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!!

[GettingfitinSC]

I just got a fitbit from my husband for Christmas. I've lost weight in the past, but never very much. I usually give up before hitting my first goal weight. I'm determined to lose it this time without giving up. I've never joined a support group online, so I'm hoping this will help. 

USW- 235 (I've gained since the last time I've tried to lose weight.)

CSW- 234.5 (Lost .5 lb since Christmas)

GW- 225

UGW- 125

[Bobbinyc]

@Gayle1018, @GettingfitinSC  Welcome.  You will find this group to be amazing - supportive, inspiring, encouraging, and with great tips.  Join in as often as you like.  And congrats on the new Fitbit and getting started!

[Bobbinyc]

@BLLingg  Congrats on surpassing your Christmas goal.  I know if I eat in any of the restaurants you mentioned, or any chain, the weight just pours on me.  With your "little engine that could" attitude, you'll be back on track in no time.  Hope you enjoyed Phoenix.  It's usually nice there this time of year.

[dwest05]

I would like to joing this challenge!   Not exactly sure how to do so, though.  Do I just list my info here to join the community?  I've had my fitbit alta for a year now and have not yet taken part in the online community opportunity.  

Thanks!   

[dwest05]

Yay fellow SCarolinian!  I'm new here too.  We can do this!  I've had my fitbit for awhile, but have never taken advantage of an online community.  I think this accountability and encouragement will help.

I will weigh in the morning and list my stats and goals for Valentine's Day Challenge.  I plan to get back to eating mainly whole foods, fruits and veggies, and drinking lots of water.  Happy Healthy New Year!!  

[SunsetRunner]

Excited to get into this challenge with 100% focus. I am up a bit but was not limiting anything and had a several very inactive days. Still waiting for my new Fitbit Charge 2, hopefully here on Friday yeah.

USW- 225

CSW- 208 ( I think this is high but that is what it is!)

GW- 195

UGW- 150

PW- 204

CW- 208

MFP- waiting patiently!

Holding my own feet to the fire for this challenge and to reach my goal weight and maintain! Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and all the best in the New Year!

[em.kz]

Hey all! I was just wondering about your habits for weighing. How often do you weigh yourself, is it at the same time each day? Does anyone have any tips and tricks for making sure you get an accurate weigh-in? I'm just beginning to weigh myself everyday so I can better track my weight. I'm a college kid so right now I'm home for the holidays and I can use my parents' scale, but when I go back to school I don't have a scale I can use every day and certainly not as consistantly. How important is being consistant with weigh-ins?

[Gayle1018]

@em.kz

think weigh ins are your own personal perferrance as the Challenges are to support and encourage...Not who lost the most.

If you have a health center or something at school that might be a good place to be consistant...

I don't weigh daily as I take it too personally if I don't loose or as daily can have it's ups and downs.  so I count 2 times a month as being how I'm doing status..(may weight in between ) 

Weclome to the support group!!! 

[Bobbinyc]

@em.kz  Some weigh 1x wk, some daily.  I do daily weigh-ins because in the past I tended to ignore my weight.  This makes me pay attention.  If you get into negative thinking or self-criticism, don't weigh daily.  You don't deserve to be beating yourself up.  I do know some who weigh once monthly and it works for them, but that's less common.  See what works for you.  The most accurate is first thing in the morning, before eating or doing much, and undressed. When I get weighed at a docs office, it is sometimes almost 10 lbs higher.

What if instead of just focusing on the scale, you have other goals?  I don't know your history or how much you want to lose, but you could focus on things like measurements or size of clothing.  You could also focus on being your healthiest - eating lots of veggies, few refined carbs and sugar, being physically active.  The number on the scale won't reflect how healthy you are getting.  Sometimes we let the number have too much power.

It's tough in college as you have so many other things to focus on too.  Keep posting here and I'm sure you'll get all kinds of great advice.   

[_Lilac_]

@BLLingg I have found that my 'woe is me' blurbs about not losing immediately preceed a weight loss. I don't know if it's a hormonal shift or what before the weight drops, but I've noticed this trend.

My warnings to the general reading public are typically about my running mouth about silly daily stuff.

I  try to always think positively and share what helps push me forward. I've been told to blog but my first reaction is 'why the heck would anyone want to follow me???'.  So I share with my challenge buddies. I've never been a journal keeper. My mom always said, "Don't write anything down that you don't want shared on the front page of a newspaper."  

[bookseller]

I've had the most success with losing weight when I weighed everyday. I stopped doing that in June, along with consistent exersise, as I was dealing with some personal issues and got myself way off track. I gained several pounds a month, ARGHHH which added to my stress. Yesterday, I ordered the aria scale and it should arrive in a few days. At that point I will weigh each day after an early morning workout as that's when I've had my most dependable numbers. I'm the kind of person who does well with feedback, so having the daily weigh # go straight to my fitbit will motivate me to keep at it. My goal is to weigh a tiny bit less each day, but I won't beat myself up if I don't, I'll just add a few hundred more steps. 😉 I used the food log for the first time yesterday, and became even more inspired. god, I'm so looking forward to a new year of fitness.

[_Lilac_]

@bookseller  I've found that after exercise I always weigh more due to the muscles being used and enlarging with blood and ...all that technical biological stuff. I weigh straight after first morning pee, no food or drink yet, no exercise yet, and it seems to be better. 

Does anyone know if this is a common thing to weigh more after exercise? Maybe it's the water we consume during the exercise?

[bookseller]

hmmm, I don't know...I've tried it both ways...and always weigh less after, which I agree is kind of strange considering I drink water during.., not a lot though, but ha, my body is prettttttty weird, lol.

[Tybokitty]

Weighed in this morning and here are my stats:

CW 12/25/16 - 168

CSW 12/27/16  - 168
GW   160 (by Feb 14, 2017
UGW  - 145

Found that I can do stairs if I am barefooted and it doesn't hurt my toe. Yay!! .  Got my 10 flights in first thing this morning while the stray outdoor kitty was eating on my front porch.  If I'm not out there she won't eat so I thought I would give it a try doing the stairs while she ate. Got winded like all get out but it felt good.  Will do some more this evening when it gets darker so people won't wonder if I've gone crazy cause I keep going up and down the steps. I think I can do stepping while I'm watching tv so that will be a big help.  Bored with sitting around.     

[Bobbinyc]

@bookseller  Whenever I have stress and get off track at all, the weight just shoots up, and adds to the stress.  I never found my weight loss to go in a straight even line.  It's just not that mechanical for me.  I don't know what the biology of it is - if I eat carbs and sugar, will I weigh more the next day, or two days later?  If I walk a lot, how long will that take to show?  For me, I need to weigh daily to stay on track too.  I also need to really be careful about food and activity, and just keep improving both gradually.  Great that you are logging.  I seem to keep forgetting   Thanks for the reminder.

[Bobbinyc]

@_Lilac_  I never heard any "woe is me" from you or any "yapping".  I love what you choose to share and find it either reassuring (I am not alone with struggles) or inspiring.  Please don't stop.  For me it's a gift.

[Bobbinyc]

@Tybokitty  Hope your toe heals soon.  Great that you are finding ways to keep active.

[LucyLovely]

I would love to join this challenge! I recieved my Charge 2 for Christmas.

USW- 220
CSW- 206.8
GW- 190
UGW- 135-140

[Bobbinyc]

@_Lilac_  Haven't gotten in a good fast long walk yet.  To follow your example, Lilac, I'm doing this one in your honor. 

[SunsetRunner]

Hi All,

I am so excited the Fitbit Charge 2 arrived in the mail today - yipppee, so charging it up. Lots more features than my old Flex so am jazzed about this.

I find that if I weigh more than once a week I obsess. I am also one of those people that can "make excuses" to go off track very easily if things look to be not moving forward as I want them too. By not weighing every day I think I help stay on track and stay to the plan. I do weigh once a week, right when I get up and before eating, drinking or daily exercise. Not sure if this is the most accurate but it is consistent so should balance out in the long run.