Labor Day challenge 2017

[DJC_63]

This is an ongoing challenge where we post weekly about our weight and share helpful tips, give support and talk about our ups and downs.  The following abbreviations are helpful to use:

SW - starting weight

CW - current weight 

PW - previous week's weight

GW - goal weight

USW - highest weight

All that you need to do to join is write a post with your starting weight and your goal.

[IdahoSandy]

LABOR DAY CHALLENGE
USW 207.9 (May 22, 2016)
SW 168.8 (7/13)
PW 166.8 (7/17)
CW 166.3 (7/21)
GW 159.9
UGW just trying to get to a 24.9 BMI
Plan: mfp food tracker and exercise 5 days per week

[_Lilac_]

Mom and I went walking along the river this morning. They are setting up for a multicultural celebration along the trail for the weekend so we dodged the delivery and food trucks. 6000 steps so far. 

We have a severe thunderstorm warning right now and I can hear the hail. We don't get tornadoes but have had 'freak storms' in the past, however they are calling for isolated tornadoes...which I've never ever heard of happening here. For anyone who denies climate change...I'll put them outside in the hail and have them wait for a twister. It's been that kind of hot for the last week. I used to live in Ohio and we had tornado warnings a lot. One was very close one time and there were storm chasers all over the place. 

I'll wait til evening to take the boys out for their walk. There is no water aerobics class tonight so I'll have to make up my steps somehow. My knee is quite sore so I might just rest. 

I've lost 2lb this week. Officially 70 lbs gone since starting the challenges last year on Labor Day. My goal is to lose another 10lb for this challenge. *crosses fingers*

My neurologist is going to be so happy to see my progress. I am supposed to go for high definition MRI in another city and visit a specialist, who'd told him I need to lose as much as possible so the MRI is possible and more accurate. I still think of myself as that 355 pound person sometimes. 

Ok, it looks like the storms might be over since the sun is coming out. I'll look at the radar map then take the dogs out. Have a great night and weekend everyone! 

[dancefoxtrot]

@_Lilac_

That is a great plan to put the climate change deniers out in the hail and tornadoes.  I laughed.  We are having hotter than normal weather here in Northern California. There is evidence world wide from the poles to the equator.  Hope that you have a basement to go to if a tornado come looking for you.  The extra weight won't help as a twister will scoop you right up. 

Take care of your knee. Try ice and elevate when it acts up.  I have torn cartilege in my knee so I have to listen when it talks or it starts yelling really loudly at me. 

Congrats on 70 lbs gone gone gone. 

Hope that the doctor is please with your success in getting in much better shape. You have done far more than losing weight.

Best,

Barbara 

[_Lilac_]

@dancefoxtrot  I have definitely done more than lose weight. I was telling Mom yesterday that walking to the pharmacy was unthinkable at my heaviest and even last year at this time. It seemed like miles and miles. I would have been in tremendous pain if I'd walked there and back. And now it's a quick and easy walk. To go there and back I probably get 3000-3500 steps. I do 5000+ every morning with Mom.

My fitness has improved so much. My outlook on exercise has changed. I don't groan and try to avoid moving. I HAVE TO move. 

[Bobbinyc]

@_Lilac_  Congrats on 70 lbs!! That is great.  But I agree with @dancefoxtrot.  You have done so much more.  Look at all you have done for your health.  You easily do what you couldn't dream of before.  You are so impressive!  

PBS just had a show on the reasoning behind some climate change deniers - it isn't that they don't believe in it.  The big oil companies benefit from it and don't want it stopped.  They will find it much easier to access the poles as the ice melts and then they can go in easily to drill for more oil.  

I just want to know what the plan is as our food continues to diminish and more areas of earth become uninhabitable, and wars break out over limited resources etc.  

Sorry, back to you.  I'm really so happy for you.  You are doing so much to be healthy.  No matter what the scale says on Labor Day, you have done the most important part.

[_Lilac_]

I finally did it! I got on my bike. I took a ride up the street to the corner, down the other side to the other corner, back up and repeat. Short ride but I needed to do a little to see if I'll be able to manage a longer ride. The knee injury I had two months ago was pulled tendons or something in the back of my right knee. The pain happens when my knee closes, so on the bike as soon as that pedal went up and my knee closed, I had pain. It did get better though and maybe I just need to strengthen those muscles by short rides in order to be able to do longer. My bike seat isn't tight so it twists back and forth, which was unsettling. I'll try to get it tighter and do little rides off and on. My neighbour reprimanded me for not wearing a helmet, so I'll have to put that on next time. Haha. It is law here so I'd better. I was worried my tires would flatten disgustingly under my weight but they didn't. It's a cruiser bike with the big tires. 

Phew. Okay. My fears of my bike have been conquered. 8600 steps today. Time to ice and rest this knee.

[dancefoxtrot]

@Bobbinyc

What a sad and crazily short sighted bunched of humans you wrote about.  Me, I'm trying to motivate myself to accomplish something today. I wrote up notes for work and made a couple phone calls so that is something. Oops just remembered another work task to do.

 Thinking of putting up shade cloth over my sunny skylights to reduce heat up here on the second floor. I think that I have some but need to dig in the hot shed to find it. So I'm procrastinating that task.

Also, I can try again to repair my darned kitchen faucet with would be lovely to have working.  I just seem to be on strike other than loading the dishwasher and sweeping up some dusk.  I think that I need to write and sort my conflicting energies out. 

On the positive side I danced a lot last night which lifts my mood. 

Okay, putting on clothes and looking for the shade cloth now since it is heating up in here in spite of AC, darn it. 80 F is tooooo hot for me inside my studio. 

Hope that you are having a good day.

Barbara G

[almost_where]

Start - 07/09 - 251

   Sun 2 - 244 - 07/16 

   Sun 3 - 244 -07/23 

   Sun 4 - 07/30 (243 Target)

   Sun 5 - 08/06 (242 Target)

   Sun 6 - 08/13 (241 Target)

   Sun 7 - 08/20 (241 Target)

   Sun 8 - 08/27 (240 Target)

   Sun 9 - 09/03 (239 Target)

 Labor Day Goal - 239

- 0 lbs

Ok, I screwed up last week and put in 243 instead of 244. Sixty weekly weigh-ins and I was due for a brain fart. Even tho on paper there was no change in weight I feel my body was catching up from the past rapid fluctuations in weight and stabilizing somewhat. Was able to stay off sweets for the week and plan on staying away. Trying to get out of the 240s is testing me in every way imaginable but even if it takes going into 2018 I'm going to leave them.  Have a good week everyone.

[alleganygirl]

What's everyone's "guess" on how many extra "steps" fit bit gives you each day for doing every day things like washing dishes, brushing your teeth, vacuuming, brushing your hair that type of thing

my "guess" is 500 extra steps that's why I always try to get in over 11,000 a day

(11 is my daily goal)

[_Lilac_]

@alleganygirl I wear my blaze out of the wristband but in my sock so I don't get the hand movement 'steps'. I know some people have issues with crocheting, knitting, dishes, and other small movements. I have to watch out not to rock in my recliner or tap my foot. I think you can set the sensitivity to small movements somewhere in the settings.

[ibwalkin]

CW: 222.4

GW :145

Challenge GW 215

I had another good week I am down 9.4 pounds total.  I had a little bit of a slip up this weekend while I was out of town with my mom and girls for the American Girl Benefit Sale in Madison, Wisconsin.   I thought I made good food choices, but I think I gained 1 lb so there must have been some hidden carbs.  We are traveling again to a CUBS game, so I need to be more disciplined in my food choices, and exercise this week to keep on track.   Despite a little blip I am happy with my weight loss so far and on track to meet my GOAL for this challenge.  

[Cele21]

USW- 215.0 (2/4/14)

1stSW- 211.4 (2/14/17) First Challenge Starting Weight

2ndSW - 210.8 (4/18/17) Second Challenge Starting Weight

LCSW - 212.0 (5/31/17) Last Challenge Starting Weight

CSW - 209.8 (7/04/17)

LW- 211.2

CW- 208.8

GW- 202.0 (September 4th)

UGW- 150

Back on track - now to kick it up a notch.

[Bobbinyc]

@dancefoxtrot 

You do so so much.  And you are so impressive.  You often describe projects around your home that it would take 2 big strong men to do, and yet there you are sawing, carrying, repairing on ladders... in addition to working, dancing, teaching....yikes!  

You just had a big loss.  Expecting it doesn't make it less of a loss.  We are never really prepared for that.  Maybe some time of just comforting, being gentle with your body and soul with soothing and nourishing - maybe a bit of time with that would make sense now.  For me it is long quiet walks in pretty natural places, writing, photography, reading poetry, listening to music.  I think it is mostly about just letting yourself be and having no expectations.  I know it goes against the grain.  But I think losing someone goes against the grain.  

I'm thinking of you and sending warm hugs,

your east coast sister

[alleganygirl]

@_Lilac_ I don't wear socks in the summer 😊

Good idea -- may have to think of a way to do something like that

[TT_is_me]

USW - 315 lbs

7-5- 212.8 lbs  - SW

7-11 - 210.8 lbs

7-18 - 213 lbs

7-25 - 208.6 | -4.4 lbs

GW - 203 (about a lb a week)

I knew last week's weigh in was skewed by a lot of sodium over the weekend but I'm really hoping this is an accurate weigh in. I saw 209.5 a few times this past week so I think it might be. I always peek at the scale between weigh ins. The anticipation kills me. lol

I feel like life, though still extremely busy, is settling down. Therapy has been going really well for me and my husband. I feel like we are both learning to handle and deal with our emotions better, which in turn means I have been doing less emotional eating. 

I've been really inspired and moved by a lot of everyone's posts. Life can be hard and people are still powering through. Life can bring great joys and it's fun to celebrate with you all. I know I don't post or reply a ton but I enjoy you all 🙂

[RenoTracy]

Thank you for starting this challenge.  I need some motivation!

SW - 196 (Nov 2016

CW - 179

PW - 180

GW - 155

[_Lilac_]

I've been walking every day this week. I got the message from fitbit saying "whoa you've exceeded your weekly goal of 5 of 7 days." I think I had only 2 days of the 7 that I didn't hit 10,000 steps but those were over 8000 for sure.

I got a call from the arthritis specialist giving me an appointment tomorrow morning. I know exactly how that will go...

Him: "So what's going on with your knee?"

Me: "I hurt it by walking on mall floors all winter but it's better now because I did what I read online to fix it. My family doctor said I might have arthritis because of my age so she sent me for an x-ray. My hips are worse than my knee. The arthritis isn't really hurting though."

Him: "The x-ray does show moderate to significant arthritis."

Me: "Yes, I'm sure. I've been obese all my life."

Him: "You are too young for knee replacement because we'll need to do it again in 20 yrs. You simply need to lose weight."

Me: "Do you even read the medical charts??"

Ok, so I might be stressing a bit about this...but this is how I imagine it going. I've lost 70 lbs since September of last year and I do a lot of walking and exercising. Telling me to lose weight is like mailing dirt to the desert. Ridiculous. It's just going to take time...

Another option is injecting something in my knee...but like I said, the joint isn't hurting. It's the ligaments or tendons where the muscle attaches to the back of the knee. They get stretched and inflamed. Why fiddle with something that isn't an issue currently? Ya know? Anyway...I don't have a reverence for doctors the way some people do. My grandmother would have fainted before questioning a doctor or arguing with one about treatment. Pfft...if I have questions I get answers. And if I think something is wrong, I tell them. 

I was a doula for years...a woman who helps other women through pregnancy and childbirth and any issues afterward. I did volunteer work for very poor young women who needed support in inner-city communities in Ohio. This one girl had to have a physical exam and was terrified. The doc tried a few times and was angry then growled, "Well, somebody had to have been up there at some point," and SHOVED her hand up the girl, while she screamed. I put in a complaint about the assault. No respect at all. I don't put up with crap like that.

I'm sitting on my deck overlooking my pitiful garden, wondering why my chard, spinach, and kale aren't growing at all. My potatoes look great, my rhubarb decided that life is better than shrivelling up, and my snap peas are climbing and climbing. I have some squash that haven't decided yet to produce anything but leaves. Our growing season is so short. 

Anyway, this post turned out to be LOOONNGG. Sorry about that. I'll switch over to do some writing on a sci-fi piece I'm working on and enjoy the beautiful evening. 7300 steps so far. I'll take another walk later.

*wave*

[annypi]

@_Lilac_ I def bonded with your last post. I went to the doctor last week on Tuesday where I explained to him that I am having a lot of back pain and I need help with that BECAUSE I want to work out more and lose weight. I am about 40 pounds over weight and I can imagine that this doesn't help my scoliosis and sciatica. He agreed that losing weight might help but only proceeded to prescribe me pain meds. 

I further explained that I am having a hard time losing which is why exercise is so important, his recommendation was to cut carbs and see how easily I lose the weight. I almost threw my shoe at him. 

I think out of everything that is involved with fitness the most frustrating is talking to doctors. They never seem helpful to me at least. If cutting carbs were the key than I would have been skinny all through college and law school.. but here I am at 31 complaining about back pain and the fact that despite my diet of rabbit food and protein  for the last 9 years that I am STILL 40 pounds over weight. 

So I am going to a different doctor and letting this doctor stick to reading x-rays and MRI I am hoping an endocrinologist can tell me what is going on. Nonetheless, I had tuna on mixed greens for dinner and it continues, so keep your head up and keep doing what you are doing and hopefully soon your knee will realize that the load has gotten lighter and the pain will decrease. 

Good Luck

[_Lilac_]

@annypi  I started out last year at 355 lbs. When someone really big needs to lose weight, the first thing they say is 'exercise' or 'walk' but for a really big person that is very very difficult. We get injured so easily. And we can eat like you do...protein and rabbit food with minimal carbs and it eventually stops making you lose weight because your body adjusts. It's sooo frustrating. For anyone really large (like me) and for someone who isn't (like you) but who is experiencing pain when they exercise, the first thing I would recommend is a POOL. If you have a ymca or public pool around, please look into joining that. They often have water aerobics classes or seniors classes where they don't have impact on the joints and will be much easier on your back. People will often say, "I can't afford to join something." The Ymca has programs to help with that. I've done a subsidized membership with them over the years. 

If you have access to a pool but there are no classes, just look up (online) some movements you can do in the water and do them. Crunches for your abs are going to take pressure off your back because you are strengthening your core. Sciatic nerve pinches are horrible. There are some stretches to do for that too. Everything is accessible online now without the costly visits to physiotherapists.

I wish you luck with it and hope you can find a good doctor who will LISTEN to you.

[_Lilac_]

Doctor's verdict: There is very minimal arthritis in my knee. He doesn't want to do anything or fiddle with it at all. He confirmed the problem I had with it was muscle/tendon related and isn't concerned since I've been treating it with ice/rest and it is greatly improved. He explained the problem in my hips is also not arthritis but some sort of bursitis and I'm going to get exercises to help with that. 

He did NOT tell me to lose weight. I told him that I'd lost a lot and he just said to keep doing what I'm doing with exercise and looking up solutions to my issues and being careful.

This is completely different from what I expected out of him!! Wow...I left there in such a good mood. 5500 steps to and from the office. I'm going to have lunch and relax then take the boys for a walk and maybe hit the pool for an aquafit class tonight. Yay for good doctors.