Summer Challenge

[chicagobeth]

Okay - it's June 1st so I guess I'll start things up here!

Welcome to the summer challenge - let's make it June 1 - August 31! Lot's of BBQ's, parties, vacations for everyone - let's handle them together!

My goals are:

1) Stay at or drop below current goal weight and make lifetime
2) Continuing cooking and being very OP during the week
3) Try to stay OP on the weekends, but allow myself to indulge sometimes and not feel guilty about it.
4) Continue to exercise 3-4 times/week

Post your goals here and join in!!!!!!!!!

-Beth

[girliepurple]

I'm in!!

My goals for the summer challenge are:
1) Maintain maintain maintain within 2 lbs. of my personal and/or WW weight goal ;D
2) Keep cooking Core foods each week
3) Watch satisfaction level

Beth - I really like your realistic goal of trying to stay OP on the weekends but if you don't, don't stress. I can't even put down that goal because I know it's not possible for me LOL! But not to stress out over eating non-Core foods is essential. I find it impossible to stay completely OP and think it's actually non-productive, if you deny yourself all the time.

Hope everyone joins up and has a nice weekend too!

[mightycore]

I have one goal:
fit into my new boardie shorts comfortably

(this entails getting rid of some portion of my persistent saddlebags that make for just a wee bit of tightness in the upper outer thigh region. this entails losing a wee bit more body fat (ie perhaps 4# worth which will, incidentally, bring me to my poissonal goal of 120) and will require ongoing mindfulness re: food consumption as well as regular exercise).

karen

[xenagoddess]

Hello Everyone,

I am back...again...

I have gotten really focused this week (more like this morning after stepping on the scale - OMG scary scary number!)

I would love to join the challenge with the simple goals of
-tracking my food and staying as core as i can
-240/minutes of exercise a week BUT

Mostly my goal is going to be consistency for the next 3 months. I have been regularly stating a goal, losing a few pounds, and the dropping the program and then gaining more weight than I started with. The pounds have been creeping up and this has got to stop.

I will stay focused with this challenge for the duration of the challenge. That is my true goal.

I am going to Hawaii at the end of August so being back at goal weight would just be lovely for the trip.

See you on the boards.
Cynthia

PS: Mighty I have a pair of board shorts that I would love to be brave enough to wear. Have to fit back into them first!

[vita77]

Thanks for starting up anothe challenge, Beth! I'm in.

I'm going to use the challenge to continue to maintain, and also to test whether I can/should commit to dropping my goal weight from 174 to 164. So I will:

1) Maintain Lifetime status without having to pay; preferably stay below 172
2) Stay within 63 maintenance WPAs (I've been going over)
3) Practice the same healthy eating habits that got me to goal - balanced meals, lots of veggies, no eating APs
4) <stretch goal> See if I can drop to 168.

[ema2two]

Thanks for starting up another challenge, Beth.

I'm in.

My goals are modest, for the most part, but that's what I need right now.

1) Go to a meeting at least 2x/month
2) Check in on this board at least 3x/week
3) Pay attention to my satisfaction level, whether with core or non-core foods
4) Exercise at least 3x/week. Make an effort to be active, aside from formal exercise sessions.
5) Take my non-fitting clothes out of my closet and put in storage boxes that are organized by size, etc, and make sure I have an appropriate number of currently-fitting, decent looking clothes for work and recreation, so I am not constantly negative about my appearance and my having gained back weight.
6) Regularly remind myself: I have done this, I know this works, I know I can do this, I want to do this, it is worth the effort.

[sulee]

Great Goals, Gals!

I'm in too, of course, as this is sure where the action is!

So my goals are:
1. Go to Meetings weekly (going with a friend has made a HUGE difference for me)

2. Keep up my exercise regimen: Daily walking for at least 30 minutes, Running 3-4 times weekly, Yoga and Pilates at least 3 times a week.

3. Lose Weight. I am so pokey at the losing game that I hate to write a figure down. I still REALLY want to get into the next lower decade weight wise before I go to the west coast to perform. (that will have to be 6+ pounds in 4 weeks, which will be a stretch for me!)

4. Log food, core and non, honestly. Track activity and water intake.

[chicagobeth]

Everyone sounds like they have really great and realistic goals set out for the next few months. Perhaps I indulged a bit too much this weekend? Hung out with neighbors drinking sangria after my son's class picnic (which included brownies and baked chips) last night. Tonight went to a local wine festival and had sushi afterwards. All in all had a really fun weekend but it's back to spinning tomorrow and really paying attention. We went to the grocery store tonight and stocked up. I'm thrilled to say my DH is starting his own program tomorrow - not WW but as long as it's something he can stick to that's all that matters to me right now. But I think that should help me do a little better on the weekends, in any case.

I bought some new frozen fruit at Trader Joe's - mango chunks and a tropical blend with mango, papaya and psasion fruit. I'm going to make some great smoothies this week!

Hope everyone has a good Monday.

-Beth

[girliepurple]

YAY the gang's all here for this challenge!! ;D ;D We are missing a few but maybe they are lurking and will write to us!

Hi Xena -- glad to see you again!!!! ;D

Beth -- I always indulge on the weekends... sometimes more than others, this one wasn't too bad.

Karen -- what are boardie shorts?? LOL duh me...

Have a great day everyone!

[nascarluver]

Well..here's my challenge goals.

1. Keep going to WW meetings!
2. Keep cooking CORE foods only
3. Drop at least 2 sizes by the end of August
4. Walk at least 20 minutes everyday
5. Unflab my flabby arms
6. Don't feel guilty about using my extra points for indulgences every now and then--learn to savor and appreciate them instead of just inhaling them!

Thanks for this challenge Beth, it puts things in perspective to take the time to write them down-just seeing them in writing gets me motivated!

[chicagobeth]

I'm glad everyone is participating again! Welcome Lara! Where is Monroe? We're vacationing in the New Buffalo area in August. I'm located in the suburbs north of Chicago.

So far so good since the weekend! Did a really good workout yesterday and plan to get on the elliptical today. Cooking and planning meals for my DH is great, I'm so happy he's making a commitment to get healthy along with me.

Still no word from WW regarding my interview - I'll try not to be too disappointed if it doesn't work out.

Happy Tuesday!

-Beth

[xenagoddess]

HI everyone,

It looks like we have lots of old faces and even a few new ones here at this challenge. I have been struggling to stay focused and sugar (as always) is leading me astray. The truth hurts...deal with it.

I am going to work out tomorrow at work and then take a long bike ride in Marin while my car is being serviced. Better than sitting in the waiting room drinking coffee. Those are my goals for the new few days...that and stop eating sugar.

Peace,
Cynthia

[mightycore]

Hey everyone,
Just checking in. I have a sugar hangover and I need to get FOCUSED!!
I'm with you, Cynthia, on the "stop eating sugar" thing. Bleh. Bleh Bleh Bleh. I'll say no more.
Girlie, board shorts are surfer shorts. I wear them instead of traditional bathing suits at the beach because they are shorts, and they hide more (and I find them more comfortable).
Cheers, Karen

[xenagoddess]

Resisting sweet temptation
SUGAR. The increased consumption of refined sugars in the U.S.—now up to an annual average of 165 pounds per person—is a well-documented contributing factor to a rise in serious health problems, including diabetes and obesity. These simple sugars cause blood-sugar levels to spike, creating a “high” followed by a blood-sugar low. By contrast, our bodies break down the complex sugars found in fruit and other whole foods more slowly, which means the sugar enters the bloodstream more steadily, providing sustained energy and not setting off rapid insulin resistance, which can result in diabetes.
Honey, maple syrup or cane syrup are obvious replacements for refined sugars, but they contain high levels of the same substances. A better choice is agave nectar, a syrup derived from the agave or “tequila” cactus. The nectar tastes like honey mixed with maple sugar and is twice as sweet as ordinary sugar. Many other alternatives are less sweet than sugar, including amazake, a creamy substance made from fermented sweet rice and easily digested; brown rice syrup, a traditional Asian sweetener which has a delicious caramel taste; and fig sugar, made of dried, crushed figs, which has a rich flavour and contains various vitamins and minerals, including iron and potassium. Stevia, which comes primarily from Paraguay and is sold as a nutritional supplement, is many times sweeter than sugar, doesn’t affect blood sugar and contains no calories. -Ode magazine


I don't know if it is better to focus on eating these kind of sugars or just try to get the sweet taste out of your mouth all together. But since I don't have much luck in the later maybe I will try the first.

[xenagoddess]

I didn't eat any sugar yesterday. Yeah. Going to see if I can do it again today.