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!!

[BeachGirl000]

Santa brought me a fitbit charge 2 for Christmas!  Time for a fresh start and trying to create new habits - drinking more water, eating more mindfully, moving more.  

USW- 190
CSW- 190
GW- 180
UGW- 150

[_Lilac_]

@BeachGirl000  Congrats on the amazing gift!! Welcome to the challenge. There's nothing better than a little wrist bling for motivation!

[Bobbinyc]

Day 1: Just over 10,000 steps in a nearby arboretum with some steep hills.  Tried keeping up with a    young athletic man with long legs (my son)  Even pretended I wasn't panting - didn't hold out very long.    

            62 minutes activity with almost all in peak or cardio range.  (that's what the fitbit says but I don't really believe it)

            Tried something new - a small trampoline.  It was fantastic!  But way harder than it looks.

      Ended up feeling totally invgorated.

What a great day1.

[em.kz]

I just got a Fitbit Charge2 for Christmas so I'm looking forward to this challenge as a way to get me into using it. My overall goal is to feel healthier and be happier with the way I look. Since I only just got my fitbit, my USW and CSW are the same.

USW - 162

CSW - 162

GW - 155

UGW - 140

[drgalbarr]

Just got a Fitbit Blaze for Christmas.  Husband and I got one for each other - surprise!  Starting again to be active.  Thought this might give me a short-term challenge.

CSW:  136

CGW:  128

UGW:  122

[_Lilac_]

@drgalbarr  @em.kz  Congrats on getting your new fitbits! What fun you will have! I'm glad you joined a challenge so soon and are raring to go. The person who gave it to you must love you a heck of a lot. You should give him/her a huge hug!

[DJC_63]

I'm in again. Hopefully soon I'll get over the deep depression that I'm in now and I'll post more. Hope that all of you who celebrate it had a good Christmas holiday.

[Glenda]

                                    Lilac mentioned, in an old post, that she bought some pedals to put under her desk at home.  I haven't tried those but they may be just as good as other stationary bikes and seems like it would be helpful for anyone with a foot injury or like Bobbin, recovering from foot surgery .  There are other conditions where not having all your weight to deal with might be easier on joints.  Lilac said you could buy the pedals for about $20 or $30.  You can also buy stair-climbers on ebay for about $30.  I bought some "stairs" that were in front of a Goodwill store for $9 and they were on ebay for $100 but they are all the same, and good for improving thigh muscle.  Some of the older fitbits don't count steps too well on bikes of any kind but the new ones are quite sensitive.  Either way putting the old fitbit One on the toe of your sandal would help it to count steps.  It would count steps for a hula hoop if you put it on your waist band too.  Improving muscle and using calories is probably more important to most of us but some like the step count to be good too.  

I am so impressed with the persistence and great results so many are having at losing weight.  People losing 100 pounds on their on just blows me away.   Even now gaining 5 pounds since Halloween is an accomplishment.  Good job folks.  You can be very proud of yourselves.  I'm amazed.  Glenda

[Bobbinyc]

@A_Lurker  Thanks for sharing your "too much chocolate" experience.  I had a similar experience when I lost weight last year.  My weight loss had slowed or stalled and then I ate very differently one weekend of travel - restaurants and 3 slices of pizza.  And I lost a pound.  I don't know if I needed to eat more, needed more carbs, or just needed to shake it up and change things a bit.  I have to keep that in mind and experiment with it.  

[Bobbinyc]

@A_Lurker  Way off topic but I am so low tech....Did you mean you record things from your tv onto your computer??  I would love to do that. Is that hard to do?  My tv is in a room with very little space and I record some exercise shows.  I'd love to get them into my laptop.  

[Bobbinyc]

@BeachGirl000  Welcome BeachGirl.  You have found a great group.  Enjoy your new Fitbit!

[Bobbinyc]

@DJC_63  I'm so glad you posted.  I've been thinking of you.  I'm so sorry you are feeling badly.  Please keep posting here.  Most people here know what depression feels like.  Maybe you can feel less  alone with it.  You have had so many struggles this year and have still done a great job taking care of yourself.  I know you will get through this too.  Even though it feels so awful now.  Sending warm thoughts and hugs your way.

[alegria16]

@DJC_63 Sending positive, supportive thoughts to you.

[alegria16]

Lofty goal, but with travel over until March and a lot of extra walking all over Capitol Hill already in the schedule for work, I am aiming to say goodbye to five pounds.

USW (6/19/16) = 204 lbs
SW (12/26/16) = 193
GW (2/14/16) = 187
UGW = 155

[WVrambler]

Thanks for the group, it sound like a cool way to stay motivated.  I'm trying to keep up my step count and also to cut out the pop from my diet and eat healthier.

USW- Ultimate Starting Weight-163

CSW- Current Starting Weight-160

GW- Goal Weight   (for Feb 14)-150

UGW- Ultimate Goal Weight   (what your healthy target weight is)-145

[Kelsie49]

Hi everyone, I hope ya'll had a very Merry Christmas! I'm joining this challange, this is my first one. I gained two pounds in one day, I hope it's from the salt I ate yesterday. looking for support and accountability. Let's Do This!

USW: 200 lbs.

CW: 196.5 lbs.

GW: 180 lbs.

UGW: 135 lbs.

[_Lilac_]

@Kelsie49 I have every confidence it was the salt! That stuff is one of my demons. Glad you are here and joining the challenge! Say goodbye to those two pounds cuz you are gonna get rid of 'em! 

[Kelsie49]

Thank you _Lilac_

[_Lilac_]

It's cold today. I am itching to do something active. My daughter is watching tv so I don't want to get on the treadmill and bug her. I'd like to walk outside but ...aforementioned cold is a factor. (-18C / 0F with wind). I messaged the Y to see if their pool is open but they haven't got back to me yet. I guess I'm just going to have to call them. Or go walking outside all bundled up. I got a beautiful big scarf/wrap for Christmas. I can get that snuggled all around my head. I feel guilty about going without the dogs but they interupt my walking so much with pee stops and pulling and swirving in front of me that I get irritated and take them home. I'm going to just go alone more often. And then take them later. 

For the new people, you will have to excuse me, I blah blah blah a lot. I kinda ramble as I talk myself into doing things, or I explain what I've done that was of interest to me and motivates me or the successes I have. Ok, I learned the pool is open for lane swimming and there's a public open swim from 1:30-2:30. I can't lane swim due to my epilepsy. I know it sounds weird BUT any flickering of the water, the movement of light, the little waves, etc can cause my seizures. When I go to my water aerobics class I stay at the side of the pool only, facing the wall. When the class is done and I walk across the shallow end to get to the ramp, I have to cover my eyes. The public swim is a no-go with the noise of kids. So....that settles it...I'm walking outside in freezing temps. Now to pick a route. I won't bore you with THAT detail. I think I'm beginning to realize why my doc thinks I might have some anxiety issues. hahaha. Alright, alright. Enough talking, just GO!

[A_Lurker]

@Bobbinyc- I have an older TV Capture card on a computer I only use for this purpose.  If I were setting it up today I'd probably go a different way.

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-record-live-tv-on-your-computer/

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/record-tv-shows-pc-windows/

It can be a pain to set up and maintain.  Nowadays I'd likely recommend a Netflix subscription or a DVR that lets you add a hard drive to it.