Mother's Day Challenge. Lose 20 by Mother's Day! Who is with me?

[Shelley]

Being involved in a challenge helps keep me motivated and it seems like it works for others too.  It also helps to have a goal and a deadline to get there.  Let's all get healthier for ourselves and for our families.  Let's do this for our kids, or our grandkids, or for our own mothers as well as for ourselves.  Come join me and let's do this!

[Greentree]

Yep, got on the scale this AM. Yep, UP 2.6 lbs. I swear TRYING makes it worse. I am going to lay off for a week or so and see if I don't lose it. depressing.

[nicholel412]

Hoping its not too late to join this challenge.  I'm not on the site everyday but I need a definitive goal.  I often say that I want to be a great example for my girls so this challenge seems appropriate!

[kmr2014]

How old are your girls?  Everything I do, good or bad, I realize I'm having an influence.  Trying to stay more on the good side....  Mine is 13 and has been getting up at 6:15 to do the elliptical a few mornings a week, brings soup, salad, or a lettuce wrap to school....  but still loves baking and enjoying those treats.

[Shelley]

Congrats Dana, Bev, Formerly Fit, and Brook Marie on your weight losses.  

Welcome Nicole!

Greentree, just want to encourage you to look at the gain as part of the journey of learning what works and what doesn't work.  

As I have been on this weight loss journey, I have discovered that it is a learning process about me.  I am learning what works and doesn't work for me personally because it seems that we are not all the same.  So I look at my food log and my exercise and try to see if there is anything that might be interfering with my goals or might be the cause of retaining fluid.  I know I am struggling with being patient right now but my belief is that we need to give ourselves time and be kind to ourselves as we go through this journey of learning about ourselves.  Sometimes the barriers are about self discipline but not always.  For me, a lot of the time it has just been ignorance about what really works.  I have been learning by trial and error.  A lot of people say it is all calories in vs. calories out but I don't think that is the whole story.  I gain sometimes even when there is a calorie deficit.  And sometimes I lose when there isn't a calorie deficit.  Not all calories are the same.  Grains definitely interfere with my weight loss but beans do not.  Both are high in carbs.  Turns out that beans are high in resistant starch which keeps you from absorbing all of the calories but you get a lot of good nutrition from them and the fiber is very filling and excellent for our digestive system.  Salt is another big factor.  Salt makes us retain fluid but it is also a flavor enhancer that turns on the dopamine system in the brain and will literally make you want to eat more.  Sugar does the same thing.  I seem to be extremely sensitive to sugar and if I eat it, I will be much hungrier and want to snack all night.  But that doesn't happen if I eat salt.  I will retain fluid if I eat salt, though.

Dana, you were right.  I did lose that pound I gained overnight.  It probably was sodium. 

Well, everyone have a good week and keep stepping!

[Greentree]

Thanks for the encouragement, Shelley!!

[Elansc]

Well I am up 0.1 lbs this week BUT I learned something... I need to watch my sodium intake -- it was WAY over myfitnesspal recommended maximum every day this week.  So thanks to "you" I am not going to fret about it and just watch my sodium for the next week to see... hopefully it is not a coincidence.   Shelley is so right -- this is an exploration in learning what works for "me"  -- I feel like the last year has been one big (-63 lbs) experiment.  But I am learning about what I need to do to be healthy (not just skinnier but that is a welcome effect of getting healthier 😉

Wasn't all bad this week -- I lost 0.1 % body fat and met my step goal twice, almost three times this week -- didn't realize how close I was to 10000 steps.  Managed to keep my weekly average above 7500 and I am getting back into the routine!

LOVED the crock pot freezer meals idea!  Wish I had read the post before I went grocery shopping this week.  I am definitely going to figure out a few meals to make (I am vegetarian and I need meals that take 7-9 hours on low) and next weekend I will put it all together. 

Signing off -1.5 of 20 and counting!

[Chemjenny]

Ugh, sick, and not getting nearly enough steps in. Overall I'm down 2 lbs since the start, which is good.

[SunsetRunner]

So glad to see so many people taking steps to get healthier!

Thought I'd share a bit of my story with you guys since I have a few added difficulties when it comes to losing weight.
For starters, I've always been chubby. Even as a fairly active kid and doing sports minimum twice a week through my early teens.
By tomorrow (weigh in day) I'm hoping to be down 2kg (~4.4lbs?) from my start a couple of weeks ago. I'm ecstatic about this as I was going for a 500 calorie deficit a day and barely making it. I weight myself most days to keep up with fluctuations, but only log and measure on Mondays.
I try to eat as healthy as I can, but I tell myself I can have whatever I want as long as my calorie goals are met. This way, I won't break down and go on a binge or anything. If I want something sweet, I'll have a lollipop or a square of chocolate or something. Everything in moderation basically. Saturday I even allow myself a bowl of chips if I feel like it.
My breakfasts are usually eggs and a strip of bacon, while I usually have salmon or some variation of chicken for both lunch and dinner as I only have to make it once.
And I drink ridiculous amounts of water...

Exercise wise I do... nothing. Or I do, but most people take these things for granted. My exercise consists of doing dishes, hanging up the laundry, cleaning the apartment and hopefully taking a short, slow walk (max 20 minutes).
I would love to get out and run or get some strength training done, but truth to be told, I can't. See I live my life in pain. Half an hour of shoveling powder snow off the driveway and I might be in pain for days. I did this just a week ago and it's just not worth doing hard exercise if I can't repeat it or maintain it.
I used to work at a place where I had to stand on my feet all day but I was in great pain every day and one day I couldn't take it anymore. After a year of basically doing nothing, my condition got worse, to the point where I am today.
My options were simple in terms of "what now", cause my doctor told me the two ways to manage the pain is painkillers or to train up my body slowly (I have been forbidden to run, even though I used to enjoy it once).
I can do hard work, but I choose not to. It's not worth it.
What is this condition? They call it muscle pain and nothing more. I have many symptoms related to fibromyalgia, but I'm a tender point short of it. It's a good thing I guess, though.

I hope that I can keep my weight loss going until I can start getting some proper exercise in. It's gonna take me a long time to get to the point where I can actually do something that feels like exercise, but I've been thinking of trying out some slow yoga.
Any yoga people out there, feel free to give up some secrets or tips.

Sorry for this humongous post. I'll try to keep things shorter from now on. 🙂

[Marsha31]

This sounds like something that I can do with the support.

[formerlyfit]

Being sick sucks.  It is hard to be motivated when you feel like sleeping.  I am down 6.6 pounds since Wednesday and I know that is unlikely to happen often.  But I am happy it did.  I am a salt nut and trying so hard to go cold turkey with no added salt.  There seems to be so much added sodium in almost everything.  I was surprised by the amount of sodium in eggs.

I hope everyone is enjoying a nice quiet Sunday.

[Mykkisu]

Down 3.8 pounds since last Sunday and 9.6 since December 30. I know it's going to slow down at some point, but I am loving these numbers! I'm running/walking my first 5k next Saturday and can not wait!

[formerlyfit]

Congrats on those numbers.  Doing a 5K is pretty impressive whether you are walking or running.  Keep it up!

[Ann3601]

Hi Everyone!

Well I started off strong reaching 10,000 steps and going to the gym....until I hurt my foot and couldn't walk!! It seems to be healing but I'm going to get into a pool to swim. Hopefully my foot will heal and I can get back on track! I have been doing ok with portion control but could do better. My next update should be better. : D

[Shelley]

Ann, so sorry to hear about your foot.  Good for you that you are substituting another form of movement until you can get back on track with steps.  Will send good vibes your way for speedy recovery.

Mykkisu, good job on your numbers!  You are doing awesome!  Look forward to hearing how your first 5K goes.  One of these days, I hope I can say I am doing my first 5K too but not quite ready to sign up for one.  Maybe when the weather is warmer!

Elansc, I am with you on getting healthier, not just skinnier.  I am at "that age" now where I really am going to pay some hefty prices if I do not get my self in shape both in terms of strength as well as my cardiovascular system, blood sugar and cholesterol.  My goal in losing weight is to get all the numbers back into the healthy range.  Once I lose this 20 I will only be 10 pounds from being in the healthy BMI range!  Exercise impacts everything!  

Chemjenny and Formerly Fit, sorry to hear you are both sick.  Get well soon!

Alastra, don't give up hope.  I was in chronic pain with myofascial pain for 10 years and I am mostly pain free now.  Just like I was saying about the weight loss being a process of learning what works for each individual, I came to the same conclusion about my chronic pain.  My story is that I spent years seeing various doctors but none of them helped me.  It wasn't until I started trying alternative health strategies that I had any success.  I had to give up the pain medication and go with alternative care providers to get well.  My pain management doctor told me that as long as I took hydrocodone for the pain I would never get well because it changes your brain and makes it continue to send out those pain signals even when you are healed.  I encourage you to try the yoga out and do stretching daily.  Don't let the pain make you give up.  I got scared of moving and stopped all exercise.  I am sure it made me worse.  When I decided to start seeing alternative practitioners, I started seeing a Myofascial Release (MFR) body worker who was very helpful and he got me started doing yoga too.  When I was in pain daily, I would start the day with a hot bath to relax my muscles then stretch for an hour as well as doing some restorative yoga postures.  It helped.  But what I didn't know was that I had patterns of holding and bracing my muscles that I was not consciously doing.  Stress and trauma can cause this.  I had help to release those patterns.  I saw a Somatic Experiencing practitioner but you may not have one of those where you live.  If not, I have also heard that Feldenkraus therapy can help.    You can also buy the book, Freedom from pain by Peter Levine and Maggie Phillips with some self help strategies and guided practices.  Certain dietary things can also sometimes help.  Thyroid is often involved.  Do you know if you have Hashimoto's thyroiditis?  Many people with Fibromyalgia and Myofascial Pain syndrome have the Hashimoto's antibodies.  You could ask to be tested with a blood test to see if you have it.  Giving up gluten helps some people.  It took 10 long years but I finally found a way out of it.  I couldn't even walk around the grocery store due to pain when it was at it's worst and now I can walk for an hour up and down hills.   I hope your journey leads you to find what works for you too.

[formerlyfit]

I am not sick, sorry for the confusion.  I was just commenting that it sucks to be sick.  I am plugging away at my diet and got 10,000 steps in yesterday.   I did some weight training (free weights) yesterday with very low weight (5 pounds) and boy am I ever weak.  But today I am kinda sore. 

It is nice to read some of the comments that people have for each other.  We all want each other to do well.  I thank you for the words of encouragement and I hope we all meet our goals in a safe and sane way.

Lana

[Chicklet]

I have decided to make Monday the day I post my progress for the week.  Up .2 over the week end.  Not complaining, that is a really good week end for me.

A little about me (sorry). I have had my fit bit for almost 3 years, it has really helped me to be more acitve.

I usually try to walk 10,000 steps a day but really fell off the wagon about the 1st of November.  I am trying to get back there.  I started out at 6,000 a day and this week will try 7,500 a day.  I am working back up slowly as i am 63 years old.

The fit bit help me to lose about 20 pounds and now I have gained 8 back over the holidays.

I am going to try my best to be down 20 by Mother's Day and I know this group will help. I have a big incentive, a trip to Europe this summer. My son is a choir director at a high school and his choir is singing at the Vatican and touring for 2 weeks and my hubby and I get to go along.

It will be a lot easier to walk around the sights 20 less.

I wish you all the best in your weight loss journey.

One thing  my fit bit has done for me is kept my moving 8,300,758 steps since May 2011.

Have a good week everyone and I look forward to reading all of your posts.

Bev C

"No matter how slow you go you are still lapping everybody on the couch"

[LGI0524]

I've designated Wednesday mornings as my weigh in day, so I don't know exactly what kind of progress I've had over this week. But the good news is I put on a pair of pants this morning that were too tight two weeks ago, and now they are looser!!

[formerlyfit]

Amazing results  Bev!  Christmas is such an easy time to gain weight. I have found that it is more enjoyable if you allow yourself to eat a little more of the treats during this time.  Especially when you are with family.   I did my first 10,000 steps yesterday and it is alot harder than I thought it was going to be.  Today, I parked my car far away so I would have to walk much more to get here.  Every little bit counts right?

[Shelley]

Whoo hoo, LG!  That is awesome!  Keep up the good work!

Lana, glad to hear you are NOT sick!  I bet everyone else got that you were being empathic except me!  Ha Ha!  Oooh, that sounds like you did some good work with those weights.  Soreness = building up new muscle, right?  And congrats on doing your first day of 10K steps!

Bev, thanks for sharing about yourself.  You are on your way to getting back to 10K steps.

Well, you all know that I have said I weigh everyday but my "official" day for counting my weekly loss is on Friday.  But just have to share, I am at a new low today.  Finally working off the 20 instead of just trying to get back to where I was on Christmas day.  I am so thrilled because I am also officially "overweight" now instead of "obese" according to BMI!  Yea!  I am expecting to have good news on Friday at to how much of the 20 is gone.  Now, gotta make sure I get a walk in before I go to work!  Have a great stepping day everyone!

[craziness]

Alrighty than... My daughter came home from college and left today so I wasn't able to put my training manual together so I will start logging everything next Sunday. I have been really busy and not getting much sleep... I know...BAD!!! I will get back on track tomorrow and will be checking in regularly... Which means, good night everyone, I have to get some rest.