"All I Want For Christmas Challenge" week of October 24th

Hi everyone..and welcome to this week sorry it's late

This week, I would like everyone to think of the benefits they have reaped from doing exercise regularly...and then post to the group what you've come up with.

Also...a new week brings with it a new lowcarb recipe theme. So let's pick an often overlooked meal..LUNCH! Whether you brown bag it to work, or are able to prepare yourself a lowcarb cuilinary feast at home, let's share our favorite mid-day munchables

Just for fun, I've come up with a list of ways to maximize our weigh-ins afterall, we all want to see that downward spiral on the scales each morning, right?

1. The obvious..visit the bathroom first!
2. If you wear glasses, get contacts and put them in before weighing.
3. Blow your nose!
4. For the men...shave!
5. Hmmm..if you're a girl, shave too! (yeah! it ALL counts here!)
6. Trim your fingernails/toenails
7. Exfoliate!!!!!!!
8. Clean out your ears!
9. Get your hair cut
10. Exhale! (I'm serious! Do you know the atomic weight of oxygen molecules???? geesh!)

Now..all kidding aside..it's time to hunker down, get serious and set some REAL exercise goasl this week! DAY_BY_DAY! and be specific!!!!!!!!

And don't forget to post menus each and every day..only then can you truly be accountable for what goes in your mouth

Sherry is going to lead us in this weeks exercise so what do you have in store for us Sherry????

So here's to a great week, but just one more thing......

STAY OUT OF THE HALLOWEEN CANDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mandy

[Tippy Toes]

Good morning campers! We have made it thru the storm. Wilma hit Lee County (Ft. Myres--the place I was born). We woke up to the windows rattling and banging. Lots of wind gusts and lots of rain but we are fine and all is well.

The exercise I believe that has benefited me most is the arm wallies. I no longer have pain in the muscles at all until I over-do them, lol! Seriously, it has made a BIG improvement to my weakest muscles.

Now, lunchtime in a bag...

Take your favorite cold cuts, ham for example and spread a layer of cream cheese on the meat. Add a sliver of dill pickle and roll up. Chill overnight for best results. Low Carb yogurt on the side and perhaps a couple of tomato slices or even a small salad.

Making huge pots of low carb soups or chili is handy for lunches too in the cooler weather.

Now for some REAL news...
I have someone who is VERY interested in buying my place here in Florida so I may be able to get out of this hole soon and head for my beautiful TN house! Fingers crossed... This is a developer and we have 4.5 acres... They say they will be presenting an offer within a couple of days. Let's hope it will be a reasonable offer, lol! I have already turned down a silly offer from someone else.

[goalinsight]

Okay guys - quick post re:this week's torture (or laughs depending on your viewpoint) then I am out of here for the day as we have appt in Madison. Also as promised I said I would do this as long as I did NOT have to demo it.

Pelvic lift -
Lay flat on floor or bed with arms at sides with palms down. Draw up knees with feet close to your behind (spread feet slightly farther apart than behind). Now lift your behind/hips off of the bed/floor. (Yes - up Simba!) Leave your feet, arms, shoulders and head on the bed/floor and lift your pelvis toward the ceiling, up as high as you can! Do not set it back down ladies and gent but continue going up and down without touching the flat surface in between. Repeat until you are suffering and do 10 more (to quote Mandy). If you can't do it spread your feet more and move your arms out and try again.
Have fun!!!
BTW I am only up to 25 am and pm.
TTFN..
and my am excercises are done!

[goalinsight]

OH, and I gotta say - we do not celebrate Halloween so - staying outta the Halloween treats is NO problem! Yippeee!

[Melly]

Just peeking in for a quick minute. I am at work and noone else bothered to show up today I am running around here like a crazy woman Oh wait.......I resemble that remark.

I have a confession.......I need to be doing these dang exercises you guys keep talking about. I am guilty of NOT doing them But I promise to get with the program this week. I read and reread the wallie exercise and didn't get it. Can someone break it down for me

OK phone is going nuts and I have a customer........will BBL

[Pizzamama]

Morning!

Sorry I was MIA this weekend! Celebrated my daughters 15 birthday yesterday ~ once with brunch with my parents and visited the afternoon away then off to work a few hours then brought home pizzas and had other half of family over for evening and I am EXHAUSTED so no exercises this morning ~ heck I didn't even start laundry from weekend and I usually have it about licked by now

Tried to win tickets (8 plus $100.00 to BW-3's) to the big rival game this weekend (contest was at 7:00 a.m. this morning) ~ you had to be the 99th caller and they picked up the phone and said "you're caller 94 keep tring"

When I came home from work last evening my daughter was in a panic and said her new underwear (if thats what u call them ~ they are about the size of a dime) were not with all her new birthday stuff ~ here when I threw away all the wrapping they must have been with it and I had already taken it all to the dumpster out at work LOL my son who was still out at work had to "dumpster dive for her new underwear" he was not a happy camper!

Now my husband just got up and says he feels like he's been poisioned and my sons girlfriend threw up last night ~ hmmmmmmmmm I see where this day is going..........

TT ~ been watching "Wilma" glad u are safe!

Sherry ~ I can handle the new exercise but not doin any til tomorrow ~ but promise to add it in

I need to print up a list of them like u did Mandy!

Melly ~ U got lotsa catchin up to do! You better get exercising with us girl!

Well gotta go see if everyone is gonna live today! Will check back in later!

to all and hope youre day starts out better than mine LOL

[beachfires]

Good Morning All!!

Sherry....great exercise, it's something I already do on a fairly regular basis!!

Well...TOM arrived and with it the prerequisite 2.5 lbs but...I am NOT stressing as I know it will disappear in time. I have been feeling soooo good lately and not sure if it is attributed to the increased carbs and calories or the increased exercising or a combo of both but needless to say I will not be changing anything anytime soon!!

Tippy....I am sooo glad you are safe, I have been watching (and biting my nails) all weekend!!

Melly...you have NOT been exercising with all of us???? OMG HEFFA...MOVE YOUR ARSE!!!!!!!! Now...on to the wonderful compliment you gave me last week....KEEP THEM COMING...hehehe!!! I really do need to get Rick to take some more recent pics of me, the last ones posted are from July of last year...maybe this week.

Pizza...I have a wonderful little mental video of your son doing the "Pirate's EyePatch Dumpster Dive" I'm sure your daughter will be repaying him for that one for a long time to come

Mandy...the benefits?? Amazing strength (both physical and emotional), increased muscle tone and drum roll please........a total loss (in the time we've been doing weekly exercises) of 2.8 BF%!!! I am now only 2% away from my goal of 18% BF!!! I especially like the fact that I can do a lot of them at work!! I also have started (like I mentioned last week) doing some others as well at work...squats, lunges and plies so I am basically working out all day...or at least a small portion of about every other hour at work!!

Speaking of...gotta get back to it...the work that is, not the exercising...have a good one!!!

[HorseNutt]

TT so glad you are safe!!! We are feeling gusts of wind here in Middle Georgia also. I woke up to my windows rattling too!!! My horses are bracing the wind and the babies are laying in the hay rolls trying to stay warm. When you walk outside its like your hair is going to blow off your head. I won't be suprised to see their winter coats on them by morning. We are supposed to have a big drop in the temps overnight. Bad nasty Wilma. I hope this is the end of the hurricanes and alpha fizzes out!

[IMG][/IMG]

[Tippy Toes]

Thanks everyone!

Water tip: Make jalepeno poppers (I am so bored today, lol) and be sure to take the seeds out but be sure to get some in your mouth. Follow with 3 glasses of water.

HN, love the pic! Poor babies--no winter coats yet?

[sinny]

Hi Guys

TT I am so glad Wilma has passed your area. You floridians have had way too much. I imagine it gets very scarey. Glad you are safe

Mandy I already do all that before I weigh....This week it has not helped....lol

Melly I have only did 1 of the exercises too. I really hope to get on the ball.....I difinately can use all the help. Hope your day goes by fast.


Sherry that doesn't sound tooooooooooo bad lol. Hope it helps this flabby belly.


Pizza omg I hope everyone is okay. Food poisening can be horrible. Glad your ds found the undies.......Poor guy...LOL


Beachy hope someday I can make exercise a routine and not something I have to force myself into doing. You go girl


HN hang on to your hat.........Hope this storm blows over quickly. I just sent my son back to NC .....sure hope they don't get any of this with him in the air.

Well today I was up early to go to the airport.Had breakfast with dh......ham and cheese omelet w/greens,coffe.........Stopped at curves on way home ,then did some planting. All before the time I usually am just getting started for the day. So I hope this will be a new start. Nov 6th will be 1 year for me altho I have not lost like I would have liked I am down.

well have to get some nore work done.............

So..my exercise goals:

Monday: DH and I are going for a long walk on the beach now...hope he's able to move well enough + I'll do my challenge set of exercises later today
Tuesday-Friday: 20 minutes running + 3 sets per day of all our challenge exercises

Foodwise, I'm basically doing induction plus some fruit (an apple or an orange each day) and on occasion some lc peanut butter I soooooooooooo want to finally hit my original goal by Christmas..it's funny..could lose 125 pounds in one year..but can't get these last two grrrrrrrrrr pounds off in the next year..I HAVE to get out of this maintaining mentality!!!!! Onward and ..ermmm..downward!

TT..I'm glad you are all ok there..someof the pictures coming out of Fort Lauderdale look pretty brutal..and HN...hunker down with the horses and hold on tight!

Sherry..thankyou for the butt lift exercise...can you picture us all in the same room doing these together???? Now THAT would look funny!

Lunch recipe..hmm..let me see

When I'm home, one of my favorite lunches is a crab stuffed portabello mushroom with a very light side salad

Remove stem of large portabello mushroom and spray both sides with cooking spray or put face up in a well buttered oven proof dish. Combine crab (either fresh or canned) with softened cream cheese, finely diced red pepper, chopped green onions, quick squeeze of lemon juice, dash of liquid smoke, pinch of salt and some grated parmesan cheese (the dry stuff in the shaker bottle works best for this stage). Fill mushroom cap with mixture and top with some grated cheese of your choice. Bake until cheese/crab mixture is heated through and mushroom is tender and hot. For the side salad my absolute fave couldn't be any more simple...make a vinegrette dressing using EVOO, your favourite flavoured vinegar, some dijon mustard and bit of salt...toss with washed and torn red sails lettuce (or other very delicate lettuce available in your area) It's not very good using iceberg or romaine.
Geesh..now I wish I had some portabellos!

OK..off to walk the beach!

Mandy

[Tippy Toes]

Water tip #2

Eat the jalepenos and wash down every bite with cold water. When finished, have 3 more glasses to put out the fire! Ya'll, these were HOT! I stuffed them with 1/2 cream cheese and 1/2 cheddar. I put onion powder and garlic in the cheeses. Wash, cut lengthwise and de-seed, stuff and bake at 350 for about 35 min or so till brown and bubbly. As you eat them try not to think of tomorrow morning... And keep drinking water.

[Melly]

Tippy I am allllllllll over the Poppers..........problem is I can't stop once I get started and the other problem is that I am tasting pepper juice under my nails for like 2 weeks everytime I make them

OK Pizzamama I am getting with the program....me and Sinny.....just call us the slackers It is quite obvious that I have not been exercising the way I should.....all you have to do is take a look

Lunch....hmmmm.....I usually just do salad with grilled chicken on top.....either that or a piece of quiche. Speaking of quiche.....I plan to make one tonight......quick, easy and yummy I am all about quick and easy and yummy

Tippy glad to know you are ok and didn't blow away.....although insurance money is one way to get rid of that property as long as noone gets hurt

Beachey........you are soooooooooo right........you need a new avitar pic....GET ON IT!!!!!!!!

Hey Nutt Woman......where do you get all the cute little pictures you put on here. I really need to take the time to learn to put pictures on here.....I might work on that tonight....all I have to do is read the email you sent me and follow the steps. Maybe you could PM me your number in case I need help

OK Bakc to work

[Melly]

BTW...note to self...only do Sherry's exercise when Darrell is gone or the camera is put away

[beachfires]

Originally Posted by Melly

BTW...note to self...only do Sherry's exercise when Darrell is gone or the camera is put away

On the other hand....doing those exercises when Darrell IS around may lead to the camera being brought out!!! WOOOO HOOOOO

[Melly]

[HorseNutt]

If Tim is home when I did those pelvic thrusts I would never get outta bed. LOL

Ok Melly I'll PM my # to you. Call me when your sitting in front of the comp and I'll walk ya through it.

Mandy, Sounds Scrumptsdillyishious!

[Tippy Toes]

Hi everyone! Have you guys noticed that we lost ALL of the meat and egg only people? Perhaps a diet of meat and eggs only can't be forever and they fell off the wagon?? If only people would try this the Atkins way...

Today's menu:

eggs and link sausages for breakfast
leftover ribs for lunch with green beans
chicken thighs cooked crispy in the rotisseree with squash/zuchini/olive oil in foil on the bottom while the chicken cooks

Weighed in today and saw 215 instead of 212 but then got TOM so all is OK!

xxxooo

[goalinsight]

Excercises done for the morning - forgot to post my apple recipe so will do that later - it did not win but IMHO tasted better than those that did. Gotta use those apples up!

[Melly]

OMG an apple sounds so great right now!!!!!!

Tippy I used to be one of those meat and egg people.....that is more commonly referred to as Stillmans. And yes it works but it is not intended for long term and IMHO is not a healthy way to lose it. When I did it I lost 26 lbs but only kept off 6......Oh well it was nice while it lasted......I actually saw Onederland for like a day and a half

True confession time......you guys I have gained about 15 lbs. I am SICK!!! I am walking and even considering going back on induction I can't go thru the winter like this. Something has got to give.

[sinny]

Melly I feel your pain. I have gone up some and I have no one to blame but myself. I have been going in circles. The scale is up and I donot want t any more weight as I approach my 1 year anniversary. I was hoping for the 35 lbs ,but may have to settle for 30 As it is 0nly 10 days away. After completing all Mandy's steps on weighing. I am.........................222.2 SO............ I need to get to 220.5 for the 30 lbs. I will then have a good start for my second year.30 a year would be fine with me.
My highest weight was 263 . I started atkins at 250.5.

We can do this . any loss is an accomplishment.I never want to get back into my tight 22/24. I am in some 18 and some 20.

The recipes sond yummy. I just love the poppers ,but have a problem with portion control. I eat about 24 in less then 2 days. Yesterday I had shredded chicken,warmed in pan,covered w/cheddar . then salsa and sour cream on top.
Mandy how do you fine the time to cook and do all that "e". I am retired and have no time.

MY eating was good and I went to curves. Water is still down. We put carpeting down in the evening so a little added "e" getting up and down.

well I am off.......Will try to go do Sherry's "E"

[beachfires]

Originally Posted by Melly

True confession time......you guys I have gained about 15 lbs. I am SICK!!! I am walking and even considering going back on induction I can't go thru the winter like this. Something has got to give.

I have 3 words for you girl!!!!
PELVIC THRUST EXERCISES!!!!
Hang in there Melly...we are here for you and all of us make great sounding boards...you are NOT alone and you don't have to do this by yourself!!

It is SNOWING here!!! I am NOT happy!!! Between Wilma and Alpha we are in for a real mess up here!! It is either raining so hard you can't see outside or snowing...quite a disturbing scene!

Eating, exercise and water all good! I am lovin' life lately, I can't believe how good I feel all of a sudden! Now...if only the rest of the pieces of my life would fall together, of course then I would have nothing to grumble about and what fun is that??

Ok...back to work, be back in a bit!!

[Tippy Toes]

Melly...I soooo understand! Recalling what Atkins says about slipping above the critical carb level, maybe it would help to start writing everything down. Also, I have come to the conclusion that I lose better when I avoid ALL low carb products, including ketchup and the BBQ sauce I so adore. I am getting myself back to "cleaner" eating and I will let you know how that goes. I don't even trust the sugar free stuff from StarBucks... Plain, plain only. <sigh> Girl, I admit I get aggravated too. Been 1 1/2 years and lost just 50 lbs... But hey--no quitters here, right?