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!!

[Cele21]

USW- 215.0

CSW- 213.4

LW- 212.4

CW- 213.2

GW- 199.4

UGW- 150

Went up a little bit this week. Been battling the blues since the new year. I know the changes I want to make and am usually pretty good at picking 'just one thing' to work on but am having trouble with even that right now. Not giving up, just going to keep chugging along.

Thanks for all the inspiring, thought provoking, information filled posts. They really help whether I mention it or just lurk around the edges. You all rock!

[HeartBiller]

Good Morning all....

Well it is not official weigh day until tomorrow.. BUT, so far according to the home scale (official weight is on my office scale) I have been putting on a few ounces each day.. And I have no clue as to how. We are on the Daniel Fast (day 15) and have not eaten one bite of anything we shouldn't. I won't lie and say this doesn't bother me, because it does. However I have given it to God and I will see what he does with it.

I love coming on here and reading everyone's post. It is a goal of mine to get to where I can make time to come on and reply to so many that I wish I had time to. Seems like it is always too little time to do what we want to do. WORK WORK WORK.. that is what I seem to always be doing...lol. I am raising an 8 year old grandson, so I feel like I am either working or taking care of something for him. BUT I guess that is this thing we call life.

Well I will be back tomorrow with the official weigh in. (praying it is better than this mornings home weight...lol)

Everyone here is so encouraging! I am so thankful I found this sight.

[_Lilac_]

Quick post:

Went to aquafitness this morning and got a chill. I tried to have a nap but the dogs barking at squirrels in the backyard (yes, they still come out in -20C), seizures, and texts from my daughter have interrupted my sleep. I have to be at the dentist AGAIN in 25 min. Not looking forward to that walk alone with my head being funny, and then sitting in the chair for a filling. And then the walk home alone again. Maybe my state of mind will help make the visit short. By the time I get back, I should have almost completed my 10,000 steps. A quick walk with each dog later will finish it off or put me over the top...If I feel like it. Might not risk being pulled around if I go off into lalaland.

Eating is okay, havent had much today yet but I'll have a good meal later. I can't seem to get into the chores that need doing around the house. I have a list but it just sits there. I have to kick myself. 

I'll blab later.

[_Lilac_]

Wow, so I barely remember writing that last post. I'm surprised it's mostly readable. I got through my dental appointment and I'll have to go back to get the filling smoothed out, it's got a sharp edge that is causing a sore on my tongue. I got 11k steps so far but need to flake out the rest of the evening. I haven't eaten enough at all. I have hot tea in hand. Going to make dinner. 

It's the start of a new week. Everyone got their workout plans? Got your food goals? Make sure you have laughs every day, appreciate the little things and small achievements. Small steps lead to big leaps!

[Glenda]

                                    Lilac,  When you are walking alone, are you in places or on a path with people around if you needed help?  Do you have a cell phone with you?   I worry about you .

[A_Lurker]

So between some soaks in the hot-tub yesterday and today, and some time in the sauna I feel better.  Still not great, but walking is okay.  Rowing is uncomfortable and the elliptical as well.  I can't imagine doing squats so weights are out for the moment.   What I do notice is that the longer I sit down the worse it is when I get up.  Another reason not to sit down for any period of time. 

[_Lilac_]

@Glenda When I am walking the dogs I'm always on city streets in my neighborhood. I bring my cell with me but if I had a seizure I likely wouldn't be able to use it. I'd have to wait til it passes. It doesn't take longer than a minute or two but the confusion afterward can last a while. I was ok at the dentist, told them what to watch for in case it happened when I was in the chair. I wouldn't be able to respond, etc. I sometimes get tummy sick at the end of one, so they had a dish ready. Anyway, that is done. And of course, when I'm walking in the mall I have mom with me and there are a LOT of walkers. I can usually get to a seat when I feel it coming. Or a wall to lean against. I'm used to this by now. Thanks for worrying though. I worry too. It's very scary to know there's something wrong in your central computer system, ya know?

[_Lilac_]

@A_Lurker  Since doing more walking and activity I find I stiffen up remarkably fast. Mom and I will be done our walk at the mall, she drives me home and I "ahh, ohh, ouch" as I get out of the car. The same for any exercise I do. I wonder if I'm not doing enough cooldown, not stretching enough, or if it's just the amount of weight I carry putting a strain on all my joints. After I move around a bit though, I'm perfectly fine. There is a therapy pool at the Y, so I could go there after water aerobics, but its so heavenly warm that when I get out I get a chill as I'm changing then walking home in the -20C temps. I shiver for hours. 

[jamk]

sorry to hear about your sizures my brother use to get them ,but no longer does. do you drive?

Judy

[BLLingg]

I just spoke with a Gentleman over in Boise, @IdahoSandy.  Y'all definitely got hit A LOT harder than we did over here in Saint Helens.  Worse even than Portland!  He said that Records are being broken all over the place!  We're supposed to warm up and go back to being the Pacific NorthWET.  But not until we get past Today's predicted Freezing "Drizzle"!!!  I can handle Snow.  Ice is harder.  But I don't do Freezing Rain (even if just a Drizzle) at all!!!  And my Desktop Weather is predicting at least 3 Spells of Freezing Drizzle/Rain!  One when everyone is heading in.  Another an Hour before I'm off.  Not sure if they'll be able to get here.  Not sure if I'll be able to leave.

I usually park right outside the Door when I first get here so that it's obvious to all that the Open Gate is accompanied by a Live Person inside.  I then move it to my regular Parking Spot behind Shipping about an Hour before the Gals downstairs start arriving.  I'm taking no chances today.  I've already moved it and put a Cover over the Front Windshield.  I even grabbed the Windshield De-Icer and brought it inside in case I can't open the Car Doors.  Don't know if it will do any good.  Don't even know if I'll be able to get to my Car.  But I've done all I can do so I'm OK.

[BLLingg]

Believe me, @Glenda, my Downs are random & fleeting.  I'm too busy with Work and Challenges and Friends and my New Active Life to waste time dwelling upon Negatives.  I also have a Friend in Christ who doesn't appreciate it when I dwell upon Negatives since He has blessed me with such an abundance!!  I moan & groan at times just 'cause I'm Human!

No, the Snow never gets me down.  Just the way it reduced my Walking Paths.  The Ice was what really hurt me!  (See Weekly Report below - EVERYTHING except nonWalking Exercise & Sleep was down!)  The Shoveling was GREAT!  I logged more Active Calories Burned in much less time than when I'm Walking!!  And it always feels good to be doing something to help the rest of the Crew!! 

As for short Dark Days, ya gotta remember.  I work from around Midnight until around 09:00 (M & F) or a little before Noon (T-W, Sa, Su).  Then I head Home, running Errands as needed.  Once Home, I munch then "Nap" for several Hours, in a pattern usually repeated 3 times a Day until it's time to stay up so I can go to Work again.  In a way, the Light is my Enemy.  It's hard to take a Good "Nap" when the Light is streaming in!

I went to Scotland several Years ago in May.  The Weather is about the same there as it is here.  The Temperature as well as the Three Rainy Seasons!  I won't even have to get a Special Wardrobe for the Vacation!  Now if it were Hawai'i or the Bahamas or somewhere like that, I'd be in deep doo doo!  First, I HATE the Heat.  Secondly, I'd have to buy a whole new Wardrobe that would be useless here except for a few Torturous Weeks a Year!

Thank you for your concern & suggestions, though!

[Chocobo9]

@BLLingg Sorry next time I will just leave it in kgs so someone else can convert it and has a reason to make a post 

It has been getting harder and harder for me to resist eating something sweet, especially after 2 hour of workout or kickboxing sessions. I always eat dinner afterwards, but I still feel like I need to eat something with sugar. 

I didn't have that problem before and I'm really hoping this is just a phase and I will get over it.

[Glenda]

Lilac, I'm such a tech dunce I don't even use my smart phone but I seem to remember that maybe Heloise had a tip one day about having a smart phone screen saver with an emergency number or health alert on it. I don't even know if that is possible but it seems a good idea to have something useful right on the front of your cell phone one way or another in addition to a bracelet so a helper would know what is going on. My daughter is always joking about having 2 tattoos with one saying "organ donor" but I can't remember the other. I'm on the donor list too but I'm not going to have a tattoo. I mentioned "donors" one day and a friend said, "But Glenda, you are OLD." I said, they put old parts in old people. Old is better than dead. I was wrong though. A doctor told me they put parts in whoever is lucky enough to be around. An old person might get young parts. I'm only on the list for 4 things that I have that are good, kidney,pancreas,liver, something else I can't remember. They wouldn't want heart,skin, or eyes even though I have perfect vision. They don't take eyes that have been fixed.

[Glenda]

A_Lurker, I don't know if this will interest you or be completely unrelated but if any of your stiffness is caused by inflammation it might be helpful. The U. of Calif - San Diego did a new study that shows a workout doesn't have to be intense or long to be helpful having anti inflammatory effects. 20 - 30 minutes of moderate exercise including fast walking appears to be sufficient. . It results in a 5% increase in the number of stimulated immune cells including a protein TNF a key regulator of local & systematic inflammation that helps boost immune response. So anyone who suffers from chronic inflammatory diseases could greatly benefit from physical activity. They didn't give any other details in the report I read, about how often , or how long it lasts. I wonder if several 20 minute sessions would be better for you than anything longer. You could Yahoo chronic inflammation and the U. of Calif- San Diego if it applies and you wish for more detail.

[Glenda]

                                     Lilac I addressed my inflamation comment to A_Lurker by mistake.   I suggested Yahoo in it too but recently my daughter has given me a new search engine to click on that doesn't track everything you look up:  DuckDuckGo  if anyone wants to try that.  I think it might cut down on the junk email I get 

BLLingg,  I hate the heat too.  Houston is the worst weather I ever lived in and I've moved around a LOT.  I never lived where it had any significant snow though.  Oklahoma had a little when I was there.  I love snow paintings best.  Maybe they cool me off 

[Glenda]

                                     Chocobo9,  Probably no one reading this will agree with me, however I'll still say, the sugar industry has spent billions of dollars to convince you that artificial sweeteners are toxic but it isn't true.  I have eaten a boat load of aspartame and I'm healthy and slim.  I eat lots of sweet stuff.  They say it MAY cause this or that.  The favorite is it MAY cause you to want to eat more of it.  Well so does SUGAR which makes you just want more and more.   And isugar makes you fat.   I never drink water either.  I drink Kroger Big K (house brand caffeine free diet cola) because it is better, sweeter, than Diet Coke.   You don't have to do without anything sweet.  

        I did manage to quit buying doughnuts at the grocery by promising myself 3 2 1 cake when I got home and that has hundreds  fewer calories.  3 2 1 cake is 2 boxes of cake mix, mixed together.  One must be Angel food cake mix and the other anything you choose, maybe sugar free.  Then you use 3 tablespoons of the mix, 2 tablespoons of water, and cook for 1 minute in the microwave.  Fat free whipped cream is 5 calories for 2 tablespoons or the whole can for 150 calories I think.  

[_Lilac_]

@jamk Nooo, I don't drive. My epilepsy didn't start until around 41 yrs old. But I hadn't driven in probably 5 yrs. And after I got the diagnosis I just cancelled my license and got the standard non-driving ID card instead. It was not medically cancelled, I just did it on my own, knowing I was a risk to other people. 

[Florriel]

Just checking in 🙂

Feeling a bit tired at the mo as just got back from a zumba class followed by a walk into the village for food shopping. I am having a fish day today so some shellfish for lunch and sea bream for dinnoer tonight.

Feeling pretty good today as last night at the gym I managed to end my work out with a 1km run on the tread mill. This may not sound a lot but I have never been a distance runner - more a sprinter - and this has kept up as I "only" need to run one base at a time at softball ( unless the guy behind me hits a homer!) so 1km non stop is a big deal. I have been breaking myself into jogging a bit at a time and out on the streets I am still more a fast walker with occasional jog rather than the other way round, but I am working on it 🙂

Weight wise I am seeing some numbers on the scales that I have not seen in a while so happy with that too. I have also managed to link MyfitnessPal to my fitbit so will be making more use of the food and exercise diaries to keep me on track.

I am enjoying reading all your posts as I find a lot of the info really useful so thanks everyone.

[_Lilac_]

@Glenda I joke that I don't have a smart phone, it's a stupid phone. I don't even use it for calls, though I'm sure it makes them. Hahaha. I have to 'think' about how to make a call on it. I strictly use it for texting and don't use internet on it. Wifi and data are off. No browser on it. 

As for the bracelet...well, They need to be engraved and it's all the stuff you are supposed to have on it that's the trouble. Name, condition, your meds, etc etc. My meds used to change every few months and it wasn't stable so I never got a bracelet. I could now, I suppose. My seizures aren't bad enough that I can't tell them within a few minutes. Many people would see me have one and not notice or would stop and ask if I'm ok because it might look to them that I'm 'not feeling well'. Heavy breathing, staring, aggitated or moving my limbs, needing support if standing, and then possibly gagging at the end. After that, I can talk and start to get my bearings. I've had them in the pool but I recover and just keep exercising. My job (when this started) was doing incoming customer service calls on the phone. I'd get a seizure and couldn't remember what I was doing, how to work the phone, couldn't talk, etc. It really scared me. Now, I'm kinda used to it. The worst was 16 in a day but that was before meds. Much better now but unpredictable. 

[Glenda]

Lilac, I was so surprised when you said it started when you were 41, that I looked into it. The internet said that in 60 to 75% of the cases they don't know what caused it and no not everyone is born with it and it isn't a life long condition. My step-mother has had it forever as far as I know and she is 94 but I guess it isn't life-long yet? I hope it disappears for you just as it appeared unexpectedly. She did drive but I guess hers was well controlled? She hasn't driven in years now though.

...........Thank you for saying I'm not the only one who is..........cell-phone-challenged. But I don't want to be stuck to my TV, computer or phone or be tracked every minute either. I like leaving my house to go do something different.

I thought those bracelets just said I'm allergic to: Or maybe I have X health condition. I din't know they had medicine on them.