Hi everyone ! Lets keep the momentum going! January challenges help start the year off right!

Info needed: Surgery status, losing/maintaining, weight, goal (challenge specific)

Start Jan 2nd -Starting weight

End Feb 1st - Ending weight

To kick it up notch there will be incentives!!! From a city I have a complicated relationship with lol...

shhhhh, it's a surprise for the winners

Adding a few fun rules I found on Instagram (follow her!) you can throw in to maximize participation!!! Let's keep it fun!!!

Stay engaged and accountable. Participate as much as you like!

Even pre ops can participate with the 30 Day Challenge rules as well!

Allons y !!!

Edited December 26, 20187 yr by GreenTealael

29 minutes ago, Orchids&Dragons said:

My current struggle is head hunger. I think it's because another of my kids is moving out in about 10 days. Self-medicating. One is only about 50 miles away, but 2 will be 1,100+ miles away in Florida. The fourth one is still at home but will be graduating in September. I may chain him to the porch. Empty nest syndrome - big time!

WOW!!!! Big Big changes

7 minutes ago, GreenTealael said:

WOW!!!! Big Big changes

Yes. Hubby is handling "empty-nesting" well, to the point of ecstatic. However, we're driving Thomas out to Florida with a U-haul. Hubby is fine with that. We'll stop in to see our daughter and drop off some of her stuff then go on to our son's new place the next day (about 4 hours away.) Again, hubby is ok with it. The next day, we'll take him shopping, stock up his pantry, etc. At this point, hubby is getting panicky. I'm just trying to stay there one or two days without work to do and he's getting angry. He does NOT vacay well. As @sillykitty said, I need to find a travel buddy!

3 minutes ago, Orchids&Dragons said:

Yes. Hubby is handling "empty-nesting" well, to the point of ecstatic. However, we're driving Thomas out to Florida with a U-haul. Hubby is fine with that. We'll stop in to see our daughter and drop off some of her stuff then go on to our son's new place the next day (about 4 hours away.) Again, hubby is ok with it. The next day, we'll take him shopping, stock up his pantry, etc. At this point, hubby is getting panicky. I'm just trying to stay there one or two days without work to do and he's getting angry. He does NOT vacay well. As @sillykitty said, I need to find a travel buddy!

WOW that is a lot of work and travel, I'm not looking forward to it...

On 01/27/2019 at 16:11, Orchids&Dragons said:

Yes. Hubby is handling "empty-nesting" well, to the point of ecstatic. However, we're driving Thomas out to Florida with a U-haul. Hubby is fine with that. We'll stop in to see our daughter and drop off some of her stuff then go on to our son's new place the next day (about 4 hours away.) Again, hubby is ok with it. The next day, we'll take him shopping, stock up his pantry, etc. At this point, hubby is getting panicky. I'm just trying to stay there one or two days without work to do and he's getting angry. He does NOT vacay well. As @sillykitty said, I need to find a travel buddy!

First, congrats! It’s not easy these days for little ones to leave the nest, and for all your grads to have done that is pretty amazing!

But, I have to side with your hubby here a little. None of that sounds like a vacay! ?

Current Struggle: snacking in the evening

This has always been a terrible habit of mine; one I broke about 4 months before surgery and I was really proud of myself. UGH!

I tried getting myself back on intermittent fasting but I'm just not ready for it yet. Can't get enough calories in to keep my weight loss up while weight training at the gym.

Anyway, none of that is a good excuse for driving by the pantry for a handful of nuts. Then 10 minutes later a piece of cheese. Then 15 minutes later a bite of fruit. You get the picture. I have planned for a healthy protein-heavy early evening snack around 7:30pm. (we eat dinner super early due to hubby's IF and kids who go to bed early) But I want to eat a FUN snack while I watch TV. I'm actually thinking about finding another activity to do in the evenings instead of TV watching because it's a slippery slope with the snacks!

This is the section of the pantry I'm not supposed to be looking in. I need to clean it out!!!?

#27 current struggle - SO MUCH CAKE! My daughter's birthday party was today, her actual birthday tomorrow, my son's birthday is a week away, more cake, his party 2/16--MORE CAKE!

Here is today's cake / daughter is a little dragon obsessed.

2 hours ago, sillykitty said:

First, congrats! It’s not easy these days for little ones to leave the nest, and for all your grads to have done that is pretty amazing!

But, I have to side with your hubby here a little. None of that sounds like a vacay! ?

No, the vacation is to stay in Palm Beach a few days after the move to relax. That's the part he's upset about.

We are proud of the kids. They're doing their best to stand on their own two feet. ?

Edited January 28, 20197 yr by Orchids&Dragons

1 minute ago, YeahOkay31 said:

#27 current struggle - SO MUCH CAKE! My daughter's birthday party was today, her actual birthday tomorrow, my son's birthday is a week away, more cake, his party 2/16--MORE CAKE!

Here is today's cake / daughter is a little dragon obsessed.

That's beautiful! Happy Birthday to your whole family!

#current struggle. Life change. My husband retired on 12/26.

Overcoming my barriers myself, for myself by myself and discovering the only real barriers are the ones I built up myself. I will be the success no one thought I could be! So my January challenge is to learn what works in this world for me!

14 hours ago, Orchids&Dragons said:

No, the vacation is to stay in Palm Beach a few days after the move to relax. That's the part he's upset about.

Ok, then I am definitely not on your hubby's side! He's down for the hard work, but not the relaxing. Something is wrong there!

#26 - How I eat out

I eat out far more than the average person. One reason is due to work travel, and the other is just my lifestyle, going out is a standard things my friend group does.

I'm generally pretty lax when I dine out. I sometimes make pretty good choices, like this.

But I'm almost never going to choose something I really don't want, over something more delicious. So in the Shake Shack case, I'll never order their chicken vs. a burger (cause their burgers are my fave ever!). But I do sometimes make easy concessions, like a lettuce wrap vs. bun

#27 - My current struggles

What's the character limit on here?

Primarily, getting my protein in. I am not a huge protein lover, so prioritizing protein takes effort. But even when I make the effort, my restriction generally doesn't allow me to get close to 60 g without some form of protein supplementation, like shakes or bars. I have found shakes and bars I can tolerate, but none I really want to eat. It worries me that going forward I'm going have have to force myself to eat borderline gross protein supplements or only get 30 g or so per day otherwise.

Secondarily, finding where I can maintain vs. lose. I think maybe my body wants to be in the low 130's, for right now at least? It's really nice to be able to eat pretty freely and not gain. But I'm also scared if I will be able to do the same 6 months from now, or a year from now.

Finally, my naked self, I really don't like. It seems these last 10-20 lbs hit me the hardest negatively physically. I lost a cup size + in the last month, my butt is significantly flatter and my thighs are way saggier looking. Seriously makes me want to cry.

#28 - Overcoming Obstacles

For me, it has come down to stubbornness and ability to keep focused on the goal of being thin and healthy.

One of the biggest obstacles during my WL phase was business required entertainment, which translates to heavy drinking. Night after night I sat and had water, while everyone else drank. I honestly didn't miss the alcohol. But I missed the camaraderie. I don't like standing out, in a negative way. I didn't enjoy having to say over and over again that alcohol made me ill. I didn't like having clients sometime curtail their fun because I was not joining in.

But I did it week after week, because I was determined to make the most of my tool. I didn't want to eat 500 cals during the day, then add 100's of empty calories at night. So, yep, basically stubbornness!

#27/#28 Overcoming Obstacles/Biggest Struggles (I am SO slacking!)

So, my biggest obstacle is eating. Ironic, right? Up until 1/5, it was very painful for me to eat. It really made me detest food because every time I would eat, it would hurt SO BAD, so it turned me off to the idea and has made me feel like food is the enemy. I am looking for a specialty therapist to help me accept food a bit better so I am able to reach my protein goals. I have been turned down by A LOT of therapists I've contacted because I am a bariatric patient and supposed to eat less food and they don't know how to deal with that. It's sort of like being a fat anorexic. LOL. Which isn't a thing in the DSM. I continue to lose weight and I am not malnourished; I hope to nip this in the bud before it becomes a larger problem. The prospect of the pain is terrifying, however. I do have an unhealthy relationship with food, both pre and post-op. It's like I went from overeating/binge eating/food addiction to the opposite end of the spectrum. In my mind, if I eat, I will get fat again. And I can't have that. It's a large mental hurdle and a terrible thing. Very unhealthy.

I guess as far as overcoming obstacles, it was dealing with and healing up from the complications. I hydrate so much more now, now that nothing hurts inside. I also felt really awkward eating out at first, but now IDGAF about asking for a box right away or eating a tiny amount. I do need to learn to eat slower around people because I feel bad making them wait, and then I get foamy later. Just a habit I need to get used to. But I am happy I feel much more comfortable eating out now. And I am able to make good choices anywhere.

I've also stopped bitching about the rate of weight loss. LOL. I accept it for what it is and I am happy with how things are going. We'z gon' get thurr.

Edited January 28, 20197 yr by mousecat88