Labor Day to Halloween Challenge 2016

[Bobbinyc]

Welcome to the next Challenge!

This one will start on Labor Day and continue to Halloween, 2016.  That gives us 8 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, 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'm very excited about continuing with this wonderful group of people and meeting some new folks too.

Thanks to dancefoxtrot for starting the last challenge.

See you here on Labor Day!

[nmroadrunner]

@SunsetRunner My condolences on the loss of your brother. May good memories comfort you at this time. It is more important than ever at this time to concentrate on taking care of yourself.

[lusry]

Hey everyone! It's been so great catching up reading everyone's posts so far in this challenge. I was MIA in the last one, but I have a good reason. I'm pregnant! So, that means I'm not really supposed to lose weight at this point. But, I have definitely missed reading everyones posts and the motivation I got from them. So, here I am again. I'm 19.5 weeks pregnant (due at the end of January) and luckily I haven't gained any weight so far. My doc says it's fine, so I'd rather keep it that way if at all possible!  However, even though I'm not gaining weight I haven't been as active as I was in the past. I had to move my step goal back down to 10k - I just wasn't hitting 12k anymore. And now I'm lucky if I hit 7k in a day. I'm hoping that joining this challenge will help me to stay active and keep from being the lazy bum I really want to be. 

CW: 183lbs

Age: 31

Height: 5'4"

[SunsetRunner]

Lots of challenges this first week. My mother had an auto accident yesterday. Thank God she is OK. I have a flight out soon. That along with several other issues has made it difficult to get in all the steps in that I had anticipated. I have managed to keep my eating habits in tact, so that should help with weightloss, but at my age (69), movement is everything and there is little weightloss without it.   I really like the interaction and reading everyone's posts.  Keeps me motivated. My mantra for the coming week will be,  "I can do it!" I'm still in for the long haul, and will post my stats on Monday no matter where I am. Cheers!!!

[_Lilac_]

Day 4: I'm tired! I knew I had to do errands today so I decided not to go to my aquafitness class. Instead I did 3500 steps walking to my errands. I entered the halls of temptation (the local pharmacy) only to emergy triumphant! I bought...not candy, not chips, not chocolate...but *drum roll*...milk! I fell asleep for a few hours this afternoon and I could do so again, so easily. I started sneezing and my throat is raw so I think I'm sick. It would explain why I'm so tired. And I'm hungry. I know it's just the monster in my body shouting at me to eat more to erase all the work I've done the last week. That monster is just evil, but I see it and I hear it and I'm determined to ignore it. I'll have to give it a name. 

I hope everyone else is having a good 4th day of the challenge. I know some of our members are going through rough times so virtual hugs all around! You are strong or you wouldn't be here.

[DJC_63]

Thanks for the info, Nora. I will have to check with my insurance. May I ask what is MGUS?

[DJC_63]

@SunsetRunner I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your brother. I can't imagine what that's like. I hope that you get some good information from your test results that will help you, esp with the pain swallowing. That has to be horrible. Please keep us posted on your results and how you're doing.

[Luzgonzalez99]

@_Lilac_Kudos to you on this day!  Great successes and it movitates me too!  Thanks for sharing!

[Cele21]

@SunsetRunner - Condolences on your loss. 

@_Lilac_ - Great work on ignoring the 'monster' and your movement achievements. Hope you feel better soon.

[Okiku]

I hope I'm not too late to join this challenge.
USW-401
SW-365
Halloween GW- 349.

[_Lilac_]

Okiku, you and I are starting at about the same weight! (give or take 15lbs) I am cheering for you! 

[Okiku]

This makes me happy. I'm cheering for you too!!!

[BTransform]

Okay, I'm into this! Halloween is the the goal day.  Come on everybody, we got this! Have a great day and best of luck:) 

USW -  248.1 lbs
SW -    236.6 lbs
CW -    236.6 lbs  
GW -    225.0 lbs
UGW - 199.0 lbs (just to say I'm under 200 lbs, lol)

[RASG]

Hi everybody! Today we were celebrating my hubby's birthday soo...... Not really healthy food in my dinner and tons of sugar for dessert.
Well tomorrow will be another day.
Thank you all for sharing amazing stories.

[CalgaryCoachDad]

Started September 5th:

USW - 275 LBS August of 2015.

SW - 236 LBS

CW - 236 LBS

GW - 210 LBS

UGW - SUB-200

Today is the 9th - CW is 229.8 LBS.  All water I suspect.

[Nora58]

@DJC_63  Here is the short version:    Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS, unknown or uncertain may be substituted for undetermined), formerly benign monoclonal gammopathy, is a condition in which a paraprotein is found in the blood during standard laboratory blood tests. It resembles multiple myeloma and similar diseases, but the levels of antibody are lower,[1] the number of plasma cells (white blood cells that secrete antibodies) in the bone marrow is lower, it has no symptoms or major problems, although patients with MGUS have sometimes been reported to suffer from peripheral neuropathy,[2] and no treatment is indicated. However, multiple myeloma develops at the rate of about 1.5% a year, so doctors recommend monitoring it yearly. The progression from MGUS to multiple myeloma usually involves several steps. In rare cases, it may also be related with a slowly progressive symmetric distal sensorimotor neuropathy.[3]

[Bobbinyc]

@awood08  How is the house coming along?  Your new picture is just beautiful!  Good to see you again.

[Bobbinyc]

@Melleigh  As others have said, you are a survivor.  And now you are on a journey of living better and better.  I hope you are getting all kinds of support for yourself and your daughter.  You are showing your daughter what it means to be a strong resilient woman.  Lucky little girl.

[Bobbinyc]

@SunsetRunner  I am so sorry about your loss.  I know how painful that can be.  

When is your scope scheduled for?  I am glad you are on it.  

I hope you can stay focused on taking care of you as best you can, despite everything.

[Bobbinyc]

@_Lilac_  I really like your attitude. "you are strong or you wouldn't be here" - nice.

One of these days I'm going to make a list of quotes from these challenges - so much wisdom and determination.

Congratulations on your success at the pharmacy!  I think those kinds of victories is really what this is about - they help build great habits and strengthen the self-control part of our brain.  It really does get easier and easier.

I found that when I ate sugar, I was always hungry.  So I ate more sugar.  (Ok, I'm no genius.)  Since cutting it our, I don't get the same hunger that feels so urgent, and I don't get cravings any more. That monster you mention actually gets smaller and less powerful.   Nice!

[awood08]

@Bobbinyc thank you very much! 

It's great! New roof is being put on today (thank goodness for my dad and his construction/builder connections) because the price is thousands less than we expected. Working on decorating and painting the outside now. How's everything for you? Anything new? 

Here's a few before and afters! 

Old kitchen photo

New kitchen photo (love these appliances) 

Old master bedroom (old tenants that lived here) 

New master bedroom!