Easter to Memorial Day Challenge 2016

[awood08]

Welcome to the next challenge!!!

Our challenge starts Easter March 27th through Memorial Day May 30th. (USA holiday)

To be part of the challenge you start by posting your initial weight stats and what you would like to achieve by the end of the challenge. You can then check in as often as you'd like with a weight update, to share a story from your week or start a conversation about a topic you'd like some advice on.

Welcome to all our new members, old timers, and anyone who is just following our challenge! Let's continue to work hard, meet our goals, and most important, give each other the encouragement and positive thoughts to keep all our spirits up!

Thanks to @saraj91 for the last challenge! Hope to see you again in here 🙂

 
A little rundown of terminology for anyone who is new: 

USW- Ultimate Starting Weight

CSW- Current Starting Weight

GW- Goal Weight

UGW- Ultimate Goal Weight

PW- Previous Weight

CW- Current Weight

MFP- My Fitness Pal

Here is a link for our group! Thanks @Brujita

https://www.fitbit.com/group/22KZ7F

[dianenyc]

@Bogdel -- Thanks, Ell.  I'll change my goal weight as soon as I lose that final .4lb -- hopefully this Saturday.  Getting back on the boards is helping me regain my focus -- right after Easter things just went haywire both at work & with family -- crazymaking stuff.  By God's grace and staying close to Him (so grateful for daily prayer) I have managed to keep my little bark afloat and my little mind functioning rationally.  This would be a crazy, fattening time for me usually -- but it's not.  I'm not gaining weight.  I'm not eating to stuff stress.  I'm praying and walking and learning to be okay about not doing either perfectly. Now I'm off to work -- oh wait, I've got to get dressed first.

Have a good one today.

DianeNYC

[sharoncraft37]

@dianenyc you just made me laugh!! You sound so much like me...LOL! I planned on gettin my hair cut before my next weigh in.  AND do all my bathroom business first. I can take all the help I can get 😉 

I don't have much time to go through the comments on here but love when I do! You all are great! 

I fall short on the leader board and it's do agrevating.  I can't wear my fitbit while I'm working (it gets too nasty and you can't just wash it). So I have to keep track (mentally) of my distance and enter it manually.  Well, I've noticed that the software does not add that to your actual fitbit device numbers and added to the real total.  Such a bummer but ok.   

[SunsetRunner]

Well it seems like my weight is giving me a hard time. Of course I'm limited on what I can do. So slow and steady wins the race I guess. At least I didn't gain all the weight back after my cold. I'm now doing challenges. So I'm making sure to do a few steps more than usual during the day. I've also started logging my food intake so hopefully that will help.

USW- 271

CSW- 269.4

GW- 259

UGW- 150

PW- 263.4

CW- 262.8

- .6 lbs

[Brujita]

USW- 168 (1/1/16)

UGW- 128-125

MFP- Bruitabrujita

this challenge:

SW- 152 (3/27)

PW- 151 (4/3) -1lb

PW- 149.6 (4/19)

PW- 146.2 (4/27)

CW- 151.6 (5/3)

GW- 140 (5/30) Revised 145

A bit frustrated with the scale as i've seen jumps all over the last two weeks. With the lower weight last wednesday I earned my 20lb badge only to feel like i didnt earn it since my weight went back up to the 150's. 5lb jump seems ridiculous in such a short time. Honestly at this rate I will just be happy to stay under 150. As you can see its been all oover the place. And its not like its being replaced with muscles as the bf% isnt really changing all that much. I guess you cant outrun a bad diet as they say. I have been eating poorly however staying at my calorie goal. 

Turning the focus over NSVs-

• I finally earned the High Tops badge (20k steps) badge on Thursday.
• Last week was a record for me in regards to my steps (87,302)
• I won last weeks WorkWeek Hustle Challenge with just under 72k. 
• Jeans that wouldnt zip/close now do! 
• My mile time is getting better with each run. Last night I did 4.7mi with a pace of 11'50" with my poor dog

So although the scale isnt showing what i want to see i'm focusing on the positives. I plan to make this week better in regards to food. we did a lot of take out last week. So I already made this week menu and have to go grocery shopping. I hate grocery shopping but I know planning ahead helps tremendously when it comes to food. 

So happy to see the rest of you maintaining or losing. As for the rest of us struggling its encouraging to see you discuss it and share what might help or what changes can be done. 

[HelenKr]

Well, here's my weekly check in. I am having a hard time staying below 150; the darn scale is a little over the place but thankfully below 150 today.    I have upped my exercise and had two great gym workouts last weekend and hit 10k step goal 26 of the last 28 days.  I thought I was being good with my diet also, but I guess not good enough. I tried logging food, but found it frustrating, wasn't sure how to log lunches out and gave up.  I'm not ready to try again yet, but am working to be better on food.

USW- 173    (10/01/15)

CSW- 152.8 (03/26/16)

PW-   151.6  (04/10/16)

PW-   149.4  (04/16/16)

PW-   149.4  (04/26/16)

PW-   149.6  (05/03/16)

GW-   147    (05/28/16)

UGW- 135

Total loss this challenge:  3.2lbs

Total loss since Oct:      23.4lbs

Keep it up everyone!  Good Luck and have a great day!

Helen

[HelenKr]

@dianenyc & @RubyH - Thanks so much for those nice thoughts!  It is so good to have your back @dianenyc! 

@Brujita - Boy can I relate to your post!  I was so excited to get below 150, but am having a tough time staying there let alone losing more!

@SunsetRunner - Great work!

[Bogdel]

Dear @dianenyc, I am so glad to know that your relationship with Christ is a stabilizing force in your life. I know how stress can overcome us and get us off balance. I will be praying for God's continued wisdom and strength as you go through this season. I could use your prayers for my upcoming missions trip, as well: wisdom, guidance, protection, and most of all, that God may use me to make a difference in the lives of others, for His glory. 

Blessings and strength!

Ellie

[Bogdel]

@HelenKr, I remember reading somewhere last week that we should not work on weight loss and building muscle at the same time, as they tend to cancel each other. The article said that we should focus on one thing at a time. I did not verify this theory enough to support it, but I do remember that, when I went to the Rec Center and worked on muscles, I did not loose any weight (not sure if there is any relationship between the plateau and the muscle building workout, but when I read the article, it did make me wonder). As soon as I resumed my activity to just walking, the scale started to move down again. Maybe when I come back from Europe I will test this theory. 

You are doing well. I pray that you will find the secret to overcoming this plateau and maybe share it with us too (smiling). 

Blessings and strength!

[Bogdel]

@SunsetRunner, You lost 0.6 lbs this week, but look how much you lost since you joined this challenge (6.6 lbs)!!! 

Yes, I believe that if you log your food, you will be able to control your weight loss much better. I know that helped me a lot. Keep it up, friend! You are moving in the right direction.

[Bogdel]

@Elansc, Logging your food is a great idea, if you can do it. That way you can monitor your calorie in-take vs. burn-out, and know where you need to work (either add physical activity or reduce the size or quality of your meals). Also, keep in mind that the more green we eat, the more weight we loose. I eat lots of mixed salads every day. Greens and beans keep me from getting hungry, and provide the micro-nutrients that our bodies need. If you can, stay away from starchy and sugary foods.

Your weight is not too high, and you will reach your goal!

Keep it up!

[dianenyc]

You're always most welcome, @HelenKr.  I wouldn't sweat the keeping below 150 -- I find my body gets stubborn at times but I'm beginning to think it's just settling into a lower set point.  It stays there awhile, and then I begin to lose weight again.

Track your food -- I find that's the key if I want to have a lunch or two out and a glass of wine.  I'm reminding myself here too.  I didn't eat at all at work today.  Then came home and had two slices of pizza for dinner.  I couldn't face cooking and I really craved carbs.  I'm telling you (and everyone else) here because I need to keep track of how I'm eating right now.  I'm going over a rough patch and, with God's help -- and a little help from my friends here -- I'm hoping to get through without getting fat.

Glad to be back & thanks again for the cheerful hello.

DianeNYC

[dianenyc]

@Bogdel

Hey Ellie, Thanks for the kind words and for the prayers.  Very much needed.  Very much appreciated.  You and your mission trip are now in mine as well.

Blessing, strength and much love,

Diane

[Elansc]

@sharoncraft37  Have you tired putting your fitbit in your pocket at work (or attach to your bra strap).....  Learned this last summer when I didn't want to get tan lines and my fitbit was getting gross sweaty on the sunny days when I was working in the garden...

Ditto about the commments!   It is SO motivating to read about eveyone's journey, successes, and insights (especially the insights)

[Elansc]

---

@Bogdel wrote:

@Elansc, Logging your food is a great idea, if you can do it. That way you can monitor your calorie in-take vs. burn-out, and know where you need to work (either add physical activity or reduce the size or quality of your meals). Also, keep in mind that the more green we eat, the more weight we loose. I eat lots of mixed salads every day. Greens and beans keep me from getting hungry, and provide the micro-nutrients that our bodies need. If you can, stay away from starchy and sugary foods.

Your weight is not too high, and you will reach your goal!

Keep it up!

---

I totally agree -- I am obsessive about logging my food -- in total (since I started) I am down 80 pounds and this time the ONLY thing that I did differently -- I didn't diet, just ate well and logged my food....

Unfortunately the first 80 pounds were much easier to lose than the last 15  but I am committed to this no matter how long it takes!!

[Bogdel]

@dianenyc. You are most welcome, Diane! I am equally grateful for your prayers. Let's stay in touch. 

Ellie

[sharoncraft37]

@Elansc, thank you for the tip!  Unfortunately at work, it's so dusty it goes through my pockets and such.  I even have to keep my phone in the car.  But, that is an awesome tip for when I'm working out/walking and sweating really bad. 

[IamRBrown]

I wear my zip inside my bra between my boobs...  It is pretty accurate and much cleaner.
Sent from my Verizon 4G LTE Smartphone

[Cherylwith5]

Feeling frustrated.  Need to step up my walking and eat better.  I do weight watchers but have kinda fallen off the past 2 weeks.

USW- 229

CSW- 219

GW- 209

UGW- 135

PW- 219

CW- 221.6 (5/4/16)

[Jcamp]

USW- 243 (as of October 2015)
GW- 170
UGW- 160
PW- 190 (as of March 27)
SW- 183 (as of 4-28)

CW-179

9 pounds. 4 weeks. bring it on. 

[Bogdel]

Good job, @Jcamp!!!  Keep it up! 🙂