Valentines Day to Easter Challenge 2016

[saraj91]

Welcome to the next challenge! 

This one will run from Valentines day to Easter, so from February 14th to March 27th. Everyone and anyone can join this challenge in which we all set our own weight loss goals, this gives us 7 weeks in total to work towards them! 

This group of lovely people provides encouraging support and words of advice as we all share our experiences, good and bad. It has proved beyond helpful to myself and many others as we become healthier and achieve amazing things.

To be part of the challenge you start by posting your initial weight stats and what you would like to achieve by the end of the challenge. You can then check in as often as you'd like with a weight update, to share a story from your week or start a conversation about a topic you'd like some advice on.

 
So excited for us to keep working towards our goals with the fantastic friends from the last challenges and a big 'Hello!' to all the challenge newbies! 

Thank you @awood08 for kicking off 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

[swimr12265]

@Ballthree,

LOL!!  You're preaching to the choir, sister!  I am a cheater, too.  I love your honesty (which means you're not so much a cheater, after all, eh?).  I just need to let it motivate AND amuse me. lol.

[Sine]

I totally agree with you. My downfall is potato chips. I'll buy a bag and
eat the whole thing over the course of a day but don't always track it
because it is depressing to actually see how many calories that is. Lately,
since I've been on this new program, I've bought a few bags of chips but
have eaten them over a number of days and have tracked what I have eaten.
It still isn't great to eat them, but I'm being honest with myself and if I
don't lose any weight or get the results I want, I can look back at my food
journal honestly to see where I slipped up.

My next step in the future is to also journal every day - how I feel, how
my day went, etc. - so that I can use this as a tool along with my food
journal to see any correlation and work on improving both the functional
side of eating with the emotional side of every day life.

[Elle0904]

@swimr12265 What kind of popcorn are you eating?

Do you have an Aldi' near you?  I get their Simply Nature Organic Lightly Salted Popcorn (non GMO group verified) and it's 35 calories for each cup of poporn.  Their serving portion is 3.5 cups at 130 calories.  I will have a cup of popcorn everyday.  The whole bag (6 oz) will last me the 1.5 weeks.  I pay $1.79 for it.

It's the Aldi's version of Skinny Pop which goes for like $3.79 at Market Street.

[swimr12265]

@Samalama217,

Hey gf (I think of you as such, you know?), not a problem.  I'll keep sending out the challenge requests because I'm having such fun trying to keep up with @saraj91!!  Yes, the nice weather was a welcome change, and I took every advantage of it Saturday and Sunday (especially, although Sunday was quite a bit cooler).  I had intended to go for a bike ride and a run on Friday (it got to nearly 75!! On February 19?!? In Illinois?!?! Unreal!!) but got caught up in making plans for upcoming travel and was on my stupid computer into the late hours of the evening, so I wasted that glorious day...although it WAS way too windy for a bike ride here (in Springfield), too.  On Saturday, I went for a 4-mile park walk but forgot my fitbit on its charger, so I had to make up for the lost steps on Sunday.  Sunday was a marathon day (almost literally--lol).  I swam a couple hard miles at 7 a.m., went for another 4-mile park walk (WITH the fitbit this time, tyvm) and topped the day off with a 20-mile bike ride (the fitbit captured some of the miles).  I ended up with over 26,000 steps for the day!!  It was my kind of weekend!!  Get over that funk, girl. Life's too short to let things get you down (and, please, don't let them keep you down!).  The endorphins you release from working out will help you feel better.  I'm convinced that's why I am always so upbeat...because I have a **ahem**ty (excuse my language) marriage that is trying to take its toll on me.  I won't let it, though...lol!!

[swimr12265]

@Papa-Paul,

How could anyone not be gentle with a guy named "Papa-Paul"???  Welcome, and enjoy!!  This site is so fun; it will be hard for you not to enjoy yourself if you check in regularly.

[swimr12265]

@Elle0904,

Wowza!! I'm having one of my (frequent) Homer Simpson moments!  That looks incredible!!

[HelenKr]

@swimr12265 - Thank you for noticing the new photo! 

I can relate to so much of your posts.

Sweets and pizza are my biggest problem too... I enjoy some wine occasionally, but would give it up in a heartbeat if that were my problem.

I'm being pretty good since the start of this challenge, really hoping to get under 150!

Take care,

Helen

[swimr12265]

@Elle0904,

Well, that just shows the difference between a "reasonable woman" and a "crazy as sh@t" one, doesn't it?  Sigh.  I bought the popcorn (Organic Twiggy pop Kettle Corn) at Sam's when I was hungry (not smart) and was trying to make my 3 kiddos happy, also, by getting everything they put on the grocery list. I bought a big bag of Skinny Pop, too, which is, for now anyway, unopened.  For some strange reason, I don't feel like eating popcorn. lol.  

A friend invited me to see a movie Sunday night, and I opened it then...and ate very little of it (even I can pretend to be reasonable at times) despite being rather ravenous after a heavy day of working out.  I took the bag with me to school yesterday to "snack on" later (Mondays are supposed to be my fast days).  However, I cannot have a big bag of anything around me.  No matter how many servings in the bag, it usually becomes a "single serving."  I told myself yesterday, "No more big bags since, as aways, you have no self control.  Whatever am I going to do with you???"  

You eat a single cup of popcorn. Really?  I won't tell you how that makes me feel.  lol.  I am the very antithesis of people like you.  It is a VERY good thing I so enjoy working out.  I would be the size of a small house if I didn't.  That is the truth.

[swimr12265]

Alright, this week's numbers (I felt yucky yesterday and didn't even swim...which is not like me at all!):

USW- 144 (July 2015)
CSW- 137 (Februay 14, 2016)
GW1- 135 (February 19)
GW2 - 133 (February 22)
GW3 - 131 (February 29)

UGW- 115 (by Memorial Day, I hope!)
CW - 134.6

So, I was 133 on Saturday morning but didn't maintain it despite working out like a crazy nut on Sunday.  This morning I was 134.6.  Meh.  Not my February 22 goal weight, but I will still try to reach my Februay 29 goal.  Had I not rewarded myself for being 133 early--when, oh when, will I ever learn?--I could have been 131 or even 130 yesterday and got to wear another new swimsuit (I went back to the old "pre-birthday" swimsuit because I really didn't feel right about letting myself wear it at 135#), but that is what rational people do, and I think we have pretty well established that I am anything but rational, yes?  lol. To borrow someone's wise words, "Onward and downward (I hope)..."

[Elle0904]

@swimr12265

LOL at calling me reasonable.  I didn't get to 200+ by being reasonable.  I am very much an emotional eater. Food is my comfort.  I love fast food (hello Whataburger and Chicken Express).  I have a MAJOR sweet tooth.  CHOCOLATE and Ice Cream are my biggest downfalls.  When they stopped selling Blue Bell, my waist line saw some relief, because I couldn't find anything that I liked.  But that didn't stop me from going to McDonalds to get a hot fudge sundae (yummm).

I separated from my ex-husband Sept 2013.  I lost 40 lbs in 2014.  Heartbreaks are a B(beep), but getting rid of that dead weight (my ex) was very liberating and made me feel great.  I started working out, eating well, etc.

In December I went to Puerto Rico for Christmas and ate like a mad woman (I can't get that kind of food here).  I looked at the pics compared to the year before and realized "Oh no, I gained weight!" (I totally knew it, I just saw it side by side and it was ugly) Got on the scale and went from 195lbs in Jan 2015 to 216lbs December 2015.  I had started school and gotten into a relationship, we were eating bad (lots of fast food) and BAM, I was inching my way back to my pre-divorce weight (236lbs)!  

I said "F that, I am not going back there!"  So two days later I said bye to fast food and hello to home cooked meals.  In min-Jan I broke up with the guy I was sort of seeing...and I didn't allow myself to do any emotional eating.  It made me want to work out harder.

My biggest motivation- my 35th birthday in June.  I want to look cute, I want to feel great!  I am going to have this amazing celebration in my Mediterranean cruise and I want  to enjoy every second of it!  Another motivator--I live in Texas.  It's hard being overweight in Texas and trying to survive 120 degree summers in 3/4 sleeves and rolled  up long jeans.  I don't want to worry about that!  I want to enjoy the pool without feeling self-conscious.

So when I feel myself wanting something not so good for me, I remember all of the above.  I remind myself that 1 cup of popcorn is better than the entire bag.  I've upped my water intake to 100+ oz a day to help with the hungry feeling.

Get the big bags (hello, they are cheaper) and get some ziploc sandwich bags.  Allow yourself to only eat that one sandwich bag no matter how you feel afterwards.  That's one way to help with portion control.  

[awood08]

I have lost nothing...very disheartening...stuck at 171-173 for weeks, then finally dropped to 169 and gained back to 173 and can't seem to break it again.

I am in my goal clothing sizes, so why am I so disappointed in the scale number? These last 15 pounds are tough, even tougher than quitting smoking. 😞

USW  6/16/15 235

CSW  2/12/16 169

PW    2/16/16 173

CW    2/23/16 173

UGW  6/16/16 160

[Elle0904]

@awood08 You are my hero here!  Our USW is about the same.  Look where you're at!!! You will conquer those last 15 lbs!

[HelenKr]

Hang in there @Awood! You'll get there. I think we all hit plateaus at certain points. You are a big inspiration for me also. You got this!

[scottie0714]

@Elle0904 I didn't realize Aldi had a good popcorn. I will have to check that out. I currently enjoy Orville Redenbacher's Naturals Light - simply salted.  IT IS DELICIOUS!  Serving size is 25 calories for 1 cup popped.  130 calories per bag.

[CalicoJane]

Yum. Will have to find some

[MegCH]

I think it's cool that however different everyone's goals are (as far as numbers), we're all working toward the same thing. It's interesting how my goal for this challenge is 158, some people's USW is in the 140's, or some UGWs are in the 160's, but we're all accomplishing things! Yay to that!

[Elle0904]

@scottie0714

YES!  It's in the area with all the chips (at the very entrance).  Foodeducae gives it an A-. http://www.fooducate.com/app#!page=product&id=54500810-2A51-315F-4444-8D3CDC82727E

What I love is that it's GMO free.

[syreina]

I'm in! After Valentine's Day, I gained a couple pounds back since I have not been diligent in the past two weeks. But! I can catch things now before they go further south. I should say that I will catch things now. I absolutely must incorporate exercise on a routine basis, absolutely!

CW (2.22.2016): 126.2 lbs

PW (2.15.2016): 123.6 lbs

GW (3.28.2016): 116.2 lbs

UGW (4.25.2016): 110 lbs

USW (1.1.2015): 140 lbs

Happy exercising everyone!

[Tasha91]

Well done everyone on their progress
First weigh in delayed due to scales battery running out 😤
Lost just over 2 pounds
SW 168
CW 166.8
Just wondering have any of you joined bounts? Gives you points for your walking and tracked exercise through Fitbit and other activity apps which can be exchanged for gift vouchers. Great motivation tool!

[dancefoxtrot]

HelenKr

Nice photo. Keep at it even when it is slow and frustrating. I can relate.

Barbara G