Wl-chllng #2!!!

[Triskeliongirl]

Congrats to all of you that have changed your habits in a positive way, whether the scale showed a loss or not this week! I hope you guys don't mind if I make a comment. I lost 35 lbs last year, and one thing I learned is how much weight can fluctuate, especially due to changes in water balance. I used to do a weekly weigh in like you guys do, and then would overeact to the results, if the scale showed a loss I felt virtuous and overate, or if the scale showed a gain and I had been really good, I felt let down and overate. This time around I patiently recorded my morning weights, trying to be as consistent as possible (same scale, nude, after using the bathroom) but then at the end of the week I also averaged the numbers and plotted the average. I also put a star next to each entry which was a low I hadn't seen for a while. I noticed by averaging even a slow but sure weight loss could surface above the noise, and even on weeks that I didn't see a loss if I reached a new low weight I knew I was doing something right.

Its amazing how much water can fluctuate, especially in women. Its not just our cycles. Sometimes I'll notice I am up a bit after a lot of exercise, that too can be from inflammation and fluid retention. Does that mean that what I am doing isn't working? Absolutely not, only if the weekly averages never show a loss and I never reach new low weight. Same thing with a gain. I only score a gain as reaching a high I have never reached before.

I still do the same thing now that I am in maintenance. For me maintenance also is actually a 4 lb range. Depending on where I am in my cycle, or if I ate salty food I can be at either end, but I have stayed somewhere within this 4 lb range for several months now. I don't freak out when I am at the high end and say I gained 4 lb, or rejoice when I am at the low end and say I lost 4 pounds. My plan is to simply cut back if I ever go above my range, but that hasn't happened to me yet. I did this throughout the holidays and it kept me sane.

The only other comment I will make is that if you have always struggled with your weight (like me) maybe its time to find out if there isn't an underlying metabolic reason. I mean if you follow a healthy calorically resticted diet, exercise and can't seem to lose weight. In my case it was both low insulin and low thyroid. So, for me both adjusting my throid meds (going on T4/T3 combo therapy) and eating a high protein low carb diet (that didn't raise my blood sugar) did the trick, not only for weight loss, but for getting my apetite in sync with my bodies needs and feeling good overall.

Good luck to you all!

[roadie gal]

I was 146, down 1 pound from last week, but up one pound from the start.

I'm going to drop out of the challenge. It's a very stressful time for me between work and a sister who is very ill. I realized that this was just adding another layer of stress. I'm going to try being as easy on myself as possible for a while and try to lose the weight later. I like the thought of a challenge and the support for the weight loss. If things are going better, I'll join up for the next one.

[GLC1968]

161.1 for me this week. Up to just below where I started, but knowing where I am in my cycle, I'm totally ok with this number.

Trisk - I think you make some very good points. I agree that female weight can fluctuate pretty drastically and I hope that no one here feels pressure to post a certain number each week. If anything, seeing everyone else's numbers is really helping me to see that I'm not the only one who sees a lot of up and down. At the same time, knowing that I'm reporting back to everyone once a week keeps the 'good fight' at the front of my conscious mind.

roadiegal - I hope everything is ok with your sister. I'll take you off the chart but know that you are always welcome back! I think that if this 7 weeks is moderately successful for many of us, we may have to do another round in the future!

I'll post the chart later today. We're off to watch a cylcocross race!

[CLM]

161.0 this week. I'm down another pound. I made it to a couple of spinning classes last week. My goals this week are to increase the exercise, get all my water in and cut down on the diet cokes. It seems that the more diet coke I drink, the more tempted I am to visit the vending machines at work.

[Triskeliongirl]

Hey Roadie Gal, I hope your sister's condition improves. I agree that it can be hard to focus on weight loss when you are under stress. As I was losing my weight, I did take a 'break' and just worked on maintaining when I had some stressful work deadlines to deal with. So perhaps you could make mainteance your goal for now, and come back to weight loss when you feel you can handle it.

I hope you guys don't mind my participating in this thread even though I am on maintenance now. I'll attach my weight loss record so you'll see what I mean. It has both my daily and weekly numbers plotted. You'll also notice that I am still heavier than many of you that are trying to lose weight. But at 22% bodyfat I really am happy with how I look (I posted before and after pics here if any of you are curious: http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showp...5&postcount=30). I am basically now eating in a way that is in sync with my body, with the idea that my body will settle at its natural weight. So, if I do lose more when spring time comes and I am riding more, I am OK with that, but if I don't I am OK with that too. The gain in the first half of last year were despite caloric restriction and lots of cycling. I now eat more than when I was gaining weight because I eat foods that my body can metabolize correctly.

[Pedal Wench]

Oh my -- I completely forgot about the challenge, and didn't realize what the title of the thread was --- I thought it was one of the on-going off-topic threads. I'm so sorry I've been a blank spot on the spreadsheet.

My starting weight was around 131, and I doubt a business trip to Vegas really helped lower that number, so until I get to a scale, let's keep it there.

[GLC1968]

Week 2: (sorry for the delay!)

[katluvr]

So any good dieting or training/exercise plans out there that is working for anyone? I try and try to get back on WW...but never enough points...I seem to stay on that wagon about 3 days max. I guess beside just weighing in weekly I was looking for what is or is not working for other gals/ladies here. Should I look elsewhere in the forum? Any "ah ha" moments that when you tried this it finally worked? I guess I DO know what I need to do...more calories out than in, not skimping so I don't lose muscle and keep a regular workout routine! (Oh yeah, cut back on the wine!).

[crazycanuck]

the organic popcorn won't leave me alone

Help!