Winter is coming...

[Chargrintoacti]

So not sure about the rest of you, but I'm bad when it comes to Winter... I currently weigh 310lbs, I am a more active person since getting my fitbit, but am still have a lot of problems with my eating habbits. With winter coming I am afraid I will wak less, and go into hibernation mode, except instead of sleeping I will just keep eating... Because of work I know I will stay reletively active, but I am really worried that all of this summers hard work will be for nothing...

I could use some encouragement, advice but honestly I need some people who are like minded and need others to push them. I need to be pushed, but not yelled at, no one has time for being yelled at.

[Hanne]

Wow, what a journey @Chuckolla. those processed foods get us in big trouble. I wish you all the best.

[WendyB]

@Chuckolla Congrats on your loss so far! You have done excellent! Thats so Awesome!

[Nirave]

Very new to fitbit, just two days infact... I am 145 Kgs (320 lbs)... Living in India that iss a dangerous zone of weight to be in and now need to take it up on war front... Being a gamer I kind of have good hopes for this regime to work, since i can compete ;).... Fingers crossed....

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[petefromthecoun]

Find a place near you with an indoor track arena, ymca etc.:)

[professorpete]

I think it's also that we get so out of touch with our bodies with heavier clothing.  i guess that's not true for winter athletes, but it sure is for me.

[admartin323]

With the pact app, I do not have a paypal account but think this would be a good thing to help keep me motivated. Will it send money to the card I put on file for payment purposes?

[HelenaFitbit]

@mlaccs I use a Wii to workout too! I'm also buying a treadmill for Christmas 

@Chuckolla Congratulations on your health achievements 

@Nirave If you are a gamer, you may like @Wokamon which is an app where you "feed" and tend your pets and their worlds based only on your steps. I'd pretty fun and you can check them out here. 

@admartin323 You can get more information about Pact here. Make sure to check the video, it's really funny 

[Diane65]

I live in Australia so not used to the cold more like Florida to where I live now I used to live near the snow fields but it gets cold there but no snow, maybe a treadmill or pacing around inside your house

[Justdontsit]

My name is my motto.  Just don't sit. Find something to do that is needed and/or fun.  Dusting burns more calories than watching the tube.  So, I try to move my body in any manner that is simply not sitting.  I too had the winter issue.  But, decided to embrace winter.  For those of us in Canada, why not?  I now nordic ski, and am getting better and going longer.  It does not feel like a painful endeavor but is fun.  I encourage all of you to use my motto.  Sitting is equated to the new smoking.  My goal is not merely to lose weight.  Anyone can starve themselves and do that.  But that is not sustainable in the long run.  I am looking for lifestyle changes that are healthy and will take me into the future strong, fit and able (and ps the weight does come off).  I look at each situation as a challenge, that I CAN outsmart.  I can find a way to exercise on a long road trip...I CAN suceed.  I CAN outsmart any situation that comes at me.

In the food department, start small, make permanent changes one at a time.  I switched out the cheerios etc that left me starving by 10:30 am and went into the porridge.  Now I don't feel desperate for snacks mid morning and the annoyances at work are not driving me to eat.  The processed crap is killing us.  Get into real foods.  Foods with one ingredient.  Think of broccoli and everything else good as giving you the nutrients you need to have a good day.  This kind of eating will help with the cravings as you won't have a blood sugar crash like you do with processed crap (you will notice I am not calling it foods).  100 calories of broccoli does not equate to 100 calories of cookies or chips.  All calories are not created equal.  One will make you feel good while the processed junk still makes you feel bad.

I am not perfect.  But I CAN do it, I do deserve it and I CAN succeed (and you can too).

[Hanne · Accepted solution]

@Justdontsit Thank you for your uplifting words! You hit it right on the nail. I think of eating foods with only one ingredient (and assembling a group of such single ingredients on a plate) as taking back control. It puts oneself in the driver seat of the car one is in. We loose control when we delegate the choice of what we eat to big businesses, who do not have our health as their no. 1 priority. As for exercise, I decided a few years ago to have some fun and imagine that I was an olympian athlete. Imagine that all the best athletes I have known in my life are rooting for me. As a kid, I was always the last person to get picked on a team, I was notoriously bad in all sports deciplines, so I laughed out loud at the thought. But I decided that I would be in a league of my own and only compare myself to myself. I have almost lost 70 lbs, but more importantly: I am feeling so much better.

[Nic992]

@HelenaFitbit I use pact but I use Dietbet also which is same idea you bet on yourself and your weightloss.

Dietbet works on bets that can last between one month and six, you bet up front between $20-$150 depending on the game you choose. In the one month bets you betting that you can loose 4% of your bodyweight after the month if youve won you split the pot with the winners in the game. I prefer dietbet to pact because of the support you get from the other players. Once you have joined a bet, you enter a forum with other players in the game where you can post statuses,pictures and ask advice when needed. Some of the game hosts are also well known trainers, I've just finshed hosted by the chris and heidi powell where they gave advice on different meal plans and recipes which was really useful for alot players over thanksgiving. I would highly recommend it to anyone if your serious about your weightloss.

Hope everyone is having good productive day 🙂

[Annie-NH]

I too am struggling to get in my steps due to the darkness. I am up at 430 and was doing 1-1.5 miles before I left for work at 630am, then another 1 or 2 miles at 5pm after the dog was fed.  Now it is dark before and after work.  Joining a gym won't work for me I am already gone 10 hours a day and it is a 20-30 drive to the city.  All you can do is the best you can,  I am using the gym at work at lunch and just eat at my desk earlier.  I park as far as I can away from the building. I try to make a trip out to my truck during the day, I try to make extra trips all over the plant during the day,  When I get home, I don't try to consolidate trips from room to room, I put one thing away then go back and get another.  sometimes i dance, or make a couple of trips around the table.  keep moving, anything is better than nothing, getting up and walking around the house for  1 minute is much better than melting into the couch.

[Strem2]

Good point, Paradise555!   I always do better when I get out on the weekends.   During the week, I work long hours and don't have time to enjoy a meal, so I literally only eat when I need to eat to keep productive.  On the weekends, I enjoy cooking, and that's dangerous if I don't get out early in the day....

Thank you for the insight!

[pdeverak]

You've set some great goals -- winter can be a tough time for weight loss especially with the holidays, but you can do it!  Sending encouragement your way.

[AmyN73]

I really can relate to your problem! I have the same issues. I lose all my motivation in the winter but that's because I have seasonal depression.  I feel so much better when I get sunlight and have even installed light bulbs in my lamps around the house tht help.  I don't know if you suffer from seasonal depression but you might check into light therapy.  It might give you a little "bump" that you need to stay on track with your goals!  Good luck and I wish you all the best! 

[Tim1841]

That's true, yourself once a wk but try not to go over board. I am new member, I am trying to loss 20lbs. Can someone give advise

[HelenaFitbit]

Hey there @Tim1841 ! Welcome to the Fitbit Family, I'm sure you'll find plenty of members who are on the same path as yours.

As a personal recommendation, follow your food plan as a guide and make sure you write down your meals as soon as you are about to get them; this will prevent the moment where you are holding your food log and remembering how much you ate and underestimating amounts. I have a tiny notebook where I write down the meals and their weight, so when I'm ready to write them down, they are accurate.

Get a food scale and measure everything. Increase your water intake and find different sources or variations for the meals you love that won't take a hit on your caloric budget.

Have a rest day! Enjoy your food and don't miss out on the opportunity to eat different.

Good luck! 

[Tim1841]

Thank you. Sent from my iPhone

[Tim1841]

Welcome to fitbit

[Tave]

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@Chargrintoacti wrote:

So not sure about the rest of you, but I'm bad when it comes to Winter... I currently weigh 310lbs, I am a more active person since getting my fitbit, but am still have a lot of problems with my eating habbits. With winter coming I am afraid I will wak less, and go into hibernation mode, except instead of sleeping I will just keep eating... Because of work I know I will stay reletively active, but I am really worried that all of this summers hard work will be for nothing...

I could use some encouragement, advice but honestly I need some people who are like minded and need others to push them. I need to be pushed, but not yelled at, no one has time for being yelled at.

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I don't know why, but I have always enjoyed walking in the winter since I found it easier to breathe.  Almost like the cold air was compressed energy.  Do you live in a scenic area?  Maybe you can give yourself mini walking challenges.  Or try warming up before going out.  I find I heat up a lot if I walk up a few stairs first.  You have a good thing going since you are active at work, and can combine that with a bit of walking to/from.

As for eating, I would say take it a day at a time.  Think about the basic flavors you like and see if you can find healthy alternatives to them.  For instance, I have a huge sweet tooth and love to bake.  To soothe this I bought a blender and blend fruit smoothies for breakfast and make carrot and squash soups, which are far better than noshing on cake.  Maybe you can challenge yourself for two weeks like this and see if you notice a difference.

Either way good luck.  I recently got my Fitbit since I regained most of my weight I had lost.  In 2016 I am determined to take it slowly and shed 100lbs.