Black Team Challenge Week 3

tresa1234

Hey everybody ... as requested, here is the Black Team challenge to start tomorrow! :happy:

Most of us have been on this weight loss journey for quite a while now, and over time it is all too easy to be a little bit lax about our food intake ... we stop measuring everything and/or logging every bite because we feel comfortable with our program and also feel pretty sure that we know what we're doing on a daily basis. At least this is true for me! But as we all know, over time, our portion sizes can slowly creep up and those little "bites" of this and that add up to a lot more than we suspect!

So my challenge to us this week is to weigh or measure EVERYTHING we eat (ok, I'm not going to measure lettuce even though I do count it, but probably everything else) and, as much as possible, log it BEFORE eating it. I know there are days when we just can't help it because we get caught out somewhere and don't know what we'll be eating beforehand. In those cases, log it as soon as you can, and definitely before you eat anything else at home.

I also encourage us all to continue with getting a minimum of 3 servings of fruits/veggies a day (seriously, if you can do this, especially with veggies, it helps enormously with feeling satisfied on a limited number of calories ... plus it's great for you!) ... and also continue that ab work at least three times a week.

So ... if you're up for the challenge ... let's continue those healthy habits we're developing and recommit to being responsible for everything that we put in our bodies!!

tresa1234

Hey everybody ... as requested, here is the Black Team challenge to start tomorrow! :happy:

Most of us have been on this weight loss journey for quite a while now, and over time it is all too easy to be a little bit lax about our food intake ... we stop measuring everything and/or logging every bite because we feel comfortable with our program and also feel pretty sure that we know what we're doing on a daily basis. At least this is true for me! But as we all know, over time, our portion sizes can slowly creep up and those little "bites" of this and that add up to a lot more than we suspect!

So my challenge to us this week is to weigh or measure EVERYTHING we eat (ok, I'm not going to measure lettuce even though I do count it, but probably everything else) and, as much as possible, log it BEFORE eating it. I know there are days when we just can't help it because we get caught out somewhere and don't know what we'll be eating beforehand. In those cases, log it as soon as you can, and definitely before you eat anything else at home.

I also encourage us all to continue with getting a minimum of 3 servings of fruits/veggies a day (seriously, if you can do this, especially with veggies, it helps enormously with feeling satisfied on a limited number of calories ... plus it's great for you!) ... and also continue that ab work at least three times a week.

So ... if you're up for the challenge ... let's continue those healthy habits we're developing and recommit to being responsible for everything that we put in our bodies!!

AmandaJ

Alright, I can do this, plus the ab thing 3x and the veggie and fruit. Thanks for posting early!

3babybeans

Ooohhhh...tough one. I'm a notorious "un-measurer". I will do my best, Tresa! Tricky, tricky!

Girlmom282109

I can do this!! before I started here I nibbled on everything! most of us with kids know how often we get to sit down and eat something so I have to measure everything I eat or who knows how much I'm eating.

BrandNewLaura

This I can do! I'm in! Here we go black team, here we go!

Marla64

great one -- fruits and veggies are not in the budget, though.:ohwell:

arewethereyet

Perfect! I really need to measure again. I will start here, on vacation!!
I have been doing the ab work.
Eating my veggies.

After 6 months counting everything I am doing pretty well out on my own. I find myself turning my nose up at the fast foods being offered everywhere we go.

Dh has even been taking the stairs with me!

Have a great day! I will be weighing in next Wed as I have no scale. :drinker:

AmandaJ

Marla, I understand about the budget. I want to go buy some good fruit and veggies but it is what is left in the kitchen!

punka274

I love this challenge! I measure everything that i eat already(have too:ohwell: ) but i do kinda guess with the veggies...

I will also continue with the veggies/fruit and abb work three times a day!

Great challenge:flowerforyou:

Vanessa414

I already log measure and weigh everything, but I REALLY need to try to eat more fruits and veggies. That's for sure! And I will keep up on the ab thing as well.

Great challenge, Tresa!!! :drinker:

Tri_Dad

Sounds good. I am a good boy about weighing my stuff so that wont be bad. I am gonna have to fight those fruit and veggie servings though. I will do my best :bigsmile:

BrandNewLaura

:grumble: Now I'm regretting asking you to post a the night before so we'd all be ready...lol...I thought I'd get a head start and measure out my hummus that I was having with baby carrots for my snack...2 tablespoons seems like a lot...until you pull out a measuring spoon! I even got out the scale and measured 3 ounces of carrots...dear Lord...I thought this was going to be a piece of *carrot* cake (as I usually measure everything anyway) but those tablespoons can get away from you! Eek! This isn't going to be as easy as I thought...but thank God you aren't expecting me to crumble up my belly! (HAHA love ya Marla)

jimswmn

great one -- fruits and veggies are not in the budget, though.:ohwell:

I don't if this is possible but Wholesalers sell fruit a lot cheaper than you can get at a grocery store. There is one here in my town and I didn't even realize that they sold to individuals. I just thought it was for businesses. For an example, I can get 5 # of bananas for $2.50. I don't know about any of you but that is pretty cheap around here. Give it a shot, what do you have to lose.

fearlessliving

This will be easy!!! I love measuring my food with my new scale. YIPPEEE!

3babybeans

Ooohhhh...I don't have a scale. Duh. Well, I HAVE been looking for a reason to buy one! I'll guess until I can get out on Saturday.

punka274

:grumble: Now I'm regretting asking you to post a the night before so we'd all be ready...lol...I thought I'd get a head start and measure out my hummus that I was having with baby carrots for my snack...2 tablespoons seems like a lot...until you pull out a measuring spoon! I even got out the scale and measured 3 ounces of carrots...dear Lord...I thought this was going to be a piece of *carrot* cake (as I usually measure everything anyway) but those tablespoons can get away from you! Eek! This isn't going to be as easy as I thought...but thank God you aren't expecting me to crumble up my belly! (HAHA love ya Marla)

I do the same thing with my natural peanut butter....i measured it yesterday(been known to eyeball it in a hurry) . I will measure it from now on(its just pain to wash all those measuring cups at the end of the day:grumble: )

Oh and what kind of hummus do you prefer? My grocery store recently had sample's of 'Sabra" somekind of pinenut kind....it was pretty darn tasty!

3babybeans

Uh-oh! Amelia asked about hummus! Jeannie & I are a bit of hummus addicts. :bigsmile: She has a TON of recipes you can make at home. Here's my fav.:

http://caloriecount.about.com/classic-hummus-recipe-r165895

The nutrition info. is for the entire recipe, though. I'm sure you can adjust that...I just did that b/c my husband is known for eating all of my hummus in one sitting. You could probably also get away with using less or no salt. TASTY!

punka274

Uh-oh! Amelia asked about hummus! Jeannie & I are a bit of hummus addicts. :bigsmile: She has a TON of recipes you can make at home. Here's my fav.:

http://caloriecount.about.com/classic-hummus-recipe-r165895

The nutrition info. is for the entire recipe, though. I'm sure you can adjust that...I just did that b/c my husband is known for eating all of my hummus in one sitting. You could probably also get away with using less or no salt. TASTY!

thanks for the recipe...looks simply to make. I plan on getting a food proccessor along with a digital scale sometime in feburary. Im gonna go ahead and print the recipe out....

3babybeans

It works really well making it in a blender, too. I have a mini-prep processor (and a HUGE one) but I use the mini one for my hummus. Less clean up.:happy:

Rachel6901

Great challenge! My husband and I have been talking about needing a scale for our food, now I can push to get it this weekend!!! I know it will help us even more! Thanks!

punka274

It works really well making it in a blender, too. I have a mini-prep processor (and a HUGE one) but I use the mini one for my hummus. Less clean up.:happy:

Well DUH*smacks herself in the head* I didn't even think about using a blender. I use to have a mini processor but I sold it in a yard sell because i didn't know what to make in it:laugh: i was a newlywed so my cooking was basicly hotdogs and spaghetti:laugh:

Nonibug

This sounds like a do-able challenge for me:happy: Ive been measuring everything I eat anyway, so this is easy:blushing: Plus, I eat tons of fruits and veggies (mostly veggies) everyday due to drs orders , so another easy one for me! And I promise to add ab work into my strength training at least 3 days this week:grumble: Lets do it!:drinker:
~Roni

janiebeth

OH, this is a good one for me. I eyeball almost everything. Will be looking for a scale this week..

Abs 3x a week - very doable - my abs say thank you for a day off inbetween.:laugh: :laugh:

Fruits and veggies 3X a day no sweat.

Thanks for the new challenge. We are seriously going to kick butt this week.

Have a great day all. janiebeth

Anna_Banana

Well if the measuring requires a weigh measurement I can't do that, I don't have a scale. And the town that I work in (I live 10 miles out in the country), doesn't have a store that sells such a thing (there's only 1000 people here, not very many stores in town). But for the cup measurements I can do that, I's gots cups.

But I can log everything before I eat it, except breakfast, cause I log that after I get to work and have faster internet. I do eat the tons of fruits and veggies so that won't be a problem.

Are we suppose to keep up with the abs too?

lenece

May I join the black team??? I would love to if its ok...Thanks
Dana

Anna_Banana

May I join the black team??? I would love to if its ok...Thanks
Dana

pm bohlon15, you can find her on the black team weigh in thread if she's not on this one

rklein71

Great challenge for the black team. Measuring food and eat fruits and vegetables. Good luck on weighins black team.

Marla64

This will be good-- I measure just about everything, but somethings I've grown accustomed to eyeballing, peanut butter being one, unsalted peanuts the other-- time to get back to basics.

Actually, my personal challenge for this week is to cut out the peanuts. It's too easy to grab a handful when I'm tired and looking for something to keep me awake as I type at night-- I know I'm having too many calories.

Good news/bad news-- bad news is pre-TOM hormonal stuff prevented weight loss this week-- bloating has been present. Good news, I didn't gain. This time next week, if all goes well, I SHOULD be in good shape.

Have a great day everyone.

nickybr38

This challenge is easy for me since that's what I started doing last week anyway. :bigsmile:

Marla64

This challenge is easy for me since that's what I started doing last week anyway. :bigsmile:

Then that's cheating-- TRESA, NICKY'S CHEATING !!!!