Healthy Living around the World Showcase ~ June 2016 WISH Challenge!

[donac]

I'm Sandy ☺
I'm 62 and just retired from working in a high school library.
I lost 70lbs almost 15 years ago and have been able to keep it off. I am a WW member and was thrilled to find a WW leader on this thread!
My job was fairly active-i rarely sat down except for lunch. My biggest issue is exercise. I need to become more active on a regular basis.
My goal is 30 minutes 4x a week to start the month. I"ll begin with walking-we have a park near our house.
My woo hoo (I love reading these!) is that even after enjoying several retirement events, I did not gain weight.

Hi Sandy I am Dona and I just turned 61. I retired from teaching high school mathematics last year. I had put in 38 years and it was time for me to go. Congrats on your weight loss and being able to keep it off.

 

[Hazelon]

Delurked noob here sign me up! I may or may no have lurked in here last month... which is only slightly creepy.

Accountability is key for me and I need it with my marathon training. With that should come some weight loss though I'm gaining muscle like crazy. So my goal is actually just to hit all my runs and cross training workouts this month. Side personal goal is a 5lb weight loss.

About me as the noob I'm a huge Disney fan and I loveeeee Epcot so this is an awesome theme to start with!! I try to go about twice a year, and I got my first DL trip this year! I've done three disney race weekends as of right now with another three planned. I run outside of Disney and love it. I've done quite a few races at the 10k and half distances so training for the full has me a little spazzed out. I also LOVE to cook and I think that's about it. I'm actually pretty boring.

 

[donac]

I am Dona and I have been on and off the last few years.

I just turned 61 on Sunday. I am a retired math teacher. I have been married to my college sweetheart for almost 38 years ( in Aug). We have 2 sons, 31 and 26. The older one is getting married in Aug and the younger one is getting married next April.

I was going to be involved in May but life really got crazy. On May 3rd I found out the people that I costume with at the local high school were nominated for a county award. Think of the Tonys but here in Monmouth County they are called the Basies (The theater in Red Bank is named after Count Basie the musician). We had to get people ready to perform again and into costumes. The ceremony is fun but very noisy. We did not win but it was fun since it was my first official nomination. We did win for set and one of females won best supporting actress.

After that craziness was over then my son's bridal shower was the following weekend, my birthday Memorial Day weekend, a friend's 50th birthday party, a friend's daughter's graduation from college off to work at Disney party, my husband working with his sisters to sell his parent's house and dealing with his 2 sisters who we thought were going to kill each other, Mother's Day and what would have been my parent's 62nd wedding anniversary (the same day as Mother's Day). It was not an easy month to to stay on track.

This weekend I am headed to Wichita Kansas for my nephew's wedding on Sunday evening. We leave on Friday morning and get home late on Tuesday night. My younger son and his fiance are coming on Sat so we can spend the weekend with them.

My goal for the month is to work out at least 15 minutes per day

Have a happy and healthy day.

And as a fun question: Which is your favourite country around the World Showcase, or if you haven’t been there yet, which country would you be most interested in to explore?

I love Epcot. We got to see it before it even opened. We were there in 1981 and you could take the monorail over to Epcot and see the plans and the outsides of the buildings.

I don't know if I have a favorite country. I love the Martin Short movie in Canada, the ride in Mexico, the movie in China is spectacular, I love Norway and can't wait to see the new Frozen ride, in Germany I enjoy watching the clock, in USA the American Experience is very moving but I also enjoy watching the singing(can't remember the groups name). But I guess my favorite spot is Italy with Via Napoli. We have a couple of great meals there. We took dh there for his birthday dinner last Halloween.

 

[courtneybeth]

Question of the Day: June 1
And as a fun question: Which is your favourite country around the World Showcase, or if you haven’t been there yet, which country would you be most interested in to explore?

This question is like asking a parent to choose your favorite child... so it took me a good 30 minutes to answer.

I have to say that FRANCE is my favorite country - and it's actually better than the real France (which as I told my professor when he asked, "is a sh!thole"). We enjoy the France pavilion for a few reasons: the movie provides a great 20 minute nap in a comfy chair during the hottest part of the day; the ice cream shop is home to my favorite snack.. the Croque Glace!; and the wine is out of this world.

The shopping and restaurants leave much to be desired - but the way things are going we didn't buy much at all on our last trip. We love munching around the world and France provides three places to do that and a place to rest. Cannot complain... oh! and the little bridge to walk over near the international gateway is fun too!

 

[mamattorney]

Hello Everyone!

Glad to be here another month! My name is Patty, I'm a 43 year old mother of three. I've been serious about losing weight for almost a year -- tracked my first meal on July 6th of last year! I'm closing in on 100lbs lost and after a week or so of riding on the edge, officially reached Onderland in May (being under 200lbs).

I really struggled with my goal for this month with my vacation coming up. I don't want my goal to have anything to do with weight. It's just a bad idea this month. I will be in active weight loss mode for the first two weeks, but while I will be reasonable on vacation, I don't know where I will end up when I return. Hopefully the inevitable gain will be temporary (salt issues and water retention mostly) and I will be back on track in July.

I went back into my fitbit dashboard and see that I have averaged 132 active minutes over the last 28 days. I've decided my goal will be to achieve at least 140 active minutes (per my fitbit) every day this month. Each day will be a yes or a no and I will work out my percentage of "yes" days cumulatively based upon where I am for the month, so I will report on Sunday for days through Saturday: x% out of 4 days, x% out of 11 days, x% of 18 days, x% of 25 days and x% of 30 days for a final check in after vacation.

My plan: keep on plan for the next two weeks (food and exercise), continue to be active on vacation (obviously) and be REASONABLE with food and alcohol consumption.

QOTD: I think my favorite country in the World Showcase is Mexico. I love going inside the pyramid on a hot, sunny day - it's so dark and cool and shopping in the market is the best! I've also watched Illuminations from the tables in the quick service restaurant (can't remember the name) and the view is fabulous!

 

[Zoesmama03]

I'm in for June. Aiming for 6-8 lbs lost. 6 will get me to my first mini goal of leaving the 300s. I can't wait

MFP: shrinkinMel
instagram: shuttermagik

I completed another 5K at the gym yesterday evening. Aiming to do it again tonight. I finished May with 40 miles. Not quite the 50 miles I was aiming for because I had a out of routine long weekend. I will probably do 5Ks mostly on days I don't do strength though.

 

[piglet1979]

@Flossbolna I work for a college access program. We work in the high schools to help students with the college process. We also have a Resource center for students that are not at a school we serve and for adults. On top of working with students we give out scholarships. This is where I work. I work with the traditional students. we have about 1000 kids each year that get a scholarship from us. we pick about 400 new incoming freshman every year. The freshman need to come in and have an "interview" (really just to go over information with them) and all of the upperclassman have to turn in renewal paperwork (the scholarship is renewable for 4 years). We have to have all of this processed before we can send checks to the schools. Needless to say summer is the busiest time of the year for me.

After seeing how stressful it is for me to take vacation at this time, I don't think I will do it again. There is just too much going on. I knew this was going to be the case but I couldn't pass up the deal we got. It is not helping matters that the office will basically be closed during the Republican Nation Convention. My building is in downtown Cleveland and very close to the blocked off area for the convention. Basically one slight adjustment to the secured area and it will encompass my building.

 

[Lady Marie]

So, with this we have introduced our adventure for the month, now it is your turn to introduce yourself before we start travelling around the World Showcase! Tell us a little bit about yourself. What is your motivation for joining the challenge? Which goals are you tracking? We are looking forward to getting to know everyone!

And as a fun question: Which is your favourite country around the World Showcase, or if you haven’t been there yet, which country would you be most interested in to explore?

Hi! I'm Patricia-- crazy cat lady, travel addict, and cookie monster's long lost daughter. I have a awful relationship with sweets which coupled with getting married and "comfy" led to quite a gain in my first year and half of marriage. But I've been so much more accountable for myself and my choices since I've participated in these challenges!!!

It's not been a consistent journey for me so far (loose 4, gain 2-- loose 3, gain 5-- over and over again....) but the overall trend is downward. Since Oct 2015 I've lost about 13 lbs, but I still have 17 to go to where I what I think is my best weight. I think I would like to try for 15 more after that.... but I will cross that bridge once I get there. I am having a hard time getting into and staying in the high 170's.... I'll get there and bounce back, so this is the month I want to be SOLIDLY in 17X department!

My goal is to be down 5 lbs this month. I think I could have managed that last month if we hadn't had 4 days at Disney!

I like Germany the best too-- the grapefruit beer and the caramel shop....... I am right there with you @MochaDrinker!

and by "Germany" I mean "Karamel Kuche"

 

[Zoesmama03]

Hi, I'm Melissa. 36 year old single mom to Zoe just shy of 13. I'm currently a caregiver without any clients. So not really working but looking for something full time to replace it. I have been off and on these WISH board challenges for years. I use MFP to track my food, calories and macros. I joined Anytime Fitness in April and its going really well and keeping me on track with the food journaling. I'm losing pretty steadily though I wish a bit more. Really hoping to take a Florida trip to WDW and Universal in the fall or winter. So would like to make a good dent so I can worry less about rides at Universal. Not at all worried about WDW never had an issue there.

Okay I caught up the reading. Added all the MFP and instagrams I didn't have. I'm probably missing some still. lol

I am in for June. I am going to go low with weight loss since we have our trip in a few days. I am going with losing 3 pounds as my goal. I will come back with my mfp name later. I have to check what it is. I never pay attention to it.

SO close to your trip. How exciting that must be.

I"m here, I'm here! Did you save me a seat?? Happy JUNE everyone!! I am 99 days away from my trip to California (San Diego and Disneyland) and I am feeling VERY positive about fitting into my best Disney clothes!!

I'll do my intro when I get home tonight. I just wanted to be sure I got myself a good seat for the month! I noticed that a few "good friends" here on the WISH challenges didn't post much near the end of the month. I hope you ALL come join us for June.... if not, you may be getting a friendly PM from me ... because I DO miss hearing from you!! (You know who you are, right???)

Have a FABULOUS day (and remember... it is WOOHOO Wednesday, so find something to celebrate!)................P

Sounds like a great trip for sure.

Just did my June 1st weigh-in and I'm at 243 lbs. My goal for June will be to lose 14 lbs. and be at 229 or below by June 30th.

For those who are new, my name is Josh and I'm a 41 year old teacher living in central Illinois. I'm married and have two children, a boy who's 11 and a daughter who's 6. I found these message boards because I love going with my family to Disney.

I started my weight loss journey in January weighing in at 320 lbs. My goal was to lose 100 lbs in a year. I started by walking mostly and have slowly ramped up the exercise. This past month was my "running month" as I did my first official 5k back on May 7th and also ran my first 10k last weekend. I look forward to continuing the running. I would love to be able to run a half marathon - I don't have any plans yet for that, but somewhere in the future I would love to give it a shot.

This month will be interesting because it's my first full month being home for summer break. I don't nearly get as many steps at home as I did at work. It does give me more time to exercise. Also, I coach high school football and our summer workout program starts next week. I'm still a bit fearful of what will happen once the season starts - I will have a lot less time for exercise and a lot more temptations for eating bad/fast food. I'll deal with all that when the time comes.

Since it's Wednesday, my woohoo will be my first 10k run that I completed last Saturday. I couldn't have dreamed of running a 10k 5 months ago (much like I can't imagine doing a half right now). It has taught me to never say never.

This past week I also joined a gym and did an 18 mile bike ride, so those too get some woohoos!

Glad the gym is going well. I've been enjoying mine and of course that I have a gym buddy, my best friend going too helps with accountability. 18 miles sounds like a either an intense ride or long. Either way it's great.

Question of the Day – June 1st

Hello explorers! A new month and a new adventure has started! We have so much to explore in Epcot’s World Showcase and I thought we start with a little history.

When Walt Disney started purchasing land in Florida, his idea was not to build many theme parks there. He had far more ambitious goals. He wanted to build the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow: E.P.C.O.T. It was supposed to be place where the newest inventions would be showcased by American industry, where people would live in a way that was made possible by all the inventions and in a model community. If you want to hear more about this, listen to Walt Disney explaining everything about the Florida Project himself:

​

Well, as Walt says in this film, things changed, they changed a lot. And at some point it was decided that instead of building E.P.C.O.T., they would start with building E.P.C.O.T. Center as a showcase of innoventions and the World. This is how the concept of a theme park with two elements: Futureworld and World Showcase was born and then opened on October 1st, 1982. World Showcase is often also dubbed as a permanent “World’s Fair” – showcasing the culture of different countries around the world.

​

World Showcase opened in 1982 with nine pavilions: Canada, United Kingdom, France, Japan, USA, Italy, Germany, China, and Mexico. Two years later, the Morocco pavilion opened and in 1988, Norway joined the showcase. There are seven spaces for expansions remaining and expansions had been envisioned from the beginning.

So, with this we have introduced our adventure for the month, now it is your turn to introduce yourself before we start travelling around the World Showcase! Tell us a little bit about yourself. What is your motivation for joining the challenge? Which goals are you tracking? We are looking forward to getting to know everyone!

And as a fun question: Which is your favourite country around the World Showcase, or if you haven’t been there yet, which country would you be most interested in to explore?

Probably Japan or Morocco. The architecture is some of my favorites in the world showcase. The restaurant in Morocco is great. Though my step mom I think loves France the most and we've gone there for a snack/lunch a few times and it's good. YUM

This question is like asking a parent to choose your favorite child... so it took me a good 30 minutes to answer.

I have to say that FRANCE is my favorite country - and it's actually better than the real France (which as I told my professor when he asked, "is a sh!thole"). We enjoy the France pavilion for a few reasons: the movie provides a great 20 minute nap in a comfy chair during the hottest part of the day; the ice cream shop is home to my favorite snack.. the Croque Glace!; and the wine is out of this world.

The shopping and restaurants leave much to be desired - but the way things are going we didn't buy much at all on our last trip. We love munching around the world and France provides three places to do that and a place to rest. Cannot complain... oh! and the little bridge to walk over near the international gateway is fun too!

It is hard huh??

 

[Oneanne]

Quick bio...

Turning 60 later this month, how the heck did that happen? Have struggled with my weight most of my adult life: got serious about weight control early this year after a rough winter of being continually stressed out and Ill: have lost around 30 pounds so far and have at least another 30 to go: have been on a holding pattern the past month so ready to get focussed and going again.

EPCOT is my favorite park and I seem to end up there multiple times each trip. I love taking the boat over from DHS and going in thru International Gateway. I also like entering the front at RD and walking back to France for breakfast... So quiet and peaceful. I also love walking around WS in the dark. I love taking a break at Spice Road for some hummus and as much mint iced tea as they'll bring me. I love Voices of Liberty and the show at American Pavillian. I love the Lady and the Tramp topiaries and take a picture of them every time I see them. I love walking in to the cool dark of the Mexico Pavillian. I actually don't love Illuminations but last Christmas got to watch it from an AllEars dessert viewing party up front and the extra Christmas add on actually made me cry. I already miss the old Norway... We're Norwegian on my Dad's side so it was always a must do. Awwww, getting totally nostalgic just thinking about how much I love it all.

Almost forgot... Posted it already, but my June goals are -5 pounds and an average of 10,000 steps per day.

 

[courtneybeth]

QOTD: I think my favorite country in the World Showcase is Mexico. I love going inside the pyramid on a hot, sunny day - it's so dark and cool and shopping in the market is the best! I've also watched Illuminations from the tables in the quick service restaurant (can't remember the name) and the view is fabulous!

I always forget about Mexico (and sadly Canada) because we're like "eh, it's Mexico. How can the food be any better since we live so close to the real Mexico?" and we were so surprised at how good the quick service food was. It was like being at home and eating some authentic Mexican food. We want to do the Illuminations quick service watch next trip for sure. Great idea!

I am having a hard time getting into and staying in the high 170's.... I'll get there and bounce back, so this is the month I want to be SOLIDLY in 17X department!

You will get to at least 179.9 this month. I will cheerlead you all month long and motivate you to get there. I'm sure you can set some small milestone maybe for the 179 or lower finish? Ie: A Lilly Pulitzer day planner if you make it? The new ones just got released so OF COURSE i pre-ordered mine. I love paper planners.

It is hard huh??

It so is! Each country brings its own pro's and con's.... each one has something amazing that makes it special. Except for America... we usually skip it unless we want a nap in that show too!

I already miss the old Norway.

We loved the Maelstrom ride so much and the old Norway pavilion. I don't think we're quite ready for the Arendelle tourist center just yet... I love Frozen but I am a little skeptical on how they're going to make a fake place stand out in an area where it's all real countries.

 

[sjrec]

We love walking through World Showcase. We often travel with my daughter, her husband and our 5 year old grandson. We have made it a last night tradition to eat dinner at Via Napoli, so I have nice memories of Italy. My mother's parents were born in Germany so I always buy a Christmas ornament as a souvenir in the German pavilion. My father's parents were from Norway, so I love looking at the jewelry in the Norwegian pavilion.

 

[4Mickeys]

volunteered to host August during @pjlla 's month, but I guess that didn't stick.

All good you take August - I'll do September - that will give me more time to get ready for it

I have done some quick scanning and a few likes - you guys have been chatty - I have been super busy but will try and get back tonight to do my intro and have a really good read - I feel so far behind already. Have great day everyone.

 

[SarahDisney]

Hey guys! I meant to stop by earlier today and read through, but I got a little bit distracted (*cough*Netflix*cough*).

So, with this we have introduced our adventure for the month, now it is your turn to introduce yourself before we start travelling around the World Showcase! Tell us a little bit about yourself. What is your motivation for joining the challenge? Which goals are you tracking? We are looking forward to getting to know everyone!

For those who don't know me (and even those who do) ... I'm Sarah, and I've been doing these challenges on and off for almost two years. In fact ... @Flossbolna was the host of the first challenge in which I participated, back in August 2014. Crazy!
Anyway ... about me. I've been "on a diet" since I was in high school. I've had my successful days, some not-very-successful days, and some terrible days, and I'm trying to get to a point where I have more of the successful days than anything else. For me, the main way to do this is stop thinking about dieting and starting to think about a general healthy lifestyle. I'm focusing more on doing the right thing - making better food choices, maintaining an exercise routine, and spending time focusing on keeping myself happy and healthy.

A lot of people have had "lightbulb" moments when they knew something had to change - but I never had that. I've always felt like I needed to lose weight. And I think a lot of that has to do with the way I see myself - I want to see something wrong with me, so I'm looking for trouble. That's why I'm taking this month to focus on myself and seeing myself in a better light. I have a big birthday (30) coming up soon, and I want to stop dreading that birthday.
My goal for the month is to spend at least 30 minutes every day focused on myself - whether that's spending time reading, watching TV, taking a nap, going out for a not-previously-scheduled run (not likely with the hot summer weather), crafting, taking a walk to clear my head ... something that's focused on keeping me away from stress and reminding myself why I'm so awesome. If I can take those 30 minutes every single day this month, then it will be a successful month for me!

And as a fun question: Which is your favourite country around the World Showcase, or if you haven’t been there yet, which country would you be most interested in to explore?

I like the boat ride in Mexico. A lot. It's probably my second favorite attraction in Epcot (Test Track is my favorite).
Although ... really not the biggest of Epcot fans. I like a few rides and the princesses. Other than that ... eh.

 

[pjlla]

I am in again for June. Thanks for hosting @Flossbolna!

I am struggling to decide on my goal this month. I said I was getting away from scale goals, because I am at a healthy weight. But I do want to get more to the middle of the healthy range for my height (107-141) vs. toward the top (currently 134). The scale did finally move a bit last month, so I feel some sense of hope, but I also don't want to set myself up for failure. I am training for my first full marathon, and realistically, it is not a great time for slashing calories. But, I can not decide what to make my goal if not pounds loss. I'll keep thinking about it and decide by the end of the week.

Has anyone ever maintained as a goal? How did you track it?

Yes, in fact, in the past we have had a "maintainers" category as well as a "losers" category. I think we did it based on weeks.... if the month has four week, then each week that you stay within your maintenance range (usually 2 lb +/-) you would consider yourself hitting 25%..... so if you maintain successfully every week for four weeks, you would hit 100% of your goal.

I'm Sandy ☺
I'm 62 and just retired from working in a high school library.
I lost 70lbs almost 15 years ago and have been able to keep it off. I am a WW member and was thrilled to find a WW leader on this thread!
My job was fairly active-i rarely sat down except for lunch. My biggest issue is exercise. I need to become more active on a regular basis.
My goal is 30 minutes 4x a week to start the month. I"ll begin with walking-we have a park near our house.
My woo hoo (I love reading these!) is that even after enjoying several retirement events, I did not gain weight.

And I am happy to have another WW here!! Welcome!!

Question of the Day – June 1st

Hello explorers! A new month and a new adventure has started! We have so much to explore in Epcot’s World Showcase and I thought we start with a little history.

When Walt Disney started purchasing land in Florida, his idea was not to build many theme parks there. He had far more ambitious goals. He wanted to build the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow: E.P.C.O.T. It was supposed to be place where the newest inventions would be showcased by American industry, where people would live in a way that was made possible by all the inventions and in a model community. If you want to hear more about this, listen to Walt Disney explaining everything about the Florida Project himself:

​

Well, as Walt says in this film, things changed, they changed a lot. And at some point it was decided that instead of building E.P.C.O.T., they would start with building E.P.C.O.T. Center as a showcase of innoventions and the World. This is how the concept of a theme park with two elements: Futureworld and World Showcase was born and then opened on October 1st, 1982. World Showcase is often also dubbed as a permanent “World’s Fair” – showcasing the culture of different countries around the world.

​

World Showcase opened in 1982 with nine pavilions: Canada, United Kingdom, France, Japan, USA, Italy, Germany, China, and Mexico. Two years later, the Morocco pavilion opened and in 1988, Norway joined the showcase. There are seven spaces for expansions remaining and expansions had been envisioned from the beginning.

So, with this we have introduced our adventure for the month, now it is your turn to introduce yourself before we start travelling around the World Showcase! Tell us a little bit about yourself. What is your motivation for joining the challenge? Which goals are you tracking? We are looking forward to getting to know everyone!

And as a fun question: Which is your favourite country around the World Showcase, or if you haven’t been there yet, which country would you be most interested in to explore?

VERY quick intro..... Pamela, older-than-I-care-to-admit, Mom to TWO grown adults (DD will be a college junior and DS will be a college freshman in the fall!), married to DH for 24 years as of last month. I am a full-time substitute teacher, part time WW leader, and part time WW 24/7 expert chat coach, plus I work maintenance at school in the summer (it's not glamorous, but it pays the tuition bills). I was an "average" teen and young adult (never thin, but certainly not really heavy), but I gained during my later college years and early adult years. I lost the weight when I got married, but immediately gained it all back and then some and THEN had two babies. From 1993 - 2008 I weighed anywhere from 155 - 220 (sadly, more of that time spent nearer the 220 than I would like to admit) before something finally "CLICKED" and I lost the weight FOR GOOD! I've been within the same 10 pound range since mid-2009, but lately I've been at the higher end of that range than I would like, hence the reason I consider myself a LOSER on these challenges and NOT a maintainer. But I do know, even if my weight never ever drops another ounce, that I am SO MUCH HAPPIER AND HEALTHIER than I was 90 pounds ago!

Favorite country........hmmmm..... hard to say.... but I'll say Canada because I think it is the MOST beautiful "land" in World Showcase! I have done a small "Eat Around the World" with DD in the past (2011 and 2013), but we aren't big foodies so other than the comment from @MochaDrinker (see below), I don't have any special Epcot foods that I crave.

I haven't been to Disney yet (going next year hopefully) but I want to explore Germany the most, and by "Germany" I mean "Karamel Kuche"

YES, YES.... 100 times YES!

I volunteered to host August during @pjlla 's month, but I guess that didn't stick.

Love the theme for June, @Flossbolna! World Showcase is

I guess I'll be mainly lurking again this month, but I'm excited to see where you take the theme.

This month marks 1 year of WISH participation for me!

Instagram: @craftiest_place_on_earth & @megan.s.legett, but I barely use the latter anymore, except for selfies and puppy photos.

June Goal/Plan: Lose any amount of weight. Drink more water, eat more protein, eat fewer carbs, get more active. I'm mapping out an exercise schedule that I will hopefully start and stick to. I've also got to do my 3 runDisney V5K's this month and next.

Motivation: Definitely going to Disney in October, and would like to be back to at least the same weight as when we went last year.

That's because I"m a TERRIBLE DISORGANIZED loser!! Yes, you DID say you would host and I never added you to the schedule! I'm so sorry! And I'm glad you stopped lurking long enough to check in with us!! You are missed!!

***********************

Okay.... I did my checking in, as promised!! I also have my exercise plan FIRMLY in my head.... now to transfer it to paper and share it! It isn't grand, but it is a start.

Laundry is piled on the bed and I need to go to sleep soon (I've been up since 4am), so off to fold that laundry! TTY in the morning!..................P

 

[Hazelon]

Oh man I forgot to mention my favorite country! It's Japan. I love the view of spaceship earth at sunset from that location is so beautiful. Also you can't get past the gift shop there it's so amazing. I think Germany might be my number two for the snacks, and England is number three. I just love the set up of England and the little meet and greet areas that are tucked away. I power walk past France unless it's a stall for F&G or F&W.

 

[courtneybeth]

My goal for the month is to spend at least 30 minutes every day focused on myself - whether that's spending time reading, watching TV, taking a nap, going out for a not-previously-scheduled run (not likely with the hot summer weather), crafting, taking a walk to clear my head ... something that's focused on keeping me away from stress and reminding myself why I'm so awesome. If I can take those 30 minutes every single day this month, then it will be a successful month for me!

I love the idea of dedicating time to yourself - it's the ultimate celebration of you and so great for your mental health.

Yes, in fact, in the past we have had a "maintainers" category as well as a "losers" category. I think we did it based on weeks.... if the month has four week, then each week that you stay within your maintenance range (usually 2 lb +/-) you would consider yourself hitting 25%..... so if you maintain successfully every week for four weeks, you would hit 100% of your goal.

This actually makes sense. I'll have to remember this for when my body finally decides it's happy and stops losing weight.

Oh man I forgot to mention my favorite country! It's Japan. I love the view of spaceship earth at sunset from that location is so beautiful. Also you can't get past the gift shop there it's so amazing.

Japan definitely has the best shopping area. We always end up walking through there to pick up a lucky cat... and a Pick a Pearl.

We watch Illuminations from around the arch every Christmas trip and it's so cool. You get the view of Spaceship Earth in the background while the metal earth shoots off fireworks and projects images. Highly recommend to everyone.

 

[JacknSally]

Italy is my favorite country. I want all the masks!!

 

[Flossbolna]

Good Morning everyone!! I just finished my healthy breakfast (oats with peach and yoghurt) and now have a few minutes to get caught up on this thread a little bit. You have been so chatty that I am afraid that I will not be able to keep up replying to everyone for the whole month! So, don't think I don't like you if I miss a post of yours!

My goals for June:

Be at -30 pounds when I go in to see my Doctor on 6.10, which means -3 pounds in the next week and a half. Then -2 more pounds after that, for a total of -5 for the month.

Average 10,000 steps per day.

30 pounds is quite an achievement!! Well done! And I hope you get your first goal and that your doctor is really impressed!

Hello lovelies! Welcome to June - I love the first day of a month because it sets up unlimited possibility and is a clean slate to begin again.

About Me (abridged):
June 2014 marked the start of my crazy journey of losing 75 pounds (!!!) after seeing photos of myself at a wedding and not recognizing the woman in the photos. Yikes. At around 215 pounds I knew I had to make some changes and 18 months later I reached my initial goal weight of 150 pounds. Now six months later I've lost another 9 pounds through training/exercise and am starting the month at 141 pounds. I also decided in January 2016 that I wanted to start running half marathons (because why not, really?) and am completing numbers 7 and 8 of the year during this month. I hope to complete 15 half marathons this year through Rock n Roll and have signed up for the Dumbo Double Dare with Disneyland and the Avengers 10K. Next year will be Pixie Dust Challenge, Glass Slipper Challenge, Dumbo Double Dare and the Avengers 10K through Disney and a slew of local races on weekends.

Goal:
I want to make sure that I continue to exercise at least 30 minutes per day. Therefore, each day completed counts towards 1/30th of my goal and I will be at 100% of my goal at the end of the month.

Plan:
I will utilize my breaks at work, Disneyland, and planned races to meet this daily goal.

Obstacles:
June 6 and June 19 may be the toughest days for me to get out there and move since they'll be the first days post-race weekends and I'll be walking like a baby giraffe. I need to hold myself accountable and make the 7500 steps for each day this month.

Lot's of running in your future! It seems like you really have found something that keeps you your toes for a healthy lifestyle!

Hi Everyone, I am joining in for the first time!

Short bio: Sara, 33, from the Chicago Suburbs and mom to two (11 & 9). I am currently in college getting my A.A.S. Meeting and Event Planning degree, followed by my BS in Hospitality Management. My ultimate goal is to work for Disney. I also work full time as a secretary (for now) and have a full time family, a husband, a dog and two guinea pigs. Life is a bit busy to say the least.

Weight history: I was never super skinny as a teen, but I was comfortable at a size 8-10. I had my first child at 22 and gained about 40 pounds. I was able to loose about half of it, when I found out DD was coming. I put on quite a bit more weight with her putting me at 220lbs. I have had a hard time loosing it, yo-yoing up to 230 and down to 190 and now back up to 258! I was shocked when I weighed myself on Monday, I was almost 20lbs heavier than I thought.

Goal: My ultimate goal is 160lb, but I know it will take me some time to get there. My goal for this month is 15lbs, which I know is a lot, but I know I will loose quite a bit at the beginning with water weight and the shock to my system. Then it will ease off. My health goal is to be able, and enjoy, running again. A Disney Run is my motivation.


June Motivation: My husband and I are taking our first adult only trip to WDW on July 11. My motivation is to get my body prepared for Disney in July. Disney in November was hard on my body, but the heat of July is going to be a killer.

Plan - I am not a huge sweets eater, but my downfall is bad carbs. Bread, pasta, fries, breading on chicken. I started WW Online, Monday night. I like the focus of the Smart Points. I also bought a FitBit and my goal for June is to at least get 60,000steps a week, I am very competitive with my husband, so this will help. I want to start the Slim in Six DVD series that I bought a year ago, but I have to find the time.

I am new to the community, but I look forward to working with everyone!!

How wonderful that you are joining in! How impressive that you are doing college at the same time as working and having a family with two kids! I can only try to imagine how stressful that is! Vacations can be a great motivation to get started on getting healthier and an adult vacation sounds wonderful!

 

[Flossbolna]

So, with this we have introduced our adventure for the month, now it is your turn to introduce yourself before we start travelling around the World Showcase! Tell us a little bit about yourself. What is your motivation for joining the challenge? Which goals are you tracking? We are looking forward to getting to know everyone!

And as a fun question: Which is your favourite country around the World Showcase, or if you haven’t been there yet, which country would you be most interested in to explore?

I guess I should answer my own QOTD as well:

I am Magdalene, in the middle of my forties, most of the year I live on my own as my BF and I have a long distance relationship across the Atlantic. I am in Germany, he is in the US. A little bit crazy, but it works for us so far. I am very much looking forward to him being here in July and August, so I need to make June count as when he is here, it is more difficult to stick to my plan as we tend to go out more and travel and such. I have been overweight since elementary school and kept getting a little heavier all the time during school. When I was in university I finally got to a weight which I now realize was just below a BMI that would have been classified as obese. I was so unhappy and finally started to do something about it. I had three great friends who all three were really skinny (we are talking size 0 skinny) and they were fabulous in motivating me and helping me become more active. I lost a lot of weight over the course of two years and finished university at my lowest weight ever and a BMI of 20. Then my life changed with work and such and weight came back on. I twice reached nearly my all-time high again, but both times was able to get down again. Over the last 4 years I have been floating around a BMI of 25. Last month I was looking at my weight statistics, I started tracking my weight in my phone in 2011, so have 5 years to look at, and decided that actually you can say that I have maintained my current weight for 4 years. However, it is so frustrating that this includes gaining and loosing the same 10 pounds over and over again. And if that is what my life is like, I rather want to gain and loose the same 10 pounds over and over again on a far lower level. Last year I also found out that I have thyroid problems that really caused some problems with my weight loss. So, I hope once this is really under control I will be able to drop those 15 pounds to my goal weight and then try to maintain at that level.

My goal for the month is to lose 2 kg (slightly over 4 pounds).

My favorite country in the World Showcase is Japan! I love the architecture and the shop is amazing, I could spend hours in there on every visit. I haven't eaten there in a long time, but remember the food to be delicious. And I love the outside seating area for the CS restaurant and the koi ponds. The pavilion has such a calm feeling!