Excited about Cruise and weight Loss!!!

[Mrssyvo]

DH and I are going on a "bucket list" Med cruise in 1 month and I was dreading it in a way, because I had gained so much weight over the last few years, my energy level was at a 0, and I was dealing with several health issues (beacause of the weight, I am sure) I decided that if I had to sit on the deck, and not see the islands, that would be ok- But then I "woke up" when my neighbor asked me to go to WW with her- I started 3 weeks ago, and even though I will not reach my goal (far from it)- I have a whole new outlook on my weight, and especially the cruise. My energy level is picking up, I am fitting into clothes still in my closet (will not have to spend $$ on new clothes) and I will NOT be sitting on the deck while every one is exploring the islands. I may even ride the donkey up the stairs at Santorini!!!! I would like to find an accountablity partner here on the boards, that will be going on a cruise about the same time, to keep on track- We leave April 17th on Costa Victoria, out of Venice.

[FlaGrl4Evr]

Hello Mrs S, I will help you out as I too need a weight loss web- partner. I just posted yesterday on the WW thread here on this forum as well. I started WW in 2003 and reached lifetime in 2004. I went to a meeting every week and followed the plan like the Bible, until I went through a very painful divorce (after 25 yrs of marriage) needless to say, I gained back 26 lbs. I decided recently that I want to do this for me, so I jumped back on the WW wagon this past weekend and am going to try again.

 

I will not be going on my cruise until Oct, but could sure use the accountibiltiy to help me get back on track and stay there. I just threw out a half pan of brownies that I made last week. I am embarrased to say that I ate most of them myself. I carry most of my extra weight around the middle, so even with a few extra pounds I sure can feel it. I have an entire closet full of clothes for my "goal weight" which I did reach and did maintain until a year and a half ago. With 26 extra pounds you can imagine how awful it is to know that the clothes just do not fit anymore. Winter is almost over and I cannot hide in sweats any longer.

 

BTW, My name is Cari and I am from Indiana. I am 47 yrs old and have 2 children. A daughter 22 who teaches 6th grade. She lives out in California and a son 18 who will graduate from HS this year. I was also blessed with meeting a very special man who I share a lot in common with. We have been dating for several months now and he is the special someone that I will cruise with in October. We are sailing on the CCL Legend out of Tampa. This will actually be the frist cruise for both of us. It is a 7 day and has POC in Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize and Isla Roatan. I am excited. I want to get to goal again and be able to put this 47 yr old body in some cute cruise attire.

 

Have a great day and hope to hear back from you. Cari

[Mrssyvo]

wow- we have a lot in common- I also live in Indiana!!! I live in NW Indiana (Cedar Lake) near Crown Point/Merrillville, Lowell. My step-daughter went to Taylor, so I know where Anderson is. I just turned 50, and I think that is part of my problem- trying to decide how much is menopause, and how much is "laziness" For some reason, this time around it is easier, easier to keep the full feeling, etc. DH and I are empty nesters, no grandkids- although 2 of our 5 girls are married now.

[FlaGrl4Evr]

Hello, checking in today to see how things are going for you, and to report on how I did yesterday and today.

 

 

First of all, I would like to share a great new product that I found at the supermarket. They are New thin sliced bagels. Made by Nature's Own. They are only 2 pts. I really can't tell too much of a difference from the size of a regular bagel. They are whole wheat and have no added frutose corn syrup. 140 cal, 1gm fat and 5 gm fiber. They are wonderful and so filling. I put one scrambled egg with a few squirts of spray margarine between one on Sunday for breakfast and today had a Boca Grilled veggie burger on one. I found the bagels in the bread asile at our local Payless Kroger. WW used to make bagels and english muffins ( 1pt ea ) but I cannot find them anywhere. I even went on their web-site and they are nowhere to be found. Another great product I found is Kashi fruit and grain bars. The pumpkin-pie flavor is to die for. Tastes just like pumpkin pie covered in chocolate. 2 pts for one bar. Kashi also has a coconut-chocolate flavor that is wonderful. 2 pts also. I really love the WW 1 and 2 pt bars but I can only get them at meetings and they do tend to be a little pricey.

 

I am going to force myself to do 30 minutes on the treadmill today. I really do not want to but went to the Doctor today for a BP check and I am up 3 lbs just from the other day. When the weather gets a little warmer, I can walk around my sub-division. Right now we still have a little bit of snow left so I will wait little on that.

 

I only get 20 pts per day. This is so hard. Yesterday I thought that I did really well but ended up using 27 pts. Had to cut into my extra bonus points. I keep telling myself, " A minute on the lips, forever on the hips. "

 

Have a great day and hope to hear from you soon. Cari :)

PS: What is a " bucket list " on a cruise ?

[Mrssyvo]

A Bucket List is a list of things you want to do before you "kick the bucket" This Med cruise is on our list- so we are calling it our bucket list cruise. I have the opposite problem than you do- I have more points than I can eat. I know that sounds weird but I have 31 points per day, plus activity points and the extra ones. I have not been eating all of my points and I think it is slowing down my weight loss. I am going to the store today so I will look for the bagels- I am also going to look for other ways to add food, without getting into too much trouble- I am trying to stay away from sugar, because it triggers binges for me, so I will look for more whole grains, maybe more snacks- Any ideas? My wiegh in days are Thursdays, so I will know more tomorrow how my week went.

[Newfun4me]

Can I join ya'll? I am going on a cruise in August and would like to lose 30 pounds by then. I started the Atkins diet on February 15 and am down 10 pounds, but it is so easy to stray without accountability. ;)

 

I'm 38 years old, live in Fort Worth, Texas, and have 1 son who is 11. Our cruise is out of Galveston, TX, and we will spend 7 days cruising to the Bahamas and Key West. I have a gorgeous evening dress that is a size 8 that I want to get in to. We went to Mexico last year and I was my current size. I didn't feel that bad and wore 2 piece swimsuits, but not without a cover-up. Plus, it's easier to camouflage trouble spots in a maxi-dress or sundress than it is a cocktail or evening dress. Anyway, looking at some of the pics, I was a little shocked at how different I actually looked than I "thought" I looked. So this time, I want to look "hot" for my DH and be proud to show pics.

 

I won't be able to talk menus or points with ya'll, but could share exercise info and weight loss.

 

Thanks!

 

Kim

[FlaGrl4Evr]

Hello Kim, Welcome. Weight loss is not easy, all of the tips, product information and support will be a help to all of us. Oh, and yes, recipes too. WW calculates points but we can break down any recipe and do that.

 

I know what you are talking about as far as wanting to get back into cute clothes. Here in Indiana it has been a very cold winter and I found myself hiding behind a lot of sweat pants and big sweater tops. The weather is warming up and OMG went to put on some lighter clothes over the weekend :eek:. A real reality check!

 

Do you have that big excercise ball? I want to get one but would like to get some feed back from someone that has used it. Thanks- Cari

[FlaGrl4Evr]

A Bucket List is a list of things you want to do before you "kick the bucket" This Med cruise is on our list- so we are calling it our bucket list cruise. I have the opposite problem than you do- I have more points than I can eat. I know that sounds weird but I have 31 points per day, plus activity points and the extra ones. I have not been eating all of my points and I think it is slowing down my weight loss. I am going to the store today so I will look for the bagels- I am also going to look for other ways to add food, without getting into too much trouble- I am trying to stay away from sugar, because it triggers binges for me, so I will look for more whole grains, maybe more snacks- Any ideas? My wiegh in days are Thursdays, so I will know more tomorrow how my week went.

 

Went to a WW meeting this morning for the first time in over a year. I am so glad that I did. I just love the plan and the meeting helps me stay motivated. Got a lot of good tips today. Went to the grocery store after the meeting and stocked up on some fresh veggies, lite bread and Crystal Lite. ( I love the Cherry-Pomagranite flavor) I purchased another points calculator. I like to take this to the store when I shop. I have to go for an MRI tomorrow and Rick ( my BF) is taking a half day off to go with me. Afterwards he suggested going to the Ponderosa for dinner. He likes the big buffett. I am going prepared. I am going to order

a grilled Chicken breast dinner and stick to a plain baked potato with FF Ranch Dressing and then get a healthy salad to go with it. I will not even look at the desserts. Wish me luck. Applebees used to have WW items on their menu but the last time I was there it was gone. We have a new poster to join us. We will all be loosin and crusin. LOL Welcome Kim !

 

PS: thanks for explaining the Bucket List to me. I had never heard of that. I will have to start my list. Thanks.

[Mrssyvo]

Welcome Kim- If you have any questions, just ask- The Aplebee's around here still has the WW menus, and also, I found a website called dietfacts.com, that has nutrional values and points for hundreds of resteraunts, and I was shocked by how much food at Applebees is actually good for us (10 points or below) Last week was my birthday week,and we ended up eating out 3 days, and I still lost 3.8 pounds. It takes a little bit of planning, but it is doable. I leave for my cruise in 5 weeks, and I hope to be 10 pounds lighter (if not more) and I would also like to keep with my program while on the cruise. I know that Costa has a spa menu so I should be able to make wise choices and work off the wine I drink.

[FlaGrl4Evr]

Goodmorning, hope you all did well yesterday and followed plan. I did 1 mile on the treadmill last night after dinner. I used the ankle weights and 3 lb hand weights for more of a work-out. I turned the speed on the treadmill way up and just went for it. Normally I do between 2 and 3 miles but I was tired and just wanted to get the most out of it. I have heard a lot of good feed back from folks that have used the Biggest Loser excercise DVD's. I am going to see if our local library has them for rental so I can judge this for myself before I invest.

 

I had 1.5 pts left over last night after dinner. I even had a 4oz glass of wine with my meal. I went online and viewed the menu for Ponderosa. This is where Rick wants to go for dinner tonight. I have a medical appt at 3pm, he is going with me then taking me to see "Avitar" at the theatre then on to Ponderosa. He loves that all-you-can-eat buffet. I am planning to get a grilled chicken breast at 8pts, a plain baked potato 3pts, 2tbl ff ranch dr ( to top the potato) 1pt. and a big salad with ff italian dr. 0 pts. I like to write down my dinner meal complete with points early in the day and then I feel more committed to sticking to "my dinner plan" and more less likely to go over on my points. It is also much easier for me to see how many points I can allot for bkft, lunch and snacks.

 

We tried a new vegetable last night. Broccauliflower. A cross between broccoli and Cauliflower. It was really good. I steamed it in those new glad steamer bags for the microwave. It tasted more like broccoli but looked like a big green cauliflower. I am going to try something new every once in a while.

 

Have a great day. Cari. :p

[Mrssyvo]

Hello All- Cari, I like the idea of planning out your meal at the beginning of the day- I think I might try that- I went to my meeting this morning and I only lost .6 lbs, I was a little bit disappointed, but I htink I may be retaining water- so I am going to drink more water, and see if that helps. I roasted some brussel sprouts and leeks a little bit ago, so I am going to have soem of that for afternoon snack. I had a turkey & swiss swrap, with whole wheat tortialla wrap, and tonight,, I am grilling some chicken, and having a chicken fajita salad for dinner.

[FlaGrl4Evr]

Happy Friday to all!

I went to a WW meeting again this morning. I went to one Wed. morning but the leader was just so-so. I had heard that the Fri leader was awsome and she was. She got everyone involved with the meeting by sharing success stories and recipes and tips. I got some really good ideas today that I will share. One lady said that she hates the taste of Fat Free Mayo. (I do too) so she mixed it with equal portions of Kraft Fat Free Thousand Island Salad Dressing. She said she makes her chicken and tuna salad with this and also uses it as a spread for sandwiches. The leader said she mixes equal amounts of FF sour cream and salsa to put on her baked potato. Doesn't this sound good? I bought a box of the 2pt pizza pretzel chips. I have not tried them yet. I must have something healthy to snack on or I will go off plan.

 

Last evening we went to the movies. I brought a 100 cal snack bag of cheese-nips and a 1 pt bar. Also a bottle of Crystal Light. Rick got his buttered popcorn and a giant pop. It smelled really good and he asked me if I wanted a bite but I knew that it would be too much temptation even if I tasted it. Afterwards we were planning on going to Ponderosa but Rick was too full from his Bucket of Butter so we came home. I had a container of yogurt as I was full from my snack too. I did really well and am hoping to keep it up.

 

Mrs S. How do you fix leeks? I have always wanted to try them but didn't know of a good recipe or how to prepare them.

 

Talk to you all soon. Cari

[Mrssyvo]

I roasted the leeks with brussel sprouts, that I cut in half, olive oil spray sea salt & fresh ground pepper, at 425 degr for 30 minutes- I think next time I do this I will add crushed red pepper also, This time I sprinkled with balsamic vinegar after I took thm out of the oven. Tomorrow I am roasting fennel bulbs with carrots & shallots, the same way- 0 points. I like to have unusual veggies to eat on that are o points. Last night I mixed FF sour cream with FF salsa as my salad dressing, for my fajita salad. I marinated the chicken in lime juice and garlic, and grilled them, and and put in my salad with avacado, green onion and croutons. It was very good and filling. Tonight my husband is picking up Chinese, I will split shrimp with vegetables/ white rice with him and the steamed dumplings and then 1 cup of egg drop soup. It uses up the rest of my points for the day but I will be full, and by splitting the meal with him, I will not be tempted to go back and pick at it later tonight (it will all be gone.)

 

Tomorrow, my MIL is making dinner for me, to celebrate my birthday. I gave her my menu, so I made sure it was reasonable in points- grilled chicken, with roasted veg and cheese tortellini in a tarragon sauce (very light sauce) , salad, and a light creamy cappucino cheesecake for desert. I may be using some of my "extra " points but not sure. I figure it is my birthday, and it will come around every year, I better learn how to deal with it.

[FlaGrl4Evr]

Have a great Birthday and a wonderful day.

 

My WW leader said something that really hit home yesterday. She said when you weigh in and see " your numbers " that it will be the last time you will ever see that same number again. How's that for motivation?

 

Have a great Saturday everyone. Stay on Plan. Just picture yourself sittiing poolside in a great looking outfit. :p

[Mrssyvo]

I am so thankful that my family is supporting me in this adventure- My MIL was willing to make me whatever I wanted, I am very encouraged that I will stay on point today. I had FF yogurt with blackberries, and LF Granola ( a new find for me-Kellogs- 1 pnt per 1/4 cup) . For lunch I had a salad with grilled chicken. I am satisfied.

[FlaGrl4Evr]

I am so thankful that my family is supporting me in this adventure- My MIL was willing to make me whatever I wanted, I am very encouraged that I will stay on point today. I had FF yogurt with blackberries, and LF Granola ( a new find for me-Kellogs- 1 pnt per 1/4 cup) . For lunch I had a salad with grilled chicken. I am satisfied.

 

How lucky you are that you have a family that is behind you 100% It sounds like you are going to do just great. Also, how nice that you MIL is going to make you a nice BD dinner.

You are going to do so well for your cruise next month. I had heard about the Spa meals. You will have to fill us in when you get back. Have a wonderful BD, post back and tell us about it tomorrow. Cari.

[MikeNKim]

Hi everyone.

 

Cari, thank you for the invitation. I am super excited to have some fellow cruisers for some support and motivation.

 

I am not following any plan, just the simple formula of moving more and eatting right. Sounds so simple but it will be tough for me. I am a fast food junkie, love my chips and pepsi. However I have made this committment to look alot better on the beach this fall.

 

Kim

[FlaGrl4Evr]

Hi everyone.

 

Cari, thank you for the invitation. I am super excited to have some fellow cruisers for some support and motivation.

 

I am not following any plan, just the simple formula of moving more and eatting right. Sounds so simple but it will be tough for me. I am a fast food junkie, love my chips and pepsi. However I have made this committment to look alot better on the beach this fall.

 

Kim

 

Glad your'e with us. I see that you are going on the Legend in Nov/10. My BF and I are going on the Legend 10/31/10 for the Halloween cruise. This will be our first cruise ever. We are so excited and like you I want to not only lose a few but also tone up a bit too. I am doing WW but any plan, as long as you stick with it will be worth while. I love junk food too and have had to find some subs. Like last night for instance, We had taco salad. I made chili with no meat and put is over a green salad and topped it with the Baked Tostidos. Topped this off with FF sour cream. It was so good and I didn't even miss the meat. I also keep a big fruit bowl on the table and am going to try new veggies. Mrs. S, from this post, told me how to make leeks. I am going to try this soon. Cari :)

[MikeNKim]

You will love Legend, I have done this exact cruise before and loved it. We mostly booked again to go back to Roatan, love it there.

 

Have you tried the ground turkey or chicken in your chili, I have done that and you really don't taste any different, I do find it doesn't brown up as much but in chilli or spag sauce you don't notice it.

 

Excited to get into the groove of things, I am also training for a 1/2 marathon at the end of May and I have to be more consistant with my training.

 

Thank you for the welcome, look forward to many months of success for us all.

 

kim

[Mrssyvo]

My birthday dinner was amazing!!! I was able to stay on points, and even planned for dessert. She made me a creamy cappucino cheesecake, that was low fat, low calories (250 cal a slice) and it was incredible. I have been limiting my deserts but to be able to have dessert for my birthday made it seem like I was able to live with this- it is a life plan, not a diet. Today, I had yogurt fruit & granola for breakfast a fiber bar and pear for lunch, and a large salad for dinner. I need to take the time to journal everything down though. Have a great week !

[MikeNKim]

Belated Happy Birthday to you!!!

[FlaGrl4Evr]

Goodmorning everyone and Happy Monday, I hope everyone had a great weekend. Mrs. S, so glad to hear about your BD dinner. It sounded so scrumptious. The dessert must have been devine! Your cruise is next month, you must be getting so excited. :)

I don't know what was going on with me yesterday, I was so hungry all day. I kept wanting to snack, I just couldn't get full. I had my normal breakfast 4.5 pts and then went for a walk around my subdivision. I wore both 2lb ankle weights as well as the 2lb arm weights. I walked at a fairly fast pace for about 30 minutes. When I got home I had my usual sliced orange and 16 oz of water. I took a shower and then, WHAM, I got so hungry! I forced myself to wait until lunch time and had a turkey sandwich on lite bread with lettuce and tomato. That normally fills me up. I was still hungry so I had a diet pop and mini-bag of 94% popcorn. A little later I had a WW 1pt yogurt. Can you believe I still wasn't full. Ricky cooks dinner on Sunday. He made shrimp and Steak K-bobs. They were very lean and full of veggies. He served this over brown rice. I measured and was so careful to eat slow and concentrate on my surroundings. After dinner I felt somewhat full and allowed myself and hour before I decided to even consider any dessert. In the end I wanted dessert but did not have it. I had another bottle of water and went to bed. I ended going 4 pts over and digging in to my 35 bonus pts. I hate doing this but that is what they are for.

 

Now this morning I feel more " in control " I just had one of those days. I am glad that I didn't get any dessert last night because I recognized that this would have triggered a binge. I am learning to tune in to my personal warning signs when it comes to food.

 

Who said weight loss was going to be easy? I saw Kelly Rippa on the Regis show. That girl is SO VERY THIN you can actually see her bones. I know this isn't very nice, but I just have this vision of forcing her to eat several Big-Macs. :D Sorry Kelly, just joking.

 

Have a great Monday. Cari

Now this morning, I feel more in cont

[Mrssyvo]

Cari,

I do not think Kelly would stand still while you force feed her, but it is fun to fantasize, isn't it? (LOL) I have had days before like you did where it seems like you are unable to feel full. At first, I try to distract myself, call a friend or go for a walk and then, if I still feel hungry, I will drink a large glass of water and then go from there. It sounds like you did a good job of staying on plan, even if you did go over what you wanted to in points. Also, when you increase your activity, you will feel more hunger- you need to concentrate on trying to eat filling foods. I had my typical yogurt/granola/blackberry parfait for breakfast, and a large salad for lunch, along with my new favorite lunch. 3 flatbreads (Tuscan herb) with light mayo, sliced tomato with fresh ground pepper & sea salt, and sliced turkey breast. It is very filling, and SO GOOD!!!!! I have my husbands favorite meal in the crockpot (pot roast, carrots & potatoes) Since I know it is higher in fat, I will eat just a little bit, and have a large salad. I walked 30 minutes today, with my walking poles, but I am still fighting infections, and the antibiotic wears me out very easy.

[Envoy2010]

I was so happy to have found this folder on the boards. I thought I was all alone. LOL. First let me say that your "bucket list cruise" is my dream vacation. I have always wanted to visit Greece and Italy. I hope you guys have a great time.

 

I am currently working on completing my degree in Medical Assisting and will be graduating July 23rd. So, as a present to myself, I am taking my 12 year old son along with me on our very first cruise ever. I have been playing the yo-yo game with my weight for years but the moment that I booked my cruise I instantly put myself on a "diet". (This was back in Nov.) I can't express in words how frustrated I am...while I have lost 30 pds. (I had a lot of starts and stops since Nov) I feel like I could have done so much better by now had I not lost track...yet again. The guilt is slowly chipping away at me so I am hoping that I will find some much needed motivation here. I'm not on the WW plan, I've chosen a different plan and have been working out regularly at the gym. I continue to work out even when my eating is horribly wrong just to stay sane. (Cardio keeps me sane...who knew)

 

You guys are doing so well with your own personal challenge of losing weight. I know some tips that I am willing to share also plus I'm 100% behind putting forth the effort to help keep you guys motivated. This is a great way to help us all be accountable which is a huge part of sticking to developing better eating habits. The way I see it, as long as I am "accountable" then hopefully I can make some huge (no pun intended) leaps in the progress area. I still have 28 weeks left before I set sail so I'm not exactly a lost cause...right?

[Mrssyvo]

You are welcome to join our little group- I only have 32 days until my cruise, so I will not have as much success asd you guys will, but I am determined to stay on course, and walk every day. 28 weeks is more than enough time to make a huge difference. I think something that might help is to find a picture of a cute outfit you woul dlike ot buy for your cruise, and hang it on your fridge- when you look at it it will motivate you make better choices.