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Hello! This Club really is dormant as of late. But I shall keep on keepin' on. I came across this quote today regarding motivation and I thought it perfectly described why going out of our way to remain consistent is the most important thing in a weight-loss journey. Even if working out and/or eating healthy is THE VERY LAST THING you want to do. Think about the short-term 'sacrifice' versus the long-term benefits. It's just a small price to pay right now -- but the benefits will be priceless. So, even when it gets hard -- let's get off the couch and begin moving. Even if we don't do the workout to perfection. Let's just move and then let's just do this day-in and day-out. The days really add up quickly! Before we know it -- we will have made a substantial amount of progress!
A new event Friday Check-In 09.08.2023 was created.
Hi and hello! Make sure to Check-in to today's post. I didn't plan for it -- but I ended up making a Guide on How to Get Back on the Bandwagon! This guide could help not only YOU, dear reader -- but perhaps also MYSELF next time I find myself floundering (and it doesn't happen -- once monthly!) Please go check it out and as always, make sure to Check-in! :)
I meant to say: *IT DOES HAPPEN -- once monthly! Sheesh! lol. The first week of the month is usually an extremely tricky one for me.
ANNOUNCEMENT: I want to take this moment to wish my wonderful sister: Ms. Geni -- THE BEST 35th birthday possible! I KNOW, I KNOW that I've already wished you Happy Birthday several times -- but I just really feel strongly that birthdays ought to feel *SPECIAL* -- and you're such a special lady that you deserve ALL THAT IS GOOD in this world! Like I said before, I hope you feel special and celebrated even during the parts of the day where you're just chillaxing at home (while you wait for your celebratory events later on in the day.) :) I suggest you do stuff to pamper yourself! Paint your nails, put on a relaxing and soothing face mask while you watch your favorite movies, write-up a list of your new 35th-year-of-life intentions and goals, etc. etc. Just simply -- make this day AS SPECIAL AS YOU ARE! I really hope and pray that God bestows a HUGE amount of blessings upon you -- now and forever! CHEERS TO YOU, MS. GENI! Thank you for being such a wonderful sister! - Diana. :)
Zdravstvuyte! Today is our 3rd Monthly Weigh-In! Let's make sure to get on them scales and FACE THE MUSIC. Hopefully, you'll find that the scale has been kind and that your number has decreased. But there's always the OFF-CHANCE that the scale may display otherwise. When THAT is the case -- the FIRST THING is to take a deep-breath and to conscientiously NOT ALLOW your determination to break. YES -- IT IS GOING TO HURT. After trying so hard, seeing that the scale displays a NO-LOSS or even a GAIN is like a GUT-PUNCH and a blow to the stomach. In one word -- it is: Heartbreaking. BUT WE NEED TO BE CONSCIENTIOUS THAT THIS MIGHT BE A POSSIBILITY BEFORE WE STEP ON THE SCALE. If you're not ready to face that potential outcome -- perhaps it would be best to not weigh yourself at this time. Start the week off fresh, do the best you can with your workout/diet routine and THEN try to weigh yourself the following week when you're more mentally open to whatever number the scale might display. If your outcome has been that there was a NON-LOSS or even the dreaded GAIN -- take some heart and take stock of the potential reasons why. The most common reason: If you were working out diligently -- it's highly likely that you put on MUSCLE weight. As we all know, muscle is more compact -- but weighs more than fat! So, you may be smaller and trimmer -- but TECHNICALLY HEAVIER. Remember that it's much better to be trimmer IRL than to have the scale display a lower number. The reverse: Being bigger but having the scale display a LOWER number would just be an illusion and not TRUE RESULTS. On the other end -- perhaps you kind of phoned-it-in. Deep down -- we all know if we tried our best or not. If you know that you did not -- don't get disheartened with what the scale said. Simply, face the facts that you didn't really do all that you could do and that this is what might happen when we don't put in a real effort. Just take a deep breath, recalibrate, write-up a GAME PLAN for this upcoming week and when the day comes to begin said Game Plan -- JUST DO IT. Like the Nike ad. And do that as many days as you can muster to do so. The more consecutive days you do it (with Rest Days in between) -- the easier it gets to do it. You just sort of start going on Auto-pilot and don't even think about it or dread it all that much. YOU JUST DO IT because that is your NEW NORMAL, your new ROUTINE and really, your NEW LIFESTYLE. Eventually, when it's time to weigh-in again: YOU WILL SEE RESULTS. The KEY HERE is to NOT DROP THE WHOLE THING. Instead, we need to reflect, take stock and try again and again. No matter how many failures, how many gains -- we need to recalibrate and try again. Weight-loss isn't easy. If it were -- EVERYBODY would be doing it and it wouldn't be the multi-billion dollar industry that it is. It's a HARD THING, but you were made to handle hard things! YOU CAN DO IT. Give yourself a REAL FIGHTING CHANCE.
The above being said, I'm pleased as punch to say that I have lost 6.9 pounds during the month of August. I think that incorporating that LEGENDARY Kathy Ireland workout really worked wonders! It's such a COMPLETE workout. It's kind of a Fool-proof method. Maybe one of these days I will write Kathy Ireland a letter thanking her for making such a RELIABLE and EFFECTIVE workout program! Haha. :D
Hello and Happy Birthday Eve to Ms. Geni! I hope you carve out some space tomorrow to celebrate yourself and your very special day! THREE BIG-DEAL EVENTS TOMORROW: 1: First and foremost: Geni's 35th birthday! I hope you have a memorable day. REALLY try to do something nice for yourself! :) 2: 3rd Monthly Weigh-In Day! Make sure to weigh yourself first thing in the morning and after having had used the facilities. Make sure to avoid too many carby things TONIGHT (tomorrow -- eat as much cake as you please!) and to drink lots of liquids to keep things flowing. 3: Biggest Loser Contest Winner Day! Tomorrow -- we should be able to determine who was the biggest loser. I think that the Reward for the biggest loser should be a Medal! It can be a very special Biggest Loser Version of the Medal that can only be earned by winning this competition! This Medal -- like all other medals -- will be worth 1 Token and will get us closer to earning that very nifty prize. :) Let's prepare for a Big Day tomorrow! And once again, Happy Birthday Eve, Geni! :)
Salut! Now that I've found some time to add things to do in this Club -- here's an Official Update! UPDATE 1: 'Game Time: One Word Story' is still going on -- although I'm beginning to feel that it will be reaching its conclusion sooner rather than later. Let's try to make some sort of semi-coherent story here to wrap things up nicely and then collect our well-deserved medal! lol. UPDATE 2: Due to no Friday Check-In last Friday -- there is a belated version for today (Wednesday) available. Checking-in is one of the more crucial tasks to do in this Club (ACCOUNTABILITY IS IMPORTANT) so, if nothing else -- let's always aim to take care of this one! UPDATE 3: The third assignment for this week has now been, well...assigned! It's titled: 'Letter To My Future Daughter.' It's a carbon-copy of one of the (many) assignments that I've done within my nutritionist's course and I found it quite interesting. I hope you get something out of it, too, and that you refer back to it when things start getting a bit shaky with your weight-loss journey! UPDATE 4: This Friday, September 1st -- not only will it be Geni's 35th birthday (YAY!), but it will also be the conclusion of our 'Biggest Loser' competition. Since it will be Weigh-In Day, we'll be able to find out who the biggest loser is RIGHT THEN AND THERE. UPDATE 5: Nothing much else, really. Just wanted to say that if anyone (really...meaning, Geni...) ever wants to post content into this Club -- YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME to do so. :) Getting input from two minds is better than just one! Additionally, posting stuff helps with inspiration AND motivation, too. Motivating OTHERS helps motivate ONESELF. It really does!
Yet another busy-ish day for me. I just noticed that I didn't make a proper Check-In post on Friday and today it is Monday already. Sorry about that. I can honestly say that I've been out of it and trying to get back into my previous routine. It's interesting just how much trips out-of-town (even if they're not that distant!) can really throw off your normal routine. Since this is the last week before the 3rd Monthly Weigh-In -- I think we're going to have to kick it into high-gear this week in order to see the best possible results. Nothing too extreme -- but just take up a notch a bit in order to give ourselves the edge on this upcoming Weigh-In. This week, we'll have a mindfulness exercise or two. We'll just do what we gotta do in order to make this work. :) I gotta hop in the shower 'cause I need to begin getting ready for my little niece's birthday celebration but YEAH, I just wanted to drop a note here that I haven't forgotten about this group -- not in the least. I've just been trying to get back into my routine. Cheers and will be back soon!
BONJOUR! Although it's already technically Tuesday -- Welcome to August: Week 4! This August has been really, really LONG (it's a whoppin' 5 weeks!) -- so we STILL have yet another week (after THIS current week) to wrap things up as nicely as we can before our 3rd Monthly Weigh-In. Well, I'm back from Solvang where Alex and I traveled to celebrate our 19th wedding anniversary. As it was to be expected -- overindulgences happened. Fun was had. I did not behave entirely responsibly when it came to food. I wrote a bit more extensively about my feelings regarding 'getting back on track' after an overindulgence of this magnitude (let's just say that I've had AT LEAST three days in a row in which I have most likely consumed over 3000+ calories per DAY!) in the 'Friday Check-In 08.18.2023' post that is still currently active. I wrote it as a response to Geni's original Check-In answer and really went a bit further in depth as to how I'm going to handle this differently than I have handled previous 'going-off-the-wagon' situations in the past. HINT: YES. I feel a bit sorry it happened. No, I will not punish myself over it. This time around, I refuse to beat myself up over it. IT'S DONE. I enjoyed it. It was fun. Now the thing is to figure out how to move on from here. Please do read my latest reply on the 'Friday Check-In 08.18.2023' post to see how I will be handling this always-tricky scenario. Will I be allowing three extremely indulgent days to impact me in any way, shape or form? Please do read on to see my perspective this time around.
I'm sure it was fine, it was only a few days that you were there! I bet you still feel the same! Definitely no need to punish yourself every day, you're putting maximum effort in all the other days!
Well, it has now been a couple of days since this post and I have definitely gradually (yet fairly promptly) have fully returned to my routine. I did have a few moments this week of demotivation, but I decided to rise above them and not give them the power to get me down. Whether I have gained or lost anything these last few weeks, I refuse to give up this new lifestyle that has been giving me some pretty nifty benefits: I am able to walk better, I have more endurance, overall more energy. I don?t feel as weighed down as before. I move more sprightly. Even without being the least bit close to my goal, I am still enjoying many benefits from working out that I did not enjoy before so, even if I have not dropped weight this time around - - I still have found other benefits to working out and eating a bit better - - and I?m not going to give those up that easily! :)
ANNOUNCEMENT: Geni has earned her SECOND Cat Medal due to her masterfully completing her 'Three All-Time Favorite Movies' challenge! Congratulations are in order! This now makes you the proud owner of TWO Cat Medals! (and two tokens!) Five more to go until you can claim a prize! SIDE NOTE: I added a response to your response on the Friday Check-In 08.11.2023 post -- in which I answer your question about what my nutritionist would think about the Keto diet. I hope it helps! 8D
Geni: Have you read my response to your response on the 'Friday Check-In 08.11.2023' post? I sure do hope so! That post has already 'expired' so you'll find it under 'Past Events' when you go to the 'Events' calendar. But the response is still as relevant as can be.
Yay! :) You know there is no need for rewards, you are being too generous with those tokens! It took me like a week to reply!!
It's OK! It was kind of an arduous task. It wasn't a quick and easy reply sort of deal -- so the Medal is DEFINITELY warranted! 8D FYI: I've replied to your reply once more in the 'Friday Check-In 08.11.2023' post! LOL. I'm sharing more golden info that I've gathered during these few months working with my nutritionist. :D
And now there's a NEW Friday Check-In post (besides the OG and at-this-point LEGENDARY 08.11.2023 one!) lol. Happy Friday! :)
Phew! I finally can say that I've earned a Token due to completing the All-Time Favorite Movie challenge! Yeepee for me! 8D
Ugh, I had a hard time choosing a movie that's not animated because there' so many of them. A movie that I haven't watched in a while but is always funny is Office Space! Especially Milton. I remember relating to Milton so much when I watched this at Petco, and Office Space was always in the back of my mind when working. You can see this movie with your eyes closed and still crack up! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvMeiKSD43E
OMG! First off: I HAD NO IDEA we could post YouTube videos here. GAME CHANGER. lawl! Second off: Those are some REALLY GREAT Milton moments! I often felt like Milton was my spirit animal, lol. Just putting up with the unfairness at the office -- more-or-less patiently -- day after day after day after day. Haha! This movie is a total classic! :D I'm due for a rewatch, too!
I didn't know either! I just pasted a Youtube URL and the player popped out! I always felt like I was a female version of Milton on most jobs!
Yes! Always long-suffering and fairly misunderstood -- that has been me, too! lol.
The Super Mario Bros Movie!!! It was so exciting seeing it in person after waiting forever, and there's so many good scenes I can't really choose. But the penguins going "Coocoo" is adorable and hilarious. I think the whole movie was enjoyable because you got to see these characters we've grown up with all our lives come to life and be given scripts and dialogue that you can't find in games. The next movie won't be animated! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xQa7dxpWYA
Lol! I'm literally lolling IRL! I think that little blue twinkle star was also my favorite part of the Super Mario Bros. movie! It was so DEFEATIST while sounding so CHIRPY! Too funny. :D
I don't even know what are my favorite movies, but I will try to post a few favorite scenes from great movies. First up is Monsters vs Aliens, which is a surprisingly hilarious movie. This scene the brave president (actor Steven Colbert) plays for a giant alien who just appeared on earth, and Reddit says that how they portray the playing is spot on. Anyways, it's so hilarious I won't spoil it but post a link! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLVmocdbJbw
I've never heard of this movie, let alone seen it! This sequence was pretty hilarious so I think I'm going to be checking this movie out. So...when you say that Reddit people say that the playing was spot-on -- do they mean that the keyboard strokes were accurate or that people actually do play songs on instruments whenever they met an alien? :O
The keyboard playing! It was like a real music producer or something that wrote that he loved the movie because of that part!
That's really interesting! There's a childhood Tom & Jerry episode that we used to have recorded off of the TV in which Tom played a REALLY complicated Classical music piano piece and the animation always receives kudos as well for fairly accurately portraying the keys that are to be played. Pretty impressive! Especially for a hand-drawn animated episode from 1947! Here's the LINK to the YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpEfHVFilRc&ab_channel=WBKids
Geni -- are you going to participate in the Friday Check-In 08.11.2023? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?
Posted!!
Gracias, Geni! Well done! :) I have posted a reply to your comment in the Check-In post. PLEASE PLEASE read. 8D
Halli-hallo! A quick Recap post 'cause I'm starting to see very slim participation around here. I just want to preface by saying that I do not expect c-o-n-s-t-a-n-t participation. I know life gets in the way a lot of the time. But if you're struggling with your journey or something is up that is not exactly aiding you in your weight-loss goals -- please do let me know so that I can try to support! There have been a few tasks going on around here that are still a work-in-progress. Here's a quick recap of them: 1: 'FRIDAY CHECK-IN 08.11.2023': If you're going to accomplish ONE task in this group -- I highly recommend it be this one! The primary goal of this group is to hold us accountable and to cheer (or support and/or motivate) each other on. If we don't Check-In -- we're missing out on that big benefit of being a part of this little Club. 2: 'GAME TIME: ONE WORD STORY': This one is worth a Medal (worth 1 Token!) once completed. An easy-peasy way to earn one, if I do say so myself! 3: 'THREE ALL-TIME FAVORITE MOVIE SCENES': I do admit this one is a bit of a bigger task. But it's a FUN task, so I didn't think it'd be a huuuge deal to accomplish this one...(It's also worth a Medal [worth 1 token!], too!) But if you're not into the idea, well, that's OK. I do ask that you give it a whirl, if you can. Although we've known each other our whole lives, I think it's still fun to learn new little tidbits about each other -- learning which movie scenes are our faves I think is a fun little bit of trivia. Well, this is the end of the Recap post! This is the THIRD week of August (this month has FIVE weeks! Cray-cray!) so, I say we Make It Count? Do you agree?
WEDNESDAY MERRIMENT: For today's mid-week amusement, I thought of an activity that is a bit, I guess you could call it...CINEMATIC. Let's post our THREE ALL-TIME FAVORITE MOVIE SCENES and let's describe WHY they have moved us so much. Since this platform only permits 1 photo per post -- we will need to make 3 SEPARATE POSTS with a screenshot of such movie scene and a description (as long or as brief as you feel compelled to make it) of why that scene has made the impact it has made on you. This is just a bit of fun for our Wednesday. :3 AAAND this activity will also qualify us for 1 Medal (worth 1 Token!) once we have completed it. Scroll below to see my 3 all-time favorite movie scenes. :D
It is NOT the above scenes. lol. Except for Lady and the Tramp. That scene is ADORABLE! 8D
Cute idea! I've been putting this off because I don't like movies as much and I don't think I have any insight to add though, sorry!
I figured. It doesn't have to be movies. If you have any stand-out scenes in shows that you like, or even music videos (or any visual medium, really!) -- it'd still count and you'd still earn that Medal! 8) Perhaps there's a favorite Breaking Bad scene you'd like? I know there's several for me that come to mind! lol. :)
DIANA'S FAVORITE SCENE 1: Rose's Display of Portraits As She Is Beginning to Drift Off to Sleep: As if watching the TITANIC sink in full-detail wasn't devastating enough -- this scene, to me, delivers that final gut punch. But it is hopeful and beautiful. In this scene we get a glimpse of Rose's life post-TITANIC disaster and obviously, post-Jack Dawson. You gather quite a bit of information from this brief panning shot. It shows us that: 1: First and foremost, she kept her promise to Jack that she 'wouldn't ever let go.' She didn't allow this horrifying disaster to dictate the rest of her life. She went on to live a full, purposeful life FULL OF ADVENTURE! 2: She actually did become an actress. There's a deleted scene where Rose talks to Jack about becoming a feature-film actress, and she did JUST THAT! 3: She definitely did go to that Santa Monica pier and ride a horse with both legs on each side. She probably drank beer until she...well, threw up! LONG STORY SHORT: She lived her life to her FULLEST EXTENT and now she is an old lady, warm in her bed -- ready to go. She has already shared her deepest secrets and her life-story with others for posterity. Her life's mission is now complete. But most importantly: She made Each Day Count.
This was very sad. The picture of her riding the horse is the only one that stood out to me in the movie, that was so sad.
Yes, incredibly sad (a GUT PUNCH), but at the same time, quite hopeful because the tragedy motivated her even further to make each day count. And yep! The one with the roller coaster and the horse at the Santa Monica pier was also the one that stood out to me, as well. But the others reveal very interesting info, too: She wasn't just crocheting around at home -- she went out and learned how to fish! (Look at the size of that marlin!) And if that weren't cool enough -- she learned how to PILOT A PLANE. I think it's quite inspiring! :D
DIANA'S FAVORITE SCENE 2: Beethoven Escaping His Abusive Father and Floating on a Starry Lake: This movie alone is iconic in my life. It brings wonderful memories of the first day we saw it at a Tijuana Cinepolis movie theater. It was New Year's Day in the mid-nineties. We played hooky from school (with our mother's consent, obviously, as she was a participant! Haha) and we decided to stroll into the movie theater. We really didn't know what movie we'd watch. It was all quite spontaneous. :) There was another blockbuster-type movie that people were flocking to watch. And then there was this one. Only one other couple (besides us three) purchased tickets for it. But I can GUARANTEE you that this movie was INFINITELY BETTER than whatever forgettable movie it was that those people were choosing to see. THE ENTIRE MOVIE is memorable to me, but ESPECIALLY memorable is this beautiful scene. It starts out traumatically with a young Beethoven hearing his drunk father stumble into their home ready to start screaming at him. Before his dad can get to him, Beethoven escapes the house and just keeps on running and running. While this is going on, 'Ode to Joy' is playing the background. When Beethoven finally reaches his destination -- a dark, murky-looking lake -- he gets into it and starts floating and staring-off into the sky -- which is exceedingly starry and wonderful that night. As the camera pans out -- a copious amount of stars begin reflecting in the water and it literally looks like young Beethoven is floating IN SPACE. It is beautiful because of the unfortunate situation, the dark lake, the stars and the emotive music. Beethoven has escaped the trauma -- if only for a bit -- and found a special corner of the world where he can find a bit of joy. The composition 'Ode to Joy' to go along to this scene is nothing short of genius, methinks.
Good choice also. You can't listen to Hymn to Joy without picturing this scene. It also matches Comfortably Numb for some reason!
Yeah, you're right! This sequence could very well be a montage for Comfortably Numb. Beethoven definitely displayed a palpable numbness and world-weariness that would fit that song to a T. :)
DIANA'S FAVORITE SCENE 3: Opening Scene from 'Breakfast at Tiffany's': I think there are many reasons I love this scene: 1: It takes place in the wee hours of the morning, which have always been my FAVORITE hours of the day -- because there is this quiet, peace and solitude that you just can't get during the remaining hours of the day. The world just seems that much more magical and there is a lot of hope for the day ahead. 2: Because of the New York City setting. :) 3: It's got coffee and pastries. Delish! Seems quite comforting! 4: The FASHION and GLAMOUR that the character Holly Golightly already exudes right off-the-bat. 5: The Tiffany's store itself. I'm not big into jewelry, but I can appreciate the design, history and elegance of this iconic 5th Avenue Tiffany's store.
Now that's sort of strange to eat outside of Tiffany's, but I guess that's the vibe!
Haha! It is kind of strange, but she's actually standing in front of a Tiffany's jewelry window display (it still stands today! Many women dress up like Audrey Hepburn and recreate this scene with a coffee and a pastry in hand!) because it's her one Happy Place on Earth. In the movie, the character says that whenever she feels bad and she doesn't even know where it's coming from -- Tiffany's is the only place that makes her feel safe and calm -- like nothing bad could happen to you there. Even though she doesn't necessarily purchase any jewelry from them, ever -- as she's always struggling for money.
Oh. em. gee. Last week I had felt my endurance increase and the workouts that once KILLED me no longer gave me the same feeling of satisfaction at the end. THAT'S when I decided that I needed to 'up the ante' and begin doing something more challenging. That's also when I decided that it was time to revisit this LEGENDARY workout: 'Kathy Ireland: Total Fitness Workout'. Wow. I could totally tell how much my body has changed since I last did this workout as a younger whippersnapper. Obviously, not necessarily for the better. It was DEFINITELY the challenge that I was seeking. During many parts of it, I didn't even know if I would make it all the way through but, somehow, I managed it. Now afterwards, I FEEL AMAZING and THAT'S the feeling that I was looking for:) I shall keep doing this until I feel that it is also no longer that big of a challenge. But I'm sure it will remain challenging FOR A LONG TIME because I'm older, obviously I'm bigger than I was and because as we know, it's divided into THREE PARTS and it will be a JOURNEY until I'm able to do all three parts in one session. But it's the challenge that I need. I wonder if one day I'm going to be an 85-year-old woman and I'm still going to be revisiting this Old Faithful of a workout. lol. What can I say? It does the job! :)
Can't beat that workout at all, it gets the job done and it's easy to follow along, maybe because we subconsciously memorized the steps. Congrats on being able to follow through! It's really tough!
That's so funny you mention that about subconsciously knowing the steps. My muscle memory was STILL AS FRESH TODAY as it was when I was a 13-year-old working out to this video with our mom. I WAS AMAZED! 8D BUT, the difference was how my body FELT. Compared to how I used to feel before when I was young doing this workout, this time I felt like a TIN WOMAN. All stiff and NOT NEARLY as flexible as I used to be. Everything hurt more. Even just trying to STAND in place. I don't think I've ever noticed the impact aging has had on me UNTIL TODAY when I was doing this workout. D:
It's just a long time since you did workouts like this, you'll get used to it! You're already improved so much, being able to finish through it is a really good accomplishment. We'll never be spring chickens no more but you can do the workout!
True dat. I think we're Summer chickens right now (it doesn't sound TOO terrible!) Then when we hit 50, we'll become Fall chickens and then when we hit 70, we'll probably become Winter chickens. LOL.
Yes, I think exercise is so powerful that it can probably reverse the effects of age (to a certain extent) in a person. By the time I've 'mastered' this workout, I'll probably feel about 10 years younger and I'll probably feel closer to how I used to feel as a youngin' doing this very workout. :) I'm as up to the challenge as I'm ever going to be. :)
It is Mondaaay! Let's start this week with a single Monday Motivational Quotation. I'm guilty as charged for sleeping throughout my dreams instead of waking up to chase them. I've been trying to regulate my sleep cycle so that I sleep soundly throughout the night and stay as awake as possible during the day. Not the easiest thing to achieve but it is totally worth it! We can get so much more done during the daylight hours. During the nighttime hours it is just not the same. Those hours are meant for rest. One thing I've also noticed is that it is very beneficial to get our workouts done earlier during the day. The closer we do them to nighttime -- the more AWAKE O_O we will be throughout the night because of the SIMPLE FACT that workouts are ENERGIZING. No matter the hour we get them done. Let's plan for success this week and let's decide RIGHT NOW that we will ROCK the second week of August. :) To making it count! Cheers!
Are you still working out every day? That's amazing if you are! You have a lot of endurance!!
This week I am working out every day due to a challenge that our nutritionist set for everyone. But typically my single Rest Day has been every Monday so YEP, still working out more frequently than I have ever worked out! But yet, I barely get any workout-fatigue. Thank goodness!
Happiest Sunday! HAPPY NATIONAL SISTERS' DAY, AS WELL! I thought that in order to mark this occassion, I could post this little poem that I found, that I dedicate to my Dearest sister and my Built-in Best friend: 'We are sisters for life, no matter what you say. You may not be there every day, but you're in my heart. You make mistakes, as do I; you are forgiven, as am I. We'll hold through 'till the death. I hope when we're old we can look back and laugh. I'll always be there for you, and you can call on me for anything. Always. We may get into disagreements, but no matter what, you're always forgiven. I may not say it though, but I love you always and forever.'
That's pretty cool! I didn't know that holiday was a thing. I'm definitely lucky to have you as a sister! Love you sis!
That's pretty cool! I didn't know that holiday was a thing. I'm definitely lucky to have you as a sister! Love you sis!
I didn't know it was a thing, either, until I came across a Hello Kitty post with this image on Instagram. I then thought it'd be a good opportunity to give you a shot-out! :) Love you, too!
*shout-out
A new event Friday Check-In 08.04.2023 was created.
MESSAGE FOR GENI: Thanks for Checking into the Friday Check-In! :) I have entered a reply to your Comment into that Event with some -- I hope helpful -- advice. Cheers!
I am happy to announce that the Winner of the very first 20 Questions Game is Ms. Maria Valencia (AKA: Geni!) Woohoo! YOU HAVE EARNED 1 Cat Medal, which equals 1 Token. Every 7 tokens a really nice and motivating reward shall be earned. I'm thinking something weight-loss related, BUT STILL COOL. Like for example, a colorful water bottle, a pretty weight-loss journal with stickers, a meal-prep plate, etc. CONGRATULATIONS, Geni, on winning the very First activity and playing ever-so swiftly! There will be more activities to be had with more opportunities for tokens to be earned. :)
Awesome!! Likewise if you win I will buy a prize! Thanks for the cool promotion haha!
Thank you, Geni! That's a true team-spirit! The following comments will showcase the prizes I have in mind so far. Whenever you reach your 7 Tokens -- feel free to pick which one you'd like to receive. :)
PRIZE SELECTION 1: PRETTY WATER BOTTLE: (You choose your color scheme! :D) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09HR5F9RK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1PBEH0GP9CXRK&psc=1
PRIZE SELECTION 2: PRETTY WEIGHT-LOSS JOURNAL: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BR1KDSWV/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_2?smid=A1ROPPPCCA4QBJ&psc=1
PRIZE SELECTION 2 PART 2: STICKERS TO GO ALONG PRETTY WEIGHT-LOSS JOURNAL: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YYT5366?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
PRIZE SELECTION 3: FANCY WOODEN WEIGHT-LOSS PORTION CONTROL PLATE: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071GT5XZW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2F2UYEMZ58YQT&psc=1
Hi and hello! This is a little quick post to share 'What's New' in this Club of ours. Currently, we have Assignment 2: 'Your Future Self' and Question of the Day: 'Body + Health TODAY' to do. They don't need to be done ASAP, but at least within the week. They should be fairly quick and easy to do. And quite insightful. Let's keep this up! Let's finish off the first week of August STRONG. :D
A new event 'Friday Check-In 08.04.2023' was also added since this post was made, as well. There's definitely stuff available to sink our teeth into.
Happy August 1st! Our 2nd Monthly Weigh-In is here and it is TIME to step on them scales! Best of luck to us all and please make sure to Check-In on the Event titled: '2nd Monthly Weigh-In!'. Regardless of the outcome, I just want to congratulate us for totally ROCKING the month of July and giving it our best individual efforts! THAT'S what it's about. Whether there was a loss, a non-loss or a gain -- let's be here to cheer each other on and to support each other as well. Best of luck! :) PS: Also best of luck to Geni on her very first day at her brand-new job! I'm sure you will continue to rock it! I hope you have an excellent First Day at work. :)
I've Checked-in now and I feel like: :3
Awesome!! Congrats!!
Thank you, Geni! Congratulations to you, as well! I added a new Comment to the Event in response to your original comments as well! :D
Hello and Happiest of Mondays! This is a gentle reminder that TOMORROW, Tuesday, August 1st, will be our Second Monthly Weigh-In. I'm trying NOT to make too much of an 'Event' out of it (that's what my nutritionist recommended, and she's probably right!) but, I do want to be as prepared as possible for any potential outcome. My nutritionist also advised that I should also weigh myself for the FIRST THREE CONSECUTIVE DAYS of the month. She advised this because weight always fluctuates, and by weighing myself for three consecutive days -- I will be able to obtain an average from those three weigh-ins. All this being said -- I HAVE A QUESTION: How could we best handle a potential no-loss or even a weight GAIN? I know for a fact that I have lost something, because my clothes fit overall looser and because my endurance has increased -- but due to also building muscle mass, I can't discard the possibility of a potential no-loss reading or even a weight gain. So once more -- in case we find ourselves in this tricky scenario -- how should we best handle it in order to ensure that we DO NOT FEEL DISHEARTENED (or at least to MINIMIZE the disheartening?) so that we do not drop in the towel? I'd like to hear about your thoughts! THAT BEING SAID, a few tips to give us the edge on Weigh-In morning tomorrow: 1: The night before, let's try to eat as healthy as possible. This means avoiding processed foods, sugary snacks and fatty meats. Instead, let's focus on eating lean proteins, vegetables and fruits. These foods will help fill us up without adding many extra calories. 2: We should also make sure that we're drinking plenty of water. This will help flush out our systems and ensure that we're not retaining much water weight. 3: Avoid sodium because it will make us retain water. 4: Avoid carby foods because every carby food actually holds onto some water as well. So, not only are we holding onto those carbs in our system, we're also holding onto extra water (which we DON'T NEED before weigh-in day!) 5: The usual tricks: Weigh ourselves first thing in the morning and after using the bathroom. Choosing a consistent time. Standing appropriately on the scale by standing still in the center of the scale with our weight evenly distributed on both feet. Let's handle Weigh-In Day tomorrow with compassion and sensitivity. Let's remember that what's important is HOW WE ARE FEELING and that the scale is just a tool that can't possibly display all weight-loss factors. Best of luck!
I think any weight loss would be good and encouraging! Absolutely no need to drop in the towel. If results aren't great, then get a little more focused instead of dropping the ball all together. Before getting serious with the weight loss I gained weight (5 pounds, putting me at 260) but by drastically reducing what I eat and working out at nights I was able to put myself back when I started, last time I checked. The only one benefiting from dieting and exercise are ourselves!
Yes, you're absolutely correct -- especially with that sentence you said: 'The only one benefiting from dieting and exercise are ourselves!' That's so true because, it's not like we're doing ANYBODY A HUGE FAVOR. We're doing OURSELVES the favor. Currently, I feel 80% confident that there will be a weight-drop (I mean, I've been at this for a whole month!) but I do see that I've developed a wee bit of muscle in my calves so that's gotta weigh SOMETHING. Also, my nutritionist has me at fairly high calorie amounts (1,900-2,100) so if there's any loss -- it might be quite low. Perhaps 0.5 per week, which would amount to: just 2 pounds during the whole month so, we'll see what happens. But like you said, a loss is a loss. Any weight loss should be encouraging. Let's keep this mindset tomorrow. :)
Take it easy! By the fact that you're the main recipient of all the effort should be extra motivating! Keep replacing meals with protein shakes when you're hungry and you should be able to create calorie deficits easily! This month could be considered the test month to see how your body reacts to it!
You are absolutely correct in what you say. Smoothies are definitely a type of healthier Slim-Fast that pack a lot of nutrients while still being fairly low-cal. And yes, I'll try to take it easy! Perhaps I'm stressing too much over this. blep!
Slim Fast is pretty good too, especially the high protein shakes. They're good for travel! But the fresh smoothies are much more delicious!
Slim-Fast are good, but they've also got a lot of non-pronounceable ingredients and you know how the Rule of Thumb goes: If your food has many non-pronounceable ingredients -- it's probably not the most natural. It probably has a lot of additives and preservatives. Being that smoothies are homemade with typically simple ingredients -- they're probably overall healthier than your average Slim-Fast. But yes, Slim-Fast, in a pinch, work really well! I still remember our Slim-Fast Cappuccino Delight days, lol. They were pretty good!
FDA is so uptight about regulations, it can't be that poisonous for you! But if you have the resources then go ahead and make the smoothies, they're way better!
Well, it's not poisonous per se, it's just healthier to have simple ingredients. Easier for our digestive system to process. But I heart me some Slim-Fast! I actually wish I had a stocked fridge with it so that I could have filling meals whenever I'm running real low on calories. Do you remember when we used to have them at PETCO every single day? We had the Cappuccino Delights, the Chocolate Royales and the Milk Chocolate ones. I remember we also used to depend a lot on Red Bull, lol. Good times, good times...
Oooh, I member! Also Friday Petco Cafe days too. And Lean Cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner! I miss those days. I didn't appreciate having a stable job and apartment at all. I wish I could go back in time sometimes!
Yeah, those PETCO Cafe drinks were actually delicious. :) And YEP! Lean Cuisines for any and all meals of the day! They really helped out a lot. Slim Fast + Lean Cuisines + Exercise = A most effective combo. I look back at those days with nostalgia, as well. We got to make our own hours, the job was superduper easy, rent was cheap! Those were the days, Haha. But things are gradually changing for the better now, too. Perhaps good days are upon us again. :)
I forgot we made up our own hours. Man, that was a really awesome job! I would just listen to music or look at movies all day. I am hopeful for better days too!
Touche! :)
Congrats, it was a tough one!!
Haaapy Friday! In order to celebrate the end of an overall successful July (Don't forget to join the FRIDAY CHECK-IN post today!) -- I thought it might be fun to have a 20 Questions game going on. :) You probably already know the rules of the game -- but if a refresher is needed, it's pretty simple: One player will think of a PERSON, PLACE or THING and the other player will need to figure out who or what that person, place or thing is in 20 questions or less. :D I shall begin first and I will think of the person, place or thing to be guessed. Now, can YOU guess who or what that is in 20 questions or less? After the first round has concluded -- we can switch around and then I will be the one to guess! Best of luck. :)
The ocean??
No, not the ocean. :3 (Just a little tip - it is best to ask if the item in question is a person, place or thing in the first question. In order to narrow it down a bit.) :)
All right, is it a person place or thing?
It's a person. :3
What is that person's ethnicity?
It looks like this person was German.
What is this person's profession?
Oh, man. Now you are narrowing this down too quickly. lol. Their profession was in music?ALRIGHT! A composer. Probably one more question (or less) before you get this right. :3
Was this person Ludwig van Beethoven?
DING! DING! That is correct! You got this WAY too quickly. 5 questions only! Now you have to think of something and I will have to guess and try to beat your score. Let me know when you have thought of something. :)
Woo hoo! Thought of something now! You're up!
OK, the Obligatory First Question: Person, place or thing?
Person!
Male or female?
Male!
Dead or alive?
He is alive!
Profession?
Talk show host! :) Really awesome show
Errm, John Oliver, perhaps?
No, try again!
Trevor Noah? :3
Nope! I want to give you a hint but I'm not sure if I should!
CONANDO? :-O I mean, I hope it's him! There's only so many currently active Talk show hosts, lol.
No! Not Conando! Think of past shows!
I was thinking of CURRENT shows. Man! Stephen Colbert? :3
Nooope!
OH EHM GEE. Whazza goin' on?! OK, I'm going to mention the names of the rest of the talk show hosts in my list -- please let me know if one of them is him: Jimmy Kimmel, Bill Maher, Jimmy Fallon, Jon Stewart, Seth Meyers, Craig Ferguson, Ryan Seacrest?
NOOO! All no! You're kind of far from him, literally!
OK. Space Ghost? IT.HAS.GOT.TO.BE SPACE GHOST! I mean, if he's unlike any other regular ol' talk show host, it's got to be him!
Getting much closer, but nope!
NOOOOOOO. :(
Well then, Moltar or Zorak?
No, he's the main host!
Is he animated or is he a live person? Alright, I'm going to try to knock myself out with some melatonin now so that I can sleep throughout the night and wake up ready for that Monthly Weigh-In. I bid you a good night, sis! :)
Live person! Good luck!!
WELL...if he's 1: A live person 2: Alive 3: Totally UNLIKE any other talk show host -- then that can only bring me to: MR. ALEX JONES. Am I right?! AM I RIGHT?!?
I'm going to nuts here. lol.
Nooope! Think of really old shows!
D: It is NOT Alex Jones? Sniff, sniff. Well, what is the ethnicity of this mystery man talk show host?
PS: I just added another response to your response on the 2nd Monthly Weigh-In thread. :3
He is Mexican!
Adal Ramones? :D
DING DING DING! You got it!! :)
Congrats, it was a tough one!!
It took me 14 questions. At least I made in less than 20. YES, you picked a fairly obscure TV personality. SHEEESH! Haha. Well, you're the winner of the 20 Questions game since it only took you 5 questions to find the answer. I did realize early on in the game that we were playing it slightly wrong, though. The questions and answers can only be 'Yes' and 'No' answers. No further details given. It had been a while since I had last played...but for next time, we shall play it correctly. lol. Well, CONGRATULATIONS on your win! You have won a nifty medal worth 1 Token! 8D
Happiest of Thursdays! For today's post -- I wanted to share my Go-to, Tried-and-true, most favoritest smoothie recipe of ALL-TIME: The 'BELLY-BUSTING BERRY SMOOTHIE'. I discovered this recipe years and years ago, and every time I've got a hankering for a smoothie -- this recipe ALWAYS comes through. The description of it is: "Here, creamy banana melds together with metabolism-boosting berries (blueberries and raspberries contain the flavonoid anthocyanin, which is associated with lower glucose levels, fewer cravings, and increased metabolism) in a simple shake that's as filling as it is tasty. 'The nut butter provides healthy fats and protein to keep you satisfied for a few hours and keep blood sugars steady', explains celebrity nutritionist Lisa DeFazio, author of 'The Women's Health Big Book of Smoothies and Soups.' 'This prevents mindless snacking on high-sugar, high-calories foods that contribute to weight gain.' Bonus: Thanks to banana's high potassium content, this shake helps CRUSH BLOATING." I also want to personally say that IT IS DELICIOUS. And one thing that wasn't even mentioned here is that it has a whopping 11 grams of fiber! (Just to give you an idea: most food items have 1-2 grams of fiber, if any at all. 4 grams is considered high-fiber.) It's easy to throw together, super refreshing, filling, ultra-fibery and nutritious! And it DEBLOATS you, to boot! DIANA TIP: If you use frozen strawberries and/or blueberries for this smoothie -- you won't need to add the handful of ice as the smoothie will already be plenty icy. :) What's your favorite smoothie recipe? Or a smoothie recipe you'd be willing to try? Share, please. :)
Try adding protein, water and frozen fruit like berries and it's a delicious refreshing smoothie! If you can find a protein powder with creatine that's even better because it expands in your stomach allowing you to feel full longer! I wish I could prepare those smoothies but I don't have a magic bullet anymore!
Yeah, I actually did buy some protein powder to add to this smoothie. And I had no idea about the creatine thing. VERRRY interesting. You can find a Magic Bullet at least than $30 nowadays. Just setting a bit of money aside could get you a Magic Bullet system and then you'd be good to go with these delish smoothies! They're the PERFECT way in which you rev up our metabolism in the morning. :)
Happy Wednesday! As we know, 'Sparkle, Sweat and Cheer' is a weight-loss focused group -- but that doesn't mean that we can't ever veer off-topic! :) For today's random post, I've got a little 'FILL IN THE BLANK' activity. Feel free to comment below and 'Fill in the Blanks' with your very own answers: 1: My all-time favorite book is ________. 2: My all-time favorite movie is ________. 3: If I could travel to one place, it would be: ________. 4: All I want for Christmas this year is ________. 5: My all-time favorite Christmas movie is ________. 6: The best place to enjoy New Year's Eve is ________. 7: If I could be anywhere right now, it would be ________. 8: My favorite beverage of choice while working is ________. 9: My favorite way to relax after a long day i s________. 10: One food I could eat every day is ________.
1: My all-time favorite book is Memoirs of a Geisha. I really need to expand my horizons, I know. But when I think back to the handful of books that have really caught my imagination -- this is DEFINITELY the one that stands out the most. Arthur Golden's descriptions of the kimonos and of the environment made it feel like you were THERE in the middle of Kyoto. He also really knew how to describe a woman's feelings -- despite him being obviously, A MAN. 2: My all-time favorite movie is TITANIC. It doesn't matter how many times I've seen it or how many people now shrug it off as cheesy -- I will always remember what an experience TITANIC was to watch for the first time on the big screen. I really felt like I was on that ship and that I was going down right with it. No other movie -- before or since -- has been quite as enthralling. 3: If I could travel to one place, it would be: either Italy or France. YEAH, my dream traveling destinations aren't really exactly 'original' PER SE -- but I've always been attracted to charming places -- and these two countries appear to be as charming as it can possibly get. 4: All I want for Christmas this year is a Winter Wonderland. Perhaps this year will be THE year? 5: My all-time favorite Christmas movie is Home Alone 2. I love the original Home Alone as well, but Part 2 wins by an edge because it has New York as the setting and because of Tim Curry as well. 6: The best place to enjoy New Year's Eve is probably New York (Times Square). Although the crowds would probably make it an overwhelming experience, it's still THE CITY where the ball drops for everyone to see. 7: If I could be anywhere right now, it would be traveling around the world with my family. It has actually been a dream of mine for several years to get to experience the world -- or at least a little bit of it -- with my family. It seems like a dream. I pray to God that we get to receive this blessing while our mom is still here with us. 8: My favorite beverage of choice while working is coffee. I mean, OBVIOUSLY. Although I'm really partial to hot chocolate as well. :) 9: My favorite way to relax after a long day is with a long karaoke session. Karaoke sessions are so THERAPEUTIC. 10: One food I could eat every day is Macaroni 'n' Cheese. I LOVE IT. Too bad it's not always the healthiest, but it's the DEFINITION of comforting. :)
1: My all-time favorite book is agreed to be Memoirs of a Geisha! | 2: My all-time favorite movie is currently the Ghostbusters remake! I love the dumb receptionist the most! | 3: If I could travel to one place, it would be: Greece, then a mediterranean trip to Spain and then a Euro trip! | 4: All I want for Christmas this year is an at-home gym! | 5: My all-time favorite Christmas movie is Home Alone 3, it brings good memories! | 6: The best place to enjoy New Year's Eve is at home with a little wine and cleansing traditions | 7: If I could be anywhere right now, it would be working at a fun job! |. 8: My favorite beverage of choice while working is Coffee or Coca Cola | 9: My favorite way to relax after a long day is listening to music! | 10: One food I could eat every day is pizza!
1: Agreed! It's such a good read! You're REALLY traveling to Japan while reading this novel. :) 2: I've only seen it once! I really need to give it another whirl. :) 3: Wow! That's an amazing travel destination! Santorini in Greece has always been a place that has called my name! It seems so fresh and inspiring! And a Eurotrip is definitely the way to go. :) 4: I hear ya! I hope you get your wish! Add stuff to your Wish List. :) 5: Home Alone 3 is definitely a classic within OUR family. It brings nice memories to me, too! 6: I was actually thinking about saying something similar to this. New Year's Eve equals to a nice, relaxing night at home with some wine. Regarding the cleansing traditions -- yeah, those were definitely a part of our life for the longest time but lately, I haver been forgoing them due to my ever-developing Catholic learnings. 7: You are quite close to this! 8: Coffee is a CLASSIC. Coca Cola is probably good for that last boost that one needs during the last two hours of the workday. 9: Yes, music is therapy. 10: I was DEFINITELY considering adding pizza as well -- but for some reason, I've been on a Mac 'n' Cheese craze as of late. :)
Here's my Barbie selfie! These are always fun!
Geni, your caption is so hilarious! But you're well on your way towards gainful employment, though! If anyone can accomplish getting a job, it's you! Just remain patient a little bit further. :)
Happy Tuesday! I found this Selfie Generator and considering Barbie-fever is still in full effect, I figured -- why not? The movie has amazing visuals. From what I've heard, barely anything was CGI. Everything was built. The Barbie Dream House, the beach, etc. etc., which makes the movie more unique in this era of CGI. Unfortunately, I found the story a bit disjointed. It was more like a collage of moments (some that worked better than others) that put together didn't necessarily make one truly coherent story. Still worth a watch and the fact that they added a good amount of Mexican Pink into the movie (IT IS a legit pink shade) also gave it a unique touch. :) You can go here if you want to give the Selfie Generator a whirl: https://www.barbieselfie.ai/
Haaapy Monday! I thought it'd be cool to begin the week with a Motivational Monday Collection. These are seven carefully-selected quotes that I feel can help set a positive tone to this Monday and to the whole journey, of course. :) LET'S FINISH OFF THIS LAST WEEK OF JULY WITH A BANG. Like this quote says: Let's start where we are -- using what we have -- doing what we can. We don't have to wait for things to be PERFECT and IDEAL before we can begin making some progress. :)
Hi and hello! Being that we are getting ready to wrap-up Week 6 and moving onto Week 7 -- I thought it would be a good time to take this to the next level. Prod a bit further. Dig a little deeper. Nothing earth-shattering but definitely a good opportunity to explore our reasons and our motivations a bit further. I am inspired to do this because of the course that I am taking with my nutritionist. These are assignments directly taken from that course. They were designed by a professional and a licensed nutritionist so -- YOU KNOW THEY'RE LEGIT. I have three assignments in mind -- but we will begin with just one. Nothing too impossible to handle, right? I will be creating an 'Event' for each separate assignment. The very first one will be: '10 Self-Care Options to Do When Feeling Bored, Sad, Anxious and/or Stressed'. Look into the 'Events' section for further instruction and may I ask that you please be embracing of these exercises. I know they can cause a big eye-roll ('cause that's how I typically feel whenever I am assigned them!) BUT -- after I've completed the exercise -- I THEN FULLY UNDERSTAND WHY IT WAS IMPORTANT TO DO THEM. It helps me learn something more about myself. It gives me A TOOL that I can reference to for future guidance. It is worth that little bit of grief. Give it a whirl! C'mon! Live a little. :) And THANK YOU for taking the time to work on it. It should be worth it. :)
Hello! I'm happy to say that after some reflection, consideration and also some conversation with Geni -- we have decided that it is worth it to keep this Club and its original intention open. I experienced a couple of days recently in which my motivation was running out of steam and I really, really wanted to come here and find some much-needed support. It felt pretty sucky to know that due to this little Club being in a 'limbo' sort of state, I couldn't really access that support. MyFitnessPal can only do so much... This started out as a 'family affair' but, even if just Geni and I participate -- that's OK. Even if just ONE PERSON motivates you -- that motivation is still gold! It's about QUALITY and NOT QUANTITY. So, everything is business as usual. I apologize for the drams and the confusion. We shall proceed to commit to our Weekly Friday Check-ins, to our Biggest Loser contest, to our Monthly Weigh-Ins. It's all still happening! I'm using this Barbie workout image in honor of the Barbie movie that Alex and I will be seeing tomorrow. It looks like it might be cute and/or entertaining! Nothing wrong with a bit of fluff. :)
Yay! One person support is plenty. Remember before when we went to Chuze and worked out? Or back in the Petco days where we were both skinny thin over dieting at the same time? It's possible! How was the Barbie movie??
Yes - - the sisters working out and calorie-counting has always proven to be a formula that works! :) There is a physical distance now - - but we can still motivate each other, hold each other accountable and cheer each other on from here (and MFP) as well! Just as before. The Barbie movie was?visually appealing but the story was a bit lacking. It tried to convey a message of collaboration and understanding between the sexes (or something like that?) but, it was a bit all over the place. There was no clear takeaway message. The visuals were fun but due to lack of story - - I would wait for this one to be released on streaming.
Hello all, It is with a bit of gloom that I am announcing the gradual shut-down of this Club. It will stay up for a bit until I perform a permanent deletion. I gave it a real try for about a month or so. There were varying levels of engagement -- Thank you to those of you who partook -- but the overall consensus is that, unfortunately, there is not enough contribution in order to warrant the time and energy put into this Club. I think it was a worthy idea and a different concept -- but in execution -- it hasn?t turned out as planned and that?s OK! We?re all at different stages. Today I?m feeling engaged and motivated to be on this journey -- but tomorrow you might be, and I might be not. WEIGHT-LOSS IS NOT LINEAR and not all of us are going to be on the same path at the very same exact time. Well, enough talk. Once again, thank you for those of you who contributed what you were able to and best of luck to all! Although I will no longer put effort into this Club -- I will try my best to continue my own journey, whether accompanied or all by myself. Obviously, it's much better with company, but it?s also possible to do it on my own as well. I pray to God that He helps me in not quitting and on keeping those healthier habits up. It will probably be two years of commitment and dedication and then a lifetime of maintenance. Cheers and once more: GRACIAS! Diana.
Completely up to you! I'm sort of too distracted but I do want to try to lose weight. But if this is just an extra thing to worry about and it's not doing what you want it to, totally understandable to close this up!
It?s truly not a big deal for me to create a few posts every other day for this club - - really - - it?s just that I don?t know if the members actually want this club or not. If you do - - then obviously I?m still in. I don?t want to be an annoyance to any by ?forcing? weekly check-ins, participation and stuff. But if you?re still interested, then that?s all fine and dandy and we still can keep this up.
Hello ladies and gent -- In celebration of the start of our Second Month of trying to lead healthier lifestyles -- I have decided to do a WEIGHT-LOSS MOTIVATION SPAM MARATHON. (Yaaay.) Please do scroll down for 8 motivational weight-loss quotes. I know that sometimes weight-loss quotes can seem preachy, hokey, fake... -- and sometimes coming across them does anything BUT motivate us -- but I really think it's all in the way we look at them. If we don't want to or we're not ready to receive the message -- I think we will always find motivational quotes to be an annoyance. But if we're open to receiving the much-needed message -- then these quotes could actually help us get into the mindset we need to remain focused. :)
LESS than six months until the end of the year 2023! IMAGINE starting 2024 already a different person! We'd then be ready to finish off 2024 being half the person we presently are! (In weight-loss terms, of course!) 8D
Weight loss motivation spamming 2:
I know that during this first month of trying to lose weight -- I've had to talk myself into it EACH and EVERY.SINGLE.TIME. There really hasn't been a time where I've been like, 'HECK YA! Let's do it!' My default mode is: 'NAH -- later'. But the longer it's put off -- the harder it is to make yourself do it. So just do it.
Weight loss motivation spamming 3:
They say that weight-loss is like driving: If you ever veer off the road, just make a U-Turn and head back in the right direction. And you will have to do this as many times as it is necessary...
Weight loss motivation spamming 4:
These are actually even better than what the scale might say on any given day -- 'cause these are TRUE measures of success. The scale is always only an educated estimation.
Weight loss motivation spamming 5:
If we drop a pound a week -- in 10 weeks we'd already be ONE SIZE smaller. One size smaller in 2.5 months ain't nothing to scoff at! One size smaller is a pretty notable difference! 8D
Weight loss motivation spamming 7:
It truly is one of the most important meetings scheduled in our agenda. Let's not cancel on ourselves!
Weight loss motivation spamming 8:
The older we get -- the faster the years just fly by. THIS YEAR even is almost over. In a matter of a year or two (which WE KNOW will just FLY BY) -- we could make SO MUCH PROGRESS. Let's start right now -- right where we are! NEXT YEAR WILL BE HERE BEFORE WE KNOW IT. 8D
A new event Friday Check-In 07.07.2023 was created.
Geni and Alexander -- please don't forget to do the Weekly Friday Check-In! Gentle nudge. :)
Hello ladies and gent -- In today's module from my nutritionist's course -- there was a PDF that was all about GETTING BACK ON TRACK. I thought that it would be a good thing to share it here since some of us are currently struggling and the ones who aren't -- probably will struggle too at some point...(It is to be expected!) Struggles and successes are both part of the same journey. Whichever one you are currently experiencing -- it's good practice to be prepared and know how to deal with falling off the bandwagon. This is a screenshot of sorts of the PDF -- so if you'd like the full, zoomable PDF -- just let me know and I'll send it right over to ya! :)
Are the people in this Club still engaged in losing weight? I mean, technically just Geni and myself are active participants (Alex is an occasional participant) but I'm not sensing a whole bunch of motivation around here. TO ANYONE: If you're in a slump -- make sure to reach out. This group is not just for those successful, positive, most-triumphant moments -- it's also for those moments when we are struggling, when we don't even know where to begin, when we're feeling utterly and hopelessly demotivated. If you're not feeling like you're all in -- reach out and I'll do my best to support you! <3 It's important to do this because, right now, I'm up for supporting -- but I know the day will come when I will also feel demotivated and I will require that same support, too. We're all here for each other!
I've been so out of it. I gained weight again. Went from 265 to 263 to 266 again because I did not watch what I was eating and pigged out like crazy. Oh well. I have this new game for the Switch that may help me lose weight. I really don't want to gain weight again. Oh well!
Weight loss stumbles are actually just as much as part of the journey as weight loss successes are. It's not realistic to say that we will be perfect 100% of the time. It's probably something more like, 'We will be NOT TERRIBLE about 60-70% of the time. The remainder 40% or 30% of the time we will mess up.' But what matters is that we are doing well-enough the MAJORITY of the time. So far, since we started this journey (we're on Week 4!) you have been adequate/good the MAJORITY of the time so, guess what? You're still FINE. You've been in a stumble right now, but this is the time where you take a deep breath, you recalibrate and you keep pushing through! The point you're in right now is the exact same point WHERE SO MANY FAIL. But that's not going to happen to you! Again, remember: Stumbling is just as much a part of the journey as having successes is! Remember that if you quit right now -- two, three, maybe half a year will go by again (in which you might gain even more weight -- making it even more difficult on yourself!) and then you will find yourself exactly where you are right now (but with more weight) -- trying to muster the gumption to start it all back up again. DON'T GO THROUGH THAT. Just start right now! I want to share a couple of things in the following comments...
First thing I want to share is the little essay you wrote answering the question: Why are you starting this journey? 'All right, so I am going to try to officially start losing weight by working out at home. I'm not sure if I should try the Kathy Ireland or 30 Day Shred. If those ever become not enough, I may consider the gym or hiking at Lake Hodges. Weight loss could be fun, I hope. Starting weight: 255 lbs Goal weight: 150 I've been really disappointed with myself over how I look with the extra weight tacked on. My face has bloated like a toad, my stomach looks like I'm expecting triplets, and my legs are like as wide two human torsos. I hope that any amount of weight loss will help. Buena suerte a todos!'
Remember your initial reasons. Just push through! A day or two of tracking and trying to eat as best you can and a workout or two (ESPECIALLY if you're getting a Switch game workout -- VERY cool!) and you'll be good to go again! Don't drop it just to have to re-start the whole thing in a matter of a few months. Keep going where you are RIGHT NOW. OK, that being said -- I researched a little article that tells you what actions to take when you have 'fallen off the bandwagon' in order to press your inner RESTART button and get right back on track before you know it! Here it goes! TEN WAYS TO GET YOUR DIET BACK ON TRACK: 1) START NOW by recommitting today 2) DRINK WATER like it's your job 3) PLAN each meal 4) EAT. Don't make up for overeating by NOT eating 5) REVISIT your food journal and repeat a good week 6) REMIND yourself how far you've been able to go before 7) MOVE to get your sweat on 8) DON'T let a bad week turn into a BAD MONTH 9) VEGETABLES are our friends 10) REPEAT this tomorrow.
And to end up this (hopefully motivating) session -- the last thing I want to say is: You got this! Try and think -- on your past successful weight-loss journeys -- how did you handle it when you fell off the bandwagon? You pushed on! You're more than capable! You can be an unstoppable force! YOU HAVE THAT IN YOU! :)
On occasion of our 3rd Friday Check-in: Here's a collection of cute critters who have taken it upon themselves to teach us a few Health lessons! Lesson 1: When selecting fresh strawberries, be sure to choose shiny, firm strawberries with a bright-red color! Avoid mushy or shriveled berries. Be an expert, like me!
Lesson 2: Bananas are nature's ideal To-go ph00d! When you're short on time, it's easy to take one of these babies with you on the road!
Lesson 3: It doesn't matter if you need to climb up a tree to get your fill: Make sure you get your rations of fruits and veggies on the daily!
Lesson 4: Pomegranates are not only delish and fun to eat, but they be full of antioxidants!
End of lessons. :3
Lil puffy cheeks :) Cutie pie!
A new event Friday Check-in 06.30.2023 was created.
Today's the day to Check-in and answer the main question: How are you feeling at the end of this week? Feel free to share your experiences from this week on the Event! :)
Hello, everybody! I wanted to share this handy-dandy Hunger-Fullness scale that I obtained from my nutritionist's course. I think it will be a really helpful tool to consult throughout the day. BASICALLY, the concept is this: In order to have SUSTAINABLE (therefore successful in the long run) WEIGHT-LOSS -- we need to learn how to eat at the RIGHT TIMES. Eating at the right times helps us make wiser food choices because eating at the right times means that we're NOT overly hungry (which is when we make the worst choices and we end up ordering those pizzas and eating those burgers) and instead we will be eating the lean meats, the salads, the salmon. All of the food that is actually medicine for us, that will heal us and help us keep fuller throughout the day! We want to have our meals when we are at Levels 3 through 4. Whenever you are at those Levels (read the descriptions of each level so that you can determine where you are) -- YOU ARE IN A GOOD PLACE TO MAKE A WISE FOOD CHOICE. You are in a good place to not overeat. DO NOT let yourself ever get to a Level 1 or 2, which is when you are RAVENOUS and you will be ordering the pizza, feeling lightheaded and nauseous and when you will negatively impact your metabolism. On the other end of the spectrum -- it's also a good idea to AVOID Levels 9 and 10 -- which is when you are OVERLY FULL. We don't want to overeat. You want to eat just enough. 'Cause we're not beasts. We don't need to eat like sumo wrestlers -- lol. My nutritionist put all this much more eloquently but, I think you get the idea. When we let ourselves become overly hungry, our blood sugar drops, we mess up our insulin levels AND WE ARE EVEN LESS LIKELY TO WORK OUT. DO NOT LET MORE THAN AN HOUR PASS before you eat something if you find yourself in Levels 1 through 4. This is a critical time when it's utterly important to eat something to help regulate your metabolism. If you can't eat a proper meal and you find yourself in those critical levels -- at least snack on something so that you do not INHALE your meal when you finally are able to get to it. I will definitely make use of this handy-dandy tool. It's something that I've never tried before, and I think that at our age -- we really need to make better overall choices. We no longer can get away with messing around with our metabolism. We need to keep it as optimal as possible.
I feel ya! Sometimes when I don't eat I feel shaky and faint, any little snack helps that go away. Probably not very healthy! Especially when the weekend pizza comes in and I eat like 1,500 in pizza in one sitting! It sounds simple but it's hard finding the right method of dieting :/
It is hard, for sure. But this scale can definitely help. Try consulting it. Assess your hunger levels. If you're within Levels 1 thru 4 -- SOUND THE ALARM! You should eat something within the hour -- otherwise you will be bringing your metabolism down and might be in danger of overeating. We're not going to perfect our eating habits overnight -- but this tool can be a good start!
Another one! Done with DALL-E if you want to create your own!
This is SO ADORABLE! I've heard of that AI-artwork stuff but I've been too scared to look into it. Is that how you made this?! 8D
Super easy. I just typed in "cats working out, sweating and cheering" and I got a bunch of results! Dall-E is easy to use, there's another one called Midjourney but it's super confusing to use!
Yeah, all this AI-artwork and who-knows-what-else stuff kind of freaks me out. I don't like AI having a 'mind of their own' (for obvious reasons) but at the same time -- I can see the appeal of this. Just type in a few keywords and a cool picture will appear! I'll probably cave in sooner or later.
Cute AI art for this club! They be sparkling and cheering!
Oh, my gosh! This is SO ADORABLE! I LOVE EET! 8D
This is now the new Club Logo! SUPA CUTE! :)
What do you guys think? I know I've quit on entire weight loss journeys before due to scale obsession/discouragement. What day during the Month would work best to do our Monthly weigh-in? The 1st, 15th or 31st? (Last day of the month)? I would make it into an Event entry where we could all share our (most likely) good weight loss news!
That works for me!
Gut gut! So -- what day do you think works best? Beginning of month (the 1st), Mind-month (15th) or End-of-month (30th or 31st?) 8D
Hmm, since the beginning of the month is almost here, maybe it'll be a good starting point. Then we could work hard on July for August!
That's what I was thinking, too! July 1st is just around the corner (it's actually this Saturday!) so it'd be a perfect time to weigh-in. Saturday it is! I shall create Event! 8D
Im in da club now
I am starting this journey to get healthly and learn better ways to live without being overweight and also start expanding the family. ;)
I'm glad you're finally able to access this place! SHEESH! Every time I sense discouragement -- I will try to remind you of what you just wrote above: We are doing this, not only for our own health -- but for the chance of experiencing what it is to RAISE a family. <3
Hello, all! I guess I've been feeling kind of inspired lately -- so I just came up with the following quotes on the fly. I was trying to make a YouTube Playlist of workouts to try and in trying to motivate myself to do them -- I came up with these phrases that I thought might be nice sharing with you guys here. Here's Quote: 1! Keep scrolling for all the motivational phrases I just came up with. Hope they help some! :)
Hope this didn't come off as humble-braggy or something. Some quotes might have been in my subconscious. lol.
Quote: 2.
The post workout adrenaline is real!
It IS, isn't it? I think that if we're all pursuing trying to FEEL SOMETHING in this life -- something that makes us feel alive, happy, content -- this is probably the way to go about it. By pursuing that HEAVENLY post-workout high. The BEST way to get high! lol.
It's definitely in the top 2! *runs from tomatoes*
Nah -- I'll stick with the post-workout high. Not only do you 'get high' -- but you also get healthier. Cheaper, too!
Hello all! This is a WHERE-WE-ARE post just to catch-up. :) Currently -- there are two Events (tasks) pending: Promising Start: Let's Put It In Writing! and the Monday Check-In 06.26.2023. Brief synopsis of each: Promising Start: Answer the question: Why are you starting this journey? and post it here on this Main Feed for all to read and cheer you on! The second task: Monday Check-In 06.26.2023 pertains this week that just ended and how you are feeling about your weight-loss journey. Simply answer the question: How are you feeling this week? You can give a brief synopsis or a lengthier post, if you wish. Remember that we need to Check-In each and very single week! It's to encourage and to help us do this as a family! Geni suggested a cool idea of starting up a Biggest Loser competition. I'm in! We could begin it in July! How much should the Cash Price be? That's all so far! Grazie! 8D
Would it be cool to do a Biggest Loser like competition in this club? We can all track our body percentage weight loss and maybe a reward for the winner?
I really like your style, Geni! Thank you for coming up with this idea. How does one track our body percentage? Is there a specific gadget for that? I think this would totally make this motivational!
I'm reading these calculators are not super reliable, but there's a NAVY body fat percentage calculator that is recommended. http://www.calculator.net/body-fat-calculator.html
So all we have to do is input measurements into this calculator? That seems easy enough. Would you like to begin July 1st? Alex and I were thinking that we could put down $25 or $50 a person. Obviously ? $25 a person equals a $100 Cash Price and $50 a person equals $200 Cash Price. What do you think?
Niiiiice! Now that?s motivation! I?m in :)
Coolio! Wow! Two very majah Events happening this Saturday, July 1st, 2023, then! Not only are we having our very first Monthly Weigh-in, but we will also be starting our Biggest Loser Contest! 8D I'll create the Events NAO. 8D
Hello all. There doesn't seem to be a ton of activity going on in here (#sadface) but, I wanted to share this Vision Board that I just completed from my nutritionist's course. At first, I wasn't too thrilled about being assigned a Vision Board -- but after finishing it -- I noticed that there are many benefits in putting one together. For one -- you have to thoughtfully consider what you are going to put on it. You have to sort of dig deep into your brain. Digging deep helps you make sense of your thoughts regarding what you want to get out of this journey. After you've done the mental work part -- then comes the (fun) visual part: searching and choosing images, quotes, etc. that visually represent what you wish to materialize in your own life! After you've put it all together -- looking at the finished product is pretty cool! It's like a dose of motivation at-a-glance. I like it enough to print it out professionally in cardstock and then place it somewhere where I can see it every day for much-needed motivation. :) I liked this assignment so much that I am actually considering asking the group (you guys) if you would like to make one and then share it here as well? I think this is a lovely project to put together -- it helps get you in the mindset -- and having a visual representation of what you want to achieve seems like a really handy-dandy thing to have at your disposal. Please let me know what you think about taking on this interesting little activity. :)
That looks really cool! I have no patience for that, but it's good that your nutritionist was spot-on on what would work for you! Very you collage :)
Thank you, Geni! It definitely has to have my style for it to feel my own. Let me know if you change your mind. I also was not amused about getting assigned this activity but it turned out to be really therapeutic and motivational -- which is why I figured it'd be a good thing to share here!
Welcome to our brand spankin'-new Health Club: Sparkle, Sweat and Cheer! This Club is Family Members-only and it is a space you can always come to get a nice helping of the following: A Go-to space for all things health, exercise, eating habits and weight loss-related. Other topics are permitted, obviously -- but the main goal is for this to be a space you know you can always come to for motivation. You can come here to be inspired -- and to inspire others! We really can be each other's inspiration and motivation. That is the main point of a weight-loss Club, after all! Expect the following in this Club: * Weekly Check-in: We have decided that our Weekly Check-in day will be EVERY FRIDAY. Every Friday, there will be a newly-created Event (under 'Events' tab) in which each member will Check-in and give a synopsis (doesn't have to be a lengthy one) of how their week went and how they are feeling. This will be the perfect point in time to celebrate each other in our successes and motivate each other in our struggles. We will also be able to hold each other accountable by checking-in weekly. Win-win! * Sharing is caring! This is the perfect space to share to your heart's content: recipes, ideas, quotes, websites, weight-loss photos, struggles, achievements, etc. etc. This is the kind of stuff that keeps a Club interesting, active and lively! * And more! This Club is everybody's Club! If you have any ideas for this Club -- there's always an option to create 'Events'. Perhaps at some point we could start a Weight-loss challenge? Your suggestions and recommendations are always encouraged and welcome. Let's do this!
All right, so I am going to try to officially start losing weight by working out at home. I'm not sure if I should try the Kathy Ireland or 30 Day Shred. If those ever become not enough, I may consider the gym or hiking at Lake Hodges. Weight loss could be fun, I hope. Starting weight: 255 lbs Goal weight: 150 I've been really disappointed with myself over how I look with the extra weight tacked on. My face has bloated like a toad, my stomach looks like I'm expecting triplets, and my legs are like as wide two human torsos. I hope that any amount of weight loss will help. Buena suerte a todos!
Yes, I agree that weight loss should be fun. I would love to be able to join in hiking at Lake Hodges. Those days were so fun. In fact, the days in which we were active always seem the most fun looking back -- even when working out itself seems like such a tedious thing to do. Somehow, it always ends up being the funnest time. Not while you're doing it, of course -- you want to die while you're doing it lol -- but nothing beats that post workout-high. And your reasons for weight loss could also be exactly mine. I also feel like my face is ballooned, I'm expecting triplets and my legs are quite beefy. But all things considered, I think we're still not hideous-looking? Just Pooh-sized? lol Anyway, thank you for being the First club-member (that's not me) in turning your assignment. lol And I wish you the best of luck with this latest journey. It will be successful. NOTHING can stop you once you get going. :)
PS: If I can suggest starting out with Kathy Ireland? It's a tried-and-true method that's the perfect way to ease back into it, while still being challenging. That way Matriarch (and hopefully Rafita) can join in as well. Pushing each other and working out together is always the most fun, I think?
Alright -- here's my First assignment for a promising start by putting my thoughts into writing. The question to ponder is: Why are you starting this weight-loss journey? I guess the main reason is because I need to be conscientious that my own body is not truly mine. Each and every single one of us has been created thoughtfully by God Himself -- and we are not our own. We are His temples. We are an interesting combination of a soul and a physical being. So while it is absolutely important to take care of our souls -- our bodies often become a second thought. But that's not how it really works. We are supposed to be respectful of our bodies as well. Needless to say, I have been utterly disrespectful and I'm so tired and sick of it -- that for this and so many other reasons, I really need to FINALLY MAKE A CHANGE. Making this change will in turn provide me with so many, many blessings. The biggest one that I pray for is finally being healthy enough to become a mom. That would be an incredible blessing. There's the additional important ones as well, like no longer requiring diabetes medication. And then there are others that are less crucial, but still meaningful, like being able to go to theme-parks and fit on the rides without stressing, fitting into whatever I would like to wear without issue. Just being free. I feel like healthfulness equals freedom. Not being healthy is like a self-imposed jail. I know the journey won't be easy, but it will be different this time around because I have so many support systems here now. This has to be it. I can't postpone this any longer. And I am looking forward to it!
You can do it! Just set your mind to it and follow through. Hope your goals and wishes come true!
Gracias, Geni. Yes, you're right. I can do it. It is possible to do it. The tough part is that consistency. I need to remain consistent. Consistency is key. I think being able to hold each other accountable every Saturday while definitely be of great aid with this. :) I hope your goals and wishes come true, too!
Upcoming Events
About our club
Welcome to our brand-spankin'-new weight-loss Club: 'Sparkle, Sweat and Cheer'! This Club is Family Members-only and it has been created to be a cute, cozy and pleasant space you can always come to for all things health and weight-loss related. This is a special Club to post, share recipes, advice, motivation, struggles, photos, general randomness and to Check-In weekly (every Friday) with each other to make this journey more fun, more special and way more memorable. Who says weight-loss can't be joyful? Let's do this!
The club Sparkle, Sweat, and Cheer is located in bakersfield, ca.
Interest
weight loss
