New Year to April Fools weight loss challenge, weekly weigh-in

[Dominique]

This is a spin-off of the venerable Weekly Weigh In topic that now has 2500+ posts spanning over four years and is therefore a bit crowded. The idea is the same: to provide accountability and motivation to fellow community members who wish to shed some weight over the next three months.

The rules are flexible: to report weight (and any other metrics) on a weekly basis (you can pick any day you like). I’ll personally report average weight for the previous week every Monday, starting next Monday (Dec-30, so technically not quite New Year). This coming week will provide the baseline/starting point.

I’ve been steadily gaining about 4 kg (8.8 lbs) over the Fall, from about 60 to almost 64 kg (141 lbs):

It’s now time to get back to a leaner level, ideally around 60 kg.

Is anyone else game for this?

[DaysxDesign]

1.5 lost this week. 10 lbs since January 6th. 

[Dominique]

@DaysxDesign : an average of 2 lbs per week over 5 weeks is impressive. Do you intend to sustain the same pace for the next two months?

[Dominique]

Goal: lose between 0.25 and 0.50 kg per week (i.e. down to 58-61 kg).

Week 0, 30-Dec-19: 64.0 kg, 2594 cal, 14.9k steps, 16.3%

Week 1, 6-Jan-20: 63.7 kg, 2781 cal, 16.8k steps, 16.2%, -0.36 kg

Week 2, 13-Jan-20: 63.3 kg, 2853 cal, 17.7k steps, 15.9%, -0.37 kg

Week 3, 20-Jan-20: 63.4 kg, 2901 cal, 20.0k steps, 15.9%, +0.09 kg

Week 4, 27-Jan-20: 62.6 kg, 3044 cal, 20.9k steps, 15.7%, -0.77 kg

Week 5, 3-Feb-20: 62.0 kg, 2685 cal, 15.8k steps, 15.9%, -0.59 kg

Week 6, 10-Feb-20: 61.8 kg, 2837 cal, 18.9k steps, 15.9%, -0.20 kg

Not much change during the past week (only -0.2 kg), but a loss is a loss, so I’ll take it. Total loss so far is 2.2 kg (-0.37 kg per week in average). We’re now half way through, so if I keep the same pace, total loss for the challenge will be 4.4 kg (I would be happy with that!).

[Kanga999]

Meanwhile:

Start weight - 98.8 kg (218 lbs)

Goal weight at end of this challenge - 94.3 kg (208 lbs)

Week 1 - 98.8 (fitbit average) (218 lbs)

Week 2 - 99.1 (only weigh in for days)

Week 3 - 98.3 (fitbit average)

Week 4 - 98.6 (fitbit average) (217.3 lbs) ----- TrendWeight 98.6 kg

Week 5 - 97.6 (fitbit average) (215 lbs) ----- TrendWeight 98.0 kg

Week 6 - 97.0 (fitbit average) (213.8 lbs) ----- TrendWeight 97.5 kg

So, with seven weeks to go, I think I am on target, (modest though my target is) particularly as I have been housebound due to rain the past three days.

[Kanga999]

Meanwhile:

Start weight - 98.8 kg (218 lbs)

Goal weight at end of this challenge - 94.3 kg (208 lbs)

Week 1 - 98.8 (fitbit average) (218 lbs)

Week 2 - 99.1 (only weigh in for days)

Week 3 - 98.3 (fitbit average)

Week 4 - 98.6 (fitbit average) (217.3 lbs) ----- TrendWeight 98.6 kg

Week 5 - 97.6 (fitbit average) (215 lbs) ----- TrendWeight 98.0 kg

Week 6 - 97.0 (fitbit average) (213.8 lbs) ----- TrendWeight 97.5 kg

So, with seven weeks to go, I think I am on target, (modest though my target is) particularly as I have been housebound due to rain the past three days.

[shm]

A little late posting.

Down 1.1 pounds this week.

Goal:  164

Week 0: 170 (1/1/2020)

Week 1: 169.3 (1/8/2020

Week 2: 169.0 (1/15/2020)

Week 3: 168.5 (1/22/2020)

Week 4: 167.0 (1/29/2020)

Week 5: 166.0 (2/5/2020)

Week 6: 164.9 (2/12/2020)

Total = 5.1 pounds lost

0.9 pounds to go … on track so far.

I continue to measure and log everything I eat. For me, it is helpful. I do tend to underestimate how much I am eating, forget that I’ve eaten something and then eat more than I should, and think that I can ignore the little handfuls of “nibbles.” I guess logging what I eat is just something I need to be doing.

Using my BMR and TDEE as a guide, I have been staying within a range of 1400-1600 calories a day. I thought I might be hungry but I’m not. I continue to walk 35 miles a week (average 5 miles a day) and added in some weight lifting and hiking.

[Kanga999]

@shmI am the same. I have to measure and log to keep things in check. And I try to be very honest. If I eat out at a restaurant it can be a bit frustrating as I cannot guestimate the calories/kilojoules very well, so I (hopefully) overestimate.

Well done with your progress 🙂

[Whyshoshoni]

My work and home schedule has been erratic and crazy, so I missed posting for the last couple of weeks. 

So far total loss of 2.5 lbs.  My loss has been slower than I want, approx .4 lbs per week.  My activity levels have been in range, so I know I need to focus on how much I’m eating, and should really get back to tracking to get a good picture of what I’m putting in my mouth.

1/1/2020 weight - 128.8 lbs,  4/1 goal weight - 122 lbs

1/1/2020 - 128.8 lbs 

1/8/2020 - 128.3 lbs
1/15/2020 - 127.3 lbs yippee!
1/22/2020 - 127.7 lbs, uh oh! Up .4 lbs since last week, but still minus 1.1 lb for 2020
1/24/2020 - 127.0 lbs 

2/14/2020 - 126.3 lbs

1/22 through 2/14 

averages          daily goals

15879 steps         15000

2268 cal                 2020

70 active min          60

Some of you have had awesome losses, keep up the good work. I’m in the group slowly making incremental progress.  Congratulations to everyone for sticking with it and keep on stepping!

[Baltoscott]

Goal --157 lbs

           TW               

12/29: 162.8 lbs       

1/5:     162.9 lbs       

1/12:   162.2 lbs       

1/19:   162.0 lbs       

1/25:   161.7 lbs       

2/2:     162.5 lbs       

2/9:     162.0 lbs 

2/16:   161.3 lbs     

Down 0.7 lbs for the week and 1.6 lbs for the challenge.  My pace is behind both my original and my modified goal, but my lifestyle changes have been modest and I'm still losing.  So I'm pretty happy with the modest progress.

[Dominique]

Goal: lose between 0.25 and 0.50 kg per week (i.e. down to 58-61 kg).

Week 0, 30-Dec-19: 64.0 kg, 2594 cal, 14.9k steps, 16.3%

Week 1, 6-Jan-20: 63.7 kg, 2781 cal, 16.8k steps, 16.2%, -0.36 kg

Week 2, 13-Jan-20: 63.3 kg, 2853 cal, 17.7k steps, 15.9%, -0.37 kg

Week 3, 20-Jan-20: 63.4 kg, 2901 cal, 20.0k steps, 15.9%, +0.09 kg

Week 4, 27-Jan-20: 62.6 kg, 3044 cal, 20.9k steps, 15.7%, -0.77 kg

Week 5, 3-Feb-20: 62.0 kg, 2685 cal, 15.8k steps, 15.9%, -0.59 kg

Week 6, 10-Feb-20: 61.8 kg, 2837 cal, 18.9k steps, 15.9%, -0.20 kg

Week 7, 17-Feb-20: 61.5 kg, 2702 cal, 16.5k steps, 15.7%, -0.29 kg

Modest loss (-0.3 kg) during the past week, but still moving in the right direction. Total loss so far is 2.5 kg (-0.36 kg per week in average, i.e. within the target range).

[Kanga999]

Start weight - 98.8 kg (218 lbs)

Goal weight at end of this challenge - 94.3 kg (208 lbs)

Week 1 - 98.8 (fitbit average) (218 lbs)

Week 2 - 99.1 (only weigh in for days)

Week 3 - 98.3 (fitbit average)

Week 4 - 98.6 (fitbit average) (217.3 lbs) ----- TrendWeight 98.6 kg

Week 5 - 97.6 (fitbit average) (215 lbs) ----- TrendWeight 98.0 kg

Week 6 - 97.0 (fitbit average) (213.8 lbs) ----- TrendWeight 97.5 kg

Week 7 - 95.9 (fitbit average) (211.4 lbs) ----- TrendWeight 96.7 kg

Like my school reports consistently wrote: Could do better... but in reality I am on track.

[shm]

Hi @Kanga999. I have been wanting to reply to your post for a week now. It has been a long week here. Thank you for the encouraging words. I can see from your posts that you are doing well too. Your efforts are having very good results!!

I think I might have to measure and log everything for the rest of my life to keep myself honest.

Eating out can be problematical. I now go online before getting to a restaurant, try to find the restaurant’s nutritional information, and pick what I am going to order before getting to the restaurant. It helps with calorie planning for the day. A problem for me with eating out is that I always show a weight gain the next day. I think I must be sensitive to salt/sodium – retaining water after too much salt. It usually takes at least a day or so after eating out for my weight to drop back down to where it was. I try not to eat out too much.

[Kanga999]

Hi @shm  I agree with you that eating out can be tricky. As mentioned, I usually have to guesstimate the calorific intake as I usually tend to head towards Asian food, at places that barely have websites let alone nutritional info! Braised eggplant YUM! Anything eggplant... YUM. Call it aubergine... YUM!

I think if I had to weight and measure and log for the rest of my life I would go a tiny bit bonkers.

I choose to call it mindful eating rather than a diet, because I will eat chocolate if I want to, and I don't restrict myself from eating out. But I am being as honest as possible with logging my calorie intake. I am using this period of keeping tabs on what I am putting into my body to recalibrate my brain as to what is appropriate if I want to achieve my weight goal. (And being on the February challenge that @Baltoscott introduced me to has helped up my step count to levels I only usually achieve when travelling, giving my calories-out a boost.)

Like you, I suffer from fluid retention from the extra sodium that makes that cafe or restaurant meal so appetising, but we are playing a long game - or at least I am. I think the weekly reckoning, using the average as the number, is perfect for balancing out those daily hiccups. It helps keep that critical internal monologue at bay, the voice that could, in my case, sabotage things if I let it hold sway. And also lets me enjoy eating, especially when travelling or out with friends. I just don't go overboard, hopefully 🙂

You seem to be well on track @shm , so don't doubt that you are up to the task, whatever your end goal is.

If I had a tattoo, it would read:

One life

Live it well

[shm]

A little late posting again ….

Down 1.2 pounds this week.

Starting: 170

Goal: 164

Week 0: 170 (1/1/2020)

Week 1: 169.3 (1/8/2020)

Week 2: 169.0 (1/15/2020)

Week 3: 168.5 (1/22/2020)

Week 4: 167.0 (1/29/2020)

Week 5: 166.0 (2/5/2020)

Week 6: 164.9 (2/12/2020)

Week 7: 163.7 (2/19/2020)

Total = 6.3 pounds lost

I have dipped a little bit below my goal of 164! I am actually rather surprised. The way I had this calculated when we started, I would reasonably lose about 2 pounds a month.

I am going to just continue doing exactly what I have been doing for the last five weeks of this challenge and see where I end up on April 1st.

I am well within the 1% and 10% guidelines so I think its okay to just keep going.

[Dominique]

Wow, you’re the overachiever among us, @shm ! Congrats for reaching your stated goal so ahead of time! I agree it would be perfectly fine to keep going from here.

[Whyshoshoni]

Way to go, @shm!  Congratulations on your awesome weight loss!  Keep up the good work!

This last week has been my best week In the challenge, so I am even a bit ahead of my 2 lb a month* target, at 4.1 lbs lost since Jan 1.  I am very happy with my progress.

*corrected 2/23 from 2 lb a week (I WISH lol)

1/1/2020 weight - 128.8 lbs,  4/1 goal weight - 122 lbs

1/1/2020 - 128.8 lbs 

1/8/2020 - 128.3 lbs
1/15/2020 - 127.3 lbs yippee!
1/22/2020 - 127.7 lbs, uh oh! Up .4 lbs since last week, but still minus 1.1 lb for 2020
1/24/2020 - 127.0 lbs 

2/14/2020 - 126.3 lbs

2/21/2020 - 124.7, woo hoo! down 1.6 lbs, best week yet!

2/15 through 2/21

averages          daily goals

17,694 steps         15000

2369 cal                 2020

96 active min          60

Have a happy, active weekend  everyone!

[Baltoscott]

Goal --157 lbs

           TW               

12/29: 162.8 lbs       

1/5:     162.9 lbs       

1/12:   162.2 lbs       

1/19:   162.0 lbs       

1/25:   161.7 lbs       

2/2:     162.5 lbs       

2/9:     162.0 lbs 

2/16:   161.3 lbs   

2/23:   161.3 lbs

No change this week.

[Kanga999]

Start weight - 98.8 kg (218 lbs)

Goal weight at end of this challenge - 94.3 kg (208 lbs)

Week 1 - 98.8 (fitbit average) (218 lbs)

Week 2 - 99.1 (only weigh in for days)

Week 3 - 98.3 (fitbit average)

Week 4 - 98.6 (fitbit average) (217.3 lbs) ----- TrendWeight 98.6 kg

Week 5 - 97.6 (fitbit average) (215 lbs) ----- TrendWeight 98.0 kg

Week 6 - 97.0 (fitbit average) (213.8 lbs) ----- TrendWeight 97.5 kg

Week 7 - 95.9 (fitbit average) (211.4 lbs) ----- TrendWeight 96.7 kg

Week 8 - 95.8 (fitbit average) (211.2 lbs) ----- TrendWeight 96.1 kg

I'm with @Baltoscott sadly - no change this week.

[Kanga999]

Start weight - 98.8 kg (218 lbs)

Goal weight at end of this challenge - 94.3 kg (208 lbs)

Week 1 - 98.8 (fitbit average) (218 lbs)

Week 2 - 99.1 (only weigh in for days)

Week 3 - 98.3 (fitbit average)

Week 4 - 98.6 (fitbit average) (217.3 lbs) ----- TrendWeight 98.6 kg

Week 5 - 97.6 (fitbit average) (215 lbs) ----- TrendWeight 98.0 kg

Week 6 - 97.0 (fitbit average) (213.8 lbs) ----- TrendWeight 97.5 kg

Week 7 - 95.9 (fitbit average) (211.4 lbs) ----- TrendWeight 96.7 kg

Week 8 - 95.8 (fitbit average) (211.2 lbs) ----- TrendWeight 96.1 kg

I'm with @Baltoscott sadly - no change this week.

[Dominique]

Goal: lose between 0.25 and 0.50 kg per week (i.e. down to 58-61 kg).

Week 0, 30-Dec-19: 64.0 kg, 2594 cal, 14.9k steps, 16.3%

Week 1, 6-Jan-20: 63.7 kg, 2781 cal, 16.8k steps, 16.2%, -0.36 kg

Week 2, 13-Jan-20: 63.3 kg, 2853 cal, 17.7k steps, 15.9%, -0.37 kg

Week 3, 20-Jan-20: 63.4 kg, 2901 cal, 20.0k steps, 15.9%, +0.09 kg

Week 4, 27-Jan-20: 62.6 kg, 3044 cal, 20.9k steps, 15.7%, -0.77 kg

Week 5, 3-Feb-20: 62.0 kg, 2685 cal, 15.8k steps, 15.9%, -0.59 kg

Week 6, 10-Feb-20: 61.8 kg, 2837 cal, 18.9k steps, 15.9%, -0.20 kg

Week 7, 17-Feb-20: 61.5 kg, 2702 cal, 16.5k steps, 15.7%, -0.29 kg

Week 8, 24-Feb-20: 61.7 kg, 2692 cal, 15.8k steps, 15.5%, +0.20 kg

Not a good week, with a gain of 0.2 kg. OK, it’s not big, but a gain nevertheless. I’ll try to improve my game.

[shm]

@Dominique – Thank you for the encouraging words! My goal was pretty low though. I typically think I should be able to lose more than what I can actually do or what is reasonable. Then, it doesn’t happen and nothing changes. Keeping a stable weight once it comes off has also been a problem. I am really trying to change the way I think about weight and focus on building a daily lifestyle that will support a lasting change. This three-month challenge was perfect to be working on that.   

[shm]

@Whyshoshoni. Thank you for the encouragement! It is motivating. It is also very motivating to read that you are doing well and having success with this challenge.  1.6 pounds in one week is awesome!  It is also impressive that you get an average of over 17,000 steps in every day. I hope this past week went well for you!