90 Day Weight Loss Challenge

[CoachMarcus]

I'm starting a 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge on January 1, 2016.

My goal is to lose 20 pounds. I previously lost 60 pounds from May 2011 through December 2012 and would like to trim down a bit more.

Anyone interested?

Track your starting weight on Day 1 and your ending weight on Day 90.  This group will be here to encourage and support each other, while also holding each other accountable.  Feel free to share your successes and challenges, along with any helpful tips.  You can also ask questions. 

[MusicMaker]

@RubyH With all that you have going on physically in your life, you are doing a really, really good job.  Thank you for your kind words and your support it feels really good.  Every day that you do something physical you are becoming physically stronger, so don't stop.   Look at how far you have come, not at how far someone else has come, unless it inspires you.  Thank you for being faithful and taking care of business....you.   Have a wonderful and healthy fun day, and a great week.

[RubyH]

Thanks @MusicMaker, keep up the good work, I hit a new milestone, 65.1kg (143.5 lbs) today and still moving towards my goal of 127.7 lbs by/before August, I want to lokk my absolute best for my grand daughters wedding.

[CoachMarcus]

Hey Guys:  Your diet plays a MAJOR role with your weight loss plan.  I'd thought I'd share this with you to help you make healthy food choices.

100 Healthy Snack Ideas

1. Frozen Grapes (they are amazing)
2. String Cheese
3. Banana
4. Frozen Banana (peel it first, stick in the freezer overnight- it's like a yummy popsicle)
5. Low-fat Yogurt
6. Sugar-free or fat-free pudding
7. Apple dipped in Peanut Butter (or spread peanut butter on top of apple slice and top with pecans . . . so good!)
8. 100-calorie bag of popcorn
9. Applesauce
10. Raw veggies with hummus (my new favorite!)
11. Almonds
12. Apple
13. Skinny S'more (two graham crackers with one roasted marshmallow and one small square dark chocolate)
14. Smoked Beef Jerky (about 1 oz- look for low-sodium!)
15. Chocolate Milk
16. Hard Boiled Egg
17. Sunflower Seeds
18. Cottage Cheese
19. Sliced Cantelope
20. Raisins
21. Pita Bread and Hummus
22. Rice Cakes
23. Sugar-free Jello
24. Dried Fruits
25. Frozen Yoplait Whips Yogurt (these seriously taste like ice cream when they are frozen!)
26. Air-Popped Popcorn
27. Pistachios
28. Clementines (we call them Cuties or Clemmies)
29. Fruit Smoothie
30. Handful of olives
31. Pickles
32. Handful of blueberries with 2 tablespoons fat-free Cool-Whip
33. Ants on a Log (celery with peanut butter and raisins)
34. 1 cup mixed berry salad (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and/or blackberries) tossed with one tablespoon fresh-squeezed orange juice.
35. Peanut Butter and Bananas on whole wheat bread
36. Trail Mix (make your own! Throw in dried fruit, sunflower seeds, nuts, low-sugar cereals, and even the occasional piece of candy for something sweet.)
37. Orange Slices
38. Cherry Tomatoes
39. Graham Crackers
40. Small Green Salad with light dressing
41. Mango smoothie (frozen mango, mango Greek Yogurt, and a small amount of orange juice)
42. Kabobs (thread low-fat meat, low-fat cheese, pineapple and cherry tomatoes onto a stick- my kids love anything on a stick!)
43. Half of a Cinnamon-Raisin topped with peanut butter and banana slices
44. Grilled Pineapple (throw them on the grill or a skillet on med. heat for two minutes or until golden)
45. Baked Apples (one tennis ball-sized apple, cored, filled with 1 teaspoon brown sugar and cinnamon, and baked until tender)
46. Animal Crackers
47. Strawberries dipped in fat-free Cool Whip
48. Low-fat tortilla topped with egg salad, shredded carrots and cucumber slices
49. Parfait (build your own with Greek yogurt or plain yogurt, fruit, and granola)
50. Bowl of bran flakes with 1/2 cup skim milk and berries
51. Guacamole with veggies
52. Triscuit's Thin Crisps dipped in cottage cheese or hummus
53. Cashews
54. Pretzels
55. Sun Chips (portion control! Read the serving amount on the side!)
56. Cheesy Breaded Tomatoes: Two roasted plum tomatoes sliced and topped with 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
57. Sugar Snap Peas
58. Steamed Veggies (steam non-starchy vegetables in a microwave safe bag and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese or 1/4 cup pasta sauce)
59. Apricots
60. Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedges
61. Any 100 calorie pack
62. Snack/Granola bar (around 150 calories or less, like Kellogg's All-Bran, Kashi TLC Trail Mix, or Fiber one Bar)
63. Baked chips (about 7-10) with salsa
64. Soy Chips
65. Protein Bar
66. Sweet Potato Fries (one light-bulb sized sweet potato sliced, tossed with 1 teaspoon olive oil, and baked at 400° for 10 minutes)
67. Wrap (I like a slice of turkey, swiss cheese, baby spinach leaves, and cranberry relish wrapped up in a tortilla)
68. Pumpkin Seeds (2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, sprayed with oil (just a spritz!) and baked at for 400° for 15 minutes or until brown. Sprinkle a tiny amount of salt on top)
69. Bean Salad
70. Broccoli Florets
71. Peaches and Cottage Cheese
72. Chopped Red Peppers (dipped in fat free ranch)
73. V8 Vegetable Juice
74. Tuna with Triscuit crackers
75. Cooked and Cubed Chicken Breast
76. Homemade Popsicles (puree watermelon, strawberries, mango, banana, etc and freeze in popsicle molds)
77. Dates with almond butter or rolled in coconut
78. Quesadilla (whole wheat (or corn) tortillas w/cheese (or not) melted in microwave - adding on tomatoes, beans, corn, olives, avocado or guacamole or whatever sounds good)
79. Watermelon
80. Cubed Apples and Cubed Cheese (this was my husband's favorite after-school snack when he was little)
81. Craisins (I love to eat these with almonds- it's a good combo)
82. Goldfish Crackers
83. Edamame
84. Cheesy Roasted Asparagus (four spears (spritzed with olive-oil spray) and topped with 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, baked for 10 minutes at 400°)
85. Turkey Roll-Ups (Four slices smoked turkey rolled up and dipped in 2 teaspoons honey mustard)
86. Strawberry Salad (1 cup raw spinach with ½ cup sliced strawberries and 1 tablespoon balsamic)
87. Oatmeal
88. Banana Smoothie (½ cup sliced banana, ¼ cup nonfat vanilla yogurt, and a handful of ice blended until smooth)
89. Lime Sherbet (1/2 cup serving) with sliced kiwi
90. Apple Chips (dehydrated apples- they are so good!)
91. Black Beans (mix 1/4 cup black beans with 1 tablespoon salsa and 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt for an added twist!)
92. Lettuce wrap (try two slices honey-baked ham with 2 teaspoons honey mustard rolled in a lettuce leaf)
93. Pecans (try five pecans roasted with 2 teaspoons maple syrup and 1 teaspoon cinnamon)
94. Chocolate Covered Strawberries (dip 5 strawberries in 2 squares of dark chocolate- that is still good for you, right?!)
95. Honeyed Yogurt (½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt with a dash of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon honey)
96. Blackberries (so good mixed with plain yogurt)
97. Frozen Mangos
98. Tropical Juice Smoothie (¼ cup pineapple juice, orange juice, and apple juice, blended with ice)
99. Healthier Banana Breads/Muffins/Dough
100. Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip with fresh fruit

[MusicMaker]

@Triciapop3 Your positive attitude and healthy mindset will get you far in life.  You are an encouragement to anyone who reads your words as they travel on their own journey.  We all come with chips and cracks that we get along our journeys, but it is how we chose to look at our flaws that help decide our journey.  Our flaws are a part of who we are and help make us who we become.  I would not always choose my flaws, if I had a choice, but once they are a part of me I learn to embrace them, and, if possible make them prettier.  Thank you for your words they are powerful and wise.  Have a wonderful day and a great fitbit week.

[MusicMaker]

@CoachMarcus What an amazing list!  WOW!!!!    Thank you for taking the time and effort to provide some really great and healthy snack ideas.   I personally am going to try the steam veggies with Parmesan cheese and the skinny S'more, they sound wonderful.   I plan to post this list on my refrigerator so I can add some of these items to my grocery list.   I can use this list to help replace the bad foods I bring in the house with the good foods I need to bring into the house.   You have a lot of knowledge about food and healthy eating and I want to thank you for sharing it with us and helping us to gain knowledge as well as a more healthy lifestyle.  Have a wonderful rest of the week.

[MusicMaker]

For anyone in the Orange County, Long Beach, CA area, do you know of any place that has about 216 steps/stairs to climb?   We're going to Hawaii and will be hiking to Diamond Head, and I hear that there are 216 give or take a few, steps and I want to be prepared and not pass out on the way up.   I have until right after Easter to get in shape with climbing that many steps/stairs.   Thanks for your help.

[Catamber]

Have you look at the beach in long beach. There is a place in Culver city were everyone goes. I believe you can do a search for Culver city stairs.


Sent on the new Sprint Network

[NYCINNAMON]

Thank you, I'll look into and get back to you

Sent from my iPhone

[CCGettingfit]

Plateau!  I had been stuck at the same weight for 6 weeks straight; when finally, I pushed down a 2 pound loss this week!  Finally!  I think I read every article available about busting a weight loss plateau over the past month.  How to escape a Plateau?  First and foremost, never stop working out.  I never gave up on my beliefs in fitness and moderation.  Yes, moderation.  Most of the articles that I read promoted cutting calories further and/or increasing activity.  But, in my humble opinion and personal case, cutting calories further would not have been sustainable.  I really want this to be a lifestyle and not another yo-yo diet, so I kept calorie intake around 1500 per day while burning an extra 400 to 600 calories daily with activity.  I am working out 6 of 7 days per week (this week it will be 7 for 7).  I am a firm believer in heavy weight training for 3 days per week and at least 3 days per week of robust cardio activity.  Body fat dropped over 4% since January, which is a likely contributor to the plateau.  I can't share how utterly frustrating it is to work so hard and not see weight loss results.  I am grateful for Fitbit friends for encouraging and supporting me these past weeks.  You have helped me stay focused and kept me positive when I wanted to bang my head against the wall!  Hopefully, the loss will stay on the books!  But, for now, I am feeling so much better and hope to see a slow and steady weight loss progression!  Have a great weekend! 

[MusicMaker]

@CCGettingfit You are doing sooooooooooo goooooooood, only your weight loss is plateauing, not your change.   You are still working out, still eating a healthy, balance meal, and doing it all without falling back into former bad habits or calorie restricting, that is wonderful.  I'm a fat person with a fat person mentality and sometimes it seems my life is defined by the scale.  It should not be that way.  I know it is rough when you are doing everything right and the scale doesn't move, but you are doing everything RIGHT.  The scale will move, it really will, and like you said, this is a lifestyle change and not a yo-yo diet.  You are my hero of the week!  Keep doing what you are doing and you WILL see the result, even if it's not on the scale.  Break out that tape measure and measure yourself, I know you will see that you are losing inches, and remember muscle weighs more than fat, so you may be gaining a lot of muscle, which is a very good thing.  The greatest thing you did was not quit  -  gooooooooood for you, keep up the good work.  You CAN do this!

[CCGettingfit]

@MusicMaker you are NOT fat, you are beautiful.  negative labels can't define kindness, inner strength or beauty.  Just keep working, one day and one step at a time will get you back to healthy!

[RubyH]

Greetings all, Happy Sundays to all,

USW Jun 1, 2013, 185.2

2016

SW Jan 3, 154.1

        Feb 6, 149.9 started LCHF and loving it

        Feb 13, 147.7

        Feb 20, 145.1

        Feb 27, 144.2

GW Mar 31, 140 (under revision)

UGW Aug   127.7 (BMI 24.1) also under revision.

[MusicMaker]

@CCGettingfit You are so sweet!  OK, I'll just say I'm fluffy, which is OK, for now, as I am working on getting healthy.  I will say that I have never let my weight stop me from doing most things, I don't go on rides at amusement parks, but I don't want to.  It took me a while to get back on a bike, but once I did - there is no stopping me, I even take dance classes, jazz and tap, tap can you believe that .  I'm starting a weight loss boot camp on Monday, at least I'm going to the orientation on Monday, I'll tell you all about it.  I look at myself and I see a woman that is working hard on herself, and although I don't love my rolls, I do love myself, which is why I'm eating betting and exercising.   I love the support this group offers, I love the encouragement, and the friendships that are forming.  Thank you again for your sweet words, I'll make sure to make my words about myself just as sweet.  You keep believing in yourself, because you are something special.

[MusicMaker]

@RubyH Great job Ruby you are killing it.  You will reach your gw before the end of March and I bet you'll reach your ugw way before Aug, good for you, you are inspiring.   Keep up the great work.

[RubyH]

Thankyou for your vote of confidence @MusicMaker, but the rate of loss is starting to slow as I get closer, so I will take it as it comes as I have never got this close to goal in a very long time, it's encouraging me to stick with it and see just how far I can go and I am enjoying the journey.

[TracyWarner]

I go to our hospital and take the stairs for exercise. I started out with
doing 1 floor up and back down. Now I can do 4 floors. Hope this helps.

[MusicMaker]

That is a good idea @TracyWarner to go to a tall building and take their stairs.  Our Town home is tri-level so I can take two flights really good now.  This weekend I went to a musical with my hubby and I ran up and down 14 stairs 11 times.  I figured out that if I do that 20 times I will hit my 214 steps in a row, I just hate having to go back down, so I think a tall building will do the trick.  Thanks again for the suggestion.  Good work on building up your stamina.

[lw90]

I would like to join!

[Bogdel]

Great List, @CoachMarcus! Thanks for sharing! I noticed that some of them are loaded with sugar, and may be intended for people who do a lot of sport activities. I saved it on my PC. 

[CoachMarcus]

You're welcome @Bogdel