnsdeere
01-09-2007, 03:34 PM
Thanks for the welcome Robbys Girl. :)

~Sara~
01-09-2007, 06:47 PM
Sara, have you gained a lot of weight since your wedding? How much? (if you dont mind me asking) ;)

It will be good for me to confess :hehe:

I weighed around 155ish on our wedding day so I've put on about 18 pounds. I think that's what happens when I eat whatever the heck I want for 5 months :laugh3:

*Also, tonight was our first Biggest Loser workout session. The local YMCA is coming in and putting on classes twice a week for our staff. We'll do yoga/pilates on Thursdays and cardio/strength training on Tuesdays! (All free of cost to us!) I'm very excited! PLUS the YMCA bought all of the participating employees (162 of us!) pedometers!

johnsdeere
01-09-2007, 06:55 PM
Sorry about the weight gain...I have put on 14 lbs....so I'm with you there. :(

That is soooo great that your local YMCA is doing that for you guys. What a great way to work out...with friends from work.....

~Sara~
01-09-2007, 07:01 PM
Johnsdeere- I'm glad I'm not the only one that's gained weight..guess that means that we're *happy newlyweds* right? :hehe: I'm getting the Turbo Jam videos too! We can help motivate each other :heee:

Kristie
01-09-2007, 08:30 PM
That's not too bad Sara. I gained 35lbs in 4 months after my wedding :( I couldn't believe I let myself do that! Since then I've lost 15lbs and I plan to lose the other 20 pounds PLUS 10 more pounds to be at my goal :)
And I WILL make it there... THIS YEAR :D

johnsdeere
01-10-2007, 10:18 AM
Sara and Kristi.....It must be because we are in wedded bliss. ;)

How did you lose the 15lbs Kristie??

I got my turbo Jam DVD's yesterday!!! I read up on everything last night and I am so excited to start that I think I might even work out at lunch time. :) If not....I'll do it when I get home tonight. It's just a matter of time before you receive yours Sara!! I bet this week even!!

Oh lordy....I took my measurements last night with the help of Clint........ick. Really ick. I needed to do it though because as I progress and lose weight I want to see where I came from. There also will be days that that I won't lose weight but I will see the results from my tape measure.

Here are my results.....this sucks that I have let myself get to this point. :( Embarasing is what it really is.....

Chest....45
Right Arm...14.5 flexed
Left Arm...15 flexed
Upper waist...38
Low waist 44
Hips...45.5
Right Thigh....26
Left Thigh....26
Weight...205

johnsdeere
01-10-2007, 10:39 AM
Here is my food consumption for...
Tuesday, Jan. 10th

Morning
1 large banana(s) 2pts
1 small apple(s) 1pts
1 serving Kraft Polly-O Mozzarella reduced fat string cheese 2pts
2 cup water 0pts

Subtotal 5pts

Midday
2 cup cooked green beans 0pts
2 cup water 0pts
1 cup beef and broccoli 4pts
3/4 cup cooked white rice 3pts

Subtotal 7pts

Evening
1 cup cucumber(s) 0pts
2 Tbsp reduced-calorie salad dressing 2pts
Uncle Ben's brocolli cheese soup 7pts

Subtotal 9pts

Snack
sugar free fat free pudding 1pt
sugar free fat free pudding 1pt

Subtotal 2

Total Food POINTS values used 23

Food POINTS Balance
over (-) under (+) +1

I under ate by a point yesterday....which is a improvement from the day before. I use to drink coffee 7 days a week but, with the calories and the total costs...I didn't feel it was worth it to drink it that often. Sooooo........I have cut coffee down from 7 days a week to one day a week. Regardless of how often it is offered....I have stood my ground and only had it once. High five for me!!!

Robbys Girl
01-10-2007, 11:50 AM
I piled on the weight after we got ENGAGED let alone married :lol: :lol: I lost some of the weight in time for the wedding but then put the blubber back on again, then lost some by the springtime, gained it back during the late summer into the holidays, lost some blubber by the springtime, gained it back during the late summer into the holidays, etc. etc. etc.. I weighed this high though 2 years BEFORE I even met DH so it's not like I reached higher weights after getting married, just gaining old blubber back again. I have yet to lose ALL the blubber I want and get back down to my ideal weight; the last time I was at my ideal weight was in college. This is the same 30+ pounds of blubber I've been dealing with here. :rolleyes:

Robbys Girl
01-10-2007, 12:04 PM
I use to drink coffee 7 days a week but, with the calories and the total costs...I didn't feel it was worth it to drink it that often. Sooooo........I have cut coffee down from 7 days a week to one day a week. Regardless of how often it is offered....I have stood my ground and only had it once. High five for me!!!
Wow!! Only one day a week? I could never do that :faint: I need a cup of coffee in the morning, I can stick with just one, but I could never go without!! Hats off to you as far as I'm concerned! :thumbsup: I've had issues with my coffee in that I used to add 2 packets of Swiss Miss to my coffee every morning to make mocha, which meant I was getting in 44gm of carbs just in that one mug! :no: :nono: Awful! Now I've reverted to lite cream in my coffee and just a little sugar, or no sugar at all. A big improvement on that end. But I'll drink black coffee before I go to NO coffee :lol:

Kristie
01-10-2007, 12:07 PM
DeAnne,
I think part of it was water weight but either way... it was poundage! :lol:
Last may I ate SO healthy for about 1 1/2 weeks (yes, that was VERY tough for me). I'm talking the healthiest you can get, and I exercised 1-2hrs everyday for that week and a half. Within those 10 days I lost 10lbs then slowly another 5 came off :)
Now I'm *trying* to eat better and I'm going to the gym (as well as walking) so hopefully it will start to come off...slowly...again :)

johnsdeere
01-10-2007, 12:38 PM
Wow!! Only one day a week? I could never do that :faint: I need a cup of coffee in the morning, I can stick with just one, but I could never go without!! Hats off to you as far as I'm concerned! :thumbsup: I've had issues with my coffee in that I used to add 2 packets of Swiss Miss to my coffee every morning to make mocha, which meant I was getting in 44gm of carbs just in that one mug! :no: :nono: Awful! Now I've reverted to lite cream in my coffee and just a little sugar, or no sugar at all. A big improvement on that end. But I'll drink black coffee before I go to NO coffee :lol:


I've tried regular brewed coffee...with all sorts of creamers and such...and I don't care for it. I generally go to Starbucks...here in Washington we have one on every street corner, I swear!! I was costing me 6 WW points per coffee drink a day...when you have only 24 points in a day that takes a huge toll on what you can eat. Financially....$4.51....per coffee.....7 days a week....$31.57 per week...$126.28 for coffee. Soooooooooooooo....I made the ultimate decision and I opted for once a week. I miss it....it's comforting on a cold day....I guess I just appreciate it even more when I have it, ya know??

johnsdeere
01-10-2007, 12:52 PM
DeAnne,
I think part of it was water weight but either way... it was poundage! :lol:
Last may I ate SO healthy for about 1 1/2 weeks (yes, that was VERY tough for me). I'm talking the healthiest you can get, and I exercised 1-2hrs everyday for that week and a half. Within those 10 days I lost 10lbs then slowly another 5 came off :)
Now I'm *trying* to eat better and I'm going to the gym (as well as walking) so hopefully it will start to come off...slowly...again :)

I know they say we lose a certain amount of water weight but, that seems like alot of water to just be well....water. I like to think it is more then just water weight. :heee: Especially after all the work to lose it, ya know? I want fat coming off my butt....water just doesn't cut it. :laugh3: I wonder for how long initially we lose the "water weight". I should google that.
Wow!! 1-2 hours a day!! Why do you think you didn't suceed?? My first thought is that maybe you went to such a extreme from where you were at....ya know?? I seem to diet in extremes personally....Adkins was one for me. I want something that I can follow that can be a life change...I really don't want to yo yo for the rest of my life. And his has been my life since I was 21.....and I'm almost 30. :( I'd like to stop the cycle.

Good Job getting motivated again to lose the weight and to become healthier!!! That is the first step and it is a hard step too. ;)

mrs.g
01-10-2007, 01:07 PM
I've tried regular brewed coffee...with all sorts of creamers and such...and I don't care for it. I generally go to Starbucks...here in Washington we have one on every street corner, I swear!! I was costing me 6 WW points per coffee drink a day...when you have only 24 points in a day that takes a huge toll on what you can eat. Financially....$4.51....per coffee.....7 days a week....$31.57 per week...$126.28 for coffee. Soooooooooooooo....I made the ultimate decision and I opted for once a week. I miss it....it's comforting on a cold day....I guess I just appreciate it even more when I have it, ya know??

So what are you going to do with the extra money you're saving? Sorry if you already posted it and I missed it. :blush:

johnsdeere
01-10-2007, 02:15 PM
Nothing exciting. Just toward a bill or just general spending. I'm not a big spender in the least. I go home for lunch since our apartment is so close to where I work so I don't go out for lunch...besides getting a pedicure every month and my nails done twice a month....coffee was my only other expenditure.
I can afford the coffee everyday...I guess it's just after adding it up...and seeing how much I was spending....I figured I could do something better with the money, that's all. Did that make sense?

mrs.g
01-10-2007, 02:24 PM
Yup! ;)

Robbys Girl
01-10-2007, 04:10 PM
I've tried regular brewed coffee...with all sorts of creamers and such...and I don't care for it. I generally go to Starbucks...here in Washington we have one on every street corner, I swear!! I was costing me 6 WW points per coffee drink a day...when you have only 24 points in a day that takes a huge toll on what you can eat. Financially....$4.51....per coffee.....7 days a week....$31.57 per week...$126.28 for coffee. Soooooooooooooo....I made the ultimate decision and I opted for once a week. I miss it....it's comforting on a cold day....I guess I just appreciate it even more when I have it, ya know??Oh wow!!! So yeah I totally understand where you're coming from! I love Starbucks coffee myself but I also realized how many calories were in each one so I've tried limiting myself in that area too, and just having either that or my morning mocha once a week or so, more as a treat than as a regular thing. And yes it is much more enjoyable and more like a special treat when you're not having it every single day! Wow that $$ sure adds up! Good for you, saving on money AND calories! Finally, two things in life (calories & money) that work together, not against each other like things usually do :lol: !!

johnsdeere
01-10-2007, 04:20 PM
I do miss my coffee. I didn't get headaches and such from quiting...as surprising as that is......I miss the warm comfort it provides. A nice way o warming up your insides.
Hopefully I can show even more discipline in other areas......it all started with the coffee...hopefully I can apply it to other areas such as my diet. :)

johnsdeere
01-10-2007, 04:22 PM
Little side note....I won't be purchasing coffee for a while....for christmas I got $75.00 in Starbucks cards.....That will last me over 18 weeks at the rate I'm at!!! LOL

Robbys Girl
01-11-2007, 09:36 AM
Yeah that's why I MUST have some kind of coffee each morning. A nice hot mug of coffee just makes my morning complete. I can discipline myself not to have the really wonderful high calorie lattes from Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, or whatever coffee shop (there are a lot of 'em in my area too!), just only once in a great while, but I can't NOT have ANY coffee daily. So I compromised and I put lite cream in my coffee with just a hint of sugar. I need a nice warm beverage in the morning and tea just doesn't cut it. I will have my green tea later in the day though.

johnsdeere
01-11-2007, 10:05 AM
Coffee sounds really good right about now. :drool: It's cold outside.

I did Turbo Jam last night......even when I couldn't follow everyone else I still kept moving. It was fun. I was really thinking of doing it this morning but, I was afraid that I might overdue it and get sorer. I always have a tendency to overdue exercise and then I'm sore and can't do it. LOL I'm feeling it across my shoulderblades and my upper thighs. I really was working up a nice little sweat...I worked late last night so I am intending on getting off a little earlier today...I think I'm going to head home and do my Turbo Jam. :D

mrs.g
01-11-2007, 11:00 AM
Good for you! :)

Robbys Girl
01-12-2007, 09:11 AM
I should check out that Turbo Jam, it sounds like great exercise! Do you need a lot of space in your living room?

I put in an hour on my stationary bike last night and situps for the first time in forever. :thumbsup:

johnsdeere
01-12-2007, 10:49 AM
Robbysgirl:
As long as you have enough space to do side kicks and back kicks you should be good to go. ;)
An hour on the bike!! That is great!! How did you feel after it all?? I bet you slept like a rock!! Situps...very nice. Keep up the good work!!

I did Turbo Jam last night.....it felt really good when I knew the steps. I'm sure it is just a matter of time before I really get the hang of all the steps. I'm thinking about doing TJ two times on Saturday and Sunday so that I can really get the steps and form down pat. My legs feel tight today but, not in a I didn't stretch last night feel but, a good healthy way...if that makes sense. LOL

johnsdeere
01-12-2007, 01:13 PM
This was in a email from Beachbody...I just wanted to drop this off in here. A little food for thought...

Did You Know?
The majority of New Year's resolutions are broken after the first week (75%).

Most people cite procrastination as the number one reason for failing to keep their resolutions (33%); lack of discipline came in second (24%); and not making a plan was third (19%).

johnsdeere
01-12-2007, 01:18 PM
and more...I hope you all don't mind.....I guess whatever helps...that's what counts.

Top 10 Diet Tips By Steve Edwards
On the heels of Top 10 Fitness Tips, here are Steve's keys to a thinner, healthier you.
You may not know the difference between Atkins, Scarsdale, or Dr. Phil, and frankly, you shouldn't have to. Eating just isn't that complicated. Here are 10 simple guidelines. It may not be enough info to get you onto the cover of Muscle & Fitness, but follow these tips and your body will be on a steady path to salvation.

1. Eat at home. Or, at least, don't eat at convenience stores, fast food chains, gas stations, or in the break room at your office. All of these places are filled with mainly junk food. As a society, if we did nothing but avoid Big Gulps, French fries, chips, and processed meats, we'd all be a lot thinner. If you can avoid these places, it starts to become challenging to eat poorly. When you don't avoid them, it's almost impossible to have a balanced diet.

2. Eat often. You should eat something every two or three hours while you're awake. Not a full meal, but something. "Three squares a day" is an antiquated ritual, but this doesn't mean you can't eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It just means that they shouldn't be all-you-can-possibly-gorge affairs. Eating often keeps your blood sugar levels stable, translating into more consistent energy levels.

3. Eat for what you do. Do Oprah and Lance Armstrong eat the same things? Probably not. In fact, Lance Armstrong doesn't eat the same way all of the time. The more exercise you do, the more you need to eat. And beyond just eating more, this is when you need to think about the makeup of your diet. The biggest variable in your diet is the amount of carbohydrates that you consume. Carbs are for energy only. If you aren't exercising, you don't need many. But when you're on the go all day, let them be your primary fuel. While a small amount of the carbs you consume can be stored in body tissues for later use, their main function is to provide immediate fuel for energy. The leftovers are stored as fat. Still, if you don't get enough, your ability to think, move, and generally function will diminish. Clearly, your carbohydrate consumption requires some thought, and it should be the most variable portion of your diet. Carb intake should vary between around 40% when you're not active or overweight to up to 70% when you're on the go all day long.

4. Eat plants (in their natural state). Fruits, veggies, and whole grains are all from different food categories, yet they are still very similar. For one thing, in their natural state plant foods all are abundant in fiber, which is something our diets tend to lack (just try and find much fiber in any food mentioned in #1). Eating whole foods helps our bodies self-regulate and brings our pH levels into balance. A balanced body functions better. In general, our diets have become way too acidic, and plants tend to be alkaline.

5. Drink water (but not soda). Your body needs a lot of water, which is why you get thirsty. What you don't need, however, is soda. Calories in soda are worse than just wasted calories. They come from ingredients that are nutrient poor. Drinking more than a soda a day will make it nearly impossible for you to have a balanced diet. And diet sodas aren't much better. Their added ingredients (like phosphoric acid) will alter your body's pH and affect its ability to properly digest necessary nutrients. Soda is the number one threat to a healthy diet in the world today. Pure junk. It serves zero purpose.

6. Stay hungry. This is a metaphor, but it's also meant to be taken somewhat literally. You should eat until you're not hungry, instead of until you're full. So much about our diets is habitual. Your body has eaten enough food well before your brain gets the signal that it's full. Cutting off your meals early is a simple way of cutting out many superfluous calories.

7. Eat healthy fat. Don't confuse the fat you eat with fat on your body. You need fat to be healthy, but it's important to choose the right kinds of fat to eat. There are four types of fat: saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and trans fat. We need the first three in the right balance to improve our health and even help us lose fat. Saturated fat comes from animal products and should be kept to a minimum, as the body needs very little and excess is dangerous. Unsaturated fat comes from nuts, olives, flaxseeds, fish, and avocados and should make up most of your fat intake. Trans fats are those made by man. We don't need any. They are hazardous, and guess where you find them? Once again, see #1. Your total fat intake should be between 20% and 30% of your daily caloric intake. Keep in mind that fats are over twice as dense as proteins and carbohydrates (9 calories per gram compared to 4), so a little goes a long way.

8. Get enough protein. Protein is found in abundance in meats (any animal), dairy products, and legumes (beans, peas, etc). Protein builds muscle and should make up between 15% and 30% of your diet. Because it's hard to digest, it helps to get some each time we eat. Adding a bit of protein to each meal or snack is about as much attention as you need to pay to this nutrient. If you do this, your protein needs will likely be met.

9. Alcohol counts. I know, I know, you know this. Still, many people tend to consider "drinking" an activity that's separate from the rest of their diet. While this may be socially true, trust me, your body is noticing. Alcohol contains nearly twice the calories of proteins and carbs (7 calories per gram). It's not terrible to have a glass of wine with dinner or a couple of beers every now and then. Just remember that they are part of your diet, meaning that the rest of what you eat should be adjusted accordingly. Alcohol serves no performance purpose other than, perhaps, mental stimulation. Like soda, it needs to be limited if you're going to maintain a balanced diet.

10. Plan ahead. Just like anything else in life, your diet will go smoother if you plan ahead. If "I'll just grab something when I can" is a regular saying around your house, chances are that your nutrition plan is not working in your favor. Citing #1 again, "convenience" and "fast" foods are based on a quick and addicting junk model. For example, when was the last time you saw a piece of fruit in your office vending machine? Taking a few minutes to strategize your week's meals will do you a world of good.

Implement these 10 steps, and I guarantee your diet will improve. But if you can't do it all at once, my advice is to not be too hard on yourself. Hey, it's only food. Whatever you do can always be undone. It's stressful enough trying to live your life and stay fit and trim without you having to worry that you shouldn't have had that cookie. An eating "disaster" isn't a big a deal in the overall picture. Eat too much? Try doubling your workout the next day, cleanse for a couple of days, or hike all day long over the weekend. Exercise can offset even the worst of meals. The key to everything is to find a balance that works for you between exercise, eating, and life.

Robbys Girl
01-12-2007, 03:57 PM
Robbysgirl:
An hour on the bike!! That is great!! How did you feel after it all?? I bet you slept like a rock!! Situps...very nice. Keep up the good work!!
LOLIt's funny you say, actually this morning when I woke up I thought just that, that I slept like a rock!!! I always sleep better after I'd been exercising! :thumbsup: Lately since I've been so out of shape and not exercising I haven't been sleeping quite as soundly as I have in the past. So I was happy this morning having had a good night's sleep! My abs are feeling it after being used for the first time in a thousand years, time for them to wake up :lol:

Robbys Girl
01-12-2007, 04:04 PM
Great tips Johnsdeere thanks for posting! :)

Stitch's girl
01-12-2007, 07:05 PM
Hey ladies,

I am joining in too, but am taking a more qualitative than quantitative approach initially- I am not getting on the scale for the next couple weeks. Back during the Halloween challenge I dropped about 13 lbs, but lost 3 inches around my chest, 2.5 from my hips, and 2.5 from my waist, plus more from the legs and arms. I can still fit in the clothes I wore at that point, but the jeans are tight! I got married on November 10, and kept up on the exercise to an extent since then, but not the eating at all!

Luckily, DH wants to eat better too, so we are doing this together. I just want to feel my pants loosen up again before I weigh myself and take my measurements... with me, I lose inches easier than pounds, so feeling my clothes fit better is stronger motivation than checking the scale weekly. And they are getting looser already! :)

So here is my typical daily food intake- I eat about every 2-3 hours while I am at work:

7:30- yogurt
10:00- granola bar- high protein, low sugar, 90 cals
1:00- turkey and white bean chili (I put the recipe in the Healthy recipes section of the cookbook-~230 cal, 6 g of fiber, 35 g protein in one cup- low fat!)
3:00- piece of fruit or some raw veggies
5:00- dinner- we have been prepicking recipes for the upcoming week from cookinglight.com on Saturdays and buying all the ingredients we need on Sundays, so we are set for healthy dinners for the week. Lots of fresh veggies included. Usually one treat night per week- pizza or the like, but in reasonable portions

My exercise- still doing my womens bootcamp 3x per week- fast paced combo of cardio and weight training, each session is 1 hr. Also starting a weekly 5k run next Saturday- local group sets it up, $4 to join, no prizes, t-shirts, or hoopla- just come, run with the group, get your time, and go home! And I will try to work out on my own one additional day.

Stitch's girl
01-12-2007, 07:07 PM
Oh yeah, tons of water every day too, plus if I NEED coffee, I will only drink it black. I have it maybe twice a week.

lunarmagic
01-12-2007, 07:56 PM
I weighed in at 140.25 lbs today.... I've lost .75lbs! yay! Okay that doesn't sound like much... but my total goal is 6lbs. ;)

johnsdeere
01-13-2007, 01:00 PM
Welcome Becky!!!! I really think it is great that you are customizing our weight loss and fitness for you and of course you husband. Whatever works for us as individuals is all that matters. What is good for one isn't always for another. Good to see you both setting yourselves up for success by planning your meals. I have found this week that that is really my saving grace. I like having snacks throughout the day...it prevents me from overeatting. :)

Sounds like you are right on track!!!

~Sara~
01-13-2007, 01:33 PM
I got Turbo Jam in the mail today! :woohoo: I can't wait to start! And I'll be taking measurements today too :)

I got my body fat measured on Friday and I was at 25%...right in the healthy range :heee: The trainer at the YMCA said that I should strive to be in the "fitness" level, which is 21-24%, so we'll see!

I said no to peanut butter pie last night and yummy pastries at breakfast this morning! :jump4joy:

Robbys Girl
01-15-2007, 10:04 AM
Stitch'sGirl ~ Thanks for joining in and welcome!! I totally bombed the Halloween challenge but I'm glad to hear you did really well with it! :cheer: Using clothes and measurements to gauge how you're doing is a great way of doing it! I do that too, I know what numbers I want to see on the scale but how clothes fit is just as important if not more so! Today I'm wearing a pair of pants that used to be loose but now they're tight as a reminder that I need to get back down. It sure is a wake-up call and keeps me in line all day long.

Natalie ~ Congratulations!! What is your ultimate goal weight? Is it 135?

Sara ~ I didn't know fitness level was 21-24%, I thought it was 15-18% or something like that (for women). :scratch: Looks like you're pretty much there already, just 1% to go and you'll be even fitter than "healthy"! :thumbsup: :cheer: for NO peanut butter pie (would have been temptation for ME!)!




This weekend my exercise included 1 hour a day (Sat & Sun) of cardio (stationary bike). I'm still at 152 but I'm expecting to get down to 151 at some point this week. A HUGE achievement for me was that we didn't go out to eat this weekend, instead we cooked healthy dinners at home!

johnsdeere
01-15-2007, 12:46 PM
I got Turbo Jam in the mail today! :woohoo: I can't wait to start! And I'll be taking measurements today too :)

I got my body fat measured on Friday and I was at 25%...right in the healthy range :heee: The trainer at the YMCA said that I should strive to be in the "fitness" level, which is 21-24%, so we'll see!

I said no to peanut butter pie last night and yummy pastries at breakfast this morning! :jump4joy:


Right on! :jump4joy: :jump4joy: :jump4joy: :jump4joy:
Did you get a chance to do Turbo Jam yet?? If so did you like it??
Good for you and turning down peanut butter pie!! It's hard to do especially from the get go. I turned down German Chocolate cake yesterday.....I want to lose weight more then the cake, ya know.
25% is pretty great already. You don't have to far before you meet the "fitness" level.

johnsdeere
01-15-2007, 12:48 PM
Good job at working out this weekend Robby's girl!! 2 hours this weekend!!

johnsdeere
01-15-2007, 12:51 PM
I weighed myself this morning at last week I was 205lbs and this week I am weighing in at 201.4 sooooooooooo thus far I have lost 3.6 lbs!!! :cheer: :cheer: I think I am going to take my measurements weekly so that even if the scale doesnt reflect any loss...the tape measure probably will. :)
Weight Watchers is easy this time around for me because I am filling up with alot of low point foods. I just need to make sure that I eat my alloted 24 points. I'm scrambling at night to find foods to get me to my 24....a far cry from years past.

For the record.....I feel really good about my weight loss goals and what I am doing right now to acheive them.

How is everybdy else doing with their weightloss and workout goals??

Kristie
01-15-2007, 01:18 PM
way to go johnsdeere!! That's awesome.
I haven't lost any weight yet and I've been exercising everyday :)
I'm off to the gym in a few minutes

johnsdeere
01-15-2007, 04:51 PM
Thanks Kristie. I can't wait for the inches and pounds to shed.......this coming summer I will be a smaller person!!! :cheer:

Good for you and your working out everyday!! That really is great!! That metabolism of yours is really going to burn more efficiently with all of that working out.
How do you feel since working out?? What exercises have you been doing at the gym??

Stitch's girl
01-15-2007, 05:21 PM
Wow- it sounds like everybody is doing so great! Kristie- all the exercise is fantastic, and Robby's girl- nice job on making the healthy dinners at home- that makes such a difference! :) Johnsdeer- congrats on that drop!

Back to bootcamp again for me this morning, and for dinner tonight we had pasta with spinach, sun-dried tomatos, grilled chicken breast, and some fat free caesar dressing and some parm. cheese on it... so yummy, and really healthy.

Kristie
01-15-2007, 05:24 PM
I've put myself on a schedule at the gym.
Mon - Cardio 45-60 minutes (mostly elliptical...some treadmill or bike)
Tues -Weights and Core conditioning (working your abs with a ball in a class)
Wed -Cardio
Thurs -Weights and Core conditioning
Fri -Cardio
Sat or Sun -Weights

Plus I try to walk everyday or every other day.

johnsdeere
01-15-2007, 05:25 PM
Stitches girl............man your dinner sounds fabulous!! So yummy......can you share the recipe with me?? My husband loves spinach!!

johnsdeere
01-15-2007, 05:26 PM
I've put myself on a schedule at the gym.
Mon - Cardio 45-60 minutes (mostly elliptical...some treadmill or bike)
Tues -Weights and Core conditioning (working your abs with a ball in a class)
Wed -Cardio
Thurs -Weights and Core conditioning
Fri -Cardio
Sat or Sun -Weights

Plus I try to walk everyday or every other day.

Good for you Kristie!!!

johnsdeere
01-15-2007, 05:27 PM
By the way...what is everyone's names??
Just wondering.....I know Kristie's is pretty obvious but the rest of us...not so much.

My name is DeAnne......

~Sara~
01-15-2007, 07:16 PM
I'm Sara :)

DeAnna- I haven't gotten a chance to try Turbo yet because I have a darned cold and feel like crap! Definitely messes with one's motivation!

I made it through one week with no cheating and staying in my points everyday! I'm super excited :) :) The official weigh-in comes on Thursday so I'll be eager to see how much I've lost. I noticed today that my pants feel looser!

Kristie
01-15-2007, 08:41 PM
Ah.. DeAnne... I forgot what your name is... I guess when you dont see it anywhere in their siggy you tend to forget what it is.. sorry :)

johnsdeere
01-16-2007, 12:00 PM
I'm Sara :)

DeAnna- I haven't gotten a chance to try Turbo yet because I have a darned cold and feel like crap! Definitely messes with one's motivation!

I made it through one week with no cheating and staying in my points everyday! I'm super excited :) :) The official weigh-in comes on Thursday so I'll be eager to see how much I've lost. I noticed today that my pants feel looser!

I'm sorry you have a cold. I wouldn't work out if I was sick either. Keep us posted on your opinion of Turbo Jam and how you like/dislike it when you work out for the first time, okay??

Good job sticking to your points!!! That is an accomplishment in itself!! :jump4joy: :jump4joy: Check in on Thursday or Friday if you would so that you can share your weight loss results!! Way to go Sara.

johnsdeere
01-16-2007, 12:04 PM
Ah.. DeAnne... I forgot what your name is... I guess when you dont see it anywhere in their siggy you tend to forget what it is.. sorry :)

No worries!! It probably should of been a good idea for me to have my name being my sign on name. ;)

Julie
01-16-2007, 12:19 PM
Hey everyone, I totally fell off the wagon (and face of the Earth) for a few days. I'm in Springfield, MO that hardest hit by the ice storm in MO and we just got our power back (it went out Friday night) FH and I stayed in a hotel about 40 minutes from here starting Saturday night so we've been eating out kind of no other choice. Anyway I'm back at it hopefully I didn't gain too much weight! BTW, my name's Julie I know I'm a little behind on that.

johnsdeere
01-16-2007, 12:23 PM
Good to see you are allright!! That's the important thing.
You just do what you can under circumstances like that.
If you did gain weight, today is a new day and you can just get the weight back off again. ;)
Have a great day Julie.

mrs.g
01-16-2007, 02:12 PM
Hello ladies! Sounds like everyone is doing good!!! :cheer: I'm still around, just was MIA from MLW for a few days.

Kristie
01-16-2007, 02:54 PM
Just got back from the gym :) It's a little discouraging working out daily (started a few weeks ago) and then jumping on the scale only to see no difference :(
I wont give up though... I know in time it will go down :)

Robbys Girl
01-16-2007, 05:09 PM
Thanks DeAnne!! (I'm Lorraine :)).

Everyone is doing so well!!! :yippee:

Kristie, I haven't seen any results on the scale yet either. Every January when I'm getting started with a weight loss program and getting back into exercising after months and months of laziness, poor eating habits, and weight gain (I know I know I should maintain healthy habits but that's besides the point ;)), I'll go a few weeks without seeing any changes on the scale yet. I think the body is becoming used to the muscles being worked (and therefore an increase in muscle mass, which means an increase in muscle weight), we also retain more water at first, and we either see NO change on the scale or even weight GAIN at first because of these reasons. I heard from a doctor on Oprah that you normally see weight gain at first, and you need to wait at least a month before you step on that scale. Oprah said she would see a few pounds gained at first and it would tick her off she said but you just need to stick with it and you'll eventually start seeing results. :heee:



Here's my update, I worked out for an hour on the stationary bike, I'm officially up one level from where I began a couple weeks ago. I haven't lost a pound yet for this challenge but it's still too early to see. Hopefully by the end of the week.

I used a good trick on myself last night. I wanted to watch the Golden Globe Awards at 8pm and it was getting to be 7:20. I like to make sure I get in no less than an hour of cardio. But I said whatever, I'll go for 30 minutes, there should be at least some benefit there. After 25 minutes of working out I figured why not go the whole 60 min. Getting in the exercise is more important than what's on TV. :thumbsup:

So whenever you're arguing with yourself about exercising, convince yourself that you'll go for 20-30 min at least and you can stop after that. Chances are you'll be more motivated to keep on going beyond that once you've gotten yourself started!

Stitch's girl
01-16-2007, 06:12 PM
I'm Becky... and yes, here is that recipe: (its from cookinglight.com)

1/4 cup oil packed sun dried tomatos
2 1/2 cups cooked bow tie pasta (about 2 cups uncooked)
1 cup cubed cooked skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 1 breast)
1/2 cup fat free Caesar dressing
1/4 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese
1 (10 oz) package frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry

Drain tomatos in colander over a bowl- reserve 1 Tbs oil. Combine tomatos, oil, pasta, and remaining ingredients in a bowl, toss well. Microwave at high 2 minutes or until warm.

Tips- we could have used less of the salad dressing- do it to taste. We also used canned parmesan.

johnsdeere
01-17-2007, 10:48 AM
Kristie and Lorraine,
I'm sorry you are not seeing the fruits of your labor yet on the scale. :hug: That is my number one reason for quitting working out in the past. :( Just know that you are doing a tremendous job!! It's just a matter of time before you see and feel the difference. Kudos to you ladies!!

Becky,
I bought sun dried tomatoes yesterday at the store and couldn't find any fat free ceasar at that store. I will keep looking and hopefully we can try your recipe by the end of the weekend. Thank you Becky!! I'm excited about a new healthy recipe!!

johnsdeere
01-17-2007, 10:50 AM
I didn't work out last night....between grocery shopping and making dinner, it didn't happen. After reading what Lorraine mentioned above.....it makes me even more determined to work on balancing everything out and getting that workout in everyday. Thanks for the words of encouragement.....that really makes me want to get my workouts in everyday. :thumbsup:

Robbys Girl
01-17-2007, 11:08 AM
I would say to watch out for those "fat free" salad dressings because don't they make up for it by adding a ton of sugar?? Not good! :thumbsdown:

DeAnne, I'm glad you feel motivated!! We're all in this together and here to help each other! Yeah usually I don't expect to see weight loss right away, I know my body is adjusting to exercising again, and sleeping muscles are being awakened! I know it has to do with initial muscle gain (cardio builds muscle too! especially muscles that have not been used for a while.) and that puts ON weight, and if I'm breaking even, I would say I'm building muscle/losing fat simultaneously :) I'm interested in seeing some weight LOSS soon though, it's getting old remaining at 152 for a week solid :lol:

Stitch's girl
01-17-2007, 04:10 PM
I would say to watch out for those "fat free" salad dressings because don't they make up for it by adding a ton of sugar?? Not good! :thumbsdown:

Good point! I made sure to check sugar when I looked at the bottles... definitely a smart thing to do!

johnsdeere
01-17-2007, 07:19 PM
The grocery store I went to didn't have a low calorie or reduced fat caesar dressing....would of been nice though. I'll mak sure to find something that is weight watcher approved. ;) :thumbsup:

I'm heading home to do my Turbo Jam!! LaLaLa Ladies!!!

lunarmagic
01-17-2007, 07:21 PM
I would say to watch out for those "fat free" salad dressings because don't they make up for it by adding a ton of sugar?? Not good! :thumbsdown:

That sucks. I'll have to check what DH uses. He's such a dip sometimes... like he drinks a TON of diet soda because "there's Zero calories!" Ugh. He can be so stupid sometimes.

I'm sorry I haven't been keeping up with this thread. I am going to try to do better at that and exercising. I just bought an exercise ball yesterday, YAY! I'm happy about that. i already have a few free-weights that I plan to dust off.

I'm sorry some of you girls aren't seeing results yet. :( it can be so frustrating - but if you're developing healthier habits, that's the important thing!

mrs.g
01-17-2007, 07:32 PM
Something my DH reminds is that the weight didn't get there overnight, so it's not going to come off overnight. Also, I've had these habits for years and it's going to take some time to overcome them. Hope that helps some of you as it does me. :)

Robbys Girl
01-18-2007, 11:09 AM
DeAnne & Stitch's Girl ~ Would replacing the recipe with olive oil and vinegar help? Making your OWN dressing might be the answer?

Natalie ~ I never expect to see results right away. They say you need to really keep going at it for at least a month or so to start seeing some results. Muscle mass is being built and your body chemistry and metabolism is changing, so losing the (fat) pounds takes a bit of time after getting started. I'm not discouraged because I know that exercising and eating right is important regardless :) This should be a lifestyle change anyway! :)


With that said, I did another hour on the stationary bike last night :) Reading magazines definitely makes the time go by fast! It hasn't been a hassle, and I've felt a LOT better relaxing for the night knowing that I got my workout in. Not working out makes me feel guilty and not good about myself. And I don't sleep as well when I haven't been exercising. For the past week I've been sleeping like a rock!

I'm down 1 pound today! :thumbsup:

Robbys Girl
01-18-2007, 11:12 AM
Something my DH reminds is that the weight didn't get there overnight, so it's not going to come off overnight. Also, I've had these habits for years and it's going to take some time to overcome them. Hope that helps some of you as it does me. :)Yup that's definitely true. Plus it's good to not let those bad habits sneak back into your life as they do with me. I let really bad habits take over me in the past year! :no: And if it took the past year to get to this condition, then it'll take the next year to get out of this condition and into much better shape! We just all need to be patient and remind ourselves that we are getting healthier and leaner by exercising and cutting out the bad foods :)

lunarmagic
01-18-2007, 01:51 PM
Robbys Girl - Good for you!

I've been trying to shape up my eating habits.... eat less useless sugary snacks and more actual balanced meals. I'm doing well. I do allow myself two piece of chocolate before bed though... MMMMM tastes SO good when you just treasure it. ;)

Kristie
01-18-2007, 02:02 PM
Way to go Lorraine.. I'm not down anything yet...but AF arrived yesterday (which is a good thing b/c it's been MIA for 4 months) and I'm usually bloated during this time, so maybe in a few days I will be down a pound too :)

johnsdeere
01-18-2007, 04:08 PM
Congrats on being down a pound Lorraine!! Very Cool!!

And again congrats to Kristie on Aunt Flow being back in town. :)

Robbys Girl
01-18-2007, 04:30 PM
Natalie ~ Good for you, having chocolate! I was reading just last night in my Fitness magazine that chocolate is actually good for you! I'd read it before but it was a nice little reminder that it's okay to have a little each day! Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, contains a lot of flavonoids which prevents heart disease and lowers skin cancer risk. How's that for some good news for the day! :lick:

Kristie ~ I get all this water retention too, so if you're like me you'll be down a few pounds as soon as the old :bat: is gone.

Thanks DeAnne! :)

lunarmagic
01-18-2007, 06:08 PM
Kristie - I'm glad AF showed for you finally! The bloating sucks though.

Robbys Girl - Oh yeah, that's great news. ;) I love my chocolate, I can't give it up.

Stitch's girl
01-18-2007, 08:19 PM
Loving all the positive energy on this thread!

I have been sleeping so well since re-starting my morning workouts... partially because I think my whole body is on a better schedule, and partially because I need to get up at 4:45 every day to get to my 5:30 workout :laugh3:

Another good, solid day of healthy eating- dinner was pork chops with a peach sauce on them- another cookinglight.com recipe, with some broccoli and a little rice. Super yummy, but not as filling as some of the others we have tried. Our favorite so far has been a homemade beef lo mein recipe- it is out of this world! But we are having a ton of fun trying all these new foods, and I love that they put all the nutrional stats and portion sizes for each recipe.

Kristie
01-19-2007, 01:36 AM
I didn't workout today...kinda feel guilty...but I do have AF and I'm still sore from core class the other day :)

Robbys Girl
01-19-2007, 09:08 AM
OMG Stitch's Girl I don't know how you do it (getting up at 4:45am :faint: ) I'm going to have to visit cookinglight.com, sounds like a great place to find good recipes!

Kristie ~ I don't blame you.


I did 30 minutes on my stationary bike last night. I'm trying to undo my long time attitude that I either have to do a full hour of cardio or it's not worth it. 30 minutes should be fine too, anything is better than nothing, I need to keep reminding myself of that. :)

Stitch's girl
01-19-2007, 04:30 PM
Cookinglight.com is awesome- we are swearing by it at this point!

Well, my jeans are definetly starting to loosen up after 2 weeks of healthier eating and exercise... getting a little baggy around the back of my thighs and my butt... and they were super tight in December!

I am going to have to switch my workouts around in a couple of weeks though... just cannot afford another month of bootcamp right now (it is freaking expensive), but the gym by my work has good cardio, weight, etc. classes that start at either 5:15 or 6 am, so that would definetly work for me... and I could just shoot right over to work afterwards. I definetly want to stay in a class setting rather than go it alone right now- with other people, I feel guilty if I don't show up... if its just me working out solo, I am much more likely to not go.

johnsdeere
01-19-2007, 06:20 PM
Kristie:
Though you might feel guilty about not working out, just remember that if you workout and after that workout are even more sore...that kind of stuff prevents us from working out even longer which can prevent you from getting closer to your weight loss goals.

Lorraine:
I think it great that you realize that regardless of if you workout a half an hour or heck even two ours..you are doing something. Alot better then sitting on your duff. Good for you.

Becky:
I think it is really great that you are searching AND finding some great recipes that you and your husband both enjoy!! I too need to check out cookinglight.com I'm making a note to check it out here at my desk. :)
Congrats on your clothing feeling loser!! Thats great!! Now I'm definately checking out cooking light!! LOL

Two days ago I bought some baked Dorritos...a large bag of them. Well knowing that I only want to eat a portion at a time I grabbed my box of ziplocks and I portion out the entire bag into single portions according to the back of the bag. I've never done this before but, I think it is good that I did. I don't want the temptation of eating out of the bag....15 chips turns into 30 and so on.....and entire bag can be eaten if you do that.
I just wanted to share the with you all because I think it will prevent me and potentially you all from making a snack into a unhealthy meal. I'm surprised my husband didn't ask why I did it. I'll give it time. LOL

Stitch's girl
01-20-2007, 06:49 AM
DeAnne- that is such a great idea! I remember someone else telling me that they did that before, and it helped enormously. Its hard to look at a whole bag of chips and not go "Oooh... I'll just have a couple more!"

septbride
01-20-2007, 08:38 AM
Everyone is doing such a great job! I am still trying, just haven't been in this thread for awhile, guess I feel a bit guilty since I still haven't started exercising and I have no excuse! I want back on board :)

johnsdeere
01-20-2007, 03:50 PM
DeAnne- that is such a great idea! I remember someone else telling me that they did that before, and it helped enormously. Its hard to look at a whole bag of chips and not go "Oooh... I'll just have a couple more!"


I'm trying to learn from past mistakes...and I have done it so many times...I don't want to do it anymore.

johnsdeere
01-20-2007, 03:51 PM
Everyone is doing such a great job! I am still trying, just haven't been in this thread for awhile, guess I feel a bit guilty since I still haven't started exercising and I have no excuse! I want back on board :)

Welcome back!!! :)

Stitch's girl
01-21-2007, 03:47 PM
Tonight is our one night a week cheat night... since we are New Englanders and all and have to watch the Pats play, we decided to make it tonight so we could have something yummy while watching the game... making homemade deep dish pizza... but at least being homemade (dough and everything), I can control what goes in it and what doesn't!

I did do my exercise yesterday though (30 minutes on the treadmill, followed by abs, pushups, and some bicep weight training), and go right back to bootcamp tomorrow morning, and am also skiing tomorrow night. (Downhill skiing is the equivalent of 4 weight watchers activity points per hour... it can really be a good workout if you put effort into your balance and stance and don't just slide down the hill!) We have our menu planned for our dinners for the week too.

Robbys Girl
01-22-2007, 09:14 AM
Well, my jeans are definetly starting to loosen up after 2 weeks of healthier eating and exercise... getting a little baggy around the back of my thighs and my butt... and they were super tight in December! Good for you!! This is really motivating and inspiring. I was reading a fitness magazine this weekend that was saying that exercise plays very little part in weight loss and another article in the magazine that said you have to exercise 90 minutes daily to lose weight, 60 minutes daily just to maintain! UGH! Bummer that the Pats lost last night huh?? :mad: Oh well. It was a good game the whole way through.

DeAnne ~ It's soooo easy for me to make an entire bag or box of snacks into a meal!! Good for you portioning them out and disciplining yourself like that :thumbsup:

Septbride ~ Time flies, so stop procrastinating!! Figure out what weight you want to be for your wedding day because believe me that's the most important day to look your best!! I'm ashamed of myself because I was FAT on my wedding day, it was a great day and there are some pictures in which I don't look fat, but other pictures aren't as good because of my fat arms. It's gross. I wasn't as huge as I am now but I still wasn't thrilled with my weight. So let this be motivation to you to get on the stick NOW if you want to lose weight for your wedding day, because once the day gets closer you're going to be way too busy to even think about exercising.



I exercised once this weekend, 1 hour on my stationary bike. Not bad. We went to a party on Saturday and there was a LOT of bad foods lurking around. I stuck to the veggies and didn't dip them all that much, tried to just munch on them plain for the most part, I had just a few chips and dip, and my portions were TINY and no alcohol. I did have soda but only a 1/2 cup and filled the rest of the cup with ice.

johnsdeere
01-22-2007, 10:23 AM
I'm sore today from riding quads yesterday. Back, arms, thighs, inner thighs.....youch!! I think I'm going to take a couple ibuprophen to help me out today....a little too sore for my liking.

septbride
01-22-2007, 06:04 PM
Thanks ladies :) I need this motivation!

Julie
01-22-2007, 06:22 PM
I'm trying to get back in the groove of things. It's been a really rough week or so. I jogged/walked at the gym (for 30 minutes). I've gotten to where I can jog for 10 minutes straight. I started out with like 1 minute! Then I rode the bike for ten, then did the nautilus machines. I'm not sure where my weight is I'll check next week, like I said it's been rough so I'm waiting till I get things back in check.

johnsdeere
01-22-2007, 07:19 PM
I really feel good about this week!! Regardless of what the scale says I feel good about the food I ate and the workouts I did. I will post my weight from today once I weigh myself.
I don't know If I am going to do Turbo Jam tonight...I am really sore and my back needs to be popped something fierce. I've tried popping it to no avail. :( My husband is afraid of hurting me if he tries to do it. I want some relief. Maybe I will just do the low impact one so that I'm at least doing some kind of activity.

johnsdeere
01-23-2007, 12:07 PM
Well I stepped on the scale yesterday and it said I lost a little over half a pound last week. .6 lbs have been lost FOREVER!!! :whoop:
I was hoping to lose more but, I'm attributing Aunt Flow being in town to the lack of weight loss this week. I'm eatting the right stuff and exercising so I will just keep on keeping on!!! I can't wait to see and feel the results. :)

How did everyone else do last week?? How are you feeling??

Robbys Girl
01-23-2007, 02:12 PM
Congrats on your weight loss DeAnne!! Keep at it!

jt555 ~ Go you with your jogging progress and being able to last longer and longer, you're getting more fit! :thumbsup:


Yesterday I went out to dinner with a friend. No exercise for yesterday!

Stitch's girl
01-23-2007, 04:19 PM
I had a lot of self discipline last night after skiing... DH's dad is on the race team at our local mountain, so he and his team were there too, and invited us along to the bar after we finished skiing... where I had... a glass of ice water, and no munchies... one of the hardest things to do for me! Everyone else was knocking back beers and nachos!

Got in a great workout yesterday though... between bootcamp and skiing, my quads are completely on fire today... gotta keep stretching them every now and then!

Nice job on the weight loss DeAnne!

And I don't believe for a minute that you would have to exercise 90 minutes a day to drop weight/inches... not if you are eating even sensibley, never mind dieting! Articles like that are frustrating, because if I was just beginning to turn my habits around, and I read an article like that, it would have totally depressed me before I even got started and made me feel like what I wanted was out of my reach! Any exercise is better than none, and when you start to feel better, you do it more, then you start to see results... its just taking that first step that is so hard!

johnsdeere
01-23-2007, 05:11 PM
Good job making the choice NOT to junk out like everyone else Becky!!! That is great!! Sometimes that can be sooooo hard to do!!

Great job on the workout Becky!! Sounds like you really are making a point to exercise!!

Robbys Girl
01-24-2007, 11:11 AM
I had a lot of self discipline last night after skiing... DH's dad is on the race team at our local mountain, so he and his team were there too, and invited us along to the bar after we finished skiing... where I had... a glass of ice water, and no munchies... one of the hardest things to do for me! Everyone else was knocking back beers and nachos! OMG!! That's AMAZING! Good for YOU!!

:jawdrop: :eek:


:dancefruit:

Robbys Girl
01-24-2007, 11:15 AM
And I don't believe for a minute that you would have to exercise 90 minutes a day to drop weight/inches... not if you are eating even sensibley, never mind dieting! Articles like that are frustrating, because if I was just beginning to turn my habits around, and I read an article like that, it would have totally depressed me before I even got started and made me feel like what I wanted was out of my reach! Any exercise is better than none, and when you start to feel better, you do it more, then you start to see results... its just taking that first step that is so hard!yeah I had a tough time buying that also even if it was coming from what seemed a reputable magazine (Fitness Rx). Articles like that do NOTHING but discourage people. Especially sedentary people who are just trying to start out, it's a MAJOR change for people who are not used to exercising, and are just getting started with a weight loss plan.


and if I read an article like that, it would have totally depressed me before I even got started and made me feel like what I wanted was out of my reach!
EXACTLY, me too!!!

I would like to think that even 30 minutes every other day of some sort of exercise would produce results of some kind. And THAT's more exercise than what a lot of people do!

Robbys Girl
01-24-2007, 11:18 AM
Here's my update, yesterday I felt a cold coming on, but I still worked out for an hour on my Lifecycle :thumbsup: Today I'm feeling crappier (that run-down feeling) but I still want to see how much energy I'll have later on tonight. I might still try exercising because I don't feel THAT crappy, just a scratchy throat (which means a cold coming on), and slighty blah feeling all over.

johnsdeere
01-24-2007, 11:57 AM
Here's my update, yesterday I felt a cold coming on, but I still worked out for an hour on my Lifecycle :thumbsup: Today I'm feeling crappier (that run-down feeling) but I still want to see how much energy I'll have later on tonight. I might still try exercising because I don't feel THAT crappy, just a scratchy throat (which means a cold coming on), and slighty blah feeling all over.

I'm sorry. :( The Flu sucks!! Are you taking anything yet for it?? I'm proud of you for keeping, keeping on. I hope this is just a mild cold and goes away...QUICKLY!!

Robbys Girl
01-24-2007, 03:02 PM
Well I don't know whether its the flu or just a cold or what (whats the difference...?), but I feel kinda bleh! I took some NyQuil last night and it knocked me out! Good! Tonight I'm going to exercise again and see if I can go without taking anything and just crash out! We'll see! Thanks though! I hope it goes away quickly too but I'm not going to let it stand in the way of exercising, I've used too many excuses NOT to exercise in the past YEAR, that's how I got to be this fat!

Stitch's girl
01-24-2007, 04:50 PM
I started feeling sniffly on Monday, but the feeling passed luckily! Hoping you definetly just blast through the cold!

My quads still hurt a lot today, and we were running relays of sprinting, high skipping, shuffling, etc. in bootcamp today... my legs felt great while I was doing it, but an hour afterwards, total pain again! I talked to my coach about it, she told me to keep stretching them periodically, and to put a heat pad on them for awhile tonight and that should help a lot.
So I got my exercise in today, but dinner was not very healthy... had my cheat meal of the week today (I run my "food weeks" from Mon to Sun so I can have one cheat meal per food week... that way I USUALLY keep myself well disciplined during the week so I can have something extra on the weekend!), so I have to be good this weekend cause there is no cheat meal left!

Robbys Girl
01-25-2007, 10:03 AM
I think having a cheat meal or a "free" day is a good thing, and helps to keep us in line, otherwise we'd feel TOO deprived! I do one "free" day a week too, I don't pick a specific day, but if I'm going out with a friend (my biggest downfall in this whole WL thing is my social life) then I make that my free food day. I'll still try to do well (one drink instead of two, no dessert, eat only half my portions if I can stand it), but I won't sit there with a salad and water either :no: That's queer! :no:

Robbys Girl
01-25-2007, 10:06 AM
I worked out for an hour again last night, even though I still have this slight cold. When I'm exercising I don't feel like I have a cold anymore. This morning I woke up with a sore throat but it's gone now. I don't feel 100% but I'm glad I don't feel absolutely horrible either. And more good news, I weighed in this morning at an even 150!! :yippee: I totally did NOT expect that in fact I was dreading my weigh-in because I've been feeling like my results have been too slow, but it sure pays off to hang in there and have confidence that the weight WILL go and be GONE! :cheer:

johnsdeere
01-25-2007, 01:04 PM
Congrats on the Weight Loss Lorraine!!! That is great!! :cheer::cheer::cheer:

And also....it is great that you still participate in social meals and get together with friends AND watch what you eat. It's all about moderation. :)

johnsdeere
01-25-2007, 01:06 PM
I found this on the Center for Disease Control website and figured it wouldn't help to post it.......

Here are some simple ways to cut calories and eat fruits and vegetables throughout your day:
Breakfast: Start the Day Right

Substitute some spinach, onions, or mushrooms for one of the eggs or half of the cheese in your morning omelet. The vegetables will add volume.
and flavor to the dish with fewer calories than the egg or cheese.
Cut back on the amount of cereal in your bowl to make room for some cut-up bananas, peaches, or strawberries. You can still eat a full bowl, but with fewer calories.

Lighten Up Your Lunch

Substitute vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, or onions for 2 ounces of the cheese and 2 ounces of the meat in your sandwich, wrap, or burrito. The new version will fill you up with fewer calories than the original.
Add a cup of chopped vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots, beans, or red peppers, in place of 2 ounces of the meat or 1 cup of noodles in your favorite broth-based soup. The vegetables will help fill you up, so you won’t miss those extra calories.

Dinner

Add in 1 cup of chopped vegetables such as broccoli, tomatoes, squash, onions, or peppers, while removing 1 cup of the rice or pasta in your favorite dish. The dish with the vegetables will be just as satisfying but have fewer calories than the same amount of the original version.
Take a good look at your dinner plate. Vegetables, fruit, and whole grains should take up the largest portion of your plate. If they do not, replace some of the meat, cheese, white pasta, or rice with legumes, steamed broccoli, asparagus, greens, or another favorite vegetable. This will reduce the total calories in your meal without reducing the amount of food you eat. BUT remember to use a normal- or small-size plate — not a platter. The total number of calories that you eat counts, even if a good proportion of them come from fruits and vegetables.

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/images/dinner.jpg

Smart Snacks

Most healthy eating plans allow for one or two small snacks a day. Choosing most fruits and vegetables will allow you to eat a snack with only 100 calories.
About 100 Calories or Less

a medium-size apple (72 calories)

a medium-size banana (105 calories)

1 cup steamed green beans (44 calories)

1 cup blueberries (83 calories)

1 cup grapes (100 calories)

1 cup carrots (45 calories), broccoli (30 calories), or bell peppers (30 calories) with 2 tbsp. hummus (46 calories)


The fruits and vegetables in the box above all have about 100 or fewer calories.
Instead of a high-calorie snack from a vending machine, bring some cut-up vegetables or fruit from home. One snack-sized bag of corn chips (1 ounce) has the same number of calories as a small apple, 1 cup of whole strawberries, AND 1 cup of carrots with 1/4 cup of low-calorie dip. Substitute one or two of these options for the chips, and you will have a satisfying snack with fewer calories.

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/images/substitution.jpg

Remember: Substitution is the key.
It’s true that fruits and vegetables are lower in calories than many other foods, but they do contain some calories. If you start eating fruits and vegetables in addition to what you usually eat, you are adding calories and may gain weight. The key is substitution. Eat fruits and vegetables instead of some other higher-calorie food.


More Tips for Making Fruits and Vegetables Part of Your Weight Management Plan
Eat fruits and vegetables the way nature provided—or with fat-free or low-fat cooking techniques.
Try steaming your vegetables, using low-calorie or low-fat dressings, and using herbs and spices to add flavor. Some cooking techniques, such as breading
and frying, or using high-fat dressings or sauces will greatly increase the calories and fat in the dish. And eat your fruit raw to enjoy its natural sweetness.

Canned or frozen fruits and vegetables are good options when fresh produce is not available.
However, be careful to choose those without added sugar, syrup, cream sauces, or other ingredients that will add calories.

Choose whole fruit over fruit drinks and juices. Fruit juices have lost fiber from the fruit.
It is better to eat the whole fruit because it contains the added fiber that helps you feel full. One 6-ounce serving of orange juice has 85 calories, compared to just 65 calories in a medium orange.

Whole fruit gives you a bigger size snack than the same fruit dried—for the same number of calories.
A small box of raisins (1/4 cup) is about 100 calories. For the same number of calories, you can eat 1 cup of grapes.

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/images/grapes_v_raisins.jpg

johnsdeere
01-25-2007, 01:15 PM
Here is a BMI calculator if you want to get an idea of where you currently stand....

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/adult_BMI/english_bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.htm

Julie
01-25-2007, 01:17 PM
I'm doing well this week as far as working out goes. My eating is getting there. So hopefully I lost something. My jeans and belt buckle are fitting the same and not tight so that's a good thing. I'll take that at this point since last week was so bad as far as eating and working out.

Robbys Girl
01-25-2007, 01:52 PM
DeAnne, thanks for posting that! It's such a good idea to add more veggies and less of the higher calorie foods! :)

It's so funny you read my mind when you posted the BMI link!! I wanted to find a site that calculates that and all the sudden there was your post! Thanks!

jt555 ~ Congrats on having a good week so far!

Stitch's girl
01-25-2007, 04:57 PM
Lorraine- congratulations on the loss- that's excellent!!!

DeAnne- definetly a good post... lots of good tips.

johnsdeere
01-25-2007, 05:45 PM
I'll keep my eyes peeled for little articles and gems of information that can help us all. ;)

Robbys Girl
01-26-2007, 04:16 PM
Oh good!! Thanks, DeAnne! Hey I see you're going to be going to Hawaii in less than a month!! I'm excited for you! Which island(s) are you going to visit? Have you been?

I got in my usual 1 hour of cardio last night, and I got so engrossed in my reading that when I checked the time, it read 64 minutes already!! My HR is up and I am sweatin' it out so it's not like it's a leisurely ride, but it's not torture either! And my cold never really seemed to hit, other than slight sniffles, a small sore throat, and now a slight cough, but nothing really to write home about. Maybe exercising really does boost your immune system not just over time but right then and there :scratch:

Have a great weekend, everyone!

johnsdeere
01-26-2007, 04:23 PM
Hey Lorraine!!! We are flying out of Portland OR and flying to Maui..then we are Island hopping to the Big Island. It should be alot of fun. My parents have a condo there...they have been going there since I got Married the first time in 99. They are leaving a week before us. Clint has never been so It will be alot of fun to see him experience it. Also we can experience some new things together. I think It would be fun to swim with the Turtles this time around.

Good job on the cardio!! That is great Lorraine!! The weight is going to start melting off. :thumbsup: I bet if you weren't taking care of yourself like you have been with diet and exercise....that cold would of stuck around for a while.

You have yourself a great weekend too Lorraine!!

johnsdeere
01-29-2007, 03:25 PM
Hello Ladies!!

Well I got on the scale today and I have lost 3.2 lbs this week!!! I think part of it has to do with Aunt Flow being in town last week and only losing .6 lb.
So far in 3 weeks I have lost 7.6 lbs!!! :cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

I really can't wait till I lose 20 lbs and then of course the additional weight I need to lose. ;)

Robbys Girl
01-29-2007, 05:46 PM
Oh wow, that'll be so cute and fun to swim with the turtles!! Have fun! We went to Maui, Kauai, and Oahu for our honeymoon. We had a blast!

Congrats on losing 3.2 pounds!!! AF, or not, it's still GREAT! :cheer: Go DeAnne!! :cheer:

Robbys Girl
01-29-2007, 05:48 PM
Well I lost another pound this weekend!! This makes 5-6 pounds lost (although that includes AF extra water weight) since the New Year! I'll take it!! I have 4 pounds to go to make this Valentine's Day challenge and while I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it, I'm sure gonna try!

Robbys Girl
01-29-2007, 05:52 PM
And by the way, where has everyone been? Isn't January supposed to be the most motivated month in the entire year for people to lose weight? It sure is for me! After the holidays, friends and family get-togethers and parties and all that glutonous behavior, I can't wait to get rid of the extra blubber and lard storage! Nothing goes on in January so you'd think more people would be active in this challenge. :scratch: Hellooo hello hello hello hello :lurk: :spy:

~Sara~
01-29-2007, 05:59 PM
After Lorraine's echoing 'hello' I'm coming out of lurk mode :laugh3: I've been keeping up with the thread but haven't been posting. Since the start of our Biggest Loser contest at work, I'm down 13 pounds (as of last Thursday)!!! I can't believe it! I have been a mad woman with sticking to my points though and it's been paying off big time! My pants are definitely baggy and finally broke through into the 150s again (barely...but I'm there :jump4joy: ) Next weigh-in is this Thursday...I hope to be at 158!

septbride
01-30-2007, 03:16 PM
congrats on your loss! that's great :)

Robbys Girl
01-30-2007, 05:29 PM
After Lorraine's echoing 'hello' I'm coming out of lurk mode :laugh3: :pointlaugh: :lol:


Since the start of our Biggest Loser contest at work, I'm down 13 pounds (as of last Thursday)!!! I can't believe it! I have been a mad woman with sticking to my points though and it's been paying off big time! My pants are definitely baggy and finally broke through into the 150s again (barely...but I'm there :jump4joy: ) Next weigh-in is this Thursday...I hope to be at 158!WOW!! That's great!! Jeez for someone with such WL success so far you SHOULD be posting here! You're an inspiration to us!! WL like that NEEDS to be bragged about, who are you kiddin'?? Go you!! :cheer:

Robbys Girl
01-30-2007, 05:44 PM
So this week I plan to work out 60 minutes cardio (stationary bike) Mon-Fri (the weekends are tough to get myself to exercise but I have made a major improvement with my diet on the weekends). I've been happy with my food choices and I get full/satisfied with less food so I'm used to eating less. I'm not so starving all the time and ready to eat enough for an army of 8 men. So I'm happy about my eating habits.

johnsdeere
01-30-2007, 06:08 PM
After Lorraine's echoing 'hello' I'm coming out of lurk mode :laugh3: I've been keeping up with the thread but haven't been posting. Since the start of our Biggest Loser contest at work, I'm down 13 pounds (as of last Thursday)!!! I can't believe it! I have been a mad woman with sticking to my points though and it's been paying off big time! My pants are definitely baggy and finally broke through into the 150s again (barely...but I'm there :jump4joy: ) Next weigh-in is this Thursday...I hope to be at 158!

Great Job Sara!! How is working out at school with your co-workers going??

Kristie
01-30-2007, 08:56 PM
Congrats on the weightloss!!

I STILL haven't lost anything and I go to the gym 5x week!!
WTF!!
I was OK with that during the first few weeks, but now a month later and I STILL haven't lost anything!! that's a piss off!

Robbys Girl
01-31-2007, 08:57 AM
Kristie if you're going to the gym you're probably losing fat, gaining muscle, gym to me means weight lifting and all that, something I should be doing! How are you doing as far as losing any inches?

johnsdeere
01-31-2007, 11:27 AM
Congrats on the weightloss!!

I STILL haven't lost anything and I go to the gym 5x week!!
WTF!!
I was OK with that during the first few weeks, but now a month later and I STILL haven't lost anything!! that's a piss off!

Also...do you think that maybe that Strong BC pill might of also kind of threw you out of wack. It was causing you to feel sick, was one of the side effects weight gain???

Kristie
01-31-2007, 11:50 AM
No... because I was only on it for a week...and that was 3 weeks ago I stopped taking it.

Kristie
01-31-2007, 11:52 AM
Kristie if you're going to the gym you're probably losing fat, gaining muscle, gym to me means weight lifting and all that, something I should be doing! How are you doing as far as losing any inches?
Nothing!
To be honest I haven't been eating the best...BUT in my defense I wasn't eating that great before I started going to the gym, so I should have lost SOMETHING (inches or fat)

johnsdeere
01-31-2007, 12:27 PM
hmmmmmmmmmmmmm........maybe eatting better might help out?? With how often you have been working out Kristie you should of seen results by now.

I'm sorry...I know that is sooooooooooo discouraging. You are doing a great job of going to the gym Kristie. Maybe working out a food plan this week might help in hand with your working out.

Robbys Girl
02-02-2007, 10:31 AM
I think that if you make a few changes with your diet, you will start seeing great results Kristie!! Hang in there!!

I've been the same weight all week long! Which is fine by me because I didn't GAIN any weight from AF so maybe after AF leaves I might lose a pound or so. We'll see! I plan to be really strict with my diet this weekend (the hardest part of the week to stick to a diet!).

~Sara~
02-02-2007, 05:44 PM
Kristie- :glomp: Hang in there sweetie! Just keep up the hard work and you'll break through the plateau, I promise! If you find it hard to completely change your eating habits, start small (i.e. exchange a fattening snack for carrots...or eat a big salad before dinner so you'll be more full when you get to the main course). Good luck!

Lorraine- Congrats on staying the same during AF week! That's never a fun week to get on the scale. Good luck this weekend! Weekends are my hardest times too!

Weigh-in was yesterday and I was down another 2 pounds :jump4joy: AND I found out that our Biggest Loser team is in second place in the district! Hurray! Now it's crunch time!

Robbys Girl
02-05-2007, 12:30 PM
WTG, Sara!! :jump4joy:

Did anyone here watch the Superbowl? We did, and we totally indulged!! I was able to keep it under control for the most part and drank Michelob Ultra Lite, and keep the munchies to a minimum! I lost 2 pounds over the weekend but back up this morning because of yesterday's celebrations! I hope to bring that back down though by tomorrow or next day.

We have just over a week to meet our :heart: Valentine's Day goal! :heart:

johnsdeere
02-09-2007, 06:27 PM
I have met my goal!! :jump4joy:

I have lost 10.6lbs so far!! I started on January 8th.

I've been sick for a week...I have been sticking to Weight Watchers but, due to feeling so bad I haven't worked out. I'm still proud of myself though and intend on working out soon.

When and where is the new up and coming weight loss challenge Lorraine???? :D

Kristie
02-09-2007, 06:32 PM
That's awesome DeAnne!!! I'm so happy for you!

johnsdeere
02-09-2007, 06:35 PM
Thanks Kristie, I appreciate it.

Today my co-worker noticed that my jeans looked looser on me. I love it when other people notice the changes too.

I can't wait to lose another 10 lbs.....and then of course so on and so forth. :)

Stitch's girl
02-10-2007, 12:10 PM
Congrats DeAnne... that is so great! And so nice when other people notice!!!

I have been a little deliquent with keeping up... work schedule has been killer recently, and I can't log on at work like I used to be able to with my old job.

Anyway, last week, since I reached goal one of my clothes feeling looser, I finally took initial weight and measurements (you can see full stats in my weight loss journal if you like), but my weight was 163, which is only 3-4 lbs heavier than I was before the wedding and the holidays, so I was thrilled with that. My legs and hips had gotten slightly bigger, but I maintained or even lost a little more in my waist and chest. So now that I have my stats down, I started food journalling too.

So first week results- no exercise last week (I needed a week off to recharge my batteries), but kept to a healthy weekly diet and lost 1.5 lbs. Very happy with that! I will start back in with workouts this week on top of the healthy foods.

johnsdeere
02-10-2007, 03:02 PM
Good Job Becky!! It's great to see you making your goals and create even more as you go along. I think that is great.

Robbys Girl
02-12-2007, 01:58 PM
I have met my goal!! :jump4joy:

I have lost 10.6lbs so far!! I started on January 8th.

YAY!!! :yippee: That is so great, DeAnne!! :jump4joy:


When and where is the new up and coming weight loss challenge Lorraine???? :DOh that's right, we gotta come up with a new one!! Maybe we should do a St. Patrick's Day challenge, that'll give us a good one month challenge!
Thanks Kristie, I appreciate it.

Today my co-worker noticed that my jeans looked looser on me. I love it when other people notice the changes too. Oh isn't that the best!! That definitely shows right there that you've made wonderful progress, when someone notices!!

Stitch's Girl ~ Congratulations on looser clothes!! That's the best way to realize your weight loss success!!

Robbys Girl
02-12-2007, 02:02 PM
I'm down to my lowest weight for 2007!! :cheer: So far this year I've lost 9 pounds!! I lost 6 pounds for this challenge so far, I don't think I'll make my goal (-8 pounds) but 6 pounds is something to be very proud of I think, especially 9 pounds since the new year! I'm ready to lose the next 10!

I've been doing just one form of cardiovascular exercise to lose this weight, and that's just been a stationary bike for 1 hour most nights. And cutting down on portion size, and staying completely away from foods that are obviously bad. It's actually been fairly easy thus far!

Kristie
02-13-2007, 12:51 AM
That's so awesome Lorraine!! I've really happy for you :)

johnsdeere
02-13-2007, 10:31 AM
Congrats Lorraine!!! 6lbs is great!!!

I'm down with the St. Patty's day Challenge. And then one for Easter, and then a Memorial day......okay...until I lose the weight. LOL

Robbys Girl
02-14-2007, 12:57 PM
Thanks Kristie and DeAnne!! :) :)




:hearts: OK so Happy Valentine's Day everyone!! :heart: How did everyone do?? Did you meet half your goal, your entire goal? Or not at all?

I came close to my goal (147) which is still great in my opinion! I started out at 153 which means I lost the 6 pounds for the challenge. :yippee: I didn't do ANY jogging because it turned out to be freezing most of this month and last, I did cut way down on my portions, and my coffee has been just lite cream (can't do half & half, tastes kinda pukey to me) and maybe a teeny bit of sugar or no sugar at all (I can't do the fake sweeteners). I did cut down on alcohol intake (easy to do now that football season is over, and the crazy holiday season is done). We only go out to eat once a week, as opposed to 2-3 like before.
Here are my goals:
:heart: Lose 8 pounds (starting weight: 153, goal weight: 145)
:heart: Jogging and Lifecycle, free weights, floor exercises, walking.
:heart: I have to cut WAY down on my portions, and cut out the sweets and daily hot cocoa mix in my coffee. I need to cut down on alcohol intake, and dinners out with DH. I need to increase my fruit and veggy intake.


DeAnne do you want to start the St. Patrick's Day challenge thread or would you like me to?

Robbys Girl
02-14-2007, 01:05 PM
Congrats Lorraine!!! 6lbs is great!!!

I'm down with the St. Patty's day Challenge. And then one for Easter, and then a Memorial day......okay...until I lose the weight. LOL:pointlaugh: My sentiments exactly :lol:

Kristie
02-14-2007, 01:10 PM
I didn't lose anything :(

~Sara~
02-14-2007, 01:35 PM
Hurray!!! Congrats Lorraine! 6 pounds is great :heee:

I reached my goal :jump4joy: It was 10 pounds and I've lost a total of 16 :heee: I think this is my first challenge I've ever met my goal! :floating:

johnsdeere
02-14-2007, 03:47 PM
I'm sorry you didn't meet your goals Kristie. :( Are you up for another challenge???

I have lost a total of 12.8 lbs in this challenge and I am really happy that I had this challenge, you ladies, and my weightloss journal to keep me accountable....and knowing that we're in a similar boat...it helped. ;)

Lorraine and Sara...I want to congratulate you both on meeting your goals or coming really darn close. The important thing is........we all have made improvements in one way or another. If we didn't do this challenge then we wouldn't have made these improvements. :thumbsup:

Are we all in for a St. Patty's challenge??

I sure am......

Ummm......Lorraine.....could you start the St. Patty's challenge thread??

Robbys Girl
02-14-2007, 04:55 PM
Kristie ~ This time of year can suck for some people as far as losing weight, then the weight just drops off come spring and especially summer. I'm not sure what your weather is like, but I know for me it'll be good to get out and about and be more active than to be cooped up inside all the time during the winter. I'm sorry you didn't meet your goal this time around but please join us for the St. Patrick's Day Challenge? I know I've only lost a few pounds compared to all the weight I need to lose! So definitely don't feel we're not in the same boat!

Sara ~ Congratulations, looks like you achieved your goal and then some!!

DeAnne ~ You're always such an inspiration so I'm really happy that you'll be into a St. Patrick's Day challenge too!! Congratulations on your weight loss successes so far! I'll be happy to start the St. Patrick's Day Challenge!!

Robbys Girl
02-14-2007, 05:03 PM
:clover: St. Patrick's Day Challenge (http://www.mustloveweddings.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4742):clover:

Kristie
02-14-2007, 11:07 PM
Thanks Ladies! And you bet, I'm in the st. Patricks day challenge!! :D