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!

[Bogdel]

Here's my first week report:

USW -  183.5 (1/8/16)

SW -  150 (9/5/16)

Week 1 -  148.5 (9/12/16)

GW - 140

UGW - 140 

I lost 1.5 pounds this past week. Not much, but after I maintained my 150 lbs average weight for about four months, I am happy to see the scale moving down again.  

Best wishes to everyone! Let's keep moving and eating healthy. 

[Bogdel]

@almost_where, It's amazing how how our mind controls our behavior, isn't it? Like you, during the last challenge, I was focusing on how much I lost, and... I lost my motivation. Also, my last goal was to lose 5 lbs, which I thought would be easy. So I didn't work as hard. The result: I didn't loose much, if any. This time I increased my goal to 10 lbs (UG-140), just to have a challenge that would keep me motivated and active. I pray we both reach our Halloween goal and celebrate. 

Best regards!

[Luzgonzalez99]

@_Lilac_ I agree exercise should be fun!  I have found something that works for me and thought I'd share.  I do walking videos by Leslie Sansone.  I have never enjoyed doing anything so much. It is perfect because I am not the most coordinated and it doesn't over work you to the point you can't move the next day.  You can order her videos or just watch for free on YouTube.  She has videos where she uses stretch bands and weights if you need a little something more intense the regular cardio.  It is fun for me, so maybe some of you may find it works for you too.  Happy workout!

[Bogdel]

@DJC_63, Maybe my challenges are different from yours but, for whatever it's worth, this is what has helped (and is helping) me the most: I have learned that the moment potatoes, rise, and flour (i.e. bread, pasta, etc) get into our system, they turn immediately into sugar, and then into fat. In addition, they tend do make us hungry sooner. Vegetables on the other hand (both raw and cooked), provide a lot of micro-nutrients that are good for us, we can eat more of them, because they are low in calories and full of fiber, and keep us full longer. I also replace oil and all other fats with nuts and seeds (use them in my salads - no more than 1 oz/day). I use meat only as a condiment (to spice my soups and salads), rather than as an aliment. I also eat some kind of fish twice a week (usually salmon). On rare occasions, when my husband wants to eat a hamburger, I make myself a turkey-burger, without the bread (huge difference in calories, and less fat). Since I have changed my lifestyle, vegetables (both raw and cooked) are my main meal, and everything else is a condiment. It's not as much about cutting calories as it is about eating the good kind of calories that come from greens, beans, and seeds. 

Best wishes!

[scochrane86]

New to the forums and would love to join this challenge!

USW - 275 (May 2016)

SW - 214 (Sept 12, 2016)

CW - 214

GW - 199

UGW - 170

[dancefoxtrot]

@Bogdel

You are so correct about white flour, rice and pasta turning to sugar the minute someone eats it. If it is not burned right away it is stored as fat. 

I'm glad that you are posting such good info.  My main food sources are veggies, beans and seeds. When I have a slice of bread it is whole grain 21 seed bread. 

Barb G

[_Lilac_]

@Luzgonzalez99 Thanks for the suggestion of the videos. I can't walk on a treadmill due to having epilepsy. The fake movement causes my head to go wacky when I get off it and I fall. So I have to do it the old fashioned way. I took a look at the 1 mile video on youtube and I'll give it a shot tomorrow. I'm worried about how my ankles and feet will hold up with the marching but let's try it out! 

Years ago I loved the 20 min 80's Blast Off video by Richard Simmons. It was just long enough and not complicated so I did it every day. You can only find it on vhs now, unfortunately. Maybe I'll find a new favourite.

[AndyDandyPandy]

Update: Week 1, 4 lb loss

USW: 292 lb

SW: 236 lb

CW: 232 lb 

GW: 210 lb

UGW: 170 lb

(Life)GW: 150 lb

[dancefoxtrot]

@_Lilac_

If marching hurts don't hurt yourself modify it and step gently. If you can do 20-30 minutes for the first weeks then do that. Build up to it in a way that let's you get there without hurting yourself. A little soreness in the muscles is fine but try to avoid over doing it. You can do this in a careful way and get to your goal safe and sound.  I teach older adult exercise so I'm passing along what I see works well. 

Best,

Barbara G

[dancefoxtrot]

@almost_where 

I lead stretching in each of my exercise classes. We squat, touch the floor with feet apart or as near as possible, reach for each foot one at a time.  It is hard to describe exercises with words. There are many stretching videos on the internet. We stretch for one song before our 25 minutes of cardio dance and again when we are warmed up and have done ballet bar leg exercises to avoid stiffness. After floor exercises focusing on abs. we stretch and breathe in health.

All the best,

Barbara G

[dancefoxtrot]

@khreed

Wishing you good results from your blood tests. Hope that it is just a strained muscle and you feel better each and every day.

Barbara G

[dancefoxtrot]

@Bobbinyc

Thanks again for the wonderful supportive thoughts.  Oh I make excuses and complain sometimes although I tend to notice it now and get over myself. 

But today I came home to find a brand new plum colored HR Charge in my mailbox. How wonderful that Fitbit replaced so I can keep on tracking my steps and HR. That was so quick and kind for them to promptly replace it after 1 1/2 yrs when it broke. Hooray.

Made my 10k steps today and sat down and iced my knee. 

Well check in day today.

SW 150      9/5

CW 147.4   9/12

GW 142 if I remember correctly

So glad that your scale and mine is working again.  I don't want to comment in a way that bugs you. Tell me if I'm annoying you please. I love your comments that are so very kind and supportive to others. It is so great to be part of this community.

Good wishes to all to stay strong and enjoy the journey,

Barbara G

[Bogdel]

@dancefoxtrot, Barb, sounds like we are getting our information from similar sources/books. Thanks for your feedback and endorsement. 

Ellie

[DJC_63]

@khreed  I will cross my fingers and hope for the best result from the hematologist. I have a cardiologist appointment on the 11th. Once again we'll have something in common.  We need to work on having more positive things in common!

[DJC_63]

@Bobbinyc  Congrats on the weight loss!! That's a good difference for the week! I hope that it keeps going for you.

[DJC_63]

You're not alone, @Cele21.  The past few days I've been going up a pound each day that I weigh.  I haven't been very active, though, I've had an extra amount of pain over the weekend.  I've been taking lots of pain pills and muscle relaxers and I'm hoping that is the reason.  I will be like you and not give up.  🙂

[DJC_63]

Thanks @Bogdel.  I used to eat a fair amount of pasta and bread, but since I've been reading the posts here and things in magazines I've cut most all of it out of my diet. The only bread that I eat is whole grain flat-outs to use as wraps.  I love turkey burgers but I got rid of the bread over a year ago, as I was hoping that would help with weight loss. I don't eat pasta anymore. I'm not a big fan of veggies, but I eat spinach and kale each week in my wraps and smoothies.  I try to eat fruit and protein mostly.  

I think there is something causing the super-slow weight loss, it might be my medications or diabetes (I should get the results of that blood test soon).  I'll keep trying different things until I figure it out. I read someone else's post here who said she had to get a lot of activity if she wanted to lose weight, and my biggest loses have come during weeks when I had more days of exercise. That's why I thought that I might be like her.  But I will remember what you said. I still have to work on getting rid of some sugars.  It's my last hold-out because I do enjoy them!

[kmme]

 Good Morning all ,

I am late to the challenge gotta get back in .  I got within 2 pounds of my goal a few months ago then put on a whopping 20 pounds lost my motivation , and i know i am an all or nothing girl so if i give myself a little lee-way i seem to loose focus. So here goes with the stats

Ultimate start weight - 197

Challenge Start ( Sept 6 ) 149.9

Current Week ( Sept 13 ) 143.8

GW ( Halloween ) 127 - This was where i was before

UGW - 120?  I'm not sure , i thought i wanted 125 but when i was 2 pounds away i still wasn't happy , guess i will know when i get close

[Bobbinyc]

@geb37322 Welcome to this group.  You are off to a good start.  I am curious about the balance exercises you are doing.  Do to foot injury/surgery, I've limped most of the past 2 years and find my balance is way off.  I've been doing some exercises for it.  Maybe we can compare notes.  

[Bobbinyc]

@dancefoxtrot  No no no - nothing you say could ever bug me.  I love how smart, wise and direct you are.  I was referring to having my weight - high or low - pointed out in real life in a public way, especially in a room full of  people who never had weight issues at all.  I know that it also has to do with my own body self-consciousness and embarrassment that I gained weight.  This group is totally different to me.  We are all struggling together and supporting each other as best we can, and being totally non-judgemental.  That's what I love about this group.  

A plum colored HR?! Nice.  I bought myself a Charge HR (it was on sale as they are discontinuing them) to track heart rate).  Looking at the flight count was a surprise - I thought I was doing more, so that is already worth the money.

Hope your knee is ok. 

May our bodies and scales continue moving,

Bobbi