July 4th to Labor Day Challenge 2016

[dancefoxtrot]

Welcome one and all to our next challenge for better health and weight loss or maintenence.

We gather here to support each other, cheering and empathizing with the process of life style

change to improve our health and quality of life.

Set reasonable goals so you can feel success.

USW= heaviest weight when you began to lose

SW=starting weight

CW=current weight

GW=goal weight for Labor Day

UGW = Ultimate goal weight - long term healthy weight goal

Some people include their BMI = Body Mass Index, and some add their height as well. 

You can stop by once a week and post your progress or every day to get and give ideas and support. 

Most people track their food intake as well as steps to make sure you burn at least 500 to 750 more calories than you consume. Remember eat healthy food and portions in a way that you can maintain.

We can do this together. We have seen great progress over the last 7 challenges. 

Welcome.

Barbara G

[RubyH]

You have a lot to cpntend with @DJC_63, keep your chin up and remember to look after yourself first or you will not be able to care for your mum too, as a past carer for my mum, my husband and his parents during their critical times, I know from experience that it matters very much. Its not easy to do, downright difficult at times but is vital or you yourself could wind up ill. Focus on clean and healthy for yourself and your mum. My best wishes for you both.

[Bobbinyc]

@DJC_63  I'm so glad you checked in.  I was wondering where you are.  I am very sorry to hear what your mom is going through.  I know it is pretty scary and takes its toll on the whole family.  I want to second what RubyH said.  I also have been the family caregiver several times.  I did not take care of myself during those times.  That is when I stopped being active, ate whatever I could grab, handled all the stress by just doing more and more.  That was a terrible idea.  I paid the price after the stress was over.  We really can't stop caring for our own bodies no matter what.  It's just that simple.  Find the time to de-stress by walking or listening to comedy tapes, or doing some yoga or relaxation - whatever appeals to you.  Even if all you have is a few minutes at a time, even if all you can do is close your eyes and take some deep breaths.  They say that helps the immune system.  Maybe you can do that with your mom.  Eating as healthy as possible is great for both of you.  And I bet she would want you to take breaks and focus on things like working out, which is a great stress reliever.  Thinking of both of you.

[jdb501]

I am 39 years old and a special education teacher for middle school.  I want to drop that 20 pounds I've put on over the past three years.  Right now, I am 5'4" and 181.5 pounds.  My goal by Labor Day is 175 lbs with a long term goal of 160 by Christmas.  I LOVE my fitBit and find that it motivates me to move around more.  Now, I just need to keep tracking the food I eat. That is a challenge.  I don't like to see what I have eaten some days and ignoring it makes it go away (LOL).  

[dave4438]

July 4th to Labor Day Challenge 2016

dave4438

USW = 265 lbs

SW = 257 lbs

CW = 257 lbs

GW = 227 lbs

UGW = 198 - 207 lbs

[MandaPanda2853]

I have cut way back on my carbs and increased protein.  I am a carb queen


Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

[SunsetRunner]

It's very very humid around here so it's only natural that I retain water weight. But it's still a minus. 

UGW- 150

GW- 254

CW-262.2

-2 lbs

[OCDOC]

@SunsetRunner Progress is progress! 🙂

@MandaPanda2853 Carb queen eh? 😉 I was King Keto for most of yesterday..Ned Stark-style king. Then the in-laws came over for BBQ..beers, steak, salad...all good til they brought out the powdered donuts (I think it was my nephew Joffrey who brought them)...Keto King was 'uncrowned' ...

Sorry for the extended Game of Thrones thing...love that show 🙂  Go Dany!!

[almost_where]

@DJC 63 my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

[dancefoxtrot]

@Bobbinyc

"Next week will roll around and I may not have lost weight, but I can choose if I am healthier and stronger, or not.

I think I will try measuring myself and see if that changes.  Maybe I've become solid muscle  (um..just checked the mirror...not likely)."

 LOL Bobbi My mirror shows a pudding belly not a six pack. Oh mirror, mirror on the wall.....

Nice to be able to feed yourself or myself healthy food. The muscles are in my legs but the ab muscles are covered with about 13 lbs of fat. Managed to add 1.3 lbs since July 4th and I promise I'm eating zero junk food.  Maybe tomorrow the scale will move down a bit or maybe it won't. No accounting for weight plateaus.

Best to all. Keep your spirits up.

All the best,

Barbara 

[dancefoxtrot]

Hi all,

On Sunday morning a car exited the freeway and shot in front of my car which collided with it's back door. My old car is totalled and I'm bruised and super sore but no broken bones. My airbag deployed and I walked a 1/4 mile to the hospital to have my swollen arm x-rayed. Felt so blessed to walk away yet stunned and shakey inside. 

I feel on the mend but you can imagine I haven't been teaching exercise or dancing this week. I will be teaching gently on Fri. and wait until Monday to resume my own ballroom lessons. 

Jeepers that is so frightening to be in an accident when the brakes can't stop the car fast enough.

Yesterday I emptied my car and said good bye to it. It was a true friend and had 330,500 miles on it.

Today I found a new used car, a white Prius, who I named Paloma. It is a 2011 white car and I named her Paloma or dove. 

Puts things in perspective rapidly so I'm not focusing on why my scale is not moving down at the moment.

Guess I have an excuse for a few days. 

Please drive carefully and stay safe challengers.

Well off to sleep,

Barbara 

[dancefoxtrot]

@MandaPanda2853

You are now a Protein princess.

Barb G

[rachel_g22]

One week check in for me!

Start: 152
Today: 152
Goal: 144

So not much of a change for me this week, but could be for a million reasons, and I'm not looking into it. I started my 10k training yesterday and I'm scheduled to run pretty much every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday for the next three months. I suspect that'll get things moving, on top of the typical amount of yoga I usually do a week.

@dancefoxtrot - I'm so sorry to hear about your accident, but happy to hear you walked away largely unscathed. Sending you my best wishes.

[khreed]

@dancefoxtrot I can so identiry with how you are feeling. I'm in a similar boat. I'm leaving shortly to take advantage of something my gym is offering today. I'll get my cholesterol, etc. measured and see if I can at least feel better about something. At least we KNOW we are getting healthier. I have to believe that the weight will follow.

[Bobbinyc]

@dancefoxtrot  Barbara, I am so glad you are basically ok.  I thank the powers that be in this universe that you walked away - literally.  It is so frightening, and that stays with you awhile, so please do things to bring calm to your spirits and be extra nurturing of your body while it recovers.  Since my cancer surgery, I am constantly reminded about what really matters.  And it is certainly not a number on a scale.  (It's nothing I didn't know before, but for some sad reason it took a scare to bring it front and center of my life). All the work you have done to be as healthy as possible has paid off!  This incident is the perfect example of what we have been saying.  We get so distracted by our vanity and we give the scale so much power, when those things don't really mean anything in terms of what our lives are about.  

"My airbag deployed and I walked a 1/4 mile to the hospital to have my swollen arm x-rayed".  

I knew you had super powers.

May Paloma contain you safely through many long and wondrous journeys.

[Bobbinyc]

@SunsetRunner 2 pounds is fantastic!  

[RubyH]

@dancefoxtrot, I ditto bobby, and may Paloma bring you safely through every road, lane and byway. I take it that you like the song "Una Paloma Blanca"' too. Best wishes hon and so glad you weren't more seriously injured.

[dancefoxtrot]

@khreed

Here's hoping your cholesterol reading improved from the last test. We are getting healthier and exercising since that's how the body works. Weight loss is supposed to be more acheivable if we weigh each AM after the toilet stop. We then are holding less water which is why after weighing we need to drink 10-12 ozs of water.

And hey I just managed to reach 146.9 which is exactly .01lbs less than were I started. Of course, searching for a car and negotiating to buy my lovely new to me 2011 Prius, I ate nothing all day until a veggie burger with advocado guacamole at night and some nuts. Finally back to the starting point. Feels like a win.

Best wishes to those struggling with health issues, care taking and other challenges. You are not alone.

Barbara G

[dancefoxtrot]

Thanks Rachael, Ruby and Bobbi for your support and good wishes. Yes I feel so lucky to be healing from a shocking experience. 

May we all be safe and get even healthier.

Barbara G

[mommo77]

Barbara how frightening!  So glad you are okay.  You are probably feeling the real soreness about now, so please take it easy, be kind to you.  Sending good vibes for speedy recovery.  Also, love the name Paloma (makes me think of the Seinfeld episode with Elaine and her doctor debacle, but come to think of it, pretty much everything reminds me of a Seinfeld episode!)

CW 177.4  -02

GW  150

mommo

[caseface]

I just discovered this challenge, hoping I can still join? I need to lose 15-20 pounds and recently I have not been able to get a handle on it. this looks like a great way to get support and learn new ways to push through the cravings.

SW 187

GW 172

UGW 165

---

@Cherylwith5 wrote:
Lost some, but didn't reach my goal last challenge. Trying to hit it this time. Heading to PA for vacation all next week. It's crazy walking there with all those hills/mountains compared to here in flat Texas. Better cardio for sure! USW= 231 SW=217.0 (7/5/16) CW= (7/12/16) GW=210 UGW = 135 Height = 5' 1".

---