[mother christmas]

Has anyone decided on what they are going to do?

How is everyone going to track their goals?
What are your goals?
What are you going to give up in order to help with these goals?

[*Tessmas*]

Well l have one major goal and thats to move house and start afresh, new job, new life etc.
l'm planning on doing this move in February, but will need a lot of support from family and friends, and of course you guys as this is a big thing for me.
l live here on my own (in the same house hubby lived with me in) and feel in the past year l've not achieved much. l currently am unemployed and my money is going quickly.

Soooo.....l shall be moving in with my friend 200 miles away as a lodger, and my sister and Alfie will be ont he same road along with other friends, so all good wishes for me please!! x

[buffettchristmas]

good luck Tess. A change of scenery might help you find a job too in a new community. I'll be praying.


For me, I plan on funishing my house fully. I would like to have the kitchen floor and counter tops done this year.

For "working out", I continue to clean bulk by eating over maintenance calories and building muscle. I'm 188lb at 14% bodyfat, and I'd like to keep bulking. In March I plan on cutting many carbs out and losing down to about 8% hopefully. I want to see what I've gained of pure muscle.

I started out in 2007 as a 130lb scrawny swimmer kid, and started weight lifting as a hobby.

I look forward to reading everyone's goals. I also am a bit knowledgeable in ways of dieting/nutrition and weight training, if anyone has questions. :)

[Snowflake]

Oh Tessmess, good luck. My daughter has a job but not in her degree, so I am hoping she will take the plunge and move to a better location, she has been living at home the past year.

For my goals, to downsize my clutter and to get in better health, by sticking to walking everyday at least 30 min. And to hopefuly talk one of my sons to take care of his health better.

[mother christmas]

Still looking for ideas on how to track what I eat, what I do for exercise. Anyone with ideas?

[ElfSpirit]

Mother Christmas,
I found this website:

http://www.healthyweightforum.org/en...ries-required/

It helps you to figure out how many calories you need to eat in order to lose the weight you want over a period of time. You put in your info and it calculates it all for you. It also takes into consideration your activity level.

I want to lose 15 pounds in 3 months, so I have to keep my daily calorie intake around 1400 per day. I'm walking 6 days a week at the moment. Today I start my weekly yoga class again, and I also want to begin to incorporate some weight training/ sit-ups/ stretching (from the P90X program) a few times a week.

However, I want to build up to the P90X stuff. I hadn't done squat for a while and felt really out of shape. Plus, my back had been messed up again, so I wanted to take it slowly and safely. I think I will do a weight training dvd once this week to start, and then build up to the 3 times a week.

So far, the walking and calorie reduction has been going well. I am feeling good about my 2012 start. It's only been a week, but hey, gotta start somewhere, right?

Good luck to you all with your goals!!

[mother christmas]

Thank you Elfspirit, I will check out this website when I have some time alone.

This is my monthly challenge
- lose 5 or 10 pounds this month
- declutter 1 room
- drink wine one night a week (I have choose Saturday)

[Kerst]

My goal in 2012 is to get my health back on track.

I have been struggling with digestive problems and have been told by doctors "to learn to live with it". I have no intention of doing any such thing and I know that I can get it all back to normal given enough time. Right now my main problem is a form if IBS with bloating, gas and distension of the abdomen and hypersensitive intestines as a consequence.

I've read numerous books on the subject and have made good progress but during the past two months have been too busy to do more than stick to my diet. Now it's time to concentrate on the problem again and get it sorted once and for all.

I BELIEVE ! AND ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IF YOU BELIEVE IN YOURSELF !

I believe in myself, I belief in my abilities, I just know I can do this.

[ElfSpirit]

Originally Posted by mother christmas Thank you Elfspirit, I will check out this website when I have some time alone. This is my monthly challenge - lose 5 or 10 pounds this month - declutter 1 room - drink wine one night a week (I have choose Saturday)

Sure, no problem, Mother Christmas!

LOL, I have never been able to lose more than a couple of pounds in a month. Losing 10 would never happen for me; I think I'd just get frustrated. But, every body is different. I know a girl at my hair salon who lost 20 pounds in 6 weeks. All she did was change her eating habits. No exercise, even! I admit, I was a bit jealous of her!

Good luck to everyone with their goals.

I was having some bad cravings yesterday for chocolate...ugh...what are your thoughts about this? Is it better to have a small piece (of whatever you're craving that's "bad") or to just be tough and say NO?
I gave in and had a small piece. Very small. Just enough for the taste. It seemed to help. Does that make me a weakling? hehe

[Kerst]

Originally Posted by ElfSpirit Sure, no problem, Mother Christmas! I was having some bad cravings yesterday for chocolate...ugh...what are your thoughts about this? Is it better to have a small piece (of whatever you're craving that's "bad") or to just be tough and say NO? I gave in and had a small piece. Very small. Just enough for the taste. It seemed to help. Does that make me a weakling? hehe

It is better NOT to give in to your cravings. A small piece today will only lead to a bigger one tomorrow. Instead of grabbing that chocolate eat some sweet fruits instead such as a handful of grapes or two mandarin oranges, anything sweet and juicy. Ask yourself WHY you were craving chocolate. Is it out of habit ? Were you bored or upset ? Habits can and should be changed. Replacing chocolate with fruit will within a few days make you crave for that fruit instead of the chocolate. If you were bored than get busy and find something to do to take your mind off of chocolate. Depending on your options you could go out for a walk, or if you're working concentrate on a large project or talk to your colleagues, whatever will help get you through until the next meal.

You started off well, YOU CAN DO IT ! GOOD LUCK !!

[mother christmas]

Yes don't give into the cravings that is the hardest thing to do. I have been doing pretty good with not wanting chocolate or chips so hopefully I will continue that one. I am cutting back my wine to one night a week so I am hoping that by the summer I only have it once a month!

[Twinkle]

Mother Christmas...check out a free website that will help lots...
http://www.sparkpeople.com

[Snowflake]

My biggest cravings are not chocolate or desserts. I am not a big eater.... But PEPSI is my downfall, I cannot stand any diet soda except maybe for the diet Rootbeer. But a pepsi a day puts the weight on. Even diet soda is not good for a person. So far this year, I allow my self 1 of the small 99 cent size of real pepsi a week. And I am watchiing the sugar and salt and flour. Trying to cut down on eating anything white. And walking more.

[ElfSpirit]

Thanks for your interesting feedback about the cravings. Personally, I don't drink pop, eat chips or other "junk food", use sugar very sparingly, don't eat processed foods at all and am keeping my wine intake to a few glasses a week, so I don't feel bad when I do eat one tiny piece of dark chocolate. I usually never eat that regularly, either, but you ladies may know about those hormones every month! That's when I get those cravings, so I don't feel badly about eating just a bit, enough to still the craving. I eat plenty of fruit and healthy things, so it's not the sweet part. It's the chocolate. LOL

I am making sure that any treat I give myself is not putting me over my daily calorie limit, too. If it would, then I'd pass on it. And, I'm not "treating" myself every day. Just every now and then. So, I don't feel it's a bad thing, necessarily. I just make sure I really enjoy it when I do eat it.

However, I do agree with the idea about psychological reasons for eating when there's no real reason to, and making an effort to ask "why" one is feeling like eating something.

Thanks again for all of your feedback.

Despite the sinus headaches I'm dealing with at the moment, I'm keeping myself on track with my power walks and calorie intake. Feeling good about that.

Hope everyone is doing great with their goals, too.

[Kerst]

GOOD FOR YOU ELFSPIRIT !!! You're on the right track !! And if you want to treat yourself to a tiny piece of chocolate you sure deserve it and NO IT WON'T HARM YOU OR YOUR DIET AT ALL !!! So go for it, enjoy it and don't make a big deal out of it. And most important: DON'T FEEL GUILTY ABOUT IT !!!!

[mother christmas]

Thanks Twinkle I will check it out, but right now I am trying it my way. I did this 6 years ago and lost lots of weight then after I lost my dad 5 years ago I put it on again.

[ElfSpirit]

Thanks, Kerst! Much appreciated!

Mother Christmas, if I can do it, so can you!

Today I'm introducing P90X back into the routine. Weight lifting. I remember how I felt after those workouts, so I'm not really looking forward to the pain, but I know it will get better after a while. The results were good, so that's why I'm doing it.

It will be interesting to see how I do with my calorie intake now that I'm starting this again...I was hungry as a horse before with P90X and I hope I can deal with that without too much trouble. We'll see.

[ElfSpirit]

Hi there,
Just got back from my walk. Feeling good about getting back into the swing of things.
Had a little set-back and didn't work out for a few days. But, I'm back at it now.

P90X is going well...I'm sore afterwards, but it's okay. I can still function. LOL

How is everyone else doing?

[Kerst]

Originally Posted by ElfSpirit It will be interesting to see how I do with my calorie intake now that I'm starting this again...I was hungry as a horse before with P90X and I hope I can deal with that without too much trouble. We'll see.

Make sure you eat lots of COMPLEX carbohydrates (brown rice, wholewheat bread, brown pasta...) when you're hungry like a horse. The carbs will restore your energy levels and the fibre will get rid of the waste. Complex carbs don't make you fat, on the contrary. They are necessary in a healthy well balanced diet.

[ElfSpirit]

Thanks for the tip, Kerst. I already do eat whole wheat pasta and brown rice, and I only eat brown bread, so I guess I'm on the right track!