New Years to Valentine's Day 2016 Challenge

[awood08]

Welcome to the New Year Everyone! This will start January 1, 2016 officially 🙂

If you have seen the posts before this is a challenge that everyone is invited to join to set your own personal weight loss goal for the next 6 weeks. This is all about having a great support system and most importantly feeling great and happy and healthy about yourself. Don't worry if you have bad weeks because we all go through it.

To join the challenge all you need to do is post your weight stats & check in as often as you'd like with an update or just to share a story from your week. This group has some huge inspiration in it and people that give wonderful advice.

Looking forward to catching up with all our friends from the other challenges and anyone who is new!

Thanks @saraj91 for starting up the last challenge!

 
A little rundown of terminology for anyone who is new 🙂

USW- Ultimate Starting Weight

CSW- Current Starting Weight

GW- Goal Weight

UGW- Ultimate Goal Weight

PW- Previous Weight

CW- Current Weight

MFP- My Fitness Pal

[Ballthree]

@Samalama217 - I'm going to try your suggestion on setting the start time for the workout, and then log it on MFP and see what happens. Good suggestion. 

@swimr12265 - Enjoy your twofer, but moderation is the key!! I am going to practice what I'm preaching!

@dancefoxtrot - Good thoughts! I'm determined to have more self-discipline!

I did step on my gym scale again this AM, and I've flushed a lot of the soduim overload out of my body, so I'm back to 300.8 lbs. I'm still on track to get to the 293lb goal by 2/14.  No more weighing until Monday. 

I had a great workout this AM and actually jogged for 1/4 mile about 7 times, with walking in between. I haven't jogged in 4 years, so I'm starting to be able to do some of those things I haven't been able to do in a long, long time. I feel great! I AM BACK ON TRACK AND STAYING THERE!

Reading all the supporting posts is a definite boost!

[swimr12265]

@Samalama217

You see?  It almost never fails.  Of course, it gets hard sometimes.  If it were so easy, I wouldn't keep finding myself "back at the drawing board."  However, this time (I know..the dreaded "this time."  Arghhh!) I plan to stick with my program until I reach my goal weight and then, hopefully, modify it so that it is also fairly close to my maintenance program...perhaps just eat a bit more than I am eating now.  Keep up the good work.

Btw, to all those who are talking about the activity on the tracker, before I bought my fitbit in December of 2014, I researched it, the Jawbone, the UP, and on and on, trying to find the perfect activity tracker.  I have been wearing a traditional pedometer--a very good (and expensive) one that is no longer being made (as much as I can tell) by a company called New Lifestyles.  It is a pedometer as opposed to the fitbit, which is an activity tracker.  The fitbit tracks any movement that the arm on which I am wearing it makes (as our resident dancing expert pointed out  She's really creative about all those ideas of strapping it to the ankle...lol).  I wear both, and the difference is huge!  My pedometer registers easily only about half what my fitbit does, so I am always happy with the fitbit numbers.  Neither one tracks my swimming--I am waiting with bated breath for a waterproof tracker!!--so it is, indeed, best just to be aware of calories in and out.  If I get my 10,000 "steps" in and have swum (and perhaps even done another workout) AND eaten right, boy am I happy when I step on the scale!  I realize that some of those are big "ifs," though...lol.

[IamRBrown]

@KimShea:  I had a plateau that lasted 4 months not long ago.  Just keep doing what you are doing the way you are doing it...  your body is adjusting to the lower weight.  You will begin to lose again, but it may take a little time.  I seem to be plateau'ing again... hopefully not as long as the last one!  But... as long as I don't gain any back, I'm still better than I was!

Weigh in for this week:

USW- 210

CSW-194

CW - 190

GW- 185

UGW- 160

[swimr12265]

@Ballthree

Well, it IS my birthday.  I go to my favorite restaurant (a place called D'Arcy's Pint) and have a dish called Irish Nachoes (and yes, they are loaded with white melted cheese and other truly decadent things), followed by a piece of lava cake with vanilla ice cream.  It is my favorite meal, and I have it just once or twice a year.  I am going to indulge...but I will drink water with my meal (not my preferred Coke), and I will eat very lightly Friday morning (just a piece or two of fruit) after swimming my normal couple miles.  As long as I have my birthday feast before 7, I should be okay.  I will certainly report!!  

P.S.  I actually allow myself the ability to eat whatever I want on my cheat day.  While this probably slows down my weight loss, I have to be true to me.  I love certain foods, but (other than pizza, which I almost cannot resist!) I mostly don't eat them.  I don't drink.  I don't smoke.  I live fairly "clean."  And I work out like a fiend.  I figure I owe myself one cheat day a week.  lol.  It makes losing weight doable for me.

[swimr12265]

By the way, I sneaked a peak at the scale this morning (I really want to be 135# or less on Friday), and I was 136.8 (down a pound since Monday)...yay!!  My son didn't eat his breakfast this morning, so I had to "clean up" after him--2 pieces of toast and a slice of turkey bacon.  I normally do not eat any bread unless it comes with my salad at Panera or is part of the sandwich (a footlong, I confess!) that I eat at Subway once a week (on Thursday), so I am not completely happy with myself about that.  I also had a tiny piece (not even the size of a quarter) of some really good peanut brittle that some mean soul (I guess others would say "nice soul") brought to school (I'm a college professor) today.  The normal me would have grabbed a handful, thrown it back, and thought nothing of it, so I guess I am reforming somewhat.  I am about to eat a grapefruit, and I plan to go home and make a big Chicken Cobb with Avocado salad (almost just like Panera's!) for dinner tonight.  I will try to make it to Planet Fitness for a workout sometime afterward.  That new swimsuit is calling my name!!

[Samalama217]

Happy birthday to you @swimr12265!  Enjoy your birthday meal. It sounds amazing! And totally am with you about eating what you want on cheat days.  Life is meant to be enjoyed and you can't spend every day eating broccoli. lol.

[swimr12265]

Thank you, Sam! 

[kmme]

@Kitten87

 Thanks , nice to know i'm not alone , you will get to the 170s as well , i have no doubt:)

[Toko]

USW-146.1

CSW- 140.5!!!!!

GW- 139

UGW- 130W

Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   

[syreina]

Thanks for all of your support. Very appreciated. 😃

I've been joining monthly challenges on MFP as well so keeping up with both discussions is great motivation.

CW - 1/20/2016 - 126 lbs [0.4 lb gain]

PW - 1/12/2016 - 125.6 lbs [1.8 lb loss]
PW - 1/5/2016 - 127.4 lbs
SW - January 2015 - 140 lbs

GW - 2/15/2015 - 120.4 lbs
UGW - 4/18/2016 - 110 lbs

[DJC_63]

I do understand the similarity to meditation. Just keep bringing your focus back even when you get off track. I've heard that when it comes to losing weight/fitness what you do every day counts. I'm trying to remember that every day. I'm seeing that when I'm frustrated or upset in general I tend to think "I don't care" and I eat more than I normally would. I used to smoke so this is better than that but I'll have to work on a better response.

Sent from my iPad

[talkingbody]

I've been getting back into the zone lately. I thought I regained weight over winter break, but it turns out I lost some! I was extremely excited. I didn't believe the scale since I haven't been working out as frequently as before. I'm hoping that I'll be able to keep losing since I am only pounds away from my current weight goal ^^

CSW- 146

CW - 144

GW- 137

UGW- 132

[lusry]

I know I'm late, but I'd like to join this challenge. I've participated in a couple of the other challenges, and then I fell off the wagon. Luckily I've stayed around the same weight. I just got a bowflex elliptical for christmas and I'm trying (miserably) to do more than 5 minutes on it, but it just takes patience. I've been staying around 175lbs, but I can't seem to get past it. I live in New Orleans and with it being Mardi Gras season I'm afraid I'll veer WAY off course in regards to my diet. I've got parades this weekend, next weekend, and all the week after that. So, I've only put my goal at 174. This will get me past the plateau I've been on, but will also be realistic.

Here are my stats:

USW: April 2015 - 185lbs

CSW: 1/21/16 - 178.3lbs

GW: 2/14/16 - 174lbs

UGW: 120-125lbs

@dianenyc I realize you were having issues with cramps a few days ago, but I noticed nobody else mentioned coconut water. It has more potassium in it than a banana. In the 11.1fl oz bottes I get there is 620mg of potassium. An averga banana has 422mg (according to google). I didn't love the taste of it at first, but I chugged it just to get it down and I found it helps. Now, I love the taste.

[OCDOC]

Week 3 check in:

USW 246 

CSW 240

LstWk 233

Today 230

CGW 226

UGW 210

Yesterday my 11 year-old son told me "You look pretty good, Dad". Best 'reward' so far 🙂  Rob

[Ballthree]

Brace yourselves.....Weekend is Coming!

[awood08]

Hope everyone is ready for the weekend! I know this week has been busy with our CPA working on our year end financials and getting everything closed out for last year. Thankfully, there were only little adjustments to be made. I'm so ready to be officially done with 2015. I signed up for my second 5k! I did my first one on Thanksgiving last year, finished in 43 minutes. So I'm hoping to beat my time this go around! The scale has treated me good this week and I think I'm finally back on track from the previous weeks. And with only 3 to go by Valentine's Day I'm putting all my focus into finishing strong.

I usually calculate my BMI every other month to see where I am. I'm happy to say I'm very close to the healthy weight range 🙂

Starting BMI was 36.3

Current BMI is 26.57

USW      6/16/15 235
PW        1/16/16 176

CW        1/22/16 173
CGW      2/14/16 170
UGW        160

[IamRBrown]

yes, the weekend is coming & it is snowing like crazy here...  I've already shoveled my porch once this morning so I don't get snowed in!
 Worry is the darkroom in which negatives can develop

[DJC_63]

I manually input all the info that the elliptical shows, as it's always higher than the fitbit

Sent from my iPhone

[JacquelineP]

I sincerely hope that all of you in the Northeast are safe and well!

[saraj91]

Hi Gang! 

Been really enjoying reading this discussion over the last week, some really interesting topics have come up & it's been great to read everybody's different views on things!

My week has been a bit all over the place, we did get back to badminton this week for the first time since before Christmas so that was fun. I have indulged my sweet tooth once or twice this week but happy to report that it's a week of maintaining. I might not hit my initial goal of 126lbs by valentines day so I have revised it to 130lbs as I am struggling to lose the weight at the moment. I think revising it will hopefully make it a bit more achievable, mentally & physically, then I can work on the remaining few pounds between then & when we go away at the start of March.

Hope you all have great weekends! 

USW 23/3: 186

CSW 1/1: 136

PW 15/1: 134

CW: 22/1: 134

GW: 14/2: 130

UGW 5/3/16: 126