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!

[AndyDandyPandy]

@A_Lurker  Good Luck I wish you the best. 

[_Lilac_]

Phew, I'm tired today. Think I might have to take it easy. My happiness goal last week was to do 10k steps each day and I met it, if not surpassed it a few of those days. Yesterday was one of them. Pool first thing, went for a *huff puff* trek in a nature park, walked to and from the eye doctor with my daughter and then took the dogs out. 14k+ steps in total. Throw in a couple of bedtime seizures and a cloudy -4C/25F morning and ya' got TIRED. I do have to do grocery shopping today and as always, take the dogs for their walk, but I'm going to take it a little easier. I'm not able to keep up with my calorie demands by doing this much activity and my deficit is way too large. Thank you, A_Lurker for clarifying how Fitbit calculates that for you (I was doing it from Fitbit's already calculated number, which was putting me at double the deficit).

Buster: Buster is my bigger dog. He's a boxer mix and I got him through an organization that rescues dogs from high-kill shelters in the southern US states and brings them to Canada. He's got energy! Even though I take both dogs for walks daily and I have been extending those walks, Buster seems to need more. His behaviour has been iffy (not following instruction) and becoming more forceful in his need for play or physical contact. He's been pulling a lot during our walks. My daughter jogged him last night after I'd had "ENOUGH!" a meltdown (I was so tired and he was bouncing off walls). Well, he came home happy, sweet, tongue hanging out, flopped on the couch and he was OUT for the night. 

I want to be like Buster. I'm becoming him, in some ways. The other morning, I had to push and push my daughter to get ready to go see the new baby in the family. I had this energy that wouldn't let me sit. I told her that I had to go to the hospital or I had to take the dogs for their long walk or I needed to do something so she'd better hurry up. There was no way I could sit down. Thank you water aerobics!! Even today already, even though I'm tired and sitting here, I feel like I need to do something. I'm skipping the pool today but I'm itching to go do my shopping instead. I wish I could jog Buster but I'd injure myself. Someday. That's one of my non-scale super goals. Jog with Buster. He needs it. I need it. 

I think we all need it. Work up a good sweat, get rid of energy, anger, stress, then come home,  and with tongue hanging out, flop down and just be happy. 

Ok, preparing to do shopping! I'll blab more later.

[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

Week 6- 214 (-1.80 & -11.00 "Total") Oct 17 GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Week 7- 212 (-2.00 & -13.00 "Total") Oct 24 GOAL Again

GW - 215.0 

Modified GW- 212.00

UGW - 180.0

Well looks like I hit my goal weight again so I am not going to alter it for the next week and just leave it as is.  I never knew how strong my will power was until I started this journey but I really have tested myself and I like the person I am seeing, not just physically but mentally also.  I went through a terrible breakup right as this challenege started and instead of becoming depressed and eating my feelings I was able to hold strong and keep it moving towards my goals.  It took me a long time to realize but I love myself more than I imagined so I refuse to let someone else dictate my happiness.

Yall have been great! I have enjoyed this group of people a lot.

[TT_is_me]

@jadedkisses way to rock this challenge! You are doing so awesome. congrats! 🎊🎈🍾

[DJC_63]

@AndyDandyPandy  That's nothing unusual, many people here are following that "diet". Personally I'd be happy to lose more than 2 pounds a week but my body doesn't work that way, despite my strict diet. Once women go through menopause it's much more difficult to lose weight.  You seem to be fairly young (at least you look like it), so count your blessings! Young men have the easiest time losing weight of any group.

[DJC_63]

It's been a few weeks since I've posted my weight, mostly because not much is happening. I seem to vary by a pound one way or another most weeks. Two weeks ago I decided I needed to get more steps so I walked more for one week, then for some reason my back started to hurt pretty badly. I couldn't even bend over much for a few days.  I've had that experience before and ignored the warning signs, then ended up having to have surgery. So I took it easy last week. Also the past week my knee has started to stiffen up again. I'm hoping it will just get better on it's own, but if not I've had good results before with 3 injections of a thick fluid that provides some cushioning for my bones.  The joys of getting older.

Anyhow, here are my boring stats:

As of 10/23:

USW - 207.5 (1/14/15)

CSW - 189.5 (average)

PW - 188.9 (weekly avg)

PW - 190.8

PW - 187.9

PW - 188.2

PW - 189.3

CW - 189.5

GW - 185.00

UGW - 160.00

[SusiequeTX]

Passed my goal for this challenge!  Yea    Now on to the next one.   Been working very hard lately,  I increased the incline on my treadmill,  been doing step training and strenght training 2 to 3 times a week.   Good luck everyone! 

USW   248.6

SW      232.5

CW      218.7 YEA!

GW      220

UGW   131

[RhondaSmith99]

Well, I didn't post my weight last week because I was so upset with it. I could not understand how I could have gained so in one week. And when I stepped on the scale this week the numbers had gone back down. So it was most likely water weight (AGAIN!!!). I really need to start watching the sodium levels in restaurant foods. 

I'm not going to make my Goal Weight, but that's going to be okay. I'll be close to the number I had picked, and I'm happy that I've lost weight, gotten more active, and learned more about the foods I eat.

USW -  219 May 2016

SW    -  212.6 (9.3.16)

CW    -  206.5 (9.12.16) -6.1

CW    -  208.2 (9.19.16) +1.6

CW    -  206.3 (9.26.16) -1.8

CW    -  205.4 (10.3.16) -0.9

CW    -  204.4 (10.11.16) -1

CW    -  208.4 (10.18.16) +4 Has to be SODIUM!!!!!

CW    - 203     (10.26.16) -5.4 Don't even know what to say about it, just glad it's a loss this time 

TLC   - 9.6

GW   - 200

UGW - 145

Hope everyhone has a great day! 

[Cele21]

USW = 215

SW =211.8

LW = 212.6 (Last weigh-in weight)

CW = 214.6

GW = 205.0

UGW = 140

[mommo77]

SW:  212

SW: this challenge:  164.6

GW: this challenge:  150

CW:  157.4

UGW:  150

I was too ambitious!   I won't make it  by Halloween, but oh well, I made some progress. 

Spoiler

[mommo77]

I have NO IDEA how I the spoiler/emoticon thingy.  Geez. 

[dancefoxtrot]

@HeartBiller

How spectacular that your husband lowered his A1c to the healthy normal range. My A1c is 5.4 as well. Yay.

Congrats on being able to kick the BP out of your life.

It is so amazing what we can do with diet and exercise for our health.

Best,

Barbara G

[_Lilac_]

We are almost finished our challenge! 4 days left! Wow. 

I had a bit of an adventure this afternoon. Mom and I went for our walk at the park. It's chilly. Was only 4C when we got there. The weather network said the rain would hold off so we were confident we were dressed appropriately and began our hike. I've increased my pace now, to try to match mom's quicker step. Well, we got around the lake and some sort of precipitation began to hit us. I had a hood but mom didn't. I looked down and found snowy sleet stuff stuck to me. SNOW?? I guess we've always had flurries close to Halloween but it just didn't feel like it was time yet, ya know? Mom (hoodless) wanted to cut back to the car sooner so we looked for a path and we found one we could forge...up the side of the steep hill to our left. No steps. No path. But it was coming down hard as sleet. We started up and I was scared this big body wouldn't be able to keep traction in the carpet of wet leaves underfoot. Oh and Mom is almost 70 yrs old. Using roots and saplings and some sort of rebar post they'd previously used to string a *do not go here* sign, we finally made it to the top. And I cheered. I checked my heart rate and it was maxed out so I had to rest a bit. After we got back to the car, the darned blue sky came out and sun with it! Grrr. We cut our walk in half but I learned what I *can* do with a little effort and it made me proud. Halfway up, Mom had said she didn't think she could make it because it was so steep. I'd laughed out, "Well, we can't go back down, it's too steep! We have to go up." Good adventure!

I still have to walk the critters today so I'll easily make my 10k steps. I'm really enjoying the feeling of having energy and looking forward to activities I can do to get my steps in. It isn't a chore, it isn't nagging at me, it isn't something I force myself to do. It gives me a sense of accomplishment and self-esteem and confidence. Six months ago, would I have attempted to climb that dangerous slope? NOPE.

So, I guess I came upon a theme for today, for us challengers....the slope is steep, it is going to be difficult. But there are little bits and pieces to hang onto and those that will enable us to get our footing. And we will get to the top and succeed. With pride! Oh, and get this....you can't go back to where you started. It's too dangerous to slip. You have to move forward. 

Good luck everyone. Have an adventure today!

[dancefoxtrot]

@_Lilac_ Thanks for that adventure story and metaphor for our healthy changes. Go Lilac and Mom. 

Glad that the water retention cleared up for you.  Seems like you are getting healthier and stronger. 

Mon Wed and Fri are my most active days as I teach 2 exercise class in the morning and that gives me 6100 steps by 12:30.  I go to the headquarters for Hillary for Pres. and sit for 3 or 4 hours placing stickers on the door hangers. The blasted trouble with that is they have trail mix with M&Ms in it and granola bars, and I just burned up calories and come there hungry. In spite of sorting out all the M&Ms I still eat a few. 

So cals. in and sitting mean storing fat.  I need to stop somewhere and buy my self a salad instead.  It is raining again today but I could go early to tonights dance class and burn extra calories. 

Went back up to 147 so only down 3 from Labor Day now but I'm 12 lbs from UGW and maybe I can lose 1/2 lb by Halloween. 

Best,

Barbara 

[dancefoxtrot]

@mommo77

You did great by losing 7 lbs already and may lose a few more ounces by Halloween. 

Slow but steady that way we can keep it off.

Barb G

[dancefoxtrot]

@mommo77

You did great by losing 7.2 lbs already and may lose a few more ounces by Halloween. 

Slow but steady that way we can keep it off.

Barb G

[dancefoxtrot]

@DJC_63

I had 3 injections of Hylaronic Acid gel shot into my knee a few times over the years. It does seem to stabilize it. We are supposed to stay hydrated as well for our whole body as well as cartilage. Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate it is what I've been told by docs. I go to PT when it gets too crazy. Hope it loosen up soon. 

Best,

Barbara G

[_Lilac_]

A quick note to encourage myself this morning. There is something to say for accountability. Repeat several times, "I am going to the pool, I am going to the pool, I am going to the pool."

It is 0C/32F this morning, dark and that kind of damp cold that just goes right through the fabric of your outerwear. My dogs are cuddled up in my bed, where it's nice and warm. But...I have to go. I remind myself I feel so much better when I do. I burn a huge amount of calories when I do. On the days I skip, I have so much other activity I have to accomplish to make up for the class. Alright, getting dressed...

[_Lilac_]

USW  380

SW 355

GW  333

CW  332!!!!

UGW -none specified.

Beat it. Slayed it. Fist pumped it. Tossed Jose Bautista's bat after it. That challenge goal is down like the Canadian temperature in January! 

I plan to go to the Creative Writers' group today. I wanted to walk but it's raining again!! It hasn't let up much over the week. I might still do that. If I don't walk there, I'll walk home. It's a 2.5 km trek each way. That's 1.6 miles. I might attempt both lengths of the journey if it wasn't so miserable out. Otherwise it's bus. I know my obsessive nitpicking over the details of my day aren't really needed here, but you get some insight into how much effort I put into getting in these steps and exercise. I was telling my sister I honestly don't know how people who work and have families are able to make the time to get their heads and bodies into a full-on weight loss. Previously, as a working mother with two kids, I was exhausted all the time, whether it was from stress or mentally or physically tired. People just don't have the luxury of walking 45 minutes to get somewhere for a minor thing like buying socks (yes, my life). It's much easier and practical to make the 7 min car ride. My planning is necessary, at least for now, to make this thing work. Walk to here, bus to there, walk to that point, bus the rest of the way. If I have a subway sandwich, I can have this later or I can't have that later. Etc etc. It's work! I'll be able to relax into it when I have my brain and body trained to know how much to do and eat. This is a re-training, erasing all the bad habits I've formed over my life. It's definitely going to take effort. 

Good luck everyone in your daily struggles and re-training. Take some time for yourself even when work and family and obligations make you feel like you want to take the 7 min car ride instead of the 45 min walk to buy socks. Walk to the socks. You deserve the socks. 

[A_Lurker]

@_Lilac_ - I for one like your daily posts.  I tend to be a little less chatty most of the time but I like seeing your posts. Congratulations on meeting your goal!