Well Beverly, you are up late tonight, as you are on the east coast, and I am on the west coast, we are posting at about the same hour.

Thanks for the update and the challenge.

Ok, here it is for me. Oh no.....I am giving up my one special treat, the McDonald's ice cream cone which is 150 calories and low fat..... it has been so hot this summer I have been in the habit of using it to cool me off. I do not eat ice cream in my house (even though DH has a half gallon of it in the freezer) it is just way too high in calories and fat grams.

So there, I've said it.

The movement challenge I'm doing fine on.

Hope you have a nice camping trip, and looking forward to pics and news, and new challenges!

Mel

Okay I will play too. I can't believe I am saying this, but I am going to give up my before bedtime, bowl of corn checks. I have one almost everynight. I'll even give it up at other times of the day to, except if that's what I choose for breakfast. I just love cereal and right now since I have stopped buying junk food that's all I have in the house to snack on. But I will try the water thing instead.

I am doing very well on the movement part. My boys are really helping me out with that one. They remind me every night that we need to go for a walk. And for the next two weeks they have football practice everynight mon-fri so it is cutting into my walking time. But I figured out that I can drop my oldest off at practice, put the other two in the stroller and then walk them down the street to the park. While they play I walk around the sand pit area for that play toy. When they move I move and walk around the next one the whole time they are playing. I got in 3000 extra steps last night just at the park, not counting the walk to and from the park or the dozen times they needed to go to the car. So I am trying to work it in anyway that I can. I think we may even start doing morning walks since school starts soon and they have to get up at 5:30 in the morning to get ready, so I need to ease them into getting up earlier, and what a great excuse to do it. Come on boys it's time to walk.

Well that is my weekly report so far. I downloaded that diet journal that Beverly posted and I am loving it. I really want to purchase it when my trial runs out. And GUESS WHAT???? My scale says that I have lost 2lbs. this week, YIPPEE for me. It's working.

Amy

Man!! Am I supposed to own a scale??!! Oh well.

I've not been too good with the movement thing. DH was gone for the 4 days through the weekend, and the days are just too doggone HOT! Today is a heat advisory with heat index reaching 115!

On the flip side, I have stopped most snacking...eating mostly just 3 meals a day. I confess I did have a bowl of chocolate ice cream w/browines last night, plus 3 brownies at a board meeting last night! Oooops. (boy were they good, though!)

I take my hat off to you all! I just weighed myself for the first time in months, and - - - where did that 10 extra pounds come from???? I blame it all on all the potlucks we've been going to - one car club we're in is nicknamed "the food club" and not just by a few of us! I need to start moving more - computing, reading and quilting aren't doing it, and it's been too hot to do much gardening - so weighing myself was a big motivater! I will give up the ice cream - besides it sometimes causes my gastric reflux to act up.

Mel, I hope you are still doing good with your moving, and that the ice cream fast is not too difficult for your. It will be worth it in the end.

Good job Amy. The walk to the play area sounds like a good idea to me, it keeps everyone happy.

You do not really need a scale Jennifer. You can tell by how your cloths feel if you are doing well. I know the heat is really bad. It was 99 (heat index 110) while we were in TN this week. The hiking was really hard, but the bike riding made a nice breeze.

Scraphappy, be sure to get your 30 minutes of "movement" everyday also. It will help melt those 10 extra pounds right off.

I'm glad everyone is continuing to work on their challenges. I know it will benefit all of us in the end. Keep up the good work!!

beverly

I'm not up to the food yet - still trying to move for 30 minutes.

grammyp - sure did get my 30min+ this morning - weeded the front flower bed - also, it was a good thing to weigh myself - just the motivation I needed, not to mention some of my clothes were feeling a little tight. I know it's not good to yo-yo diet, but I'm now serious about this, and going back to the eating habits I used to have - lost about 35 lbs. 5 yrs ago, and kept most of it off until this past year - a good 20+ has crept back on (retirement?). Eating habits (not dieting!) should be a life-long commitment to good health. I found it was helpful to eat 5 - 6 small meals a day, always eat breakfast, cut way down on foods with alot of fat grams, avoid "fast foods", and yes - exercise! (sometimes I had a bowl of cereal for dinner, or just a large can of V-8 and small cup of applesauce! The pounds just dropped off!) Glad you're being our motivater!!

Glassquilt, I know it is too hot to do much outside but do your best. You can always walk up and down steps. That is what I have to do when it rains (if it rains) here. I just go down then up 5 times and do that several times during the day.

Scraphappy, I have started the 5-6 "feedings" a day. They are really too small to be meals. I do eat 1 good meal, usually about lunch, but the rest of them are smaller. I find I do better if I have something to look forward to in "just a little while".

We have structured our day so we have breakfast, do our bike ride, have lemonade and fruit on the swing, do some yard work or something (since we are nasty anyway), then clean up for lunch. Then the rest of the day is mine (except for babysitting) especially weeks DH works 2-midnight. So far that has worked well for us. So far I have done pretty good with my chips and crackers. I did break down and have graham crackers for my late snack while we were camping, but I did limit it to 2 squares. I don't generally eat them at home so that should not be a problem. The chips on the other hand have been difficult. But when I want a munchie I just brush my teeth, have some water and look forward to my next "feeding" time. I have found a regular routine helps me keep on track. Keep up the good work everyone.

beverly

Yes, 5 - 6 "meals" are really not full meals - but "grazing" throughout the day, I think, keeps the metabolism working for you, and you don't get so hungry, plus, you know in a few hours you can have something to eat. Breakfast, 10 a.m. snack (ex: fruit), small lunch, 2 p.m. snack, and small dinner. Also -- what helps, and I've seen this mentioned before, and it works for me - have your meals on a smaller plate - looks like you have more food than you maybe really do. You mentioned brushing your teeth - when I really don't want to be tempted, if my teeth are freshly brushed, it deters me a little from eating something I shouldn't. Eating is partly psychological and emotional - DD is anorexic/bulemic and I know all the issues too well!!

Bless your heart scraphappy. Anorexia/bulemia is a tough thing to battle. I think it may be harder than overeating to control. Like you said, it is important to have good eating habits rather than the yo-yo method of gaining and losing over and over. It has not been easy for us, but we are working on a regular schedule of eating. With no kids at home we would love to just come and go as we please and eat what/when we want. I have found out I can't do that, so now we try to stick to a fairly regular schedule. We do eat out but try to do it at lunch (smaller servings) and avoid fast food places, and sometimes each get a salad and share an entre. There are many little tricks I have learned and keep learning.

beverly

DH is pre-diabetic and both son-in-laws are diabetic. They have three meals and three snacks - spaced out evenly. I see nothing wrong with doing that for myself.

Yup glassquilt, that should work. Years ago when I had to lose wt for my bloodpressure, they gave me the diabetic diet to follow. It worked as long as I stayed on it. I lost 40 pounds over a year with it. Over time 20 have managed to find me again, that is why I am on this challenge. Speaking of which, it is time for my oatmeal.

beverly