Holiday Challenge - Week of November 21st

Ok Peeps, we're facing a big challenge week and it's time to get down to business about how to face it and keep moving towards our New Year's Day goal.

Here's the questions of the week to help encourage and teach us good planning skills.

1.  First off - how did you do last week and how are you feeling about your progress?

2.  Any great victories or challenges to share with the group?

3.  Are you celebrating Thanksgiving this week?  I know it's not this week for you Canadians. If yes, is it at your house or are you going somewhere?  What are you preparing and what are you planning to eat?  Let's be realistic and honest and not just say what's expected.  My wonderful Weigh****chers Leader Stan says that we need to have a relationship with our food.  If we're going to eat it, to completely enjoy every single bite and leave the guilt, shame, stress at home, but to plan well.

Let's make this a week where we all come back next Sunday and have lots of victories to report, whether it's scale, clothing, mindful eating etc.

1.  First off - how did you do last week and how are you feeling about your progress?

I did great last week.  I got in some daily walking which made me feel great. My back is still yucked up but I'm moving anyways which the chiro says is ok.  Last Sunday I was 169, this morning 167 so I'm really proud of my very mindful eating.  Two pounds is big for me, but that was after a 17 day plataeu that I suffered through. 

2.  Any great victories or challenges to share with the group? 

Victory - TWO pounds.  Bought a size 12 Ellen Tracy Black Wool coat for $9.99 at goodwill.  Bought a pair of size 8 Lee Black jeans that should be relaxed, but aren't, but zip, button and I can tie my shoes. 

Challenge is still that I'm only able to walk.  I'm to find what works for my body.  I upped my calories, upped my protein as well.  My friend wasn't able to come for the weekend so the challenge is not eating my disappointment and eating from boredom.

3.  Are you celebrating Thanksgiving this week?  I know it's not this week for you Canadians. If yes, is it at your house or are you going somewhere?  What are you preparing and what are you planning to eat?  Let's be realistic and honest and not just say what's expected.  My wonderful Weigh****chers Leader Stan says that we need to have a relationship with our food.  If we're going to eat it, to completely enjoy every single bite and leave the guilt, shame, stress at home, but to plan well.

Thanksgiving I'm going to a friends house where I go every year.  They are all very supportive of my WLS and would not dream of derailing me.  I just need to bake some plain organic sweet potatoes to take with me.  The food will all be organic and good quality and not made with tons of butter because they are all health conscious. I plan to have a protein shake in the morning before I go.   I plan to ask for a salad plate to eat my dinner on.  I am visualizing a couple ounces of turkey, 1 T mashed potatoes, 1 T stuffing and cranberry sauce with a touch of gravy.  I will not reach for seconds.  I will probably have one sliver of pumpkin pie which I will ask the hostess to cut for me.  I figure I should put in the pie so that I don't sit there feeling deprived.  I will enjoy every single morsel of it!   I will not take home leftovers and will be back on my usual plan on Friday morning.

I will encourage everyone to take the long walk up the hill that we take after dinner.

I fractured my ankle on Thanksgiving 2007 when leaving their house.  It's a very dark street and I didn't see the hole in the ground and fell flat on my face.  I will step lightly in the dark.

NEXT  

My Holiday goal was to start maintaining my weight and not gain through Thanksgiving and Christmas.

1. I lost a couple of pounds last week that I really didn't want to lose, and now I'm struggling in my head because I don't want to gain them. I hate any upward movement on the scale, even though I probably should try to gain those pounds back. Hopefully things will balance out soon and I will land where my body wants me.

2. I had a really good week following my menus to the letter and trying to adjust my calories so I don't lose any more weight.

3. We have Thanksgiving get togethers Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  Luckily I get assigned lots of dishes and I am making home-made stuffing out of low carb bread, hungry girl's green bean casserole, and mashed cauliflower. I am also taking mashed cauliflower, a veggie tray with greek yogurt dip, and my healthy desserts to all of them. So I am going to try to stick to my food and some white meat turkey. I hate sweet potatoes, so those won't be a temptation. I have planned my menus for the rest of the day for those days and am doing protein shakes, raw veggies, etc. So my calories and carbs will be way low before those dinners to leave some wiggle room.

 Hi Shannon,

I'm sorry those pounds are still coming off.  I have confidence that you'll figure out how to stabilize and get the help that you need to figure it out.

Great job on sticking to your food plan!!

You plan for Thanksgiving looks terrific.  Good job taking foods that you can eat.

My Goal - to reach 100 lbs lost by 12/31/10.

1.  First off - how did you do last week and how are you feeling about your progress?
I did great last week for the most part. Reached all of my exercise goals and did better on cutting back on carbs. I had a few carby days (like yesterday), but overall I'm happy. When we started the challenge, I had 7 pounds to go to reach my goal and now I have 4. I'm happy with that progress. I'm losing about 1 pound a week right now.

2.  Any great victories or challenges to share with the group?
Oh, I can't think of anything significant. Nothing spectacular and nothing terrible. Im satisfied with that though.

3.  Are you celebrating Thanksgiving this week?  I know it's not this week for you Canadians. If yes, is it at your house or are you going somewhere?  What are you preparing and what are you planning to eat?  Let's be realistic and honest and not just say what's expected.  My wonderful Weigh****chers Leader Stan says that we need to have a relationship with our food.  If we're going to eat it, to completely enjoy every single bite and leave the guilt, shame, stress at home, but to plan well.
Yes, celebrating Thanksgiving at my SIL's house. It will be traditional faire and I am responsible for salads. I usually make pea salad and broccoli salad, both with mayo/sour cream and bacon. I think I'll be sure to make a green salad this time (maybe with cranberries and pecans). This is the first family holiday since my husband and I had surgery, so I'm sure all eyes will be on our plates. That will actually keep me in check.

 What a fabulous week you've had!!  Congratulations on all of your hard work.  :)

Hey, I didn't know that your husband had surgery as well.  Which did he have?  How has he done post-op?    You're probably right that everyone will watch the two of you, but you know, the only ones you have to please are yourselves.

Four pounds to go is incredible.  You go girl!!

I posted twice last week, BUT my responses were "eaten"

1.  I lost 2 lbs last week, one lb this week, so down to 164!!! Busted that 2 wk stall. Am optomistic that may I can drop another 4 lbs by New Years.

2. No great victories.  "Behaved" (ate resonable) at a family Thanksgiving day dinner Sat.  They didn't serve pumpin pie :(
I will have to have some sometime before New Years....maybe X-Mas.

3. Not really celebrating Thanksgiving this week, since we did last week, but I am going to cook...Pork roast, baked sweet potatoes and 7 layer salad.

Mindful eating everyone and have a good holiday dinner wherever you are.

Jane

Jane, you sound terrific! 

Kudos on 164!!  That must feel incredible to you.  I bet you can shed those 4 pounds by New Years with a lot of mindful eating.

Behaving is a big victory in my book!!  :)

1)  The scale bounced around this week, due to sodium in diet...when from  168 up  to 171 
       then back down to 167. 6....I'm claiming 168.  So that's one pound down, from last week!!

2)  Yes, we had festive holiday food at work last Friday and I only had the proteins and the 
      healthy carbs....passed up the sweets... faced the challenge of tempation and had
      victory!!!

3)  I will be out of town for several days and the temptation will be great with lots of good 
     forbidden food.   I plan to eat protein first, then a bite of a dessert, then get my water in.
     I plan to treat myself thru out the visit in this manner. Hopefully, the scales will not go up 
     above 170....LOL....then come Monday .......hitting the program full speed...that is until
     Christmas......   I am happy with my size and weight now...but, would like to push to get off
     all BP med...it has been cut in half.....we will see what another few loss of pounds will
     do!!!   if not for that and the fact that a regain is common after reaching goal or I would enter    Maintanence program  at this point...TMI....

 You did great last week.  Down a pound during the holidays is good stuff.  Sounds like you did great at work and have a good plan for how to handle Thanksgiving and your out of town adventure.

Fail to plan, plan to fail.   It sounds like you've got that covered!   Good job.  :)