Christmas 2016 to Valentine's Day 2017 Challenge

[Bobbinyc]

Welcome all Challengers!  What an amazing group we have!

Let's all continue together to take off the excess pounds and keep getting healthier.

This challenge will begin on Christmas and finish on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14. 

All you need to join this challenge is to post your stats regarding your weight, and check in weekly or as often as you'd like. We are a great support group and enjoy keeping up with each other and being there for our ups and downs.  Generally we have found that the more we check in and offer support, tips, info,  and ideas to others, the more we get for ourselves.

We list our weight, as well as any other goals we might have related to being healthy (such as increase water, more active minutes, etc).  Developing good health habits is primary.

A little rundown of terminology for anyone who is new.

USW- Ultimate Starting Weight

CSW- Current Starting Weight (for this challenge)

GW- Goal Weight   (for Feb 14)

UGW- Ultimate Goal Weight   (what your healthy target weight is)

PW- Previous Weight

CW- Current Weight

MFP- My Fitness Pal

List as much info as you like.  Some people include age, gender, height....whatever seems relevant to you.

We keep it as serious or light as we feel, but we always keep it focused on being as healthy as possible, while we support each other kindly.  We can do this together!!

[jamk]

I do not add sugar to anything, and I do not eat white bread, but once a week pasta a cup & 1/2 of that .I like pasta made of rice better,have to get that at the health food store my local store does not carry it any longer.

Judy

[jamk]

Glenda ,pizza is real good made with cauliflower it would never have 600 calories in it One serving is 142 calories and you do not have to eat a whole pie of it as cauliflower is very filling along with a nice vegetable filled salad!!!

Judy

[A_Lurker]

@Gettingthere17- restaurant foods often have more added salt, sugar, and fat than you would think.  Salt especially will cause you to retain water so just drink lots of water and get back to your regular routine.  You may find that you lose that weight this week.

[Glenda]

Jamk, Thank you. I love cauliflower. Unfortunately it seems to act as a laxative to me. I might be able to try it again when I was planning to say home the next day anyway. Or sometimes I eat something that has that effect and just take lots of Pepto Bismal. That works amazingly well in an hour or less usually. But I could use an Ole brand tortilla for a crust. They only have 50 calories. I don't need to eat pizza often anyway. I'm on a new discovery of celery lately that a fitbit friend got me started on. You can make an omelet of egg whites with lots of diced celery and bell pepper and onion flakes (come in a spice jar) and a little fat free cheese and have a nice big tasty plate of protein for few calories for breakfast. It is good to thicken canned soup too. All the stuff I eat would probably horrify everyone but I don't like to cook.

[A_Lurker]

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@A_Lurker wrote:

USW- 407

CSW- 360 (Feb 2016)

PW - 266.0 (1/1/17)

CW - 264.2 (-1.8 lbs)

GW- 254.4   (for Feb 14)

UGW- No idea yet 

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USW- 407

CSW- 360 (Feb 2016)

PW - 264.2 (1/8/17)

CW - 263.0 (-1.2 lbs)

GW- 254.4   (for Feb 14)

UGW- No idea yet 

So, after tons of steps, rowing, lifting weights, and the elliptical (and no injuries) I pulled something today plugging in a cable at my mother's retirement home.  I'd moved a dresser (no issues) and was going down to the floor and my foot slipped on the laminate.  Not entirely sure what I pulled, but definitely on the upper hip.  Steps hurt, getting up and down hurt... argh...

I put heat on it (felt better) and spent some time in the hot-tub, but at the moment it still hurts.  Definitely going to interfere with exercise for today at least.  I probably won't eat -1000 calories for today unless I can get moving a little tonight (doubt it), so I'll likely be over today.  Anyway, the week was pretty good overall.  I ate over calories on Tuesday and didn't count on Wed when I had a rest day.  I was definitely over that day.  So, all in all I'm quite happy with the week.

Now, I have to go finish some laundry so I have something to wear tomorrow.  The rest of the laundry can wait.

[juli1321]

Hi everyone, this is my weekly weigh in. 😞

CSW: 155
Week One Weigh in: 152.6
Week Two and CW:152.6
GW: 145

No change! That was depressing to see this morning but I took it and worked extra hard today. I am going to try and carry that through my week. BTW thanks to who ever it was that recommended the Leslie Sansone videos. I like to run outside but it is a nice alternative for something to do when outside is not ideal!

[juli1321]

Hi a_lurker, sorry to hear about your injury! Icy hot patches work miracles. I actually like the Wal-mart brands. The ones with capaiscin are great.

[A_Lurker]

@juli1321- I live in a small town.  I'd have a 30-40 minute drive to hit a Walmart.  I did find some Voltaren gel in the collection of stuff I've bought at Costco so I used it a little while ago.  It feels a little better, but I suspect the morning will be the true test of it is better.

[Bobbinyc]

@A_Lurker I hope your hip feels better soon.  

[juli1321]

I hope the morning finds you feeling great! If it does not you might feel it worth the trip to get a patch (or seven) LOL. I am not sure what else you have that is closer but you could definitely get the other places pretty easily. Probably not as cheap. I pay 94 cents per patch. I can not tell you how many people have told me they were in pain and that they felt they would not help that later came to me and said what a help it has been. Hopefully you will not need it but if you are in pain just keep it in mind. 🙂

[verocantin]

Hey everyone, since I've started this challenge I've lost 6lbs! I went from 135 to 128lbs!! I'm super proud! I haven't eaten desert in a while, I basically replaced chocolaty and fat things with fruit salads and they work super well for losing weight! i've been doing a lot of exercising like skating, walking, skiing, volleyball and badminton in PE! I'm drinking a lot of water which makes me have so much energy and I sleep way better! 

SW: 135lbs CW: 128lbs GW: 121lbs

[Glenda]

                                     A_Lurker,  So sorry you are hurt.    Several times I have had injuries that felt better with alternating ice and heating pads but  I was helped as much or more by having crutches handy already,  or a chair to roll arond on for a while.  Twice a  life saver was my husbands left behind mechanical bed that helped me sit up,  to avoid using an injured muscle.  I think I may have had a brokedn rib one time.      Once a doctor told me that I had an injury that would have healed if I had given it a rest for 2 weeks, but added I couldn't have given it a rest for 2 weeks because I needed it to get out of bed.   With a hip injury you might be in less pain if you used crutches?   Around here you can always get some adjustible ones at a thrift store for under $10.

[BLLingg]

Well Gee Whiz, @Chocobo9 ya stole my need to convert your Kgs to Lbs!!! 

THANK YOU!!! 

And we're a hopin' and a 'wishin' and even a prayin' right along with you that those weird cravings stay behind you!!!

[BLLingg]

Sheesh!  I forgot the most important part! 

CONGRATULATIONS on your Loss AND getting onto the Right Track!!!

[BLLingg]

Take care of yourself, @A_Lurker!  Better to take it easy for a Day or Two until that Upper Hip gets back to normal than it is to put on a Stiff Upper Lip and act in accordance with, "No Pain, No Gain!" 

Hmmm.  If that's a part of our belief, maybe we should rephrase that to, "No Pain, No Loss!!"    Personally though, I shear away from Pain.  A little Ache I can handle but not Pain!!!

But where a Hip Injury is concerned, it needs to become, "No Pain, No potentially devistating future!!!"

[BLLingg]

It's that time again!  And I am strutting tall.  At the same time, though, I'm also feeling so low I wouldn't have to duck to walk under a Caterpillar!

First for the Good News!

28 July 2010 - PW - 280.8  (My highest known.)
06 June 2016 - USW (in FitBit) - 216
27 Dec - CSW - 183.4
02 Jan - Goal - 182.2 - CW 182.6
09 Jan - Goal - 181.0 - CW 181.0
16 Jan - Goal - 179.8 - CW 178.2!!!
23 Jan - Goal - 178.6
30 Jan - Goal - 177.4
06 Feb - Goal - 176.2
13 Feb - Goal - 175
14 Feb - GW - 175
22 May - 1st UGW - (but not a "Healthy" BMI) - 150

Now for the BAD News!

I live in the Pacific NorthWET.  But on Tuesday, the 10th & Wednesday the 11th, we got hit with over 6" of Snow.  It's still out there.  So my Walking has been reduced.  I've made my 10K Steps every Day but I've missed my 5 Miles 3 out of 6 Days!!!  And I'm likely going to miss it again Today.  It's not the Snow although it did make walking very difficult on Wednesday.  (I got some good Active Minutes though, shoveling it out of the way for my Co-Workers!)  It's the Ice that's EVERYWHERE!!!  Since I do most of my walking in the Dark when there's no one around, I can't risk falling and injuring myself.  I thought about getting Shoe Cleats but I just hate the idea of "wasting" Money for an Event that's almost over now and one that occurs maybe every 5 Years or so!

And now for some REALLY GREAT News! 

I have a specific Goal Date for my 150#!!!  On 22 May, I board a Plane up at SeaTac and head out to join my Mother and my Sister in Glasgow, Scotland!  (They're flying from Phoenix and are going a Week earlier to visit London first.  We'll be in Scotland for 3 Days then fly over to Dublin where we'll stay for 4 Days. 

After that, it depends upon whether or not I can believe in myself and motivate to get down to a "Normal" Weight below 136#.  At present, that's an inconceivable Weight to me!!!

[Glenda]

                                    BLLingg,  I'm sorry you are feeling so low.  Is it the snow that is getting you down and shoveling, and short dark days?  You have been doing so GREAT, losing weight and I have confidence that you are going to be happy with your weight when you go to Scotland.  You probably know it might be COLD as can be there in May.  I visited in August and it was cold and crazy people were swimming in the ocean too.  So strange.   When I even begin to think about being sad I quickly go to my list of the reasons I am HAPPY.   It might not work for you but try:  I am not sad or low because I am NOT a cancer patient at the moment.  (2) I am happy because  I pay taxes.  (because that means I have a house with electricity, refrigerated food, heat, air conditioning, washing machine, clothes & shoes.  (3) I have clean water to drink  ........etc.  

     I was just reading that water service cost has gone up 40% in the las few years and about 40 % of the people in Detroit and Philidelphia are either terminated or delenquent in paying for their water bills already.  If rates continue to rise at that rate in not very many years 1/3 of the country will not be able to afford water service!  

I have some other things on my list of blessings that are less important but that make life better like recorded music, books, and Yahoo.    Hope things start going better for you.  Glenda

[IdahoSandy]

@BLLingg We had the same storm system last week and my district had 6 school closure days since January 4th!  We had a lot of snow followed by rain and then subzero temperatures. It is currently -2 degrees now!  It certainly makes leaving the house a little harder. Good luck and stay warm!  

[IdahoSandy]

Here are my stats from the week:

CHRISTMAS TO VALENTINES
USW 208 lbs (5/22/16)
CSW 181.9 (1/1/17)
PW 177.7 (1/8/17)
CW 177.5 (1/15/17)
GW 169.8 (by 2/14/17)
UGW 158 (5/22/17)

[sierradreamin17]

@Bobbinyc Thanks for starting the sugar free week.  I had no idea how much I was surrounded by sugar.  Like someone else said there are candies on desks, donuts by the coffee, cakes for birthdays.  Describes my work place exactly.  At home I generally don't allow junk food but it seems to be added to cereals, frozen foods.  My fat free yogurt has a ton of added sugar in the form of chemicals but the word sugar is near the bottom.  Who knew? This is a great exercise for becoming aware and teaching my family about what we are actually putting in our bodies.  I doubt I'll make it for a week, but what an eye-opener.