Lightspeed ahead to a healthier you! April 2016 WISH challenge... all are welcome!

“This is a new day, a new beginning.” – Ahsoka Tano

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Well, here we are.... day #2! So beyond just a new DAY, it is a new MONTH.... a new chance to change! If you were still processing the fact that yesterday started a new month, perhaps you didn't get a chance to really think about all you want to accomplish n April and how you are going to do that. So take some time today to THINK about it... even if you don't want to share it.

My CHALLENGE to you today is to think of something that you want to do EVERY DAY in April (forget the fact that it is 4/2... it is NEVER to late to make a healthy change). Maybe you want to make sure you wear your Fitbit every day.... or you want to try to hit 100 ounces of water every day...... or maybe a 1 minute plank every day..... or... who knows! My ONLY rule is forgiveness if you miss a day (or two). Do not set yourself up for failure with an "all-or-nothing" mentality.

FUN weekend challenge: Post a picture (or two) here of a healthy meal that you eat over the weekend (don't we all LOVE food porn?). Whether it is a fast-food salad, a homemade sandwich, or a fancy meal in a restaurant.... shoot a picture and share it here! Breakfast, lunch, or dinner.... whatever you want!

I want more than anything to shake off my doldrums this month. I've spent MONTHS being irritated with myself and have done little to nothing to make progress towards my goals. It's long past time doe that to change.

My everyday challenge concerns soda. Not drinking it to be precise. I slipped back into the habit and I'm banishing it again. Two days down!

Dinner tonight was indulgent but still pretty healthy. Crust (thin with half whole grain flour) and sauce are both from scratch. Topped with roasted mushrooms, caramelized onions, garlic spinach, and just enough cheese to make it gooey. Yummy!

image.jpeg
 
We are in the midst of our racecation in Carlsbad. I'm typing this on a phone - so I can't quote anyone. I love all of the before/after shots. @Dr Gunnie - you look so amazing! Great job!

One mile race was today and I did it in just over 11 minutes. Wow. This is a fast course. Tomorrow is the 5k so we will see if I can keep the momentum. Knee did well today!


For the QOTD, my goal is to make my 7500 step goal every day. I got a little lazy last month and I am not going to settle. :)
 
Hi, I'm back for April after going MIA mid March. These last few weeks have been a blur of appointments, research, and so many emotions, as my Dad was diagnosed with Stage III lung cancer. He quit smoking 20 years ago and has been in excellent health, but went to the doctor's with a persistent cough. After being treated with antibiotics, he was sent for an X-ray, then CT scan, bronch/ biopsy, PET scan, diagnosis, and treatment plan.

During the last few weeks, meals have been on the go, or not eaten, then snacking when I got hungry. I put on 2 pounds, basically back to where I was in Jan. I'm now 151lbs. My goal this month is ridiculously low, but I want it to be realistic as I will be working, taking my Dad to chemo, and radiation ( my sister will also be sharing in the rides, so I won't be doing it 5 days a week). My goal is lose 2 pounds. I won't be able to attend my WW meetings, so I appreciate this thread more than ever to keep me accountable.

Here is a pic of my husband and me just a few months ago on our December WDW trip.

I'm delighted you have returned to us for April. While your WW meetings are great for support and inspiration, if you cannot make it there, this is a great alternative! Good for you for setting yourself a realistic goal!

Weekend challenge - here was my dinner tonight courtesy of Chili's. Caribbean salad with shrimp.

YUM! Can you get it with a protein other than shrimp? It looks great.... can you give some details as to what is on it (I see beans and sesame seeds)? What is the dressing like? I'd love to try to recreate it here!

Hey guys! I don't really have the patience for individual replies, but I've read through everything, and I have to say ... I'm very impressed with all of the before & after/during pictures. A lot of people have made some great progress!

Not the best of days for me. I woke up tired, and even though I had a decent nap (I always nap on Saturday afternoons), I'm still sluggish. I've been snacking a bit too much and I have a hard time tracking my food on Saturdays, but hopefully the damage won't be too much.
9.5 mile run scheduled for tomorrow morning ... but there's also snow/cold/wind in the forecast, so I'll have to make a decision at some point whether to postpone it or not. I hate weather.

Totally understandable about no individual replies... we kept you hopping during March! I'm hating today's weather as well.

Great job!!!

I kept reading this in awe that you got all of that stuff for a mere $2.40! And then I realized that was the student part. I was about to hire you to do all my shopping! Your student is so lucky to have you!!

!

Yes, $2.40 for all of that would have been a STEAL! That was just for the plush. But still not a bad deal! I did pay $7.20 (after my discount card) for the Clark's.... a bit over my usual limit for thrift store shopping, but they are like new and SO comfy! I kind of struggle to look professional and fashionable and still stay comfy (and able to run if needed) at school. I'm a great thrift store shopper though! I just wish we had more of the "better" stores close to us. Goodwill opened two "by-the-pound" stores recently in NH, but unfortunately they are about an hour from me. Too far to drive for just "fun" shopping when I can drive 30 minutes one way and hit a GW and a Savers and 30 minutes the other way and hit a GW and a SA.


I want more than anything to shake off my doldrums this month. I've spent MONTHS being irritated with myself and have done little to nothing to make progress towards my goals. It's long past time doe that to change.

My everyday challenge concerns soda. Not drinking it to be precise. I slipped back into the habit and I'm banishing it again. Two days down!

Dinner tonight was indulgent but still pretty healthy. Crust (thin with half whole grain flour) and sauce are both from scratch. Topped with roasted mushrooms, caramelized onions, garlic spinach, and just enough cheese to make it gooey. Yummy!

That looks so yummy!! I do adore caramelized onions on pizza.... heck, on ANYTHING!

We are in the midst of our racecation in Carlsbad. I'm typing this on a phone - so I can't quote anyone. I love all of the before/after shots. @Dr Gunnie - you look so amazing! Great job!

One mile race was today and I did it in just over 11 minutes. Wow. This is a fast course. Tomorrow is the 5k so we will see if I can keep the momentum. Knee did well today!


For the QOTD, my goal is to make my 7500 step goal every day. I got a little lazy last month and I am not going to settle. :)

Good luck today! Cannot wait to hear how the 5K goes!!

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

Good Sunday morning friends! HOme looking at SNOW coming down... YUCK! It is sleeping in day for my men so I've been watching the news and sipping coffee and trying to stay quiet. I want to get the laundry moving along, but my dryer has developed a loud squeal when first started so I'll hold off for now. Thanks heavens making coffee is fairly quiet!!

Trying to make a few changes to my regular eating plan this week in an effort to shake things up...... lower carbs (bye-bye evening popcorn treat:sad:), higher protein (specifically meat... less cheese and beans), and more fat (yummm.... whole eggs and avocado!). I may try the coconut oil coffee again, but I swear the oil gave me an allergic reaction in my throat every time. I'm also going to take some time today to preplan my breakfasts for the week. I always eat breakfast and it is always on-plan, but sometimes I struggle with eating ENOUGH and getting enough protein at breakfast. So I am preplanning some breakfasts that will be at least 7 SP and (hopefully) filling enough to keep me going without the belly grumbles I usually get mid-morning.

Okay...... off to search Pinterest.... my favorite lazy winter morning activity!................P
 
My CHALLENGE to you today is to think of something that you want to do EVERY DAY in April (forget the fact that it is 4/2... it is NEVER to late to make a healthy change). Maybe you want to make sure you wear your Fitbit every day.... or you want to try to hit 100 ounces of water every day...... or maybe a 1 minute plank every day..... or... who knows! My ONLY rule is forgiveness if you miss a day (or two). Do not set yourself up for failure with an "all-or-nothing" mentality.

I thought about this ... I'm going to go with having at least one fruit/veggie serving with breakfast. Whether it's veggies in my omelet, fruit in my yogurt, banana in my cereal, or just a handful of grapes with breakfast, I know I need to work on starting my day off with nature's sugar source.
And I have to be able to forgive myself for missing a day ... I didn't do this on Friday or yesterday! But today I had a banana in my cereal (yes, a whole banana ... this half a banana thing that @JacknSally told us about last month is going to be hard for me).
 
My CHALLENGE to you today is to think of something that you want to do EVERY DAY in April (forget the fact that it is 4/2... it is NEVER to late to make a healthy change). Maybe you want to make sure you wear your Fitbit every day.... or you want to try to hit 100 ounces of water every day...... or maybe a 1 minute plank every day..... or... who knows! My ONLY rule is forgiveness if you miss a day (or two). Do not set yourself up for failure with an "all-or-nothing" mentality.

My everyday goal for April is 30 minutes of cardio everyday. I'll still try and meet my step goal each day, but I'm stating to lean my focus more on heart rate and less on steps - I guess I'll see if it makes any difference.
 
Up again this morning. I know that checking daily isn't recommended, but it's what I do. But I'm definitely feeling frustrated. I just don't know what I was doing differently last year. Ugh.
 
You can do it! Keep us posted on your training progress! When is your race and where?

Hi Courtney! I'm running the Rock and Roll Half in Philly Sept 18th. I was really looking forward to the Tower of Terror run since we'll be in Disney in October so I was pretty bummed to hear it's not gonna happen anymore. :sad1: So I had to replace that race with something else. Conveniently, the Rock and Roll Half is 2 weeks before we leave for Disney so it worked out perfectly!
 
Hi everyone I am in for another month! My name is Sam and I am 30 years old. I am a stay at home mom to 2 wonderful boys and have been married to my amazing husband for 10 years. Last month I lost just over 5 pounds of my 6 pound goal and actually hit my goal of 6 pounds the day after the last weigh in!! So this month I am excited to keep up the momentum and loose some more. I have never stayed this motivated this long so I am proud of myself for that. The last few weeks were rough last month with my oldest getting very sick and then hospitalized but he is doing so much better now. So hopefully we all stay healthy this month and we don't have to eat out as much as last month!

My current weight is 172 and my goal weight for this month is 166.

This month my goal is another 6 pounds!
 
Sorry I've been MIA this weekend. A little background about me. I'm 30 years old and have always been athletic for the majority of my school years. I played softball, soccer, and ran track (short distance) for 14 years. After I graduated college, I accepted a special education teaching position. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but after dealing with the hormones and attitudes of 7th, 8th, and 9th graders all day, I come home EXHAUSTED. And my activity level dropped. My eating plan stayed the same. And before I knew it, I was 60 pounds overweight (I'm only 5'1" so I like to affectionately call myself meatball shaped). I've gone up and down over the past few years but I think I'm finally ready to commit to an overall healthier lifestyle.

Stats:
Starting weight: 190 lbs
Current weight: 179.5 lbs -- Thanks 21 Day Fix!
Goal weight: 130-135 lbs.

Goals for April: Run a total of 56 miles
Drop 5 lbs
Drink 120 ounces of water a day - I'm ALWAYS dehydrated.

It was really awesome to read through everyone's story! This is my first time jumping on this board and participating so I'm hoping this is the push I need to keep up with my running and healthy eating. :stitch2:
 
Hello everyone, I'm in for April.

I teach Family and Consumer Science and Yeabook and I love planning vacations/weekend trips. I found this board when planning a WDW trip I took in January. My plan is to use carb cycling to lose weight and add in an exercise program. I lost 20lbs a couple of years ago, but when I stopped the weight slowly came back with extra.


Goal: Follow Run/Walk Conditioning Program & drink 80 oz water each day

Challenges: 2 trips out of town for the month
 
Up again this morning. I know that checking daily isn't recommended, but it's what I do. But I'm definitely feeling frustrated. I just don't know what I was doing differently last year. Ugh.

DO you keep any kind of journal or food tracker you could look back on? Maybe that would help you see what you were doing differently.

Hi everyone I am in for another month! My name is Sam and I am 30 years old. I am a stay at home mom to 2 wonderful boys and have been married to my amazing husband for 10 years. Last month I lost just over 5 pounds of my 6 pound goal and actually hit my goal of 6 pounds the day after the last weigh in!! So this month I am excited to keep up the momentum and loose some more. I have never stayed this motivated this long so I am proud of myself for that. The last few weeks were rough last month with my oldest getting very sick and then hospitalized but he is doing so much better now. So hopefully we all stay healthy this month and we don't have to eat out as much as last month!

My current weight is 172 and my goal weight for this month is 166.

This month my goal is another 6 pounds!

Hi friend!! Sorry you had a sick one at home.... but glad to hear he is better!

Sorry I've been MIA this weekend. A little background about me. I'm 30 years old and have always been athletic for the majority of my school years. I played softball, soccer, and ran track (short distance) for 14 years. After I graduated college, I accepted a special education teaching position. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but after dealing with the hormones and attitudes of 7th, 8th, and 9th graders all day, I come home EXHAUSTED. And my activity level dropped. My eating plan stayed the same. And before I knew it, I was 60 pounds overweight (I'm only 5'1" so I like to affectionately call myself meatball shaped). I've gone up and down over the past few years but I think I'm finally ready to commit to an overall healthier lifestyle.

Stats:
Starting weight: 190 lbs
Current weight: 179.5 lbs -- Thanks 21 Day Fix!
Goal weight: 130-135 lbs.

Goals for April: Run a total of 56 miles
Drop 5 lbs
Drink 120 ounces of water a day - I'm ALWAYS dehydrated.

It was really awesome to read through everyone's story! This is my first time jumping on this board and participating so I'm hoping this is the push I need to keep up with my running and healthy eating. :stitch2:

Wowza.... another Special Education person! It is an exhausting and stressful job.... so glad we are here to help each other with the stress and stress-eating that can happen!

Hello everyone, I'm in for April.

I teach Family and Consumer Science and Yeabook and I love planning vacations/weekend trips. I found this board when planning a WDW trip I took in January. My plan is to use carb cycling to lose weight and add in an exercise program. I lost 20lbs a couple of years ago, but when I stopped the weight slowly came back with extra.


Goal: Follow Run/Walk Conditioning Program & drink 80 oz water each day

Challenges: 2 trips out of town for the month

Welcome, welcome, welcome!! I was a Home Ec major in college. Where did you go to school? Glad you are with us for April!

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

Hey friends.... staying busy here with laundry (does it EVER end??), and some meal planning/prep for the week ahead. This is a busy week for robotics (we have our second competition of the season next weekend), so I cannot really plan on the men being here for dinner any particular night! So none of the bigger meals I had planned will be happening. I'll pull out some burgers to defrost and when/if they are home for dinner I will make those for them. The other nights will be sandwiches, veggie burgers and the like. I am working every day plus every night for a few hours, so this will have to be an EASY night as far as food goes! I bought some pre-cooked chicken I will be portioning out for my dinners and I will probably cook up some veggies today to pack for my lunches and my dinners.

Off to make lunch!................P
 
Up again this morning. I know that checking daily isn't recommended, but it's what I do. But I'm definitely feeling frustrated. I just don't know what I was doing differently last year. Ugh.
I am not an official participant in these threads but I faithfully lurk. Since no one has responded yet, I just wanted to give you a little boost. You've started a new way of eating and have been moving much more. Right now your body is going WTH and is most likely hanging onto water. Once it realizes you're going to keep doing this it will release it and you'll get a little "whoosh" of weight loss. For me, over the years it's usually a two week span before things start kicking in, for others it's days or a week. So hang in there! Don't give up, you're doing all the right things.

Okay, back to lurking. Sorry for butting in.
 
DO you keep any kind of journal or food tracker you could look back on? Maybe that would help you see what you were doing differently.

I know last summer I was eating a lot of deli turkey, plain grilled chicken, cheese, and hardboiled eggs, plus protein shakes for breakfast. I pretty much cut out carbs all together. I wasn't as active as I've been this week, though, that's for sure. I was drinking more water, too. The no-carb thing wasn't sustainable for me, though. At. All. I can't live like that forever, so I'm trying to incorporate carbs in what seems like a healthy way now (fruits, veggies, carbs in the morning - but not going crazy - and as few as possible in the evenings)...

I am not an official participant in these threads but I faithfully lurk. Since no one has responded yet, I just wanted to give you a little boost. You've started a new way of eating and have been moving much more. Right now your body is going WTH and is most likely hanging onto water. Once it realizes you're going to keep doing this it will release it and you'll get a little "whoosh" of weight loss. For me, over the years it's usually a two week span before things start kicking in, for others it's days or a week. So hang in there! Don't give up, you're doing all the right things.

Okay, back to lurking. Sorry for butting in.

No need to apologize! I definitely appreciate your post. My dad is doing the same things I'm doing and actually got fewer steps than me this week (by about 20,000) and lost 8lbs. I put on 2. It's so frustrating. Is there any way to help that release along? Upping my water intake significantly or anything? I know I can't expect results overnight (I didn't re-gain 20lbs overnight... Thank goodness) but it's so frustrating to go from being SO PROUD of myself to feeling so discouraged because it didn't do any good.
 
FUN weekend challenge: Post a picture (or two) here of a healthy meal that you eat over the weekend (don't we all LOVE food porn?). Whether it is a fast-food salad, a homemade sandwich, or a fancy meal in a restaurant.... shoot a picture and share it here! Breakfast, lunch, or dinner.... whatever you want!

So, here's today's lunch:
IMG_20160403_144949470.jpg
I don't really eat fish a lot, but when we have leftover salmon, I'll usually have some. Generally I have rice with my salmon ... but today I decided to do cabbage instead! And I threw in a few tomatoes for good measure :)
 
Carlsbad 5000 went amazing today -- finished in... 39:49!
party:

Course had a little bit of inclines that were tough on the knee, but I powered through it to my best time to date. Words cannot express how much better I feel after having a great race weekend. Ready to hit Raleigh next weekend and conquer.
 
No need to apologize! I definitely appreciate your post. My dad is doing the same things I'm doing and actually got fewer steps than me this week (by about 20,000) and lost 8lbs. I put on 2. It's so frustrating. Is there any way to help that release along? Upping my water intake significantly or anything? I know I can't expect results overnight (I didn't re-gain 20lbs overnight... Thank goodness) but it's so frustrating to go from being SO PROUD of myself to feeling so discouraged because it didn't do any good.
I try to drink more water, avoid high sodium meals and have an active rest day. Meaning, I get all my steps but I'm not pounding away to get them. You said you did three hours straight yesterday right? Your body is going to react to that. Today I did a work out that is much more intense than my usual, I'm already sore so I know it will be much more likely to show up on the scale tomorrow. I KNOW I have not put away 7,000 calories over my daily calories so it's impossible for it to be a real 2lb gain, kwim? And remember, your Dad is male (and I assume larger) he has more muscle mass than you do and his body is going to react differently than yours. I promise you are not really up 2lbs. Maybe ban the scale for a week? That's what I do if I feel it's going to discourage me. Good luck!

eta: And do not stop feeling proud! You should be proud, you are moving, your are taking action, it will come.
 
Today I did a work out that is much more intense than my usual, I'm already sore so I know it will be much more likely to show up on the scale tomorrow. I KNOW I have not put away 7,000 calories over my daily calories so it's impossible for it to be a real 2lb gain

This is so true! I've done half marathons - running of 13 miles - and I come home the next day and have shown a 5 pound gain! Which is so impossible because it is water weight.

@JacknSally - take your rest day and/or do something else. Do a yoga video ("Yoga with Andriene" on Youtube). Maybe buy some 5 pound hand weights and start some strength training. This will allow your muscles to rest and your cross training will give you the opportunity to build strength. It's a non-overnight process. If you wanted to weigh in on Fridays of each week, I'd take Thursday off 100% and then weigh in earliest you can on Friday when you wake up (and after you pee!) for a good weigh-in result :)
 

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