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!!

[RachelShrinks]

The point is not the challenges at all—I don't care how I'm doing in relation to other people in that sense—they push me and I like that. It's that my wife is giving me no support and is basically telling me that my weight loss is not important and the way I'm going about it is stupid. She has also been less than enthusiastic about things like me dropping a jeans size and making time to workout. Her reaction to the "game" of challenges is just another negative. And I'm trying really hard not to respond by unconsciously sabotaging myself. I tried to stop the bleeding as it were this evening by eating a reasonable amount, but sometimes the lack of support really makes me want to down a pint of ice cream. 

[_Lilac_]

@RachelShrinks I KNOW how you are feeling. I was sole caretaker for my husband, who had been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Soon after the diagnosis, he became sicker and less able to do things. His parents lived 2.5 hours away and would visit every few weeks but I was IT. And taking care of someone means you have to be there...all the time. Or your mind is on them...all the time. And you think about the things you have to do to keep them safe and healthy. The hours and days in treatment rooms, days/weeks when they are admitted to hospital, etc. It's so very difficult to take care of yourself. I became so unbelievably sedentary that I had to take a blood sample to the hospital 15 min walk away and I could barely make it. He spent a lot of money on take-out because he wanted to enjoy his last few months. He always wanted me to sit with him (his bed was in the livingroom) to watch tv. If I left the room to do something else (read a book, do something on my computer, just time alone) I'd have him calling out for me to see what I was doing. At times it was overwhelming. We had nurses visit our home twice per week for home care. They saw I was struggling and had hospice workers come to give me time to myself. Even then I felt guilty for leaving and felt like I still needed to be there, ya know? He knew I needed to care for myself more than I did sometimes. My patience and mood would change and I was tired. 

After he died in June, I decided I couldn't just continue on sitting in a chair. If I became ill someone would have to take care of me like I did for him. I was 355 lbs and it would be a horrible chore for someone, most likely my mother, who already took care of me enough in my life. I wouldn't want my children to be stuck with the task either. So, I dug around in an old box, found my ancient fitbit, and got off my butt. And I've been here ever since! The others can tell you...I moved in like a deadbeat relative and haven't left. I knew that I had to get healthy. I had to take care of myself before something serious happened to me and I was stuck. 

I hit 307 lbs today. I walk and walk and do so many things that just a year ago would have been IMPOSSIBLE. 48 pounds gone and I turn 48 yrs old Monday. Seems kinda fitting, doesn't it?

Now, my advice is...no matter how tiring and frustrating all this is...work, caring for a sick loved one, being caregiver to the children...you really wouldn't have it any other way. You know no one else could do it like you can. So, knowing that, you have to give yourself a break and reach for a bit of help so you can take care of yourself too. Find a babysitter or a friend to come sit with your wife and go running/walking/swimming or whatever you need to do. Getting enough exercise will give you the energy and mental wellness to continue to do the work. NOBODY is going to understand where you are coming from so you just have to make time and they can 'suck it up, buttercup'. Don't let this make you sick...not like it did for me. They need you too much for that to happen. 

Ok...Phew...

So, now, about the challenges. When my workplace bought fitbits for every single employee (hundreds and hundreds at all our sites), they started a challenge. This one dude in India had over 100,000 steps in a day. Now, come on!! They reasoned he'd attached it to a fan or a dog or whatever...haha. 

I've come on here some days and say, "Wow, I've got 10,000 steps and it's not even noon!" And it's true. Just from walking the mall, walking the dogs, etc. So, if I can do that by noon, then the chicky in Europe can too...because my 8am is her noon. The time zones do mess things up. Sometimes I'll be in a challenge and it is supposed to end at midnight Eastern Time but because my time zone is different, I'll have til 1am. That chicky has had 5 more hours of activity time than someone in EST. 

I hope you are feeling better. Don't rely on the chips to feel better. They just make ya feel worse. I promise, if we were in the same area, I'd be around to help out...so would others here. At least we can be HERE for you. 

[_Lilac_]

Weekend Trip Day One:

Well, those buses sure are smaller than I remember them!!! OMG I climbed the steps and thought I wouldn't be able to fit up the aisle and get in a seat!! It was horrible. Once I got my coat off, tucked my stuff up in the luggage rack, settled into my seat with my daughter, it wasn't so bad, but of course my self-conscious imagination had all the young university student travelers (it's spring break) saying in their minds, "Why is that old, fat lady trying to fit on this bus??"  

I brought apples and yoghurt as a snack, along with my water bottle. They were all eating Pringles and some dude brought three pizzas on board!! They did a coffee shop run and many came back with donuts. So IN YOUR FACE KIDS...who's eating healthy??

We arrived and met with an old friend (previous flame from 18 yrs ago) and we are both a little grey now. Haha. Went to dinner at a horrible Asian buffet that had a few veggie dishes I could pick at. I only had 8000 steps today but tomorrow we plan to walk our feet off site-seeing. The hotel is nice but noisy neighbours. I have a headache from being dehydrated (who wants to pee on a packed bus with a bathroom you can't fit in??) 

So far so good. I'll check in tomorrow with a foot-crushing step tally. We'll be oohing and ahhing too much to notice. Have fun everyone! That's what matters.

[SunsetRunner]

Hi Everyone

Here's my Friday weigh-in for this challenge.

USW: 224.5 (07/06/16)

CSW: 167.5 (02/14/17)

CW: 165.5 (02/17/17) -2.0

CW: 163.0 (02/24/17) -2.5

CW: 159.0 (03/03/17) -4.0

CGW: 155.0 (04/18/17)

UGW: 155.0

I can't believe I made it into the 150's! I actually stood on the scale and just stared at it thinking I was still asleep and seeing things. 

When I looked back over the week, I either met my goal or was slightly under. I haven't been thinking about food. I've been concentrating on making sure I workout each morning and prep lunches and some dinners to take to work. Those are the easy days. Days like today are hard when we have company for dinner. 😉

Have a good week everyone! 

[SunsetRunner]

@RachelShrinks. Sorry you are going through such a rough time. I was the main caretaker for my mother when she had cancer. My sister refused to come help and as supportive as my husband was, he was 100 miles away taking care of our house. We are here for you! Don't hesitate to vent when you need to. I don't have any answers other than hang in there and make time for yourself whenever you need to. Like you said, you need to be healthy to take care of everyone else. 

[almost_where]

USW - 363 (3/9/16)

Valentine's Day Weight 259

  Sunday1 - 257 (02/19) 257.5 Target
  Sunday2 - 256  (02/26) 256.0 Target
  Sunday3 - 253  (03/05) 254.5 Target
  Sunday4 - (03/12) 253.0 Target
  Sunday5 - (03/19) 251.5 Target
  Sunday6 - (03/26) 250.0 Target
  Sunday7 - (04/02) 248.5 Target
  Sunday8 - (04/09) 247.0 Target
Easter Day Goal - 246 ma

-3 lb

[BLLingg]

I sure hope that woman wasn't me, @RachelShrinks!  I start work at Midnight and usually have at least half of my walking in before 06:00 (Breaks & Lunch).  I'm always near or above 13K by 08:00.  (I work 7 Days a Week.  50+ Hours a Week so a Weekend Warrior is the same to me as the Workweek Hustle, just 3 fewer Days.) 

However, I crash around 12:00, get woken up by my Bladder around 14:00, have some supper, walk a little more.  I'll Dance for a half Hour if I need to burn more Calories, then crash again.  This may repeat several times during my "Night."  So it balances out.  I walk early, you walk later.

I prefer the Goal Day Challenge.  It doesn't matter who heads the Leaderboard.  If you're with the right Crowd, you're not working against one another, you're encouraging one another, cheering one another on.  No one gets a Trophy just because they're at the Top of the Leaderboard.  You are your ONLY competition.  Meeting or beating YOUR Goal is how you earn your Trophy. 

I've been invited to some Challenges that really depressed me.  No chatter.  No cheering.  Even some who never even have the courtesy to sync.  The Crowd I "hang with" (LOL) are great!  I'm usually near the Top but almost never the Top.  So what!  And if someone has their Goal set low.  Big Deal.  We have fun.  And we are encouraged to greater & greater effort.

[Cele21]

USW- 215.0 (2/4/14)

CSW- 211.4 (2/14/17)

LW- 211.8

CW- 209.8

GW- 202.4 (4/18/17)

UGW- 150

Down two pounds! Don't know what I did right but I'll take it!

[Bobbinyc]

@almost_where  You never cease to amaze me.  You are like a machine with this.  You also never cease to inspire.

[Bobbinyc]

@RachelShrinks  I think many of us go through either not feeling supported or feeling undermined. It's a lousy feeling.   It used to get to me but at this point I think of it as part of the challenge I face about learning to manage my emotions without food. And some days are extremely challenging!  In the end, I had to learn to just not turn to food, which certainly doesn't help and does way too much harm, and to think instead about my own goals and my health being important.  Learning to do some deep breathing helped.  

That said, from my own experience, I found it helpful to try to figure out why someone would find my weight loss efforts annoying.  Maybe I was talking about it too much.  Maybe they were envious.  Maybe they thought things would change if I lost the weight.  Not knowing anything about what your wife is going through, is it possible that, at a time when her body is betraying her with health problems

that are so frightening, she wishes she could focus on weight and play games.  I'm just guessing here.  Your situation sounds very tough.  Many of us have been through being caregivers, not being able to find time after work to focus on ourselves.  Its very stressful.  For everyone involved.  Is it possible to have a very gentle conversation with her about what she needs?  And then about what you need?

We certainly understand, and support you.  

By the way, I learned the hard way, to keep the junk food out of the house.  There are always stressful times.  I figure, why put temptation in the path of a saint?  🙂

[DJC_63]

@SunsetRunner  Congrats! As I read your post I visualized standing on a scale and seeing that number. I would be stunned and thrilled, too! I hope someday to see that myself. It's always great to read about other's successes, it gives me motivation.

-------------------------------------------

---

@SunsetRunner wrote:

Hi Everyone

Here's my Friday weigh-in for this challenge.

USW: 224.5 (07/06/16)

CSW: 167.5 (02/14/17)

CW: 165.5 (02/17/17) -2.0

CW: 163.0 (02/24/17) -2.5

CW: 159.0 (03/03/17) -4.0

CGW: 155.0 (04/18/17)

UGW: 155.0

I can't believe I made it into the 150's! I actually stood on the scale and just stared at it thinking I was still asleep and seeing things. 

When I looked back over the week, I either met my goal or was slightly under. I haven't been thinking about food. I've been concentrating on making sure I workout each morning and prep lunches and some dinners to take to work. Those are the easy days. Days like today are hard when we have company for dinner. 😉

Have a good week everyone! 

---

[DJC_63]

@Bobbinyc, I think you've hit on something about our bodies changing when we get older. I know that muscle soreness happens a day or two after exercise, but I usually only give myself 1 day to recover. That's what I did this week, after 1 day of rest I did more resistance exercises and now 3 days later I'm still sore.  My arms, my legs, and especially my back. As much as I dislike it I may need to give myself more time between resistance exercise. 

I went to PT three times during my whole back problem ordeal. So I remember what exercises strengthen it, I just need to make myself do them. My gym doesn't have very many machines for back strength so I need to just lay on the floor and do them. I've had chronic back pain for over 10 years now, so unfortunately it seems to be just part of my life. I have degenerative disk disease and arthritis in my spine, I'm not sure how much that contributes to my pain.  But I will persist! No other choice.

[DJC_63]

@RachelShrinks Sorry to hear about your situation. It's difficult to do any 1 of the 3 things that you mentioned, so I don't know how you're doing all 3 AND still exercising. Kudos to you for making that a priority! About 10 years ago I was in a relationship with an alcoholic. I had a book of daily meditations by Melody Beattie that I read to try to keep my sanity (it's called The Language of Letting Go). It is meant for people in codependent relationships, but I think it's helpful for many kinds of relationships. One day's post was about how at times, a couple has so much going on in their individual lives that they can't be there for each other. It's not that they don't care, they're just so caught up in their own stuff that they don't have it in them to also help their partner.  It sounds like that could be the case for your wife. You need to have a source of support, so please come here for your fitness support, and consider a support group for caretakers. It's not an easy thing to do, I know (my mother became very ill this summer and since I'm single, I'm the logical choice to help her). You aren't selfish, you must take care of yourself in order to take care of others.  I also understand the "f**k it" eating. I do that sometimes when I can't go anywhere but I'm angry or stressed. I know it's not good but it's better than smoking, which is what I used to do. Someday we'll all be perfect, right?

Also, re: the challenges, I know what you mean!! When I first started becoming friends with people in the Fitbit community, I saw some astounding/unbelievable numbers as far as steps. I've read a few articles about ways that people cheat with their trackers, so I know it happens. I also have figured out that the time difference is a factor, along with age. After awhile of feeling insecure about my numbers, I asked the regular members of one of my challenges how old they were. I discovered I was the oldest one in the group by far. So there are a lot of things that can factor in, but sometimes it is just cheating. Either way, now I do the best that I can do and accept that there's a chance that I'll never win a challenge and that's okay (it's been a year that I've been doing them and I haven't won 1 yet.)

[BLLingg]

I haven't had a serious Roller Coaster Ride for two Weeks now.  I'm starting to panic!!!  I can't keep going down at this rate!  However, I can't deny that seeing my BMI on the very Cusp between Obese and Overweight is stunning, thrilling, awesome--every positive emotion you can think of!!!

28 July 2010 - PW - 280.8  BMI 51.4  (My highest known.)
06 June 2016 - USW (in FitBit) - 216  BMI 39.5

14 Feb - CSW 173.0  BMI 31.6
20 Feb - GW 171.4 - PW 171.0  BMI 31.0
27 Feb - GW 169.6 - PW 168.2  BMI 30.8
06 Mar - GW 167.8 - CW 163.8  BMI 30.0
13 Mar - GW 166.0
20 Mar - GW 164.2
27 Mar - GW 162.4
03 Apr - GW 160.6
10 April - GW 158.8
17 Apr - GW 157.0
18 Apr - GW 156.7

13 May - 1st UGW - (but still not a "Healthy" BMI) - 150

I haven't consumed more Cals than I've burned since 20 February and I've been consuming an average of 1,013 fewer Cals than what I've burned during this Week.  But that should just be 2# lost, not 4.4.  According to the Scales, my Fat has gone down from 36.4% last Monday to 35.3% Today.  (Per Trendweight, that's 61.2# to 57.8.#)  Where's it going?!?!?!

I've increased my Activity (Walking & Dancing) significantly.  The Challenges have really been encouraging me to walk more.  My 7 Day Average is up to 22,063.  During the past Week, I exceeded my Personal Best three Times:  Goal Day, Workweek Hustle, & Weekend Warrior. 

I'm not trying to brag, guys, I'm just trying to understand how I could loose so much.  AND, even more so, I'm a little afraid that I can't keep going like this?!?!?!  Am I actually establishing a New Lifestyle?  Or am I just being obsessive / compulsive????

[Bobbinyc]

@DJC_63  I give you an enormous amount of credit for the way you have pushed to take better and better care of yourself.  I haven't had to nag you in a long time! And you know what a pain I can be!

I know how hard it is to deal with these chronic problems that cause pain.  There is so much to do to work around them.  A friend of mine has had ankylosing spondylitis (arthritis that affected his spine) since he was a kid and was on meds his whole life.  He was able to function well but couldn't do things like the slow walking in a museum.  Three years ago, I took a vacation  with him and his wife and some other friends and I brought a lot of the food.  Since I was vegetarian, that's how we ate.  And there was no junk food at all. Everything was very low on the inflammatory index.  He decided to continue eating that way (ok, he gave me a hard time at first and I forced him to read a couple of books I had on food and health) and within a short period of time he said he had no pain.  He has been off all meds for 3 years and though he has pain sometimes, he still follows the food plan, though not as strictly.  Oh, he started this diet when he was 70.

 I guess this is my long winded way of saying it may be time for you to do something more regimented.  Health science has come a long way in the past ten years and there may be some alternatives out there for you.  Maybe eating a low inflammatory diet for a few months (I know, no sweets, no chemicals, no junk- not easy), maybe another round of PT with someone who specializes in backs, maybe committing to doing your exercises or gentle stretching daily, or the Aging Backwards Plan.  Maybe acupuncture or baths with epsom salts.  Or all of the above.  I have no idea.  

I just know you deserve whatever help you can get and that takes effort which is tiring but worth it.

ok, back off the soap box.

[Bobbinyc]

I have made a commitment to myself to do 8,000 steps, at least 30 minutes of more intense activity, 6-8 glasses of water, and good food only for the month of March.  I missed the steps Saturday when I ended up spending way too many hours in an emergency room with a friend's son (he's ok now).  Lesson- I need to do a lot in the morning cause ya never know.  Was about to go for a long walk yesterday at 8am when a neighbor called, well, texted - these millenials!- and asked for help with their newborn.  So I was smart and comforted the baby but got in steps - walked the baby for an hour.  Totally forgot that fitbit doesn't work if you are holding a baby!  But, I did get the steps in later.

Today I was going to go to the gym, but since I hate the treadmill, decided to walk to the gym instead.

I'm saying it here so it has to happen.  And I'm turning off my phone! 

[TravellingSunny]

@RachelShrinks I am so sorry to hear that you're not getting supported at home the way you deserve.  I remember how difficult it was for me to quit smoking when my husband was still a smoker.  And he was super-supportive of my quit (avoiding smoking around me, trying not to even let me know when he was stepping outside so I wouldn't think about it) - I don't believe I would have been successful if he hadn't been supportive.

It might be time for you to have a quiet heart-to-heart with her about how you're feeling.  Perhaps she's just feeling left out because she's not healthy right now.  I'm a total Needy-saurus Rex when I've got a cold, and her condition is much more serious.  But, she married you, so she clearly loves you and I'd bet that she'll put in more of an effort to support you emotionally if you talk through it.

The challenges, though?  I've only participated twice (three if you count the one I'm in with you this week) and my steps are aaaaaaaaaall over the place.  I normally hit about 12-14k steps per day, but when I'm in a challenge, I end up working my tail off.  There's just something so competitive about the whole thing, but most of the folks in the challenges are total strangers to me, so I never really know if they're cheating or not.  The way I see it though, as long as I'm still losing weight every week, then I'm not really "losing" the challenges.  LOL!  Heck, some folks burn 3-4,000 calories per day - I can't even imagine what I'd have to do to pull something like THAT off.  If I burn 2,200 calories in a day - I was ON IT!

[TravellingSunny]

After eight solid weeks of meeting my goals, I sorta fell off the health wagon this weekend.  I have no excuses.  I was not sore or injured.  I wasn't too busy.  I just didn't want to exercise.  Just the thought of a FitStar video was too much.  I barely got in 12,000 steps for the entire weekend.  😞

But, I didn't overeat.  I stayed mindful about my calories, logging every calorie, and kept my calories in lower than my calories out.  Lower by only about 50 calories each day, but whatever.  It was lower.  So, I don't feel like I threw away all of my hard work for the past two months, and I'm ready to kick it into high gear again this week.

[Bobbinyc]

@TravellingSunny  Sorry but it seems to me like you did a great job.  We need to mix it up sometimes, take a tiny break....You didn't get self-defeating with it.  You still got about 6,000 steps each day, which is a nice amount.  Hopefully the content of the calories wasn't all junk, but you were mindful and did it.  I think once in a while that kind of 'break' recharges us.  

Even when we "fall off the wagon", we have to minimize how far we fall and make sure we get back quickly.  Yours wasn't even a fall.  Nice work

[TravellingSunny]

@Bobbinyc Thank you so much for the vote of encouragement.  I needed someone to tell me it was OK, because I was really feeling embarrassed about my lack of motivation this weekend.

Still, I'm back in the game again today.  On my way to get in a couple thousand steps so I don't put it off until tonight.  (Your advice is spot on!)