January/February weight loss challenge

[bikerHen]

Bikerhen,
we have a Tanita scale that my daughter left with us when she went to spend the year in England. It seems to be pretty reliable and gives the fat percentage. You program it for your age and gender. And it keeps telling me I'm losing weight, so I'm happy

That's just the kind of scale I want! One that tells me I'm losing weight!! bikerHen

[Susan Otcenas]

I was 130 last Friday.

Clearly won't be making my 127 goal, but the truth is that I've not been trying very hard these past 2 months.

On the plus side, though, I hit my WW goal of 130 pounds at the beginning of May 2009, and although I've bobbed around 130 +/-3 pounds since then, I'm still at WW goal.

But, if I want to lean up for my summer events, I really need to get focused again.

I heard an interesting story on NPR this morning about weight loss and leptin levels in your brain. In short, when you lose weight, your leptin levels decline. Leptin controls your brain's emotional responses to food, so as you lose leptin, your brain seems to signal that you need more food. It was very interesting. You can read it here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...ryId=123894109

Susan

[Catrin]

Much to my great surprise, I weighed this afternoon BEFORE weight lifting and spinning, to find my weight down to 147.8!!!!!!!!!!

Of course there is no telling what it will be like on Friday - I've noted before that usually when I don't work out over the weekend that my weight drops anywhere from 2-5 pounds by Monday. This has never made sense to me...

[Trek420]

175.

[Catrin]

It looks like I will be making my goal this time - just as long as things don't bounce up by tomorrow...

Are we doing a March/April challenge? Do we just keep this going throughout the year with 2-month challenges? I am finding this helpful.

[Trek420]

I am finding this helpful.

Me too 174.6 this morning.

[azfiddle]

Posting early as I'll be out of town for the weigh-in.

I'm down to 114.8- getting closer to my final goal.
But it will be a challenging weekend to stay on track - mainly playing music and socializing with not much chance for any exercise ...

[channlluv]

How do you know what your ideal weight is really?

Roxy

[azfiddle]

Roxy, I'm using the weightwatcher's guidelines to determine my "ideal" weight. I think they have a good handle on it- but they do give a range for your height.

For my rather short height (5'1"), the range is 105-128. My original goal was 121, but when I got there, I felt there was still too much fat, especially around my middle, for my small frame. So I've readjusted my goal to 110-112. For the first time in my adult life, I feel like I'm close to a proportional weight for my height, and the cycling has added fitness as well as weight loss.

Sharon

[channlluv]

Thanks, Sharon.

I'm 5' 4.5", but I don't know what size my frame is. I've been so heavy for so long...I really don't know. I've been over 200 lbs since, oh, um...1996.

When I was in college, I weighed about 130, but I was so unhealthy. I lived on Diet Coke and Hershey bars and never ever exercised. I dropped an 8am aerobics class because it was just too early in the morning for me.

I just don't know what my ultimate goal is here. Interim goals, okay. I'm down to 227 today. I think if I can keep up the diet and exercise and general self-care, I can get to 200 by the end of the school year. I'd like to be under 200 by June 1. There, I said it.

Another little bonus this week: I wore a shirt I loved a few months ago. It's this deep burgundy red, 3/4 sleeve, v-neck, cotton t-shirt, size 2X...and it was way too big on me this week. Seriously, I looked frumpy.

I'm donating it and a bagful of clothes to the women's shelter. Clothes that are too big for me. That's a first. Ha!

Roxy

[kacie tri-ing]

Let's go ahead and put me in as 154.6! That puts me under my goal and a happy girl. I had been weighing daily, but I have been trying to back off and focus on my nutrition with my new nutritionist. I am feeling bloated, so I am going to stick with today's weight and not agonize over having to weigh in tomorrow.

[kacie tri-ing]

How do you know what your ideal weight is really?

Roxy

I worked with my nutritionist to come up with a goal. She thinks that body fat percentage is as important as the weight, but she thinks I can get down to 140-145 and lower my body fat to be at my best athletically. I started really thinking about it when I hit above 180 in october. I am certainly trying toget down to that weight without getting too frustrated :-)

[Susan Otcenas]

Another little bonus this week: I wore a shirt I loved a few months ago. It's this deep burgundy red, 3/4 sleeve, v-neck, cotton t-shirt, size 2X...and it was way too big on me this week. Seriously, I looked frumpy.

I'm donating it and a bagful of clothes to the women's shelter. Clothes that are too big for me. That's a first. Ha!

Roxy

Roxy - that is SO awesome. Congratulations!! I think the goal you set for June 1st is very reasonable and attainable.

I have *one* recommendation, though, and that is that you keep ONE piece of clothing that fit you when you were at your largest. I've given away almost everything that I've shrunk out of, but I kept my biggest pair of size 16 jeans. Whenever I'm really struggling with staying on track, or I need a "you can do this Susan, you know you can" sort of self-motivational boost, I go up to my bedroom and I put on those size 16 jeans. When I see them puddle in a heap around my ankles, sliding right off my size 6 hips, my determination to stick with it is always renewed. Maybe your formerly-favorite burgundy top could serve that function for you?

azfiddle - I agree - I think the WW ranges are very reasonable, and coverage a broad range of body types and ages. For my height (5'4"), the range they recommend is 117 to 146, which they define as an estimated BMI range of 20-25%. I set my original goal at 130, right smack in the middle. I'm 129.5 right now, and this is a healthy weight for me, but I'm not really "lean" at this weight. I've recently reset my WW goal to 125, which I think will put me at a lean but healthy weight for the upcoming racing season. (I was 126.5 at my lightest last summer). I expect I'll let my weight drift back to 130 again over the winter during the off-season. That will let me indulge a little over the holidays while still being in a healthy range.

[limewave]

Roxy - that is SO awesome. Congratulations!! I think the goal you set for June 1st is very reasonable and attainable.

I have *one* recommendation, though, and that is that you keep ONE piece of clothing that fit you when you were at your largest. I've given away almost everything that I've shrunk out of, but I kept my biggest pair of size 16 jeans. Whenever I'm really struggling with staying on track, or I need a "you can do this Susan, you know you can" sort of self-motivational boost, I go up to my bedroom and I put on those size 16 jeans. When I see them puddle in a heap around my ankles, sliding right off my size 6 hips, my determination to stick with it is always renewed. Maybe your formerly-favorite burgundy top could serve that function for you?

+1 on the CONGRATULATIONS and the recommendation

I have a size 28 jeans that I keep in the attic. It's motivating, encouraging, and self-esteem booster to pull them out once in awhile.

[channlluv]

Are you talking about BMI or body fat percentage? Or are they the same thing? And what's healthy?

Thank you for the congratulations and the recommendation to save a piece of too-big clothes. I'll do that.

Roxy