Welcome to January, April Bandits! It's a New Year, can you believe it? Let's think back to April and compare it to how we feel now. WOW, dieting and exercise really pays off. Then just think about how we'll all feel in April 2007. Woohoo! This is OUR YEAR to make goal! We've made it through the holidays and it's time to bust a move. We can do it!

We're upping our challenge for the month in duration. I think we've decided to hold steady on the number of sessions. Our ultimate goal is 20 sessions a month for 45 minutes each session, and we'll get there by April. For now, here's January's challenge:

(1) Complete 17 or more exercise sessions (counting only one session per day, if you're the type to do more!);

(2) To count, each session must be at least 40 minutes in duration (two 20 min sessions in one day still counts); and

(3) Set a goal (whether in lbs/kilos or NSV) for your upcoming bandiversary and share with the group, if you wish.

We can do it! Speaking of, I'm off to the gym....

Congratulations to Betty on your 5# loss, Bluehill for your 100# loss, and Julie for melting away before our eyes! Dawn, you are awesome, you and me are a pound apart...could you pull me over the finish line to onederland if you get there before me? We are a fabulous group aren't we?

Went to Curves tonight...40 mins.

Major "Woohoo!" to everyone!!!

Soon we will all be just a few pounds apart!

Burr...it's cold and windy outside!! Hit Curves this morning, feeling a little congested now from my asthma. I had a very good workout..used the elliptical machine and the ab lounger. Have a great weekend everyone!!

Roberta

Just got home from my NIA class............feels so good to be back the past couple of days!

Roberta, Happy to hear you were able to work out today. Hope you continue feeling well enough to continue!

Plan on going again tomorrow morning and then in the afternoon I'm having my local bandster monthly group support meeting here at my house. It's a very nice group of local bandsters (also an online group thru Yahoo..........OREGONBANDSTERSUPPORT).........we do a bandster friendly potluck and sit around and gab - sometimes with a planned topic and other times just let it flow. Sometimes we meet in restaurants, other times in each others homes. This month our topic is "How our sig others can help/hinder our progress".

Hi all- sounds like you are doing great!!! I have been having computer problems---makes me nutso! And now DH is off, and we have been on the go. I have made my daily exercise--between Curves, and hauling wood, and cutting it (in the snow no less). My in laws, let themselves get low on wood---I had no idea they burned so much wood, they have been through 2-3 times what we have!!! So it was a necessity. We thought we were through for the year. Oh well--was good exercise.

Also spent 40 minutes this morning on the elipitcal---was planning another 5 minutes, but the youngest DD showed up, so I quit early.

I will get my signature updated.

Glad everyone is doing so great....a normal among us!!! and 100 pounds---wow, I am so impressed by y'all!!!

Keep it up---

Kat

I have been reading all the messages, there were so many to catch up on, thanx for the photo Eva, you always look really good.

I have just completed my first trip back at work, I went to Honolulu which was a nice start to being back at work and I am about to go to Japan. I am really getting into the exercise soon, but I confess to scoffing some peanut butter m&m's, we don't get them in New Zealand and I couldn't resist buying some, hehehe!! Don't feel guilty though as I don't have a sweet tooth normally.

My biggish news is that I went on another date with I guy I met speedating before Xmas, I had been away so we caught up last week and have had two dates, he seems very nice and it may not come to anything, but I am so pleased I forced myself to get back out there. I was sooooo nervous though, I threw up before I went, hehehe!!! I am planning another speed-dating event, but my rosters seem to have me away for the next few ones.

My garden is blooming in this early summer heat and I picked my first tomatoes finally today, I normally kill everything in a pot or soil so this is a big achievement for me.

Hi to you all,

Bye for now

Amourette XX

I keep trying to download photos for you, but they keep saying they are too big, and I can't seem to reduce them enough to send them, could be a problem with my camera? I will have to sort it out!:tired

Hi Amourette, so the dating scene is going well, huh? Very good, everyone needs some happiness in their lives. Kat, you must have some big muscles from all that wood chopping!! Betty, I'm getting around, but boy is my chest hurting. It's pretty much like you said, you feel strange when you can't get out to exercise the way you want. I am paying for it tonight but not nearly as bad as it has been in the past, so maybe my asthma is improving with my weight loss. Tomorrow I'm hoping to get to Curves again. I really need to meet this month's challenge since I haven't done so the last two months running.

Roberta

Roberta, Don't beat yourself up about meeting/not meeting the challenge - your first priority is your health. Hope you are feeling up to a little more each day. Asthma is a bitch, my brother and mother both had bad asthma and I remember how hard it was for them. Hopefully today there are more medications to help you along. Just remember - whatever you are able to do is great...........so much more, I'm sure then before we started in April!

Exactly! I second Betty! I also suffer with (allergy-induced) asthma so you have my total sympathy. There is just nothing you can do if you can't breathe! Usually we have warm January weather and early spring, so I am bracing for my yearly battle now.

Hoorah for the weight-loss successes and meeting the exercise challenges!

I've been in a slump this week, and I'm not sure why. It is unusual for me to get down in the dumps. My kids even asked what was wrong with me. Can sleep deprivation do that? Even after running, there has been no "rush". Thanks to this challenge, I am forcing myself to workout! Otherwise, I would be in bed or on the sofa with a remote.....

Hey, not a bad idea!

G'night!

Oh, Julie, I know this may not mean much coming from California, but there are some little things that help me stay warm. I get cold very easily and find it excruciating!

1. Cover your ears, head, neck and wrists/hands! One of the best investments I have made have been in some cashmere sets of headbands (that cover the ears) scarves and gloves. As long as those places stay warm, the rest of me is comfortable.

2, Take a long, warm shower before you run to warm-up your whole body, warm-up your muscles, and steam your sinuses and lungs.

3. Check out Patagonia catalog. I got some great lightweight pieces that REALLY keep me warm.

NOW, that is all I have to offer! Dawn is a better source of help, cause I don't even own a winter coat!! (Are you laughing at me?)

No winter coat Bo!!! How is that possible? We had a blizzard here yesterday. Lucky for me that it kicked up later in the day. I got out for a great morning run. I didn't bring my interval watch- just me and my ipod and it was fun for a change. I ran about 3.3 K and it felt good.

Roberta, sorry about your asthma... my husband has significant asthma so I think I understand what you are going through. When you can't breathe nothing else matters.

Julie- how is the apartment going??

Everyone else is doing so great.

Have a wonderful Sunday.

Dawn

Banded April 4th, 2006

358/206/179

(opps - my list of sessions exercised this month are at work)

I don't know what I'm doing different, but I'm down another 1 1/2 lbs ("overweight" here I come).......I guess that plateau I was on for a while fooled my body into thinking ok you can start losing again! Whatever, I'll take it and I'm off to the gym! Can you tell I'm so excited, maybe I will after all get into that 10/12 some day!

Updated by exercise total for today because I promise to go and I'm going to be busy getting ready for my support group meeting when I get home..........gotta do some last minute cleaning...........who has time to clean with all this exercise we're doing????

I met the January challenge today, and there are still ten more days in the month. HOORAY ME!

My weight slipped briefly into a new decade yesterday (229), briefly that is, until I found myself inexplicably munching down on crackers & cheese last evening. So back to 230.2 today. Sigh. A good example of how I always manage to sabotage myself immediately after a success (down 100 lbs). Does anyone have an insight on why this happens?

On the other hand, Susan, I see that you have now moved into that same decade and have posted a legitimate 229. That's wonderful news! You've set the mark, now I just need to keep up with it. Thanks for the inspiration.

And in fact to all, Thank You for the inspiration this week.

Here's an inspirational Thought for the Day, which was read at my yoga class this morning. It's a quote from Junko Tabei, the first woman to climb Mt. Everest.

Technique and ability alone do not get you to the top -- it is the willpower that is most important. This willpower you cannot buy with money or be given by others -- it rises from your heart.

April 2006 Bandits January Challenge: SEVENTEEN days of exercise completed

Bluehill!! -100 WOW! Dancing, juggling, bananas for you!

:Banane27::Banane27::Banane27:

Can you believe you've lost 100 lbs in way less than a year? Such a success.

I went to the gym today and did 50 mins cardio and 20 mins of leg training, I actually enjoyed it as well, I am so glad I am back into the exercise again!

I can't believe how much some of you have all lost, I am nowhere near that, but then I guess I had less to lose and it will be slower....(?)

I am laughing about all the cold weather discussions, I am overheating her, it is humid in NZ already, I have just rolled up my track pants as I am talking to you, 'cos it is WARM!!!! My problem is that there is no air-conditioning at my gym, isn't it funny!!!!

Off to mow my mum's lawns soon, so that is some more exercise!!!!

XX Amourette, all have a good day!