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

[bugsy1114]

Not a huge change for check-in this week but an lb a week is still progress 🙂

Keep up the good work everyone! Some of you are doing awesome and are so motivating and inspirational! 

USW 8/1/15 - 152

CSW 1/4/16 - 140

CW 1/15/16 - 137

CW 1/22/16 - 136

GW 2/14/16 - 130

UGW - 115

[OCDOC]

@Ballthree

Weekend is indeed coming! Is it a bad omen that when I saw the image the first thing I thought was this?:

Oh man....don't release me into a Churrascaria any time soon!  🙂

[HelenKr]

Checking in again, definitely going very slowly with weight loss since Christmas. At least I'm not gaining.  On a positive note, was at the doctor's office for first time since September.  Lost 18 pounds since last visit based on their records, and my blood pressure was 122/68!  Had been borderline high. 

I haven't been walking because I hurt my foot.  I have a referral for podiatry.  Trying to get back into the swing of things.

Congrats to all those posting losses and hang in there if you're struggling like me.  We'll get there!

USW- 173

CSW- 158

CW-   156.2

GW- 149

UGW- 135

.

[tiffy79]

Here are my numbers this week:

USW- 187 (11-26-15)

CSW- 184.4 (1-4-16)

GW- 172

UGW- 135

PW - 185.5 (1-8-16)

CW - 184.3 (1-22-16)

[dianenyc]

Hang in there, HelenKr.  You're not gaining and actually losing with a foot injury, which makes you a will-power champ and a true inspiration.  I gained tons of weight last year with my knee injury & surgery (almost all of it calzones and frozen yogurt).  Hurray for the 18 lbs you lost and your lowered blood pressure.  I think you've been splendid!

Take good care of yourself, please.

DianeNYC

[dianenyc]

A belated happy birthday, swimr12265, hope you had a wonderful day and all God's blessings on a joyful year!

Diane NYC

[dianenyc]

Hey Guys,

Here are my numbers for the week:

USW 184
CSW 171.2
CW 168.2
GW 167
UGW 164 (subject to downward revision)

Went on a straight Atkins induction week -- I'm amazed at how easy it's been.  I haven't been wildly hungry (still hungry -- I think it's the cold weather) and have kept within my recommended calorie range.  Walking 10,000 steps everyday again.  Haven't gotten much above -- cold weather again -- and spent last Monday just noodling around the house (I had off from work) and sleeping.

I'm beginning to think about a new UGW.  164 is sort of a place-holder UGW -- it seemed doable from 184, which is where I started.  I think I'll wait, though, till I actually reach it.  Just putting out that I'm beginning to consider it.

This week I'm committing to -- staying the ultra low-carb course for another week, walking at least 10,000 streps everyday, drinking 8 glasses of water a day and stretching 5-10 minutes everyday.

Leg cramps are a bear this week.  Thanks, lusry, for the tip on the coconut water and JacquelineP for the banana and water suggestion.  You both got me noodling around on the web and I found a supplement that contains magnesium, potassium and calcium.  So I'm going to try that and drink a lot more water -- I think I only average about 4-5 cups a day -- and stretch more.  In fact, I'm going to go stretch now.

Hope everybody has a warm, dry & lovely week.

[Joy123]

Feeling a little discouraged. Putting in the steps, watching what I eat, but haven't lost any weight. Not gaining, lost an inch around the waist, but no weight loss.

[dianenyc]

Hey Joy123,  You're doing fine, you're just not feeling it.  Maybe shift how you measure success to actions taken rather than results to date.  Relax with the process.  HelenKr said -- last week I think -- that this is a lifestyle change, not a diet.  If you put in the steps and watch what you eat, your weight will go down. I know my own weight loss has been slow -- but it's been steady.  In the meantime, don't make yourself nuts -- that'll just knock you off track.  Read some of awoods' posts from our last challenge and this one -- great experience on how to take the long-view when the scale seems stuck.  Dance around the house (like JaquelineP does).  It's good stuff.

You've lost an inch around your waist! So clearly you're doing fine.  Keep doing whatever you're doing and it will show on the scale.  Relax, watch the snow come down. It's all good.

Diane NYC

[Joy123]

Thanks for the encouragement.

[FitinNWPA]

Check in day.
CSW 210 (Jan 2nd)
CW 202 (Jan 23)
GW 200 (for this challenge)
UGW 145
Doing well. I just started the C25K program last week. We are going to do a 5k mid-April. I'm going to run the whole way. >:-)

[FitinNWPA]

@Joy123 my daughter has the same issue. Doing all the right things & weight not going down.....But she has lost an inch here & there. You're going in the right direction. You lost an inch around your waist. That's awesome!

[swimr12265]

Hey there, bugsy1114

You and I are on a parallel plane!  We are right about the same weight now and have the exact same goal and ultimate goal. How funny!!  Maybe we can come up with some extra ideas to motivate each other.  What do you think?  

Hi everyone else!  Just checking in.  So, yesterday was my birthday, and it was a huge binge (as I predicted and allowed myself).  I will only turn 51 once...lol.  It was a great day that started right.  I had tried very hard to get down to 135 so that I could wear my new swimsuit.  I made it! 135.6 (closer to 136, yes, but 135 nevertheless).  I had told myself that I was only going to eat my special birthday dinner, but then a friend invited me to lunch.  After eating very lightly the day before and then swimming a couple of hard miles (any swimmers out there?  Our main set after warmup was 20x100 [2 sets of 4x100, first 25 fast; then 3x100, first 50 fast, then 2x100 first 75 fast, then 1x100 fast on the 1:30]), I was actually pretty hungry by the time we ate lunch at noon.  I was very good and had an exceedingly delicious kale salad.  I drank nothing but water.  Alas, I did indulge in a small dessert as our server brought it out as a birthday treat (how could I resist?).  It, too, was delicious.  I also treated myself to a couple chocolate covered marshmallows at the mall at around 2:30. My middle daughter and son and I also polished off part of an early birthday gift (see below).  Dinner was at 5:30, and I had my special birthday meal (see previous post).  I drank only water and stopped eating just before 7pm (my usual cutoff time--yay!) even though my daughter gave me a box of fudge; my sister gave me a gift certificate to the restaurant we were eating at; and the same daughter who gave me the fudge had already given me a box of Dots and a box of Sour Patch Kids (two of my favorites) earlier in the day.  My son gave me a bag of War Head sour worms (I have the tastes of an 8-13 year old, I know), which, in addition to the Dots, were the items my daughter and son and I indulged in at about 4:00.  Later, another friend gave me a bag of caramel corn and some chocolates.  Is this the culture we live in now?  Is it any wonder so many people struggle with their weight? I am not really one to eat lots of sweets (despite my love of sour candy), but I got so much food on my birthday that I told my family I would put it in the freezer to save and eat in small amounts only on my future cheat days.  The gift certificate will be used much later...perhaps to celebrate when I reach my ultimate goal weight, despite how ridiculous this sounds...even to me!

I am now paying for my over indulgences of yesterday.  Today, I had two cups of tea; some dry Honeynut Cheerios; a big salad with tomatoes, red onions, half an avocado, a hard-boiled egg, and two slices of turkey bacon, cooked and finely chopped; and a couple handfuls of popcorn.  Tomorrow, I have an out-of-town swim meet and will eat as conservatively as I can.  I will not be standing on a scale until Monday morning.  I hope by then to have at least erased part of the damage I know I have done.  I have returned to my program and will not veer from it until Friday.  I will report more soon.

[swimr12265]

@OCDOC,

Oh man, that looks sinful!

@dianenyc

Oh, thank you!  I was bad, but it was so good!  I will happily do my time to pay for the great day I had!!

[swimr12265]

@Joy123

Tough it out, Joy!  I have never lost weight as slowly as I am losing now, but I am hoping that this is the last time I am focused on losing and that once I reach my goal weight I will just focus on maintaining.  I still have 20# to go. I was feeling just as you do: the scale is making ticks down, but very slowly.  However, I feel great when I stick to my program.  I'm not nearly as sluggish, and I feel so much more energetic.  If you have lost an inch around your waist, you are likely gaining lean muscle, and that is always a good thing.  I say "Keep up the good work!"

[dianenyc]

Thanks, Barb, I'm going to try this.  Seems like a great idea especially with blizzard conditions upon us.

[dianenyc]

Hey Barb (Dancefoxtrot) -- I found some calcium with magnesium pills last night that had been recommended last year when I was having some back problems.  So I took the recommended dosage and made sure to drink a lot of water yesterday.  No leg cramps last night.  I'm waiting for the potassium/magnesium/calcium supplement I ordered to arrive.

Hope you're knee is on the mend,

DianeNYC

[HelenaFitbit]

Hey guys, I'm reporting back to the thread with the news I lost 2+ pounds! 

Not as much as I'd like but to be honest I haven't been working out or eating as I should. 

[Joy123]

Thanks. At 64 I know it will be harder to loose these 20 pounds but I don't want weight to slow me down.

[dianenyc]

Good for you, HelenaFitbit!  

One of things I really like about Fitbit is that having it on my wrist and just syncing and coming to the Dashboard keeps me from going completely off the rails.  I've begun to realize that "off the rails" time is part of the process and I need to stay conscious of my choices even when I'm not being meticulous.  A few extra steps here, making a healthier food choice there -- it can add up to a couple of pounds lost, like you just did.

In the past I have been puzzled about why I can't lose weight and maintain the loss over time but this year, with my Charge HR and just syncing and logging on -- I'm becoming aware that there are times in the year when I just let go: fall, when it gets dark;  Christmas/New Year, no explanation needed; winter/cold weather, when I just want to dive under the covers; and middle of the school year -- when I eat instead of strangling a teenager or two.  I tend to take it off in the spring and summer but not all of it.  You guys get the drift.

Anyway, this year I'm walking through all of it, tracking my food, coming here for a "pep talk" from everyone's posts and making it through -- leg cramps, stomach flu, nasty teens, holidays, blizzards -- I'm still losing weight.  It's coming off slowly -- but surely and at a time of the year when I usually gain.

And here's the true miracle -- I am okay with not doing it perfectly.

Have a good one, guys, stay warm.

DianeNYC