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

[lusry]

I know I checked in on Sunday last week...but I've found I really like to check in on Fridays. I think it helps me be accountable for what I eat the rest of the week and any exercise I do. And, if I mess up on the weekend it gives me more time to correct myself. haha   I've been pretty good this week, but I've also been sick. I haven't had any soda since last Friday (I think) and I think it's made a huge difference. That and the fact that I've been guzzling water since Tuesday because of my sore throat. I haven't made the best food choices, but I also haven't splurged on the eating either. Since we are moving across the county soon (eek! in 2 weeks!) me and my husband have made an effort to eat what was have in the house so we dont have to worry about throwing (or giving) our leftover food away. It's just one less thing to plan for and think it's helped. I've also done pretty good at sticking to my drinking alcohol only twice a week. I've already drank my two times, so if we go out to eat or something I'm definitely going to try to abstain this weekend. This is an especially hard goal for me, since one of the things me and my husband have always liked to do is go out to eat and have a couple of drinks - or ride the streetcar down to the quarter and get a few drinks and then ride it back home. Since we are moving to a state where the alcohol isn't so readily available (here I've been known to walk my dog to the bar down the street, get a beer to go, and then walk my dog around the block while I drink my beer) I think it will be easier in the future, but right now I've just got to work on my self-control. I'm sure these 1.3lbs I lost were actually water weight, but I'll take it! 

USW: April 2015 - 185lbs

CSW: 2/12/16 - 177.8lbs

PW: 2/21/16 - 177.1lbs

CW: 2/26/16 - 175.8lbs

GW: 3/27/16 - 170lbs

UGW: 120-125lbs

[sgbaumann]

I hear you on the alcohol thing!  I think abstaining has made a huge difference (although I do miss it!)

[OCDOC]

@sgbaumann  @lusry

My last drink was wine on New Year's Eve...I have missed wine and beer!

The reason I stay off isn't that I worry about the alcohol calories; it's because after a few drinks I cannot resist eating like a maniac (learned over the years....2 pints at a pub and I will kill half the food menu).

Going to try splitting a bottle of wine with my wife next week at a restaurant dinner...if all goes well I might try the moderation thing. If I go nuts and stuff my face I will confirm my fears..will post what happens!  R

[Chlz1997]

WI day was yesterday...only lost .2.  I get so frustrated with myself! 

I do absolutely wonderful all week eating - while at work - but get totally derailed on the weekends.  Then I spend all week trying to fix it. Too many snacky foods available at home & being away at my son's basketball games with easy access to the concessions doesn't help --- I have such a weakness for nachos & cheese!  His last game is this Sunday - tournaments.  So going to load up on a salad before hand to help curb the appetite.  Must break this cycle!!!  Not going to dwell on it - must keep moving forward!

Side note on the alcohol - It gives me a major case of the munchies something fierce & no power to control it at this point in time - so I continue to avoid it.

Out in my neck of the woods - internet connection is spotty right now.  Haven't been able to sync my fitbit in a few days.  I have direct connect to the internet at work but no access to wifi.  Earlier this week, I actually took my computer and sat outside Burger King to take advantage of their wifi.

So here are my official stats:

USW - 220 (Jan 1, 2016)
CSW - 217.6 (Feb 11)
W1 - 216.4 (Feb 18 {-1.2#})
W2 - 216.2 (Feb 25 {-.2#})
CGW - 209 (5% loss)

this weeks NSV -  Even though I am considered "obese", I have no health issues so I will be donating blood to the Red Cross for my employers blood drive today 

Hope everyone has a great - successful - day/weekend!!

[lusry]

Drinking doesn't really give me the munchies, in fact it has the opposite effect. I don't want anything to eat...but I do continue to drink more instead of eating. So much so, that I have to eat something before I drink any alochol otherwise I just won't eat - which leads to hangovers

[Delli01]

Congrats!   I am one pound away from lowering that BMI to 29.9....one pound!   It is motivating to see that happen!

[bayman099]

Well it is Friday,  so weigh in day.  Down 2.5 lbs this week, 

SW was 254.5

CSW for the challenge was 236.4

CW - 232

Can't remember what my goal was for this challenge...lol.  

UGW - 185

It is Friday, so I will cheat and have my usual two glasses of wine at my neighborhood pub this evening and then start afresh in the morning with another week of being good.  Gonna be hard in a couple weeks as I have to go on duty travel and that week will be a challenge for sure!  I will need HELP!

  

Spoiler

[PoisonDartFrog]

I started 10Feb16 (Ash Wednesday) and am down 6.6 lbs so far.

Highest Weight: 223#

Start at this challenge: 219.4#

Current Weight: 212.8#

Goal Weight: 140-145#

Going well, eating all my meals at home and loving it.

[awood08]

@lusry 

I wish I was like you....we had my friends bachelorette party last October...let me tell you, about 6 frozen daquiris, 8 shots, and a few mixed drinks later we had almost $40 worth of pizza and chicken wings in our hotel room for 3 girls....and it was almost all gone by the morning lol

[Samalama217]

I was supposed to check in on Wednesday. Oops.  It has NOT been a good week for me.  My birthday sort of turned into a week-long celebration and the scales show it.  I was given all sorts of sweets.  Plus, my girl scout cookies came in.  I gave up candy for Lent, but not sweets, in general.  I need to rethink this next time!  I feel all sorts of bloated and sluggish.  I usually kick butt and am super competitive in my cycling classes but I have sucked it up this week.  I've done almost as bad as I have when I first started cycling.  I don't know what's going on with me, but I don't like it one bit.  If this feeling of unwellness is due to all of the sugar I've been consuming, I really want to cut back on this poison.  I'm going to try and give up sweets for the remainder of this challenge.

Starting weight (2-10-16): 137.8 lbs
2-17-16: 137.4 lbs
2-25-16: 138 lbs
Goal weight by Easter: 135 lbs

I was 139 this morning, but I did have a beer pretty late last night so I hope that was only temporary.  I don't feel like I'll make it to my goal at this point.  But maybe if I lay off the sugar, there's hope.  Great job to everyone else.  It seems like almost everyone is making progress.

[medusahair]

my scales died, so I had to buy new ones & so I "gained" weight, but it is just a number & I know I am still actually losing weight

Today's check in is - 227lbs (which I acutally lost a pound from when I bought the scales, so I am happy)

 Well done everyone

[swimr12265]

@saraj91,

Yay Sara!!!  Maybe one of these days (when I start to exercise some self restraint), I will see the scale drop below 130.  I have not been very dedicated here lateley...sigh.

[swimr12265]

@awood08,

lol!! I would eat $40 worth of pizza all by myself!

[swimr12265]

@Samalama217,

I'm not, Sam!  lol.  I'm at that horrible place that I get when the scale refuses to budge. I just get sick of it and go about my horrible eating ways and can maintain 134-135 pretty easily.  What's up with THAT anyway???  Yesterday, I ate an entire box of thin mints!! Yep, I know.  I'm the weakest person on the planet.  I swam this morning and walked in the park, but I have book club tonight, and it is one big eat fest.  I'll pay penance tomorrow.  I am not giving up, but it is not such a fine time for me, either, right now.  The end of the week is the start of my spring break, and I'm going to Las Vegas to spend some time with my sister and brother-in-law. There is a reason Vegas is referred to as "Sin City."  No doubt, I will be a poster child for debauchery while I am there.  We shall see...

[Samalama217]

Haha.  You crack me up, @swimr12265!  Have a blast in Vegas!  I see you purchased some girl scout cookies as well...  Those little devils should be banned from selling such addictive treats!  Pure evil they are!  Give up we must not!  I have no idea why I am talking like Yoda.  Okay, I'm done. lol

[lusry]

@awood08 A good example of me drinking instead of eating was this past Wednesday - I was by myself because my husband was still out of town and I had 6 beers, but only ate a little bit of some herb and butter rice I made. I would have drank more, but it was late and I had to work in the morning. Last week when I was in Colorado I drank a bottle and a half of wine one night and all I ate was a burger and small fries. This week with the beer - I wasn't drunk after the 6 and felt fine the next morning. Last week with the wine is another story though...

[dancefoxtrot]

Hey all,

Let's remind overselves that over indulgence isn't love. When we give in to eating or drinking junk in quantity it is damaging our cells and sabotaging our goals. We need better ways to bring comfort and caring to our selves.

We get stronger each time we decide not to bring home cookies or what ever we pig out on. I know me and my addictive side, so I just leave that junk at the store.  I have enough struggle just not eating too many nuts and figs at night like right now. So far so good. Made herbal tea to sip and I'm going to bed soon. 

Let's build our wise choice muscles thru using them. 

We can do this.

Barbara G

I'm plateauing again at 140ish, 140.1 this morning but I've been pretty good today so hopefully I can creep into the 139 area. It would give a psychological lift.  I will be dancing 6 dances tomorrow night so hopefully my gown will fit without too many bulges in the mid section.

Wish me luck, 

Barb G

[IzzieSellars]

So another week another weigh in and 1.2lbs down! Ate relatively well all week so proud of myself for not giving in. My main targets are getting 10,000 steps which I reached everyday and burning 1900 calories again which I achieved. Ran 12 miles this week too! I'm aiming to lose the weight slowly and it seems to be working so thanks for the motivation😊

[Elle0904]

Weigh in: 202.8, so that's a 4 ounce drop this week.

However, I know I will be getting my cycle today or tomorrow, as I have that bloated and crampy feeling.

This week I was really good with food. Not one single cheat meal. No junk. I kept a 1,000 calorie deficit each day.

Exercise I was excellent. M & T I hit 15k steps. W I did 13 K steps. Th & F 10K steps. Tuesday I started my weight training class and I did Zumba after that. I burned 3,200 calories that day!! But Thursday I was feeling like a truck had hit me.

I am hoping that next week I will be well below 200.

Keep up the good work everyone!!!

[Elle0904]

@Samalama217

I love girl scout cookies. I did not get any this year and keep running away from the girls every time I go to Walmart.

But since I got the protein bars Power Crunch Chocolate Mint, it's helped with my sweets craving. They literally taste like thin mints.

I only allow myself one bar a day, afternoon snack. So I have it around 4 pm and it holds me until I get to eat dinner after working out (around 7:30 pm).

Love them!