9 Week Holiday Challenge (close group) wk 2

QOTD Tuesday 10/4/11: Now that you have been communicating with your partner for a full week, except our newest member on the blue team, I'm sure you have some words of encouragement, congratulations, thankfulness or up lifting... Today is give your partner a public shout out day..


Tameko2, I am glad we are teammates. I know you have been moving and have been very busy, and you still find time to be encouraging, and kind. I appreciate our conversations, and your support, I look forward to our weeks together. Keep up the good work.

QOTD Tuesday 10/4/11: Now that you have been communicating with your partner for a full week, except our newest member on the blue team, I'm sure you have some words of encouragement, congratulations, thankfulness or up lifting... Today is give your partner a public shout out day..

My partner is Eatone1 and she is really wonderful. She is very encouraging to me and I look forward to her emails! She has a very upbeat personality and we also talk about our faith, which is a huge part of this journey.

I was originally partnered with getitamb and we have continued to email each other. I love that she continued to ask how I was and encourage me, even though she didn't have to! She's got a heart of gold, definitely!

To StarsNYC21-Thank you so much for starting this challenge. This was exactly what I needed and I love being able to say that I am in a "weight loss challenge" and can't mess up because of it! I know that this must take a lot of time and organization on your part, but please know that you are making a HUGE difference in our lives!

QOTD 10/5/11 Wednesday - What do you think was the biggest factor in your weight gain? What do you think is the biggest factor in your successfuly weight loss?

The main reason I gained weight was a huge change to my lifestyle from being very active, to no activity after I became a mom and started taking care of my husband who was disabled.

The biggest factor in my success for weight loss now? Taking it in phases. I think losing a certain amount and then maintaining it for a while (letting my body adjust), then working at it again. When I have tried to lose it all at one, I gained it back. Losing it in smaller phases has been easier to maintain.

Steph (Have a great day everyone!)

QOTD 10/5/11 Wednesday - What do you think was the biggest factor in your weight gain? What do you think is the biggest factor in your successfuly weight loss?

The biggest factor in my weight gain is plain and simple....I WAS lazy! And I ate all the wrong things. There were days when I would have ice cream with warm chocolate chip cookies on top drizzled with chocolate syrup, and that would last a week straight! BAD RHONDA! I just couldn't say NO!

I was also bad with "I'll start FRESH Monday". Well sure, I started fresh on Monday but ended up stale on Wednesday. Then I just gave up! Told myself, "oh well, my husband loves me just the way I am, why bother"

Well I'll tell you why I bothered. It was because I didn't love me! I hit 40 and I felt frumpy! I seen the commercial for Turbo Fire, ordered it and I 'm now on Week 10 of 20! Almost half way done! Not only do I feel better physically...more importantly I feel better mentally! Remember that, when you want to give up, just think of how good you feel after you work out. And it seems the "happiness" lasts all day long! This is the path I choose to take. I hope you all take it with me!

Great question by the way!

Thanks!

Rhonda

QOTD Tuesday 10/4/11: Now that you have been communicating with your partner for a full week, except our newest member on the blue team, I'm sure you have some words of encouragement, congratulations, thankfulness or up lifting... Today is give your partner a public shout out day..

My partner is Eatone1 and she is really wonderful. She is very encouraging to me and I look forward to her emails! She has a very upbeat personality and we also talk about our faith, which is a huge part of this journey.

I was originally partnered with getitamb and we have continued to email each other. I love that she continued to ask how I was and encourage me, even though she didn't have to! She's got a heart of gold, definitely!

To StarsNYC21-Thank you so much for starting this challenge. This was exactly what I needed and I love being able to say that I am in a "weight loss challenge" and can't mess up because of it! I know that this must take a lot of time and organization on your part, but please know that you are making a HUGE difference in our lives!

Awww thank you Luvmybee, so sweet

QOTD 10/5/11 Wednesday - What do you think was the biggest factor in your weight gain? What do you think is the biggest factor in your successfuly weight loss?

I was never very athletic when I was younger. I don't drink soda, I don't like milk or coffee, and I used to despise tea. I never realized that all of the lemonades, hawaiian punches, and strawberry breezes that I drank had SO much sugar. It was literally enough for me to have had six or seven candy bars each day, especially since I always am drinking water. Also, although I have always been a decently healthy eater, my portion sizes were less than desirable. I was unknowingly eating like double or triple the serving size of every food I was eating.

So, I have learned to drink water, water flavored with lemon, and I have learned to enjoy tea. I am on my university's division one bowling team, so we have mandatory practices and workouts. I have even got to the point where I am motivated enough to go to the optional workouts! I follow portion sizes -- unless I am terribly hungry, and in that case, I listen to my body. I also have very supportive people in my life that are proud of what I'm trying to do, which makes a HUGE difference! All of you are very motivating as well! Thank you!

Not blaming my grandmas - they just fixed it was my choice to eat it!!!!

QOTD 10/5/11 Wednesday - What do you think was the biggest factor in your weight gain? What do you think is the biggest factor in your successfuly weight loss?

Overeating. I'm not a super unhealthy eater (we ate a lot of organic healthy food growing up - fast food was for a quick afterschool snack or other particular occasions and my parents really frowned on fried food and 'american' food) and I didn't grow up with juice or soda so that wasn't an issue, but I just ate too much, every day. Not only would I eat too much actual food (I still remember one day at sushi when my 260 pound guy friend and I ate the same amount! And he was an overeater too.) but I'd 'treat' myself all the time - I'd stop on the way out of the mall where we ate and buy a cookie to have in the afternoon, I'd always order the fries/chips/mashed potatoes with my meal and eat them even if I wasn't particularly hungry or they were not very good.

That was probably the first 30-40 pounds I gained -- then I was holding somewhat steady until I moved in with my boyfriend and his diet was very heavy in soda and fastfood (still is....) AT the time for me, fast food was something I had once in a while - so when we went to carls jr if i wanted a 6 dollar bacon guacamole burger, I got one. And fries. I thought "its not like I eat this stuff every day" - except we started eating it everyday, or nearly everyday. And we started having soda and juice in the house because he LOVES soda and juice and although I don't drink very much in one sitting (I can barely finish a can of soda on my own and I have to water down juice) I was adding liquid calories to my diet and not even really thinking about it. AND my family always shares meals at restaurants and never ordered drinks and so I was used to doing that but he HATES sharing (he was so spoiled as a kid) and ALWAYS ordered a drink.

So that was the next 30-40 pounds. From my adult low of 143 I went up to 215 in under 5 years. I think I am now skinnier than when I met my BF.

QOTD 10/5/11 Wednesday - What do you think was the biggest factor in your weight gain? What do you think is the biggest factor in your successful weight loss?

My weight gain - my behavior, health problems, MAJOR negative self talk and caring too much what others thought. When I gained weight during an illness (before it was diagnosed) I got really discouraged and gave up. Instead of just having an extra 30 lbs and working on just maintaining, I gained 40 more. It's was a vicious cycle and i was my own worst enemy.

Biggest factor in losing weight is realizing I have to change my behavior from the roots up and that it's a LOT of work! I am learning to be patient with myself and celebrate the changes I've made instead of only focusing on what I'm not doing right. I have a long ways to go, but i'll eventually get to where I want to be and then the battle will be maintaining. I am looking forward to that.

QOTD 10/5/11 Wednesday - What do you think was the biggest factor in your weight gain? What do you think is the biggest factor in your successfully weight loss?

Hello Ladies, it's late and I can barely keep my eyes open. I meant to reply to the QOTD earlier but I was side tracked.

So my biggest factor for my weight gain thus far, or since the summer has been my Ex hands down. Every time I think about him I want to eat. Yep I said it, he brings all kinds of bad feeling up..lol.:mad: No worries I’m almost over this one ladies:drinker:

The biggest success factor in my weight loss has been planning my meals and week. I got this idea from a girl on MFP and she's lost 60lbs already. It has definitely help me in my weight loss so far.

QOTD 10/5/11 Wednesday - What do you think was the biggest factor in your weight gain? What do you think is the biggest factor in your successfully weight loss?

Wow. I've really enjoyed reading your answers to this question.

My weight has gone up and down all of my adulthood. I was a skinny cheerleader. Got married. My mom never let me eat bad food, so I started eating a lot of it because I could. (It's my mom's fault!!!! No...just joking). Then we got burglarized and I went into a major depression, had to go on medication for it, and I gained and gained. I went from 115 to 155. (Now I would die to be 155).

I lost the weight several times through phentermine, a diet drug. Then I became very depressed again and I went up to 180. Then I became super depressed again, and went up to 211. See the trend?

Something happened that made me realize that I was addicted to food, and didn't want to be, so I decided on a summer night at 11pm while walking through my neighborhood crying, that I was going to change. So I did. I lost 52 pounds through Weight Watchers.

I got pregnant and miscarried. Then I got pregnant again and it was a terrifying pregnancy where we were told she would not live. I went on bedrest to save her and ate lots and lots to get her to grow. (The problem was that she was not growing). I ended the pregnancy at over 200 pounds again, and I only lost about five pounds because she only weighed a pound!

She spent a lot of time in the NICU and then she came home, but had several issues. This caused me to just keep keep on eating and eating. Now I've decided that I'm done with eating to make me feel better emotionally. I need to be fit for her because she has a lot of appointments and she needs my best. Also, I want to get pregnant again.

When I was successful in losing weight, the biggest factor was me being patient. I realized that my weight loss was going to be about a pound a week and it would take a long time. I also kept my goal of having a baby in mind. I knew that I couldn't safely do it at my weight. So that is where I am now, again!

QOTD 10/5/11 Wednesday - What do you think was the biggest factor in your weight gain? What do you think is the biggest factor in your successfully weight loss?

My weight gain probably was from two different things. 1. I got married and didn't realize that I couldn't eat like my stick thin husband. That was probably a little bit of the weight. 2. I have PCOS, and didn't know. As soon as I found out that I had PCOS, I changed my diet, and have been consistantly losing all the weight that I originally put on. So, I think that the majority of my problem was the carb resistance that PCOS causes, but because I was eating like my husband (tons of carbs) I gained tons of weight. The biggest thing for me is to significantly reduce the amount of processed carbs that i eat. I can eat complex carbs, and natural carbs, but I hav eto stay away from white rice, pasta, etc. At this point I am slightly lighter than I was when I got married, but my goal is for my college years. Almost there.

QOTD 10/5/11 Wednesday - What do you think was the biggest factor in your weight gain? What do you think is the biggest factor in your successfully weight loss?

The biggest factor in my weight gain was not being able to take care of myself, because I was taking care of everyone else. I can’t blame my weight gain on my pregnancy alone, because I actually lost weight during and after. But, because my husband had a spinal injury 3 weeks after the triplets were born, I had my hands full. Thank God for family and friends. But, slowly neglecting myself, the weight starting creeping up and up and up. It's not that I was eating bad, but not eating often and not eating healthy choices. Then, I had to return to work. So I had to go shopping for new clothes. Well reality was clear, I was over weight, and not happy.

I think the biggest factor in my weight loss is also my family. I want to be healthier so I can live longer, but I also want to be able to keep up with my family. I want to enjoy life.