Over 200 Club Fit For The Holidays (Open Group)

Thank the Lord for our awesome challenge!!!! :flowerforyou:

Last night my sister and her wife (and three dogs) stopped over so we could visit away from my well meaning but irritating parents! I started out sauteing garlic and onion in a little olive oil and then added ground venison, so far not so bad but what to add next? I made a cheese sauce. Yeah. I made it with broth and cream rather than straight cream but seriously - there is no way cheese sauce will be anything other than disaster to my diet! Add in some corn and dream fields elbow pasta and my dinner was 1000 calories.:sad:

NO EXCUSES!!! My sister-in-Law and I went out into our garage and uncovered the elliptical machine. I would love to write that I stepped aboard and burned a zillion calories, but that didn't happen. We did get it uncovered enough to let her show me how to use it and I decided NOT to bring it into the house because working out in the cold will be WAY more comfortable for me!

Today I've had a smart breakfast (cottage cheese with blueberries and green tea) and this afternoon I'm going to clean the elliptical machine (bought it from a friend a few years ago but never used it). By tonight I'll have used it. Sure not the whole over calories but I'll keep at it all week until I have them burned off.

I decided talking to my sister and Elizabeth that I'm probably better off starting out on the elliptical machine until I get more weight off, then I'll work on the treadmill for running. If I lived in the city and could run outside I'd love it (cold is my friend!) but we live just outside of the burbs and there are no sidewalks and very little shoulder on our roads. OK for daytime but not OK for before or after work in the dark.

I'll log into work now and get that report underway, then MAKE time for the elliptical machine tonight and plan to make time Tuesday AM. I can do this!

awestfall, I am so happy you are feeling a little better! You've been in my prayers. :flowerforyou:

LOL I hope no one is mad at me for the NO EXCUSES challenge! I really want to make an excuse for the once again salty buffet I am going to eat tonight with my family, but I think I best follow my own challenge! No excuse. I am choosing healthier options at the salad bar and focusing my time enjoying my family that I miss so much it hurts. We are all blessed in so many ways, ladies. Even with our weight losses, if you really think about it. We are not quitters here! That is a HUGE blessing!!!

Keep pushin' on! One more flight of stairs, five more minutes on the elliptical, ten more on the bike. It all adds up!

I never did actually check in for yesterday!

Calories - WAY OVER
Water - under
Exercise - None

Proud- That I only had one beer! :drinker: And as bad as lunch was, I ate sooo much less than I normally would have eaten! My stomach has shrunk so I was uncomfortable with the amount I did eat

I have been soo off lately, I am glad christmas is done with...we only have 1 more christmas the weekend of jan 15th, but no baking or anything like that., so hoping i can do good that weekend. and hopefully be a few more lbs down.

I don't think i ate too horibly today, but not great, i am sooo sugared out i don't think i want anything else sweet.

I have a horrible and great last few days. It was great cause I was with family, horrible because I am on call for work and it was horrible christmas, yesterday and today got calls, stuff i can't fix and a total jerk in my dept being himself a big fat jerk...and me in tears. I am sure I am going to get in trouble tomorrow due to I was out and the blackberry went dead and I couldn't get her calls back , there wasn't much i could do for her anyway..I will be off call tomorrow and not on again till march and I can't wait. I am soo done with this , i hated being on call at christmas , but of course no-one will trade with me...Hopefully nothing else will go wrong and i can get sleep tonight ( i was up every 30 min or so last night) and turn this over to someone else.

back to work tomorrow and back to my schedule, i do soo much better when I am back in my routine. I know it will be tough to exercise tomorrow, since i haven't since wed ...uggg...but so far the scale is doing good to me so that is good.

Here is to a good last week to all of us and finish it off with a bang. Zora i do like your challenge...Tomorrow there will be no more excuses.

Oh, I meant to share news with you ladies since I'm sworn to secrecy with anyone else I know. :laugh: My sister-in-law's sister is pregnant! I'm SO EXCITED! I'm the ultimate baby of the family and I have never been around babies before. Never. None of my close friends have children and no one in my family (the family that I'm close to) has had children since I've been around.

It's kind of neat for me because I've known her husband my entire life -- we grew up next door to each other! He was my brother's best friend and as a kid I was totally in love with him. :laugh: :laugh: Anyway, they've been trying for over a year and I think she's due in July. I'm sworn to secrecy because of course they want to wait to be sure everything is okay before they tell too many people but I saw my SIL at Christmas and lord knows she couldn't keep a secret to save her soul (especially after a few glasses of wine, lol).

We all went to the same university & I still live in the college town so I offered my babysitting services whenever they need them because they go to every single home football game. I'm so excited about babysitting! I know I'm crazy, but like I said, I've never been around babies and I'm at that age now (25)... baby fever. :embarassed: But only for other people's babies because I'm totally not ready for my own! :laugh:

Hey Gals, I have been kinda hit and miss. I am offically back on the wagon. I will be checking my weight gain tomorrow. I have not been taking my high blood pressure meds. :mad: and I can tell I am retaining the water like crazy. One of my pills is a water pill so I should drop the water weight in a couple of days. Hopefully the damage is not too bad. No more excuses. I am on the wagon. Hard work here I come. The kids and I plan to walk to target which takes about 35 minutes on foot. So of course I have to come back, There is a 70 minute walk. Putting my big boy in a stroller:blushing: so I can walk fast.. Then we are going to play ddr and the wii tomorow . I already promised. Then it is time to take down the tree. Scrooge momma usually takes it down Dec. 26, because I am tired of the mess. But this year we used my moms fake tree and I let it stay up. No needles. So Then time to clean clean clean from Christmas. I should burn a lot of calories tomorrow. Yay. I plan to do all the floors, sweeping and mopping. Husband has been home for 4 days. Besides a dirty house makes me irritable and I have been very cranky. I will be fixing that so that I can bring in the new year on a happy note. This is the first new year that I have started thinner than I was at the beginning of the one ending. (did I explain that clearly?) This is the smallest I have started a year since 1998. I got fat about a year after I had my 23 yo birthday present. (my 16 yo.) I am very excited about this year. Can't really say that I have a real new years resolution, because weight loss is usually the one I have but I am already doing that. Anyways a rambled too much but I was just wanting to share.

you gals and I still love this challenge. No excuses for me and I am adding those minutes.......

12.27.09
Calories: 2,095 (at least I logged!)
Exercise: 90 minutes on stationary bike (25 miles) - 1091 calories burned
Water: pathetic -- 6 cups maybe
Proud: I felt like crap but I got on my bike and rode anyway. Convinced myself to do 30 minutes, then an hour, then an hour and a half which is by far the longest I've ever stayed on. I feel SO MUCH BETTER now.

I'm off work tomorrow (one of the very few perks of being a State employee). I'm really not ready to go back. Every time I have a little time off I realize just how much I don't like my job. At least it motivates me to figure out a way to afford going back to school for my Master's.

ColoradoGirl - I use Apple cider vinegar when I'm sick with a cold or flu. I make tea and sweeten it with honey and add 2 TBS of cider vinegar. It seems to help. I'm not sure of course but it can't hurt and I'm always fine with a placebo effect as long as I'm getting better I'm not going to worry if it's the vinegar or my mind :laugh:

One thing that saves me at Outback is that I LOVE their grilled salmon. And their veggies... (and their coconut shrimp but I try hard to keep to only eating two of those!)

Oh my gosh, girls...its been such a hectic holiday!

My sister came into town..and you know what that means. Eating out, cooking sweets and big dinners and snacks. Also the christmas candy. I've been splurging and not keeping up with my calories and not even drinking my water. I feel so bad...but tomorrow its back on track for me. I figured this binge will throw my metabolism for a loop and hopefully I'll be back down where I was in no time. I wasnt going to let christmas kick my butt, but i ended up letting it anyway. Well, tomorrows another day....

Hi Everyone. I have gotten a reality check this morning and feeling kinda depressed about it, but I will not let this get me down. I have gained 21 pounds of the 52 pounds I had lost back. I have to get back at it and stay with it. I am just glad that I have not gained it all back like I have done in the past but I will do this, if it takes me forever. I think I am going to change my ticker and focus on some smaller goals right now, meaning I have changed it to lose down to 200 pounds and when I meet that goal I will set another one until I get to my ultimate goal of 120 pounds. So, I am back on it as of today, I was going to wait till the 1st but I will not, I don't want to gain any more than I already have back.

Hi Everyone. I have gotten a reality check this morning and feeling kinda depressed about it, but I will not let this get me down. I have gained 21 pounds of the 52 pounds I had lost back. I have to get back at it and stay with it. I am just glad that I have not gained it all back like I have done in the past but I will do this, if it takes me forever. I think I am going to change my ticker and focus on some smaller goals right now, meaning I have changed it to lose down to 200 pounds and when I meet that goal I will set another one until I get to my ultimate goal of 120 pounds. So, I am back on it as of today, I was going to wait till the 1st but I will not, I don't want to gain any more than I already have back.

Good Job Laura !!! You will do this because I am going to stick with you until we both meet our goals.Even if you finish before me or I finish before you I will be at your side making sure you stick with it.You know how to lose it because your doc told you how so get at it.YOU CAN DO THIS!!!

Thanks awestfall, I really needed that kick in the butt, now I need to get in there and do some exercise!!!!!

♦awestfall, good job on the exercise. You are doing great. Keep it up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is always nice to see you and we are going to be in one-der land soon.

♦momoftwo, do NOT be discouraged. You have not quit. Get discouraged if you quit. This is part of life we have little set backs. What makes us successful is if we just get past those times and keep going until we win the race. You can do this. We are all here for you.:flowerforyou:

♦mstahl, I think SIL is correct. The elliptical is really easy on the knees and you will burn a lot of calories. When it starts staying light later then you can move on to couch to 5k. You are going to lose weight using the elliptical. I wish I had one.

♦I you Zora, You bring a lot to our post. I love your challenge and I am so glad that you are breathing better. Keep up the good work.

Okay Girls I weighed myself today. I have gained weight. :explode: I do not plan to participate in our biggest loser competition until I lose the weight I gained. Only because I am sure a big chunk of it is water. I think it will take me 2 weeks to get where I was. I have made my ticker acknowledge some of the weight gain but not all. If it is not down by Friday, then I will add more weight gain to my ticker. I have already added 3 pounds to the ticker. No execuses. I am off my butt and getting into gear. Here I go!!!!!!!!!! I will be here and be accountable for what I have eaten, drank, and how much exercise I have done. I will not make excuses for bad choices. I will not complain about my wrong doings. I will make them right.

I've maintained my weight. I want to get back to losing! I need help. :sad: