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!!

[dwest05]

@alegria16 We have the same goal weight for 2/14/17    Good luck!  I hope you're day is going well!   

[Gayle1018]

OK, I'm walking and logging - but still got holiday goodies left and no will power!  I've given the stuff away, but new stuff just showed up...

OK tomorrow,  back on track (I HOPE!!!)  Please keep me accountable... 

USW- Ultimate Starting Weight  196.6

CW (somewhere around 160?)  will know Saturday...

GW for valentine’s Day :  152

UGW  143  (and maintain!!! 142-146 range)

[_Lilac_]

@dwest05 It's an automatic thing that happens through fitbit to indicate how much you post in the forums I think. I was sooo confused when I saw it. 

[_Lilac_]

@Gayle1018  You are sooooo close!! I am very impressed. You should be too.

My trick to willpower is this...when I see something that is tempting (bad for me, of course) I tell myself, "I know what that tastes like. I can imagine it. I don't need to eat it. Yay for me." 

Our sense of taste has a memory. So does our sense of smell. That's how you know what a rotten orange smells like, right? You know what dill pickle or BBQ sauce tastes like. We don't need to put that food in our mouths to know. If we are truly hungry, we should eat. If we shove it in just because it's good (and we shouldn't have it at all), then we should just remember what it tastes like, thank the host/hostess and say, "Oh, I've had your blankety blank before. They are wonderful!" and move on! 

My kids ordered food today. U-bake lasagna from one of the local restaurants, pizza, and cheesy garlic fingers (local thing). 

Daughter: "Do you want to order anything, Mom?"

Me: "Nope."  (inside my head "I know what it tastes like, think of the mound of carbs and salt, you'd be starving an hour later, you'll be swollen for days, you don't need that.)

Daughter: "I didn't think so. You sure?"

Me: "I'm sure."

Now, this is just how *I* cope. I think everyone has to find their own coping mechanism. And sometimes it does fail me. But if it does fail me, I don't smash my head on the wall in horrible guilt. I just remind myself to track it and work it off in steps, etc. 

I am strong. I am determined. I've got a whole lot more important things going on in life. A chocolate square on a tray of squares is NOT a huge life decision. It feels like it in the moment, since we fight this battle, but it's NOT. A square should not be so vital. It is taking up too much of my precious time and brain space. To quote a famous stormtrooper: "You can go about your business. Move along. Move along."  Square down, pride up.

[dancefoxtrot]

Gayle

Give the goodies to homeless people or drop it by a church or store for people to take one so you don't make yourself unhealthy.

Barb G

[Gayle1018]

thanks for all the great suggestions!   tomorrow plan to be back on track and go with Option A....

[scottie0714]

hi everyone! I know it's been awhile...I want to join this challenge.  

[Glenda]

                                    Gayle,  I'm so impressed when someone posts a picture.  Fun and cute.

..................I'm curious................  32 people have signed up for this challenge.  Is that unusual?  Do many or most usually drop out along the way?  Or Is everyone motivated because It is the beginning of a new year and a fresh start?   Hope everyone has someone take their picture so they can brag better after they have good results.  I have great confidence in you all because so many of you did so well already in the past..  Today at the end of the article selections in livestrong.com are pictures of this months and some other months winners of the $250 prize.  Some had no before picture and just held up a pair of old jeans in front of them showing how big their old size was.  Some just had casual pictures taken of them when they were heavy.  I think you might as well have a good picture.  Plan ahead for your success.  Don't you think.? 

[Glenda]

                                      I read a study that said most people eat more on the weekend, so your choice of weighing on Saturday morning seems like the best choice  to me.  I weigh more at the beginning of the week, and the least before I begin weekend eating.  The bump up  in weight is temporary for me.

[GettingfitinSC]

I just made 10,000 steps today for the first time. My first day I went 4000+, second day 5000+, third day 6000+, and today I jumped to 10,000+ steps. It wasn't as intimidating as I thought it would be. I'm a teacher so I'm on vacation, and I didn't think I would get that many steps. My goal is to get at least 10,000 each day, hopefully more once I start back to school and get a little more active. I've also lost 1.1 lbs since Christmas day, despite all the Christmas goodies. 🙂 

[LucyLovely]

I tend to weigh my self every day, but will only post it on Saturday.

Yesterday was absolutely beautiful here in Connecticut! We were able to take the dogs for a walk down at the beach, I got all my steps in! Today not so pleasant, and tomorrow we are expecting a storm. I think I will clean out the refrigerator tomorrow and get rid of all the holiday junk, and toss out all the cookies.

My friend bought me a gym membership, and I was going pretty steady, but then the holidays came. I am getting back on track tomorrow.

[Brujita]

Hello all. Its so nice to see some familiar names on this board. I fell off the wagon somewhere about May this year... so now here I am 3lbs heavier than my starting weight from the beginning of the year and my heaviest .🙊 Oh well time to get back on the horse. 

USW- 171.6

CSW- 171.6

GW-   165 (for Feb 14) 

UGW-   135

MFP- brujitabrujita

I did really good early in the year. got down to 150 from 168 in about 4 months. so i know its doable. Andddd then I just kind of stopped doing the things I had been doing like logging my food and skipping exercise. The weight had no problem coming back with my lack of movement. I feel unhappy with how I feel and the way my clothes fit. Everything is tight and I feel sliggish and tired. My husband has mentioned a few times gently that I have more energy when i've been exercising. so here we go new year. I am a resolution maker and while discussing my goals for the new year with a friend coined the new year as "2017: The year of little habits" little changes add up. 

Currently my goal to start is to do loving movement 4-5x/week. I already went on a bike ride with my dogs today. I know my final goal will not be a number but how I feel in my body. I remember when I first got my fitbit early this year i made it my goal to hit 10k everyday and sometimes I would just pace the living room to make that goal. I really want to get back to that eventually. I haven't hit 10k in quite some time. I keep using the cold and snow as an excuse but time to get rid of the excuses. anyways in short im back in and I hope to continue to stick with it. I am excited to see others reach their goals as well. 

[tuness]

i was a workout queen but gettinv married and going out made me trade the gym for the drive through. im back on it!!

cw 222

gw 180 sounds crazy but i can do it i stay focused

pw165

ugw 145

height 5 3

60 minutes of workout today and yesterday! 

i love the fitstar workouts !!

Tuness

[_Lilac_]

@Glenda I am now wishing I had a before picture. I have one from my heaviest weight of 380, standing beside my tall, lean son. It's from 6 yrs ago. I'll take one at 300. And then follow up with more. And yes, I think a lot of people have signed up for this challenge. It's wonderful to see. More people to celebrate our successes.

[_Lilac_]

@GettingfitinSC yay!!! Congrats. What a great progress and milestone. It's much easier to do it gradually than shocking your body. You are doing well.

[UKJulieJ]

   A little late starting, but, I'm in. Ty for challenge just what I needed, i didn't want to wait until New Years Day, so I was very glad to see this post. HERE are my stats:

CSW:215

GW:192

UGW:147

[Glenda]

                                    Lilac,  I'm very dissappointed you are going to wait.  Around me most people seem to have cell phones permanently stuck to their hands and they can take pictures with them.  I'm a tech dunce but I have a little digital camera.  These days pictures are EASY and FREE and any stranger would be happy to take your picture on the street during your morning or afternoon walk if you had a camera in your pocket and asked them.  Borrow one from family if necessary, with the download cord.   You should have 10 pictures made during every walk and at the end of the week you would surely have a good one with your eyes open in it. (That is my goal when taking my daughter's picture, to catch her with her eyes open and no glare on glasses).  It is easy to download a bunch and find a good one.  Pictures are NOT precious these days.  Take lots.  Don't wait.  Why on earth would you wait.  You will be a bigger inspiration to others if you are bigger in the before picture anyway.  I must say that girl at the party in her before picture WAS very cute.  No one looking at your before picture will know how much you weighed in the before picture anyway.  You aren't going to be standing on a scale.

[DJC_63]

Thank you @Bobbinyc and @BeachGirl . I'm not sure what is causing this for certain, but I'm guessing it's the bad weather, constant struggles with money, not getting out enough so not enough exercise...  To top those things off my car's heater broke and I don't have any money to get it fixed for the next 2 weeks, and it's pretty freaking cold in my car at this time of year.  Then everyone in entertainment keeps dying and that's starting to get to me, it's just depressing. 

I struggled with major depressive disorder for most of my life but I did manage to get it under control the past 2 years. Just recently it seems to be a problem again. Hopefully it will get better soon.

[_Lilac_]

@Glenda  Getting a picture taken isn't an issue. My daughter has a great camera on her phone. But I guess I just feel like I won't see a huge difference between the two photos, ya know? Maybe I'll be disappointed in my 380lb to 321lb shot? I know there has to be a difference (besides more grey hair). I don't have the 355lb pic. Ok, I'll have her take a photo today sometime. You've convinced me.

[Susan583]

I just got my Fitbit for Christmas and I am so ready to get started! I am so ready for Feb 14 goal!

cw 216

gw 198

ugw 175