Abu's AWESOME August 2015 - W.I.S.H. Weight Loss Challenge! Any & All Welcome to Join!

[courtneybeth]

I'm a little discouraged because I only lost .2 pounds this week. I did really good except for that one bad night. I knew it would impact my total for the week but I didn't realize just how much. So....off to a new week...staying on track....and going to the gym.

I am so happy that you are looking forward and staying positive as you begin the new week. You recognize the areas in which you got off the wagon a bit but are making efforts to improve yourself this week! A loss is still a loss, no matter how small. I have a feeling that this week will be great and you'll weigh in and be happy with your results!!

What are some non-food ways you like to treat or pamper yourself?

Shopping. Apparently I also like to exercise my wallet and I do some serious damage when I'm at Target. I picked up two dresses last night -- Xhilaration brand. Down from a size XL to L now, which is impressive because it's the "junior's" sizing and not the usual "misses" sizing. I've switched to wearing dresses during this weight loss adventure because as I lose weight they're a bit more forgiving than baggy pants. I had to toss two dresses last night because they were too big.

 

[JacknSally]

Shopping. Apparently I also like to exercise my wallet and I do some serious damage when I'm at Target. I picked up two dresses last night -- Xhilaration brand. Down from a size XL to L now, which is impressive because it's the "junior's" sizing and not the usual "misses" sizing. I've switched to wearing dresses during this weight loss adventure because as I lose weight they're a bit more forgiving than baggy pants. I had to toss two dresses last night because they were too big.

Congratulations!! That's fantastic. I have such a love-hate relationship with the Xhiliration brand, LOL. I'm glad Target is starting to carry more plus size clothes, but with Xhiliration, I'm awkwardly in between their XLs and their XXLs/zeros. So jealous of you being down into their Ls! And YES you are SO right about dresses being more forgiving than pant. Pants are SO frustrating when you're losing weight and changing sizes!

Good luck with your new program! I will be curious to see how you like it.

Thank you! I'm going to day 2 when I get home from work today, but I really enjoyed day 1, honestly. It was HARD and I wanted to give up and die, haha, and all last night and even still today I am SORE. My right calf has been tight and cramped for over 24 hours now, so THAT'S no fun, but my core and my arms/shoulders are sore and it's fantastic. Washing my hair this morning was a little difficult, though, lol. I'm definitely excited to see what results, if any, I get from this program. Definitely doing before - during - after photos!

I have a massage pad that I got for Christmas. I haven't used it in a while but my back is sore from working on my car for 2 hours yesterday so I think I'll treat myself to that tonight! Great QOTD!

OOOH I love those!! Enjoy it!!

 

[ThistleMae]

I bought myself "a little black dress"....you know the everything dress you can dress up or down. I'm taking a cruise with my sister at the end of September to the Caribbean and they do a dress up dinner night. It looks really nice on me. I had a good workout today. I met a 71 year old woman, who looks absolutely fabulous. She is very strong but not overdone. She said it is the key to staying and feeling young. She is my new role model! It's super hot here today....I worked outside all weekend getting house stuff done. I'm going out shortly to look for shoes to go with my "little black dress." I'm pretty safe with shoes, my feet usually stay the same size...LOL! But I'm feeling like I accomplished something with my workout and got some good tips. ALSO...another feel good non food thing.....I rode my motorcycle to my work out! It's so warm out and the air feels super exhilarating! So off to shop!

 

[courtneybeth]

Pants are SO frustrating when you're losing weight and changing sizes!

This exactly. I don't want to buy multiple rounds of jeans when I can invest in a dress and get twice as much wear out of it. It's my boob area that is messing everything up... I could probably be in a medium if I weren't so... gifted in that area. Though I think I'm noticing that they're finally shrinking and I cannot wait for the happiness when I can go to a Victoria's Secret to buy my bras instead of stores like Intimacy or Nordstrom and buy the expensive bras that come in random letters further into the alphabet for an arm and a leg.

 

[DisPup75]

I think I'm mostly alive! Thank you again for all the get-well wishes!! I was feeling right as rain this morning but a long day of work has really taken it out of me. Should have stayed home another day but hopefully an early night will fix me back up.

I'm starting a 60-day at-home HIIT cardio program tomorrow. Not even going to lie, I'm pretty terrified of it. Just from looking through the exercises, it doesn't seem too bad... but it's probably going to make me want to die. Since it's a fitness & nutrition program, we'll be tweaking our diet, too.

We're going from strictly high-protein/low-carb, to a more Weight Watcher's style, where you can totally have whatever you want to eat, you just have to account for it in your daily macronutrient totals. Want to eat 4 double stuffed Oreos at 11am? Sure! Go for it! Enjoy! Just remember, that's 60g of your daily carbs, and 20g of your daily fat, so that's 60g/20g less you can have later in the day. That's basically what I was doing before, but my numbers are just a lot higher now. Calculating the totals for this program have me really stressed out. I'm sure I wasn't getting enough nutrients previously to be sustainable (1200-ish calories, under 40 carbs) but the numbers for the new program came out to be 2600 calories, 260 carbs, and 197 protein A DAY.

The program sounds ambitious but great! Maybe just what you need to shake things up. It's funny how it can be so easy to eat 2600 calories of junk food but so hard to eat even close to that many calories of healthy food. If I'm paying attention to what I'm doing (not this month unfortunately) I seem to be pretty happy at an average of 1900 calories and a 50/30/20 macro split.

Did anyone keep up with the D23 expo yesterday and today? Star Wars Land and Toy Story Land announced for DHS. 25 acres between the two of them, and 4 new rides and 1 new restaurant. LOL. Don't get me wrong, I know DHS needs the love, and rides or not, the plans look amazing. And let's face it, it's just as much about atmosphere as it is about the rides. I just think it's funny that this is a rumored $3 Billion expansion, and there are only 4 new rides. One of which is a Dumbo-type spinner. But believe me, I know I'll be there once it's open. DHS is my favorite park (the nostalgia of the golden era of Disney-MGM Studios keeps my passion for that park alive through all its issues!) and I'm glad to see it get some attention. I am just also hoping that there's another trick up Disney's sleeve and they've got some plans waiting for a special occasion to be announced. We shall see! I was a little disappointed that the Pixar Place expansion is for more Toy Story specific stuff rather than general Pixar stuff - I LOVE Toy Story!! LOVE IT. I just think that ship has sailed (Toy Story 4 was confirmed this weekend, and I really think they should've left it at 3...) and that a general Pixar Place would've been much more expandable in the future. Plus I was really pushing for that Monsters, Inc. door coaster! Haha. I WILL say, though, that I'm really excited about the new Jungle Cruise restaurant at MK. Wish it would be open when I go in October!

I'm not a Star Wars fan but I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with both new lands. Kind of like Avatar land -didn't like the movie but can't wait right to see Pandora. I'm totally excited about Toy Story land. I too would like Pixar land but Cars Land is so adorable and so well done. I love what the imagineers do when they are focused and I think they will do a great job. I love DHS and I'm glad it is getting some love. I just really wish they would do something about the sad she'll that is Epcot.

And I'm going to be all over the Skipper's Canteen in April! I hope the Soarin' change has been made to but that is probably wishful thinking.

In other personal exciting news, DH2B and my MNSSHP costumes came in this weekend!! WOOHOOO

So adorable!

What is an exercise that you never thought you could do that now you can? Or, what is one exercise that you REALLY want to be able to do without feeling like you're going to die? It doesn't have to be anything crazy like a 5 minute plank or 100 burpees or a 10 minute wall sit. It can be as simple as 3 reps of 12 bicep curls or 10 push up

I can hurl around 3 pound Dumbbells! Pathetic but sadly true. I really, really want to do a 5K. It is a small goal but I have a history of Achilles and knee problems so it is actually ambitious. We will see.

I'm a little discouraged because I only lost .2 pounds this week. I did really good except for that one bad night. I knew it would impact my total for the week but I didn't realize just how much. So....off to a new week...staying on track....and going to the gym. With only two weeks to go for my August goal I'm doing good....but isn't it funny how one slight setback seems to take everything away. It's just like when I weighed so much less than I do now, I look at old photo's and think...."Wow, you looked great back then!" But I can remember how I felt and I didn't feel like I looked great, I felt that I was fat! The games the mind can play with your self esteem can be really hurtful. Just something to think about and try to keep things in perspective. I will reach my goal this month!

.2 is still something! And I hate myself for saying things like that.

I weighed in up 6lbs after my little diet-experiment-gone-wrong, and I'm pleased to say that I'm finally back at the weight I was at the beginning of August. That is such a discouraging thought! After two weeks, and losing six pounds, I am.... right back where I started. UGH. But instead of getting frustrated at myself and the scale this morning, and instead of dreading coming in to work, I decided to take a little extra time for myself this morning. Ordinarily, my morning routine basically consists of drag-myself-out-of-bed, throw-on-whatever-clothes-I-can-find, and rush-out-of-the-house. Because, let's face it, I'm chronically 15 minutes late to EVERYTHING. I don't really wear makeup anymore and I basically don't care what I look like at work - I don't dress like a slob, but I sit in a cubicle and don't talk to anyone all day, so why get dressed up? But this morning I had a little extra time (because I tried to wake up early enough to get in a work-out before work... No surprise, that didn't happen LOL) so instead of rushing out the door with wet hair (thankfully it dries wavy/curly), I took the time to blow dry and loose-curl it, put on a little eyeliner and mascara, and put on a new blouse that I got for our Disney trip (OK, that one was strictly out of necessity - since it's brand new, I knew it was clean, and since I hadn't intended to wear it before Disney, I knew exactly where it was LOL)... It's amazing what taking a little time to pamper yourself can do to your overall mood! As of right now, I'm actually looking forward to going home and tackling day 2 of my HIIT program - hopefully I'll still feel that way when I get home at 5pm! So, even though, I am currently sitting at 0% of my goal, I feel good, and that's just as important as any number on a scale. AND I did it without wrecking my diet for the day.

Feeling good is great! And actually blow drying hair in the morning is an awesome accomplishment!

QOTD for Monday, August 17, 2015:
What are some non-food ways you like to treat or pamper yourself? Do you go get a mani-Pedi (or just paint your nails yourself)? Do you get dressed up when you really have no reason to other than you just want to? Do you go on a shopping spree, take a bubble bath, color your hair, or curl up on the couch with a book and tell the kids they can't bother you for 30 minutes? I want everyone to do ONE thing, no matter how big or small, to pamper themselves today, so we can all start out week three FEELING GOOD and ready to finish the month strong!

I'm not super enthused about the quality but I've been ordering myself a new custom-fit dress from e-shakti every 5 pounds. I like to have ONE thing that actually fits exactly right.

when I'm at Target. I picked up two dresses last night -- Xhilaration brand. Down from a size XL to L now, which is impressive because it's the "junior's" sizing and not the usual "misses" sizing. I've switched to wearing dresses during this weight loss adventure because as I lose weight they're a bit more forgiving than baggy pants. I had to toss two dresses last night because they were too big.

Dresses are the best!

 

[SarahDisney]

QOTD for Monday, August 17, 2015:
What are some non-food ways you like to treat or pamper yourself? Do you go get a mani-Pedi (or just paint your nails yourself)? Do you get dressed up when you really have no reason to other than you just want to? Do you go on a shopping spree, take a bubble bath, color your hair, or curl up on the couch with a book and tell the kids they can't bother you for 30 minutes? I want everyone to do ONE thing, no matter how big or small, to pamper themselves today, so we can all start out week three FEELING GOOD and ready to finish the month strong!

There are ways other than food to treat yourself??
I have a few ways I like to pamper myself ... but most of them are expensive. One free one that I love is just taking time to myself. I generally get to set my own schedule, so when I can, I like to reward myself by turning off the alarm and sleeping in (although I tend to be up before 9 anyway just because my body's not used to sleeping late). If I can't sleep in, then I like to take a few hours in the afternoon to just sit down and doing something for myself - whether it's reading, watching a movie, or just hanging out.
Today I actually spent about 3 hours catching up on my TV watching, which is something I've had a lot of trouble doing lately. I think I might sleep in tomorrow, we'll see. So that counts as double pampering, right?

Shopping. Apparently I also like to exercise my wallet and I do some serious damage when I'm at Target. I picked up two dresses last night -- Xhilaration brand. Down from a size XL to L now, which is impressive because it's the "junior's" sizing and not the usual "misses" sizing. I've switched to wearing dresses during this weight loss adventure because as I lose weight they're a bit more forgiving than baggy pants. I had to toss two dresses last night because they were too big.

Congrats on moving from XL to L - that's awesome!

This exactly. I don't want to buy multiple rounds of jeans when I can invest in a dress and get twice as much wear out of it. It's my boob area that is messing everything up... I could probably be in a medium if I weren't so... gifted in that area. Though I think I'm noticing that they're finally shrinking and I cannot wait for the happiness when I can go to a Victoria's Secret to buy my bras instead of stores like Intimacy or Nordstrom and buy the expensive bras that come in random letters further into the alphabet for an arm and a leg.

I definitely get this - I'm the same way. I can sometimes get away with a Medium skirt (although I usually size up just because I like them longer), but I always need a large shirt. It must be nice for people to be able to go to normal stores for bras (I get mine online) - I hope you get to that point soon!

I really, really want to do a 5K. It is a small goal but I have a history of Achilles and knee problems so it is actually ambitious. We will see.

I have a history of knee pain, and not only have I done a 5K, I'm training for my first 10K and hoping to do my first half marathon in a little over a year.
It's definitely harder when you have a history of problems because you have to be extra careful to protect your joints, but with the right guidance I think you can do it!
The Disney 5Ks are super walker-friendly, so if you're not sure if you could run the whole thing, you could try one of those and just walk if you can't run. (They are also super expensive, though ... I think they're up to $75 for a 5K now)

---

I had a decent day today. I ran 6 miles for the first time this morning, which exhausted me like crazy, but I'm mostly recovered by now. We went out to dinner and I probably ate more than I should have, but the food was good! We went somewhere we had never been before, and while I don't know that I'd go there very regularly (we tend to stick to one or two places), I would definitely go back at some point. I just wasn't wild about the vegetables we got, which was sad (they were a little overcooked for me). Overall, it was a good dinner, but I'm hoping to be back on plan tomorrow.

 

[JacknSally]

Morning, everybody! I'm sure hoping today goes by quickly. I am SO not feeling adulthood today!

I went home yesterday, made it through Day 2 of my HIIT program (side note: planks might be my new favorite thing! I'm HORRIBLE at them, but still), made dinner, sat down to veg on my laptop for 15 minutes.... and the hard drive crashed. I mean, 100% completely dead. Thankfully I backed up my system on an external hard drive (unfortunately, though, my last back up was July 26, and I've made a bunch of changes to various wedding lists and things since then. UGH.) but when I tried to restore it, it couldn't even find a drive on my laptop to restore the backup to. It's completely gone. So we spent all evening dealing with that, trying to find ANYWHERE that could fix it (it's a 4 year old Macbook, which Apple now considers "antique". They laughed because it has a CD drive) without it costing $200+. DH2B has picked up a 2nd job working online from home for a friend of his, and I have a LOT of wedding stuff I need to use it for, so not getting it fixed just isn't an option. This was totally not in the already-very-tight budget, so now I have to find some wedding plan or Disney plan to nix - and all of those plans were pretty much bare bones as it is! I just want to go home and go back to bed. And it's only Tuesday!! This is going to be a very, very, VERY long week.

​

This exactly. I don't want to buy multiple rounds of jeans when I can invest in a dress and get twice as much wear out of it. It's my boob area that is messing everything up... I could probably be in a medium if I weren't so... gifted in that area. Though I think I'm noticing that they're finally shrinking and I cannot wait for the happiness when I can go to a Victoria's Secret to buy my bras instead of stores like Intimacy or Nordstrom and buy the expensive bras that come in random letters further into the alphabet for an arm and a leg.

You are not alone, friend! Anyone who thinks it's better to have big boobs - GUESS AGAIN. I'd love to be back into C's again. Hopefully soon!

The program sounds ambitious but great! Maybe just what you need to shake things up. It's funny how it can be so easy to eat 2600 calories of junk food but so hard to eat even close to that many calories of healthy food. If I'm paying attention to what I'm doing (not this month unfortunately) I seem to be pretty happy at an average of 1900 calories and a 50/30/20 macro split.

I'm trying to maintain a 40-30-30 split (protein-carb-fat). I knew there was just NO way I'd ever be able to do the numbers that I calculated through the program, so I adjusted them to 1800 calories, 100 carbs, 150 protein, and 66 fat. I still haven't managed to get above 1200 calories, though, and I really don't know what to do about that.

Day 2 of the exercises LOOKED super easy, but boy, was I wrong. I couldn't get through the routines exactly the way they were written. I did what I could, though, so hopefully it still counts! I managed to do 12 burpees yesterday, and could only do 5 the day before, so that's progress - even if I was supposed to do 50 total. They aren't at all pretty or fast, but oh well. And instead of four 30 second planks, I could only do a 20 second, two 15 seconds, and a 10 second. But I never in my life would've thought I could do ANY seconds, so I'm pleased as punch with that. My abs are KILLING me today, though.

There are ways other than food to treat yourself??
I have a few ways I like to pamper myself ... but most of them are expensive. One free one that I love is just taking time to myself. I generally get to set my own schedule, so when I can, I like to reward myself by turning off the alarm and sleeping in (although I tend to be up before 9 anyway just because my body's not used to sleeping late). If I can't sleep in, then I like to take a few hours in the afternoon to just sit down and doing something for myself - whether it's reading, watching a movie, or just hanging out.
Today I actually spent about 3 hours catching up on my TV watching, which is something I've had a lot of trouble doing lately. I think I might sleep in tomorrow, we'll see. So that counts as double pampering, right?

---

I had a decent day today. I ran 6 miles for the first time this morning, which exhausted me like crazy, but I'm mostly recovered by now. We went out to dinner and I probably ate more than I should have, but the food was good! We went somewhere we had never been before, and while I don't know that I'd go there very regularly (we tend to stick to one or two places), I would definitely go back at some point. I just wasn't wild about the vegetables we got, which was sad (they were a little overcooked for me). Overall, it was a good dinner, but I'm hoping to be back on plan tomorrow.

Hope you enjoy your late morning today! That's such an awesome set-up, where you can make your own schedule, and do what works best for you depending on the day. Love that!

Just thinking about running 6 miles makes me crazy exhausted LOL. I do NOT have that kind of stamina, patience, or attention span. So glad you enjoyed your night out - I love discovering new places like that!

 

[JacknSally]

When we hit roadblocks, or when we get discouraged about where we are or how far we still have to go, it's important to remember what got us started in the first place. Something made you want to join this thread, something made you want to lose the weight, something made you want to change your life. Sometimes we get so caught up in just trying to make it through the day or the week, that we lose sight of that thing that pushed us to start all this in the first place.

QOTD for Tuesday, August 18, 2015
What is/was your motivation for starting this long, difficult, crazy journey?
Do you have a special event or vacation coming up that you just want to lose a few pounds for? Do you have a pair of jeans that you haven't fit into in years, and you want to finally wear them again? Do you just want to live an overall healthier, longer life? If you don't want to share your motivation, for whatever reasons (medical, lifestyle, whatever!), please do not feel pressured to. Just think about what got you going, so that hopefully it will also keep you going!

​

 

[courtneybeth]

What is/was your motivation for starting this long, difficult, crazy journey?

I am a stress eater and the last three years confirmed this when I put on about 40-50 pounds because of how I was treated by the company I used to worked for. Combining that with grad school, I just wasn't in a good place mentally or physically - and I sought to make a change. I started a new job back in May and I noticed that i just felt happier once I made the move -- and that's when I stopped stress eating and began to really take the weight loss seriously. It also marked the point where I was a year out from walking at my MBA graduation and I didn't want to be a fatty in my graduation pictures.

So I started a program/regimen with a goal in mind: lose the weight and get into one of those cute Kate Spade dresses you always stare at longingly when you walk out of Nordstrom.

Since I started my new job I have lost 22 pounds, 12 of which have really been in the last 5 weeks when I joined WW and started to take things a bit more seriously. My husband and I took a trip to London and Paris in June of this year and opted to just "take it easy" and "indulge" while we were away, which is why it's really only been the last 5-6 weeks that we've been doing this seriously.




I'm proud of the progress that I have made so far --- but I did want to share that I had a super difficult night last night. Long story short - my professor didn't like an approach that my team took in our group presentation (1 area of 10) and was a bit condescending to us in front of the class once we concluded. After class I went up to defend our position but he wasn't having it. I took it personally because I did believe we were correct but he just... wouldn't budge. So of course it made me feel all of these ~emotions~ and when I got home I cried because all I wanted to do was find comfort at the bottom of a pint of ice cream but I can't do that anymore. And I got more frustrated because of that! In the end I am glad that I didn't give into those feelings and binge because of the long-term harm it would have done.

This process has been about me realizing that some days will be easier than others. Last night was difficult and I persevered.

 

[SarahDisney]

What is/was your motivation for starting this long, difficult, crazy journey?

Honestly, I have no idea. I've been on one diet or another on and off since I was in high school.
I don't know why I started this journey, but I do know that I have to continue. If I stop now, it just makes this one more thing I gave up on because it was too hard. But I know that if I can get my eating under control, exercise regularly, and hopefully see some movement on the scale, that's proof that if I try hard, I can do something right. Which is a big deal for me, because I tend to fail more than I succeed.

 

[DisPup75]

I have a history of knee pain, and not only have I done a 5K, I'm training for my first 10K and hoping to do my first half marathon in a little over a year.
It's definitely harder when you have a history of problems because you have to be extra careful to protect your joints, but with the right guidance I think you can do it!
The Disney 5Ks are super walker-friendly, so if you're not sure if you could run the whole thing, you could try one of those and just walk if you can't run. (They are also super expensive, though ... I think they're up to $75 for a 5K now)
.

Good advice! I need to lose 8 or 9 pounds to get myself to just plain overweight and then think I am going to try to start training very, very slowly. I know that C25K is too much for me but I did find a plan that has you start jogging in only 5 second spurts so I may start there. I've actually been kicking around the idea of a Disney 5K but I calendar isn't quite right and it is just too much money for that distance. I can easily walk that distance as my dog's favorite loop is right around 3 miles so I need more challenge for the money/motivation. If running is a total failure, I might aim to walk one of the Disney halfs though. Just not sure which one. .

View attachment 116928

When we hit roadblocks, or when we get discouraged about where we are or how far we still have to go, it's important to remember what got us started in the first place. Something made you want to join this thread, something made you want to lose the weight, something made you want to change your life. Sometimes we get so caught up in just trying to make it through the day or the week, that we lose sight of that thing that pushed us to start all this in the first place.

QOTD for Tuesday, August 18, 2015
What is/was your motivation for starting this long, difficult, crazy journey?
Do you have a special event or vacation coming up that you just want to lose a few pounds for? Do you have a pair of jeans that you haven't fit into in years, and you want to finally wear them again? Do you just want to live an overall healthier, longer life? If you don't want to share your motivation, for whatever reasons (medical, lifestyle, whatever!), please do not feel pressured to. Just think about what got you going, so that hopefully it will also keep you going!

View attachment 116929 ​

Tough question. My motivation is so strong but can also be so fleeting. After growing up super thin, I've spent more years than I care to count being overweight and was horrified when I fell over the edge into obesity a few years ago. But I still didn't have the energy to do anything about it. It slowly started to dawn on me that I didn't have the energy to do anything. The person I've always felt like I was inside was slipping away and I was just becoming a lump. A grumpy inflamed lump with sore joints and clothes I hate. I traded in hiking for laying on my couch from Friday night to Monday morning. My eating habits were getting worse by the week. And it just had to stop. Even the little bit of progress I've made has made a huge difference in my quality of life (I'm mobile again!) and I'm trying to remember that I will feel even better if I. just. keep. going. But it is really, really hard.

I am a stress eater and the last three years confirmed this when I put on about 40-50 pounds because of how I was treated by the company I used to worked for. Combining that with grad school, I just wasn't in a good place mentally or physically - and I sought to make a change. I started a new job back in May and I noticed that i just felt happier once I made the move -- and that's when I stopped stress eating and began to really take the weight loss seriously. It also marked the point where I was a year out from walking at my MBA graduation and I didn't want to be a fatty in my graduation pictures.

So I started a program/regimen with a goal in mind: lose the weight and get into one of those cute Kate Spade dresses you always stare at longingly when you walk out of Nordstrom.

Since I started my new job I have lost 22 pounds, 12 of which have really been in the last 5 weeks when I joined WW and started to take things a bit more seriously. My husband and I took a trip to London and Paris in June of this year and opted to just "take it easy" and "indulge" while we were away, which is why it's really only been the last 5-6 weeks that we've been doing this seriously.

I'm proud of the progress that I have made so far --- but I did want to share that I had a super difficult night last night. Long story short - my professor didn't like an approach that my team took in our group presentation (1 area of 10) and was a bit condescending to us in front of the class once we concluded. After class I went up to defend our position but he wasn't having it. I took it personally because I did believe we were correct but he just... wouldn't budge. So of course it made me feel all of these ~emotions~ and when I got home I cried because all I wanted to do was find comfort at the bottom of a pint of ice cream but I can't do that anymore. And I got more frustrated because of that! In the end I am glad that I didn't give into those feelings and binge because of the long-term harm it would have done.

This process has been about me realizing that some days will be easier than others. Last night was difficult and I persevered.

You are getting great results! Seriously not cool of your professor to act like that. But major kudos on staying away from that pint!!!

Honestly, I have no idea. I've been on one diet or another on and off since I was in high school.
I don't know why I started this journey, but I do know that I have to continue. If I stop now, it just makes this one more thing I gave up on because it was too hard. But I know that if I can get my eating under control, exercise regularly, and hopefully see some movement on the scale, that's proof that if I try hard, I can do something right. Which is a big deal for me, because I tend to fail more than I succeed.

I don't mean to sound eternally optimistic or Pollyanna-ish when I say this, but I bet you succeed far more than you fail. Most of us never give ourselves credit for all the things that we do right or that go well. It is too easy to remember the failures. I think you are doing a fantastic job on this journey!

 

[ThistleMae]

There are ways other than food to treat yourself??
I have a few ways I like to pamper myself ... but most of them are expensive. One free one that I love is just taking time to myself. I generally get to set my own schedule, so when I can, I like to reward myself by turning off the alarm and sleeping in (although I tend to be up before 9 anyway just because my body's not used to sleeping late). If I can't sleep in, then I like to take a few hours in the afternoon to just sit down and doing something for myself - whether it's reading, watching a movie, or just hanging out.
Today I actually spent about 3 hours catching up on my TV watching, which is something I've had a lot of trouble doing lately. I think I might sleep in tomorrow, we'll see. So that counts as double pampering, right?



Congrats on moving from XL to L - that's awesome!



I definitely get this - I'm the same way. I can sometimes get away with a Medium skirt (although I usually size up just because I like them longer), but I always need a large shirt. It must be nice for people to be able to go to normal stores for bras (I get mine online) - I hope you get to that point soon!



I have a history of knee pain, and not only have I done a 5K, I'm training for my first 10K and hoping to do my first half marathon in a little over a year.
It's definitely harder when you have a history of problems because you have to be extra careful to protect your joints, but with the right guidance I think you can do it!
The Disney 5Ks are super walker-friendly, so if you're not sure if you could run the whole thing, you could try one of those and just walk if you can't run. (They are also super expensive, though ... I think they're up to $75 for a 5K now)

---

I had a decent day today. I ran 6 miles for the first time this morning, which exhausted me like crazy, but I'm mostly recovered by now. We went out to dinner and I probably ate more than I should have, but the food was good! We went somewhere we had never been before, and while I don't know that I'd go there very regularly (we tend to stick to one or two places), I would definitely go back at some point. I just wasn't wild about the vegetables we got, which was sad (they were a little overcooked for me). Overall, it was a good dinner, but I'm hoping to be back on plan tomorrow.

 

[ThistleMae]

I am a stress eater and the last three years confirmed this when I put on about 40-50 pounds because of how I was treated by the company I used to worked for. Combining that with grad school, I just wasn't in a good place mentally or physically - and I sought to make a change. I started a new job back in May and I noticed that i just felt happier once I made the move -- and that's when I stopped stress eating and began to really take the weight loss seriously. It also marked the point where I was a year out from walking at my MBA graduation and I didn't want to be a fatty in my graduation pictures.

So I started a program/regimen with a goal in mind: lose the weight and get into one of those cute Kate Spade dresses you always stare at longingly when you walk out of Nordstrom.

Since I started my new job I have lost 22 pounds, 12 of which have really been in the last 5 weeks when I joined WW and started to take things a bit more seriously. My husband and I took a trip to London and Paris in June of this year and opted to just "take it easy" and "indulge" while we were away, which is why it's really only been the last 5-6 weeks that we've been doing this seriously.




I'm proud of the progress that I have made so far --- but I did want to share that I had a super difficult night last night. Long story short - my professor didn't like an approach that my team took in our group presentation (1 area of 10) and was a bit condescending to us in front of the class once we concluded. After class I went up to defend our position but he wasn't having it. I took it personally because I did believe we were correct but he just... wouldn't budge. So of course it made me feel all of these ~emotions~ and when I got home I cried because all I wanted to do was find comfort at the bottom of a pint of ice cream but I can't do that anymore. And I got more frustrated because of that! In the end I am glad that I didn't give into those feelings and binge because of the long-term harm it would have done.

This process has been about me realizing that some days will be easier than others. Last night was difficult and I persevered.

Good for you! You have learned a valuable lesson on this journey. You should be so proud of yourself! Not everyone you meet in life is going to agree with you....and some people can just be hurtful. Keep this in mind when choosing friends as well. Great job staying strong!

 

[ThistleMae]

Honestly, I have no idea. I've been on one diet or another on and off since I was in high school.
I don't know why I started this journey, but I do know that I have to continue. If I stop now, it just makes this one more thing I gave up on because it was too hard. But I know that if I can get my eating under control, exercise regularly, and hopefully see some movement on the scale, that's proof that if I try hard, I can do something right. Which is a big deal for me, because I tend to fail more than I succeed.

I know it's hard to stick with it...especially when you feel that eating helps you get through the day. Change your life now! It really is a mind set. You can do it. We will support you 100 percent!

 

[ThistleMae]

View attachment 116928

When we hit roadblocks, or when we get discouraged about where we are or how far we still have to go, it's important to remember what got us started in the first place. Something made you want to join this thread, something made you want to lose the weight, something made you want to change your life. Sometimes we get so caught up in just trying to make it through the day or the week, that we lose sight of that thing that pushed us to start all this in the first place.

QOTD for Tuesday, August 18, 2015
What is/was your motivation for starting this long, difficult, crazy journey?
Do you have a special event or vacation coming up that you just want to lose a few pounds for? Do you have a pair of jeans that you haven't fit into in years, and you want to finally wear them again? Do you just want to live an overall healthier, longer life? If you don't want to share your motivation, for whatever reasons (medical, lifestyle, whatever!), please do not feel pressured to. Just think about what got you going, so that hopefully it will also keep you going!

View attachment 116929 ​

My main goal was to start was feeling better. I was just diagnosed with breast cancer. Being overweight and lack of exercise are both contributing factors. I'm not ready to die yet! And my knees are bad. I had one whole year I could barely walk at all....it was awful! So this past year I've lost 65 pounds. I just started at the gym....week three this week. I had to wait to start working out until my radiation was concluded....it tends to make you tired. I've had good results and did not need chemo. I am considered a survivor at this point but will have to have regular check-ups and of course I'm at higher risk of reoccurrence, but....and this is a big but (no pun intended)....being in shape and eating right will reduce my chances of reoccurrence. That all being said....I'm now just starting to see changes in my body that are becoming more attractive. My muscle tone is already improving just from three weeks of using the weight machines. My old clothes do not fit! I'm buying new things...pretty things....instead of things that hide the fat. So while health is still critically important....I also get the perk of looking pretty darn good these days! I love all the support and all the personal stories on this site. I hope it never ends because I will need the support the rest of my life. I also really enjoy encouraging others to stay strong! I love you guys!

 

[JacknSally]

QOTD, August 19, 2015
We're that much closer to the weekend! Happy Woohoo Wednesday, everyone! What's making you woohoo today?

​

 

[courtneybeth]

What's making you woohoo today?

After tonight's final exam I am just 117 days from being done with my program (2 more classes!) and exactly 120 days until I go to Disney World.

In random news: I found an amazing flight home from WDW - $118 per person to Los Angeles (Delta Airlines) two days before Christmas. I was shocked and thought it was a typo. We book 1-way tickets for this reason. We are not partial to airline nor miles so we can score these crazy deals.

 

[stacy~**]

---

I had a decent day today. I ran 6 miles for the first time this morning, which exhausted me like crazy, but I'm mostly recovered by now. We went out to dinner and I probably ate more than I should have, but the food was good! We went somewhere we had never been before, and while I don't know that I'd go there very regularly (we tend to stick to one or two places), I would definitely go back at some point. I just wasn't wild about the vegetables we got, which was sad (they were a little overcooked for me). Overall, it was a good dinner, but I'm hoping to be back on plan tomorrow.

6 miles! Yes! Can't wait to hear more about it in your journal.

I went home yesterday, made it through Day 2 of my HIIT program (side note: planks might be my new favorite thing! I'm HORRIBLE at them, but still), made dinner, sat down to veg on my laptop for 15 minutes.... and the hard drive crashed. I mean, 100% completely dead. Thankfully I backed up my system on an external hard drive (unfortunately, though, my last back up was July 26, and I've made a bunch of changes to various wedding lists and things since then. UGH.) but when I tried to restore it, it couldn't even find a drive on my laptop to restore the backup to. It's completely gone. So we spent all evening dealing with that, trying to find ANYWHERE that could fix it (it's a 4 year old Macbook, which Apple now considers "antique". They laughed because it has a CD drive) without it costing $200+. DH2B has picked up a 2nd job working online from home for a friend of his, and I have a LOT of wedding stuff I need to use it for, so not getting it fixed just isn't an option. This was totally not in the already-very-tight budget, so now I have to find some wedding plan or Disney plan to nix - and all of those plans were pretty much bare bones as it is! I just want to go home and go back to bed. And it's only Tuesday!! This is going to be a very, very, VERY long week.

​

I'm trying to maintain a 40-30-30 split (protein-carb-fat). I knew there was just NO way I'd ever be able to do the numbers that I calculated through the program, so I adjusted them to 1800 calories, 100 carbs, 150 protein, and 66 fat. I still haven't managed to get above 1200 calories, though, and I really don't know what to do about that.

Day 2 of the exercises LOOKED super easy, but boy, was I wrong. I couldn't get through the routines exactly the way they were written. I did what I could, though, so hopefully it still counts! I managed to do 12 burpees yesterday, and could only do 5 the day before, so that's progress - even if I was supposed to do 50 total. They aren't at all pretty or fast, but oh well. And instead of four 30 second planks, I could only do a 20 second, two 15 seconds, and a 10 second. But I never in my life would've thought I could do ANY seconds, so I'm pleased as punch with that. My abs are KILLING me today, though.

Sorry about your hard drive! Ugh! We have all been through it and it's never fun. I hope you are able to recover things.

I just started logging my food in my fitness pal today. I will probably only last a few days at it but it is always eye opening for me to see how much or how much of the wrong stuff I am eating. I am always on the high side with carbs, even when I am watching them. You must be eating great to not be reaching 1200 calories!

Good for you....planks and burpees! That sounds intense.


[/QUOTE]

I am a stress eater and the last three years confirmed this when I put on about 40-50 pounds because of how I was treated by the company I used to worked for. Combining that with grad school, I just wasn't in a good place mentally or physically - and I sought to make a change. I started a new job back in May and I noticed that i just felt happier once I made the move -- and that's when I stopped stress eating and began to really take the weight loss seriously. It also marked the point where I was a year out from walking at my MBA graduation and I didn't want to be a fatty in my graduation pictures.

So I started a program/regimen with a goal in mind: lose the weight and get into one of those cute Kate Spade dresses you always stare at longingly when you walk out of Nordstrom.

Since I started my new job I have lost 22 pounds, 12 of which have really been in the last 5 weeks when I joined WW and started to take things a bit more seriously. My husband and I took a trip to London and Paris in June of this year and opted to just "take it easy" and "indulge" while we were away, which is why it's really only been the last 5-6 weeks that we've been doing this seriously.

I'm proud of the progress that I have made so far --- but I did want to share that I had a super difficult night last night. Long story short - my professor didn't like an approach that my team took in our group presentation (1 area of 10) and was a bit condescending to us in front of the class once we concluded. After class I went up to defend our position but he wasn't having it. I took it personally because I did believe we were correct but he just... wouldn't budge. So of course it made me feel all of these ~emotions~ and when I got home I cried because all I wanted to do was find comfort at the bottom of a pint of ice cream but I can't do that anymore. And I got more frustrated because of that! In the end I am glad that I didn't give into those feelings and binge because of the long-term harm it would have done.

This process has been about me realizing that some days will be easier than others. Last night was difficult and I persevered.

What an inspiring story! That's wonderful that you were able to make a job change that had such a positive impact on you. Congrats on your success so far! 22 pounds since May is so impressive.

Sorry about your difficulty with your professor but the consolation for you should be how awesome it was that you DIDN'T come home and eat that pint of ice cream. Being strong in those situations is truly the test and you did great.

My main goal was to start was feeling better. I was just diagnosed with breast cancer. Being overweight and lack of exercise are both contributing factors. I'm not ready to die yet! And my knees are bad. I had one whole year I could barely walk at all....it was awful! So this past year I've lost 65 pounds. I just started at the gym....week three this week. I had to wait to start working out until my radiation was concluded....it tends to make you tired. I've had good results and did not need chemo. I am considered a survivor at this point but will have to have regular check-ups and of course I'm at higher risk of reoccurrence, but....and this is a big but (no pun intended)....being in shape and eating right will reduce my chances of reoccurrence. That all being said....I'm now just starting to see changes in my body that are becoming more attractive. My muscle tone is already improving just from three weeks of using the weight machines. My old clothes do not fit! I'm buying new things...pretty things....instead of things that hide the fat. So while health is still critically important....I also get the perk of looking pretty darn good these days! I love all the support and all the personal stories on this site. I hope it never ends because I will need the support the rest of my life. I also really enjoy encouraging others to stay strong! I love you guys!

I am sorry to hear about your diagnosis but glad you are totally kicking it's *ss! Looking good is great encouragement along the way but being healthy and feeling good is what matters most. You should be so proud of your 65 pound loss. Enjoy buying new things...you deserve it.

 

[stacy~**]

QOTD for Tuesday, August 18, 2015
What is/was your motivation for starting this long, difficult, crazy journey?
Do you have a special event or vacation coming up that you just want to lose a few pounds for? Do you have a pair of jeans that you haven't fit into in years, and you want to finally wear them again? Do you just want to live an overall healthier, longer life? If you don't want to share your motivation, for whatever reasons (medical, lifestyle, whatever!), please do not feel pressured to. Just think about what got you going, so that hopefully it will also keep you going! ​

​

For me, I started this journey about 2.5 years ago. It took me 1.5 years to lose about 30 pounds and it was my impending 40th birthday that motivated me to make changes. About this time last year I started a part time job (after staying at home for 12 years) and that really threw me off. I no longer had the time to workout when it was convenient and meals were often off schedule. It was the start of a slippery slop of weight gain (I've gained about 10 pounds in the last year). My current motivation is the work that was the very reason for my weight gain to begin with. I've been off all summer and will be starting back in a few weeks. I really want to be back on track mentally before I once again have that obstacle. Also, I am running another half marathon in October and I really, really don't want to carry all this weight with me on that run!!

QOTD, August 19, 2015
We're that much closer to the weekend! Happy Woohoo Wednesday, everyone! What's making you woohoo today?

View attachment 117837​

Happy that tomorrow is a day off from exercise. I've ran 17 miles (5,3,6,3) and taken 1 Jazzercise class over the last 5 days. My body is ready for a break.

 

[SarahDisney]

My main goal was to start was feeling better. I was just diagnosed with breast cancer. Being overweight and lack of exercise are both contributing factors. I'm not ready to die yet! And my knees are bad. I had one whole year I could barely walk at all....it was awful! So this past year I've lost 65 pounds. I just started at the gym....week three this week. I had to wait to start working out until my radiation was concluded....it tends to make you tired. I've had good results and did not need chemo. I am considered a survivor at this point but will have to have regular check-ups and of course I'm at higher risk of reoccurrence, but....and this is a big but (no pun intended)....being in shape and eating right will reduce my chances of reoccurrence. That all being said....I'm now just starting to see changes in my body that are becoming more attractive. My muscle tone is already improving just from three weeks of using the weight machines. My old clothes do not fit! I'm buying new things...pretty things....instead of things that hide the fat. So while health is still critically important....I also get the perk of looking pretty darn good these days! I love all the support and all the personal stories on this site. I hope it never ends because I will need the support the rest of my life. I also really enjoy encouraging others to stay strong! I love you guys!

Congrats on being a survivor!
It's definitely scary when something health-related forces you to make changes, but it's worth it when you see how great those changes make you look and feel!

We're that much closer to the weekend! Happy Woohoo Wednesday, everyone! What's making you woohoo today?

It's kind of a yesterday woohoo, but I was still excited today ... when I stepped on the scale yesterday morning, not only had I lost the pound I gained last week, but I lost another 0.5 lbs on top of that!
(Not having my best day today, though, so I gotta step up my game tomorrow if I want to see that low number on Friday's weigh-in!)

After tonight's final exam I am just 117 days from being done with my program (2 more classes!) and exactly 120 days until I go to Disney World.

Yay! That's an awesome WooHoo!

In random news: I found an amazing flight home from WDW - $118 per person to Los Angeles (Delta Airlines) two days before Christmas. I was shocked and thought it was a typo. We book 1-way tickets for this reason. We are not partial to airline nor miles so we can score these crazy deals.

I love crazy airline deals! I rarely catch them, but I'm always excited when others do!

6 miles! Yes! Can't wait to hear more about it in your journal.

Not so much to tell ... I ran 6 miles and then I was too exhausted to do anything else all day

Happy that tomorrow is a day off from exercise. I've ran 17 miles (5,3,6,3) and taken 1 Jazzercise class over the last 5 days. My body is ready for a break.

Rest days are the best!
Exercise is nice too, but ... I've found that the more I exercise, the better those rest days feel.
Anyone else have that experience?