Monica: I got on here to post and found yours of this morning; I only have a few minutes to type what amounts to a small bible so can't do yours justice, but almost choked on my water laughing at the phrase "accidentally catch fire from the friction" God I remember the pain. When I started wearing hose THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE PANTY KIND!! Think about that. It was horrible.

on Obsession: Oh boy, what an interesting topic! I think obsession makes the world go 'round. Most everything of any worth has been accomplished by people who are "obsessed." And people are happiest when they are obsessed! -- and by that I mean intensely involved with what they are doing. So involved that they lose themselves for a little while, or even for a long while. I wish everyone could know that kind of happiness.

BUT (and herein lies the rub for us TDC folks) weight loss can't be an obsession. By nature an obsession is all-consuming, and usually temporary. You can study Attic Greek intensively for six months and then stop and no harm done! - you know a little Greek. You can be obsessed with your work for 30 years (and if you are I will say you are a lucky person); retirement may be difficult but again, no harm done, and you probably made a real difference.

Weight loss can't be dealt with this way. This is hard to accept for those of us who are perfectionistic and somewhat driven. I'm talking to myself right now; this is something I am still trying to get on top of. A lifetime of too little exercise and too much of the wrong kinds of food is ostensibly my problem; my learned response is to tackle the problem, solve it, and move on. But as Mr. Rolfe would probably ask, "What caused the problem in the first place?" And that's it, of course. I not only have to lose weight, I have to CHANGE. I am fortunate in that no health condition caused my problem -- I did that myself. I have to recognize situations and feelings that led me too eat too much and learn to react differently. This has to be a studied, life-long behavioral change. Some say "People can't change." I don't believe that.

But that's not to say it's bad to "push" - only if your health permits, and only if you really want to! Monica, I think I know how you felt when you skipped your walk last Friday; when I skipped my exercise I felt anxious too, partly thinking "Am I serious about this or not?" and partly thinking "!~&*!! I'm going to have to admit to the TDCers that I skipped another day."

on Dr. Phil: I had to chuckle when I read about the women who lost a lot of weight and then turned mean. No, I know it's not funny. But I have to wonder if these women were mean all along but lacked the self-confidence to show it (you know, the "jolly fat man" stereotype) or maybe they had unmet expectations of ways that their lives would change following their weight loss. I didn't see the show so I probably shouldn't comment.

I'll agree that approaching anything "with an iron grip discipline that allows no room for variation" is a bad idea. I haven't gotten the sense that any of us here are doing that. We're all trying to make changes and that's not easy! A little vigilance may be necessary.

on Exercise Music: Wow, I'm glad this came up. I need some help in this area! I listened to the Beatles in high school, then a whole bunch of stuff in college, but when I started working I fell out of the popular music loop. I've had my car radio set to a classical station for ages!! At some point U2 got through to me briefly, but not much else. I love Meat Loaf but I don't want to "wear out" my favorite music by exercising to it every day. Recently I checked out AC/DC's Back in Black from the library but couldn't stand the lead singer's voice. Today, on Monica's recommendation, I checked out Phish's Lawn Boy but haven't listened to it yet. I couldn't remember the name of the other group so will have to go back for that. Anyway, I'm open to (and welcome) any suggestions!

Here We Go Again!
 

Onto Week Six …

Goals
Review last week’s goal. How did you do? Make a new one, or recommit to your previous goal for this week!

Rewards
What goodie are you going to reward yourself with this time?

Body Image Exercise: Chest
We’ve been all over the map, as the saying goes, sometimes focusing on appearances, sometimes on function of a body area. This, of course, being a reflection of the disorganized mind creating the exercises!

However, if you’re doing them like me, you are now familiar with the ‘seeing and feeling’ approach. These turn out to be important skills this week. (I’d use more senses, but I just wasn’t all that comfortable tasting or smelling each area, let alone encouraging my Fellow Challengers to do the same!)

Pick a time when you’ll have at 5-10 uninterrupted minutes. Use a mirror where you can see yourself from the waist up, the shoulders down and side-to-side. What do you see? How has this part of your body changed over the course time or during your weight loss?

Flex the muscles of your chest. Can you see the difference between flexed and relaxed? Take a deep breath in and watch your rib cage expand. Are you shoulders rising when you do this? If so, try this again, let your belly fully expand and keep the shoulders in place. Breathing this way will use your lungs to their greatest advantage.

Put your hand over your heart. Did you place your hand on the left side of your chest? Most people do. It tips to the left, but it’s actually located in the center, between your lungs. Can you feel its rhythm? Even at rest, a human heart works hard … twice as hard as the leg muscles of a person sprinting. (Statistic from PBS) Think of everything it does, everything it represents.

We can’t address the chest area without also talking about the mammary glands. Everyone’s got them, men and women alike, although we tend to think of them as a ‘girls only’ feature. Since they are made primarily from fat, we plus size people tend to have large ones.

Has the texture of your skin or breast tissue changed? It’s common to notice that your breasts become ’droopy’ after losing weight. (Of course, this will happen to us all, as time marches on.) If this is true for you now, how do you feel about the change?

Did you know that everyone stores and makes estrogen in their fat cells? That means that as we shrink those cells, additional estrogen enters your blood stream.

Estrogen is vitally important in strengthening bones and for brain function, but extra estrogen can lead to an increased risk of cancer (Cornell University Fact Sheet On Estrogen And Breast Cancer Risk). While far more women get this form of cancer, over 2,000 men in the US are diagnosed each year. (ACS 2002)

Recently, the American Cancer Society has revised it’s recommendations for monthly Self Breast Exams (SBE). They state:

“Research has shown that BSE plays a small role in detecting breast cancer compared with self awareness. However, doing BSE is one way for wo/men to know how their breasts normally feel and to notice any changes.”

How To Do A Breast Self Exam
Click on the BSE link on the right side of this page, and don’t miss the ‘Variations‘ option for large size breasts.

Knowing what your breasts feel like is vitally important to early detection. You don’t have to do anything official, just know what is normal for you. Look and feel, at least once a month, and if you notice anything unusual, talk to your health care provider.

Homework
Pay attention to your chest this week. Think about taking your pulse at different times of the day and notice your heart rate. Remember to occasionally expand your chest fully when you breathe, keeping the shoulders relaxed. Find things to like about your chest. Find beauty in its form and function. If negative thoughts arise, replace them with complements.

Affirmation Of The Week
It is often easier to know what to do than to do it. Today I will do those things that strengthen my body and keep it healthy.

Hi TDC Challengers!!

Got home from vacation late last Friday, celebrated DD2's birthday the next day, got 2 out of 3 kids back to school 2 days after that & have been a zombie for the last 3 days!

Now I'm rarin' to get back into things & have the following goals for this coming week...

1. We no longer have one of our newspaper routes so I'm only walking & delivering papers on weekends. Had problems last week with coming up with something to replace that 'forced' exercise. So I will pledge to walk at least 30 minutes on Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday. On Saturday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday (my regular gym days), I will attempt 20 minutes on the cross trainer after my strength workout.

2. Continue to stretch after all workouts. I've been much better about doing this lately, but need to reinforce it.

3. Get back into the habit of 3-4 litres/quarts of water per day. Was not doing it while on vacation because the water in our hotel was NASTY. I should have packed my Brita pitcher!!

4. Do Technogym machines workout on days listed above.

It's hard to believe that our original challenge is almost over! Have you decided whether or not to continue Monika? You've done such a great job for us but I certainly understand if you can't do it again. I'm not sure what area of our body we're working on but I'm definately going back to the belly/hips stuff I missed out on while on vacation. This has always been my weak spot.

I also want to thank those of you who have weighed in (no pun intended) on the mirror/body image front. I'm one of those who literally does not look in the mirror except when I'm brushing my hair & teeth in the morning. And that's only a medicine cabinet mirror. I've decided that I will buy a full length mirror this week after payday. As much as it pains me, I have to start looking at my body. I hope to feel the same sense of empowerment that I did when I started weighing daily at the beginning of this WOE. Hey! I just had an idea! Maybe I can put the scale in front of the mirror so I can get all the awful stuff over at the same time!! I guess that's sorta defeating the purpose now that I think about it....

If anyone's made it this far in this post, I did want to comment on 10 minute exercise thing...

I'm no expert but in my experience but this doesn't seem to be the best idea for people in our situation. Warm ups and cool downs are especially important for those of us with extra weight and/or mobility issues. I'm not sure you can incorporate that with this method. Much better I think is what Mary is doing with her 'bursts' of high intensity during her cardio. Of course, there's nothing wrong with starting with 10 minute periods if that's all you can do at the time and you still have your warm up & cool down. But I think they're advocating it as a regular routine & I haven't seen much research to support that- especially for people who have alot of weight to lose.

Just my 2 cents & worth only a penny....

Monika Checking In!
 

Howdy Challengers!
 

Hi Challenge Buddies :wave:

I am doing OK here, with a little short glitch in the program. I am such a clutz, on Friday going to work I slipped of some steps and fell over a wooden railing (and broke it) onto the garage floor. What a sight I'm sure!! :rolleyes: Luckily I didn't impale myself or break any bones, but I ended up sore, bruised, and with stiff knees again. I took Sat. off from exercising and just rested, and I did manage to do my 20 minutes of cardio yesterday, but my knee pain kept me from doing it at too high of an intensity. I am just now going to try my lower body workout and hope that I can make it through.

My thoughts as I lay on the garage floor assessing the damage were "this can't be happening to me, I'm in a challenge!!" LOL

I did good on my goals for last week, but could work more on my visualizations. I'll continue that for this week too.

As a breast cancer survivor I think it is important for everyone to have good breast health and know how to examine themselves and get mammograms when they are over 40. If caught early it is very treatable. With all the weight training I'm doing I have really noticed my chest muscles tightening up. Maybe someday I'll have collarbones again :p

Have a great week!
Mary

Marebear - were you making an entrance or just leaving? WOW - either way it was a good one!! :daze:

Seriously though, very glad you weren't seriously hurt!!!! Someone was watching over you.... :angel:

Well, I have been a good boy as far as exercise. I am as faithful to that as to my way of eating and both are as important to me as you all know. I am regaining the ability to walk rapidly. I did a full mile (2/3's downhill) Sunday. That is something I have not been able to do in many years.
I will easily and happily continue this for the rest of my life! As it is thru this that I am given a much improved life.

Cruisin' Along Challenger!
 

Onto Week Seven …

Goals
Review last week’s goal. How did you do? Make a new one, or recommit to your previous goal for this week!

Rewards
What incentive are you shooting for this time? Tell us when you enjoy a reward!

Body Image Exercise: Head
There was a thread in the TDC a few months ago where the poster referred to not recognizing themselves in the mirror. We expect weight loss to be reflected in our waistlines, it’s more surprising when it shows in your face. Yeah, it’s great when our double chins shrink, but it can be confusing. Barring injury or illness, changes in our face usually happen very slowly; weight loss is an exception.

Our identity is portrayed in our facial features. It tells the world who we are. It communicates our feelings, even those we would rather conceal. When we change such an essential part of our body, it takes some getting used to.

We ’see’ ourselves everyday as we brush our hair and teeth. But have you really looked at yourself lately? Spend five to ten minutes when you can be alone and look at your head and neck in a mirror. Consider using a hand held one, too, so you can see yourself from above, below and on each side.

Check out your …
~ eyes ~ nose ~ mouth ~ hair ~ skin ~ throat ~

Have you changed since the last time you really saw yourself? What looks different? How does a smile or frown change your face? Try all kinds of expressions. When you relax your face, what emotion do you project? Are you tending to your grooming in a pleasing way?

Do you pamper this most essential body part? Try …
Facial Massage and Acupressure Exercises
Do-It-Yourself Ayurvedic Head Massage

"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." Shakespeare

The head’s most beautiful feature is its brain. Our attitudes about how we appear communicate strongly to the outside world. It’s our body image that causes us to choose clothes that either flatter or hide, to walk with confidence or shrink into the background.

We’ve been reacquainting ourselves with how we look and feel right now. We are building a personal portrait of our bodies in process. Each week we practice replacing negative thoughts with more constructive ones, but now it’s time for an attitude check.

“Body image is the picture a person has of her body, what it looks like to her and what she thinks it looks like to others. This can be accurate or inaccurate and is often subject to change. … Both body image and self-esteem are perceptions that are actually independent of physical realities. Improving body image involves changing the way one thinks about one's body rather than undergoing physical change (Freedman, 1990). To improve body image and therefore improve self esteem, it is important for women to learn to like themselves and to take care of themselves through healthy lifestyle choices that do not emphasize weight loss as the only measure of good health.” Rhonda Zabrodski BSc, MSW, RSW (my emphasis)

Excellent Article! Better Your Body Image, Bridget Kelly

You Are What You Think, Linda-Ann Stewart

You Are What You Think You Are, Rhoberta Shaler, PhD

How are you thinking about your body? Are you telling yourself that you are attractive? Able-bodied? Healthy? Or are your thoughts more critical? Is there a part of you that feels you’ll only be comfortable with your body when you reach a certain number on the scale? Maybe it’s all chatter that you don’t pay much attention to?

Homework
“To change your attitude you must change the inner dialogue. To change the dialogue you must catch it in action. To do this you have to pay attention to yourself. You must engage in self-observation and listen for that inner voice.” Dan Johnston PhD

This week, focus on what your brain is telling your body. If you catch a negative thought, turn that mental frown upside down. Compliment yourself often. Accept praise from others gracefully; a simple ‘thank you’ is the only response you need. Decide that you are worthy of a having a vibrant self image.

Affirmation Of The Week
All that we are is a result of what we have thought.

This week has gone well and I'm right back in with my workouts. Both knees and legs are still sore, and walking or standing for very long hurts too. I know it will get better. I just hate backsliding when I was making such good progress forward with them. It just reinforces that I need to be patient with myself and my body.

Teresa - thanks, I felt very fortunate too not to be hurt worse, and I was so happy the neighbors didn't see that LOL!!

MisterE - way to go on the mile and the rapid walking!!

Monika - thanks for your kind words too :) I really think the damage was less because I had been working out, and certainly my mental attitude was better.

Workouts will be the same this week - 3 days cardio and 3 days weight training. I need to start looking into different exercises for my weight training to shock my muscles again. I work out at home so my choices are limited, but I hope I can come up with ones that will work. I also need to drink more water - I have been slacking off a little. That head massage sounds interesting too, I think I'll try it this weekend. Thanks for all the info Monika :)

Have a great Week 7!
Mary

Week seven: I'm going to keep my goals the same this week since I didn't even come close to meeting them last week. Forgot about holiday last Monday & had TOM surprise me a week early. I only got to gym 2 days & only walked 2 days. Did buy a mirror as planned though-- but it's still in the trunk of my car...

Hope others had a better week!

Checking In!
 

things are going well for me...although I have been suspiciously absent from the forum I have been trying to keep up my end of the bargain.

I am lucky enough to have a pool at my place (and its heated!!) so I have been taking advantage of early morning swims. Nothing too extreme but enough to get my heart up a few beats. I have increased from 8 lengths to 12 this week. I think it helps clear my head as well. Yesterday I tossed in a bit of running across the width of the pool - definitely something that would be a struggle on dry land.

I just caught up my reading - congrats to everyone who is committed to our little challenge. It's been fun so far.

BTW - I am leaving for a little holiday to Australia and New Zealand on September 22nd....I won't be back until November so I won't be around for a few weeks but am committed to keeping my body moving!

reporting in at start of Week 7
 

Monica, thanks for your good wishes. My friend got out of the hospital Thursday and he is doing fine. Where would we be without people who knew us back when we were even worse idiots than we are now?

Mary, I'm glad you are bouncing back after your scary fall, and really glad you weren't badly hurt.

I'm doing ok. Since last posting here I missed some exercise but not much, and survived both my birthday and a local food-and-drink-oriented festival without eating too much, or anything bad. It does help to think about it first, before going. I have the hardest time keeping from messing up when I am "surprised" by food.

My goals for this week will be the same as before: 30 min. of exercise per day. I've been thinking about body image and self-esteem and tummies in odd moments, which fits in with this week's "head" homework; if I'm able to articulate anything remotely coherent I'll post it.

I requested "The Spark" from the library. This may be along the lines of "8 Minutes in the Morning for Real Shapes, Real Sizes" by Jorge Cruise, which I checked out but haven't yet opened the cover. Hatetocook's point about warming up and cooling down is a good one, though. And I thought the common wisdom (i.e. I don't know where I read this) was that you needed to get your heart rate up to a certain point and keep it there for at least 20 minutes to get a metabolic boost. But maybe there's new information in these books.

I for one would love this Challenge to continue, if you are still willing to be our fearless leader, Monica. I think you are really good at this sort of thing (and I'm not just saying that to get you to continue :lol: )