WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE - 7 Weeks-10#'s

[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.

[crazycanuck]

So far i've been eaten 90% healthily!!! I normally go by how my clothes feel & they're looser. I have cut out bread but i do eat mountain bread(flat bread). Oh, i have a bagel on the weekend w a coffee @ my fave cafe

I won't stand on the scale until the leg brace comes off. Not because i don't want to know my weight but leg logistics..

Anywho, good job so far ladies!

C

[Tuckervill]

Firenz, I don't know how to lose weight and have my period about to start! I get soooo bloated and I crave all the bad things--hot salty fries are my downfall.

Congratulations!

Karen

[caribou]

Kelownagirl, thanks for passing on the tips. I've been hearing a lot about the sleep one lately, and it really does fit the pattern. Extra incentive to not stay on the internet too long late at night!!

Pedalwench: what's the deal with the bunny wearing a CD as a hat for your avitar? (Cute bunny.)

Cheers for everyone who's lost some weight, and a "hang in there" and empathy for the plateaus and temp gains.

And, now my big news: I am officially as of my weigh-in day Sunday down 5 lbs! That's enough for pants to be loosening up, and an obviously slimmer face in the mirror.

I'd be worried about too much weight loss, but that's a pretty typical first week for me. Good kick start, + water weight loss, then it slows down to the expected 1-2 lbs per week.

It's really nice to have the positive reinforcement right off.

I didn't note who it was who was also complaining about the perimenopause thing, but yeah, it really does suck. And how are we supposed to know if we're grumpy because it's almost "that time," or if it's the dieting?

That's what you young'uns have to look forward to.

[Over50Newbie]

Hi everyone,

This is going to be a fly-by post as I am straight out getting ready for the Thanksgiving holidays.

You won't be seeing another post from me until Monday. So everybody please have a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy the time with your friends and family.

Lynette

P.S. I plan on being 141 by Monday.

[kelownagirl]

Well I think you should all take a few days off "dieting" over the thanksgiving weekend and give yourself permission to enjoy life and family and the good food that entails. Maybe cut back a little on the amounts but don't deprive yourself completely. You can get back on the wagon on Monday. Happy TG to all my American friends!!

[deidre]

Weigh in for Sunday 11/18:

I didn't post my weight because I was so frustrated; I don't think I even read this thread at all last week I stepped on the scale and was UP to
171.

The week leading up to the weigh-in was a good week from a workout perspective. Food is another issue because I don't think I am eating enough. I wake up for my 5:15 am morning workouts and don't eat breakfast until 8 am. By then I am so hungry and then it feels like I am hungry for the rest of the day.

Anyway, I have set a goal to run at a couple of miles every day (this is something that I felt I needed to do to get back to running consistent). So that I give my knees and legs and joints a break, I usually do treadmill runs during the week and outdoor runs on the weekends.

Though the scale didn't make me happy, I didn't let it get me off of my program. I will keep running and biking and eventually my body and the scale will respond accordingly.

Congratulations to everyone on your progress and thanks for the encouragement.

[Tuckervill]

I know some people can't eat before they work out, but I suggest you eat before it or immediately afterwards. I eat a small bowl of oatmeal, raisins and walnuts every morning within a half hour of waking up, which means before my workout on those days. If I don't eat, I run out of fuel during my workout, and I'm so hungry after that I eat too much.

I heard an "expert" say once that eating within an hour of arising stokes up your metabolism and pays off all day. There's a good reason it's called "break-fast".

Karen

[snowtulip]

I'm still holding at 115, no change, hoping the change starts to come soon! DH and I are going to start a eating and exercise challenge that will end on 12/31. So I need to kick his butt!

[deidre]

I know some people can't eat before they work out, but I suggest you eat before it or immediately afterwards. I eat a small bowl of oatmeal, raisins and walnuts every morning within a half hour of waking up, which means before my workout on those days. If I don't eat, I run out of fuel during my workout, and I'm so hungry after that I eat too much.

Karen

Thanks for the great advice. I can't believe I have to be reminded (again) of the importance of breakfast.

Any ideas on quick/healthy things to keep on hand to eat in a hotel room? I try to keep fruit with me (bananas at least). When I am away on business, I usually rush back to my room to shower, get dressed then head out of hotel to the office.

I keep packs of instant oatmeal with me. I know these are probably not as good as the real thing but since I am an oatmeal newbie, it works for me. Maybe I'll use the coffee machine to heat up some hot water and I'll have a pack of instant oatmeal right after my shower. Instant oatmeal and a banana sounds like a good start.

And on that note, I must go and eat something. I have been up for at least 2.5 hours and haven't eaten anything yet.

[Tuckervill]

I think there's a whole website on what you can make with the hotel room coffee maker! I just googled and there are LOTS so I'll let you peruse at your leisure.

HOWEVER, I do not like the taste of coffee--I drink hot tea instead. Whenever I used the hotel coffee maker, my tea always tasted like burnt coffee. So, I went and got myself an electric tea kettle and I take that with me when I travel. I almost always travel by car, so it doesn't matter how big it is to me. If you fly a lot, maybe a cup-sized one would work for you. Or a few cycles through the hotel CM would get the coffee taste out?

For oatmeal on the road, I mix what I like in my oatmeal (walnuts, raisins, brown sugar, and even a little powdered milk sometimes) into a ziplock bag--then I can take as much or as little as I want, knowing there's nothing artificial in it. I bring my own tea bags and raw sugar for that, too. All of that usually fits right into the kettle so it's no extra space. (I take my favorite mug--but hotel mugs are fine.) You could even set out steel cut oats to soak overnight in the hot water and they'd be ready in the morning.

You can make cup-o-soup and rice and raman noodles and all kinds of things with the hot water from the tea kettle.

The important thing is to eat right away after your work out. Happy problem solving!

Karen