Day One

[kathyseb]

Hi Everyone,

Today is the first day of the team challenge where I work. I am teamed up with three other people in my department.

The goal is for each team member to accumulate 100 points per week.

When I did the solo one, it was easy to say, OK, there is always tomorrow, but now team members are counting on me.

You certainly do not want to be low man/woman on the chart.

You earn points for every 30 minutes of exercise and for each serving of fruits and vegetables you consume.

The challenge runs till September 29.

Which means it will end for me about the 27th as we leave for WDW on the 28. Won't be racking up many points driving in a car for those last two days!!!!!

I went to bed last night thinking, when I get up in the morning, I will go for a walk.
And of course, it is pouring down rain today. First rain we have had in over a month.

Onto the treadmill I go.

Wish me luck.:woohoo:

[7swans]

I wish you luck!
What a great idea and motivation, having other people counting on you to do your part!
I have been thinking of going back to Weight Watchers :rolleyes:
I am running out of time to lose 10 more pounds before our trip!

So how is it going?

[kathyseb]

Thanks for posting.

I volunteered to be my teams Team Leader.
That means I track everyone's exercise and fruit and vegetable intake.
I figured that way if I would know before anyone else if I had to step it up a notch.

So far, I am holding my own.

I am alternating between the treadmill and Curves.
I set my sights low. Lose five pounds by Sept 1.
Figured if I set them too high I would be setting myself up for failure. Better to exceed your expectations.

Again, thanks for the encouragement.

Kathy

[7swans]

you go girl!!

[idratherbeinwdw]

Way to Go Kathy, keep it up!! Rah rah sis boom bah!! :cheerlead :cheerlead

[matysgranma]

Kathy, keep up the good work. There is nothing harder in life than to lose weight. But I know you can do it!!!!!!!!

[ultramm]

You go! Great idea and wishing you luck to being the 1st to a 100:)

[DisneyLove1012]

i wish you alllllll

THE LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

keep it up
and if you need more confidence let us know !!!:jumpingbe :jumpingbe :jumpingbe :jumpingbe

[kathyseb]

Thanks everyone for the support. It helps a lot.

[7swans]

You have inspired me to new effort, this morning I put my exercise clothes on before I got on the computer, tomorrow I may even exercise!

[kathyseb]

You have inspired me to new effort, this morning I put my exercise clothes on before I got on the computer, tomorrow I may even exercise!


Well, you took the first step.
I just got done on the treadmill, 9:30 at night. Will probably still be wide awake at Midnight!!!

Hopefully not. Tomorrow will be a little easier. We are going to a dance. Two hours of nonstop exercise, that will not seem like work!!!! Can't wait.

[matysgranma]

Kathy, since I know how much you love to dance, you should look into a set of work out videos called "Dance Off the Inches". It's a pretty good 40 minute workout with minimal steps to learn. But it does get me sweating.
Again, dancing and working out in one step should be good for you!

[7swans]

I did one of my FIRM tapes today.
I am so out of shape! I used to use this one when I was sick because it was pretty easy.
Not any more!
Oh well I know if I keep going it will get better.
SIGH

[kathyseb]

I have exercised for and hour almost everyday this week. Today we took a 90 minute walk along the river.

My challenge will be when I go out of town this week. I leave Monday at 5:30 AM and return late evening Friday.

It will be so easy to say, OK, lets just forget it.

But I am packing exercise clothes, so hopefully that will keep me inspired.

Thanks everyone for cheering me on.

[7swans]

I will challenge you, and we can hold each other accountable.
I will get up early every day this coming week to exercise if you will too.
We will both feel alot better at the end of the week if we can look back and be glad for our efforts.
How about it? :cheerlead

[kathyseb]

Well, I am staying out on the outskirts of Indianapolis, so I have to leave the hotel at 6:30 to beat the rush hour traffic into town.

I stayed out there a week ago and chuckled every morning when I climbed into the car that if I was at home, I would still be in bed. :hypnotict

This body is not seeing any exercise in the morning.

But give me till the end of the day and I will accept.

[7swans]

It's a deal!:thumbsup:

[kathyseb]

OK, will report back next Saturday as I do not take my laptop with me when I am on the road. I consider it my down time.

[KNWVIKING]

Ah.... all this exercise talk...... kinda makes me just wanna curl up on the sofa tonite with a pound of bacon & the remote control.

Yep.... sounds like a plan.

Thanx kathy.

[kathyseb]

Ah.... all this exercise talk...... kinda makes me just wanna curl up on the sofa tonite with a pound of bacon & the remote control.

Yep.... sounds like a plan.

Thanx kathy.

Any time.:jumpingbe :jumpingbe

[matysgranma]

Ah.... all this exercise talk...... kinda makes me just wanna curl up on the sofa tonite with a pound of bacon & the remote control.

Yep.... sounds like a plan.

Thanx kathy.
Oh, yeah, my kinda weight loss plan!!!!Forget Jenny Craig....think Viking plan!!! Okay, so on this diet, we've got coach loafing, bacon any time of day, tv, tv, tv.....any other tips you can offer, Viking, would be most appreciated. I must add that this is a very unique diet approach!

[kathyseb]

7 Swans, reporting back:

I took the stairs the majority of the week rather than the elevator.
I power walked around the hotel and in the halls. Walked each floor twice, took the stairs up one level, walked the hall twice, took the stairs.....Did that on all three floors on both sides of the hotel.
During lunch, made sure we walked downtown rather than just across the street.

I ate salad every day for lunch. Not one bite of fast food during the entire week, no chips, no candy no Wendys.

Had a salad every night but one. And even then, sat there staring at the menu thinking, OK, lets not pick something stupid to negate everything I have done good this week.

I did have a watermelon margarita one night. :tongue: And it was to die for.

Got on the scale this morning (Satuday) and it has not moved a bit.

Another dance tonight. So that is fun exercise to me.

But, our team at work is ranked 8th in the entire state wide agency.

[KNWVIKING]

Oh, yeah, my kinda weight loss plan!!!!Forget Jenny Craig....think Viking plan!!! Okay, so on this diet, we've got coach loafing, bacon any time of day, tv, tv, tv.....any other tips you can offer, Viking, would be most appreciated. I must add that this is a very unique diet approach!

A very unique plan indeed, but hey, you've met me. The results are more than obvious.

I also swallow Pringles whole..... that way they act as little snow plows and clean out my arteries.

[7swans]

Sound like you put in a great week, congratulations!
I know what a bummer it is to be really good and not have it show on the scale.

I wish I go say I had done 1/2 so well as you.
In my defense I must offer excuses!
I have my granddaughter overnight every Sunday evening, so Monday I had planned to buy a stroller & take a walk with her. However, ragweed is in bloom here and wreaking havoc on my sinuses, had a migraine and no walk. That night I was up late working on a mail out for the senior trip. { so no getting up at 5:30 am !}
Tuesday I worked all day and had a meeting in the evening.
I did exercise Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday, my abs are really sore!
The aerobic part of exercising is already getting easier, and I am remembering that I used to enjoy exercising.

I know I needed a kick in the pants so I swallowed my pride and went back to Weight Watchers on Thursday. The threat of weighing in in front of someone else is powerful motivation for me.
I ate pretty well early in the week, but Thursday evening after the WW meeting I had my "diet kickoff" hot fudge sundae.
Today I was at a women's retreat and had no control over the menu. I didn't eat the desserts though!
I am dedicating myself to this effort now, I really would like to lose 5-10 ponds by the time we go on our trip in 4 weeks.

I am happy that your team is doing well, how many teams are you competing against?
I know from past efforts at Weight Watchers that sometimes effort shows up on the scale a week later, keep up your good work. Think how much easier walking around WDW will be on your next trip!

[kathyseb]

There are 16 teams and we are number 8.

The goal was to reach 100 points per team member per week.
You get five points for every 30 minutes of exercise and two points for each serving of fruit or vegetables.

The team in the lead averaged 347 points per team member.
The next closest was at 204.
The lowest team had 74 points per team member.

We were at 131.

Everyone is grumbling about the lead team saying they have to be mispresenting their totals to be over 140 points higher than the next closest team.

I am not getting caught up in that. I am on a mission.
We bought a digital scale over the weekend and I am proud to say I have lost a whopping half a pound. But I will take it.

Tonight when I went to Curves, I got measured and weighed so I can judge my own progress along the way.

[kathyseb]

The standings for Week Two have been released and all hell broke loose.

We have some new teams and some of the teams from Week One have already dropped out.

The first place team has an average of 802 points for the four team members.

The next closest team has 436. And they filed a formal challenge to the results. They asked to see the first place teams spreadsheet.
The challenger figured it out and to have that many points, they need to be doing somewhere inbetween the following:

Exercising five and a half hours a day and eating no fruits and vegetables or no exercising and consumings 35 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

I am far from a small person and the highest I have gotten is 11 servings and I thought I was going to burst.

I am happy to say we are ranked 10 out of 26 teams. The other team from my department (the one we have the internal bet of losers buy winners lunch) is in 13th place. We have 290.75 average points per team member.

There are rumors among the teams that the "friendly" contest will come to an end with most teams dropping out if the team will not released their spreadsheet.

We have already decided, our two teams will continue on.

I leave this afternoon for a week and a half out of town. One of the girls in my home office, here in South Bend, has challenged me until I get back home, so wish me luck.

I have lost a half a pound so far!!!

[Rozzie]

Kathy, I have been lurking, and admiring you every step of the way! I am only my 2nd day of back on the treadmill, and really haven't adjusted my eating habits at all. I just feel like such a slug, and it's not a good feeling. Hopefully I can follow your good habits and start eating some more fruit/veggie's. I did buy a big ole' dried fruit bag at Sam's. Good. Eating FF Popcorn now. I know I am having mexican tomorrow, so oh well. I just want my energy level back than anything.

Way to go Kathy! Rooting for you all the way! :cheerlead

[kathyseb]

After the standings were released for Week Two, one team filed a formal protest.
Rather than make the team that is twice as far ahead as everyone else, they are going to allow all teams to turn in an adjusted total sheet on Monday.

First off you have to remember what you did as far back as August 5. I have a hard enough time remembering yeterday.
When I asked how we were expected to do that, the judge of the contest told me to review my checkbook ledger. That would give me a clue as to where I had been.
Still trying to figure that one out!

My team and the other team we have the internal lunch bet with have decided to stand tall and not adjust our totals. If we come in last place, oh well. As I told the judge, we were not in it to rack up points. We were trying to get healthier.

On the "approved" activity list is doing dishes? How hard is that to do? And does it take people 30 consecutive minutes to do their dishes? If so, I feel sorry for you.

And get this, playing Quibbage as Harry Potter did. How likely is that since you fly on a broom?

Too bad my Segway experience only lasted about ten minutes, I could have counted it.

It has gotten to be a joke.

I am not so pleased to say the half pound I lost has regained itself, in fact since I started I now weigh one pound more than I did.

Ron keeps telling me I am building muscle, which weighs more than fat. I know muscle weighs more, but a pound would be so nice to see fall from the scale.

I have not given up. For whatever reason I am still committed.

I am taking the stairs where ever I go. We have been dancing a lot. We hauled and stacked wood for three hours in the 90 plus temps.

When I am in Indianapolis this week I am staying on the Canal. My plan is to walk it every night. Of course, that was my plan last week until I saw it was 102 degrees there at 5PM. I walked the mall instead! A little cooler.

Thank you everyone for your comments and cheering me along.

[kathyseb]

When I left home on Monday morning, I was down a pound, which puts me back at my original weight.

I went shopping this week as it has been so hot down here, the easiest place to walk is in the mall.

So I am staying nice and cool, but spending way too much money!!

Am happy to report that after three short weeks, I have dropped one clothes size on top:jumpingbe :jumpingbe :jumpingbe :jumpingbe :jumpingbe

Will be anxious to get home tomorrow night to see what the scale shows.

[kathyseb]

I am happy to announce I have lost nine pounds and several inches. Need to be in town long enough to go to Curves and get measured.

I have dropped one size, so that is exciting.

The final standings were released at work this week. We came in 11 out of 26 teams.

[7swans]

HURRAY FOR YOU!!!:thumbsup:

Did you establish that the leading team was cheating?

[kathyseb]

HURRAY FOR YOU!!!:thumbsup:

Did you establish that the leading team was cheating?


Nothing was ever done about them. They came in first, well over 10,000 points above the next closest team.
But for the first time they awarded all the teams the same prize. So the first place team got nothing more than the last place team. A certificate to wear jeans and tennis shoes for a day.

For me, that would mean I would have to go out and buy a pair of jeans, which is not going to happen, but I have a jean skirt.

For me, I feel better, I am motivated to keep going and plan on doing just that.

Thanks everyone for their support.