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!

[RubyH]

Greetings all,

Age 64, Height 5'1"

USW June 2013 84kg or 185.2 lbs

This Challenge

SW Sept 5  57.9kg or 127.7 lbs

PW Sep 10 56.7kg or 125 lbs

PW Sep 25 55.1kg or 121.5 lbs

PW Sep 30 54.1kg or 119.3 lbs

PW Oct 8    55.2kg or 121.7 lbs

PW Oct 15  55.1kg or 121.5 lbs

PW Oct 22  55kg or 121.3 lbs

PW Oct 29   54.7kg or 120.6 lbs

My goal was to stay around 55kg but it looks like my body prefers to be around 54kg, finding a daily Carb level is difficult when your exercise levels vary so much but I am very happy how far I've come with a LCHF diet and with being able to maintain it within + or - a kilo.

Keep up the good work everyone, the struggle is worth it. Best wishes all and look forward to seeing you all in the next challenge.

[DJC_63]

@RubyH Congrats on hitting your goal! It must feel good.

[A_Lurker]

---

@A_Lurker wrote:

USW: 407.0
CSW: 288.6 (Labour Day)
PW: 276.2 (10/16/16)
CW: 274.4 (-1.8)
GW: 275.8 (Halloween) <---MET IT!
LT: 2.25 lbs/week for 38 weeks

---

So, welcome to maintenance week. This is something a friend of mine tried talking to me in a while back. He's very into weight lifting (used to compete on the bodybuilding side) and he's a big fan of a complete rest week. I have a hard time embracing it. Some do a cheat day, or a no count day, but I firmly believe in working in what you want instead of picking one day where nothing is off limits. Also, depending on how much of a deficit you have I can easily see that one day side-tracking people for the week. So, roughly every 16 weeks I decided that I would eat everything that the Fitbit says I burn. Why 16 weeks? Well, the recommendation was 3 or 4 times a year, so this ends up being almost exactly 3 times. I did this back in July and actually ended up down 0.2 lbs during 10 days of doing this. Why the maintenance week? To convince my body that I'm not really trying to starve it to death. I mean, really, think about it. I live day in and day out on roughly 1000 calories less than it burns. I'm giving it, and me, a little break.

I put it in my calendar for the next one and just continued on. It came up on Friday night and I decided to try and do a better job this time. I'm actually finding it a struggle. The idea is to relax both the exercise and eating. Friday and yesterday I did manage to relax on the eating, but didn't drop the exercise. Today I'm going to try and do both. Mainly because eating 3500 calories a day is rough (without simply adding junk food, which I try not to do).

I also made an investment in my health yesterday. I spent way too much money in a semi-local fitness place to complete my home gym. In a couple of weeks I have an elliptical, a rowing machine and an infrared sauna being delivered. I actually loved the rower but I'm not sure it will raise my heart rate up high enough. The guy showing me the equipment started me on the lowest and went up to the highest to show me the resistance. I did pretty well for someone who had never even sat on one before. As for the elliptical - I'm pretty sure my 4 mins in the peak zone was while I was trying two of them out. Hindsight I should have probably started exercise mode before I went in so I would have a heart rate tracking. The sauna... okay, I admit I'm just buying it for relaxation. Except for one (unbiased) article from the Mayo Clinic that says perhaps it has some benefit most of the glowing articles are from people who sell them.

So I'm calling that purchase an indulgence. It means that I've depleted my FU account. When I worked for myself, the first year I had to borrow money from my parents at the end of the year. I had probably 5000 in billables outstanding, not realizing yet that too many large companies play games at the end of each quarter and year. After that I put 25% into a separate account that I could use during those time frames. When I went back to work full time I made a point to keep at least 6 months salary in some form of liquid asset that I could pull from if needed. Until yesterday I had access to liquid assets that would have kept me going for maybe even a couple of years of unemployment. So, it's not as large an amount now, but still enough to keep me going for a while if needed.

I won't have the equipment for a little over 2 weeks (my choice as I'm making some changes in the house that won't be done until Nov 12th). I'm already thinking of what I'm going to do with my new toys. Yes, I'm counting the rower and the elliptical in there too.

So my weight for this week is from Friday morning. I haven't decided if I'm going to log my weights this week. Yesterday I was up 1.4 pounds, but today I'm back down most of that. If I trusted myself to eat enough I wouldn't log my food either. Maybe that's the goal for the next time... and even (gasp) take off the fitbit for a week. Hmmm... probably not.

USW: 407.0
CSW: 360.0 (Feb 2016)
PW: 274.4 (10/23/16)
CW: 272.0 (-2.2) <-- 10/28
GW: 275.8 (Halloween) <---MET IT!
LT: 2.26 lbs/week for 39 weeks

[_Lilac_]

Ok, who is starting the new challenge? I'm ready to sign up! @A_Lurker, I know you are taking a week off but I'd better see you signed up!! I'd miss you too much if you weren't there. 

[A_Lurker]

 @_Lilac_I signed up for the Christmas Weight Loss Challenge today.  It is pinned to the top and it seemed like we might as well join that one.  If I'm wrong and someone is going to start another topic I can join that one too.  I usually post in the Weekly thread as well, although it seems quieter, but for me more appropriate as I'll be around for quiet a while.

[_Lilac_]

It might not be so quiet if I join!!! ahahahaha. Was @Bobbinyc going to start one from Halloween to American Thanksgiving? (I think she said she was)  I'll join whatever. I'm raring to go.

[Bobbinyc]

The Halloween to Thanksgiving (U.S.) Challenge has been started!  

Can't wait to see all of you there!  And I mean all of you  ( I see a few of you hiding!)

It lasts just less than 4 weeks so we have to stay very focused, no procrastinating.  Set your goals realistically, and practice those good habits, before the rest of the holidays are upon us.

 Where did September and October go??

[Bobbinyc]

My body has gone back into refusing-to-lose-weight mode.  I have weeks where I walk a lot, am very active, eat incredibly well, etc. and weeks where ...well..not so much.  And my weight stays the same.  I think I may be defying science here.  

Watch, when I finally do lose these extra 30 40 50 pounds, I won't be able to do maintenance at all!  

[_Lilac_]

To get in the mood, I'm going to lace up my shoes and jog on over to the new challenge!! 

[debb21]

didn't reach my goal, in fact, didn't lose any weight.  I will be joining the next challenge.  I want to lose 10

[SunsetRunner]

I love reading about the details of your day/s, Lilac.  Very real and motivating for me.Your ups and downs are relateable, and love your humor as well.  Congratulations on your losses this challenge!!!  I didn't do as well, but will will see you around in the next one.  I begin the LCHF way of eating tomorrow.  This is such a difficult time of the year for me as it is for a lot of us. 

[khreed]

@debb21 I haven't weighed in yet, but if I lost a pound, I'm lucky -- so I sympathize. What's interesting is that it has actually been a good couple of months. I've fought the demons, continued to exercise, started two new medications (which is why I'm typing this at 3:28 am -- can't sleep), but I haven't given up. I'll be there with you during the next challenge.

[DJC_63]

@Bobbinyc  I think you are defying science. I know, it's frustrating. What might shake up your body?  I keep thinking that there has to be something.

For myself I think I'm going to up my exercise game in every way that I can think of. Do more overall, do different kinds of exercise, do more weights/more reps/whatever just to change something. I'm thinking maybe if I confuse my body by not doing the same thing maybe something will change.

[DJC_63]

@khreed  I wish that you had lost the weight that you wanted to lose, but I'm glad that I'll see you back in the next challenge.  I'll be there, too.

[IamRBrown]

Final weigh in for this challenge...

Original starting weight (2015):  207

Current weight (10/3/16):  185

Current weight (10/13/16)  181  look at me go this week!  I think I needed that break where I just worked on maintaining...

Goal by Halloween 2016:  180 

Halloween - 180... so, I hit my goal & held it - I call that progress.

Now if I can just drop a few more before Thanksgiving...  just a few... If I stick with my diet (not really a diet, but modified eating) and do not get sidetracked by life, it will happen.

Ruth

[khreed]

Well, here is my "official" status for the challenge.

188.4 on 9/02

186.6 on 10/31

Loss 1.8 lbs. 

I've done a LOT of up and down these past two months -- on to the next challenge.

[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)

Week 7 - 258.5 -4 lbs (-15.5 total) GOOOAAAALLLL!!!

GW -  260

UGW - 160

This week I decided to not eat sweets. My goal was zero but I ended up sneaking a few in. I think that was the edge that I needed to get me to my goal. This was a fun challenge, everyone! Thanks for sharing your stories!

[klan7044]

Okay last post, I haven't posted in weeks. It has been draining the past
couple weeks. One of our hedgehogs (one we took in when a owner gave him
up) has developed paralysis in his hind legs and it has been getting a lot
worse the past couple weeks where we decided to take him to the vet. We got
the news to pretty much make him comfortable because the causes of the
paralysis would most likely be the cause of his death and not worth
treatment. So we have been taking care of him. Then our water heater went
out this past week. So we had a few days of no hot water and forking up
some money for that. Lol so there was no working out during then unless you
have the ability to take cold showers, which we do not! Even with the
hiatus and of course not staying away from junk food this week (Halloween
candy I plan on getting rid of tonight) I managed to get or keep my weight
down at 166.8 today. My goal was 170lbs and I got it rather early. Hoping
to challenge myself a little more next challenge. I need something to keep
me motivated during the holidays.

--
Kari M. Landis

[Cele21]

Final posting for this challenge:

USW = 215

SW =211.8

LW = 214.6 (Last weigh-in weight)

CW = 214.2

GW = 205.0

UGW = 140

Gained on this challenge but I have a plan for November. Back to basics. I have hovered at the same weight (give or take 8 lbs) since I joined Fitbit 2 3/4 years ago. Obviously haven't been pushing myself so my November goal is to make my daily steps and drink my 64 oz of water and try to get a little more regular on my sleep habits. Kids have a set bed time - so should I.

See you in the next challenge!

[nmroadrunner]

Hi Everyone!

I feel really good as we finish up this challenge. I lost 7.4 pounds! That's a bit short of my goal but I'm thrilled. Today, I have an appointment with my cardiologist and I'll see what he has to say. Unfortunately, the cardiologist I had been with for years has retired from practice and I'm seeing the new one for the first time, so I have no history with him. I know my previous cardiologist would be very pleased.

So here are my stats:

USW  199

CSW  178.8

CW     171.4

GW     170

UGW <150

On to the next challenge. Keep on stepping!