Wow, you guys are doing so well! What an inspiration it is to read the posts. Thanks for the WW tips, I've never done WW so this is all new to me. I definitely think I'll start a food diary, I think it may help me target where my problem is.
I haven't weighed myself yet, but I will on Thursday. I'm working today (New year's day, we don't get off), so I'm posting at work, but hopefully the boss won't find out 
I really want to start exercising but don't have time to go to a gym, I really think something at home would be best (I have a verrrry long commute) Does anyone have suggestions on what the best kind of home exercise is? Exercise tapes, treadmill, easy riders or something else?
I really want to shed inches along with the lbs!
I work out at home half the time because though my gym is close by it seems like an eternity by the time you drive there, drop off the kids, work out, pick up the kids, drive home and shower etc. So on the days my youngest is out of preschool I do the Firm videos in my living room while he plays nintendo. I have long enjoyed aerobics (child of the eighties I guess) it's a lot like dancing with weight training in the middle. Denise Austin is another fav because she takes time to show you the moves before she throws them at you.
But that's just me and my two cents. I'd try out any equipment several times before I invested. LOL this coming from a girl with two (yes two) different exercise bikes, a bowflex (my hubbies purchase) and a mini stair stepper 
After all that stuff we ended up with a gym membership where I use the ellyptical machine.
Note to self new New Years Resolution, clean out the garage. 
I had a little lapse in judgement this morning and had some cheesecake. I was just going to slice it up and put it in the freezer, but a slice just ended up in my mouth instead. I hope now that the holidays are over there will be less temptation around the house. I do a lot better if the naughty food just arent here. Two more days to redeem myself before weigh in, I better hit that gym!!
Sweetflowers, I don't have time to go to a gym either, and after trying several different things at home, Tae Bo is the only thing that I have ever been able to stick with. I tried it out last year, got hooked, did it every day, and lost 20 lbs in a month (with NO diet)!! It takes a little while to get the hang of some of the moves, but Billy Blanks is very motivating without making you feel like a fool while you're doing it 
It's a heck of a workout, though, be prepared to sweat!! Now if only I could follow my own advice...I've got about six DVDs collecting dust while I keep telling myself how much better I'll feel if I do it...you really can start seeing results immediately. My favorite is Billy Blanks Tae Bo Cardio, it is a good workout, but not hard enough to discourage you, it is total body workout, but not so bad that you will get sore and achy from it.
Okay, ladies, the Tae Bo commercial is over
Hello everyone! I hope ya'll had a grat Christmas and New Years! I am getting back on track today. I started off a little rocky, but for lunch I had a salad and for supper a couple homemade tacos. then I went to the gym and walked for 45 minutes! yeah me !!!! the treadmill said I walked 2.8miles and burned 230 calories! woo whoo
I found this neat calorie tracker thing on the internet that is free to use to keep up with my food diary. It will calculate the calories and if you don't know how many calories are in something, it will help you make an educated guess. It's at www.calorie-count.com It's a pretty neat website. I hope it will help me keep track of my food (I've heard it helps to make you more aware of what you eat, we will see...)
Anyway, I couldn't resist the temptation of not weighing, and lets just say, I was a little disapointed, but I'm not going to worry about it, after all the holidays only come once a year. My family is all about good food, good friends and good fun. And of course, I'm all about my family, soooo....
Tomorrow is another day!
(ps. sory for the novel! 
)
Well my first day of actually attempting went pretty good. I stuck to my eating plan, ate all my healthy snacks, a 6" Subway sandwich only for lunch (because I was out grocery shopping) drank 66 oz of water and limited myself to a tall (which is a small) nonfat treat from starbucks. I didn't do my weight video but I did manage to walk the puppy and the kids off and on for a grand total of 45 minutes today.
AND then...DH calls and declares Tuesdays are to be pizza night. 
I did my best I put the veggis and lowfat dip out and munched on those before, during, and after but somehow I ended up eating 3 pieces instead of just the two I'd planned on.
All in All though I'm pretty happy for my first day out of the gate, now if I could get my family to follow suit I might just make it this time.
OMG! I cant resist weighing myself. It says I have gain like 2 pounds! I felt like I was doing so good last week at least wednesday-saturday. I do admit I snacked new years eve and day, but I didnt think in horrible amounts and yesterday I ended up eating a jr. roastbeef sandwich and fries since my son decided he didnt like them. Plus I guess I admitted to eating a piece of cheesecake. So I certainly wasnt perfect, but I really didnt think I should gain 2 pounds! I even have been to the gym 4 times since last weigh in. My only hope is that it is because it is that time of the month, so I am holding out for some water retention. But I am tired of making excuses for myself. (its a holiday, its the weekend, its my metabolism, its the baby weight, Im too tired,its that time of the month...oh wait I just used that one ), That is why I gained weight in the first place I suppose. I dont want to be too hard on myself, but if I really want this then I guess I am just going to have to work at this a little harder.
Don't get discouraged, Merissa! We all seem to be having a little yo-yoing right now. I don't have any actual information to back this up, but it's always been my belief that it takes your body a little while to get on board with any diet/fitness plan. It seems like for a little while it just wants to hang onto any extra fat cells like life preservers!
AAK! I weighed my self this morning too & gained 1 pound I guess that's what happens when I get over my cold & start eating again. Hmph. I am going to be very good today, get on the treadmill tonight, and see what that darn scale says tomorrow.
-Lisa
Hi all, my name is liz, I'm new to CC but I love it! I also would like to lose a few more pounds. I did atkins diet a couple of years ago and lost about 60lbs. and then hubby had a full rupture of his quadricept tendon and was flat of his back for about 3 months last Thanksgiving and Christmas and he didn't get well enough to get back to the gym until May, well I really packed on the pounds, I tried counting calories and I gotta say..I was working out at the gym, lifting weights and doing 60 minutes on the treadmill or the eliptical trainer 3-5 days a week and I didn't lose one pound! UGH! So starting in August I started counting my carbs again, except this time I allowed for cheat days after a couple of months, but I would only use one day to cheat and then I'd go back to counting my carbs (inbetween 20-35 a day) and I've gotten to where I don't gain anything. The only thing different I'm doing is I'm actually jogging 2 miles a day on the treadmill instead of walking or doing eliptical and I'm still lifing weights. I cheated my A$$ off during the holidays, but I'm right back to it. I started the day after Christmas. I have lost about 30 lbs. I know being Cake decorators makes it hard to cut carbs, I found myself, when I had to do a b-day cake, I would put magazines all around the kitchen standing them up with skinny, toned up women on them to motivate me not to eat all the buttercream up before I could use it ( I love that stuff!) Anyway it helped alot. What I was going to say was...If you guys could just cut some of the carbs its amazing at how fast the weight comes off. Its just a matter of making healthy choices. I just started eating sugar free pudding and jello or I'd make a crustless cheesecake with splenda to satisfy my sweet tooth, the rest of the time I eat veggies, salads, and alot of protein. Sorry this is so long, I just wanted to join up with you guys, and let you all know what working for me, I know it doesn't work for everyone. I actually had hubby start it in Sept. and he has lost about 35 pounds also. Anyway, goodluck to all of you.
I typed out this long message and when I hit submit I got the site is down message. That's just no good.
I just wanted to check in with my weight loss buddies and tell you all to keep your chin up, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that tomorrow brings good news to all. I've been busy exercising and eating less so I have high hopes for tomorrow, hopefully I will have undone some of the damage I did last week (that was ugly!).
Good news is that this weekend I did a couple cakes and didn't eat a smidge of the cake or of the icing (yeah me!) and even better (for me, although with no relevance to this thread) my daughter, with a lot of work, was potty trained this weekend - YAHOO! We've had two accident free days and I'm hoping for many many more. Such a big girl.
Anyway, I'll check in with you all tomorrow and I hope to hear good news all around.
Hi everyone: sniffle, sniffle, I am just weighing in. I thought I was doing pretty good last week especially up until new years eve. I guess I snacked more than I thought, but I didnt think I did too badly. I think once I weighed myself earlier this week and saw that I had gained I got a little discouraged and cheated even a little more. Okay so here it goes.
Start weight: 150.8 Current weight: 151.8 Total: +1 So I gained 1.4 pounds this week. Here were my last weeks goals:
Last weeks goals
1. Follow my eating plan 6 days this week
2. Drink 64 ounces of water daily
3. Exercise at least 3 times this week
4. Dont eat off of my kids plates
5. Loose 1 1/2 -2 pounds by next weigh in.
Report:
1. I know I did really well 4 or 5 full days
2. 6 out of 7 days
3. met. I went 4 days
4. not met
5. Definitely not met.
New goals:
1. Journal my foods at least a few days to see where i might be going wrong.
2. Follow my eating plan at least 6 out of 7 days
3. drink 64 ounces water daily
4. Exercise 3-4 times this week
5. dont eat off of my kid's plates
6. Do not weigh myself until next weigh in...I got discouraged when I gained this week.
I hope next week is a better week for me!!
Ok, I weighed in this morning & managed to lose that darn pound from yesterday 
So I am back to having lost 3 pounds total (yay for being sick). 17 to go.
Goals for this week:
-treadmill 4 times/week
-lift weights 2 times
-only healthy snacks like fruit & veggies (need to go to the store today!)
-Lisa
my daughter, with a lot of work, was potty trained this weekend - YAHOO! We've had two accident free days and I'm hoping for many many more. Such a big girl..
WOOHOO!! It was so easy to potty train my daughter but when it was my son's turn I was pulling my hair out. Congrats! (And remember to take extra underwear & pants wherever you go, just in case)
-Lisa
Good morning ladies! Finally a weigh in that doesn't make me want to cry... I lost all of my Christmas weight this week. I honestly don't know how I did it. I have been eating better, but not really great and my back problems have gotten worse, so no workouts at all. But I'm feeling happy and encouraged. My total loss is 0, but I am so, so relieved to have lost those 5 ugly holiday pounds.
Start weight: 188 Current weight: 188 - this week, lost 5 lb gained Christmas week
Last week's goals:
Goals for the week:
1. Make my servings no larger than what I serve my children. - MET
2. NO evening snacks that are not healthy - MET
3. Work out as much as my back allows - no less than two times, ideally every day. - NOT MET
4. WATER, WATER, WATER!! - NOT MET
I have been pretty bad with the soda this week. New goals are:
1. Child-sized servings
2. No fast food or pizza
3. Only one drink per day that is NOT water
4. Try to find a way to work out and deal with back pain.
Alright, so here we go. I lost 4.5 pounds and I'm so excited about that. The down side is that I gained 7 over the holidays so I'm still above my starting weight. I'm not down in the mouth over it though, I'm just moving right along.
I don't think I set goals last week because I was so disgusted with the weight I gained so with 4.5 of them gone, I would say - goals met!
This week:
1. no snacking after 7:30
2. at least 64 ounces of water EVERY day
3. exercise at least 4 days
And for the record, I would like to lose the rest of what I gained so for this coming week, I hope to lose 2.5 pounds.
Lets go ladies - YEAH US!
imtrying...forgot to say congrats to your big girl!! I nearly got an ulcer trying to potty train both of mine, neither one would even make the effort until they were 3, so by the time I threw out the diapers, I had been changing diapers for 6 years! ARGH. So glad it's behind me...
It's the best feeling in the world, isn't it?
Don't get discouraged, Merissa! We all seem to be having a little yo-yoing right now. I don't have any actual information to back this up, but it's always been my belief that it takes your body a little while to get on board with any diet/fitness plan. It seems like for a little while it just wants to hang onto any extra fat cells like life preservers!
Actually your right. In all the books I've read (which are many) they say your body goes into survival mode of our cave man days. So when you reduce your calories it thinks uh oh famine, time to work more efficiently. Eventually it will realize this is the new norm and readjust and you'll start losing weight..... Or so they all say.
Now my weigh in. I'm at 223 wich means I lost that pesky 1.5 pounds that I regained over Christmas. This is my pms week so I've obviously been super good on the water along with other fluids because for once in a long time, I'm not retaining. Still can't understand how MORE water keeps you from retaining, that just seems mixed up to me.
My goals:
Keep up my food plan and journal
Walk the puppy twice a day, come rain, snow, sleet, or hail (how do the postman do it)
Work out 5 days a week.
**Warning** Rambo has become very motivated mentally and therefore might get a little annoying - like a cheerleader in a teen movie.
That being said.....GO TEAM!!
Still can't understand how MORE water keeps you from retaining, that just seems mixed up to me.
Well i looked this up awhile ago because it confused me also. It said that when you dont drink enough water your body goes into survival mode and stores up the water. Once you start drinking enough it realizes that it doesnt have to store it all the time. That is why once you start doing it, it feels like you are peeing all the time because it starts dumping water once it realizes it doesnt need to keep it around all of the time. Eventually it wont need to store so much because you are replenishing all the time.
I do agree with your body going into the "survival" mode also when you start dieting like you said above. I read in the body for life book that that is why you give yourself a day off from the diet and feed it well so it doesnt think you are starving it and it wont hold onto the calories for dear life.
I am still a little discouraged about my weight gain however, but I will perservere! I am not going to quit!
Oh and BTW, congrats everyone else on your weight losses! I am really happy for you all, it will keep me going this week!
Merissa I was just thinking, you said you've been good at hitting the gym, Maybe you put on a little muscle.
So many things to consider in all this diet and exercise stuff it makes my head spin. I do think I'm going to take some measurements and pictures Any way to see results even if it's not necessarily on the scale
Merissa I was just thinking, you said you've been good at hitting the gym, Maybe you put on a little muscle.
So many things to consider in all this diet and exercise stuff it makes my head spin. I do think I'm going to take some measurements and pictures
Any way to see results even if it's not necessarily on the scale
Actually last year I did that. My husband and I did the body for life and it was part of the program to do pics and measurements. While it was a little unpleasant to see yourself bulging out of a bikini, it did help to see the photos and check measurements a month later. He was really big on weight lifting, obviously you would be building muscle and losing fat, but the scale might not be as rewarding as visual pictures, and measurements. My husband keep saying we should do that again. I guess I should do it too. Maybe I should add it to my goals of things to do this week.
Sounds like you ladies are doing great! I weighed in this morning and decided my scale is having a nervous breakdown. Really, it just couldn't decide on what to tell me, first it was 136, then 132 then 133, then I gave up. Either way I think I lost a little, mostly because I've been too depressed to eat that much (hospital hit me with a $9164 bill ins. won't pay!).
I agree that you should measure yourself, that's obviously more accurate than the scale, especially MY scale. My clothes are still tight, so I haven't lost enough yet!
I did pretty good last week, but didn't meet the water goal or the food journal I wanted to do, so, this week:
1) drink lots of water
2) no fast (fat) food
3) video workout at least 3 times a week
(this will be really hard!)
4) Journal that food!
Keep up the good work ladies!
I haven't weighed today, but I don't think anything has changed. (we will see tonight when I go back to the gym)
I like the idea of measuring myself, but the pics, YUCK! I just got through looking at pics from new years and Christmas, and well, I don't like any of them with me in it. (The bad hair cut that I got a couple days before the holidays didn't help)
Ok, goals...
1. measure myself so I have a base line. (What measurements do you think we should take?)
2. WATER (I'm doing better and am down to 1 Dr P a day)
3. Keep up with the food journal (on day 3 now)
4. Keep up with the walking
5. Stay positive, I am going to do this!!!!
Like rambo said, "READY, OK - GIVE ME A S, GIVE ME A L, GIVE ME A I, GIVE ME A M, WHAT'S IT SPELL...Me in a few more weeks!!!!!! GO ME!
4dollars, I can't find the website now, but there are certain areas you should measure to calculate your body mass index. All I can remember is your waist and your wrist (seems weird). I'll keep looking and if I can find the website, I'll post it.
For meausurements I would say you should do at least your waist, hips, thighs. And remember where you did the measurement (ie at your belly button or whatever) The wrist thing is probably to determine if you are a "big boned" "small boned" person.
so what do you guys think about nominating a weekly team leader/trainer/cheerleader? Rambo's statement got me thinking.... 
What if the team leader's job was to keep everyone motivated, think of challenges for the day/week (like suggesting EVERYONE needs to drink every drop of water today) or something like that. If that person cant come every day to check cc, can just write up a few goal for everyone for the week. Might keep it fun! So then after the week is up (I say Thursdays, since that is weigh in day) that person can nominate the next person. What do you think? I know it's dorky, but it might be fun! So I want to nominate RAMBO since she said she was going to be like an annoying teen cheerleader! Ha ha.
So I was going back and reading through because my retention is AWFUL. I'm so exctied for you Rambo and your trip to Vegas but what makes me even more excited for you is the strange coincidence that my husband and I had our 10th anniversary in October and we went to Vegas too! It's delightful, I thought I might miss my kids but I totally didn't because there is too much fun to be had!
Also, I was deciding on a weight loss goal and I realized that I am going on a cruise in April. What better goal can I have to lose weight but a cruise filled with a bunch of bathing suit wearing slim bodies.
Oh, and on the potty training front, my daughter (was two in Sept) is probably the most stubborn in individual I've met (I'm certain she gets that from me) and was surprised when she did so well. Thank you all for your excitement, I think it takes a mother who has been through it to understand the joy of not having to change diapers and not having to fight with thier tiny and yet unbelievably strong will.
I think for the next week we should all make a pact to stay positive and have faith in ourselves and our ability to succeed. Yup, I think that's exactly what I'm going to do.
LOL...I am so honored to be nominated as the first group chearleader. I have two challenges for my week. These are the two I was focusing on personally for January.
#1 Food Journal. Even if you aren't ready to adjust your eating just jotting down what you eat during the day can be a big eye opener. It will give you insights into just how bad you're really doing, how much water your drinking and when your weakest moments of the day are. For example, between 2:00 and 4:00 is the time when I am actually home on a daily basis (SAHM doesn't really mean your home LOL) Any way at this time I'm usually tired, cranky and bored. All surefire triggers for overeating. I've started drinking a hot cup of green tea and laying on the couch for 20 minutes regrouping before the second half of my day, the after school/dinner hustle. So keep track of what and when and you'll be surprised at what you learn.
#2 No Negative self talk. My DH is big on this and keeps me in check. There is ABSOLUTELY no beating yourself up. No refering to yourself as fat, lazy, ugly - or any other nasty things we tell ourselves. If you hear it enough, especially in your own head, you will start to believe it. For every Nasty thing you say to yourself you must list off at least 3 nice things.
I hope this was kind of what you were looking for. Oh and since I'm the annoying cheerleader, remember "The best exercise is the one you do!" My new motto.
Oh yeah (see I got so caught up in my little pep talk I forgot something) Imtrying I wanted to say I am SO jealous. Both my boys were well past three when they finally "started" potty training and I had to bribe them with toys and trips to CEC. Must have cost me $200 each just to get the ball rolling. But it has been my experience (I used to work in daycare with the 2-4 year olds) Girls don't like to be messy and boys really don't care either way so long as they have something to do.
And, congrats on the 10 year mark. A decade of marriage is a big milestone in this day and age.
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