July 4, 2017 challenge

[Bobbinyc]

Welcome to the next Challenge!

This one will start today, May 30 and go to July 4th.  That gives us 5 weeks to work toward our next set of goals as we try to lose weight or maintain in a healthy way.  

Everyone is welcome to join this terrific group. You can post once weekly or every day - whatever you like - to share your journey, give and get support, offer advice, get some tips.  We have celebrated each other's successes, and empathized with the setbacks.  I personally found, the more I respond to others, the easier it is for me to focus on my own journey in a positive way.  We have seen great progress in previous challenges, in weight loss, health, learning, and non-scale success, because we are in it together and focusing on being healthier and living better lives.

Some of the terms used to report our weight:

USW - ultimate starting weight - the heaviest weight when you began to lose

SW - starting weight for this challenge

CW - current weight for the day you report in

GW - goal weight for this challenge, for Halloween

UGW - ultimate goal weight that you intend to reach eventually

Some people also include their height, their age, their BMI.  

All  you need to do to join, is start posting, usually with some of the weight information.

I do find this to be an amazing group of smart, wise, kind, and determined people.  I look forward to this next challenge, and sharing this journey and all we learn with each of you.

Bobbi

[_Lilac_]

@BigRigGuy  Good to have you with us! So many of us can relate to your issue of losing weight and not being able to keep it off. We get so set in our ways that it's hard to change long-term, but we really need to. And getting older sucks! I started out slow and steady and made changes and small goals that I could achieve and sustain. 

Keep in touch. I find this group invaluable in support as it offers a sense of accountability. Good luck and I hope you stay active and get healthier!

[_Lilac_]

The pool is going to be closed for 11 days for annual maintenance starting Wednesday. I guess we'll be walking a lot in the parks. I find the water aerobics classes can be boring at times, depending who is leading them. A walk with Mom is just 'blab blab blab' so the time goes fast. Plus, we see nature. I've also promised myself I'll get on my bike. I just have to do it.

The other day I was starving and today I'm just *blah* when I think of food. I really want to know what can cause these extremes. I want to bottle it and sell it. I'd be $$$$ rich. 

I'm still struggling with water retention. It was hot and humid here today so maybe that's adding to the problem? I've had at least 2L of water, 40 oz of decaff coffee. Water aerobics for 50 min, a 35 min walk in the afternoon with the dogs.  It's annoying to have to search for reduced sodium products like margarine and cheese but that's what I get. I can't take a diuretic or my potassium crashes hard. And then I crash. This fluid has added 4-5 lbs to the scale the last few days though, giving me swollen ankles, and it's getting me angry. 

Ok, it's time for bed. Keep up the good work, everyone! Eat well, drink your water, laugh, move the butt. 

[DJC_63]

Once again the weight is going in the wrong direction. Not by much, but still it would be nice to see a loss. The past few days (like 3) I've been making a focused effort to stay under my calorie intake limit and really limit snacking on unhealthy things. Hopefully that will help.

July 4th challenge:

USW - 207.5

SW - 196.3

PW - 195.7

CW - 196.1

[IdahoSandy]

4TH OF JULY CHALLENGE
USW 208 lbs (5/22/16)
SW 166.9 (5/30)
PW 167 (6/6)
CW 166.1 (6/13)
GW 161.9 (7/4)

Plan: mfp food tracker and exercise 5 days per week

[ThatGreen]

CSW: 92.3 kg

06/06 - 90.7 kg

13/06 - 91.9 kg
GW: To be consistently in the 80's, leave the 90's in June 2017 and never come back.

Rollercoaster week. Some recent medicine and hormones are definitely doing something to my body. It's a bit hard to know which is doing what but I think I'm catching up and the medicine is not going to be in my life much longer. Waiting to speak to my doc this week to come up with a better plan.

Very small deficit this last week but a deficit none the less.

Already on the right track again and off to the gym now to keep up progress.

[GettingfitinSC]

USW= 235; BMI= 46 (Christmas 2016)

CSW= 212.1; BMI= 41 (May 30, 2017)

PW= 209.9

CW= 211.2

GW= 207

UGW= 125

Total lost this week = +1.3 lbs

Total lost since May 30 = -0.9 lbs

Total lost since Christmas 2016 = -23.8 lbs

38/F/5'0"

I knew not to get excited over last week's loss. I just can't get past 209. I got my steps in all week until Sunday. I did well on staying within my calorie goal. Oh well, I'll keep on trying...

[awood08]

@dancefoxtrot best of luck with taxes! I despise tax preparations! I wouldn't be too hard on yourself about the party, you can get back down to 144 with some activity and jumping back into your old habits. 

This is my last week of this first half of summer term, I took 4 fast track classes total (12 weeks condensed into 6 weeks). I'm maintaining a 4.0 GPA, and between the kids, work, committee meetings, and school I have no idea how I haven't managed to pull my hair out. I have been improving drastically on my eating habits so that's a huge plus. I haven't stepped on the scale yet for my weekly weigh in but I do hope I'm not disappointed. 

Keep working hard everyone! 

[Bobbinyc]

@awood08  No matter what that scale says, you should be very proud of yourself.  With all you do, to get a 4.0 in condensed classes...very impressive.  You are eating better, taking care of your family, moving forward with your life... you deserve to celebrate that.

[annypi]

Hello Everyone!

So I get that I am completely late to the challenge but I wanted to at least get my momentum going since I still have three weeks left in the challenge and three weeks is 21 days and I have heard many say that it takes 21 days to form a habit and I WOULD LOVE to make it a HABIT of being healthy, committed, and staying on track, especially since motivation has been seriously lacking lately. 

In any case, I had a weekend of bad food choices which led to a 3 pound gain and I want to clean it up and get FOCUSED and STOP letting my environment control me. 

So as requested here are some weight stats: 

USW (my heaviest with a fitbit)= 201

SW & CW= 193

GW (4th of July) = 187

GW (Halloween) = 160

UGW (CHRISTMAS) = 150

5'10" -F-31

I am hoping that lots of dialogue will help me engaged and focused on the challenge! Can't wait to look more like a stripe than a star 😉 LOL

[_Lilac_]

@annypi  Welcome to the group. It doesn't really matter when you start...just that you do! 

Motivation comes and goes. I find communicating here helps keep me on track. I hope you do too.

[Bobbinyc]

@annypi Welcome.  It is never too late to become healthier and take charge of your life.  I agree with you, it is about creating strong habits, which is not easy to do.  But the stronger they are, the less you depend on motivation.  I think you'll find this is an amazing group.  Enjoy the journey.

[ThatGreen]

Story time! (kind of)

I think I mentioned on this thread once (maybe the old one) that I do a litle bit of hiking every now and then and my area is generally a good place to find a path up a small mountain.

Some of these mountains are on a list that changes slightly each season. Paths are marked and you can register your hike when you're at the peak. If you do a certain number you can pay a small fee and get a diploma or something proving you did it that season, I'm not sure. But it's a thing.

This year there are 18 peaks listed and adults have to do 10 to get something. They have also previously listed everyone who completed the set number in the local paper I think.

You guys, I hit 10 peaks this weekend! I have one additional peak that wasn't on the list, but no one cares about those.

My goal was 10 and I did it. I still have around three months left of the season (if not more) and I'm officially setting my new goal to do all 18. Yes, I still have four hard peaks to reach and yes, I might be insane.

If my body is okay and the weather allows it, I'm hitting #11 tomorrow. I even have an idea which one I'll do and I'd classify it as medium based on height alone. If I find it's easier than expected I might hit up the one I think is super easy on the way back home.

Feeling right now:

[_Lilac_]

@ThatGreen  Flippin' Fantastic!!!  I love hearing about peoples' achievements and goals and especially that they smashed them. It is inspiring. Thanks for sharing your non-scale victory with us. I really hope you get your #11 tomorrow. I need to make a list for myself. hmmmm.

[Bobbinyc]

@ThatGreen  What a great idea.  I hope you enjoy your hike tomorrow, and reach #18 too.  I love things like that.  What part of the world are you in?  How long are these hikes?  You must be in great shape, and getting even stronger.  I love it.

[OrionNebula]

@ThatGreen That's awesome! I love hiking in the mountains, even if I have to take lots of breaks. They are so beautiful! When I used to live in Pennsylvania, I would regularly hike up a few small mountains. There are some wonderful places in the central and northern part of the state that are just magical in the summer, and there aren't too many crowds except along places like the Appalachian trail. I've got many beautiful (and seriously huge) mountains here in Oregon along with seemingly endless waterfalls, but the crowds are terrible.

That's really cool that you hit ten peaks! Congratulations! Keep going for more! One of my own goals along my fitness and weight loss journey is to hike to the summit of 10,000+ ft mountain nearby. It's supposed to be a 5,000 ft elevation gain over 6 miles from the trailhead. Yikes!

I smashed my step goal today and am over 16,000 steps, mostly due to a long walk in my dog's favorite park (it's forested and off-leash with lots of trails). Over the weekend, I came home from a hike with just over 19,000 steps, so at around 11:30 at night, I decided to pace around the apartment until I hit 20,000. I did something weird to my ankle while I was out in the woods, though. I crouched down to take a picture of a slug and my left ankle suddenly was in a lot of pain. It was very sore yesterday so I took it easy, but it's feeling great today. I'm thinking of hitting the trails again tomorrow. I have a lot of free time this week since it's final exam week and I have no finals, so I'm really trying to make each day count before I start my summer job on Monday. I'm also doing great on weight loss - it's amazing how a woman's cycle can have such an impact on weight. For the first week of the challenge, the scale barely budged and now it's like it's melting off. Down to 313 this morning.

[Bobbinyc]

I'm checking in with weight for the first time in a long time.

For the past 1 1/2 years my weight has been the same.  I was sedentary, I was active.  I was weak, I lifted weights.  I ate sweets, I ate very healthy.  I tried several scales.  Nothing made a difference.  I couldn't keep my weight that steady if I tried.  It  only went up 2 pounds if I ate in restaurants, but then it came right back down to the same old weight.  I did lose 2 pounds after the January March Against Hate, but they came back again, to the same old number.  It's been scary, freaky.  

After my foot surgery, (after which I gained 30 pounds) this past year I have been walking more and more and I have focused on health, and pretty much ignored the scale.  I still weighed myself regularly, but stopped thinking about it.  After always posting the same number here, week after week, challenge after challenge, I just stopped.  But I knew I was doing everything I could to be as healthy as possible.

Meanwhile, I have had another issue.  I had a reaction to the antibiotic I was given and have had a lot of weird symptoms and have been struggling with digestive pain all this time. Actually, the only thing that helped was eating - not a good situation.   Last month I changed my diet again, gave up dairy which I have eaten my whole life, and finally feel much better.

And today the scale moved.  

Jan. 2016 to June 2017 -  186

today - 183.5

It may go up again, who knows.  But I'm happy and hopeful.  Maybe I'll get my body back after all.

Thanks to all here who have been supportive and commiserated with me over this.

[WalkingLisa]

This weeks results:

USW -  386

SW - 317.5

5/30/2017   SW -    317.5

6/6/2017     CW -    316.8  | -0.7 lbs  🙂

6/13/2017   CW -    313.3  | -3.5 lbs  🙂

6/20/2017   CW - 

6/27/2017   CW -   

7/04/2017   GW-    299.9

UGW-  165

It was a good week.  I think the loss is  reflective of my effort exercising, wasn't terrible with food, but definitely not the best.

[WalkingLisa]

@BigRigGuy - Congrats on joining the challenge.  I have a similar goal for this challenge (299.9).  You can do this and I am cheering you on!

Lisa (@walkinglisa)

[WalkingLisa]

@DJC_63 - hang in there, hopefully its just a timing thing and the loss will show up next week.  Keep making your focused effort.  You can do it!

Lisa 

[WalkingLisa]

@IdahoSandy - Congrats on the loss!!  Keep working it!