Healthy Living Club-March

[JanetMegan]

Welcome to March folks (which is coming in like a Lion here in the Deep South.)

I have to admit, I was rocking on this healthy living thing in January, but Feb. well that's another story. Not sure what happened, just fell victim to old habits I think.

But with the onset of bathing suit season just mere months away I'm back on track with renewed vigor!

How about you guys? How are your habits doing? Have you fallen off the wagon and need positive reinforcement? If so we're here to help!

Welcome to the March Healthy Living Club!

[Christine]

March definitely is coming in like a lion down south, isn't it! We woke up to some MAJOR storms this morning...

anyway, last month I told you all that I was eating what I normally do, but HALF (get a cheeseburger, eat half, want a snicker bar, eat half, etc.)

I am so happy to announce that when I went for a follow up doctor appt earlier this week, I was down 3 pounds from the month before.

I know that is not major, but the idea of losing 36 lbs in a year's time is encouraging.

Exercise wise, I am walking 1.5 miles on my treadmill 5 days a week and doing a strength training video (20 min) 5 days a week.

Hope March goes as well as February!!

Good luck to all!!!

[disneydrmr]

Well, I am newly motivated... I guess a heart scare is a good motivator for anyone... I'm seeing a heart specialist tomorrow.. had an abnormal EKG. I know I don't eat right, and I'm a bit overweight for my size....so starting today I AM gonna eat right. More fruits and veggies, less sweets. More exercise (once the heart specialist says I'm ok to exercise). I only need to lose about 25 - 30 lbs to put me at a decent/correct weight for my size. Hope everyone else is doing well with their healthy living!

[aprilisis]

Well, I am newly motivated... I guess a heart scare is a good motivator for anyone... I'm seeing a heart specialist tomorrow.. had an abnormal EKG. I know I don't eat right, and I'm a bit overweight for my size....so starting today I AM gonna eat right. More fruits and veggies, less sweets. More exercise (once the heart specialist says I'm ok to exercise). I only need to lose about 25 - 30 lbs to put me at a decent/correct weight for my size. Hope everyone else is doing well with their healthy living!

Oh, my! Please keep us posted on how you are doing!
I did awful in February. I seriously have to lose 50 pounds at least. I feel so overwhelmed by the fact that I have so far to go & I am having a REALLY hard time getting motivated. I generally eat healthy- I am vegetarian & I don't really like sweets. I definitely have to cut down on carbs. I think I have to go to low-fat or fat free dairy products & cut down portion size, too. I AM going to try harder to let my food cravings pass & to make more time for the gym this month. If anyone has any tips or suggestions, I would be happy to hear them!

[Christine]

I seriously have to lose 50 pounds at least. I feel so overwhelmed by the fact that I have so far to go & I am having a REALLY hard time getting motivated.

One thing that helps me is to break my goals down a bit. I never say, I have to lose 25 pounds b/c I would feel hopeless.

I say, I am going to lose 5 pounds at a time. Then I will promise myself a treat!

I just started getting serious about losing weight in January. I have lost 3 pounds as of now.

When I hit 5, I will go get a massage!

When I hit 10, I will go to Dallas for a getaway weekend.

When I hit 15, I will get myself 5 new outfits.

When I hit 20, I will get myself a Coach bag.

When I hit 25, I am going to Disneyworld and staying at the Poly!

So try to break it up into smaller milestones and always reward yourself...just not with food!

Hang in there! We can all do this!

[JanetMegan]

April, here is how I would suggest helping with this in your mind...

Don't think of it as 50 lbs. Think of it as about 5 lbs. a month for the rest of the year! That's only a little over a lb a week! Which is really do-able.

Do you have any hobbies at home? I have found lately that if I am "busy" doing scrapbooking or working with my hands I don't feel bored (needing to eat.) This has really helped me in the between coming home from work and dinnertime time.

[jennbunn]

i got a letter from my dr today saying my cardaic echo was fine. but i do have high blood sugar. so i have been avoiding sweets and started to do dance and walk exercise 4 times a week for 30 min at a time. hopefully by end of month will be 60 min at a time. as far as weight i lost 5 pounds. only 45 more to go.

[VickiP]

I joined Weight Watchers on Thursday with some girlfriends. We all work together and they have a program at work. I went a year ago and lost 30 pounds, but we ended up moving to another state and I was making excuses. I have A LOT of weight to lose, I'm not even saying it out loud. I know that I'm unhealthy, but am committed to making a change and sticking to it this time.

Of course, my dear husband wanted to go to Pizza Hut last night. I ordered a small, thin crust chicken supreme and only had 2 pieces. I stayed within my points!

[MScholl13]

Glad the Healthy Living Club is around. I need some motivation!

Here's the deal: I joined a gym in January and did well going for the first month and a half. Lately with all the work I've been doing I don't want to go at night, I'm just too tired.

So my solution was to go before work, at 5:45 A.M. That sounds all well and good, but I can't make myself get up and go! It's not a lack of sleep problem, because I'm getting about 8 hours of sleep.Anybody have any tips on this? I'd love to be able to go in the middle of the day, but with my work schedule that's impossible. I've got to beat these early morning blahs!

[JanetMegan]

Man I'm sorry to say I don't know if there are any easy answers to that one. I think it comes down to sheer willpower and schedule adjustment. I get up at about 4:45 and I don't enjoy it. But I just have gotten used to it and deal with it. If I didn't already get up so early I'd consider working out in the mornings too. Just think how good it will be to get home and have it done already??

[MScholl13]

I think I'd probably be able to stick to it, if I'd just do it for about a week. I'm going to attempt this tomorrow morning. Hopefully I'll have a good report!

[disneydrmr]

Reporting in for the week... I have done GREAT! I"m really proud of myself! I work for a food warehouse and we have brokers come in from time to time for us to sample their newest products. I had my cardiac specialist appt. Friday morning.. came in to work and the lunchroom was FULL of donuts/danishes/muffins and other tempting foods! In the five years I've worked here I have NEVER passed up on an oppurtunity to sample.. but I DID!!!! I got a small cup of sweet potato casserole (all I had eaten so far that day was a small chicken breast in Italian dressing). I weighed myself Sunday am and had lost about .5 lb. I know it's not much.. but it's a start! I will NOT allow myself to get any more unhealthy than I already am!

[JanetMegan]

Reporting in for the week... I have done GREAT!

Nice job Diane! It's sooo hard to try away from temptations! I usually go to lunch with 3 guys from work and they always pick chinese buffet, pizza buffet, mexican buffet (you see a theme here?) But for the last two weeks I've been doing soups and salads and Subway sandwiches. I think it's really helping. Plus I don't feel all full and gross in the middle of the day!

[JerseyMouse]

As some of you may know, I have set up a challenge for myself to fitness walk the mileage between my home and WDW. I am 3 weeks into the challenge and have walked 90 miles!!

Let me just say how much better I feel, physically and mentally since I have begun this. I have more energy, my mood is brighter, my clothes fit better, and my eating has improved..not great, but better than it has been in years!

My advice to anyone who thinks they can't exercise, start a walking program, all you need is a good pair of walking shoes (just like the ones you'll wear in WDW). I was skeptical at first about walking as a good form of fitness, but it has exceeded my expectations in every way!!

Good luck to all of you on your journey..just remember..what makes stronger is now how many times we slip up, it's how many times we get back up..please don't beat yourselves up about the eating, just start fresh tomorrow!!

[disneyfamily05]

Oohh.. I don't normally visit the water cooler - but i think this is a thread i will have to start visiting more often. I am always in the rut of - i'll start being healthy - next week, tomorrow, when its hotter, when its colder, etc. If i could just start moving more and eating a little bit better - its all of those work lunches that do me (and my wallet) in. Even the idea of starting a walking program sounds like a start. Thanks for the spark in motivation everyone!

[aprilisis]

Thanks, Janet & Diane (by the way, congratulations on your dieting!! You guys are doing GREAT!)- I will look at it as five pounds per month. That is much easier to cope with. I have been to the gym to do cardio for 3 days in a row now & I did weights at home 2 nights in a row. I have been eating very healthy, too. I picked up a new hobby- I am teaching myself hieroglyphics. I know it is strange & not really useful, but it has always interested me and I would like to be able to go to the museum & read what I am looking at. I guess maybe I have watched "the Mummy" too many times, too. It has been a pretty good week. JerseyMouse- That is a great idea that you came up with!! I love it. Now I just have to make it through the weekend!

[VickiP]

I am so excited! We had our first weigh in on Thursday and I had lost 5.4 pounds in ONE WEEK! I know that won't continue, but I was so happy to have a big kick start to Weight Watchers! Plus, they say the temps are going to warm up here so I can start walking outside.

[Beast_fanatic]

I just realized that I hadn't posted yet this month.

While I thought that February was a rough month, I'm actually down more than I realized. I went back to February and it said I had lost a total of 17.5 pounds, but my current total loss is 23 pounds which means I've lost an additional 5.5 pounds.

I've done better in the last couple of weeks with my exercise as well since the weather has improved greatly here.

[offwego]

Well I've started eating breakfast this week (ok it's a yogurt but that's a step in the right direction right?)

and I've started using a pilates dvd to do a workout. (Which was actually pretty fun) Congrats to all who are further ahead in their progress!

[aprilisis]

I have been doing well so far with eating & cardio, but I am having a problem with weights. I do free weights for my arms, and they don't really hurt the next day. I have 8 lb. weights & I do at least 3 sets of 15 reps & I get tired- but I am not really sore the next day. What do you think I am doing wrong?