Looking for a group, so decided to start my own

Ok thanks for the challenges!

My calorie allowance is 1600
exercise: shooting for 500 mins
crunches: shooting for 50 a day

For next week check out this site: http://hundredpushups.com/what.html There is an app to download for iphones too. I'm going to see what I'm capable of both these crunches and the pushups!

I was at a barbeque last night and ended up talking to a friend that is trying to lose weight and I suddenly have my own motivation back! I was listening to how simple it sounded as I was trying to encourage him. I am happy to have some excitement back!

Sometimes I get a bit overwhelmed thinking of how far I have to go and I really do think that my eyes still see the me 35 lbs ago because I don't see any difference when I look in the mirror and that too can be less motivating yknow?

Excited to see the recipes that are coming up from everyone!

July 10:

Food:
1) 1200/day, not including any exercise calories
2) Recipes ... I'll share my dinner from tonight. It was really easy. Maybe technically not a "recipe" but I'll share more this week.

Exercise:
1) 102/360 minutes (60 min/day until Fri am)
2) 100/500 crunches (100/day until Fri am)


Dinner:
Grilled chicken breasts, sprinkled with Cajun seasoning
Grilled vegetables - sliced zucchini and yellow squash, red and green bell pepper, onion, mushroom, garlic; put on foil and drizzle with a bit of olive oil; add seasoning (I added Cajun this time); seal up foil and either throw on the grill or cook in the oven at around 425 until desired softness
Zucchini salad - mix corn, cilantro, diced red pepper and sliced zucchini; add a little lime juice to taste
Green salad - just a tossed salad with whatever I felt like adding.... lettuce, tomato, onion, celery, bell pepper, diced fresh mozzarella mixed with dried basil

All those veggies make a really low calorie but very filling dinner. Preparation time was about 15 minutes while the chicken was cooking so we had dinner ready within 30 minutes or so. I made extra for leftovers so I've got veggies and salads to add to whatever protein I choose for lunches this week.

okay! i'm actually going to try and stay on top of the challenges this week.

Yay! Glad you're joining us this week! Good job keeping under with McD's ..... but quit that. Just teasing you a little. ;-)

Seriously, though, with the running/working out that we all are doing, remember that a body needs a good, clean fuel supply to keep going and keep injury-free. The quality of calories matters. A little of the bad (but oh so good) stuff won't hurt but just once in a while and in small portions. Whenever I feel tempted, I remind myself of that. It doesn't always work and I give in but it almost always causes me to take a much smaller portion than I had intended.

Oh, yeah! I got a tip from a fitness expert ... If you're going to cheat, the best time to cheat with a small portion (ice cream, chocolate, pick your poison) is right after your workout because your body is still ramped up and will burn it quickly.

Sandwich without the bun and no fries is a good compromise. Eating healthy is harder for me, too, when the school semester starts. I have zero time and motivation. I'm usually completely wiped out, overwhelmed with homework and rehearsals, and just don't want to divert the brain power to thinking about what I'm eating. My semester starts mid-August and I'm really going to try to turn that around this time.

I know how you feel! Living in a college dorm and being forced to either eat from the dining hall or something that you can prepare in a dorm with no kitchen makes healthy decisions really a challenge. Plus I'm constantly stuck in a desk or on my bed in class, doing homework and studying, or I'm at work. I get off work late at night, with homework still to do, and I wind up just so tired that I make badddddd diet choices. It sucks, but I'm hoping that since I started this basically the first week of June, I'll have had the whole summer to get "set" in my healthy eating/lifestyle ways, and I'll be more encouraged to keep it up when school starts back, which is August 13th.

That's what I'm hoping for, too - that I'll have a routine set. I think my semester starts on the 22nd. We'll have to keep in contact and help each other continue to make healthy choices and carve out that time to get in a workout, no matter what.

I know how you feel! Living in a college dorm and being forced to either eat from the dining hall or something that you can prepare in a dorm with no kitchen makes healthy decisions really a challenge. Plus I'm constantly stuck in a desk or on my bed in class, doing homework and studying, or I'm at work. I get off work late at night, with homework still to do, and I wind up just so tired that I make badddddd diet choices. It sucks, but I'm hoping that since I started this basically the first week of June, I'll have had the whole summer to get "set" in my healthy eating/lifestyle ways, and I'll be more encouraged to keep it up when school starts back, which is August 13th.

That's what I'm hoping for, too - that I'll have a routine set. I think my semester starts on the 22nd. We'll have to keep in contact and help each other continue to make healthy choices and carve out that time to get in a workout, no matter what.

Absolutely (: Classes actually start for me around the 22nd as well, but I'm moving early for my on-campus job. Which happens to be working in the dining hall. Go figure. Haha.

Garrett & Suzzanne - good for the both of you for what you are doing!! I'm always so impressed with anyone furthering their education & then to try to stay in shape/shape up on top of that makes it even more impressive. It is SO difficult to make good choices when you are so busy busy - and Suzzanne you have a husband too it looks like in your profile pic so you must be even extra stretched with your time!

Jae - I remember when I worked full time, if I didn't plan my meals away from home ahead of time then I was basically setting myself up for unhealthy choices. I'm such a scatterbrain too so the unhealthy choice routine became my norm. I'm not sure what would happen if I had to go back to work now. I would hope I could manage my time better...

I'm SO excited about the whole crunch challenge by the way. I downloaded the app for 100 situps and it's awesome for me!! You take the initial test and it then sets up your weeks for you as to how many situps you will do for each workout session. Just finished day one

food:
1) 1400/1300 cals/day (whoooops)

exercise:
1) 30/210 minutes/wk
2) 80/500 crunches/wk

July 11:
Food:
1) 1200/day ... under
2) Recipes ... I'll find another soon.

Exercise:
1) 162/360 minutes
2) 100/500 crunches

Okay, guys - I need a little help here.

What do you do when people are hostile towards you because you are trying to lose weight? I know I didn't even start this journey as severely overweight - just severely unhappy with my body. Now that I'm down almost 10lbs and extremely happy about it, people I would have considered my "best" friends are acting like me trying to get healthier is a personal stab against them. I weight less than my best friend now, and as far as I can tell she is extremely jealous, and it feels like she resents me for it. I don't know what to do. She's my room mate next year at school, and I don't want my lifestyle changes to come between us - but I'm not changing myself for her, definitely not now.

On a happier note - I ran and did abs/arms today. I was going to go swimming, but its come up a storm.

Okay, guys - I need a little help here.


On a happier note - I ran and did abs/arms today. I was going to go swimming, but its come up a storm.

It is funny how some people react to weight loss attempts or even just attempts to eat a healthier diet. I do think that it puts certain ones on the defense but I don't understand why. It is as if they take it personal - that you are somehow trying to "show them up" which is silly as most of us are in no way shape or form trying to do so!

My "help"? Just keep doing what you are doing but with those individuals try not to talk a bunch about it. I know that may be hard because we are excited to share what is working for us, how this new healthy way makes us feel etc but with ones that are not receptive or that take it in this weird way, I would just refrain to keep the peace. At the same time continuing to do what you are doing of course!

Hopefully your situation for the school year wont be too strained and who knows? Maybe she will start to adapt to your healthy habits

After completing week 1 day 2 of c25k, I decided to weigh. I lost 2 pounds )) I'm sure its mostly water weight from running in this stinking heat of the afternoon. But both times I have ran I have developed some back pain. I'm not so sure its my shoes, they are fairly new and have not bothered me until now. Any suggestions??

Where did you get your shoes? Did they do a gait evaluation? Even if your shoes are new, they could be causing pain if the padding, etc. isn't right for you or if the upper part of the shoe isn't securely holding your foot over the mid sole. That could be causing a weight imbalance which can cause lower back pain when you run.

It might just be that you need to strengthen your core - lower back/abs/obliques. Are you doing any kind of strength training? Some exercises that will help lower back strength without using equipment are crunches, wall squats, bridges, knee raises and thoracic extensions. There are some videos - yoga for runners and stretching for runners - that are really helpful and will help develop core strength, too.

The last thing I can think of is your posture, or form. Keep your head and back in a straight line. Are your shoulders relaxed? If you keep them up too high, that can cause your back to tighten up. Make sure that as you run, you are propelling forward rather than up and down ... does that make sense? Here are some tips on good running form: http://marathontrainingacademy.com/how-to-perfect-your-running-form .

I hope that helps. Good job with your goals this week!

Thanks ladies. (: I just hate that of all people it has to be my best friend/room mate. My healthy habits are going to get rubbed in her face, whether she likes it or not, because its my alarm that's going to be going off early in the morning waking her up while I go to the gym, and she's going to be the one stuffing herself on McDonald's all alone! Haha. But really, thanks so much.

I got new running shoes today! They're bright blue and light and fabulous! Taking them on their first run tomorrow. I'm excited. And I really need to go drink some more water.

Hey, I know it's a little late to be joining this group, but I still struggling with those last 5-6 lbs.
I also have celiac's disease so it makes my food choices very limited. I'm just starting to get frustrated and finally decided I could use some support.