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]

Thanks @Elle0904,

I'm going to look into this.  I have been trying to work in stretching and/or a short pre-workout before I swim, but I just haven't been able to make it happen.  Maybe this will inspire me.

[swimr12265]

Okay, "the good, the bad, and the ugly":

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

GW4 - 129 (March 7)

GW5 - 127 (March 14)

GW6 - 126 (March 21)
GWC - 125 (March 27)
UGW- 115 (by Memorial Day, I hope!)
PW- 119 (2008 or 2009; I was down to 123 briefly last August)

So, I got a bit derailed over the last couple weeks.  As I indicated at the end of the NY-VD challenge, I think I am retaining more water than normal (I do NOT feel 4 pounds heavier!), so I am going to hope to be back down to where I feel I truly was (133) by next week.  My plan is to post on Monday mornings, but I may switch to Sunday if it proves to be easier for me to do so.  I truly think I can take off up to 1-1/2 to 2 pounds a week if I stay committed (hence the incremental goals), so that is the plan.  Thank you @saraj91 for starting this challenge.  Thank you @awood08 for kicking off and moderating the last challenge.  Thanks @OCDOC for starting the Activity Group again.  To all my buddies from the last challenge, continued good luck.  To all the newbies, best of luck to you, too.  You have found an awesome group of people to help you on your journey.  May the force be with us all!!

[OCDOC]

@swimr12265 Ty for the shoutout swimmer 🙂

Here's the link to the activity group again   www.fitbit.com/group/22FNXK

Rob

[DJRMel]

I'm taking the plunge from lurkerdom because I need something to jumpstart a very, very stalled journey!

USW 234lb 8/24/12 

CSW- 194.00

GW- 188.00

UGW- 165.00

[Sable2]

This is my first and hope I'm in the right place lol
CW 164
GW 155

[Ballthree]

USW: 01/03/16 313 lbs

CSW: 02/14/16 294 lbs

CW 02/14/16 294

CGW: 02/14/16 280 lbs

UGW: 199.9 lbs

This is my second challenge, and for those of you first-timers, step up and ask what you want to know about.  There are some very knowledgable participants in this group that have great experiences to share. We have people that need to lose big numbers (like me!), people trying to lose that last annoying 10 lbs, and everyone in between. There's lots of methods to the madness here that many are willing to share what works and what to watch out for!

On the last challenge, I missed my goal by 1 lb. It's time for me to step-up to this challenge.....I'll have a couple of great days eating/exercising, and then think I can cheat a bit because I've been doing so well. My cheating sort of ruins the last 72 hours of excellence! Time to have some self-discipline! It's only 7 weeks!!! I want to pull it all together! 

Good luck all!

[lakerunner]

dont stop (just take a break if you need to) keep on going

[sed59]

Well said. You've got this.

---

@Ballthree wrote:

USW: 01/03/16 313 lbs

CSW: 02/14/16 294 lbs

CW 02/14/16 294

CGW: 02/14/16 280 lbs

UGW: 199.9 lbs

This is my second challenge, and for those of you first-timers, step up and ask what you want to know about.  There are some very knowledgable participants in this group that have great experiences to share. We have people that need to lose big numbers (like me!), people trying to lose that last annoying 10 lbs, and everyone in between. There's lots of methods to the madness here that many are willing to share what works and what to watch out for!

On the last challenge, I missed my goal by 1 lb. It's time for me to step-up to this challenge.....I'll have a couple of great days eating/exercising, and then think I can cheat a bit because I've been doing so well. My cheating sort of ruins the last 72 hours of excellence! Time to have some self-discipline! It's only 7 weeks!!! I want to pull it all together! 

Good luck all!

---

I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.

Jimmy Dean

[bluenose1962]

Hi - this weeks update

PW- 190

CW - 176 (15/2/16) 173 (21/2/16) 171 (28/2/16) 170 (6/3/16) 168.2 (13/3/16)

GW - 160 (Easter)

UGW - 145 (9/5/16)

I had really hoped to dip below the 12-0 stone barrier, but it was not to be, partly because my PT insists that I need more calories, along with a birthday curry night, which causes me a problem as the calories were totally unquantifiable and it would not have been right to take my kitchen scales along.

Good cardio session at the gym yesterday, and most of last weeks aches and pains are gone, so time for some more.

Classes booked every morning @ 6.30 am next week, so I should feel good going in to work, even though the Company are in the final throws of bancruptcy.

This time next week it will be a new weight and new job, so all good.

I am losing hope of hitting the final weight target for Easter, but the view that I am having is that this is really a new beginning and the start of the process, and I am not looking for an end.

3 PT sessions in, with 2 more booked next week, the overall benefits, in terms of posture etc. are all looking positive.

Once I get to my UGW, this won't be the end, as I intend to keep this fitness regime as the core to a more positive lifestyle, with the sessions a couple of times a week.

2 evenings last week, myself and 2 sons all at the gym together, so no complaints - cheap night had by all.

Bring on next week !

[UTBROWN]

This is the first Fitbit group I have joined, and I am really excited to meet new friends and encourage each other.  I do have a question.  @saraj91 Do any of the group members regularly do challenges together like the Workweek Hustle?  

[spikejanice]

Cool   Count me in as well

CSW 160.1

GW 145

[Elansc]

Count me in too!  I lost 80 pounds and got to my goal size in July 2014.  I have been maintaining since then and I really want to turn it up and lose the last 15-20 pounds before summer (been 180-185 since July 2014).  Once I hit my goal size, I lost a bit of motivation to lose any more weight, (I was getting kinda tired of people telling me that I looked too skinny too!)  So I guess I needed a bit of time to get used to not being obese....  I am maintaining well and most days I get at least 10.000 steps.  I have also been playing around with calorie intake etc and I know that at this weight, I will lose weight as long as I keep my calories between 1750-1850 and my steps above 10,000 -- my biggest hurdle is NOT eating back all the calories (when I see green numbers I start imagining what I could eat... especially at this time of the day)  and NOT celebrating a "losing" week by imagining what I can eat!   Despite all the great advice that you can find on these groups, it took me awhile to figure out that I really can't eat back all my fitbit calories (sigh!! if it could only be that simple!)

USW- 261.6

CSW- 184.2

GW- 177 (by Easter)

UGW- 165 (by June 30)

[Ina15Marie]

Great idea!

CSW- 137 lbs

GW- 127

UGW- 120

[HealthyMe247]

CW:183
GW:173
UGW:140

[tiffy79]

I'm in.  I've been struggling so much lately with consistency.  I'm hoping this challenge will help motivate me to get back on track.  

USW- 187 (11-26-15)
CSW- 183 (2-15-16)
GW- 169
UGW- 135

[hadley1979]

I would definitely be up for that. Feel free to add me as a friend x

[saraj91]

Hi @UTBROWN 

Yes a bunch of us do take part in workweek hustles & the other challenges, I will make sure to invite you along to them 

[IzzieSellars]

It's started off well! Ran 5 miles yesterday and did 15 minute ab workout. Unfortunately, whilst I still eat a balanced diet, it's hard to eat that healthily as I still live at home and don't cook my own meals. Any advice would be welcomed thank you!!

[fbuser2015]

@saraj91 I would be up for participating in challenges too like the workweek hustle or whatever.

[awood08]

USW 6/16/15     235
PW    2/12/16    169

CGW  3/27/16   160
UGW 160