Valentines Day to April 18th

[BLLingg]

@Bobbinyc, I hope it's ok for me to plagerize your Christmas to Valentine's Day Topic Starter but it was absolutely perfect!!!

Welcome all Challengers!  What an amazing group we have!

Let's all continue together to take off the excess pounds and keep getting healthier.

This challenge will begin on Valentine's Day and finish on (American) Tax Day - 18 April 2017.   (Really!  It's the 18th this Year, not the 15th!)

All you need to join this challenge is to post your stats regarding your weight, and check in weekly or as often as you'd like. We are a great support group and enjoy keeping up with each other and being there for our ups and downs.  Generally we have found that the more we check in and offer support, tips, info,  and ideas to others, the more we get for ourselves.

We list our weight, as well as any other goals we might have related to being healthy (such as increase water, more active minutes, etc).  Developing good health habits is primary.

A little rundown of terminology for anyone who is new.

USW- Ultimate Starting Weight

CSW- Current Starting Weight (for this challenge)

GW- Goal Weight   (for Feb 14)

UGW- Ultimate Goal Weight   (what your healthy target weight is)

PW- Previous Weight

CW- Current Weight

MFP- My Fitness Pal

List as much info as you like.  Some people include age, gender, height....whatever seems relevant to you.

We keep it as serious or light as we feel, but we always keep it focused on being as healthy as possible, while we support each other kindly.  We can do this together!!

[TravellingSunny]

@Bobbinyc I'm not tackling the stairs today like I did yesterday.  Got my badge, so now I'll go back to what I've been doing.  I'll get the bug in another week or two to try and earn a new badge - probably shoot for the 40,000 steps in a day badge.  (Not this week, though.  35,000 steps just about killed me.  LOL!)  My daily Fitbit goals are:

Steps: 14,000

Floors:  35

Distance: 5 Miles (I don't really care about this one, but this is about where 14,000 steps gets me.)

Calories to Burn:  2,163

Active Minutes:  80

Water:  48 ounces

Move 250+ Steps Hourly:  8 am to 8 pm

Oh, and 2 or 3 FitStar Get Moving videos per week.

I started much lower, and then increased my goals each Sunday once I hit them 6 times a week. They're pretty static at this point. These are the ones that I can hit during the work week, but they're tough for me on the weekends when all I want to do is veg on the couch.

As long a I hit (or at least get really close to) these goals and log my food to make sure I'm keeping a 500 calorie deficit, it seems to be working for me.

[TravellingSunny]

@RachelShrinks Here's what I was doing...

Up two flights of stairs, walk the hall to the other side of building (this gives you time to catch your breath, but you're still moving), walk DOWN two flights of stairs, walk back to where you started, then REPEAT until you need a break.

I did this for 20 minutes before work, almost an hour at lunch time, then another 15 minutes during an afternoon break.  THEN I went home and walked up and down my one flight of stairs (with short walking breaks around my coffee table) until I hit my goal.

I logged 200 floors, had dinner etc., seriously considered sleeping downstairs, then climbed ONE MORE TIME to go to bed, giving me a grand total of 201 floors for the day.  LOL!

[RachelShrinks]

@TravellingSunny I think I'll start a little easier, seeing as the most I've ever done in a day is 50 :). I just took my hourly break and, instead of walking around the condo or going downstairs to walk around the pool, I instead walked up ten flights and then down again. Was out of breath by the end of it, but it feels good. And it's not hard on my foot, which is good! 

Dude, I'd love to get a 30,000 step badge or the next one up for stairs (75? or 100?). The badges are just stupidly motivating for me. Though they have them for a reason, so perhaps not stupid at all, huh?

Anyway, back to work for a while—then more stairs, then work, then walking to the kids' school to volunteer (and I swear, wrangling 30 kindergarteners for an hour should be an aerobic activity!), then walking home and... back to work. Sigh. The badges would be much easier to get if I didn't have to work so much.

[Florriel]

@GettingfitinSC Ha ha - I don't get anywhere near my water intake so need to try harder. My "problem" is that the ol pelvic floor is not what it used to be and after a few jumping jacks in an exercise session I occasionally have to dash out to the bathroom 🙂 I now try and not drink anything for a couple of hours before that particular class and then only rehydrate in the class after the jumping jacks segment!

@_Lilac_ My boys bought me a beautiful ladies bike, pale blue with pink flowers on, for my birthday a couple of years back. I have not been riding it as much as I should have. Now I am getting my fitness back I cant wait for the weather to pick up a bit in order to get out round the country lanes again. In my younger days I was also a keen horse rider so I might just take a look at how expensive it might be to get back in the saddle - literally LOL I agree we all need to remember what fun we had when we were younger and fitter and try and get some of that back in our lives. My fun activity for tonight will be learning to pitch at Fastpitch softball. I have always been a slowpitch player before - 52 is not too old to learn a new skill is it??

[TravellingSunny]

@RachelShrinks 75 floors would be your next one - I hope you get it today.  Keep me posted!

35,000 steps in a day absolutely killed me.  The distance I walked that day was equivalent to a half-marathon.  It legitimately took me all day.  I was in my backyard at 9 p.m. doing laps in the moonlight to get the last few thousand.  I was a woman possessed - the badges are addicting.  LOL!

[TravellingSunny]

@_Lilac_ Congratulations on the new bike!  Two of my friends got lovely, feminine beach cruisers (with baskets and water bottle holders and everything!)  I was a little envious, but I didn't think I would actually be active enough to justify the expense.  This year, though, it's a possibility.  I may be joining you on that trip down memory lane.  🙂

[dgwheeler]

Its been a while since I checked in.  Not going to lie... I have not been doing the best on my diet.  I cheated one day and have now not been able to kick the habit.  So today I am starting fresh AGAIN!

It's okay... Gonna do this!

USW- 194.6 (Dec 1, 2016)

CSW- 170.2 (Feb 14th)

GW- 155 (April 18th - I have a ball to attend on April 13th so....)

UGW- 135

PW - 172.6 (Feb 9)

PW- 170.2 (Feb 14 - end of previous challenge but not official weigh in date)

PW - 172.2 (Feb 16)

PW - 171.4 (Feb 23)

CW - 170.8 (Mar 2)

[TravellingSunny]

@dgwheeler Don't beat yourself up too badly.  You seem like you know what you're doing - I note that you've lost over 20 pounds since December.  THAT'S AWESOME!  Congratulations, and good luck with meeting your goal for the ball.  🙂

[RachelShrinks]

@dgwheeler: Welcome back! We've all had to do it at one time or another.

And another...

And another...

🙂

Good job getting back on the horse—sometimes it's the hardest part!

[RachelShrinks]

30 floors so far—we'll see how I do for the rest of the day. I'm gonna be sore tomorrow!!!

[TravellingSunny]

@RachelShrinks Think positive - you're stronger than you think you are.  🙂  That 75 floors badge is in the bag!  

[Florriel]

@RachelShrinks My Fitbit gets very confused regarding stairs as I live on a very hilly area. It seems to count stairs whenever I am waking down or back from the village. It currently thinks I have done 48 floors when I know I haven't 😜

[TravellingSunny]

@Florriel - I was just reading about that phenomenon last night.  The altimeter in our devices measures based on air pressure, so whether you're going up a flight of stairs or going up a hill, it counts the same.  One "floor" is measured for about every ten steps up in altitude.

I'd imagine someone living in North-Eastern U.S. where there are hills everywhere wouldn't be able to go on a run without encountering a hill somewhere along the way - and thus some floors.  LOL!

[_Lilac_]

My fitbit Blaze has been waterproofed and that process makes the altimeter not function properly. I keep winning badges for all these floors I'm climbing that I'm not doing. Apparently I've climbed Everest a few times. LOL. Or I've gone to the moon and back. 

[_Lilac_]

Embarrassment of the day!  When I went walking with Mom this morning I felt like wearing an oversized t-shirt so put on one of my late husband's old shirts. I walked our laps not knowing I'd put it on backwards!! The pocket was on my back. *smacks head*

*Ratatatat* *Horns blaring*  I got my new bike!!! I went back to buy it. Got the bike, a helmet, a pump and a lock. Woohoo. I need to get it all adjusted then when it's not raining, I'll take it up the block for a spin. I'm so worried about the tires and my weight. I know I can order special wheels with extra spokes if I snap these ones. I hope it holds up though.

Such a cycle of despair when you need to use these things to lose weight but you can't use them because you are too big for them! Anyway, I got the bike. It will definitely get my heart rate up! 

[Ava_]

@_Lilac_Congrats on getting the bike!!!  You are going to have so much fun once you get it all sorted!  Your tyres will be fine.  Your dog is going to love it too!  One of my previous dogs loved running next to me on the bike.  It takes a bit of practice and a lot of room, but they pick it up really quickly and he loved the faster pace.

[RachelShrinks]

@TravellingSunny: I did it! I did it I did it I did it! Walked up to my condo from the ground floor after lunch and that was all I needed. 77 floors so far today (not 73 as previously typed). I'm sweating up a storm but I DID IT!!!

[_Lilac_]

@RachelShrinks  Wowowowow...Fantastic! I'm sweating for you!

[Florriel]

@_Lilac_ LOL I like that idea of Everest. Myself I have a skyscraper and helicopter??? 

Congrates on the bike - it will be a great way for you and your dog to get fitter 😀

[SunsetRunner]

Okay, I'm going to try this. I want to get back into 32" waist pants.

USW- 184 (highest, just last month)

CSW- 180.9 on 2/15/17 (BMI=26)

GW- 170 (BMI =24.4)

UGW- 160 would be nice (BMI=23)

PW- 183.0 2/27/17 (Mardi Gras weekend in NOLA)

CW- 181.2 3/2/17

I'm planning on cutting out alcohol for Lent - that's the plan, anyway. That should put a dent in this.