WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE - 7 Weeks-10#'s

[five one]

Been off the bike for a loooong week trying to get over this cold. It was hard sending DH off on "our" Sunday ride yesterday, but didn't want to risk extending this cold into the holiday weekend.

So I'm back up to 135.6 this morning. I'm hoping at least some of it is just retained water. Did an hour on the trainer this morning, so hopefully I can get back on track now. Looking forward to a small slice of pumpkin pie on Thursday. Friday is DH's birthday and he's requested carrot cake. Gonna be tough not to dive headlong into that! I'll be looking for support on Friday from everyone.

Hope everyone makes healthy eating choices today. Keep up the good work!

[kelownagirl]

Weeeelllll, I was 119.5 and 119.0 over the weekend but back up to 120.1 this morning so 'll stick with that. I'm always lighter on the weekends. Ah well.... A lb is a lb.

[VeloVT]

Well this morning I weighed in at 120, which given my super stress eating due to exams at the beginning of the week is not a bad result. Haven't lost anything this week, but haven't gained anything -- and the good behavior at the end of the week was apparently enough to offset to bad behavior at the beginning of the week. Phew!!!

Now I have to try to lose a pound or so before Thursday because while I can definitely avoid GORGING on Thanksgiving, it's still going to involve going off the diet for a day. Then I will have to plan ahead carefully so I can stay on my diet during the three weeks after this one, which will be crazy, end of semester, term paper-writing, final exam-taking weeks. One thing I need to do as much as possible is try to get as much sleep as possible, because being underslept always kills my diet.

[nonsmoker3]

NonSmoker,

Boy, have I "been there, done that]!" Many, many times!!!!!

Just a few thoughts:

Are are you eating enough calories? Your body will not lose weight if it thinks it is in starvation mode. And, believe or not, you can actually gain weight while not eating enough. Don't let your calories go under 1200.

Also, how about water weight? Especially if the most recent foods that you have consumed are salty. You might just be retaining water.

Also, how about hormonal issues (time of the month, etc)?

Lastly, I also thought I was eating like a saint until I actually started journaling my daily food and exercise. Once I added up my calories daily, I found that some days were not exactly as saintly as I thought.

This could be just me, not you, so please don't be offended. I just found that I did not find success until I wrote down every piece of food that went into my mouth every day.

Lynette

Thanks Lynette. I tend to get bent out of shape over this weight thing. I log my food faithfully, but you are so right about my hormones. This peri-menopause has got me pulling my hair out! Could very well be I am about to start. I just never know anymore!

I was curious about what ratio of carbs, fat, and protein everyone goes by. I think I may be eating too many carbs. I usually get 50/25/25 a day. Anyone else? Any advice?

[bambu101]

OK- I am out of this challenge. I am going to slink over to the Over 50 can’t lose the weight thread, or whatever it is called.
Despite my best efforts, I keep going up a half pound, and then down a half pound, but always creeping up a little. It is VERY frustrating to work out 5 to 6 days per week, including 2-3 intense weight workouts, and riding, walking, or the Nordic Track for about 5 to 7 hours of aerobics, and GAIN! My diet is pretty good- about 1400 to 1500 calories, with an emphasis on lean protein, veggies, and small amounts of fat and sugar.

I lost 34 pounds on Weight Watcher’s in 2000, pre-menopausal, put it back on over the last few years, and really started having problems with the weight after menopause in 2004. I had my thyroid tested, and that was normal. It just seems like no matter what I try, it just doesn’t work anymore- WW Online, high protein, counting calories (CalorieKing, SparkPeople, Self Diet Challenge), increasing the weight workouts intensity, etc. I don’t know what to do! I feel like I have tried everything.

I refuse to give up completely, but it sure is frustrating. Good luck to everyone else in this challenge!

[NoNo]

AAAAAAAHHH!!! My boss just placed a still-warm oatmeal raisin cookie on my desk! How am I supposed to be good when people are randomly placing delicious treats in front of me? (I think I'm going to take it home and eat it tonight - after I work out.)

[Flybye]

Here's the history:

11-05 158.2
11-08 156.4
11-12 155.2
11-19 153.4

I am down 4.8 pounds since the beginning of the challenge! Wow, I really am a sucker for a challenge!

I wouldn't be surprised to see the scale creep up a bit in the next day or two because Wednesday I had 1/2 a cinnamon roll, Friday I had a hot dog and ice cream at the state championship high school game (WE WON), Saturday there were the amazing homemade enchiladas smothered in cheese that DH made, and Sunday I had cake and ice cream from two birthdays that we celebrated in one shot. I was sooo good other than that.
This week will be so much easier to navagate through, even with Thanksgiving.
Let's nail this thing!!
Congrats to all who are down!
Bambu - sorry to see you go! Can we talk you into sticking arond a little longer and hanging in? If not, good luck with the over 50 threads.

[Pedal Wench]

Heading into the holidays, I know it's gonna be tough, but someone once gave a tip that I thought was great. Don't eat things that aren't wonderful, or are things that you can get any-old time. It got started with 'don't get distracted by the cheese'. In other words, you can have a piece of cheese any time you want. Don't bother with it. A store-bought dinner roll? Don't waste your calories on it. Canned cranberry sauce? Not worth it. Save the calories for your aunt's special made-once-a-year rum cake, home-made cornbread stuffing, or made-from-scratch gravy. We'll all get through this!

[Tuckervill]

Weight: 179.8
Hips: 44 (down TWO inches)
Waist: 36 (down 1 inch)
Bust: 39 (down 1 inch)
thigh: 25.5 (down 1 inch)

I can't believe I broke 180. (2/10ths, but I'll TAKE it.) I looked back in my Calorie King log and the high weight was 186 around the 22nd of October, when I bought the program. I can't remember my weight when we started this thread, but I know it's down.

::Happy Dance:::

Karen

[Pedal Wench]

::Happy Dance:::

Karen

Good for you! Plus, the Happy Dance burns calories!

[solobiker]

Way to go to everyone!! I know it is hard work, especially this time of year. Hang in there and enjoy yourselves. I have not been eating quite as planned, have had a cookie or two, a small dish of ice cream and split a candy bar with a friend. Overall I have been eating healthy. I am down one pound, 149. We will see what happens after Thursday

[kelownagirl]

Congrats everyone who has maintained or lost and don't give up those who haven't! It sometimes takes time for the first few to budge. Keep at it, log food carefully (I am always amazed and how many calories I can sneak in even just by tasting what I cook... ) Don't pack it in - the healthy choices you are making now will help you even if you don't lose weight right away. I personally find that nothing much happens unless I BOTH diet and exercise.

Nonsmoker - I was eating a lower carb diet but recently switched to a higher carb one after reading Nancy Clark's book Sports Nutrition. She states a good case for athletes eating more carbs. Carbs will cause you to retain more fluid but that's not fat so it's ok in my book. If you're riding inside or outdoors, or working out in other ways, you need to them to properly fuel your body. I think my current ratio is 60% C, 25% protein, 15% fat. I think...

[ibcycling]

Congrats Starfish on your exam! What a great accomplishment!

I'm up a tad from last week - 162 but my scale only does .5lbs and it almost stayed at 161.5. Not a problem as I have a cold and haven't ridden since Thursday. D@mn cold! I really want to ride tomorrow but I know I shouldn't. Ugh.

Congrats to all the losers!

Lora

[kelownagirl]

Thought this info from Sparkpeople might be helpful to someone....


Kick Your Metabolism Into High Gear!
The Do's and Don'ts of Efficient Fat-Burning
-- By Dean Anderson, Fitness & Behavior Expert
If you’re reading this, chances are pretty good that you don’t have a metabolism that lets you eat as much as you want without ever gaining an ounce. Maybe (like me) you’re even at the other extreme, where it seems like all you have to do is smell the foods you love to start packing on the pounds. Does this mean you’re doomed to a lifetime of munching on carrot sticks with fat-free dressing, while watching your hollow-legged friends enjoy their pasta Alfredo and chocolate cheesecake? Not at all.

There are lots of things you can do to turn your body into an efficient fat-burning machine, and they don't include depriving yourself of foods you love, resorting to unhealthy gimmicks, or taking expensive “fat-melting” supplements that fail to deliver what they promise. All you have to do is avoid a few common mistakes, and include some simple ways to boost your daily calorie burn.

Metabolism DON'TS

* Don’t reduce your calorie intake too low. The fact that you gain weight easily is proof that your body likes to shift into fat-storage mode at the drop of a hat, and going too low on calories is one of the easiest ways to trigger that reaction (often referred to as starvation mode). Don’t fall for the mistaken idea that the less you eat, the more you’ll lose—that’s just not how your body works. Staying within your recommended calorie range will keep your internal furnace stoked so that you have more capacity to burn stored fat.

* Don’t skip meals. Going too long between meals affects your body chemistry in ways that can make weight loss more difficult. Most people can manage their hunger and avoid cravings and overeating by spreading out their calories into four to five small, well-balanced meals or snacks during the day. Try not to go more than four to five hours without eating something.

* Don’t short yourself on shut eye. More research is showing that chronic sleep deprivation plays a significant role in weight gain. Your body needs plenty of “downtime” for the internal housekeeping that keeps your metabolism in good working order. The occasional late night won’t hurt you, but consistently sleeping just one hour less than you need may slow down your weight loss considerably.

Metabolism DO'S

* Build muscle! This is the most important action you can take to maintain a high metabolic rate while trying to lose weight. Strength training prevents you from losing a lot of muscle along with the fat you lose when dieting. If you don’t strength train regularly, up to 30% of the weight you lose could be muscle tissue. Considering that a pound of muscle burns about 3 times more calories per day than a pound of fat even when you’re sitting still (and up to 15-20 times more calories per minute when you're physically active), you can see the problems this can cause. If you lose 20 pounds of weight (and 30% of that weight loss is muscle—seven pounds), you’ll be slowing your metabolism and your fat burning capacity down by a significant amount. A simple strength training program twice a week can limit your muscle loss to almost zero, and keep your metabolism running high.

* Stay as active as possible. The more you use your muscles, the more calories you will burn. Moderate exercise like walking can burn three to six times more calories per minute than sitting still, and high intensity exercise like interval training can burn more than 12 times as much. Likewise, the more you vary your daily activity and exercise, the more you keep your body on its fat-burning toes.

* Don’t just sit there. If you’re watching TV or sitting at your desk, get up frequently to do a few exercises. Keep those resistance bands and dumbbells nearby at all times—you can fit a complete strength training workout into the commercial breaks of a one-hour TV show. Ditch your chair and sit on a stability ball (or a stationary bike) instead—even fidgeting can help!

* Exercise in the morning or in frequent bouts. Both strength and cardio exercises boost metabolism by increasing your calorie burn even AFTER your session is done. You can get the most out of this perk by starting your day with a workout or by incorporating multiple exercise sessions into your day. Longer or intense workouts have a greater "after burn” but even a 15-minute walk will make a difference.

* Try interval training. The harder you work, the more calories you will burn both during and after exercise—plus your fitness level will really improve. Studies show that exercising as intensely as you can, for at least 10 minutes per day, produces the best results. Interval training is an effective way to increase the intensity and duration of your workouts without running yourself into the ground or risking injury.

* Include mental exercises. One of the most important (but least recognized) factors in keeping your metabolic fires well stoked is managing stress effectively. Chronic stress disrupts the hormones that regulate everything from appetite to fat storage, and can defeat even the best exercise and eating plans. The more effort you put into recognizing and handling stress, the better off you’ll be. Include some time in your schedule every day for relaxation exercises, yoga, journaling, and other stress management activities.

And Most Importantly…
Make exercise and healthy eating FUN! Experiment frequently with new exercises and recipes, or anything that keeps you interested and adds some spice to your program. Well, don’t stop there. The more variety you can put in your diet and your exercise routine, the more stimulating it will be. That makes it easy to put your best efforts forward, and get a major metabolic return on your investment.

[firenze11]

Just checking in. I weighed yesterday morning but then got caught up with stuff.

Start weight: 150
Monday Nov 12: 150
Monday Nov 19: 148 yay!!!

My period's coming so all I wanted yesterday was salt. I didn't eat amazingly well but I be better today.

Kelownagirl: That's a great article. I think a lot of people end up sabotaging their metabolism when "dieting." I know my mom is one of them. She skips meals left and right and is gaining weight. I keep telling her how bad it is for her body and her metabolism but no such luck in changing her ways.

Great job everyone!! I hope you all have a great week.