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!

[Bobbinyc]

@dancefoxtrot  How wonderful that you received good feedback on your waltz.  I always thought it was one of the harder dances, not that I would know.  I look forward to seeing your video.  Which is your favorite dance?

I think it's wonderful that you have a way to be active that you love.

[TT_is_me]

USW - 315

SW -   274

Week 1 -  269.5  -4.5 lbs

Week 2 - 267.2  -2.3 lbs ( -6.8 total)

Week 3  - 266.5 -0.7 lbs (-7.5 total)

Week 4 - 263  -3.5 lbs (-11 total)

GW -  260

UGW - 160

-50 lb badge? CHECK!!!! Feels so good to finally get that. I think I might have gone a little easy on myself with my goal but that's okay. I probably won't beat it by that much to really change it. I'm averaging about -2 a week over the last 10 weeks so I might only beat the goal by -2 to -3 lbs. 

[TT_is_me]

So this is a complete side note but I LOVE HALLOWEEN! I love dressing up (yes I am 31 and act like a 5 yr old), love handing out candy, love decorating... all of the fun fall fabulous things. After reading @almost_where, @Bobbinyc and @A_Lurker's posts about avoiding candy, I've really started to think about the candy situation. I usually buy candy early to pass out to kids. I ALWAYS buy candy that my husband and I like so "in case there are any leftovers, we won't be left with candy we don't like." What ends up happening is I have to restock because my husband and I have eaten almost all of it way before Halloween even comes. Beyond my candy nabbing issue, I'm also worried about all the allergies that kids have now as I pass out candy chocked full of sugar, peanuts or gluten.

I love the idea of passing out toy packs - little toys, tattoos, playdough, sticky stretchy things, whistles, etc. - instead of candy. However, I am not a parent and don't know would drive parents bonkers. So those of you with kids, what toys/trinkets would drive you the least insane?  Can you think of anything else that might be a good alternative that your kiddos would like?

[debb21]

As a grandma, pretzels, gold fish crackers, anything on that line.  The problem is that most kids like getting the candy.  It's fun and they do enjoy it.  Maybe if you have some of each and let the kids pick.  Skittles, starbursts, licorice are some candies that might not affect allergies.  The little toys are things kids play with for a minute, and then the parents are tired of them laying around the house and throw them away.

[nmroadrunner]

Hi All!

It's a beautiful Fall day here in NM. The leaves are varying shades of gold and red and the morning air is crisp and cool. The Balloon Fiesta ended with a farewell mass acension yesterday and everyone felt that this year's fiesta was a great success.

After my weight bounced around all week, it finally settled down yesterday and today. Maybe I'll be heading into another weight loss period as that seems to be the norm for me.

USW 199

CSW 178.8

CW    174

GW    170

UGW<150

Wishing everyone a wonderful week. Keep on stepping!

[khreed]

@TT_is_me You have every reason to be proud. Congratulations!

[A_Lurker]

@TT_is_me - I used to be the same with Halloween candy and such.  I'll do what I did last year - buy something (probably tomorrow at Costco) and put it in the front hall closet - unopened.  After I turn out the lights I'll leave them by the door - to take to work the next day.  If I really feel like I can't leave them alone I'll drop them off at the plant that night (hey, we run 24 hours) in the cafeteria... or put them in the car overnight.

As I have other snack items in the house (20g packages of brookfield covered fruit, 25g packages of welch's fruit gums, as well as bulk nuts and a number of different trail mixes) I'm not likely to be tempted by them at all this year.

[AndyDandyPandy]

Update: Week 1: 4 lb loss

              Week 2: 3.4 lb loss

              Week 3: 0.8 lb loss

              Week 4: 3.4 lb loss

              Week 5: 3.2 lb loss

              Total loss: 14.8 lb

USW: 292 

SW: 236 lb

PW: 224.4 lb 

CW: 221.2 lb 

GW: 210 lb

UGW: 170 lb

(Life)GW: 150 lb

Goal day is approaching in 3 weeks. Looks like I might not hit my goal weight after all even if I lose another 3lb per week. Still better to aim high than low. At this point, every pound lost is major for me because it's not easy to lose anymore. Losing 5lb now is like losing 15lb when I was in the 250++ range. No matter what my goal for the end of the year is be below 200 and get to my extreme ultimate goal 150 by anytime next year.

[DJC_63]

As usual my weight seems to be just varying by a pound or so every day.  It is getting harder for me to keep my motivation because it's getting dark much earlier so outdoors walks are not easy to squeeze in, and it's also getting cold. Those 2 things always makes me want to just curl up and read, watch TV, etc.  But here's my update for this week. It looks like I've gained since I use a weekly average, but I'm actually going down a bit each day.  I can't believe how hard it is for me to lose even 3 pounds. I have several Dr's appointments this week so I'm going to ask if they think it's from medications.

---

As of 10/8:

USW - 207.5 (1/14/15)

CSW - 189.5 (average)

PW - 188.9 (weekly avg)

PW - 190.8

PW - 187.9

PW - 188.2

CW - 189.3

GW - 185.00

UGW - 160.00

[khreed]

@DJC_63 I've mentioned before that you and I seem to have almost identical weight loss, frustration, etc. I even stayed off of this board for a few weeks out of frustration. I had plateaued and it seemed no matter what I did, that scale didn't move. I'm moving a little bit at the current time, and I KNOW if we hang in there we will get there, although it may be slow. I have a scale that has memory. When I get really down, I compare my current self with what I was 90 days ago. It helps. You've improved so much over the last 90 days, too. I'll be interested in what the doc says about your meds. Good luck.

[jadedkisses]

USW - 235.4 

SW - 225.0 

CW - 225.0

Week 1-ish- 223.6 (-1.4) Sept 14

Week 2- 220.8 (-2.80 & - 4.2 "Total") Sept 19

Week 3- 219.6 (-1.20 & -5.4 "Total") Sept 26 Just a wee bit posting!

Week 4- 217.6 (-2.00 & -7.4 "Total") Oct 3

Week 5- 215.8 (-1.80 & -9.20 "Total") Oct 10

GW - 215.0 

UGW - 180.0

Well it seems that I am on a good track, my GW for this challenge is slightly less than a pound away.  I am going to keep on my current momentum and see where I end up.  So far I have avoided and resisted the Halloween candy.  I have candy in a jar on my desk and I have not given into it at all.

[_Lilac_]

Roadblocks:

No, although there is a tremendous number of street construction going on, that's not what I mean. I refer to those stupid life events that keep you off-track just when you think you've got this thing nailed. You sail along, happy as a clam and then BOOM. After my hospitalization and scare on Friday I was determined to get back in the pool this morning and restart my schedule. I couldn't sleep last night and when I went to the bathroom at 3am, I pulled my sciatic nerve so badly I could barely walk. I finally got to sleep at 4ish. I missed the pool today but after taking the dogs for a walk I thought I could at least go to the library and then walk home. 

This journey of weight loss is definitely going to be imperfect. Stuff is going to get thrown at us. No matter how fanatical and organized we are, we are not going to be able to plan and keep to a schedule. 

We succeed by getting back to it after life smacks us around. I'm not going to let it get to me. I'm going to walk 2 miles home after walking a mile already. And I'll do an exercise video later. 

I realized on my days that I didn't move much that the restriction of food to meet goal was more difficult. Hey, if you wanna eat, you gotta move! Since I like food, I'm going to move. I hate starving more than I hate exercise. I've gotta put that up somewhere to remind myself.

Happy Days everyone! 

[Bobbinyc]

There are several of us for whom the scale isn't budging.  I went 4 months with no weight loss at all.  Then lost 5 and now nothing again.  For me, it makes a difference if I forget the scale, and just focus on eating well, drinking water, and being as active as I can be.  It is about health and not a number on a mean scale.

I even made a chart to check off each time I drank water (I tend to forget), how much I walked, etc so I could see progress on my own chart and know what I needed to work on.  For me, it helps to see the progess with good habits, even when the scale is stingy.  

However we do it, please don't stay away.  This is when we need support the most.  And others still need your support and wisdom too.

[Bobbinyc]

@DJC_63  I am so glad you are seeing doctors and being on top of your health.  And now I don't have to nag you.   

I do however want to remind you of one of my favorite quotes, that i actually have written down.  A very wise woman described in here a horribly stressful day (when I would have found chocolate) and then said, "So what did I do? I went to the gym".  Yes, that was you.

Yeah, our bodies, medication, early darkness, stress...all make it harder.  But we all know you are one tough cookie. We all need to re-work our schedules now to accomodate changing daylight.  So?  We do harder things all the time.  (and I'm saying this for myself too)

You taught me that the more active you are, the more energy you have.

See the doctors, fix what you can, and move as much as you can.

I mean, otherwise I'm going to have to nag you again.

[Bobbinyc]

@khreed  I am so glad to see you here.  Your support and wisdom are badly needed.

Please don't give the scale power over your mood or choices.  You are fighting to have the best life possible, with as much health and energy as you can get.  That has very little to do with a stingy scale.  You just keep taking good care of yourself, get the support you need, and forget the scale.  It is just one tool.  Monitoring food and activity level is a far better tool.  We all get stuck (mine is way too long to be called a plateau- it's more like the great plains!).  But there are so many other things to focus on along this journey.  Take back your power.  Maybe we should have a scale free week.  (in my case, a few months!)

You have been missed.  I do hope everything else is going well.

[Bobbinyc]

@_Lilac_  I agree completely.  Life hands us stuff.  Nice when it is small stuff; but it is still there to deal with.  All we can do is keep our eyes on the target - the healthiest life possible.

I love your fierce attitude.

[Bobbinyc]

I was listening to a talk by a neurosurgeon who works with athletes and the elderly.

His view is not that things happen that create roadblocks.  His view is that roadblocks  and injuries are the norm.  They are coming, just part of life.  And that when we can, we need to make sure we are as strong and well nourished as possible to be ready for the next thing that happens.  He feels that perspective  helps us appreciate when we are able to be active, and not get as thrown by the things that go wrong.  Instead of thinking of things as a set-back, he thinks of being ready for the next thing.  His motto is "show up active".  I thought that was an interesting view.

[_Lilac_]

@Bobbinyc and others on plateaus. I've read that changing something about your routine might be just the ticket to getting off that plateau. If you do 40 min of walking at one time every day your body gets used to it and doesn't recognize it as exercise as much as it simply being your daily lifestyle. So doing 20 minutes here and 20 minutes there is still 40 minutes but your body changes and thinks "oh crap, she's working more". It's the same with weight lifters. They have to change their workout schedule every 6 weeks or so or it doesn't work anymore. If you do your workouts in the mornings, maybe do them in the evenings. If you burn most of your calories doing cycling, then maybe burn the same amount doing a different activity for a while. Our bodies are tricky little creatures that like to fall into sustaining routines, which means they like to sustain the weight they are at. We have to be smarter. We have to make a simply change, not necessarily rev up and do significantly *more*, ya know? Cuz we get burned out if we suddenly go from 30 min to 50 min. We are less likely to keep it up. Anyway, just me blabbing. Hope you can find a good balance to knock yourself off that plateau.

[RhondaSmith99]

So it's time to post my weekly weigh in numbers. I lost a pound, 1 pound. I'm happy that it's a loss and not a gain, but geez. Then I have to tell myself to quit whining, I know why it was only 1 pound. Because I'm not being serious enough about what I'm eating. Most days I'm right on the edge of my calorie count for the day, and that is including my exercise calories. I'm still overeating. 

USW - 219 - May 2016

SW    - 212.6  (9.12.16)

CW    - 206.5  (9.12.16) -6.1 Water weight

CW    - 208.2  (9.19.16) +1.6 Backlash!!

CW    - 206.3  (9.26.16) -1.8

CW    - 205.4  (10.3.16)

CW    - 204.4  (10.11.16) Don't think I'm going to make my Goal Weight unless I get serious, and I have a hard time being serious! 

TLC   - 8.2

GW     - 200

UGW  - 145

I hope that everyone has a great week, and good luck on your challenge! 

[Bobbinyc]

@_Lilac_  Your "blabbing" is so wise.  Thanks for your support and ideas.  Always appreciated.  I'm still gearing up since being layed up for so many months.  That said, I am going to come up with some ways to vary what I am doing.  Actually, after seeing what you and quite a few others here do, I am going to try to ramp up the level a bit more.

Thanks for the encouragement and inspiration you always provide.