New Year 2018 to Valentine's Day Challenge

[_Lilac_]

Welcome to the newest challenge! We are celebrating our scaled and non-scaled victories and progress. Following are some acronyms typically used by those who post. Some of us also track body fat or measurements, please add those as you wish.

USW - Ultimate start weight

SW - starting weight for the challenge

CW - current weight 

PW - previous week's weight

GW - goal weight for the challenge

UGW- ultimate goal weight

I hope everyone had successful and fun winter holidays. Many of us are continuing on or beginning again or newly starting our healthy journeys. Big reminders...have FUN, enjoy life, laugh every day, stay positive, drink your water, move your butt, come share with us.

To join, please simply post and you are in! Have a great time, let's get this going!

[Cele21]

@_Lilac_ - Sorry to hear about losing the YMCA membership! You do so well at the pool! Hope things turn around enough financially for you to be able to re-join in the future.

Everyone else - Welcome and welcome back! It helps me most when I can get involved or follow chats and discussions so don't be shy and post often.

[jaidas.lotus]

I am starting my lifestyle change today and have decided that this challenge is a great motivator.

USW: 199.6

SW: 199.6

CW:199.6

GW: 192

UGW: 145

I look forward to participating with all of you and wish you all the best successes possible for your goals.

[erinwdesign]

WRT exercising without the gym, most of my exercise comes from hiking. I do a short one (50 minutes) in a park by my house most days, and try to get a longer more challenging hike in on Sundays. It's the exercise I can enjoy for the longest period of time, and my sunday hikes often result in a calorie burn of 1500+. New Year's Eve we did this one and it was a real leg-buster: https://modernhiker.com/hike/hiking-placerita-canyon-firebreak-trail/

I might go a little easier on myself this week since I added spinning and yoga to the mix, but we'll see. Maybe I'll do more of a distance hike with a little less gain since my legs haven't stopped being sore all week! Anyway, I highly recommend hiking both for the workout and the head-clearing aspect. You won't even miss the gym.

[_Lilac_]

@Jasmine333 There are soooo many videos on youtube. That's where I access the Leslie Sansone videos, which are fantastic for beginners. They do not involve bouncing around, complicated steps or unrealistic goals. I have a computer attached to my livingroom tv so access the internet from there. Very handy for floor space to move around. 

I attempted to take the dogs for a walk but we have an ice-world out there right now. I got to the end of my driveway and about ten feet then returned. It would be much too dangerous to walk outside. The city is cutting back on salting the roads due to the local road salt plant shutting down and they have to ship it in from out of province, which is more expensive. We have such severe weather here that they just can't do that. If I fell, I'd break something so I'm not taking the risk. I'm 288 lbs..not safe. 

I'm still working on moving furniture around to get my treadmill into proper working position. Gotta get my sweat on!

[jys5173]

Hey everyone, 

I'm in my 5th year of teaching and it is about time I put myself back on my list of priorities. Before becoming a teacher I loved running half marathons and kick boxing. I moved to an area that lacks a running community and does not have a kick boxing gym, but lucky for me I have a treadmill and yoga videos. How often should we be weighing ourselves? 

USW - Ultimate start weight: 194.5lbs

SW - starting weight for the challenge: 194.5lbs

CW - current weight: 184.5lbs

PW - previous week's weight: 197.0lbs

GW - goal weight for the challenge: 170lbs

UGW- ultimate goal weight: 150lbs

[Rgrim]

Thank you for starting this. 

SW 193

GW 180

UGW 175

[AngieFunk]

USW - 260.6

SW - 260.6

CW - 259.8 

PW - 259.2

GW - 250

UGW- 170

[lynda604]

I'm in, got to get back on track after Christmas and New Years....

USW - Ultimate start weight                             196

SW - starting weight for the challenge            181

CW - current weight                                         181

PW - previous week's weight                           179.6

GW - goal weight for the challenge                 171

UGW- ultimate goal weight                              164 (for now)

Good luck everyone!

[khreed]

I am amazed at how similar our stats and goals are. I hope we can both stay
motivated.

[MarilynL]

Hello all

New to this forum and want to also join the challenge. I am 5'4"

USW        158.7 (Jan 2nd)

 SW/CW   154.3

GW loose 1 lb week ( forgot to count how many weeks till this challenge ends)

UGW       129-135

I wonder which way of eating everyone is doing? Don't know if one can discuss that on this forum? I am eating HFLC for this challenge.

[Cele21]

I weigh in on Saturdays and usually post on Mondays:

USW- 215.0 (2/4/14)

1stCSW- 211.4 (2/14/17) First Challenge Starting Weight

2ndCSW - 210.8 (4/18/17) Second Challenge Starting Weight

3rdCSW - 212.0 (5/31/17) Third Challenge Starting Weight

4thCSW - 209.8 (7/4/17) Fourth Challenge Starting Weight

5thCSW - 209.0 (9/04/17) Fifth Challenge Starting Weight

LCSW - 206.4 (10/31/17) Last Challenge Starting Weight

CSW - 212.4

LW- 212.4

CW- 210.0

GW- 200.0 (February14th)

UGW- 150

[erinwdesign]

"I wonder which way of eating everyone is doing? Don't know if one can discuss that on this forum? I am eating HFLC for this challenge."

This is a big issue and ultimately question mark for me. I lose weight easiest on low-carb but due to some health issues have had to go low-fat, which of course shifts the balance higher in carbs. So I'm now trying to do that magical ideal "balanced" diet where I don't eat too much fat, or too much sugar, or too much of anything really. Unlimited kale and chicken, that's pretty much what I've got to work with. 

[lynda604]

Hi...I think balance is the key...I try to eat lots of veggies (salads, make soups with all kind of vegetables), I add quinoa (1/2 c) to my salads, with protein (chicken, tuna, fish, turkey about 5-6 oz), was told by my nutritionist to eat something every 3 hours, so snacks are 3 celery sticks with 2 tbsp hummus, or an apple with 8 almonds, maybe a protein shake...It makes a BIG difference if I skip meals (I'm not a breakfast eater so I force myself to eat), I find if I don't eat then I want to pig out all night...if I eat throughout  the day I find I'm not inclined to want to ruin my diet by wanting to indulge in the evening. I make sure I exercise regularly, log my food...and I have a cheat meal once a week (I had a few of them over the holidays, more than one). For me I really try not to have this all or nothing attitude that I have had in the past which lead to failure, well I blew it or I gained a few pounds might as well just keep eating...I just get back on the horse if I blow it. I've lost 14 lbs in about 2 1/2 months (about 1-2 pounds a week, and occasionally there were some weeks where I lost nothing - or even gained), I really try not to get to discouraged by the scale.

Anyway my day will look like: 3/4 c. egg whites (with veggies, mushrooms, peppers, onions, 2 tbsp salsa and maybe a weight watchers wrap), snack apple with almonds (though I often don't snack in the morning), lunch: salad, with quinoa and chicken - dressing 2 tsp flax seed oil (or MCT oil) and 2 tsp balsamic vinegar; snack the apple w/almonds, dinner: fish, or chicken with oven roasted veggies (or I might have ground turkey with marinara sauce over butternut squash or sweet potage noodles - you can buy them already as noodles in the fresh veggie section) and in the evening I try not to eat but drink decaf green tea (or if I am hungry eat some frozen berries - feels like you're eating a popsicle). The nutritionist wants me to stay away from dairy, so I mostly do. Hope this helps...

Good luck!

[ucan2]

I am happy to be joining this group for the Valentine's Day Challenge.

Over 55, F, FITBIT FORCE2 Not a runner but love to walk and cycle.

I have not been active with exercise for a few months. Ready to begin again.

SW -146 lbs

GW -139 lbs  (by 2/14/18)

UGW - 125 lbs

Lisa in Houston

[lynda604]

I do it once a week, in the morning (before I eat)! Some do it more frequently, but I think it's easy to fluctuate and I don't want to be discouraged by the ups and downs over a week!

Good luck to you!

[_Lilac_]

Re: Discussion about food.

Everyone here does their own thing when it comes to food. There have not been many problems with discussion about it but I have seen a "I can't believe you eat THAT" sort of comment. As long as people are respectful, eat healthy, and do their research about healthy/unhealthy diets (there are so many fads), we should be okay about talking food. 

I eat very differently than a lot of people. And stuff some people eat while on a 'diet' I would never eat. I was a menace for the hospital nutritionist and the poor folks who brought my meal trays when I was in for two weeks. I'd get stuff I didn't order (such as sandwiches and puddings and cakes) so I had to dig into my own stash I'd brought and put in the room's mini-fridge. Fruit, cheese, yogurt, etc. I knew it would be an issue so I was prepared.

I cannot lose weight unless I move my butt. That's established. I can eat very few calories but won't lose until I get this body moving. My focus is on that, hence having my fitbit and working on my fitness.

So, having said that, I haven't been moving as much due to the extreme cold weather and then the snowstorm and now extreme cold again (It's currently -31F/-31C). I don't drive and depend on my feet or the city bus. My sister called yesterday and today to see if I wanted to meet her at the mall to walk laps. The mall is the worst for joint pain. I declined. But I did do 6200 steps worth of marching/stepping/jogging in my livingroom while watching tv. Bad weather is simply NOT an excuse. 

Ok, blah blah..talked enough. Have a great Sunday tomorrow everyone!!

[MarilynL]

Good luck with that! Balance is so difficult

[RachelShrinks]

@_Lilac_ You go girl! I'm sorry it's been so blasted cold up there. Here too, though nothing so bad (we've been playing with -6F most of the kids' winter break and they are TOTALLY stir crazy!).

My wife's health has declined over the last month or two and she's now on oxygen and can't walk far. I spend most of my days, it seems, going from doctor's appt to doctor's appt and pushing her wheelchair. Add the kids in, with me as de facto single parent, and I've not done much at all in far too long. 

Working on changing that now, though—I can't stay unfit and unwell forever, can I? The kids deserve one functioning parent. Also, I may have to start strapping my fitbit to my ankle—it doesn't pick up but half my steps when I'm pushing the wheelchair. We went to the Museum of Science and Industry last Saturday and our friend with us logged 8500 steps while I logged a measly 5000. We were not in different places.

Anyway, this week's stats...

USW (1/1/17): 194

Lowest weight since losing (8/17): 164

CSW (2/1/18): 191

CW (2/5/18): 190 (1 pound! Right on track!)

CG (2/14/18): 185 (still a pound a week, so still realistic)

Ultimate goal weight is 145, but 30# would get me back to where I was the last time I fell off the wagon.

[_Lilac_]

@RachelShrinks  Wow, your post reminds me so much of my experience. Terminally ill partner, oxygen, wheelchair, doctor appointments, treatments...it is almost impossible to take care of yourself when others depend on you so much. You need to do it though, because you are absolutely correct...you can't take care of others when you are unwell. You can do it, I can do it, WE can do it. 

I switched from a wrist worn fitbit to putting my blaze (it comes out of its wristband very easily) in my sock at my ankle. It still tracks my heart rate well and certainly gets my steps much more accurately than on the wrist. I found on the wrist it wouldn't pick up steps if I was carrying a grocery bag, my workout bag, pushing a shopping cart, etc etc. 

I did go walking laps at the mall with my mother and daughter today and then finished off my 10,000 steps by marching/walking in my livingroom while watching tv. I keep forgetting to track my food so I have to send myself a reminder note. Still stuck in my plateau though...so...*shrug*

[SparkleNoSweat]

I'm really excited to be doing this challenge! Hopefully this challenge will help hold me accountable.To reach my goal weight for the challenge I am going to track my calories and workout 5 times a week(mostly cardio). 

USW: 205

SW:203

CW:203

GW:195

UGW:175

HERE WE GO!