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!!

[dancefoxtrot]

@meg5168

Yep before my belly goes, my chest goes but leaves enough. I mean I see no benefit in having a large top.  Our culture values women by body type but that is ridiculous.  We don't have to by in to this.  When I hit my goal weight before I bounced up again I looked fine. Don't worry about it.  

Best,

Barb G

[dancefoxtrot]

@Bobbinyc and others that like the stars and full circles and badges. Me too and why not? 

On the days MWF when I teach 2 exercise classes by 12:30 I have 6500 steps. That is a lovely chunk and with out trying hard I can get in another 1500.

Managed to log my food so far today which is an achievement. 

It is International Women's Day and I went to a rally for an hour. Lot's of great women with signs. Good feeling and the drivers of cars honked and waved including a police officer. 

148.8 this AM but yesterday was at 150.0. I'm trying impose discipline of myself from grazing late at night. Trying to drink tea and water after 9 pm.  

Resting, icing and elevating my knee know since I will have 2 dance classes to take tonight so that is 1.75 hours of movement. I'll get all my steps today. 

Best wishes for strength and determination..

Barbara G

[_Lilac_]

I hope everyone is doing great today!

I've noticed a growing pain in my right knee. I can almost feel an inflammation in it. Sometimes I'll move in bed, using my leg to push off, and I'll gasp in pain with the pressure. It fades as I move though, so I wasn't too concerned about the amount of walking I do. My joints (ankles, feet, knees) have been sore and I believed I needed to buy new shoes. I'm still going to do that. I had only 4400 steps by 6pm, which is super low for me. I was thinking about what I could do to lessen the impact of walking when I had a 'duh' moment and realized I have my aquafit classes I can go to. And then second 'duh' moment...there was a class starting within the hour. So, I ran over to the YMCA and did a class, working hard. There's a new instructor and he got my heart rate up to 125!! I've been struggling to get it over 110 in the morning classes. So I'm going back to his classes! He also played late 80's gay club dance music, which was sooo fun. After a few songs I thought, "we just need Cher now" and Cher came on. Haha. Was bobbing around in the water singing and got such a boost.

I'm within 250 of my step goal for the day. Phew. I'll get that just by catering to the pups.

I crocheted a very cute hat today, walked the dogs, played with my new smartphone a bit to figure it out. Generally a lazy day. I'll probably walk with Mom tomorrow and go get my new shoes. 

Oh, did I mention that while on my trip I bought a ukelele?? It's so cute. I should begin my first lesson tomorrow. I have a song I want to learn to play so I need to work hard. I am NOT musically inclined and have no idea how to play any instrument. 

I've included a pic of my dog and hats I made today. Have a great night all!

[A_Lurker]

@_Lilac_- it's odd, but when I first started to lose weight I think I was down about 50 pounds and everyone I knew kept saying that I must feel so much better.  I wasn't as my knees were bugging me a lot.  Of course I was also walking a lot more than I had been in the past. I still have some days when they bother me, but not even close to what they were.

[dgwheeler]

Today was my weekly weigh in.  I am back at my Feb 14th weight.

CW: 170.2

GW: 165

UGW: 135

[TravellingSunny]

@_Lilac_ - Wow!  You really turned that day around, didn't you?  Congratulations on finding what works and having fun with it!

Ukes are super-easy to play as far as stringed instruments go.  You're gonna have a blast once you get the basic chords down.  And then, you can play multiple songs on cue!  Good for you, learning a new hobby.  I wanna see a picture of your new instrument.  🙂

[SunsetRunner]

March 9, 2017 update

USW- 184 (highest, January 2017)

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) BMI=26.3

PW- 181.2 3/2/17 (BMI=26)

CW- 177.8 3/9/17, also BBG - 38 inches* (BMI=25.4)

*BBG is my own benchmark for Girth at Belly Button height. Letting my belly hang, no sucking in.

As the beer belly is my major challenge, I figured I'd post that too. I need to start on crunches and other abdomen exercises.

My wife suggested we get a medicine ball to throw back and forth, so we'll be getting one of those. I suspect she just wants to throw things at me. But hey, exercise is exercise.

Cutting out alcohol was easy, and now I have more money for running shoes. Win/win.

We are both signed up for a St. Patrick's 5K run/walk this Saturday. We'll be walking this time, but I do plan on incorporating some running in the next one.

[dgwheeler]

Haha just kidding yesterday.  TODAY is Thursday so today is my official weigh in day.  Wow.  Thought yesterday was Thursday 😂

So I have FINALLY broke the 170 block I've been at.

CW: 169.6

GW: 165

UGW: 135

[HeartBiller]

Good morning peeps! I hope all is having a wonderful day! This morning the scale was so much nicer to me than it was yesterday. Now I just have to make sure to keep it nice so that next Tuesday things will be good. It is so hard not to count it when you see a number on the scale you haven't seen in over 20 years..lol. BUT, I will stay strong and try to use that as my encouragement to do well over this weekend. Weekends are my struggle. Most of the time I do not get my steps in and I do not drink as much water. I wonder why it is so hard to remember water on the weekend. When at the office I guess I have my routine and it just comes natural. So I need to work on a strategy for the weekend.

I have to travel for work tomorrow, so tomorrow will be a challenge for steps as well. I can take my water with me, but I have a 2 drive to get there, then sit through a 4 hour training session and then a 2 hour drive back... any ideals for getting exercise in??

[_Lilac_]

My day. Wow. So I woke up to seizures and Mom called, wondering if we were going walking. I knew it was going to be one of 'those' days so I told her I didn't want to be alone all day with this happening. So, we went walking and I had two seizures during our laps. I went to her house and hung out for a bit, lunch, etc but I was so tired and needed a sleep. Came home and napped. Had another one. I took my dogs for separate walks tonight and had another one while my big dog did his 'business'. Had to wait to pick it up. So far it's at a 7 or 8 count for the day and it's 8:30pm. I'll probably have 3 tomorrow and I'll be done for a few weeks. 

I've got my 11,000 steps but didn't eat nearly enough. I *might* have got over 1000 calories today in my three meals. I need a good snack very soon. I think I'll start another hat tonight because I need to just sit and rest. My knee is still sore. 

My plan for tomorrow is to go to the aquafit morning class to get half my steps in for the day and then two walks with the boys will get me to my goal! I might also go up to the craft store and get the shoe shopping overwith. I know shoe shopping shouldn't sound like a chore but I have a troubled history with it! I've almost been in tears sooo many times trying to buy shoes in the past. I get extremely tense and crazy. I have huge feet. Size 11W in womens. I almost always have to get men's sneakers in size 10. Try being a 14yr old girl with that size feet and going to get something that looks nice. Nope, not gonna happen. I did find some skechers last time that I LOVE so that's what I'm heading to this time. Hopefully, this will help my sore knee and ankles issue.

Other than that, I had a good day! Honestly. LOL. Family is talking about a fav Japanese restaurant to take me to to celebrate my birthday I had this week. Mom's turning 70 in April so we are planning a party. My daughter told me yesterday she's considering (again) continuing on to her Masters degree and ultimately a PhD. I don't think she's quite ready to join the full-time work force (she's been continuously working part time jobs since she was 15). She is taking a post-grad course next year in Human Resources but she might continue on to her Masters after that. She wanted me to join her, saying I could do a Masters in Creative Writing. Ha. If I can't work I can't go to school. She might not be ready to leave Mommy, too. It's scary adulting, isn't it?

Ok, off to create! Have a great night everyone. Step, sweat, eat well, laugh, be good to yourself!

[Glenda]

Lilac, Your dog is so cute.  I'm glad you know how to post a picture.  I can't find instructions on how to do that.  Can you tell me how to find them?   Glenda

[_Lilac_]

@Glenda  When you hit reply to a post, there are symbols that come up such as B (bold), I (italics), etc etc. One of those symbols is a camera and it's called 'photos'. You click that and it will give you the option to drag a photo in there from your desktop or you can click the tab that allows you to choose the photo from your picture files on your computer. I am using the computer, not the app on a smart device. I'm not sure if it's the same on a smart device. Someone else might have those instructions. 

[_Lilac_]

@TravellingSunny  Here it is! The company is a local place that hand crafts their instruments. They had one with dog print designs but I went with the girly swirl. 

[GettingfitinSC]

@HeartBiller I have the same experience with weekends...It's difficult to meet ALL my goals on the weekends: steps, calories, and water. I think you're right that at work we have certain routines that we're often in control of. At home, there's other family members, places to go, etc. Those change things. Last weekend was pretty awful for me, but I'm hoping this weekend will be better. No...I'm planning for this weekend to be better. That's what needs to change. It won't just be better, I have to purposely make plans to meet my goals. Keep checking in over the weekend and we can let one another know how we're doing. 🙂

[DJC_63]

@dgwheeler  Congrats on breaking past 170! It's always a great feeling to get down to the next lower numbers on the scale.

[DJC_63]

@HeartBiller I know it's too late now, but I do ab exercises while I drive. I just pull my abs in and let out, over and over until I need a break. It makes me feel like I'm doing something productive, anyhow. Hope that you had a good day and learned a lot!

[DJC_63]

I'm so tired because I didn't sleep enough last night. I have no idea why, I woke up after only 4 hours and couldn't go back to sleep. Usually when that happens I don't do much all day, but today I really wanted to get some exercise in. So I went for a walk up the road. At one point I stopped to look at my Fitbit and when I looked up there was a truck in front of me, stopped on the road waiting for me to get out of the way.  Oops! That's why I try not to drive if I'm that tired.

I got my walk in, then I kept trying to get my 250 steps each hour, and then it started snowing so I went out and shoveled snow. That had better be enough to make me sleep good tonight! At least I hit all of my goals for the day, which makes me happy. I hope that all of you have a good day!

[Glenda]

Lilac,  Thank you so much for explaining that and doing it so well.  You are wonderful.  I love your girly swirl thing too.  But now can you tell me how I can give you a "solution" thing?  Seems like that should be obvious but I don't see it.   I'm a dunce at this for sure.

[_Lilac_]

@Glenda And I have NO IDEA about the 'solution' thing!

[BLLingg]

@GettingfitinSC, don't you wish that Roller Coaster would be low on Weigh in Day, up only between Weigh in Days, then go even lower next Weigh in Day?  Why does it have to go up or remain level on Weigh in Day!?!?!? 

You're doing good on your Walking this Week!  Just don't let that dern Battery die again!!!