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!

[dancefoxtrot]

@A_Lurker

Way to go on making your goal. I like your colorful MET IT! Hope your mom enjoys the community in the retirement home. Some folks thrive in community.

At 15 lbs to my ultimate goal weight I have to move almost all the time and have 3600 cal deficeit each week. So no room for carbs and sugars except veggies and fruit if I'm going to lose. 

You seem determined so you will get down to your healthy weight if you keep on keeping on.

Best,

Barb G

[dancefoxtrot]

@HeartBiller

That is very kind to try to help get the expensive meds from the rep. Perhaps he can leave extra samples with her MD. I'm surprised that their are not any generic anti-coagulants on the market. 

Don't get discouraged if the weight loss is slow as it is for many of us. 

Best,

Barb G

[A_Lurker]

@dancefoxtrot - I'm sure my diet (aka eating habits) will change as my weight gets lower.  What I look at is they are better than they were.  I suspect they will change as I get closer and closer to my goal.  Okay, a goal yet to be determined.  It's impossible to pick a goal when you've never been the correct weight your entire life.  I was easily 250 when I got out of highschool.  I'm not even sure I know when I was under 200 lbs.  I know I was, but I also know I was already very overweight at that stage.

[_Lilac_]

Week 7 Day 7:

I'm not losing recently. After my big old 22 lb loss in the first 5 weeks, I had that huge seizure that sent me to the hospital. I had to stop taking a med and it's prevented my body from flushing out all the water I've been drinking so my weight began to go up and up and up (9 lbs in 3 days) even though I wasn't overdoing my calories. I have been getting an average of 10000 steps daily. So ya, I'm not even going to weigh myself til the end of the challenge and hopefully I can find a natural way to get rid of this fluid. I've had three more seizures today so I'm blah. One was when I was walking the dogs but I was able to hold onto their leashes and lean against a stop sign post. I've got 8400 steps in today. I can easily get another 1600 while marching during tv tonight. 

I went to the creative writers' group on Saturday!! There were seven of us and it was fun meeting people who have similar interests. I'll go again. Walking all the way home gave me half my daily steps. Good excuse to go! They want me to bring something to read out to the group. OMG I can't. I used to have such fright in school about reading aloud that I'd be shaking and turn beet red and feel like I would be sick. Maybe I'll wait til I'm more comfortable with the people. Many of them are also shy types and they've learned to open up. Maybe I can too.

Oh, my niece had her baby!! 10 lb 1oz boy! I walked to the hospital and back this morning. Chilly, windy and rainy. NO EXCUSES. 

Much success to everyone on the challenge. We are into our last week. I'm going to be on pins and needles waiting for Bobbinyc to start a new one!

[khreed]

@_Lilac_ It sounds to me like you are doing well, considering the challenges in your life. You are inspiring me. We'll hang in there.

[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

              Week 6: 1.2 lb loss

              Week 7: 5.6 lb loss

              Total loss: 21.6 lb

USW: 292 

SW: 236 lb

PW: 220 lb 

CW: 214.4 lb 

GW: 210 lb

UGW: 170 lb

(Life)GW: 150 lb

So close to my goal weight for halloween. Intermittent diet has really done a lot for me this week.  Losing weight quick is what I like. It keeps me going because I know I'm doing something right. I know most people loathe losing more than 2lb a week but please don't hate me too much. I also don't recommend it for others. Don't try it unless you are very strong willed and mentally strong. 7 more days to lose 4.4 lb. I'll do my best.

[A_Lurker]

---

@AndyDandyPandy wrote:

I know most people loathe losing more than 2lb a week but please don't hate me too much. I also don't recommend it for others. Don't try it unless you are very strong willed and mentally strong.

---

Andy, what people don't like is you saying that if we're not losing more than 2 lbs a week that we're not strong willed or mentally strong.  And please don't tell me that you didn't say that, because those are your exact words.  That really p%^&% people off. I'd be willing to say that has more to do with what you think is that people don't like your weight loss.  Honestly, it's your attitude I don't appreciate.  Most people post to support others. 

I'm also willing to bet that you've lost plenty of muscle mass as you've done your fast weight loss.  As a man you may be able to build it up faster than some.  I'm quite happy that in the last (almost) 5 months that I've gained ~6 lbs of lean body mass while continuing to lose weight.  Frankly, I don't want your weight loss speed.

[dancefoxtrot]

@A_Lurker

Some people use the BMI calculator to see what a healthy weight for their height. I bet you will know it when you get there. Your medical data will be wonderful and you will have great energy. 

You are making good progress toward health.

Barbara G

[dancefoxtrot]

@AndyDandyPandy

I'm glad that you found a way that works for you. We each have different paths. 

I bet that you can  make your goal. Men tend to lose weight faster due to muscle mass.

Best,

Barbara 

[dancefoxtrot]

@_Lilac_

Have you seen a specialist to determine what is causing the retention of water? Do you have a good neurologist to determine what medicine would stop the seizures since falling would not be good. 

Please get the help that you need.

I don't want anything worse to happen to you.  

Also, I think if you practice reading aloud at home with your mother or by yourself you can break through that old anxiety from childhood. Also, discover what you were afraid of then and now. You have far more inner strength now.

Take care,

Barbara 

[_Lilac_]

@dancefoxtrot  I think the water retention was simply from stopping the diuretic and my body needed time to adjust to doing the work on its own. I've again lost 7 of those 9 water pounds so I'm good to go I think. I'm using natural ways to get rid of the extra crap. Plain hot tea and water with real lime squeezed in, as examples. It's working. 

Reading out loud...well, I think I can do it. I'd just need to find something to read that I think is good. I guess I'm afraid of underperforming, but I shouldn't be afraid. Some of the others had read just little snippets, one was a description of a person in passing. After you read, people offer suggestions or tell you its good or whatever. Always positive criticism. I'm not a poetic kind of writer. And I know I can lack in description sometimes because I see it in my head and forget to put it down for everyone else to see. haha. I'm working on it. I'll find something. 

Week 8 Day 1: I feel great today, just a little tired. That deep autumn chilliness with gusty wind has hit. Mom and I plan a walk in one of the natural parks this afternoon. My daughter will come along with her Fitbit Charge 2. She really likes it. 

Last week everyone! Keep the momentum going!

[awood08]

Long time no talk! I have been super busy and haven't checked in! Just spent all morning going over all of your posts, wow, we have a group of strong amazing people on here 🙂 For those of you struggling, keep your head up! And those of you fufilling your goals, way to go!! My life has been chaotic lately, between the move into the new house, sale of the old house, remodel, and now *drumroll*.....I quit my job to follow my dream career! It's scary and exciting but I am so glad that everything is falling into place for us! My weight and routine has been far from my main focus so I have fallen off the wagon a bit but consdering everything it could be much worse. I'm hoping to be around more on the boards now. I hope you all are doing good and wish you all the best of luck and happiness!!

USW 235

CSW 158

CW 162

GW 150's

[HeartBiller]

@khreed I live in Barbourville Kentucky. We are abour 3 to 3 1/2 hours apart. I did talk to a rep this morning and I'm sorry to say I had not been online at the time, so I couldnt tell her where you lived at the time. But I will when she comes back. She was telling me that after some apply and if they are turned down for the income, that it can be appealed and alot of the time they will lower the copay. So that is an option. When she come back in Ill talk to her more and get more detail for you.

[HeartBiller]

@AndyDandyPandy Mind if I ask what type of dieting you are doing to lose the weight quickly?

[khreed]

@HeartBiller Thanks for checking. I live in Kenwood, a suburb of Cincinnati. Going to see my cardiologist this afternoon.

[nmroadrunner]

Hi Everyone!

The past week was kind of hectic. Hubby had his eye surgery on Wednesday (it went very well) and a follow-up appointment Thursday morning. He's on daytime schedule of two hours flat on his back and two hours up and about. He has a gas bubble in his eye to hold the graft in place and the positioning is to keep the bubble where it needs to be. Today, we have another follow-up appointment and, if memory serves, we don't have to go for two weeks.

In the meantime, I've been concentrating on getting my steps in and, to that end, I joined Walking4Fun and StepItUp. I also finished the NYC challanges on FB. The variety keeps me pumped up. Looking forward to working on some Christmas projects this week for the kids and grandkids.

USW  199

CSW   178.8

CW     172.4

GW     170

UGW <150

It looks like a crunch to get to 170  but will settle for anything 171.?   

Keep on stepping!

[HeartBiller]

@dancefoxtrot I am looking forward to when I get to the healthy weight. I have done the BMI but its not really something that sticks in my head. I do have a number that is stuck in my head, but as I tell my husband all the time. As I aim for that number, if I feel I am healthy and fir before that number, I will work toward maintaining. However at this point it is still a dream in my head...lol. I would like to share a progress report with you, even though it is not mine, but my husbands.

My husband was diagnosed as a diabetic in June of last year. He went to a Diabetes boot camp ( a 4 hour learning course) in April of this year and after that he decided he wanted to get serious about getting it under control. His A1C was 7.0 which had crept up from 6.5 in June of last year to 7.0 in March of this year. The boot camp was in April. He decided to get serious. That is when we started this weight loss / life style change. I am so beyond proud of him. By June of this year he had it down to 6.1. He went this past week to have it tested again and it was 5.4. That is such an amazing task to me. He has given up so much of the food he loves so much for his health. Through his diabetes it has helped us both come together and work on our lifestyle. We have both lost just over 30 pounds since April and his blood work speaks volumes as to how wonderful he is doing. I have been able to come off of a blood pressure pill I was taking twice a day. I am completely off blood pressure medicine and am maintaining a normal blood pressure. I had been on the medicine over 10 years. It is such a wonderful feeling. We have a long way to go, but we got God on our side and great people to encourage us along the way! I PRAISE the Lord for all his help in this journey we are making. I love to come here and read such inspirational stories.

[AndyDandyPandy]

@HeartBiller Low carb, high protein, high fat.

[SunsetRunner]

Last week, and many before, have been up and down for me... mostly down in the weight loss dept., but am happy that I didn't gain anything. I'm really applying tons of effort this last week.  My health and family situations have calmed for a bit, and I can focus better on me.  As you can see from my stats below, I didn't lose this past week, but I also didn't gain and am leaning on that positive point to keep my motivation up.

Pumpkin season is upon us and I love "all" pumpkin/spice foods.  It's quite a challenge for me. Had a neighborhood gathering yesterday and I literally began salavating at the smells of all the fall desserts. (create a visual for anyone?) I figured it would be difficult, so I ate beforehand and made it a "vicarious"  experience. 

Temps are still in the low to mid 90's here, but mornings are nice, so no excuses for me.

Even though we have a week to go, I congratulate those that have met or are close to their goals, and cheer for those of us who still struggle, but never give up.

Looking forward to the next challenge. Hope it's a good week everyone! 

Starting Weight 164       Goal Weight 154

Week 1:  163

Week 2:   no post

Week 3:   162

Week 4:   163

Week 5:    no post

Week 6:   164 

Week 7:   164

[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)

Week 5 - 262 -1 lbs (-12 total)

Week 6 - 262.5 +.5 (-11.5 total)

GW -  260

UGW - 160

With no loss this week, the goal seems a bit harder to get to but I'm gonna try my best! Good luck everybody in the home stretch of the challenge! Hope the Halloween candy isn't too big of a temptation! 🙂