Pixies Power 2009
 

I came across an old thread today called Pixies Power and was inspired reading through it, especially by Loulabelle's fantastic weight loss in the beginning of last year January is a time when many of us will be looking to lose weight, start something or give up something, so I figured now would be a good time to start a new thread for 2009. Lil's final post on the original thread was a great one to end such a thread on so I didn't want to tag to the end of that :p

Here's what Lilith wrote in her original thread:

If you would like to join in, post right here and we'll see what we can achieve together :nod:

I start Monday, January 5th
 

My goal is to lose my excess weight, and there's a good bit to go. I'll keep it simple - eat less crap, exercise more. Sounds so easy when written like that but we all know it's not :huh:

I plan on posting here my good days, bad days and days in between, and probably most important, I need to post what exercise I'm doing, as this is my major weak area. That, and chocolate :rolleyes:

I will take photos of myself on Monday morning, and measure various parts of me, then every 10lbs lost I'll take photos and measurements again so I will begin to see a smaller me both in pictures and numbers.

Deep breath. Here we go...

I'm still working on my goals. I'm a wreck :p I have so many areas I wanted to improve upon but I need to hone in on just a couple in order to not overwhelm myself and ensure failure.

I lost close to 30 pounds towards the end of 2007 ... and now, I've been struggling just to keep that off. Cold weather hasn't helped with my walking and I haven't been getting up early enough to take advantage of the hallway at our parish hall (which a year ago I used as an indoor place to walk). Still working on it and hopeful this year I can shed some more. I'd like to drop another 20 or 30 pounds but it's going to take a lot of work.

I'm going to join the group, although I may not be able to report in daily - life has been a bit complicated recently and it's kept me away from Pixies. However, I'll post every time I log in....and I am always available via email if you want to chat/exchange ideas.

I have two goals for the year - lose 20 lbs. and focus on making myself happy. They're really inter-related....I eat when I am stressed or unhappy. I need to come up with some criteria for the happiness thing -- but I think the biggest issue is working on my romantic life. :)

Good luck to everyone as you start your new regimens!

I am going to the gym again today -- I went yesterday also -- and I am going to work on eating more veggies. I've also switched from regular tea to green tea. I'm also going to log every calorie (like I used to) on www.fitday.com

According to Wii Fit (Wii Fat? :p ) I am overweight. I really don't think so, and the general consensus is that the Wii is on crack. I'm just under 6' and 187 lbs. I would like to lose about seven of those, however, so I will join in with my progress.

One thing I have decided is to control waste. The first place I have to tackle that is in my closet. I buy too much and don't like/wear enough of what is there to keep it and justify the $$ spent. For now I buy nothing unless I try it on and LOVE it. I am also going to purge my closet of everything that does not fit me well.

This looks like a very useful tool, and I joined yesterday after finding a link you'd posted on the original Pixies Power thread, so thank you for that :) I don't think I will be logging all my food on there but the sections I'm planning to use are Activities, Weight, Weight Goal, Journal(??), Moods, Body, Stats, Calendar, Reports. I love seeing stats of my weight loss so I think the FitDay tools will suit me well :thumb:

I have done this recently and it feels so much better than having it sit around, unused. I figure by the time I fit back into those clothes I will want to splurge on some new ones :nod:

12-Week Walking Plan
 

I'm planning on following a walking plan I just found. It starts out at 20 mins each day, half of which is warming up and down, so nothing too shocking to start with. It works up gradually over the twelve weeks to 45 mins including warm up/down.

The 12-Week Walking Plan can be downloaded here as a pdf document.

Would anyone like to join me?

:)

ok... i need to lose about 15lbs.... so I'll join in!

I'm in.

I just want to feel and look sexy in bed...so how ever much weight I need to take off then so be it.

and I will need all the encouragement I can get.


Flirtwithme that is a great plan...I am starting it on Monday. My daughter is too. She wants to get in shape so she can feel better about the uniform she needs to wear on the field when she is on the color gaurd during football season.

So I will be posting both our progress.

Wish us luck...and good luck to all joining in.

Nat

Great to see more people joining in, I'm feeling positive about the support we can give to each other :thumbs: I was chatting with a friend earlier and got some great tips, and he's happy for me to share them on this thread. I hope some of you find them useful :)

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Slow Grind's Tips:
(and if anyone's seen pics of this guy's body, you'll see he knows what he's talking about) ;)

1) Have something to distract you during the solo exercise - music, TV etc

2) Try to have a friend to exercise with you when you can

3) Tell a trusted friend about your goal and plan, and have them check up on you, encourage you, keep you going

4) Your goal is to improve your health over a certain period of time and that involves exercise and eating right. Don't worry about the number [on the scale], it's the process that counts - a 40lb loss from a 50lbs goal should not be seen as a failure

5) Be realistic, don't be too hard on yourself, and don't try to do too much, too soon. Think about the long-term goal and less about the day to day
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(((Thank You SG)))

I have an ipod so I'll listen and walk; I can occasionally exercise with a friend; one or two trusted friends (and anyone who reads this) know my plan, and I know they'll give me encouragement, in addition to the support shared on this thread; I will try to see any reduction in weight as a success, but need to see that I don't get complacent half-way. I do have a goal weight and time in mind, but I won't give up if it takes longer; and finally, I will force myself to stick to the walking plan and not think I can do more from the outset. Realistically I know that if I start on Week 12 of the plan, without working up to it, I'll be good for a week or so and then I'll crash and burn and not be fit for anything. I need to avoid that.

Nat, nice to hear that your daughter is joining in with you, it's a real support having someone so close to lean on during the good days and bad :thumb:

I just cleaned out my lingerie, panty, bra and sock drawers. It's amazing the crazy shit that I had that I may not have worn. Some I simply bought for pics :p

Last night I had spaghetti, and fresh baked bread, two no-nos for diabetics. I stuck to one piece of the bread and only put 1/2 of the amount of pasta that I wanted on my plate. I ate a big nice salad first. I was full enough and was pleasantly surprised this morning with a FBG of 110. Go me.

FWM- what time of day are you walking? I am struggling to figure out where to fit it in my day.

*whispers* I have some I bought just for pics, too, I'm glad I'm not the only one :p :o

My plan is to walk in the evenings before I sit down with the laptop on my knee. I figure if I have time enough alone to sit here with the laptop looking at porn, I have time enough to walk first, so my goal is no porn until AFTER I've walked :p

Well done for resisting more pasta and bread than you wanted last night :thumb: It is far to easy to eat too large a portion of both, especially freshly baked bread. I love eating, which is part of my problem, but as long as I can fill up on something, I can usually feel satisfied, so salads and cooked veggies will be increased here, too :nod:

since my diet I was on went by the wayside...OH about 21 days in....I'll join too.
or at least give it an effort.

I am Aqua's exact weight but only 5'9" -- a women's size 12 or 14 depending on the cut. I want to to be 165 lbs....which I think will put me at an 8 or 10. ( I generally don't disclose my weight, so this is a leap of faith to keep me honest in my weight loss!)

So far I have done nothing but go up by 2 lbs - which makes no sense as I've done 3 straight days at the gym and ate moderately for 2 of the 3. Go figure.

I have found that my weight "lags" my actual performance by about a week. A week of being good will translate into lower weight on day 8 or 9. Anyone else have a similar experience?

/me crosses fingers that next week will be better.

I did 3 months of kick boxing and gained weight, osuche. They say changes in muscle tone/mass look like weight gain in the beginning.

I am focusing on my stomach area for excercise currently. Worked the ab lounger thingy 2 days so far and will do it tonight when I get home.

It's my first day back and it will be a day where I am running 7am-7pm. I'm going to try to stay chilled and keep the stress to a minimum.

First day went better than it might have done!
 

I am a few inches shorter and several pounds heavier. I might post my weight here when I've shed a few pounds :o I have just over 50lbs to lose to rid myself of the past five years' weight gain and, according to my BMI, I will then *just* fall into the top end of the 'healthy' weight range. My current BMI is 33.39 :banghead:

Good luck for next week, osuche. Exercise and muscle tone will definitely have an impact on weight. 1lb of muscle takes up less space than 1lb of fat, so extra pounds might be coupled with smaller measurements.

If anyone hasn't yet taken body measurements, I would definitely recommend doing this and repeating every few weeks or every few pounds lost. It's great to see the difference on paper after a few weeks, and even if the scale hasn't moved much you'll no doubt see a difference in measurements, which is a real boost :nod: I've followed the Body Measurement table on FitDay and measured neck, bicep, forearm, chest, waist, hips thigh and calf.

I've also taken photographs of the scale, showing my starting weight :yikes: and of myself, front, back and sides, wearing only underwear :yikes: :yikes: I'll do this every ten pounds or so that I lose. Hopefully after a few weeks I'll see a difference.

My first day went well. It almost didn't. I was very motivated before I started, then awoke in the morning wondering if I should just wait another day before starting. Convinced myself that if I did that, in reality I would actually be throwing away another week (since all diets can only begin on a Monday :p ). At certain points during the day, I was crawling the walls, wanting to eat all the 'bad' foods I could lay my hands on. I would liken it to craving a cigarette when trying to quit smoking. Not a nice feeling at all, but I pulled my way through it and realised if I do that, get through the other side each time I feel like that, I will feel much better than if I give in and sneak in a whole load of crap food part-way through the afternoon.

In the end, my first day was good. I ate healthily, ate smaller portions and, most importantly, I started my 12 week walking plan. I only needed to walk for 20 mins and I did that. So I think all in all, the first day was a success and I am ready to tackle Tuesday :thumb:

Is that one of those roller bar thingys to help with sit-ups? If it is, I have one of those :nod: I'm going to start that next week, after a week of walking. How many are you doing each night?

How did Monday go for the rest of you?

Monday sucked. I was at workshops all day. I was back at work falling into bad habits. I woke up and started fresh today.

The ab lounger is this http://www.bikudo.com/photo_stock/916749.jpg

It's just a simple way to do sit ups instead of the floor. I have a really bad back so it is the best way for me to be able to focus on my stomach and not my back muscles. I do 50 crunches several times throughout the day. When I had a large tumor removed a couple of years ago I was left with a 13 inch abdominal incision that has to be dealt with as well when it come to sit ups.

OK........ First of all... no one has mentioned the fact that you should consult with your doctor before any real diet/fitness program. I hope you do at least pick up the phone and chat with your doctor and/or nutritionist.

For those of you that can't be bothered to roll off your Lazy Boy or overstuffed sofa's to walk to your doctor, I've brought the doctor to you! Remember his words when you need to relieve some of your daily stress and feel like slipping back your old EASY mode of stuffing your face! OK... read on and enjoy!

I love this Doctor


Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!
Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! .... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

And remember:

'Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO, What a Ride'
AND.....

For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION

Eat and drink what you like.
Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

:D :thumbs:

Had a much better day. Got a cuppa coffee around lunch time for a nice change and that helped keep me going. I also had my favorite smoothie for an afternoon snack. People are noticing the changes in me. They can see I feel better and that I am much more positive.

Coaster, thanks for the tips :p and the laugh, I needed it :boobs:

Lilith that ab lounger looks great! Mine is a more simple model, one that goes on the floor but the same kind of idea, helping to keep the right position when doing sit-ups. Glad you've had a better day today :thumb:

Today was easier for me, much more so than yesterday. Food I've eaten today has been healthy, I've not craved sweet things so much, and I walked further in the same amount of time. I am a little concerned about my ankles and achilles tendon as I tend to hold my left ankle a little stiffly on the treadmill, and I've had problems with my achilles tendon my right leg in the past. I got a twinge today before I walked but it settled and didn't hurt whilst I was walking. Hopefully if I stretch then it shouldn't cause me to have to stop.

I feel like I've past the hurdle of the first couple of days, and now I'm looking forward to weighing myself on Monday to see how I'm doing :)

1nutworld, good to see you :wave:

Well, just thought I would give an update.

It has been a bit slow starting to get the walking plan going. We have been fighting some kind of stomach bug here. My daughter had it first, then me, and now her again. Thank goodness my son has not had it. But our appetite is not that great so maybe we are loosing some weight not in a good way though. I our health is a bit more important than the scale or inches at this point.

Oh well, tommorrow is another day. I will start it then. Still cleaning my house from the illness...and that is a work out in itself.

Talk later....

Nat

I hope the bug leaves you all soon, Nat. That is one thing I really dread, stomach bugs are no fun at all, especially when they hop back and forth between family members

I have had a good day again today, eating healthy food and completing day 3 of my walking plan. I roasted a chicken today and removed and discarded the skin as soon as it came out of the oven so I wasn't tempted to eat it. Much as I love chicken skin, I can't afford the calories :rolleyes: I have some leftover chicken I plan to mix with risoni and some vegetables to make a large salad and eat it over the next couple of days.

So far, so good :thumb:

Posting quickly now as I'm craving sugar in the form of cakes and chocolate :banghead: I am about to start today's walk and hope that once I'm finished the craving will be gone. I feel better just writing it down :thumb:

I hope everyone is doing well, and Nat, I hope you and your family are feeling somewhat better today :)

Update on previous post
 

I completed Day Four of the walking plan :line:

It's only 20 minutes each day this week so not a lot, but it fixed my craving :thumbs:

Yes we are better...sore but better. We all went back to school and work today. Still havent started the walk plan but we are working on recovery at this point.

I am going to kick start everything this weekend by cleaning the yard...brush and all. Cutting some trees back and just general yard work.

As far as the eating. doing good. we are cutting back, drinking more water, no sodas...except today it was really good too. I only had 1 cup, 3 oz to be exact. for the last two days lived on saltine crackers and sprite. So I thought I one cup wouldn't hurt.

Oh well....sexy here I come.

Nat.

Glad to hear you're feeling better! Good idea to recover completely before starting the plan :nod: Have fun clearing the yard, that's great exercise :thumb:

Glad everyone is positive and making progress. Very cool! FWM, I like that you actually wrote down a plan and are committing to it (mine is just in my head). Lil, I am thrilled people can see your changes already :)

I went to the gym 5 of the past 7 days, and walked for an hour each day that I didn't go to the gym. I've also been trying to work in some house cleaning daily to increase the additional calorie burn. Yesterday I scrubbed the bathrooms - today I plan to vacuum.

I've been eating somewhat smaller portions. I got a salad instead of a burger on Wednesday, and today I ordered cole slaw instead of fries. I'm trying to leave at least a little food on my plate for every meal. And I wanted to snack tonight, so I had carrots and hummus. Hummus is still high calorie, but at least it's good for you.

I've been doing "average" cario but LOTS of extra weights...and my muscles have been sore. I think I'll reward myself tonight with a bath.

So far, I am down 1 lb.

Sounds like you're doing great, osuche :thumbs:

I've found that if I write down my goals here, I feel more accountable, and however tough it is I'm more likely to stick with it than risk if I fail :o If previous attempts are anything to go by I will likely hit a wall a few weeks in and risk jacking it in completely. If I can get past that by posting here, I should be good for another few weeks.

Hummus, I lurve hummus! I try to make my own so I can use the minimum amount of oil without it being too dry, usually adding sun-dried tomatoes, and leaving out the tahini.

I haven't walked yet today but should get time to do that within the next two hours. I'll post here when I'm done :wave:

Day Five of the Walking Plan complete :thumb:

There doesn't seem to be a Saturday or Sunday on the plan I feel I should do something at the weekend because if I don't I know I'll be sluggish come Monday. I shall continue with 20 minutes Saturday and the same Sunday, then move on to Week Two of the plan on Monday :nod:

Have a great weekend :wave:

Day Six went really well :thumbs:

I'm really enjoying the walking plan :nod: The walking is getting easier each day, and it's suiting me to walk everyday rather than every other day as I have in the past.

My food choices have been healthy today, and where the f and I've had no cravings for sugary things :line:

It's going well so far :D

How is everyone else doing?

I'm going through some stuff since the Dr changed my diabetes meds. My sugars are higher again so that makes me hungrier. I've been doing ok. I am still using the ab thingy.

I gave in to a StarBucks craving today but got the small size and splenda.

I've dropped 3lbs... Had 1/2 my usual serving of oatmeal, honey and dried cranberries for breakfast. Then vegetable soup for lunch. For dinner we had venison steaks (about 4oz) and drizzled some onions caramelized in olive oil, green beans we had frozen and potatoes cooked in frypan in olive oil and herbs from Mrs Coaster's garden...... all very yummy!

Then I found the 7 chocolate cherries I had gotten for Christmas........

I took Veg Head to the local Co-op and I bought a treat for after healthy dinners,

Excellent work here. And I am the same as you...results usually trail by a week to 10 days. Sucks, I know.

I am determined to get back to where I was, conditioning wise, 10 years ago. I'm off to a good start. Current weight is 178, down from 183 on January 1. Tomorrow is cardio day...3 miles on treadmill at 6.3 - 7.0 mph. Mebbe some upper body if I am up to it (still sore from yesterday...my tits feel like they are gonna fall off.)

Ah well...

That was me on Thursday! I forgot and did chest press two days in a row, and I swear to God I thought they were going to explode. I typically wear sexy demi bras...and instead that day I chose the biggest, tightest bra I could find in a sad attempt to keep my chest muscles immobilized! :p

I'll lend it to 'ya if you want to try it. :D ;)

I slipped yesterday. I had a late breakfast, skipped lunch, then found Burger King around 4 pm. I restrained myself to 1 Jr. burger with no mayo....then I made it to an 8 pm party and gorged on chips and guacamole.

At least I hiked for an hour....that helped. This morning I woke up feeling too full and greasy, though -- not a good sign.

Today will be better. I have a workout planned, and also about 4 hours of dancing tonight is on the agenda.

I regained the 1 lb, but I think it's water weight. I am swiftly approaching the PMS zone. :(

Coaster, I would be inclined, especially now when the weather is so cold and you're out shoveling snow, to eat a normal portion of oatmeal for breakfast :nod: I firmly believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day so if it were me, I would eat something substantial and then maybe have a lighter evening meal instead (the meal you described with the venison sounds delish) :) Well done for losing 3lbs already, I'm impressed :cheerlead

Lilith, I hope your sugars settle with the new meds soon. Great that you're continuing with the ab thingy :thumb: I have gone as far as moving the ab roller to the room where I'll be using it but not done more than that. Last week I wrote I would start to use it week 2, so I guess that's today. I will start after my walk today, when I'm nicely loosened up.

The choc bananas look delish, but I can't succumb to such things so early on as I will likely then go off the rails :banghead:

rabbit, are you running the three miles on the treadmill? I'm walking at 4.5mph and I'm not sure how much faster I can go without flying off the end, so I'm guessing you're running! Well done for losing 5lbs so far, that's great :thumb:

osuche, it sounds like you do a whole lot of exercise, so I wouldn't worry too much about a handful of chips and a burger. The hiking most likely cancelled them out, not to mention four hours of dancing (hope you had a good time!) :)

txgrneyes I hope things are going well for you :wave:

Who else was there? dicksbro, Aqua and 1nutworld, check in when you can, I know you're busy :nod:

Day Seven went really well for me, and I am at the stage where I look forward to walking. I'm loving the slow build-up and I am finding it easier just after one week, so I think the walking plan is a good one for me. I add five minutes of fast walking today so I expect today to be tougher than yesterday but by this time next week I will hopefully find it a breeze, ready for the next increase.

It's weighing time for me today. I shall be back later with the results :yikes:

I'm so happy I could scream, it's like my wildest dream
 

...just look at my smiling face as everything finally falls into place :D :D

OK that's enough singing from me :p

I weighed myself and the result of my first week is 6.5lbs lost :line:

I know it is TOO MUCH to lose over a long period of time, and I am only likely to lose a small amount each week from now, but what a boost for the first week :faint: :cheerlead :thumbs:

Gaunyersel, sweetie! Well done you! :D