Motivation, Success and Frustration Sharing!

janetay01

Rachel - what a brilliant job you've done over the weekend! You will be fine at the conference - all your pre-planning will pay off and put you in a really great place.

Jen - sounds like you are rocking things as well. Squat challenge - I think that's a great idea. I want to do something more serious to my upper body - arm strength and all that. I've had the 30 day fitness app on my phone for months - time to dust it off and actually use the thing!

@HGSmith0920 - welcome! I've never smoked but people who have and have given up tell me that the eating everything in sight part of it is the hardest bit. So good for you for tackling it. Good to have you on the post - come back and talk to us often.

@evamutt - hope the baby shower was good!

@clicketykeys - end of term students - yikes! My best friend teaches 16-17 year olds and he is starting to notice the same thing - never mind that they've all got end of year exams coming up!

Feeling better apart from the cough. During the day is ok (occasional choking fit notwithstanding) but it's driving me nuts at night and I've not had an uninterrupted night for over a week now. However, not going to moan about it - we've had a lovely long weekend and the sun is shining so it's not all bad. Went to see Guardians of the Galaxy 2 on Saturday night - very odd film! Not bad and some laugh out loud moments - just a bit odd! Lots of lovely time spent with Alistair over the three days and now only 3 weeks left till we go on holiday. But back to work today - and sadly rather a lot of it!! Hope Tuesday is treating everyone well

Wolfger

success: having a blowout party weekend and only gaining 1.2 pounds between the Friday morning and Monday morning weigh-ins.

FRUSTRATION: gaining another 1.6 pounds by the Tuesday morning weigh-in after being 300 calories under target on the Monday after the blowout weekend.

PhedraJD

@janetay01 I am glad you are starting to feel better. When I get really bad colds, sometimes I have to sleep in a reclining position. I pile up a whole bunch of blankets and my pillow, then lay back against that. For some reason it seems to help me.

@wolfger I wouldn't worry too much about the weight gain. Some of it is probably water gain. Keep on keeping on and you will make a difference.

I had a great day yesterday. I met all my goals, and did an extra 20 squats. Plus managed day 1 of no sugar stuff. That was hard. 2 of my kids offered me some candy, the BF was eating gummy bears and worms while we were watching a movie, oh and I had pastries for the kids. I managed to say no to all of it. I also really really wanted a chi tea from Starbucks yesterday and I said no.

I hope everyone has a great day!

Rachel0778

@jdelaroy Talk about avoiding temptation today, way to go! The place I'll be staying at does have a gym but I'm trying to avoid my fellow conference go-ers so I'm sticking to the outdoors and my room lol

@wolfger I agree with @jdelaroy, wait a week and weigh again after you keep up with your healthy habits this week. That way the water weight won't be a factor

@HGSmith0920 Good idea on waiting on the scale. I weigh myself infrequently too so as to not get caught up with minute fluctuations

@janetay01 Exciting that you've got a holiday coming up! What are you planning to do for your vacation?

Today is my last day in the office before I head to the conference so I'm trying to get motivated to get everything done before I leave. I'm excited for derby tonight, but my body is feeling pretty sore for some unknown reason so that should be interesting. I hopped on the scale this morning and I'm down 1.5lbs since last week which is a huge win! I'm still disappointed in myself that I put on 6.5 lbs since October, but I'm serious about taking it off, and now I've got it down to a 5lb gain which seems more manageable. I think it will help to motivate me to stay on track for the next few days at the conference. Once I'm back we have a board of directors fundraiser too, so that will be an additional challenge this week, but fun! I'm just going to be flexible, enjoy the events, and do the best that I can!

PhedraJD

clicketykeys

Congratulations @Rachel0778 on meeting your goals!

@janetay01 hope you're feeling better

Annual evaluation today. It should go well but I can't help feeling nervous.

HGSmith0920

Good morning everyone! Made dinner for my parents and my husband and myself and it was a hit! I made Tuscan chicken and was able to eat a double serving and still stay under my goals! It was delicious! I have a thing about waking up in the middle of the night because my cat is mean and I used to have a major sweet tooth whenever I wake up and would immediately go for some kind of chocolate or something. Recently I've been eating fruit, which is still full of sugar, but I think next time I go shopping in I'm going to buy a big thing of raw almonds and see if that works. I want to stop eating at night all together but I figure small steps, like the almonds will help me get there.
Tomorrow is my weigh day! Kind of nervous! But excited none the less! So keep your fingers crossed for me! Lol

HGSmith0920

Boy was yesterday afternoon tough! I spent six and a half hours in the ER with my DH. He's been having tummy trouble the last few weeks and it finally came to a head last night. He's feel much better but the only reason I was able to stay under my goals for the day was because I didnt really eat much and the dinner I did eat was at 10pm. It was a convenience store salad with a low fat dressing. I did record it though! And I spent all of this morning on the phone with various doctors offices. It was really annoying but at least DH was appreciative about it.

But the awesome part about today was that I finally stepped on the scale and saw that I'm down 5lbs! Holy Crow! And it wasnt even from anything drastic! It was just healthier eating and a 4.33 mile walk roughly every other day. It's a great feeling. Totally motivating! I can definitely keep doing this!!

Have a great day!

HGSmith0920

Had a minor breakdown this evening. DH has missed a decent amount of work over the last 3 weeks and it has reeked Hel! with our budget. Plus I recently started a new job that pays bi-weekly(previous I worked at a job that paid weekly) and I havent had a normal paycheck yet so I dont even really know how to account for that either. I ended up staring at the numbers and trying to make them work for about two hours and eventually got a migraine. DH wasnt home, so it was just me and the cat and I was stressed out and lonely. My parents live right up the road from us and I can see their driveway from my front window and for a while neither of them were home either! So I was really down and just feeling all sorts of yucky.

About a half an hour later, I looked out my front window again and saw that my Daddy was home, so I went and talked(complained really) to him and got a nice dose of prospective from him that made me feel much better. The budget isnt done yet but I think what I have for now will work okay. So we'll see. Lol

But I think the most amazing thing about the past two days with all the stresses is that I havent really eaten anything terrible. I've just stuck to eating right. Made a super healthy dinner. I even had to servings of it and was still in my goals. I went to my local Wawa(convenience store chain on the East Coast) and bought a fat free frozen chunky strawberry fruit bar. It was really tasty and not all that bad for you. That was my treat for the past two days and the half way point of my walk. Lol.

DH will be home in about an hour, but he has a doctor appointment early tomorrow morning so I think I'm going to go to bed soon. Got to be up early. Gonna take two cars because I have to go right to work after the appointment. Thank goodness work is only about five miles away. Lol

Have a great night everyone! I'm going to try to!

janetay01

@HGSmith0920 - I so sympathise with you on the issue of budget. It is awful how even a few changes can wreak such chaos on a carefully planned budget and it is one of the things that has the capacity to scare me and stress me out badly if I give it the chance. Good for you for grabbing your Dad - sometimes we just need to talk to someone else about it, air our concerns and as you say, gain some perspective. And well done for not eating away the stress - that is such a positive for you. Well done on the loss and I hope that you get some answers for your husband - sounds like you've got a lot on your plate right now.

@clicketykeys - hope the evaluation went well. I always feel the same - I have a good manager who would not save up bad news for the end of year review but I always go into such meetings wondering if I've done enough.

Rachel - hope the conference and fundraiser have gone well. Well done on the loss - that's great reward for all your efforts.

Jen - well done meeting your goals and avoiding all the sweet treats. Have you tacked the water only day with the Hogwarts challenge yet? I'm a little scared to do so - I've tried going without tea before and it never ends well!

So, mixed day here. On the plus side, I've cleared over 8,000 steps already today and it's not even lunchtime - walking to a training venue to set up an event and all the inevitable running around with that is great for showing progress on a fitbit. But I took a phone call from my dad (technically stepdad but the only father figure I have!) whilst I was setting up the course - where he has basically just unloaded a whole emotional horror show of a situation that he is in at the moment (or thinks he is in). He needs my help, doesn't want me to discuss with mum or husband - and whilst I really want to help him sort his life out, I just don't know where to turn and it has unloaded a phenomenal heap of stress of me. And I don't know how much is real and how much is in his head (long story!) - which doesn't help. We have an employee advice line at work and I'm waiting for them to call me back - so that might yield something.

Sorry, bit of a vent but am feeling a bit lost about this until I know what I am going to do.

And finally, where is everybody??? Hope Thursday is treating us all well.

PhedraJD

@clicketykeys How did your evaluation go?

@hgsmith0920 Oh gosh I hope the hubby is okay, and you get it sorted out soon.  Great job on the weight loss. It is time for a happy dance!!! Even better job handling your stress. That is pretty cool that you live so close to your parents.

@janetay01 I am completely done this week with my Hogwarts Challenges. The water one was cake for me. I normally just drink water. Every couple of days I might drink a chi tea, but that is about it. I like water, and usually am on my 5th glass by 9 am. I am sorry your stepdad laid all his issues on your feet. I think it is crazy that he thinks you shouldn’t tell your hubby. That could cause extreme issues in your relationship. I hope the employee hotline helps. I am also just a message away. Please feel free to send one anytime.

Health wise my day was pretty good, stayed under calories, met my water goals, did my squats for the 30 day challenge, took a short nap. But I fought most the day yesterday with the bf, and then all night last night. Had McDonald’s for dinner. I did well food wise, had their grilled chicken no bun, no sauce and a banana. Had really lousy service, even got called a female dog as I was walking out of the store. So here I am on 2 hours of sleep and trying to stay awake, and hungry as all heck for some reason. Good news (doesn’t count though.) I was down almost 3 pounds, to a new low, from Sunday. If this sticks, I have 2 weeks to lose 3.4 pounds to get to my mini goal before my big sis comes for a visit. I saw her last 30 pounds ago in September.

Getting nervous/excited Saturday is my 7k. It is in a town 2-3 hours away from where I live, and 4000 feet higher in elevation. So the BF and I rented a hotel room for Friday night, so we don’t have to make the drive in the morning. I am hoping we can manage to not be fighting all weekend long.
I believe shycush is overwhelmed with training, Gemwolf110 is adjusting to the new schedule, Rachel is at her conference, and I don’t know where anyone else is at. I sure do miss everyone though.

Have a great day everyone!

Evamutt

HGSmith, I am well acquainted with financial stress, especially when things change & trying to figure out a new budget. I'm sure youll make it work. jdelaroy, I hate arguing with DH so I know the stress of that too. I will pray for you both if you don't mind. Today I took dogs for walk early & was at the animal rescue by 10am to volunteer. I usually go in afternoon but there's usually no one to help the one person whoes there. I loved going early like that. stayed till 3! I didn't take lunch since I didn't know I would stay that long so I got a chicken sandwhich from Wendy's but next time I'm taking a lunch. I moved non stop for 3hrs so for exercise I put down slow walk for 90min. Anyone have an idea if this sounds ok?? After a short lunch I did more. It's a weird hot day today so I'm going to go for a swim at the gym. I've been so into eating extra lean ground turkey the past 2 weeks. I make patties & sauteed them in a little olive oil. I also am into frozen steamer veggies with cheese sauce. I can eat these for a while.It takes a lot to get me bored, that's why I've been married for so long, lol. Before mfp, I was like this also. I'd eat the same thing for a long time & vari it up by different veggies, or a sauce or sometime add rice . I don't "LOVE" food (my DH sure does) I want it to taste good & only once in a while want something I really really like so I'm not eating "different" than I would otherwise except I used to eat a lot more rice & cheese, but I mostly ate chicken. I really want to be able to maintain so I haven't been on any type of "diet"

HGSmith0920

@janetay01 I'm so sorry about your stepdad! It's pretty terrible when a parent acts like a kid and expects their child to solve all their problems for them! It's not fair at all! I hope that the hotline helps and gives you someone the vent to about it all!

@jdelaroy That's sucky that your fighting with your BF so much. I know how stressful that can be. Before I met my DH I was always fighting with whoever I was dating at the moment. And the 7K sounds like fun! I wish I was a runner. I have really weak ankles and all the damage I did to my lungs by smoking a pack a day for 10 years, makes it really hard to get into running. But wishing you lots and lots of luck!

DH is demanding attention, will post again later!

RMo2300

New person here..hiya!

saraclaygirl

Hello, my name is Sara. I need to have a daily motivator. I have a hard time sticking with the changes that are required to have a healthier life. Then again, I look back at some of the things I used to do that I don't do anymore. I'm sure I can do this if I put my mind to it. Glad to have a place to check in with others trying to have a healthy life, too.

pks2469

ShyCush6 wrote: »

Awesome! Welcome! I have about 35-40 to lose and I promise I will cheer you along! Add me as a friend! I will try to check in daily, give motivation, cheer and even share my struggles or successes. You will see you are not alone in your struggles. It's not easier and it is hard to stay motivated. I've been there.
Today and yesterday was a struggle. Halloween candy everywhere, and I'm running on little sleep. Hard to be motivated in the morning to get to the gym when I am tired and I do not want to get out of bed! I got a shift change at work and now work from 9-5, so my goal is to get to the gym in the morning before work. I am a sweetie tooth junkie as well. Swear, I am going to have diabetes by the time I am 50. Drives me crazy. I've read about Dill oil on your wrist daily is suppose to help with the sugar crazy. I think I am going to try it. Have a great weekend! And hopefully I get to check in... I'm not very good at it on the weekend!

PhedraJD

@evamutt I never turn down a prayer! Sounds like your volunteer time was great (They sure are lucky to have you.) I think 90 minute slow walk is great for that time. I wish I didn’t love food, then I would be able to lose this weight no problem. I love chicken, the BF on the other hand is meh when it comes to chicken
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@hgsmith0920 This is my 2nd 7k, I usually just walk them. I have 3 scheduled for this year. I want to be able to run the last one. I have never been a runner in my life. (I have bad knees.) It is funny, the bf and I only fight over stupid stuff. He treats me better than any man I have ever dated. A big issue is since I had to have one of my ovaries removed, my hormones are going crazy, and then being tired on top of it makes me very emotional/easy to piss off.

@rm0230 Hiya, welcome and please check in often, share what you like. We are here to listen and help.

@saraclaygirl Hello, and welcome. Remember to start out slow and simple. Pick one thing you want to change and work on that first. Make small changes over time. This will give you the best chance of success. It is okay to not be perfect, as long as you keep getting up and trying. Check out the Just for Today thread: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10494228/just-for-today-daily-commitment-thread-start-of-a-new-year I think it might be helpful if you need daily motivation. Good luck.

@janetay01 Was your work able to help you?

I had a pretty great day yesterday. Stayed under calories, said no to the sugar. I was at the grocery store checkout line, saw the candy and thought I could grab a bag of skittles, and just eat a few. Then I remembered I am trying to go the week without sugar stuff. Left the candy where it was.  Tonight is a night out of town, and then my first 7k of the year. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

HGSmith0920

@jdelaroy that's awesome about the 7k's. My previous goal was to be able to run a 5k but I don't really think that's possible. At least not yet. Lol. As for the fighting, we actually got in one yesterday due to a misunderstanding involving a car title. Lol. But it was quickly solved and we went right back to being our adorable selves. Lol.

So last night was a total bust health wise. I ate an entire pint of ice cream because I was being a good wife and went and got ice cream for the DH. Totally caved to the temptation. And I didn't get my walk in because it was later in the afternoon when I got home we had someone coming to junk my old car. Although, I did spend about five minutes on a bicycle riding as fast as I could...So that's something I guess. And I did get some really good quality time with the DH. I actually ended up going to bed late because we were having so much fun. Lol.

So maybe the night wasn't a total bust. Lol. But the DH is going away for the weekend with Dad and most of the men from my church so I'll be by myself until Sunday night. It's gonna be a challenge to stick to this eating plan with no one to keep me accountable at home. Though I think I will invite my mom over to dinner on Saturday. I will have a kind of busy weekend. I have work today until 3 then I think I'll hit the gym as a prayer meeting tonight. Work again tomorrow, meal plan for the next week and food shopping. Church tomorrow and laundry before DH gets home. So I guess I'll keep myself busy. Just have to not eat junk when I'm out. I think I'll bring some tasty but healthy treats with me when I go out.

Okay, I think I've rambled enough!

Have a great day everyone!

janetay01

Jen - not the most awesome set of advice from them, no! Nothing that I hadn't already considered - and one thing that just made me think - you're not listening to what I'm saying! I have told my husband as I'm not prepared to keep secrets - and he could tell something was up anyway! Going to chill over the weekend - I'm better for acknowledging today that I'm not the person to fix this for him (support yes, fix no) and therefore it is ok to tell him that I haven't got the faintest idea what he should do. Try to take on too much if I'm not careful!

Thanks for the support guys - hope the weekend treats you all well.

PhedraJD

@janetay01 I am so glad you shared with your hubby, and realize you aren't able to assist him on the issue. It takes a lot to admit when you can't do something.