Fearless October 2016: Week 2 (10/8-10/14)
baconslave
Posts: 7,018 Member
Obligatory challenge blurb: 
baconslave wrote: »Ahhh...it's that time again. Fall. Temps turns cooler. Leaves change color. At least in the Northern Hemisphere, anyway. But, regardless, all those holiday foods start creeping in on us. Pumpkin this and that. Parades of Halloween candy-crack...And shortly after that Thanksgiving (for some). More and more holiday parties smack us in the face with all those goodies. Before you know it, it's the New Year, and you're wondering "What the heck happened!!!" You're sporting extra weight. You feel guilty and unhealthy. And disappointed in yourself.
And now you're justifiably afraid. In honor of this being the scary month, you can tackle fear or a scary pattern that often derails you or inhibits your progress.
It doesn't have to be scary! This month's theme is Fearless October. This will be month 1 of a "prepping for the holidays" basics crash course: This is my 3rd holiday season as a low-carber. And I have lost weight during this period in the past. It CAN be done.
The keys to success in this WOE, or any eating plan for that matter, is three-fold:
- Consistency
- Persistence
- Time
Well, isn't that trite and overly simplistic? I'll admit it is simple, but not easy.
Don't freak though. To let those 3 keys work for you, you need to be prepared. PLAN PLAN PLAN. I can't stress this enough. Plan ahead; log ahead. When you have a firm plan and procedure in place, you create good habits. And good habits work for you by keeping up momentum even when things get busy, chaotic, or just plain scary. You've already paved the road for yourself! All you have to do is stay on the smooth way and enjoy the scenery.
So in this challenge, and in the months ahead, we'll be working to set up and reinforce those good habits before you get in the thick of it. We'll be setting up those easy paths and building up that momentum by practicing a habit pattern to predispose us to sail through the holidays. There will be a weekly thread where you can keep track of the goals you reach. We can encourage one another, get advice about any trouble spots, share low-carb-legal recipes of our holiday favorites. Identify scenarios or patterns that absolutely scare you to death, and tackle the hades out of them.
We're going to compete with ourselves, trying to get the max daily score and collect the max daily pumpkins, or work toward collecting more than you did previously. We'll set up good habits in the following areas: water, electrolytes, staying under carb goal, logging daily, staying close to cal goal, hitting our exercise goal, and for resisting a temptation or working on our "fear."
This is what your daily entry would look like:10/1:
- Water: 80/80oz
- Calorie goal within 100:
- At or under carbs: 28g/30g net
- Exercise as planned: 20min HIIT
- Hit electrolytes:
- Logged food (carbs):
- Resisted the office candy bowl. Again.
7/7
Earned 7 pumpkins.
Daily Pumpkins collected: 7
Weekly Pumpkin Count: 13
The above is certainly just a template. You all may want to add a goal like: "Pre-logged Day" or "Planned Ahead" or "Resisted Off-Plan Halloween Treat" or "Packed On-Plan Lunch". I do not recommend nixing the logging calories or carbs, however, if you are one who becomes stressed by calorie counting, that's ok. But I recommend at least keeping track of your daily carb intake. Portion and carb creep are real. And it helps to occasionally reset our ability to "eye" our carb-count. Now would be a good time to recalibrate your carb-sense. I want every single one of you guys to coast through the holidays, enjoying them to the fullest. Preparation and consistency are key.
On the First of the month, or now if you just can't wait, sign in to let us know your personal goals.
Goals might look something like:SW: 160
GW: 155
Get in the habit of pre-logging before things get nuts so I don't accidentally go over carbs and calories.
Stay on top of electrolytes so I don't get low.
Find low-carb-legal treats for the Halloween party.
Not shy away from events and interactions because I'm afraid I might fall off-plan.
To keep it orderly, on Oct. 1, a thread will be pinned in the stickies at the top of the group page and all you will have to do is go to it if the Weekly thread is buried and click on the weekly link at the bottom. (So if you've already read the challenge parameters, try not to get too upset with me when I repeat them at the start of each Weekly Challenge thread.) We'll accept challengers at any time of the month. Remember, you are competing against yourself, and starting on getting the basics down (or refreshing them like I am), before the hectic holiday season is fully upon us, is our goal.
So go get them punkins! Or you could do ghosts or vampires...whatevs.
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Replies
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I'm just leaving this here to go off of tonight!
Day Seven!!
Didn't weigh again... Trying to break that habit.
Drank water.... Minimally. Boo.
Drove for almost four hours. Daily cleaning. So yeah. Boo.
Carbs I did well, and calories. Yay!!!!!!
I ate keto foods!!!!!
I DIDN'T SMOKE!!!!!! Biggest HELL YEAH!!!
A good day. Great weather. Great family.8 -
Yay! Another week another opportunity to improve!1
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I didn't check in last week, but here's a summary of week.
1. Logged all food.
2. Stayed under calorie allotment.
3. Stayed under 30 g carbs.
4. Exercised all but Monday - not bad.
5. Missed my water consumption 2 days - stupid Coke Zero!!1 -
1. carb up weekend night: still over goal of 50g but about 1/2 of normal damage for weekend night.
2. Feelings check in: a little off, not happy
Coping strategies: still went out and had fun. Socialized. Got dressed up but was relaxed about it. Danced.
3. Weigh in on Wednesday.
4. Activity: Danced for 2 hours
This was yesterday's outcome. Still trying to maintain some steady equilibrium, even if I'm not killing it on the diet side. Even stabilizing where I am (which is 15 pounds from desired goal weight) seems like a small victory right now. I really am hoping to catch a wave of enthusiasm real soon.
Don't really see any brass rings that have my name on it for now, but my eyes are open and I'm still looking.
Seems like today is an at home day, tonight I'm watching some Elvira movies and chilling... hopefully puttering about and knocking a few things off the To Do list.
Hope everyone is having a great weekend!1 -
1. Log everything accurately - CHECK
2. Stay Hydrated - CHECK
3. Reach protein macro (This is really hard for me) -
4. Work on my fear of fat (Appropriate for this time of year) - CHECK - playing with dairy fat and experimenting with different full fat cheeses.2 -
Oct 8
1. Calories limit YES
2. Carb limit YES
3. 30min+ physical activity YES but not intense
Definitely better day. Drinking lots of water helped.
11/18 pumpkins yay me. May the rest of the week be better then today for all of the challengers.2 -
SuperCarLori wrote: »I'm just leaving this here to go off of tonight!
Day Seven!!
Didn't weigh again... Trying to break that habit.
Drank water.... Minimally. Boo.
Drove for almost four hours. Daily cleaning. So yeah. Boo.
Carbs I did well, and calories. Yay!!!!!!
I ate keto foods!!!!!
I DIDN'T SMOKE!!!!!! Biggest HELL YEAH!!!
A good day. Great weather. Great family.
Day Eight!
OMG What a beautiful, laughing, smiling, bucket list of a day!! I'm tearing up over it! Hiking, flying in a helicopter, laughing with my loved ones, being in a forest, climbing rocks, jumping creeks, hopping, skipping, and running, twirling around with glee....it was a day I'll always keep as a snapshot of happy.
I did not weigh again, which is a victory in itself lol!
I drank lots of water!! Yay!
I got loads of physical activity today! Yay!
I did great with carbs and calories! Yay!
Keto foods only! No peanuts!
I DIDN'T SMOKE!!!
Let me tell you....so much joy. 8 -
60 minutes stationary recumbent. Bike says 13.7 miles. Who knows. Not important. I huffed and puffed a bit. AND I did my rotatator cuff exercises. Done.3
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Apparently, I drive myself to cookie dough if I try to track everything and do all the things at once. So, new goals:
1. Drink water
2. Eat food with less than 5 ingredients when it comes from the store (not including spice blends)
3. No HFCS. Sugar Dr. Pepper twice a week (requires that I get up and go to the store, rather than just stealing one of my husband's)
4. 5 minutes cardio daily, + bodyweight 3 times a week.
Sometimes, baby steps are required.3 -
OH, also taking the alcohol out of the fridge, because apparently I tend to go for it when I want something sweet or carby. NOT a habit I want to encourage.2
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1.Got through Saturday night following food plan. What a relief. Planning on having success for today as well. So far so good.
New maintenence adjustment for weekends may just be a key for me to have ongoing success.
2. Feelings check in: single girl, weekend- night blues. All day, felt tired and low spirits.
Coping strategy: Boob tube, favorite movies, Facebook connections, and attitude of facing it and getting through it, minute by minute. Cried a bit, went to bed.
3 Weigh in on Wednesday: if I can just stick to plan, it may help flush some water poundage by then, so maybe the numbers won't crush my spirit too much. But regardless... there will be a weigh in this week. Time to get real again.
4. Not feeling active today, it's rainy and gray, so couch potato/putter day is coming up.
4 -
October 9:
50 minute walk to the grocery store. Land O' Lakes Butter $2.99/pound. 3.02 miles, ~3.5mph.
Rotator cuff exercises.
3 -
SuperCarLori wrote: »SuperCarLori wrote: »I'm just leaving this here to go off of tonight!
Day Seven!!
Didn't weigh again... Trying to break that habit.
Drank water.... Minimally. Boo.
Drove for almost four hours. Daily cleaning. So yeah. Boo.
Carbs I did well, and calories. Yay!!!!!!
I ate keto foods!!!!!
I DIDN'T SMOKE!!!!!! Biggest HELL YEAH!!!
A good day. Great weather. Great family.
Day Eight!
OMG What a beautiful, laughing, smiling, bucket list of a day!! I'm tearing up over it! Hiking, flying in a helicopter, laughing with my loved ones, being in a forest, climbing rocks, jumping creeks, hopping, skipping, and running, twirling around with glee....it was a day I'll always keep as a snapshot of happy.
I did not weigh again, which is a victory in itself lol!
I drank lots of water!! Yay!
I got loads of physical activity today! Yay!
I did great with carbs and calories! Yay!
Keto foods only! No peanuts!
I DIDN'T SMOKE!!!
Let me tell you....so much joy.
Day Nine!
Still a non smoker. Very tired and sad the boy is gone.
No weigh in. Yay!
Water is a bust...but I did drink a 44oz diet Mountain Dew on the drive home...that does count, so okay then. Yay!
Activity, nope. Boo.
Carbs and calories a big Yay!2 -
Oct 8:
Outside my pumpkin shell:
Hurricane
Deskcycle: 30mins
Carbs: 69g
1 -
5/5 - Good day!!!1
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Oct 9
1. Calories YES
2. Carbs YES
3. 30min+ activity YES low intensity
Very happy today hunger seems to be slowly getting under control
14/21 pumpkins so far
1 -
October 9
1. Log everything accurately - CHECK (It was a dismal day)
2. Stay Hydrated - CHECK
3. Reach protein macro (This is really hard for me) - - again 
4. Work on my fear of fat (Appropriate for this time of year) - CHECK - I sort of went crazy. We won't talk about it.2 -
October 8th
1. Log every BLT (Bite, Lick and Taste) each and every day
2. Keep my total calories under 1,600
3. Keep my net carbs under 40 grams
4. Exercise consistently: walking: 10,000 steps per day, yoga: 2 -3 times a week, weights: 2 times a week (walking)
5. Keep up hydration each and every day.
October 9th
1. Log every BLT (Bite, Lick and Taste) each and every day
2. Keep my total calories under 1,600
3. Keep my net carbs under 40 grams
4. Exercise consistently: walking: 10,000 steps per day, yoga: 2 -3 times a week, weights: 2 times a week (hiked 5 miles and PT exercises)
5. Keep up hydration each and every day. 2 -
October 9 (Sunday results)
Water - 120oz (at least 120 for the day)
Net Carbs - 39 (< 30)
Calories - 1876
Workouts - 0/5 (Sunday is my rest day)
Weight - 223 (sw 223)
3/5 devils so not a total bust for a Sunday!0 -
Oct. 9:
Outside my pumpkin shell: Beautiful weather this week forward
Deskcycle: 30mins
Carbs: 44g
1 -
I was terrible at logging this weekend, but stayed on plan - YAY!
My goals for this week:
Log
Net 20 carbs
Adequate water (I don't know that 100 oz is necessary/realistic for me)
Exercise
Work on macros
For the month:
No Alcohol
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The weekend was a mix.
Did good with cooking and eating stayed LCHF.
But yesterday was rainy all day and I basically stayed in bed all day, just watching TV and napping. CBS Sunday Morning, Pats Game, then the news, a movie, then the debate. LOL.
You would think I would be feeling rested today, but feeling tired and unmotivated to be here at work. We didn't get a vacation day today. Good news is that traffic was easy.
I feel like going home and going to bed. Maybe I am coming down with something?2 -
Sorry I've not been posting - the weekend has been a bust anyway.
Back on track today.
1. Drink 10 glasses of fluid a day
2. Stick to your Calories
3. Keep carbs in check
4. Weight lifting 5x a week for 60min
5. Log honestly
6. Sleep 8 hours
7. Keep up that salt intake! 2 -
1.Went a little higher than weekend carb alottment, but wasn't horrible. No trigger foods...just a few too many carbs and cals.
2.Feelings check in: Was a low spirit, low activity, rainy, gloomy day. I blended right in.
Coping strategy: tv, movie, nap, phone, facebook, painting, nap again, early to bed.
not especially coping well, just getting through a long day.
3. Still on target for a Wed. weigh in. Haven't been as hard core keto as I would like, but still getting ready for a reality check.
4. Zero activity. Could have been woodwork for the day. It can only get better.1 -
October 10: Walked to the grocery stores for stevia sweetened water enhancer and a birthday card for my brother.
85 minutes walk time. 5.1 miles. ~3.5mph. Rotator cuff exercises: 2 of 13. The two I hate because they hurt the most.
3 -
October 10
1. Log everything accurately - CHECK
2. Stay Hydrated -
3. Reach protein macro (This is really hard for me) - - *sighs*
4. Work on my fear of fat (Appropriate for this time of year) - 3 -
SuperCarLori wrote: »SuperCarLori wrote: »SuperCarLori wrote: »I'm just leaving this here to go off of tonight!
Day Seven!!
Didn't weigh again... Trying to break that habit.
Drank water.... Minimally. Boo.
Drove for almost four hours. Daily cleaning. So yeah. Boo.
Carbs I did well, and calories. Yay!!!!!!
I ate keto foods!!!!!
I DIDN'T SMOKE!!!!!! Biggest HELL YEAH!!!
A good day. Great weather. Great family.
Day Eight!
OMG What a beautiful, laughing, smiling, bucket list of a day!! I'm tearing up over it! Hiking, flying in a helicopter, laughing with my loved ones, being in a forest, climbing rocks, jumping creeks, hopping, skipping, and running, twirling around with glee....it was a day I'll always keep as a snapshot of happy.
I did not weigh again, which is a victory in itself lol!
I drank lots of water!! Yay!
I got loads of physical activity today! Yay!
I did great with carbs and calories! Yay!
Keto foods only! No peanuts!
I DIDN'T SMOKE!!!
Let me tell you....so much joy.
Day Nine!
Still a non smoker. Very tired and sad the boy is gone.
No weigh in. Yay!
Water is a bust...but I did drink a 44oz diet Mountain Dew on the drive home...that does count, so okay then. Yay!
Activity, nope. Boo.
Carbs and calories a big Yay!
Day Ten!
Let me just say it's a huge bust.
Over ate. I mean i binged. So today was a huge boo. In all ways.
No!!! Not all ways. Still a Non smoker!
Otherwise today was a fail.
I did log though. Might as well keep the data handy, right?4 -
October 10th
1. Log every BLT (Bite, Lick and Taste) each and every day
2. Keep my total calories under 1,600 ??
3. Keep my net carbs under 40 grams ??
4. Exercise consistently: walking: 10,000 steps per day, yoga: 2 -3 times a week, weights: 2 times a week (did walk 10,000 steps)
5. Keep up hydration each and every day.
Yesterday was a fail. I got really pissed off at a bunch of people at work so when I got home had a bowl of cereal to feel better. Yeah silly, but it did help. Still pissed off today but I'm in more control today. I'm just down right mad! Stupid higher ups think they know everything, except all they do is talk with no action. 3 -
Yesterday is behind us. @carlsoda
Let's make today count.
Yesterday
1. Logged - yes
2. Calories - close, a bit over
3. Carbs - still in the 100 range. working on it today. Got a great lunch and dinner planned
4. Exercise. No.
5. H20 - yes!
3 -
10/10 check in
Log - yes!
Net 20 carbs - yes!
Adequate water (I don't know that 100 oz is necessary/realistic for me) - YES!!
Exercise - no
Work on macros - spot on!
For the month:
No Alcohol - still doing well with this one
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