Sexy in Six ***closed group*** Week Four!!!

Tuesday QOTD: I think we all struggle with eating well, especially when eating out. How do you deal with restaurants and get-togethers?

I always think ahead to how many calories I should try to stay around. Moderation is key for sure!! If I'm unsure of the calories, I try to figure it out (no smart phone apps here. And I try to work out a little harder either before or afterwards.


Wednesday QOTD:
Oh, this time is different. I'm not obsessed with dropping the weight fast. I want to do it right and set a good example for my daughter. Actually, she's the one usually wanting to go downstairs to "march" or "jog"...so she helps keep me motivated.

THURSDAY QOTD! (I am so sorry for it being late! I lost track of the thread and didn't know I was up!)

I want us to go back and reflect on WHY we started our journeys and how we have changed (outside and inside) in the process, because every single one of us had a reason. Please try to be more specific than, "i wanted to look hot," or, "i felt fat." Reconnect with the real reasons you're doing this and feel that motivation spike. I think we all need a reality check sometimes because the tiny details take over and make it hard to appreciate the bigger picture.

Ah-I know I'm not supposed to but "because I wanted to look hot in my wedding dress!!" That was probably one of the biggest, attainable, short term motivators for me. I had a year to do it and stayed on task because it was something I wanted so bad. I bought a size 14 in September and traded it in for a size 8 in April! The lady at the store couldn't believe it. She thought I had just bought the wrong size! I left the store and cried a little. That was a VERY cool day!

The long term reasons for losing weight is that I'm am a very active person and didn't like that I couldn't always do everything I wanted to simply because I was out of shape. Also, my husband's family has some health problems that he can avoid if he stays healthy.

I'm here today because I've been in maintenance for a year and I don't want to get lazy about all of my healthy lifestyle changes. Thinking about it daily keeps me in the game! Keeps me honest and motivated!

SO cool about your wedding dress! that's an unbelievable change in a really short period of time. Your wedding must have been amazing for you in so many ways! I love that you are still here, just for the healthy lifestyle support. once i get to my goal i plan on sticking around too!

Thursday QOD:

I hit 40, that's why. I decided that it was high time to get my body looking like I wanted to, and to take control over all my habits. I also wanted to enter this new phase of my life healthier. Plain and simple.

I want us to go back and reflect on WHY we started our journeys and how we have changed (outside and inside) in the process, because every single one of us had a reason. Please try to be more specific than, "i wanted to look hot," or, "i felt fat." Reconnect with the real reasons you're doing this and feel that motivation spike. I think we all need a reality check sometimes because the tiny details take over and make it hard to appreciate the bigger picture.

I started this because it was either buy new jeans again or lose weight. I went with the lose weight. And, I was dangerously close to my starting weight a few years ago when I had lost 40 lbs and then put it back on. This time I have learned to eat better and I have great support. I couldn't do it without MFP.

My reason when I first started was so my boyfriend would think that I was hot....very lame I know. Well 5 months ago I did loose weight (him-180#). Then the journey came for me to look good for me, and now it has changed again. I met someone(Kevin)new (just friends) and he is 42, runs everyday and healthy eating. His attitude and zest for healthy living is infectious. He has inspired me to try the running thing. He made it sound so fun. Now that I have fallen on unhealthy times my perspective has changed. I want to have a quality of life, be active and healthy. I am not going to let this mass in my heart h me back.from that either. This is for me and only me! I want to be an inspiration and have that same impact Kevin has had on me. I am currently getting all the girls I work with to do MFP, 2 have joined so far. One other girl went grocery shipping with me and saw all the healthy things and she time me that I was inspiraring her to want to be healthy. Yay!

THURSDAY QOTD! (I am so sorry for it being late! I lost track of the thread and didn't know I was up!)

I want us to go back and reflect on WHY we started our journeys and how we have changed (outside and inside) in the process, because every single one of us had a reason. Please try to be more specific than, "i wanted to look hot," or, "i felt fat." Reconnect with the real reasons you're doing this and feel that motivation spike. I think we all need a reality check sometimes because the tiny details take over and make it hard to appreciate the bigger picture.

Its always a journey and I've told my story as well a few times, Biggest picture is that its really about confidence and self acceptance. I have been down to a "normal" size for a few years, and not to bursty any bubbles but the new found hotness does wear off, in the end, I like myself better the way I am now, determined to stay with a healthier lifestyle, and appreciating my new body and the way I feel every single day. As a teacher I see the balance between self conscious and overly confident often, reaching a middle ground is a Great place to be, believing in yourself while remaining humble is sublime.

Thursday QOTD:

While it's true that I DO want to look hot, the actual reasons behind me wanting to lose weight run a lot deeper than that. Honestly, I started sucking in my stomach when I was 7 or 8 years old (it's one of those specific memories--I remember my mom saying, "You're way too young to be worrying about your little tummy!") and I've really struggled with my weight/body image since I was 11 or so. I'm not sure where it stems from, it's just always been a battle for me. And as a result, I've been up and down and up and down in weight for literally as long as I can remember. I've spent many a night wishing I was strong enough to just quit eating, but my discipline only lasts for so long. So I guess the reason I'm on this journey has nothing to do with looking hot--it's about finally making peace with myself, my body, and my self esteem. I'm tired of being unhappy with myself & I realize that I am in complete control of it. I have to make my own way and find my own peace.

THURSDAY QOTD! I want us to go back and reflect on WHY we started our journeys and how we have changed (outside and inside) in the process, because every single one of us had a reason. Please try to be more specific than, "i wanted to look hot," or, "i felt fat." Reconnect with the real reasons you're doing this and feel that motivation spike. I think we all need a reality check sometimes because the tiny details take over and make it hard to appreciate the bigger picture.

I really started in January for a random reason. I had been talking about how I needed to lose weight, and I was unhappy with myself and miserable with how I looked, but even though I said it, I didn't do anything about it. New Year's Eve, my husband and I spent the night with our good college friends and as we went to leave the next day, my friend Jeannie turned to me and said that we were going to be weight loss buddies. She had baby weight to lose and I had my stress and hubby's cancer weight to lose (he was down at Walter Reed for treatment and I drove to DC from Philly every weekend for 9 months which included lots of snacks, lots of drinking, and lots of non-exercise). I didn't really admit to myself how worried I was or how much I was relying on beer and food to keep me together. Looking back, I needed to admit that I was scared and freaked out, but I knew he was going to be fine. They caught it somewhat early, but he needed two surgeries and 3 rounds of chemo, and I never admitted to myself that things were not ok. It wasn't the only reason I needed to lose weight, but a source of about 25-30 lbs.

My friend and I were good weight loss buddies for a while, but life with a 6 month old broke her off from the weekly check-ins, but by that time I had found MFP and haven't looked back. I'm losing weight for me. To feel like me again and to really like what I see in photos. I've never been a hugely active person and I'm relishing this new me. It's nice to wake up in the morning, take a spinning class or hop on the elliptical, take a shower and be in work before 7:20. It's also nice to be back to the point where I don't have to try on 5 things to find something I feel comfortable in. I can just grab whatever is in my dresser or closet and feel fine in it.

The motivation spike was from my friend saying that we were workout buddies because obviously others had noticed that I was bigger. It wasn't just in my head. What keeps me going is the feeling of the new me and vainly, I have a twin sister and she's been the "fat twin" for a long while. Well, she and her boyfriend went on a huge Paleo type diet and she's within a pound of me. That keeps me going too. I don't want to be the "fat twin". I don't want her to be the fat twin either, but dang it, she's not going to win.

Wednesday QOTD: Ladies, have you tried to lose weight before? So is this just another "one of those times" or is this different? What makes it different? What are you doing to ensure that you are not right back where you started?

This is my first time really being serious about changing my lifestyle. I spent two or so years saying I WANTED to, and I worked on it here and there, but never had the right mindset. It has been such a hard adjustment, and while I get frustrated with the changes my body has endured from rapid weight gain, part of me is "okay" with having gained the weight because if I hadn't, I don't believe I would ever have cared about healthier eating and exercise.

Ok so I just joined last week so im not sure what all questions have been asked. So if anything similar has been asked some please let me know and I will pick a new one.

Friday QOTD: This is more to help me but what is everyones favorite low cal meal/snacks?