TE Fall Weight Loss Challenge - Sept/Oct

[firenze11]

141. Up a bit again but it's from Thanksgiving so it's ok. Will start writing down stuff.

[Aggie_Ama]

Slow and steady! 153. Another pound down, 4 to goal. I am going partying with my college buddies this weekend. Meaning tailgating, some barbeque and beer. Ugh... Better run or ride it off next week. :rolleyes:

[trinena]

118.5 stayed the same but slowly getting back to exercise.

[dex]

I forgot to post this yesterday...

The bloat-fest finally subsided, and took a couple of pounds with it. 227.5

[Blueberry]

Same as last week:( Usually when I'm sick, I at least lose weight. Not so this time:(

CA

[crazycanuck]

66.1kg. :(

[martinkap]

151.5

[Over50Newbie]

I'm not sure of my weight right now, so just put me down for the same as last week.

I can't weigh myself right now because I am in Vancouver, Washington.

I flew out here to compete in the "Girlfriends Half Marathon."

I just finished it a few hours ago, and I'm very pleased that I walked it (not ran it) in 3 hours and 28 minutes. That's a pace of just under 16 minutes per mile.

That is very speedy for my short legs (I am only 5 feet tall).

I will fly home tomorrow and I'll wait until Friday before I weigh in again.

Lynette

[Aggie_Ama]

Same as last week:( Usually when I'm sick, I at least lose weight. Not so this time:(

CA

I never lose weight when sick. Even if I get a stomach virus and can't eat! Hope you start feeling better ASAP.

[limewave]

Sorry I forgot to post on Friday.

I'm at 180.5

Feeling very fat and tired. Sigh.

[GLC1968]

Hey all -

Sorry I've been so lax about doing the chart this time. I've been busy and haven't had a chance to sit down and update it. I hope to do it either this afternoon or tomorrow...so stay tuned!

I haven't forgotten you all!

[firenze11]

My body must hate Fridays. I weighed yesterday and I was back down to 139. I'll keep my Friday weight of 141 this week but I'm very curious to see if the 139 actually sticks for this Friday. Anyone else having this problem?

[jesvetmed]

Was out of town all weekend. I forgot when I got up to weigh, so I'll skip the weigh-in this week at this point... I'll just check in next week.

I'm with LIVEWAVE... feeling fat and tired! Double Sigh! Of course, you have a reason! I have ... hmmm... the weather!?
Jes

[ASammy1]

I forgot to post... but it's not like it matters. I'm the same.

[Miranda]

#126 at the gym scale for this week's weight

[Aggie_Ama]

Yes! 149 .

And can zip my smaller jeans for the first time in 2.5 years. They still are just a wee bit too tight but I think it is 2-3 weeks until I can wear them. I could get them over the hips but not zip last week so progress is being made. That is motivation enough to keep doing what I am doing. The real challenge will be keeping it off, I love to eat!

[Mistie]

148! I am fasting for bloodwork but still.....this was my starting pregnancy weight in 2005. Finally! So, 8 more to go!! I don't think I'll meet my goal, but I am very happy with my results so far.

[firenze11]

138!

[dex]

225.5 -- half a pound under my goal for this challenge. Cool. :D

The LDSoO (long-distance something-or-other) is in town next week, so I suspect a water rebound is in the offing for the coming days--we like to go out for gin and food indulgences when we're actually together, so a water gain is almost assured. :rolleyes::p

[Aggie_Ama]

Way to go Dex!!

I hit goal this week but my work is super into Halloween and there are treats everywhere. I am not sure how much longer I can hold out.

Have fun with your whatever and a few over indulgences are justified now and then. It will all be good.

[Over50Newbie]

This is not fun - 143.0! :(

Lynette

[jesvetmed]

OK... 170.2 this am.
But... I have not been doing what I should, and I know it. Actually this week I was able to run 3x, and have dropped a pound since last week. And already am feeling better. So hopefully this is the trend!

Dex, Aggie and others - -EXCELLENT WORK reaching your goals! Can't wait to join you!

I've set some specific goals for the next 6 weeks, and am ready to WORK HARD!
Jes

[wolfak]

226 10/17
225 today, which is good because I crested at 229 sometime last week. Either my scale is f'ed up or something else is really wrong - that's a lot of flux. :(

[dex]

Well, I do set very modest goals. Heh.

I'm really bad at "dieting". Usually what I end up doing is sticking to my food plan (which is definitely not that low in calories anyway) for a few weeks, and then take a break for a week or so. During those breaks, I let myself eat whatever I want, when I want...even if it's kind of junky food, and I never let myself feel guilty for it. This means that I only average a small caloric deficit overall--enough for an average loss of ~.8 lbs per week over the last six months.

So, it works for me, but it's definitely not fast. And it keeps me sane, which is way more important to me than anything else.


226 10/17
225 today, which is good because I crested at 229 sometime last week. Either my scale is f'ed up or something else is really wrong - that's a lot of flux. :(

When you see big fluctuations over short periods of time like that, it's usually just water. Try not to let water upset you. I know I can climb over six lbs practically overnight if I have too much wheat in one day, and then it takes me about five days to get that water back off--faster if I really clamp down on all carbs. It's not fat, just water...and water is easy to manipulate (but unless you're competing in a sport with weight classes, or trying to win a prize for weight loss, water manipulation is pretty useless).

[Grits]

139. Yay! Below 140 so I can officially do the happy dance, even though it may very well be back up next week. [picture me, dancing around the table]

This weight loss business is very strange. I work hard all summer training to do the MS 150, still doing strength training, doing more pushups than I've ever done in my life- and I mean all the ones combined I've ever done in my life- not overfueling. Do I lose any weight? no, no, no. In fact, I fight not to gain weight.

I take a week off because I'm fighting a cold, don't diet, don't exercise at all, and drop 2 pounds.

[Aggie_Ama]

I just ate about 10 twizzlers. Lord help me put the rest away for another day. Good thing breakfast and lunch were light. Ugh!!

[martinkap]

151 lbs. I knew this goal is going to be much harder. But I am getting closer and closer!

[Possegal]

179 for me. life has been so complicated of late, but i know i would feel so much better if i got better about my food and my working out. UGH.

[Miranda]

I'm totally starving chewing salad as I'm typing because I'm determined to at least not be heavier than I started. Today on the gym scale I think I lost a couple to do that. Fridays a couple days away, so gotta hold steady until the official weigh post day. Gheez, Halloween is Friday. Lots of candy. DS said "why don't we buy our treat pass out candy now?" Umm, cuz mother will eat it before it's passed out:o. See no evil... eat no evil.

[3for3]

I think I dropped off the face of the earth for a while. We were gone camping, then my daughter was sick and then...of course I got it. So I haven't done much as of late. I'm at 125.2. I guess I'm just glad, at this point, to be a LITTLE down from where I started. Are we doing this again during the holiday season?

[jesvetmed]

Are we doing this again during the holiday season?
I think we should! I need accountability!:rolleyes:

[Possegal]

I hope so too! I need to find a way to get active again and this does help. Now if only the weather would stop being so windy! :)

[Candie607]

I've been too busy to post the last couple of weeks, but i was back up to 140.6 on Friday. UGH!! Hopefully I can get under 140 by Friday. I've certainly had to downscale my goals!

[Miranda]

Are we doing this again during the holiday season?


I think we should! I need accountability!:rolleyes:


Ya know... I was thinking about that too. My "realistic" goal through the holidays was always to just ***maintain***. With all the stuff the holidays brings (& my b-day is thrown in there too, in a word: cake:rolleyes:) that is a huge goal, IMHO:o.

[tulip]

I just ate about 10 twizzlers. Lord help me put the rest away for another day. Good thing breakfast and lunch were light. Ugh!!

I made the big mistake of buying Tootsie Rolls for Halloween treats--I should only buy things with nuts, because I hate nuts!

I'm not on this challenge, but I'll post here because hopefully it'll inspire some folks. I had creeped up to 131 a few weeks ago and really noticed it in my clothes. I've been fairly inactive over the past month or so--just lazy I guess, but also traveling for work a bit. Mostly lazy. Anyhow, I took a good look at myself and my creeping habits and I'm happily back down to 127, just about where I feel just right, almost. It can be done! Eat an apple every day!

Another interesting thing, I was at the dentist yesterday, and they had me fill out a questionnaire about my eating habits. I realized that I rarely snack, which is a surprise to me. When I worked in my stressful job, I would snack alot--from the vending machine. I think little things like that go unnoticed until you really think about them.

Keep up the good work!

[3for3]

I'm glad others are up for keeping this going! I agree - my goal may be just to maintain during the holidays - or if I'm super lucky, lose one or two pounds. I was also thinking....Is there any way of helping each other make sure that our weight goals are healthy for us? There's a big difference between someone who is 5'8" wanting to weigh 110 and someone who is 5'2". Maybe we should share how tall we are so we know what is healthy for our build? I am 5'5" and was, about a year and a half ago 113 lbs. I don't think that was healthy or realistic to maintain. However, I also don't want the scales to KEEP going up as I am now 125...Pretty healthy, but I'd be happier with 120. Anyone else have thoughts on this topic or want to share their height in relation to their weight goals?

[Miranda]

I'm glad others are up for keeping this going! I agree - my goal may be just to maintain during the holidays - or if I'm super lucky, lose one or two pounds. I was also thinking....Is there any way of helping each other make sure that our weight goals are healthy for us? There's a big difference between someone who is 5'8" wanting to weigh 110 and someone who is 5'2". Maybe we should share how tall we are so we know what is healthy for our build? I am 5'5" and was, about a year and a half ago 113 lbs. I don't think that was healthy or realistic to maintain. However, I also don't want the scales to KEEP going up as I am now 125...Pretty healthy, but I'd be happier with 120. Anyone else have thoughts on this topic or want to share their height in relation to their weight goals?

Here's one of my thoughts about this personally...
I'm similiar to you. I'm 5'5". I have always carried my weight like a pear.

When it all goes to one place, it makes it hard to not look heavier quickly vs things being spread out. The shorter you are also, the less places the weight has to go.

The other thing that is just a killer since I've had babies, gotten older, and carried a lot of extra weight for a long time is my skin elasticity. Even one of my gyno docs told me, it's just how some ladies are made. They can do crunches like crazy, be fit, but the six pack of abs will never show.

With all my extra stretched skin that never "re-shrank" in my navel section, any pound that goes navel down to the pear turns into an instant muffin top roll. 125+ it starts to hang off the front of the jeans. Hitting the 120+ it hangs off the back of the hips. The skin taughtness just isn't there to hold any extra pounds in.

I know some of my gym GFs that are even very fit instructors have the same thing from babies. I guess that's when lycra becomes your friend beyound biking clothes.

I just don't do it though. With the pear shape, and long torso, I think the "mommy jeans" aka high waist, make my pear shape look even bigger. The lower rise ones just look better on the curve. Like I'm not so cut off. However, that leads me back to the 5-7#s and muffin top skin issue *sigh*.

As far as how I feel at those weights, well... I do indeed feel better 5-7#s lighter. It's less work to pedal my bike, climb hills, spin, climb stairs, etc. It doesn't sound like much. But it really does add up. My heart can feel the difference.

[limewave]

I won't be able to weigh in tomorrow . . . leaving for my Bahama Cruise :)

I'm 5'6"
Weight: 181.5 (up)

I'd be thrilled to bits and pieces if I'm between 195 and 200 in May (my due date). But we'll see.

After that, my goal weight would be to eventually get to 150. If I keep my current muscle mass, that would put me at about 15-17% body fat, which would be pretty darn amazing for me.

[Aggie_Ama]

148.5. I hit goal but still have about 18-20 lbs I want to lose. I am pretty short so 148.5 is too high but I feel much better than I did.

[ASammy1]

Was out of town last week and forgot to post.

Final weight... 204... bummer. There was alot going on for me the last 2 months, so hopefully I'll be able to maintain over the holidays. :(

[KerryCrow]

Sorry I have been such a bust on this challenge...was just getting back into it and took a spill from my bike and broke my collarbone. So no riding for me for awhile. :mad:

I'm trying to make healthy choices and not obsess about exercise and weight in the meantime.

[crazycanuck]

66.4kg's

[squirrell]

Ok--I'm back. Sorry all; the last 3 weeks have been hectic. Since I was gearing up to do my first Century last Friday, I had increased my calories to ensure I was properly fueled. On top of that, I gained my usual poundage after a long ride, so up until Wednesday, I was actually back up to 215. BUT, I dropped most of it over the last 3 days, and am now back to 208.8.

Hope to see continued steady loss now that I've scaled back my riding for the season.

11/1/08: 208.8

[jesvetmed]

Hey all. VERY bloated all week... despite better eating and more exercise, I'm up yet again. 172.2. WT heck? Oh, someone asked about height: 5 ft 7.5 in.

I've actually been completely bloated for 4 days now -- a nice surprise TOTM that isn't the RIGHT TOTM. Very Nice. HOpefully some of this extra weight is related. Now, to get the Halloween candy OUT of the house! Going to the trunk right now and I'll take it to work tomorrow!

So, are we starting a new 8 weeks? I can't remember where we are at this point.

If we are, count me in.
THANKS!
Jes

[Miranda]

I didn't get on the gym scale Friday for our official end weight on 10/31. Earlier in the week it was 127 *sigh*. Yuck, feeling grossly bloated too. Seems a bit less today. Think I'll have to say put down 126# for my 10/31 end weight. Ugh, wrong direction.

[Over50Newbie]

Final weight for this challenge - 143. Not happy! :(

I am a 54 year old woman who is 5 feet, 1/2 inch tall (or should I say short)! :rolleyes:

I think I would look and feel really, really great at 129. Not sure if I will ever get there. My body seems to be very content when I am at 138, and fights me when I try to get lower.

But I am not giving up.

More important than weight, I have gone from a size 12 jeans, to a size 10, and more recently to a size 8. I would love to be in a size 6 by Christmas, but I will have to work a lot harder at it than I did for this challenge, if I am going to be successful.

Lynette

[firenze11]

Sorry for the late post. I was testing my theory about being up on Friday and down on the weekend. I was right this week, I think it's just my muscles retaining water from exercise.

Anyway, I'm 137.6 - soooo close to my goal! And I'm 5'8". I'd like to get down to 130-135.

I have to say I'm really proud of myself for getting so close to goal, especially since I've been afraid to actually diet and haven't counted one single calorie this whole time. Exercise has been a huge factor and I've let myself follow my hunger and eaten whenever I felt I needed it. I've noticed great changes in my body, much more muscle tone and I've lost a little over an inch off my hips and waist each. My resting heart rate has also gone down from the high 70s to the low 60s.

Thanks for this challenge! I'm definitely going to stick with it over the holidays and I hope to just maintain. And great job to everyone who stuck with the challenge. And if you didn't reach your goal, don't worry, it took me 2 or 3 challenges I think and a break from a couple of the challenges to even start losing and finding the right balance for my body.

[Blue_Wildflower]

I joined TE after this challenge started. Will there be a Nov/Dec challenge?

[five one]

134.2

Up and down, up and down these last few weeks. Between water weight gain/loss and a totally unreliable scale, I'm not sure where I really am. Never saw the 120's, though.

I had been slacking on aerobic workouts during the week in October, but still doing weights and 30-40 mile rides on the weekends. No real change up or down in my weight. Doesn't matter what I eat or don't eat, exercise or not, I stay in the same 3-4 pound range. My body likes it here apparently. Lynette, it sounds like we have the same problem (I'm 56 and 5'1").

What do you all do with left over Halloween candy? I bought more than usual because Halloween was on a Friday and I thought we'd be really busy. Then the weather changed and we hardly got anyone. I hear it calling to me. Must. Not. Eat!

[deeaimond]

The last two months were really horrid, and not only did I not lose weight, I put on weight. I guess I just eat too much. Was too busy with work, I couldn't really ride or spend much time on anything. The schedule has cleared up, and I'm back to riding again. I have a 24 hr endurance ride up this coming weekend. But the big thing is.. I need to lose the belly I gained this last 2 months in 1 month. I'm going to NYC to visit my BF in Dec and I can't go with my new-found belly. argh. I'm trying to be good but, considering I just had a slice of pizza and chocolate sticks on top of the fried rice I had for lunch. I might be in big trouble. One month is beginning to feel like much too little time to lose 6 lbs.

[Possegal]

i'm on the bandwagon with - the last 2 months were horrid. ugh!! 177 for me this last weigh-in. so, do we start nov-dec now? :)

[Grits]

139

didn't meet my goal, but I'm happy to be back in the 130's!

[cbee]

133.5 for me again, same as last week (I think I forgot to post in with my weight though). I didn't hit my goal of 131, but I'm down from 137 so all in all a good thing. Maybe I'll hit that 131 on the next challenge. I do think I lost a lot of fat and gained muscle though so that's good. Maybe next challenge I can focus on getting rid of some more of that fat!

[martinkap]

151lbs. I did not achieve my goals but considering my work schedule also did not deviate too much for achieving it. I am going to continue !

[3for3]

Hey, sorry I didn't post it on Friday, but my final weigh in is 125. I have held steady there for about three weeks. Dissapointing since I actually saw 123.8 at one time this session - but it wasn't on a weigh in day. And I lost some motivation when I got out of my routine. Maybe my goal through the holidays should be just to stay where I am and not gain!