Christmas Weight Loss Challenge

[Purplepiggie]

I have decided since it is 90 days til Christmas the best gift I can give myself is better health. In the past 9 months I have slowly lost 40lbs give or take usually stays a between 35-40lbs. I would like to lose another 20lbs + by Christmas. This would put me at almost the halfway point for my weight loss. I was doing paleo for a while but found myself bingeing on cheat meals and eating way to many things that I shouldn't. So now I have decided no foods are off limit I will log every bite of everything and if I choose to eat more than allotted for my activity I will have to be more active to stay within my calorie deficit for the day and see how everything goes from there. Feel free to join me on this journey. Also add me as a friend so we can challange each other.

Moderator Edit: Corrected subject

[Annabel398]

Those of us who thrive on a low-carb diet often have a hard time curbing our enthusiasm and recognizing that it's not for everyone. My family has diabetics back to the days of the Roman Empire, so for me, drastically reducing carbs (<60g per day, roughly) produced all kinds of benefits (after those first horrible head-achey few days of "withdrawal"). But YMMV, as they say.

And the glycogen loading/water gain/loss is definitely a thing. The trick is to take all the credit for yourself when your weight goes down, and blame glycogen when it goes up... amirite??

[AndyDandyPandy]

I think low carb should be the standard of everyones diet. Carb is not bad but it is the easiest kind of food to binge on which makes it look like the worst enemy of a person trying to lose weight. A normal person would consume more carbs than any other macro. I think going low carb along with low sugar and sodium would drastically lower obesity and death rates. I've been on a low carb diet long enough to tell that you don't need to have carbs everyday or every meal for energy unless you are an athlete, a body builder or do some very intense workouts. But anyways it's your body, eat what you want. YOLO

Since I learned to love steamed vegetables my life is so much better now. I like to eat. I like to feel full. Vegetables is like magic. Eat so much, feel so full yet so healthy and low in calorie with so much nutrients. And when you don't rely on excess salt, sugar, oil for taste, vegetables taste awesome. Growing up being asian and you know asians eat rice with anything, I used to be a heavy carb eater, but since I substitute rice for veggies, my life has gotten so much better. 100+lb loss. No more chest pain, rapid heart beat, skipped heart beat, signs of death, etc. With just one simple change. 

[A_Lurker]

Nah, never going to do low carb.  I'm not going to limit my fruits to berries for the rest of my life.  It's not unusual for me to go to the local food market and buy a couple of 3-quarts of peaches, nectarines, or whatever is going.  Even now, in winter, I have apples, oranges, a few grapes, and just bought some imported sweet cherries today.

Oddly enough, depending on what you use to define a low-carb diet, I actually fall within in it.  Normally less than 20% is considered low carb.  However, I fall in around 40%, which is still considered lower carb than a `normal`diet.  Here`s the catch, no matter what diet you choose to follow, there are some common themes:

- eat less processed foods, more whole foods

- make better food choices

This tends to put people on a better path to their food intake.  When they change their way of eating and pay more attention to it the side effect is usually weight loss.  If they make these changes permanently chances are that the weight will stay off.  If they choose a diet to lose weight and go back to their previous way of eating they will probably gain it back.

[almost_where]

Week 1 - 283 - (11/06)

Week 2 - 278 - (11/13)

Week 3 - 275 - (11/20)

Week 4 - 274 - (11/27) 

Week 5 - 272 - (12/04) - CW

Week 6 - - - (12/11) 

Week 7 - - - (12/18) 

Christmas Goal = 269.99 lbs.

-2 lb

[A_Lurker]

---

@A_Lurker wrote:

USW: 407.0

CSW: 360.0 (Feb 2016)
PW: 269.8 (11/20/16)
CW: 267.4 (-2.4)
GW: 259.2 (Christmas)
LT: 2.15 lbs/week for 43 weeks

I had a touch of something this week, possibly flu - just a horribly upset stomach.  It threw me completely off whatever plan I was trying to follow.  I could have just curled up and not eaten anything, not moved, whatever.  So I just made a point to keep moving and ate what I felt like.  Not sure how it started, but it ended with an 870g tin of Quality Street chocolates that I've had in the house for well over a month.  I made some soup and pretty much ate soup, chocolates and fruit all week.  I went back to work on Thursday and ended up buying lunch out of the vending machine both days (2 x cups of kraft dinner, which I never eat, although the two together are only 440 cals).  I managed yesterday to get back to a more normal meal schedule and have made breakfast bakes for the next few days.  Anyway, crappy eating with enough movement still led to a weight loss this week - and the tin is empty.  I'm not opening another until I'm making up the Christmas stuff in a couple of weeks.

USW: 407.0

CSW: 360.0 (Feb 2016)
PW: 267.4 (11/27/16)
CW: 265.8 (-1.6)
GW: 259.2 (Christmas)
LT: 2.14 lbs/week for 44 weeks

[BLLingg]

AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!   

14 Nov (CW = 191.8)

21 Nov (G 191;  Reached 190.2)

28 Nov (G 190;  Reached 188.2)

05 Dec (G189;  At 189 Today)

12 Dec (G188)

19 Dec (G187)

Christmas (G 185)

Well, guess I shouldn't complain.  At least I'm on Target.  Dern it!!!  But I'm back to that one extra niggling Pound that has to be picked up somewhere!!!

Oh well, I still have 20 Days to go.  I know I CAN do it. 

[Glenda]

                                    Shirley,  When my fitbit stopped syncing it was the download gadget thet went into my computer.  I got a new one at Best Buy store (a mile from my house) .  It may not even be a fitbit brand.

[Glenda]

                                    HeartBiller,  I'm so impressed by your persistence and progress!!!   Good for you!

 I'm wondering if every weight loss group in the world chooses to weigh every week on Tuesday.  This is amazing to me.  Studies show that most people eat more on the weekend.  Your body needs a little extra water to process extra calories.  You are very likely to weigh more on Tuesday than on Saturday morning before you start that extra eating.  Maybe you woud be more encouraged by more cosnsistant progress if you weighed on Saturday morning AND Tuesday just as a check?  Glenda

[_Lilac_]

Female, 47, 5'6"

USW  380

Previous chall. SW  355

SW  331

CW 326.2

GW 311  (changing to 320)

Well, I'm not going to make the goal weight. My loss has slowed down a lot since the last challenge where I blew through 25lbs in no time. It was too fast. I am now at a steady 1.5-2lb/week and even had a week where I didn't lose anything. Slow and steady...

I'll amend my goal weight to 320lb by Christmas. Should be do-able. I was too ambitious when I started.

[jlow]

1- 2 pounds a week is still a very ambitious goal!  Well done.  You should feel very accomplished.  Remember, 'the body' does not naturally 'want' to loose weight.  

[SunsetRunner]

Ok, thanks to @A_Lurker I have this now and am entering data!

SW = 204.6

W1(G 202) =201.6 (-3) 11/20

W2 (G200) =204.2 (+3) 11/27

W3 (G198) =201.1 ( -3.1) 12/05

W4 (G198) =

Seems to be the same 3 pounds! I am upping my exercise and focusing on lean proteins,healthy fats, and fruits and veggies. I doing a sort of a Paelo thing, trying to drop grains and dairy along with nuts (at least for the time being). I know I do well on lower carb and this appropriate for my current situation and crazy schedule!

Great to read all the posts, they inspire me every morning. Thanks for that everyone!!!!

[Annabel398]

10/10 | (start)

10/17 ████▌-0.3

10/24 █████████████▌-2.7

10/31 ████████████████████████ -4.8

11/07 ████████████████████▌-4.1

11/14  ████████████████████████████▌-5.7

11/21  ███████████████████████████▌-5.5

11/28  ████████████████████████████████ -6.2

12/05 ████████████████████████████████████▌-5.6

12/12 █████████████████████████████████████████

12/19 █████████████████████████████████████████████▌

12/25 ██████████████████████████████████████████████████ (goal: -10)

**ahem**... rainy weekend = seriously curtailed walking = weight gain. It is always eye-opening to me how much my own personal fitness journey is dependent on regular exercise! I guess it's time to get serious about a treadmill/elliptical/exerbike--I'm really going to have to step it up (pun intended) to hit my Xmas goal.

How's everyone else doing?

[SunsetRunner]

@Annabel398I hear what you are saying about the exercise. You may want to wait until after Christmas and then watch Craigslist for used exercise equipment. Lots of people get new for gifts and then get rid of their old. I picked up a great virtually brand new elliptical last year in January for $50.00 - new price was over $450.00 for the same model!

[Glenda]

Bulldog5, You are so right. Actually maybe anytime of the year. I suggested a workman advertise on Craigslist for a treadmill, saying what he would be willing to pay and the features he wanted maybe after looking at them in a sports store. He looked and advertised he would pay $150 for a treadmill. A guy sent him a picture of his (great treadmill) and said he would sell it for $65. !!! My workman bought it and told me the next year how pleased with it he was. People think they will use something and then don't. Then it is just taking up space.

[Majka]

Annabel, you are doing great already 🙂 🙂 🙂

[HeartBiller]

Well today is the official weigh day of the week for me.. I am happy to be back to Pre-Thanksgiving weight.. Even it I didn't beat it by much. I guess it took a week to gain it, so a week to lose it wasn't too bad.. Anyhow... It has been a crazy busy week both work and home. Seems like the holidays are all so rush rush rush anymore. Lord knows with the holidays we need each others support more than ever. I was just thinking this morning about this week and weekend.. what all is happening and all the food that will be everywhere.. I have to get it together and be strong enough to avoid temptations..
I so want to see the 6 as my second number on the scale... I can see the light in the tunnel heading to the 6 but can't see the 6 yet...lol.

MY stats
USW - 210 lbs
SW - 210 lbs
10/25/16 - 178.4 lbs
11/01/16 - 177.6 lbs - 0.8 lbs
11/08/16 - 174.8 lbs - 2.8 lbs
11/14/16 - 174.3 lbs  - 0.5

11/22/16 - 171.6 lbs - 2.7
11/29/16 - 175.2 lbs  3.6 Gain 😞

12/06/16 - 171.4 Lost the 3.6 I had gained plus lost 2 more ounces  .... . - 3.8

Total Lost so far this challenge - 7 pounds  - I'll Take that!!!
Goal Weight by Christmas - 167.5
UGW - 125 lbs

[HeartBiller]

@Annabel398Shew these holidays are awful to have weight loss goals...lol. I am such a lover of sweets and they are everywhere this time of the year... All we have is the support of our friends and loved ones to help us stay strong and if we miss up,,, help us get back on the right track again. It always amazes me at how fast you can gain a pound, but how long it takes to lose that same pound....

We have each other.. WE CAN DO THIS!

Hope your having an awesome week so far!

[HeartBiller]

@GlendaThaks for your vote of confidence. Lord above knows I need it. I know I am making progress, but when I go backwards it makes me feel so upset at my self...  It is here in thsi group that I come to realize sometimes we are to hard on ourselves.. So I am trying to be a tad easier on myself... BUT I won't lie... I want to see that second number on the scale change so badly...lol. I am praying for so much strength over this holiday season.

I am raising a grandson who will be 8 on the 21st of this month... But since it is so close to Christmas I always have his party earlier in the month. So this saturday is his party.. I am already dreading it, becuase cake and ice cream are a weakness of mine...

You had mention the difference in my official weigh days..lol. Let me share my story behind why it is Tuesday... I work in a doctors office. We have 2 clinics we rotate each day to. Well the clinic I am in on Tuesday and Thursday has a really nice electronic scale. So when I started this journey, I weighed in this office. I did not even own a scale at home. So I always tried to keep it the same day. I do always weigh on Thursday too, just because I can...lol. Now I have gotten a scale at home.. SOOOO I can weigh everyday and I am so tempted to use the weight from it, because it weighs me less than work. Also I could weigh before getting dressed at home...lol. BUT there brings my second theory...lol. If I weigh when fully clothed and shoes and all on... them I am more apt to weigh the same thing when I go to MY family doctor for my check ups. ..lol. I know I think too much...lol

[HeartBiller]

@BLLinggYou can do it!!! You got this!

[HeartBiller]

@A_LurkerI completely understand all you are saying about the low carb... I know sometimes I get in too big of a hurry for things to happen. I know I can't live with the extremely low carbs the rest of my life. I guess where that all came from is I started my journey on 04/25/16. I have a co-worker who started her journey of no carb to extreme low carbs around mid June. Well she has lost apx 12/14 pounds more than me in less time. BUT I do know that if she starts eating carbs again they will be right back.. I also know that I want mine to stay off,,, SO I have to do it the right way. I have to have a plan I can live with. I just have to have people like you to keep reminding me... lol. I have to keep telling myself.. You are making progress and doing it the right way for your lifestyle... I guess sometimes I just want faster results..lol. I know the drive to want to lose more is what will keep me losing.. But I am human and I just can to give up certain foods forever...lol. I just have to have moderation and portion control... AND people like you to help reason me out...lol.