Labour Day to Halloween 2015 Challenge

[Mermaid3011]

Hi everybody! This is a group with awesome people and we all have the same goals! We may have different ways to get there, so please keep the thread friendly so we can all enjoy the journey!

We are starting on Labour Day - September 4 and will be ending this challenge on Halloween October 31. 

I know you will all give your best - just remember: keep your goals achievable and HAVE FUN!!!

Looking forward to seeing you all succeed!

Birgit

[Bobbinyc]

@saraj91  I love your expressions "bits and bobs".   It is difficult on weekends away from home - much harder to plan.  If I really can't plan or control the food, despite bringing snacks, I make sure to walk a lot more.  Let us know what ideas you come up with and how you do.

[saraj91]

@Bobbinyc I like the sound of having some healthy nut mixes handy. Will grab some & create some snack bags for the week to have in the car/my bag. Almonds, pecans, peanuts & cashews are yummy.

How about rice cakes or some fresh fruit in a Tupperware container for the day? Problem is getting the fruit to last if its not chilled.

[awood08]

@saraj91

I always have popcorn (25 calories per popped cup) & granola bars (90 calories) handy lol I know it sounds weird but it keeps me full if I get the urge to snack. Also when we have family get togethers (where food is always involved) I eat with them, if we go to a chain restaurant or sometimes a restaurant that doesn't have any healthy options I like (like our favorite local Japanese Hibachi steakhouse) I always eat the food. There you get a ton of food; salad, soup, noodles, fried rice, veggies, choice of meat. I immediately upon receiving my food ask for a to go box and box up most of it. That way it avoids me picking around on my plate. I will then spread that out over the course of two more meals at home. It turns out to be a win win.

Thanksgiving is coming and it's simple for me, I will have my turkey with no dressing, and proportion my sizes to fit on a 9 inch plate. And I will have only one plate. As opposed to the 3 plates I use to eat 😕

[awood08]

@SarahM

I was interested in Chris Powell's carb cycling program as well but I honestly could not keep up with the low carb high carb variance day to day. What I do for the most part is keep myself on a low carb day for the majority of the week and have one day where I have more wheat and rice. It seems when I do this I have better results, almost like my body is getting a reset every few days so it doesn't get bored with the same calorie & food intake.

[saraj91]

@awood08 Popcorn is one of my absolute favourites. There is a snack bag I get for work that I have in my lunches sometimes that are less than 100 calories which is good. 

You're way of making the meals last longer than the 1 sitting is a great idea! We have a few dinners/lunches planned so will be a good idea to not stuff myself at the meal just because I'm there & save some for later.

[awood08]

Awesome @saraj91 I hope you can enjoy those dinners/lunches! I honestly think of it as sort of a treat when I go into the fridge the next day and see my leftover food. Plus the cost savings is pretty great. Pay $15 for a meal at a restaurant and have it last 3 different times, that's $5 a meal lol

I never knew loosing weight would make me a penny pincher too! haha

[Bobbinyc]

These are all great ideas.  I have found twice now that when the scale got stuck, I ate a bit because I felt disouraged - nothing unhealthy, just a bit more carbs- and the scale then moved.  Could be coincidence, who knows.

So many of these diets are not based on any science.  Each celeb, and wanna be celeb comes up with some gimmick to make money on.  They all work for a tiny bit of time, and then they don't work.  I think by now most of us know what healthy eating is, and that works.  To me the hard part isn't how many of each food as much as how to handle different situations, like restaurants, travelling, family marathon meals, as well as how to handle emotional eating and changing all the little habits to become healthier (like drinking more water, no soda, being more active, etc)  For some, that is a lot of new habits to form and be vigilant about.  That's harder work than the latest diet magic.

[debbriko]

@saraj91, @bobbyinyc I have Tupperware style dishes that actually came with ice packs that snap right into the lids. You store the ice packs in the freezer and when you are using them you just snap it in and off you go ☺ keeps your food chilled....

[debbriko]

Todays my weigh in day.. Not a huge drop but at least I am down a pound 😊 hmmm I was up 2.4 last week so 1.4 to go and I will be back where I started this challenge lol oh well never give up right 😊 it will be better when the heat finally lets up.. Seriously? It's almost October and it's 97 degrees outsde....

[pcobb8]

Sorry I have been awahy guys.  Started that new job this week and I have been incredibally busy.    Here is my late post from this week

USW  327 lbs 05/17/15
CSW  282.4 09/04/15

CW    279.5 9/27/15
GW - 265 10/31/15

I drop 2.9 lbs in the last 10 days.   It has been hard with all the traveling.  i hope to be here more after this next week. 

[viny2242]

USW=220

CSW=215

GW==198

UGW=180

CW==203

Lost 2 lbs. last week feeling good changing GW to 198 for this challenge. 

[SarahM]

Thanks for the comments about the CP plan I had read everyone!  I agree that all thigs considered I do just need to eat healthy meals and exercise and things should work out. I have been working at this since 2012 and have really stalled over the past year so I am looking to move to the next level.   I quite like to have specific guidelines about what the healthiest choice is sometimes.  I find it forces me to pay more attention to what I am eating and doing and make sure that it is actually the best choice possible.  

Apart from that I had a GREAT weekend!  Typically I have a problem with cheating as soon as friday rolls around.  However this weekend I kept to my plan and ate really well the whole time.  I had Sunday as a bit of a reward day.  However we planned what our indulgences would be and kept a reasonable limit on it.  I am also happy with last week over all because I did all my weights workouts and running!  I feel really good about it!

[awood08]

USW: 235

PW: 202

CW: 200

GW: 195

UGW: 175

I'm officially down 35 pounds which is great, but these past few days have been a battle of my emotions. Physically I have never felt better, emotionally i'm struggling. Alot of personal issues going on at home. I've never been this unhappy in my life which I thought could never happen after being so overweight, I'm trying to keep motivated but it's very, very hard. It seems like now that I'm doing better for myself, my marriage is falling apart. Sorry to spew my bad vibes 😞

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and keeps kicking butt this week!

[nyx425]

Start weight: 260 on June 16, 2015

Current weight: 217 (9/28/15)

Goal by 10/31/15: 200

Ultimate goal: 140 by April 2016

wow... i don't know what I did differently this week. I have been occupied by a lot of things going on in my life and I think that really kept me from snacking... the only times that I ate were when I was hungry enough to snap out of what was occupying me. 

Anyway.. 5 pounds down and I will very happily take it!

[wannabeme]

Good Morning!  After two weeks in Italy I thought that I would have a lot of work to do to re-loose what I already lost.  Oh happy day, I haven't lost anything, but I didn't gain anything either. 

CSW 140.6

CW  140.6

GW  135

UGW  128

[wannabeme]

@awood08  Hang in there.  I understand what you are going through, and if you want the marriage to work, dig in your heels and fight.  The hardest battle I have fought is to save my marriage, but it is so worth it.  Positive thoughts going your way.

Spoiler

[awood08]

@wannabeme 

Thank you so much! 7 years of marriage and two kids is definitely too much for me to lose, I think he will realize that too but he has to figure it out himself 🙂

[SarahM]

@awood08 I am sending you positive thoughts as well! Hope you feel better soon.  Don't let this derail you from your healthy goals.  

I am changing my WI day from Wednesday to Tuesday, just for the sake of my schedule.  So I guess I am going from "Weigh In Wednesday" to "Take your Weight Tuesday"  So here are my stats for today:

USW: 189 11/01/2012

CSW: 170 09/15/2015

CW:167.8 09/29/2015

GW:160 10/31/2015

So I am down two pounds in the 2 weeks since I started this challenge!  I am super happy with that.  I am crediting the fact that I actually had an in control weekend!  That is a huge win for me.  Today, I need to do a 20 minute HIIT run and a weights workout.  (Keeping myself accountable here)  

Have a great day everyone!

[Bobbinyc]

@awood08  so sorry for what you are going through.  I know how awful that can be.

That said, I do have a few suggestions.  Take all of the awful feelings and channel them into determination to have a good life no matter what.  Your kids need you more than ever and they need a great role model of a woman who can feel things deeply and still take good care of herself.  I used to eat my stress and learned to walk whenever I felt bad, even if just around the block.  It gave me energy, instead of depleting me.

Also, I strongly recommend taking your husband to a marriage counselor.  He doesn't have to like it, but even if he doesn't want to work on the marriage, it's important for the kids.  Make sure the person has post-graduate training in marital therapy.  Any therapist can do couples counseling, but you need someone who is great at it. 

Get as much support as you can.  Friends, aquaintances, professional.  Make sure you are legally protected.  Make up a mantra that you start each day with - something that will remind you that you matter enormously and that your main job is to take care of yourself.  

You will get through this.  Either your marriage will become better than ever, or you will become better.  But it is a grieving process too, no matter how it goes.  And it is a shock to the system.  That calls for you nourishing yourself in a healthy loving way.

And do not ever apologize for talking about your struggles.  We all have them.  

Keep us posted.  I'll be thinking of you.

[auroram]

So I am back form Vacation and rarin to get back on track. I am not going to track my weight for a week because I refuse to focus on the scale rather than my determination and fitness goals after 2 weeks on vaca! BUT I am still resolved to get my weight down and I have over 31 days to go, so I am psyched and ready to challenege myself. Hit the ground walkin 😉 with over 8k steps so far! Continuing good luck to everyoine will post my current weight next Tuesday !