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!!

[TT_is_me]

@SunsetRunner - Your post always make me laugh! Yoga totally isn't for the faint of heart. I used to do it before but haven't started it back up this time around. You're daily yoga routine is inspiring me to get going again. Lord knows I need the stretching! My 32-yr-old body is also no match for some of those yoga positions 🙂

[Gayle1018]

Happy St Patty day!  and TGIF!  get off at noon whoo-hoo.  Weather is suppose to be 51 Sunday --time to get the Kayak out!

I did get my walk in last night and over all pretty good day.  On track to day too - so keep on trying.  Got some fun plans for the weekend (besides finishing up my Taxes) 

Have a great day and and weekend...

[dancefoxtrot]

Hi all

made it down to 146.2 now so it is possible to fast my way lower or semi fast alternate days. Today 2 boiled eggs and a clementine cutie orange 176 calories and coffee with almond milk 12 so 188 for breakfast and plan on salad & salmon for lunch. 

Get off track, get back up and try again. 

sw 2/16 150.2

cw 3/18 146.2   slow and bumpy but progress. Just 11.2 lbs to go away for ugw.

hugs to you all,

Barbara G

[Bobbinyc]

@dancefoxtrot Great job!  Knowing you, you'll get there soon. 

And hugs to you too,

Bobbi

[_Lilac_]

Mom and I went for our walk at the mall today. We did only 2 laps since my knee was getting tired. It feels better but I'm still being careful about twisting, and going down stairs is a real pain. I went to pick up my new shoes and went in and out of a grocery store to grab a few things. When I got home I walked to the top of my street to get my taxes done but since I'm also having to do them for my late husband they need to assign me  to some dude who does those 'special' things...so I can't finish it up til next Friday. But now I'm beat! All the muscles in my leg are sore, probably from compensating to prevent my knee from hurting. I did get my dishes done. I am really, truly struggling with this 'rest' concept, however yesterday I barely did anything at all. It felt so good to move today.

Funny thing about Mom. The other day when I hung out with her, she complained that she'd not lost anything for the last week or two and had actually gained a pound, when she's steadily been losing before. She said she was so bummed about it and wondered if the steps and the food measuring/counting/tracking wasn't right, etc. I told her she'd probably just had saltier food than usual. She was really discouraged. This morning she said she'd dropped 1.5lbs overnight and felt so much better. She'd used that crappy feeling last night to make sure she didn't eat after supper and was determined to see it through. Mom mentioned that she supposed a lot of people would have caved and eaten because they would feel they were working hard for nothing. She used that to motivate her. And voila! 1.5lbs gone this morning.

I told her that when I get that feeling, that I'm not losing, that I'm working at this and it's not budging...and then boom the very next day I drop. I now recognize it and understand it, which helps me deal with it. I wonder if it's something in our minds/bodies that is triggering us to eat when we are just about to lose. If she had listened to that nasty voice telling her she wasn't losing anyway, might as well have half a big bag of chips...the scale wouldn't have shown her 1.5lb loss because of all the salt and bloat from chips. It's so tricky, isn't it? The whole hormone/balance/chemicals part of it. What our brains and bodies are doing to us.

So, next time you are bummed. Next time you are reaching for badness because you just don't see the scale moving after all your effort, think of my 70 yr old mother trucking along in her sneakers, knowing she beat down that feeling and won!  She was so much happier this morning. 

[Bobbinyc]

The last few weeks I have been trying to get rid of clutter that seems to have taken over. This includes cooking stuff, furniture, clothing, knicknacks, way too many books etc.   I have beautiful things (and not so beautiful) from my mother and father, both long gone, from my sister who used to stay here part of the year, from my son who no longer lives here....I have the stuff of at least 5 people and I live alone!  I even get mail in everyone's names!  I don't even like my own old stuff.  And I live in an old house with no storage and tiny closets (2 feet wide).  So I have been working hard on getting rid of things.  I have brought stuff up from the basement, emptied closets and bookcases. I am even setting up a new filing system so there are piles of papers around. You know how when you re-organize things get worse at first?  That's where I am now.  And an old friend just called that she will be in town for a medical consult and I invited her to stay with me.  Yikes!  What was I thinking?  

I guess I'll find out how many steps it takes to quickly stash stuff, clean, make the place comfortable, and shop and cook.  OY!  This should be worth at least 2 pounds!

Hope everyone is having a calm, focused day.

[_Lilac_]

@dancefoxtrot  Yay!! You are doing great. 

@Bobbinyc  I can soooo relate. I still have things in my basement that the old owner left behind when I bought my house 12 yrs ago!!! And then there's my late husband's stuff, my son's stuff when he moved away, my daughter's stuff (she still lives here kinda part time), etc etc. I'm also in a house with few closets so there are rooms of storage. It's bad but I'm definitely not a hoarder haha. In my city there is a 'spring cleaning' garbage collection. They send a fleet of trucks around each neighbourhood to pick up all the big items or excess amount you can't just set out on the weekly pick up. I'd love to empty my house of 75% of the things in it, but I'd need an army to help. And can I really trust others to go through my stuff? Not really. So, I guess that's a major project for me soon. I often want to donate to goodwill  but without a vehicle, it's hard to distribute. I'll have to come up with a plan of attack on this matter. Thanks a whole bunch for reminding me! haha. Oh well, bend, stretch, steps, stairs, fold, chuck, sweat.

[Bobbinyc]

@_Lilac_  Nice to know I'm not alone in all this clutter.  When I emptied out my mother's place, it was so hard to find charities to take the stuff, which was sad because her furniture was in perfect condition.  But the charities all said they couldn't afford the trucks and drivers.  It took a lot to find a place who could pick up a lot of stuff.  For awhile the immigrant re-settling organization, HIAS, was picking up stuff that they would put into apartments for new settlers.  When you finally get rid of things, it really is heartwarming to know that someone who has been through an awful time, will now have a nicely furnished place.  

Your mom is as inspiring as you are.  Since my scale has not been cooperating, I mostly focus on eating for my health, for my life.  The scale can't tell me how my blood sugar is or if my heart is handling my life well, or if my immune system will keep me going.  Hopefully all those veggies will get me there even when the scale stays stubborn.

ok, finished sweeping and mopping and rested my back long enough.  Back to work.

[almost_where]

@dancefoxtrot

Ok, now im going to have to pick up some clementines. 🙂 Keep up the good work there!

[almost_where]

@Bobbinyc

wtg on your decluttering project. In the end you will be glad you did it.  Im not too sure if you reddit, but I used the declutter subreddit when I did my large 1st stage of getting rid of clothes, electronics, etc. Now that spring is approaching I'm working on stage 2.

https://www.reddit.com/r/declutter/

Seeing what other people are going through and how they handle the process can really aid and provide motivation for yours. Good luck with your houseguest and don't stash stuff too far under the couch 🙂

[Bobbinyc]

 Thanks for the idea, @almost_where.  Hopefully I'll get back on track after this weekend.

I've shoved everything back into the basement or closets  which is really annoying me.   I have vacuumed, swept, mopped, dusted, and scrubbed until my hands are dry and my back hurts.  And it's giving me the motivation to pull everything out and start again, and this time finish.  I'm looking forward to it, after way too much procrastinating.

It may sound odd but getting rid of stuff feels like losing the weight.  I want every part of my life to feel lighter, free, nothing to hide or dislike.  I hope that makes sense.

ok, time to go food shopping and start cooking lots of healthy food.

[dancefoxtrot]

Okay. Time to log lunch food but I come to our challenge group instead. Been good today so far. Had just 2.5 cups of veggies about 100 calories  with feta cheese 80 calories on them for lunch at 1:30 and I thinking about food again at 6 PM. Well a salmon patty will help, tea and salad. OK now log it please Ms B. 

Nothing like a video of my plump tummy dancing to get me motivated. 

Does anyone know about this Conjugated Linoleic Acid for burning belly fat that is being hyped on the internet? Hmmm. 

Need to walk now since I rested my legs for a few hours..

Sending you good energy to ignore cravings and stay strong. 

Time for more water to drown them.

Best,

Barbara G

[SunsetRunner]

Hi Everyone!

Ok, here's the deal.....I weighed in last Friday as usual but didn't get a chance to post until Sunday and then......I posted on the wrong board!  Good grief!!! Oh well...here's the update   

USW: 224.5 lbs (7/6/16)

CSW: 177.0 (12/23/16)

CW: 176.5 (12/30/16) -0.5 lbs

CW: 173.5 (01/06/17) -3.0

CW: 171.0 (01/13/17) -2.5

CW: 169.5 (01/20/17) -1.5

CW: 169.0 (01/27/17) -0.5

CW: 168.0 (02/03/17) -1.0

CW: 168.0 (02/10/17) -0.0

CW: 165.5 (02/17/17) -2.5  First weigh-in for this challenge.

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

CW:  159.0 (03/03/17) -4.0 

CW:  156.5 (03/10/17) -2.5

CW:  154.5 (03/17/17) -2.0 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I hit my goal weight and have lost 70 lbs!!! It took 8 months and 11 days but I did it!! As you can tell I'm super excited!    

UGW: 155   This has been my UWG since I started but now I'm thinking of changing it to 150.  The only reason being is that it will give me a small 5 lb "range" to stay within so I don't freak out at every little change. 

With one month left to this challenge, I'm going to now go for an UWG of 150.  My current BMI is 22.9 and at 150 it will be 22.1 which is still in the normal range.  After that I'll have to switch over to the "maintenance mode" which for me has always been the hardest part. 

I just want to say THANK YOU all so much for all your posts and encouragement. I really enjoy this board and don't feel alone like I did last summer when I first started this weight loss journey.  

Have a good weekend!

[em.kz]

Time for my Weekly Weigh-In!

USW - 161.6 (12/25/16)

CSW - 153.6 (2/14/17)

PW - 154.8 (2/17/17)

PW - 152.2 (2/24/17)

PW - 153.2 (3/3/17)

PW - 153.0 (3/10/17)

CW - 151.0 (3/16/17)

CW -  (3/24/17)

CW -  (3/31/17)

CW -  (4/7/17)

CW -  (4/14/17)

FW -  (4/18/17)

GW - 146.0 (4/18/17)

UGW #1 - 140     UGW #2 - 135

This week I had to post my Thursday weight instead of Friday since I didn't weigh today. My mom and I traveled to visit my grandparents and some other family for a day so it seemed silly to bring my scale for that short time. ANYWAY... This week has been better than past weeks. I have been a lot more steady in my losses. I feel a lot more in control, which has been great! In the past, I would try my best, get all my steps in, eat relatively well, but my weight was going in the wrong direction! Now I feel like I'm back in the driver's seat. That being said, I'm going to have to stay on top of everything if I want to meet this goal. I gave myself a bit of wiggle-room at the start of this challenge and it seems I have used that all up. Now, I'll need to stick right around losing 1lb/week to make it! I can do it! It'll be some hard work, but I have all of you to keep me accountable. I can't wait to see when the second number on that scale is a 4!

[dancefoxtrot]

@SunsetRunner

Cheers to you for such a great accomplishment in making your goal.  I'm also at a BMI of 22.9 and still have about 8 lbs of fat on my belly. Targeting  it is very difficult it seems but I going to try. 

Best,

Barbara G

[dancefoxtrot]

@Bobbinyc

Wow I'm impressed with all your cleaning. Not weird at all that you feel lighter when you let go of things. Me too, when I get around to clearing out stuff.

Off to sleep since I feel the after midnight cravings getting stronger and I ate less than 600 calories today.  Tomorrow I visit my son and may eat more than today. 

Best,

Barbara 

[Dirkle]

Two miles is great. I will be happy if I get one done today.

I am preparing for a speech contest, going to a baby shower in Raleigh and rejoicing that Spring is on the way.  My next 5K race is at Dorthea Dix hill on April 1st.  No fooling!!!

Have a great day and be careful.

[Bobbinyc]

@dancefoxtrot  I've also read that belly fat is the hardest too lose.  I know that you can do this.  You have done it before, and can do it again.  You are very smart, and very determined.  Things happened that got you off track, but you are focused.  That belly fat doesn't stand a chance with you.

[Bobbinyc]

@SunsetRunner Congrats on reaching your goal!  No wonder you posted on the wrong board.  If I ever reach my goal I'll be posting on every board!  

The 5 pound wiggle room sounds like a good idea.  Our bodies need that - our hormones shift a bit, or we eat a bit of salt,  or we get the teeniest bit off track before we catch ourselves.  It will help you stay on top of it.  From what I hear, maintenance is the hardest part. So keep coming here and keep getting all the support you want, and help others reach their goals too.

[Bobbinyc]

I managed to get the house to look good enough and a lot of healthy food cooked before my friend from many years ago arrived. I didn't get in enough steps (that was a surprise) but I was active every hour.  I do not recommend emptying closets and hauling stuff out of hiding all at once to go through.  Do one space at a time if possible.  You never know when someone will show up unexpectedly!

It was nice to see her again after all those years.  We had a long talk about her health, and about the way I have been eating since my cancer scare.  She is very smart but has been relying totally on doctors instead of doing her own research too.  I don't think we can afford to do that.  I'm certainly sorry I went along with the doctor on some things.

 I plan to stay on track with food and activity level this weekend.