"All I Want For Christmas Challenge" week of September 18th

Hi gang..here's the new thread! I'll be back later!

Get those goals posted!!!!!

Mandy

[Pizzamama]

Opps just posted for Sunday but it went on the last weeks thread - If you miss it it's ok cause I was really venting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe I should have gotten dh Captain Carb for his b'day yesterday!!!


How cute is he!

[Pizzamama]

I had a PM last night but when I went to read it I must have accidently hit something and deleted it - so if it was any of you - please resend it cause I didnt get to read it!

[Tippy Toes]

Good morning!

First, let me start by saying I am on the verge of 45 myself and have not only thought about only being 5 years from 50 but also thinking about the fact that everyone on my Mother's side, including her, died in their early 70's. hmm. But I will say one thing. For me, being younger wasn't all that easy. I was never that pretty, nor popular, etc... THIS is the BEST time in life I have ever had. I have a terrific husband now, a few bucks to get along with and because of low carb I feel better than I can ever recall. So, HN, what's a little age anyway?? Nothing but wisdom and by now I must be brilliant! Haha!

Going out for brunch!

xxxooo
TT

I just got back from my jog, first one I've done with tunes in a long time! The ipod rocks... literally It really helped, I went longer than usual (6 miles give or take) and had quite a burst of speed at the end. So, Sunday's off to a good start! Part of my route goes through a cemetary which gives me added motivation, don't want them to be my new neighbors <chuckle>

Dano

As though life didn't suck enough right now with all the really horrible things going on, my beloved cat Queeny was just killed by a car


The proverbial last straw, I can't stop crying

[Pizzamama]

to Mandy and family!

....and my day just got suckier too.....the dryer is not heating.....looks like the beverly hillbillys today - the whole deck is full of clothes - towels - underwear - bras - socks you name it it's out there I love it!!! and leavin for work in about 20 minutes so when I get home around 8:00 or 8:30 they will be done drying but nice and damp by then - LIFE IS GRAND!

[HorseNutt]

Oh Mandy my heart aches for you... I know how hard it is to lose a pet and you have my deep felt sympthies.

Thank you all for understanding how I'm feeling... Here is the best pic from the studio that has me in it. My hair is now different.


[IMG][/IMG]

[Melly]

Awwwwwww Mandy....girl you just can't win for losing
This is gonna be quick becasue I have to go over to the hospital. We were on our way home from church this morning and got a call that my grandmother fell....she is 88 and is losing her eyesight We had to call an ambulance because she wasn't able to put any weight on her leg at all....pray that nothing is broken.

I have not got my walk in yet today but I will. Aliyah is feeling much better. She went with me to a wedding last night that was out of this world. It was at a private country club and the wedding was outside by a waterfall poolside......it was beautiful. There were hor'duerves (dayum I know I didn't spell that right) and for dinner prime rib and shrimp...it was first class and the absolute nicest wedding I have ever been to.

Well thats all I have for now....need to get to the hospital with my momma and everyone else and check on my grandma

[Tippy Toes]

Mandy: I am so sorry.

[goalinsight]

Well, guys - I am back!!
Okay - I weighed in last thursday down 2 more pounds.
Then we hit the fair. I told my children next year we hit the tilt-a- whirl together! Have not been on for years and will as soon as I lose some more weight. I am also thinking about the zip line at our church camp when I am at goal. I have always wanted to try it.
I stayed on plan at the fair on thursday. ..and at Women's Retreat. I did have some extra macedamia nuts and some low carb candy bars to get through. 4 hours sleep on thur. 5 hours fri and 4 1/2 sat night. Had touble staying awake at church. Actually the 9 plus hour drive home was the high point of my weekend...hehehehe - go figure?!

and I must confess the bike ride never happened on thur. I was too worried about painful knees at the retreat so I chickened out.

[Melly]

Sherry great to have you back.....missed you bunches Sounds klike you are doing great girl.....I am proud of you and inspired!!! I have been walking like a crazy woman and I am soooooooooo sore.....man it hurts GOOD!!!

OK nothing is broken on my grandma.....but they put her ankle in an air cast and sent her home with both a wheel chair and a walker. Please pray for her. We have been in the process of moving her from 90 miles away to the city I live in and she was to stay her first night in her new place tomorrow. Needless to say that is not going to happen. I hope this does not prolong her staying in her place for long because until then she is with my mother and my poor mama needs a break.

Tippy it's so good to have you back too girl...I missed you

[HorseNutt]

For your Grandma Melly

Back Sherry

[Melly]

OK I'm bored....gonna try chat

[goalinsight]

Horsenutt - you are beautiful! as is your family..wow who needs 18 looking like that??

[crado]

Mandy sorry to hear about your kitty...but glad your little 2 year old is ok..

HorseNutt....great family pic..

regards...Visitor from sister thread.........

[Impoverished Writer]

This has to be quick, I have to get up for the new job in a few hours ... oh man.. But I wanted to say Mandy I am so sorry about your little kitty. We lost a cat a few years ago that we'd had for 15 years, I still miss him I wish I could write more, but I just have to go for now. Have a great day everyone.

I know your kitty was part of the family and you'll miss her tons... that on top of everything you've been going through has to make you very sad. I don't really have any words to tell you to make it feel better, except we all care and are here for you. You don't always have to be the 'strong' one to keep us all in line, you're allowed to show emotion too!

Now, I'm going to step up and say... post your menus! Post your exercise goals! It's closer to October than to August people, we have to get mooooving! I want everyone's goals in here pronto! And then I want you to hit them!

I'll go first. This week I'm going to stay below 35 carbs a day, I'm going to eat more vegetables than fake chocolate, and I'm going to get in ALL of my exercise! Yesterday was fine for excercise, crappy for eating which has become normal lately unfortunately. I have no excuse, I am in control of what goes into my mouth.

Oh, pizzamom, I DID MY EXERCISE BALL THIS MORNING! Are you happy now? Geeze, nag nag nag <grin>. Actually it wasn't so bad, although it's taking some getting used to. The crunches I had done a couple of times so I'm getting better at them, everything else was new.

Gotta work gang! My other goal is less internet time. No more internet singles sites, no more pointless wandering, set a timer if I get on to chat. Since I stopped drinking, I've found other addictions to take it's place... why can't I just be perfect?!?

OK Elves, let's get busy and start building a better you by Christmas!

Dano

[Tippy Toes]

Goals for the week:
30 min of dreaded exercise--some days on the dreadmill and somedays back to the park. Walking thru the park was MUCH better but I think I went a little slower... Saw a baby alligator in the river. Ankle is doing very well.

Food: Just an example but today I am having a shake for breakfast, a burger for dinner, and baked chicken, squash/zuchini bake and green beans with ham in them for dinner. For desert I may have some homemade chocolate. Chocolate is my friend, with 3/4 fibre! I have perfected the Reecee cup recipe!

Reecee Cups, low carb

I use the large muffin tins and foil liners and I spray them with PAM.
Melt 2 squares of Bakers unsweetened chocolate on low with 1 1/2 sticks of butter. Add a whole jar of carb options peanut butter, 1 3/4 cups of Splenda, 4 tbs of Atkins Hazelnut syrup or you can use a tad less of real extract. I also add a little vanilla, then some half and half--maybe 3 tbs spoons. When it's all blended and melted I fill the tins up and then add some crushed almonds to the tops. Freeze for an hour or more.

OK, I am stalled anyway so why not?? Have noticed zero weight gain and been eating them daily for a couple weeks. Also ate them when I WAS losing and still DID lose so fear not! Just be sure to count them in your daily carbs. I just add all the carbs and then divided by the amount of tins you make. Carb counts depend on how large or small you make these. The recipe calls for little muffin tins but they don't make liners that fit them... You can cut these in half in you want.

HN, you look just beautiful in that pic! And there are lots of advantages to being older than 18... And you still look young! Remember that 40 is the new 20 anyway! Chin up sweetie! The objective in life is to make it as old as possible, considering the alternative...

[Pizzamama]

Okay, guess I'll go next!

Exercise Goals for the week:

~~~Up my crunches on the exercise ball to 30 in the morning and 30 late day/evening - (never felt any pain last week LOL) other exercises I do on it will be bonus!
~~~Ride my bike (as weather permits) got the ol wheels out and shined er up -have a beautiful "towpath" that runs for many many miles along river lined with trees!
~~~Each night at work - walk around our whole building 3 - 5 times - Need to establish what distance that really is and maybe up it!

Eating Goals for the week:

~~~Just got back from store and got a bunch of LEGAL stuff for the week - been outta so many things all at once got:
lettuce, fetta cheese, spinach, eggs, yogurt, celery, cream cheese, chives, sf jello, sf blackberry smuckers jam/lc tortillas - two huge boxes strip steaks from meatmarket, brocolli, cottage cheese tuna and of course chicken chicken chicken chicken, steak-ums, green peppers....sf icecream boiling eggs now for tuna salad and egg salad mmmmmmm!
OKAY YA GOT THE PICTURE? So now all I need to do is use a little imagination and I'm all set!

Okay maybe some of it is not so legal but hey for maintenance not too bad!

HN you and your girls are soooooooooo beautiful!

TT definetly took note of your reesee recipie - gonna make for sure closer to the holidays! TY

Crado - hello and nice to meet you - don't think we've ever met!

Melly glad everything worked out as well as it could with your mom all things considered!...and Impy GOOD LUCK TODAY - HOPE YOUR 1ST DAY ON THE NEW JOB WAS GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[goalinsight]

Good morning.
Goals....
I am having a problem here! Don't know what to shoot for as my knees are getting in the way of my excercise...
as for the food, just need to skip the tempting nuts. I have meet all my other goals but - what next?
Dano or Mandy or anyone else...any ideas? I am open to ideas and thoughts here. I am losing not consistently and slowly imho at 2 pounds or so per week currently. Faster would be nice...what increases weight loss? what can slow it down?

Sherry, two pounds per week is exactly what you're supposed to be losing. Don't change things, celebrate!

Impy hope your first day was great!

Dano

[Melly]

Sherry here are my thoughts.....exercisewise there are other things you can do.....if your knees are bothering you then work on another part of your body until they feel up to the work out......you can use dumbbells or if you don't have them you can use canned goods......work on your arms and upper body. Because I don't know what your exact phsyical limitations are this next idea may or may not work....lay on your side and do leg lifts......not to the ceiling but whatever you can handle.

Now foodwise........I'm going to say this to you out of love my friend


STOP BUYING THE FRIGGIN NUTS!!!!!!!!!!

There, that wasn't so bad now was it So many people fall victim to nuts....yes they are legal but a serving is like 1/4 cup....how many people can stop there? I know I sure can't so I do not buy them....EVER!!!!

What are you eating and what is your carb intake like. I can certainly help on the menu suggestions because one thing you get with lowcarb is variety. It could be that you need to increase your carbs. Do you feel hungry? Increasing the carbs in my opinion is something that alot of people are afraid to do but find when they go ahead and risk it they lose better.

As for the "slow" weight loss.....I would take 2 lbs a week ANY time. I am also of the opinion, since I am freely giving it out today, that the slower we loser the better we keep it off. Tippy and I were just discussing that this morning.

The main thing is not to get discouraged. Do what you can with what you have to work with.....the rest will come....I PROMISE

[goalinsight]

I am greedy - so kill me...I want to lose MORE than two pounds per week or consistently two pounds per week...never a break. I am afraid to up my carbs...like petrified. I need some fast weight lose to avoid some more meds...do NOT want more meds!
Now I may have two kinds of arthritis going here.<GROWL> or my auto immune disorder has reared it's ugly head AGAIN.
Nuts travel well. I do not eat at home any more but when traveling I need to find a substitute.
Where do I find an upper body work out?
I am hungry...often, not always though.
So goals:
leg lifts - try them
skip the nuts.
eat enough so that I am not hungry.
more dr appts
quit grousing (maybe impossible guys...)

[Tippy Toes]

Ah NUTS! Yes, I love nuts. I have never noticed a problem with them but we are all different. I have been known to eat 1/2 a jar of Macadamias! I tend to eat so many that I don't want them again for a long time. They don't seem to stall me. But we are all different and in my humble opinion, you don't know what works (or doesn't) till you try it. Sherry, this is true with upping carbs as well but if it were ME losing 2 lbs a week on average I would just keep on doing whatever I was doing and jump for joy! Girl, that is an awesome loss! I gather you are trying to avoid more meds but you also want the weight to stay off forever, right? Can't even start to tell you how many times I have dieted to goal only to hurry and get there and then hurry to get fatter than I was. Nice not to be a "diet" victim anymore and able to just live, isn't it?

[DawnaG]

Hello~

I am here!!!!!!!!

lol not that many care but I am .
Well I have been workin my tushy off! I have worked up to 2.5 miles a day and going to try to work up to three this week, I also did my water aerobics and gonna do that 2 more times this week and work out on the cybrex machines...
water~ I need to do better here.
eating is more like south beach.. but doing ok so far on it...

well have a great day .,. I am gonna go get some laundry done.

'bout time you got here young lady! And check the Kilo thread too, that crado guy keeps busting into our nice Christmas thread looking for ya

Tippy, well said, bravo! Longways, this is from a voice of experience, listen to her!

Time to head home, 'see' you all tomorrow!