Need to Lose 100 LBS -Robins Thread !

Hi y'all! Just wanted to stop in and say howdy! Hope your holidays were safe and happy. Thanks to those of you that stuck with me through this- I really appreciated your messages of support. I know it is discouraging to stay "friends" with someone on here and watch them fall down while you are working hard to stay strong. I did get an A in my English class and met my goals in the self paced Math class... but.......

I completely fell of the wagon.... I let school and the new bf totally overtake my schedule, and put everything before my health. I kept telling myself, "Everything is okay in moderation". The problem... I am not in a position where I can do that. Having a little bit of gravy or white bread one day, led to me rationalizing larger portions and of course... desserts.

When I started out (again) in June of this year, on MFP, I was so dedicated. Sure, I made mistakes here and there, but overall, I kicked tushy. Cool side effects of eating healthy- I lost weight, my skin was clear, my hair was thick, and I hardly ever felt sick. Sucky side effects of eating junk- I have zits (and cysts gross) and my hair is thin, my scalp dry and itchy. I am constantly fighting headaches and backaches.

I have to say, it is really truly sweet of my bf to make beans and ham hocks or fried chicken... um... but I just hope he can deal with me turning those things down. I must be selfish about that. He doesn't really "get" the idea behind eating healthy. I am working on him.

My Wednesday wish.... a world without butter, sugar, and white flour- these seem to be the foods that cause me the most trouble.

Oh Tina! I know what you mean about the Kinect... those cameras are NOT forgiving at all!

@Kaye -- I'm sorry to hear about your father, and it must set a little sadness over the holiday season. And I bet you're secretly glad to have your daughter's family there for Christmas, even if it's cos their car won't start.
@LMackbethi -- Congratulations on reaching TWOderville! Isn't it a great feeling to have hit a big milestone?
@Tom -- ooh I'd like a New Haven pizza... and well done on the strength training.
@Robin -- we have four chimneys (there will have been seven at one time); luckily only one is seriously sooty.
@MaraDiaz -- that's a funny card but your profile pic looks great.
@Kris -- glad to hear you were having fun visiting with your family.
@Nicole -- Really good to see you back! Just keep going and don't give up.
@Luvs2read -- Welcome! It's worth looking for your local markets to get really good value fresh produce.

Thanks to everyone for your congratulations; I did really enjoy reading your messages. My new Tuesday goal for yesterday is to *still* be in ONEderland next week.

In the end I did log everything I could remember eating yesterday, primarily for interest rather than accountability. After a hefty allowance for cooking and clearing up, I went 2012 calories over. Nom nom nom as they say.

I remember from when I was in the US that the holidays are over on December 26. Here we talk about the 12 days of Christmas, and people mostly keep partying now till the New Year. We won't be properly back to normal till the kids go back to school on 7 January. So I have a few more tricky days.

Hope you're all having a great day.

-- Alison

Hello Everyone,

Well we had a lovely Christmas. Very simple this year. All of the sugary sweets are either out of my house or in the freezers. Trees put away decorations away. Now I got out my showman my winter decorations. Overall not bad this round I did allow for a few treats each day leading up to holidays and holiday. It work I was worried that I would not be able to control it that once I had a treat. I would want more and more. But I didn't help me not feel all deprive. I wish I could just look at food and it be food not get a deprived feelings etc but I do. So happy this work. But today back on track so far good not missing any of the special treats yet anyway.

@Kaye sorry to hear about your father
@Robin I like the new challenges. For January.

Well I.am sure to be missing others do sorry about that. One of my goals is getting back on track with every thing including posting it all truly helps to be part of yhr community

Naceto-Welcome back. Congrats on the A in class.

Sounds like many of us had a wonderful Christmas. My heart goes out to all the people who are dealing with violence this holiday season can find healing and peace. I also pray that those affected by winter storms on Christmas Day will recover.

Wish- That the world will experience a period of peace and a time of healing.

I am doing my best to get motivated to go to the gym but the weather has been lousy. We have experienced- sleet, snow and rain today and it is still raining hard. This is the same storm that is affecting most of the mid-west and the Northeast. I cancelled my trainer this morning out of concern for his safety and mine since it was snowing/ sleeting this morning. We are meeting tomorrow night so that will work.

Wednesday wish - to finally make it to Onederland.. *sigh*... or, I'd settle for winning the lottery....

Still trying to stay on track... hope everyone's week is tranquil...

Glad to read about all of your holiday travels and get-togethers! I hope everyone who has been ill will recover quickly!! @Robin, I'm stoked for the January challenge! Well, I had a great time celebrating Christmas and its Eve with different friends... great company... yummy food... and I stayed under calories each day! So glad to know that's possible. Worked the overnight shift last night, so have been a bit discombobulated, but still managed a brief WII workout. Friday, I leave for the family celebration in Colorado... my goal is to at least maintain my weight until I return on the 6th! I'd also like to recover from this head/chest cold so that I can enjoy the winter wonderland!! Wednesday Wish is to figure out how to buy a farm with a friend of mine in 2013.

I hope everyone had as great a Christmas as we did (only without falling off the wagon and gaining 9 pounds :ohwell: ) We had the family gathered at our home for Christmas Eve and it was a particularly enjoyable evening, we had friends from far away and four generations of the family all laughing and talking around our tiny living room. Bestest kind of holiday.

10 Habits of Effective Changemakers

How does one make lasting, effective change? With the new year near, many people will attempt fitness and weight loss-related changes, yet will fail due to being ill-prepared. Don’t let that be you this year and read on below to learn the top 10 practices Life Time Weight Loss success stories do to make effective change, no matter what behavior they are trying to master!

1. They assess their readiness.
Changemakers know how ready they are to make a change before they even attempt it. They know there are several different stages of change and not to solely focus on the results they want (such as losing 50 pounds), but to also take the time to understand how ready they really are. Take the time and read Ready, Set, Change! to help learn where you are in that process, how confident you are at attempting change, and what to do instead if you are not ready.

2. They take personal responsibility.
Too many people play the blame-game approach when it comes to explaining their current health. Instead of blaming the convenience of fast food or your coworkers who bring treats to work, take ownership when it comes to your health. Don’t think you have to do it alone, because you don’t, but acknowledge that you are the only one to actively change your behavior.

3. They take small bites.
Changemakes don’t make the mistake of breaking off more than they can chew! They know no goal is ever too small and that the small changes are what lead to big results. If their goal is to get on a regular exercise routine, they won’t hit the floor running and trying to achieve getting to the gym every day. Instead, they might make a goal of going to the gym 3 days a week and practice that until they are comfortable to up the frequency.

4. They celebrate small successes.
With the small-bite approach comes the importance of celebrating those little successes! Changemakers know that positive reinforcement helps keep them on track and serves as a reminder of the journey they are on to making change. Spend the time to explore a reward system for yourself, it could be as simple as writing down your milestones in a journal or buying new workout clothes or shoes.

5. They assess their environment and change it if they have to.
Changemakers don’t underestimate the importance of environment. They know it can hold stimulus’ that can take them off path in a quick second. Take the time to assess your environment and address if anything will get in your way of finding success. Create new stimulus’ if need be, such as laying out your workout clothes every night so when you wake up, there is now excuse not to workout.

6. They focus on good behaviors to master, not what bad behaviors to stop.
Start the journey off right by keeping a positive mindset. Instead of telling yourself you really need to stop eating fast food for lunch, focus more on planning and packing lunches instead. The mindset is suttle, but the payoff to the approach is huge.

7. They don’t solely rely on motivation.
As the saying goes, “motivation is what gets you started, but habits are what keep you going.” Changemakers know that forming habits are the key to long term success and that making change takes work and time.

8. They know their triggers and take them seriously.
Take the time to identify what triggers would get in the way of your success. This might be a certain food, or even a certain person, that leads you down a destructive path. Changemakers avoid the triggers at all cost until they build the confidence to stand against them.

9. They find the right support.
Support is huge. Tell the people you trust and that can help provide the best support.

10. They learn “how”.
Most people know what they need to do but often road block themselves to success because they never take the time to learn how. For example, you might want to eat healthier and that you should be eating more vegetables, but if you don’t know doable strategies to help you eat more vegetables, your success is limited. Research or hire a coach to help you learn the how.

Thanks to everyone for your congratulations; I did really enjoy reading your messages. My new Tuesday goal for yesterday is to *still* be in ONEderland next week.

In the end I did log everything I could remember eating yesterday, primarily for interest rather than accountability. After a hefty allowance for cooking and clearing up, I went 2012 calories over. Nom nom nom as they say.

I remember from when I was in the US that the holidays are over on December 26. Here we talk about the 12 days of Christmas, and people mostly keep partying now till the New Year. We won't be properly back to normal till the kids go back to school on 7 January. So I have a few more tricky days.

ah, there's always a good time for more cookies i guess :laugh: great work on the Onederland. fingers crossed the continued party doesn't drag down your efforts!

The party continues. The car part won't be here until Friday. The girls have been really good sports, and a little planning by family got them some gifts to open on Christmas day. They are out sledding with their cousins this afternoon. The food challenges are still very real, but I am managing to stay under goal. I'm not saying all of the choices are the best, but I am under.
My Wed. wish is that the kids can get home safely when the car is fixed, have fun with the Christmas that is there waiting for them, and have happy memories of the Christmas they got stranded. Have a great day. Enjoy your celebrations, Alison. Kaye

I'm sure they're having a great time. when we were at that funeral up in utah the kids were looking for any excuse to stay longer with their cousins. good luck to them getting it all fixed.

We actually don't have seasons here. We're well below average temps right now - but seasons here tend to be hot or cold. Snow is definitely a rare occurrence.

we're the same. and if it does snow it literally pretty much melts before it hits the ground. sigh.

My Wednesday wish is a quite selfish twofold wish---1) to feel better VERY soon; 2) to lose 50 lbs in 2013. Later my friends........

those sound like good wishes to me.

Wednesday wish - to finally make it to Onederland.. *sigh*... or, I'd settle for winning the lottery....

me too. we should go in together on a ticket

Thursday truth: I'm struggling with making good choices this week because there are too many treats just sitting around waiting for me to nibble on them. When the kids leave tomorrow, they are all going to disappear.
So many of you are doing so well with the holiday. I hope we can all continue. Here's to more successes in the coming year. If I can keep up this pace (or close to it), I should be in ONEderland by mid-year.
Kaye

Kelley- loved the article - thank you for sharing - Have you read The Power of Habit? (Charles Duhigg)... I'm thinking I need to give it another read. One of the points he brings up is to become more aware of our habit to repeat the same behavior, based on the trigger activity that precedes it. If we eliminate or change the trigger behavior, we can break the cycle.

Susan- I like to think that I am beginning where I left off. Yes, I will have to re-establish some habits and probably do some detox of the stuff I've eaten the last couple of months, but I am still further up the mountain than I was in June of this year. You are too!

Once school starts, I am taking two classes again, which is a lot of work on top of my already packed schedule. I am on the waitlist for an English Honors class, which will mean adjustment of my work schedule as well. Thursday truth... I am holding my breath... I am scared that I am going to keep falling away from the actions that will help me reach my goals. I want to be healthy. I need to be healthy. Unhealthy is really so much easier for me... especially with my guy's white flour, potato and oily way of cooking and fast food requiring so much less thought than pre-prep of foods. I am scared, but investing in things that scare me usually has a great payout.