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!!

[debb21]

My goals for this challenge:  Lose 4 lbs

                                              stay within my calories for the day

                                              quit drinking so much diet pop

                                              drink more water

                                              add a little to my workout

[_Lilac_]

I've returned from my walk! 41 minutes at 134 average heartrate. 

Notes from my walk:

1. The sidewalks were so much better than yesterday. I was able to go faster without worrying about falling on ice. I walked further in the same amount of time as my walk yesterday.

2. Dude was carrying a toilet from a house. Me: "It's a sh*tty job but someone has to do it. Sorry, I couldn't resist."  Him: "Well, it's not going to be the landlord, eh?" (Yes, we are Canadian). Poor guy, dealing with that during the holiday season. 

I'm HUNGRY so I'm going to eat. Need lots of water too. 

Every success to all today! Move move, have fun. 

[em.kz]

I just returned from a walk too! I went around some neighborhoods for 36 minutes with an average heartrate of 112 bpm.

[nightswimming]

I actually met my goal weight last week, before Christmas happened and I put a few pounds back on, and decided that I want to lose a few more pounds.

USW: 174

SW: 121

GW: 118

UGW: 112

I am trying to focus more on increasing my activity level while still watching the calories, which I am actually finding more difficult with the smaller deficit.

[SunsetRunner]

Hi Everyone!

I'm in too!  Since I weigh on Friday's, I will start with last week's weight:

USW: 224.5 lbs (7/6/16)

CSW: 177.0 (12/23/16)

CW (12/30/16):

CW (01/06/17):

CW (01/13/17):

CW: (01/20/17):

CW: (01/27/17):

CW: (02/03/17):

CW: (02/10/17):

GW: 167 (02/14/17):

UGW: 155

I'm looking forward to this challenge!

Happy New Year to All!

[_Lilac_]

I just returned from taking the dogs for their walks. I took them separately because my large dog pulls like crazy when I have both of them together. AND I get much more exercise if I go twice. It took just under 30 min with an average 118 bpm. I've also told my daughter to text me when she gets off work and I'll go meet her. That will get me another 2k steps at least. I'll have over 11,000 for the day with 80-90 min at fat burning/aerobic level. I've eaten only 1150 calories again. I had sushi and vegetable tempura so I am not sure exactly how much but I did my best at logging. I'll need another decent meal. Drinking extra water to deal with the sodium. Phew. What a day. 

[bookseller]

I'm in! Just got my fitbit (aria) for Christmas. Would love to lose 10lbs by V-day, as I'm going to Hawaii for vacation. Do you think that's possible?  Would love (and need) support. Super motivated.

CSW: 150

GW: 140

UGW: 120

[Tybokitty]

You came to the right place. Doesn't matter how much you want to lose. And everyone in the challenge offers lots of support. That's what I love about this group. Welcome to the challenge.

Sent from my iPhone

[jacobsmom2013]

I am new to this community - my dear hubs gifted me my first ever Fit Bit yesterday!  I've been working on weight loss since August though - happy to have some accountability and motivation to reach my end goals 🙂

USW- 222.0

CSW- 190

GW- 185

UGW- 170

PW- 189 (I gained a pound over the holiday)

CW- 190

[_Lilac_]

@jacobsmom2013  Welcome and good to have you with us! You've done a great job since August. This is a fantastic place for motivation and comradery. 

High fives are plentiful.

[SunsetRunner]

DJC_63,  I hope you get to feeling better soon. This time of year is especially difficult for me too. No matter how much I try to get out of the funk I'm in, I find myself depressed and also eating more. This year it has been worse because my mother is ill and I have to fly back and forth so much. Just spent a month with her. I am almost embarrassed to post because I have gained back the 5 pounds I lost. What helps me find hope is the New Year. I always think of it as a fresh, new start on everything. I write small achievable goals for the year and that seems to help me begin a comeback from being so low for so long. Since you are "in again" , I'm sure you're on your way up. I'm in for this next challenge too. Happy New Year!!

[SunsetRunner]

Happy New Year Everyone!

I'm looking forward to this challenge!

CSW  -165      12/26  

GW    - 160

UGW - 130

[Bobbinyc]

Day 2   8,000 steps

            41 minutes active - fitbit says all at peak, I don't think so

            36 floors, mostly fast

So glad to have 2 days in a row with increased heart pumping activity.

We can do this!

[bookseller]

thank you! I have at least 30 to lose in all, and I've been trying since June....feeling like the fitbit will help!

[BLLingg]

The way I see it, @_Lilac_, if you do your Moanin' and Groanin' at your Blood & Ring Family, y'all end up with a very unhappy Family & Home.  If you do it here and we're getting sick of listening to you, we can just scroll down and ignore it.  No excuse for an unhappy FitBit Family!  Your pre, mid, and post apologies are welcome since they provide clues as to whether to read or to skip and they are most definitely accepted.  But as for me, they're not really necessary.  We all do some Moanin' and Groanin'!!  And often, what you're a Moanin' and a Groanin' about are an echo of what I'm feeling also!!!  If not on the same Day, then on some Day in the near Future!

And I'm still not sick of you.  So there!!

[BLLingg]

I'm Pacific Time Zone, @Bobbinyc but my Work Shift puts me into the Europe Time Zone.  (Flexible but roughly Midnight until 08:30 (Mon & Fri), 11:30 (Tues - Thurs), and anywhere from 10:00 until 11:30 (Sat & Sun). 

It's actually a lot of Fun to be putting in my Steps at the same time my FitBit Friends in England, Ireland, & Spain are!  And it's really Fun to see my Position on the Leaderboards in the Challenges.   Until it's the End of my Day and everyone else gets started!!! 

[BLLingg]

Glad you said, "almost embarrassed to post", @SunsetRunner!  That's what we're here for! And you're in with a FitBit Family who ALL have to ignore the embarrassments at one Time or another.  Mine is coming up as soon as I get to the End of all the New Messages!!!

I have a LOUSY Track Record with "New Year's Goals" so I stopped setting them.  But that's not my Embarrassing Confession.  That's just a Stated Fact.  LOL

[BLLingg]

06 Jun USW - 216

25 Dec - Goal was 185, Weighing in on Mom's Scales - 182.6

     Certain Temptations are the Bane of my Existance! Restaurants are one of them.  I can ignore the almost Daily Donuts & Candy in the Lunchroom but I eat out so seldomly that when I do, EVERYTHING looks GOOD!!!

     I arrived in Phoenix Saturday at Lunchtime.  We went to Lunch at IHop.  My Day's Calories were ok.

     On Christmas Day, I had a Protein Meal Replacement Bar with my Meds at 03:00.  Later, we had Breakfast at IHop then Supper at Old Country Buffet.  My Days Calories were almost DOUBLE my Outgo while both Fat & Sodium were WAY too high - assuming my Ball Park Measurements were close to accurate!    I exceeded all of my Steps Goals but didn't do even 1 Floor!

     On Monday, I had a Protein Meal Replacement Bar with my Meds.  Later on, we had Breakfast at a small Cafe near my Motel then drove around.  My allotted Day's Calories were almost gone already.  I had all of my Steps exceeded but still not 1 Floor.  I got in 1 Floor at the Airport.  That was all I got in for the Day.  The Plane was delayed an Hour.  After we landed, my Friend who picked me up drove us to McDonalds.  I had a Cheeseburger and threw away the Bottom Bun.  But I didn't take my Evening Meds.  So after I got Home, I grabbed (and didn't weigh) some of my Landlord's Turkey.  Another Ball Parked Food!  Consumption exceeded Expenditure.  Again.

27 Dec - CSW - 183.4  (The Gain isn't Water according to my Scales.  It's Fat.)

1. 02 Jan - Goal - 182.2
2. 09 Jan - Goal - 181.0
   
3.  16 Jan - Goal - 179.8
4. 23 Jan - Goal - 178.6
5. 30 Jan - Goal - 177.4
6. 06 Feb - Goal - 176.2
7. 13 Feb - Goal - 175

14 Feb - GW - 175

UGW - (but not a "Healthy" BMI) - 150  Once I meet that, I may head for the Healthy Goal of 131.  Never having been that low since I went above it when I was young, I can't conceive of it as a real possibility at this time!!!)

   I may revise the Goals next Week, once my Weight "settles" after the past 3 Days.  If it does.

[debb21]

There is an activity group called "challenge me too" that I started for this group that shows our steps and where we stand with everyone else in the group.  It is very easy to join and you don't have to do anything after you join.  Go to community, then activity groups and type in challenge me too and then join.  That's it.  There are many other groups you can join too.  

[Gayle1018]

Goal is to keep trying.  Kinda fell off the wagon the last 2 weeks of December so didn't meet my goal 

BUT - I did get all my walking in over the weekend and was involved in the Holiday Hussle and few other challenges - so getting inspired to be back on track. 

Too chicken to weigh right now, so may plan is New Years EVE day to weigh in and reset my goals for 2017...

Love the VAlentine day challenge -  good luck to all! and Happy New Year!!!