DITR Round4 Week3

When my morale is low - I try to look at all I have to be thankful for and make that the priority. Cannot change the reality, but there is no good in wallowing in self pity. If it can be changed, I try to do that, if not I pray for the ability to accept it and deal with it!

This is so true. When you are feeling down, just take a moment to count your blessings. I bet if you made a list, your paper would overflow.

Friday QOTD: What is your all-time favorite movie?

Shawshank Redemption is up there on the top of my list too!

the next has to be Ferris Bueler's Day Off! Still does not get old, even after all these years!

We've had some serious questions this week so my QOTD is a fluff one.

Friday QOTD: What is your all-time favorite movie?

That is a hard question! It's hard for me to pick just one. But if I had to pick...I would probably say The Notebook. The story is so beautiful and it just makes me cry evertime.

Love the Harry Potter series. This is also a huge fave, but is more than one movie technically.

If you are looking for a good movie to watch this weekend, check out Insidious. It is VERY SCARY but really good. I just watched it last night.

We've had some serious questions this week so my QOTD is a fluff one.

Friday QOTD: What is your all-time favorite movie?




I have two all-time favorites ... The Princess Bride and Shawshank Redemption.

LOL great question! Those are two of MY all time favorites as well!! I LOVE movies...as I can't get it down to one...I have favorites in each genre :-)

As I am a HUGE horror movie fan...so I'll go with (the original) Amityville Horror - I can watch that movie to THIS day and get the crap scared out of me!! LOVE it!!!

Friday QOTD: What is your all-time favorite movie?

umm...off the top of my head "Wedding Singer" with drew barrymore and adam sandler...I can watch it over and over and its romantic and funny which is a winning combination for me.

Friday QOTD: What is your all-time favorite movie?

Tough call, but I have to say my favorite movie is Heat-- Deniro and Pacino facing off in a great caper film with a stellar supporting cast.

Oh yeah, I'm with you guys... anything with Drew Barrymore and/or Adam Sandler are the best!

8/5 QOTD: What is your all-time favorite movie?

I'm not much of a movie person really - so I just went over the dvds we have and picked a few that I can and have watched over and over:

The Nightmare Before Christmas
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Ponyo, the studio ghibli film from a year or two ago (loved it)
The South Park Movie
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
The Incredibles
Coraline
The Blues Brothers

Ha, that's officially a really wierd little collection.

Also I just discovered a DVD of Yoga conditioning for Weight Loss that I bought in College which is awesome because i've got a nasty gash on my foot from a little sharp rock that got in my shoe (and which I apparently had just been working out on through the pain) so I'm not sure I want to do anything high impact on it.

I'll let you girls know how it goes! I might not be able to do it all though, I remember it being really rough on the arms and shoulders from holding poses and those are the bits that are most sore from my training session yesterday.

I think I am down for Question of the Day for Thursday 4th August - but my mum is going into hospital tomorrow early so in case I don't get back in time here it is......


We all need to dream to push ourselves just a little bit further and we all have goals we are working towards some little and some big.
What is THE goal that you want to achieve so you can say yes this is it? And what is that dream goal that you are 99.9999% sure you cannot achieve but it would be out of this world to get to and you are willing to keep trying for no matter how small the chances of sucess?

For me my goal which I would not have even considered 3 months ago is getting to wear UK size 14 trousers all the time, I was a size 24 at the start of my journey. I would love to say Size 14 tops too but that is asking a lot.
My far reaching goal that I dream of is getting into Size 12 clothes - I have NEVER worn them, I went from childrens clothes into Size 14....

My first and possible goal would be to be able to fit in my 15 year old daughters pants (size 5ish). I can wear her shirts but it would be cool to fit in her pants... not that I really want to wear them but that is something that she keeps mentioning "if you get much smaller your gonna be stealing my pants!" Silly girl, she's the one gonna be stealing my clothes!

The less possible one would be to wear a bikini again. I could probably get away with wearing one at my size right now but I have scars and stretch marks that I really don't want people to see. I guess the only way to fix that would be surgery... maybe that could be my reward once I reach my weight loss goal.

Surgery hmmm do U think these Tummy Tucks & abdominplasty kind of things dont show - R they really safe? has any1 of u done them?

Haven't really looked into any of it because I know I can't afford it. I had a brochure once for lazer surgery to remove scars. All I know is I want to be able to show some skin and not worry about the ugliness of these stupid scars. I think at this point that is all that is stopping me from putting on a bikini.

hhmmm

QOTD for Saturday, August 6th:

When going on a vacation/ road trip what do you do to continue your weight loss? Also, for those with children....do you make separate meals for the kids or do they eat the same meals as you? What do you do to save money....it seems like the healthy stuff is also more expensive!

on vacation/road trips - I try to preview what fitness equipment is where we're going and make sure we at least plan some walking every day. we also try to make sure we stay someplace with at least a microwave and refrigerator so we can go light on breakfast and have some healthy lunches ready to take along with us. now that my daughter's older, she wans to eat the healthier portions - when small it would depend on who was cooking in part. I generally fixed the same thing for all of us, but when my husband cooked I would often fix something different for myself! I'm saving money by eating out less and shopping sales. It may mean hitting more than one grocery in the course of a week in order to collect on the good produce sales (which is how we've been buying fruit in particular!)

QOTD for Saturday, August 6th:

When going on a vacation/ road trip what do you do to continue your weight loss? Also, for those with children....do you make separate meals for the kids or do they eat the same meals as you? What do you do to save money....it seems like the healthy stuff is also more expensive!

We are actually talking about taking a family vacation, so I am not sure how to continue the weight loss....that would be why I asked the question

Most of the time our meals are pretty much the same. I may have veggies, and they have mac and cheese and veggies.

Honestly I don't get to take vacations very often. And in the past, I told myself what you eat on vacation doesn't count. However, that is so not true. One thing I like to do, mainly to save money, but can help on calories, is to have cereal or granola bars for breakfast, and snacks around so I don't have to buy all that crap. I don't have kids, but I took my neice who is almost 3 to the zoo last month. I packed a lunch with pb&j sandwiches, carrot sticks, pretzel thins, and a couple of cookies. We didn't eat it all. But I found she ate what I gave her. That works when I've babysitted her too. I know it's can be hard to transition kids to that if they are used to getting what they want. But if you grill out or go to McDonald's...they eat what you feed them. Start the good habits now.

Now I have to go on a little rant here: when it comes to grocery shopping, I find that I spend less money on healthy food than junk food. Chips are $3-4 / bag, pizzas are $4-7, ice cream $3-4. And that stuff lasts no time in my house. Fruit & veggies are cheap. 2 bananas $0.39, 2 apples $1.50, lettuce $1-2, bag of chickend breast $6 (but you can a lot of meals from that), sandwich stuff makes a lot too. Now if you buy all organic, or are just starting and stocking up, then yes eating healthy can be more. But if you shop wisely eating healthy is the same of cheaper. Now if prices could stop going up at the grocery store on everything, then maybe we wouldn't be spending so much.

Gosh, I’m sorry I’m so behind. Today is the first block of time I’ve had to sit down and catch up.

Monday QOTD: How have you lost weight so far? What is your workout routine and eating plan if any?

I’ve lost weight by cutting calories. MFP is such a useful tool. At first, my goal was just to log my food, no matter what I ate. Then, I was able to see just how much I was eating and make different choices. I haven’t restricted any food but certainly hope to make healthier choices as time goes by. I guess for me, it is a simple equation of calories in and out and choices. There is an eating plans that’s been super effective for me but I rarely have time to plan for it. I call it 4/6/6 which is four ounces of protein and six ounces of cooked vegetables and 6 ounces of raw vegetables for lunch and dinner. Like I said though, it’s been a while since I’ve done it. Breakfast looks a little different with a carb, fat and six ounces of fresh fruit.

I don’t have a workout routine although I keep swearing I’m going to get one. I work two jobs and one of them is extremely active. I almost consider it a workout in itself. I have a treadmill and an area set up in my basement to do exercise DVD’s and work out. I want to try water aerobics at the rec center.

Tuesday QOTD: Dining out is always a challenge, especially with large portions, lots of fried foods, desserts, etc. Please share your favorite healthy alternatives and/or what you do to stay on track when going out to eat.

I don’t stay on track when eating out and I rarely try to. I’m kind of an all or nothing thinker and I’m better off not going out to eat because I don’t like salads at restaurants and given a greasy alternative I won’t order them. I use my eating out to splurge. For example, I don’t buy bacon, one of my very favorite foods, but I will eat it at Sunday brunch in a restaurant. I don’t particularly have a sweet tooth but I’ll have a bite of my son’s dessert if we’re at a restaurant instead of bring sweets in the home. So I guess I try to avoid restaurants although you couldn’t tell by the last month of my food diary. My weight loss has slowed and I’m sure it had to do with my poor choices. I use having limited time as an excuse but I know it’s really just another bad choice. If I was serious and dedicated, I’d make the time and prepare or have my food prepared ahead of time. I’m hoping with school starting next week and some of the other recent changes in my household that I’ll get back into a routine and begin cooking dinner at home. I always took the leftovers to work and I’d like to start doing that again. My discipline has went out the window lately and I’m frustrated with myself, but not enough I guess. I’m finding myself too complacent and forgiving.

Wednesday QOTD: How has everyone been keeping cool, and how has the heat affected your workouts if you are in this heat wave?

I don’t care for the heat and I’m not very active in when it’s hot and I’m not voluntarily outside. Heat wave or no, I’m more active in the fall/winter months. I even like hiking and rock climbing in the winter better. There aren’t as many people around and the weather is more pleasant.

Thursday QOTD: We all need to dream to push ourselves just a little bit further and we all have goals we are working towards some little and some big. What is THE goal that you want to achieve so you can say yes this is it? And what is that dream goal that you are 99.9999% sure you cannot achieve but it would be out of this world to get to and you are willing to keep trying for no matter how small the chances of success?

I don’t have a goal that I feel is 99.9999% unachievable. My short term goal is to just take it a day/week/month at a time. I’d get overwhelmed if I looked at the big picture. I have a long way to go and this time it really is about the journey for me and not the end result. In the past, I’ve set unrealistic goals and berated myself when I didn’t achieve them quickly enough or if I failed altogether. I don’t want to do that.

I’d want to hit my head against the wall if I kept trying for the impossible. I don’t roll that way anymore. My belief is that the cause of suffering is not accepting what is. Despite my complaining (and whining) my weight loss is exactly where it needs to be. Sure, it’s slow and I could make better food choices but progress is still being made and I feel more confident that I’m more likely to keep off my slow but steady decrease in weight with my current mindset. I’m afraid of overthinking and jinxing myself. Seriously, my goal should be not to set any goals.

Thursday QOTD #2: Who has been your INSPIRATION (not only in Weight Loss but in any facet of Life)? What do you do to Boost yourself when your Morale is low (again this applies to all aspects of Life)?

Like others said, I’m really responsible for my own inspiration. Sure, I love MFP, my BFF, and the DITR Challenge. They all help me focus up but at the end of the day, it’s me I’m accountable to. I’m the one making lifestyle choices and I’m the one dealing with the consequences.

I sleep when my morale is low. I don’t mean that in the depressive withdrawn sort of way although I suppose that’s a small part of it. I mean, I withdraw and take care of myself. I allow myself to unplug and recharge. I listen to guided meditation. Suprisingly, what I haven’t done since joining MFP is binge. I used to use food for comfort but now it hardly seems worth the calories.

Friday QOTD: What is your all-time favorite movie?

Simple but hard question. Love Acutally. Oh, and I like Briget Jone’s Diary for obvious reasons, overweight, quirky/odd gal looking for love.

QOTD for Saturday, August 6th: When going on a vacation/ road trip what do you do to continue your weight loss? Also, for those with children....do you make separate meals for the kids or do they eat the same meals as you? What do you do to save money....it seems like the healthy stuff is also more expensive!

I haven’t really been on vacation since beginning my weight loss journey. Before MFP, I'd use a vacation as an excuse of to eat everything and anything in site. I know that would no longer be the case.

I don’t make separate meals for my kiddo because he’s 15 although I do buy him stuff that I’m not going to eat and have food that’s off limits to him. We have different taste though so it’s never been a problem. He likes frozen burritos, peanut butter, and fried bologna. Yuck! I love seafood and fish and he hates it. I’m not a big fan of sweets and he claims he’ll shrivel up and die without chocolate. He’s also the most athletic person I’ve ever met so he can indulge in things that I can’t, like heavy carbs. I tell him he gets his athleticism from me but we both know he’s adopted. He’s so lucky he doesn’t have my genes.

I don’t necessarily think it’s more expensive to eat healthy if I factor in the money I spent on eating out in addition to $$ at the market. Just stopping my Starbuck run has saved me a ton of money, not to mention calories. I do call Whole Foods “Whole Paycheck” though and I can’t really afford to shop there except for specialty items once in a while. But, I was just at my local grocery store where I bought fresh mixed berries already prepared because I’m lazy and I don’t want to buy four different kinds of berries to wash and prepare. So, I actually saved money by not buying the larger containers and eventually throwing them away when they’ve gone bad. Same thing with lettuce. I have to go to the market several times a week because if I buy too much, I won’t eat it and end up throwing it away. I have to look at the bigger picture when it comes to money and eating healthy. I think I mentioned that I like plain protein and grill a lot. I was at the market today and looked at the reduced price meats. I shop sales but if I want pork chops (and I often do) I just buy them in a package of two instead of the family pack, even though the family pack could save money in the long run. The thing is… I could easily eat three pork chops if I cook them. I’m safer buying two, one for me and my son or one for me and lunch tomorrow. M-m-m-m pork chops.

QOTD for Saturday, August 6th: When going on a vacation/ road trip what do you do to continue your weight loss? Also, for those with children....do you make separate meals for the kids or do they eat the same meals as you? What do you do to save money....it seems like the healthy stuff is also more expensive!


I took the 3 kids to the air show yesterday (Blue Angels, Stealths, Red Barons, etc fly overhead) and we were there for 5 hours. I planned ahead a little and packed water bottles for us, a sandwich for me, string cheese, a couple MGD 64's, an apple, and some pretzel sticks. Monday we're going out of town to a carnival and I will be packing my own food. The kids brought bags of chips and a sub sandwich, but I made sure I had healthy choices for myself. When I started this journey on July 11th I sat in the doctor's office and cried that it was too hard to lose weight because I only get $340 of food stamps a month for the 4 of us and work part time because I have a disabled daughter. I sat there and cried how I can't afford to eat healthy. Foooey!! I'm making it work! I have cut out the trashy foods, the processed dinners, the bags of chicken nuggets that cost $7 or whatever. And we don't hit the drive thru dollar menu anymore either. No soda. No cans of soup. Does it take more trips to the store, oh yeah. I'm the last person you'd think would be able to make this work, but it can be done. Each day I'm amazed at what I've accomplished so far in just a short time. My kids aren't eating all the same things as me. They are 12, 13 and 4. But they are making better choices too because the processed foods aren't in the house. (except for frozen pizza, its a staple in our house).

QOTD for Saturday, August 6th:

When going on a vacation/ road trip what do you do to continue your weight loss? Also, for those with children....do you make separate meals for the kids or do they eat the same meals as you? What do you do to save money....it seems like the healthy stuff is also more expensive!

My first vacation is actually coming up in September (I'm taking my mom to Florida for her 60th birthday :happy: ) I am planning on just trying to make good choices. Fast food situations are difficult, but I've found items that are at least a "better" choice. Same thing with eating out - I plan on just doing my homework.

Healthy travel snacks are hard for me as I have braces...so most healthy quick snacks are off limits...but fingers crossed they'll be off for September!!!

I would have to say dirty dancing, but my hubby played time of my life after our first date and it was our first dance at our wedding too!
So I think i have a soft spot for it.

Hunt for red october comes a close second!