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!

[professorpete]

@Bobbinyc Thank you for sharing the information on cancer prevention.  Medical schools do a brief bit on it and doctors rarely continue learning about it.  What is learned is rarely passed along to patients who get very little time. Kudos to you for doing the research and sharing it.  I do agree we should all be far more involved in environmental issues as well as in policy re: the quality of our food.  If we are passive  we get increasing rates of every major disease, including autism.  Surely we can do better.

[Bogdel]

@Bobbinyc, I can't tell you how helpful and inspiring this is. Thank you for taking the time to write!!! I will look for "Anti-Cancer: A New Way of Life" by David Servan-Schreiber. I'm afraid that most of us take cancer seriously when it's too late. Cancer is easier to prevent than it is to treat. Since I started moving towards a healthier life-style, I better buy that book also, and learn how to prevent it. I don't want to be paranoid about it, but I want to be well informed on how to stay healthy and age with dignity. There are really too many pollutants in the food we buy, and they can cause way too many problems to our mind and body. 

 I read about the danger that plastic containers pose to our health and started to replace them, but I still use some for cereal and for refrigerating. My husband kept talking about changing those, too. He is the one that eats cereal the most. While I don't heat food in plastic containers, I am still using the plastic cover in the microwave, to keep food from splashing allover when it heats. Do you (or anyone here) know of a better solution for for covering the food in the microwave? 

Best to us all, as we move toward a healthier life-style. 

[jadedkisses]

@SusiequeTX Thank you! I absolutely love spin class. My coworker/friend got me into it and last night we did another class...it was intense (20 miles) and then afterward we did 30 mins on the treadmill (1.85 miles).  My friend signed us up for a 5k run soon so trying to up my stamina.  Plus maintain my 10k steps a day if possible, I don't worry about my steps on days I have spin class.  As far as my eating habits go, I weigh/measure everything I eat and log it so while my numbers aren't going to be perfect, at least they are accurate and I can make sure I maintain a deficit of roughtl 750 calories/day.  Mornings, usually a protein shake, 10am string cheese/fruit, Lunch @ 1 pm is usually mixed vegetables( zucchini and squash are my fav) and protein (chicken/turkey) on occasion I will have fish or red meat.  Prework out usually something like a hard boiled egg to give me energy then dinner is more protein and vegetables.  I no longer eat bread or pasta.  I will eat brown rice on occasion and quinoa.  

[_Lilac_]

@Bobbinyc I write fantasy and scifi novels that I self-publish on Amazon. 

[Bobbinyc]

@_Lilac_ Oh my!  Of course you are a writer.  I would love to read your work, if that's ok.  I was thinking about a humorous sort of  autobiographical commentary on just figuring out how to live a life well. Like what you write about here. But sci fi and fantasy! wow.  I am just tickled that you do that.

This is such an amazing group in so many ways.

[A_Lurker]

@DJC_63 - I can be bad about sleeping.  I've been fighting headaches all week (allergy related) and not getting enough sleep did me in today.  I couldn't keep the migraine back this morning with pills and left work and came home.  It was bad enough to be affecting my eyesight at the computer.  I rarely sleep during the day but I did for 3 hours.  The cat never sleeps on the bed but she fussed enough that she was driving me nuts and I opened the door.

I admit I feel relaxed, but the headache isn't gone.  Hopefully tomorrow is better.  I'm not sure how much truth there is in it, but I've seen it written that when you are sleep deprived you burn slightly fewer calories.  Seems odd because when I'm sleep deprived I'm actually hungrier.

[A_Lurker]

@SusiequeTX - assuming that you're 30 and 5'6" tall, 1200 calories might be a too low for you.  Not suggesting that you suddenly start eating 1800 calories, but you might try increasing them slightly and see what happens.  I burn around 3500 calories a day and eat about 2500 (I adjust based on my daily activity and even when higher, stop at 2500).  I'm heavier than you, and have further to go, however, so far I have been able to maintain slightly over 2 lbs loss per week.  I plugged the stats in above and got this for them:

Custom BMR Calculation

Entered information: 30 year old female, 65 inches tall, weighing 232 pounds.

From the information that you entered, you'd like to weigh 220 lbs.

Harris-Benedict Formula

There are a few different methods to calculating yourbasal metabolic rate (BMR). One of the most popular, developed in the early 1900's is called the Harris-Benedict formula. Based on this formula, your current BMR is 1830 calories.

[Bobbinyc]

@A_Lurker and @DJC_63   I have read that when we don't get enough quality sleep, our hormones shift, producing more ghrelin, which can make us hungrier and less leptin, which tells us we are full.  I'm not positive this is true, but it makes sense.  Also,  when I don't sleep, my focus is gone, I have less self-control, I get a little more emotional and stressed; I lose motivation.   It's just a little, but enough to add a snack, and make resisting sugar harder.  I also get too tired to be active enough.  Also, when I only sleep a few hours, I'm just up too many hours and that can be an extra meal.

I hope you both feel well enough and calm enough to sleep better tonight.

[TT_is_me]

I so agree with you ladies about lack of sleep. I tend to try to up my energy level with extra coffee (and thus extra coffee creamer - yum), sugary treats (donuts are definitely a weakness), or other high calorie foods. All of those foods also disrupt my normal focus by creating too much of an energy buzz in my brain. I need to get on a better schedule with sleep. I swing from under 6 hrs to about 8 hrs. If i could do a consistant 7, I think I would be more level in energy and in eating. 

[_Lilac_]

Week 4 Day 5:

Chuggin' along! Pool, errands and a 50 min walk today. Phew. 13k steps. 2lb gone since Monday so I'm looking forward to doing my weigh in on Monday.

Now, in the 4 weeks I've been working on this challenge, today was the FIRST tiny indulgence I've had. Seriously. I've had no overly sugary stuff, no fatty stuff, no cheat meals, nothing. We were doing our errands (my daughter and I) and decided to stop for a pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks. I've never had one and everyone seems freaked about it. I didn't know they put whipped cream on top and missed telling the girl to stop. I took one sip and was stunned by the chemical taste that filled my mouth. It was overly sweet and really BAD. Now, I love pumpkin spice muffins and tea and everything else, but this whipped cream made what should have been good really FAKE and chemical. My first treat in a month and I was so disappointed. I think maybe I was so sensitive to it because I've been eating so pure the last month. All fresh veggies (I can't eat frozen stuff because of intestinal digestion problems and canned is just yucky), home prepared foods and lean meat with nothing processed. Well, I learned my lesson.

My sister sent me a message on facebook this morning saying a local pub was having an anniversary special on wings for 25 cents each and did I want to go. She knows what I'm doing here! She knows I'm being careful! I simply told her I can't binge on wings or I'd go off track. She said she forgot I was watching my food as well as exercising. Next time I see her I'm gonna plant a big old sign on her back with SABOTEUR written across it. Actually I won't, but I can imagine it with some satisfaction. 

Other than that, I'm doing great, got my water intake back to goal, moving my body, and feeling encouraged. I'm going to be aware of the monster that may come alive with that sugar I had this afternoon. My motivational pixie is speaking to me more and more. 

I hope everyone else can stay on track and keep working hard for the challenge! October is such a fun month. Enjoy the cooler weather.

[SunsetRunner]

Love, love Fall!  Something so special to walk out and have that cool crisp air greet you in the morning, especially after the hot summer we have had here.

It's such a support and motivator for me to read everyone's comments.

Today, I am laughing about Lilac's  SABOTEUR sign for her sister's back.  Funny!  It's true though how that happens.  It's the same for me.  Just when I think I've got it all together with clean eating, exercising, water, and lowering stress levels, something, or someone comes along that changes my game plan. Must admit though, I'm getting so much better at recognizing those trigers and fighting off the craving urges.

I've really worked hard this week getting my step goal in, but today I walked for about 45 minutes and when I was going to check my steps, I realized I didn't have my fitbit.... bummer.  Oh well, I still know approximately how many steps that walk uses up. I can do this!

Hang in there everyone! Have a great weekend.

[_Lilac_]

My pants are falling off. I suppose that's a good thing? hahahaha. 

[Bobbinyc]

@_Lilac_  That's a very good thing.  I mean, you're not in out in public, are you?

[dancefoxtrot]

@Bogdel

Hi Thanks for your good attitude and good info. on nutrition via Fuhrman and Hyman, MDs. I also value them strongly and love that you are sharing the info. Age with dignity is a great goal. I use pyrex containers and lids in microwave. Plastic emits toxic junk when heated. 

Best,

Barbara G

[dancefoxtrot]

@Bobbinyc

Just started laughing at your description of the yoga posture and I recognized it. A one footed twisted chair far too risky for me without support. About dizziness- there are exercises to help with that if it is caused by inner ear, vestibular, origins. 

I'm glad that it is an enjoyable class. 

I had a good time tonight at a dance because my teacher was there and 2 other decent dancers so I lucked out. 

I danced a lot of dances with my teacher that I'll be performing with in a week. Wonderful fun.

Love,

Barbara 

[Bobbinyc]

@Bogdel  Again, apologies if I overwhelmed you or ranted on about cancer prevention.  

I have not read any definitive research on microwaves and whether or not they kill nutrients.  I read one study saying yes, one saying no and decided not to use one.  I try to only read what looks like good science and usually in medical journals.   I usually find that tedious and can only do it in small doses.

If using, I'd strongly recommend no plastic in there. Plastic should never be heated. It totally leaches chemicals that act like hormones and wreck us. The process of cleaning water bottles heats the plastic which, I've read, then leaches into the water.  Plastic is also a major environmental threat, as are most petroleum based products.  

I would try pyrex.  I use pyrex containers now.  Some come with plastic lids, but I believe some have pyrex lids too.  

All this stuff takes work to put into practice.

Wishing you the best with it.

[Bobbinyc]

@dancefoxtrot  One footed twisted chair, eh?  The only thing for me to do is laugh.  I need the stretching and balancing.  And strengthening.  And flexibility, agility, endurance.  Gosh, I'm in bad shape!  But honestly, these yoga poses, that everyone else in the class can do while I hold on to a chair just to lift one foot- well, it's either laugh or feel bad.  If I can't laugh at myself, I'm really done for.

Between the torn tendons and the surgery on my foot, I've been limping most of the past 3 years.  I believe my brain adapted, which I find amazing, and now has to re-adapt.  Most of the time I don't notice it - only when I challenge it. So, I keep challenging it.   I go to a gym and use a trainer who had to rehab himself years ago and is very good at it.  He researches stuff, and works with physical therapists, who I checked with.  I have a bunch of balance exercises to do.  I also need to keep working on building up core and leg strength.  It's shocking how weak I became in a few months.  

Thank you, as always, for your involved concern and great ideas.  

I'm so thrilled your class was fun.  It really pleases me no end to know you are out there getting great exercise, to wonderful music, with other people, and it's all so elegant.  And at other times you are up on ladders and taking a saw to the siding or growing your own vegetables.  I'm afraid I'm living through you a bit.  No pressure:

[A_Lurker]

@_Lilac_ - yes, it's a good thing.  Congrats!  A coworker was the one to finally make me realize I needed new pants a while back.  With getting lighter, the pants that started out just the right length and/or a little short were now dragging on the ground.  Tops I need to wait maybe a bit longer because I also carry extra weight in my upper arms so smaller tops are still not a good fit.  I have started wearing some that were tighter a while back, that fit well now.

[Bobbinyc]

@A_Lurker Congrats on the clothes getting bigger.  Isn't it wonderful to see the changes?!

[dancefoxtrot]

@Bobbinyc

I use the tops from my pyrex square baking dishes on top of the glass storage containers instead of the plastic lids when I defrost or cook in the microwave. 

I know that we are not supposed to stand close to the microwave while it is on due to leakage of waves.

I still use one.

I'm glad that your trainer has PTs to consult with as I have learned a lot from my PTs over the years. I have only 2 more sessions to go with mine that are covered by medical insurance. She has massaged my tight muscles so my neck and  thoracic spine are getting back to the full range of motion that I had prior to the accident. 

Balance, strength and flexibility improve over time. Yoga is good when it holds the stretch for 20 seconds or more since the muscles let go a bit. I ask my class to imagine releasing, relaxing enrgy flowing into the tight spots when we stretch. 

Massage is wonderful as well. If I were wealthy I would have one almost everyday. Oh well, dream away,,,, Just glad to be dancing full out again.

Do you think that your foot can get strong enough to carry your weight eventually? I hope so.

Okay off to figure out what is wrong with my well pump. 

Sending you sister hugs,

Barbara G