Halloween to Thanksgiving Challenge 2015

[awood08]

Hello everyone! Welcome to the Halloween to Thanksgiving Challenge!!!

This challenge will begin on Halloween October 31st and finish on Thanksgiving November 26th. This is a little less than 4 weeks so try and be realistic with your weight loss goals so you don't feel discouraged if you don't hit your mark.  

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.

HAVE FUN!! Most importantly enjoy yourself and your journey! 🙂

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

[shaniqua]

shaniqua is my nick name. my real name is liz. I would love to join your challenge. how do I do it?

[saraj91]

Hi Liz, 

You post your current weight (CW) & your Thanksgiving goal weight (GW) & any other info you want, then check back in with the group to update as often as you like & for suppourt & encouragement! 

Also @awood08 posted some other useful info in her 1st comment on this thread as to what other abbreviations mean that you might find handy! All the best & enjoy the challenge! 

[Lanay]

Welcome aboard!
We can help each other.
Have a great day😃

[shaniqua]

I want to join the challenge how do I

[Movingnow]

Hi, LMeguiere, What you eat is 50% of loosing weight. The exercise keeps
you moving and burning the calories and helps you
trim up, but what you put in your mouth matters just as much. You probably
noticed your clothes getting looser before you see
the scale moving.

[dianenyc]

Doing my weekly check in:

USW - 184

CSW - 177.2

GW - 174

UGW - 164 (subject to downward revision)

I've gotten my weekly step average moving towards 14,000 and have raised my daily step goal to 13,000 -- obviously I do a bit more on the weekends.  My legs look so much better!

I think I'm eating too many carbs because my weight loss doesn't sync with my daily calorie differential. Any suggestions welcome.

[awood08]

@Bobbinyc

Haha yes definitely stands for athlete! Lol
How's your workouts been going? Anything you prefer working on more than others?

[awood08]

Hey everyone 🙂 I am beyond excited, I just did my first pre run for my 5k to see where I am at time wise......I finished the 3 miles in 40:10!!! I thought I would be pushing closer to an hour but I pulled through. 4 months ago it took me 25 minutes just to walk 1 mile. I'm down 1 pound so it's beena very good week. I'm so happy for all of you who are keeping up with your healthier and happier lifestyles. Keep up the good work!

USW: 235
PSW: 190
CW: 189
UGW: 175

[ldavis1029]

Hi everyone😃. I didn't lose this week but I've been retaining water now my body is letting go. I was up 4 lbs now only up 1.6
Wt 215.6

[PatLang]

Checking In

USW: 152 (September 16, 2015)

PSW: 143 (October 31, 2015)

CSW: 141 (November 8,2015) 

GW: 138 (November 26, 2015)

UGW: 125 (March 1, 2016)

Down 2 lbs.  Not sure how that happened as I have not been loosing that much per week but I'll take it!!

[SunsetRunner]

Checking in ...

USW: 191.7 (September 15, 2015)

PW: 174.8 (October 31, 2015)

CW: 174.2 (November 8, 2015)

GW: 165 (November 26, 2015)

UGW: 115 (May 26, 2016)

All in all, it was a rough week. Despite consistently being under by at least 1,000 calories, journaling *everything* I ate as I ate it, averaging 12,000 steps/day, using the eliptical or treadmill at the gym for an 1hr/day, and avoiding all added sugar (with the exception of 1tbsp day for my coffee), I saw no loss on the scale. In fact, at one point this week I was two lbs down, but my weight went back up with no reasonable explanation. As I end the week, I'm in about the same place I started. It's dismally frustrating!

I just don't get it. Some weeks the weight just melts off (i.e. the last week of October) and other weeks it sticks to me like a giant Twinkie (i.e. the first week of November). While I am frustrated, I'm still willing to keep working. I just wish I knew what I was doing wrong.

Any thoughts?

[dianenyc]

Hey Ganymede --

You are so expressing my own thoughts and feelings when I got on the scale yesterday.  I'm walking, burning calories and the result -- next to nothing lost.

What I've decided to do is first, stay the course regarding my exercise regime; second, take a good hard look at exactly what I was eating last week and third, take a good look at what exactly I was eating during the weeks that I lost weight.  Then I'm going to reproduce the foods I ate during my weight loss week and see what results I get by next Saturday.

If it works, I have an answer.  If not, I'll try something else.  For me, the main thing is not to quit.

I went to a surprise party last night -- had a blast -- ate coconut cake and drank a glass of wine.  When I counted up the calories, I nearly passed out.  But I think part of what I'm learning to do is work these events into my plan.  Life would be grim with no celebrations and I did well last night -- avoiding crackers and pepperoni and dip.  Still, party food is highly caloric -- but calories can be burned, I just need to avoid the impulse not to track them.

I'll remind myself again -- "It's not what you did, it's what you do next."

[Jeff686]

Hi All,

Weekend update:

Lost for this challenge: 6 lbs

USW-      292      10/9/15

CSW-      279.4    10/30/15

GW-        267.5    11/26/15

UGW-      <200

CW-        273.4

[Basilia]

@dianenyc  I do agree with the fact that eating too many carbs impacts some more than others....personally if I cut out the breads, pastas, rice and cereals for a few days I lose. It is however hard to sustain over a long period of time ...so I do it for a few days and then have days wiith a slice of bread or a serving of rice. I eat lots of veggies and lean protein. Still maintain  1200 calories, actually its easier because the simple carbs are the ones loaded with calories...

[Basilia]

@awood08 - BRAVO!! 

[Basilia]

@PatLang - down 2 lbs that is great!

[Basilia]

@Jeff686 WOW! 6lbs is amazing. 

[shaniqua]

I want to join the challenge how do I join it

[liz6969]

I want to join the challenge how do I do it