March/April weight loss challenge

[Jones]

171.4 I am going in the wrong direction and getting very frustrated. I thought about dropping out of this weight loss challenge but I really don't think posting my weight on TE has anything to do with me not losing weight. I have just been making bad choices day after day and finding any excuse to eat garbage, but I am feeling like making better choices. Yesterday was a good day and hopefully today will be too.

[GLC1968]

Jones -

Don't beat yourself up about it. For the first many, many challenges here on TE, I did not lose any weight at all. That's right. The first challenge I recall was in May of 2008 (two years ago now!) and I started at 168. That's the same weight I started at this time around, too. I even topped out at 174 somewhere in the past two years as well (right about when I opted to step away from these challenges for a few months!).

It's one thing to want to lose weight and entirely another to make it happen. Sometimes, as individuals, we just aren't there yet. I had a coach that used to call them 'false starts'. I had about a thousand false starts between 2008 and about a month ago when something just clicked. Until you get that 'click'...or that definining moment or photo or incident...it's almost impossible to force it. I just couldn't make myself take the weight loss thing seriously enough, for long enough, to get results. I would have one or two 'good days' followed by 2 or 3 bad ones. No results. Even the thought of wearing a bikini on a beach with 6 other thin, fit women (most of whom I didn't know), didn't spur me on. Training for my first tri didn't spur me on. Running out of clothes that fit me (I was too fat for my fat pants!), didn't do it either. Then one day, about 4 weeks ago, something clicked. My husband and I made the decision together and we actively set out to change our lives. We reworked our kitchen and pantry, we rearranged our schedules, we made the commitment. Now I'm down 12 lbs down from my highest and while I've still got a LONG way to go, I can speak honestly about what it takes to make the change. It takes a spark. Find your spark and you will do it. AND, in the meantime, don't beat yourself up about it! The fact that you are aware of your own desire to change is still leaps and bounds ahead of most of the population!

Phew - that got wordy. Didn't mean for that to happen!

[bambu101]

Good post, GLC1968! I agree 100% on the "click" part, and also had a similar epiphany, if you want to call it that, about 2 weeks ago. As one of my former co-workers used to say, "your head has to be in the right place". She lost 60 pounds 9 years ago, and has kept it off since.

I think that the motivation comes from within, and not from looking at pictures or trying to lose for a class reunion or whatever. There are lots of tools out there to help you lose weight, but you have to start the process yourself. It took me many, many false starts to realize that.

[erickkat]

171.4 I am going in the wrong direction and getting very frustrated. I thought about dropping out of this weight loss challenge but I really don't think posting my weight on TE has anything to do with me not losing weight. I have just been making bad choices day after day and finding any excuse to eat garbage, but I am feeling like making better choices. Yesterday was a good day and hopefully today will be too.

Jones, don't beat yourself up. It's a LONG journey and it tends to come off faster in the beginning and then slow up. It's hard to make your head adjust to it and it gets really frustrating. You just have to try to keep in mind the progress you've made already and give yourself a well deserved pat on the back. Maybe back off the stricter diet thing for awhile and make a goal to just stay healthy. It can be daunting thinking of how long you need to do this for, and the reality is that it won't end. I made the mistake of thinking that I would get to a certain place in my weight and then I would never have to think about it any more. Wrong! It does get easier to know what to eat and make those healthy choices, but they never go away.

I've lost 113 pounds, but it's taken me since 2005. I lost 30 pounds in the first month, and a hundred in two years. But the 13 pounds have taken me the remainder of that time. It's slow going sometimes, and you go up a little, down a little. Don't think of it as failing, that always makes me want to pig out in despair. Just think of it as a side trip on the main road to where you want to go or a little breather.

I recently went through a really frustrating point where I was working my butt off and not seeing it on the scale at all. I was in tears every time I weighted because I was killing myself and nothing happened. Sometimes our bodies do that. Just keep pushing and something will click and your body will move forward again. For me, working hard not to get into ruts - both eating and exercise - is key. Change it up, try and make it interesting, and have fun.

[limewave]

Unbelievable.
173.6

[Possegal]

Friday updates rolling in!

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?k...tREx5VFE&hl=en

[Possegal]

Saturday updates.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?k...tREx5VFE&hl=en

[Jones]

170.8

[kiwibug]

133...

[Over50Newbie]

144

[Possegal]

Still updating.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?k...tREx5VFE&hl=en

[limewave]

I didn't actually weigh-in this morning. But my weight on Wednesday was 172.8, so let's go with that.

Thanks Possegal for doing the spreadsheet again!

I'm excited for the next challenge.

[azfiddle]

Hey gals- I was 110.8 this morning. My goal is 110, and I am going to switch to maintenance next month, so I probably won't sign in for the next challenge, but will probably drop by to see how you are all doing.

Limewave- congrats on your success!
Kacie, the scale isn't everything. You're getting the guidance you need, and sounds like the results you want as well.

Thanks you all for being part of a great support network since I joined this the fall- it has helped keep me on track. I wish all of you the health, fitness and success you are striving for.

Sharon

[Possegal]

Updating for Friday.
Congrats to both limewave and azfiddle for making their goals for this challenge!

I will set up the next challenge over the weekend and you can post there if you plan to join. All are welcome and we also totally understand if folks either need a break, or have reached their goal (YAY!).

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?k...tREx5VFE&hl=en

[martinkap]

147 lbs...

Can I have my scores 'pinked out' too? I finally got below 149 lbs which was the magic number I could not achieve for more than 6 months!

Thanks for the chart,

Martina