Let's Do this! - 2019 Challenge - Be the best you can be!

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  • Melionfire
    Melionfire Posts: 343 Member
    Sorry I have been absent. I had an assignment do today and my husband who is away during the week for school comes home on the weekends so I was pretty busy. I still did my scheduled workouts and trying my best to stick to my eating plan. I did have a couple glasses of wine on Saturday and some indulgences. The weekends are definately my biggest challenge. I can be so disciplined Monday to Friday but Friday night rolls in and I have the hardest time trying to not eat all the foods lol! My goals are to stick to my plan that I have put in my journal. Workout 6 days, log all food and stop eating after 7pm. Hope everyone has a great week!
  • loonyhiker
    loonyhiker Posts: 81 Member
    edited January 2019
    Yesterday hubby had to go to the dentist and it was the day of the "special" at the K&W Cafeteria which hubby loves. The special is 2 people get a full meal for $18 which includes an entree, 2 veggies, bread, dessert, and drink. This meal is a huge temptation for me but I used my Naturally Slim principles to help me. I got grilled chicken breast with onions, steamed broccoli, macaroni and cheese, garlic toast, apple pie, and unsweet tea. I put my timer on for 10 minutes and ate the chicken breast and onions very slowly. Then when the timer went off, I waited 5 minutes (logging food into MFP, taking vitamins, talking to hubby), and then started eating again. I ate most of my mac and cheese, and broccoli. Then I only ate the apples but not the crust and I never touched the garlic toast at all. I was satisfied but didn't feel like I overate.

    When we got home, I drank a lot of water all day long. When I went to my knitting group at Starbucks, I only drank water. This morning I was afraid to weigh myself and was relieved that I'm still at the same weight. Whew!
  • SallyLuvsFitness
    SallyLuvsFitness Posts: 13,724 Member
    Morning! Wishing everyone a great start to the week! I need to catch up and read through the last few pages. All is well here, no alcohol (Dry January), working out and eating right. Heading to Barre class and then going hiking with my hubby (we did ten miles yesterday - WOW 😯)!

    The bullet journals sound really cool, going to check it out.
  • msarobix
    msarobix Posts: 211 Member
    @melonfire - it is all about moderation. I know I don’t want to eliminate things I love from my diet forever, so I am just trying to be more conscious of what I eat and how much, and trying to limit the junk food and sweet treats. It will likely take more time to lose the weight I want to lose, but I am also more likely to keep it off.

    @loonyhiker - your meal sounds amazing, and it sounds like you really stayed in control. I always worry that I will gain weight after having somewhat of an indulging meal. Glad to hear you didn’t.

    @fitness327wk - there are some great layouts in those articles, I have book marked the pages so I can remember them.
  • loonyhiker
    loonyhiker Posts: 81 Member
    edited January 2019
    We met some friends for dinner last night at Chilis and again I hoped I could control my eating. Before we went, I drank a lot of water and I had a teaspoon of peanut butter about an hour before we left. I went online and looked at the menu so I could plan on what I would eat and research the calories. When we got there, I had a tossed salad and I had cajun chicken pasta but I only ate half of it because I was full by the time I ate half. I got the rest for lunch today. I weighed myself this morning and I'm still the same so still happy. We aren't planning on eating out for the rest of the week.

    @Fitness327wk Thanks for the sample layouts. I also pinned a couple so I could try them in the future.
  • Melionfire
    Melionfire Posts: 343 Member
    loonyhiker wrote: »
    Yesterday hubby had to go to the dentist and it was the day of the "special" at the K&W Cafeteria which hubby loves. The special is 2 people get a full meal for $18 which includes an entree, 2 veggies, bread, dessert, and drink. This meal is a huge temptation for me but I used my Naturally Slim principles to help me. I got grilled chicken breast with onions, steamed broccoli, macaroni and cheese, garlic toast, apple pie, and unsweet tea. I put my timer on for 10 minutes and ate the chicken breast and onions very slowly. Then when the timer went off, I waited 5 minutes (logging food into MFP, taking vitamins, talking to hubby), and then started eating again. I ate most of my mac and cheese, and broccoli. Then I only ate the apples but not the crust and I never touched the garlic toast at all. I was satisfied but didn't feel like I overate.

    When we got home, I drank a lot of water all day long. When I went to my knitting group at Starbucks, I only drank water. This morning I was afraid to weigh myself and was relieved that I'm still at the same weight. Whew!
    Good job! Learning to eat intuitively is a skill that will make losing weight as well as maintenance easier. Taking that break to see how you feel in between is a great strategie and I think I might try it. I eat far too fast and I know it isn't good for me. Thanks for the great idea.
  • Melionfire
    Melionfire Posts: 343 Member
    This week is flying by. I am finding the evenings much easier this week than last week. Now that I have gotten use to not eating in the evenings, I rarely get hungry anymore. It is true that feeling hungry from time to time isn't a bad thing and we have to decide when we are truly hungry as opposed to just mentally hungry ie bored, stressed ect... I weighed in today at 158.8 which is amazing at this point. A total loss of 2 pounds this week. I am now 8.8 pounds to goal. !!
  • BackInSoFL
    BackInSoFL Posts: 82 Member
    Tomorrow is weigh in day and measurements and pics, end of the month. My clothes have been fitting differently, but the waistline is still snug. I am going to update my spreadsheet with the results and try to spot some trends then come up with my goals for February. I included some intervals and increased the intensity on the treadmill for January and I'll see the results. Hope everyone's first month was successful and you've met your goals!
  • msarobix
    msarobix Posts: 211 Member
    Today was a walking workout. I thought I would do a bit of running instead, but my sports bra had other ideas. I have sports bras that are okay for walking, but just do not work for running, so that was out of the question. I did increase the intensity a bit from my normal walk and I also added incline. I didn’t quite close my Move Ring during my workout, but I got close.

    @loonyhiker - eating out is usually my downfall. I can typically stay on track when eating at home, but all bets are off when eating out. Congratulations on your successes.

    @BackInSoFL - that is a great plan for tomorrow. I will be taking my measurements on Friday and doing the same thing.
  • SallyLuvsFitness
    SallyLuvsFitness Posts: 13,724 Member
    I wanted to say congratulations to all for staring off the New Year SO strong 💪 and achieving goals!!!
  • loonyhiker
    loonyhiker Posts: 81 Member
    BackInSoFL wrote: »
    Tomorrow is weigh in day and measurements and pics, end of the month. My clothes have been fitting differently, but the waistline is still snug. I am going to update my spreadsheet with the results and try to spot some trends then come up with my goals for February. I included some intervals and increased the intensity on the treadmill for January and I'll see the results. Hope everyone's first month was successful and you've met your goals!

    Tomorrow is measurement day for me too. For some reason, it kills me to write these down (which is a good thing) because it makes me more conscious of what they really are vs. my mind saying I'm losing weight and I'm losing inches which can be faulty thinking.

  • Melionfire
    Melionfire Posts: 343 Member
    I can't believe it is already the end of January. I am thinking of doing a dry February to see how it will effect my results. I am half way through the first month of my workout program so I will work hard on improving my performance every workout. I have a goal of one day being able to do a pull up but have no way to do them in my house. Not many doorways that work with a bar. I hope to be able to go to parks in the spring to practice on monkey bars but is has been -35 to -45 degrees Celsius for 2 weeks now.so even going outside sucks! Hope everyone rocks their February goals!!
  • SallyLuvsFitness
    SallyLuvsFitness Posts: 13,724 Member
    Melionfire wrote: »
    I can't believe it is already the end of January. I am thinking of doing a dry February to see how it will effect my results. I am half way through the first month of my workout program so I will work hard on improving my performance every workout. I have a goal of one day being able to do a pull up but have no way to do them in my house. Not many doorways that work with a bar. I hope to be able to go to parks in the spring to practice on monkey bars but is has been -35 to -45 degrees Celsius for 2 weeks now.so even going outside sucks! Hope everyone rocks their February goals!!

    I am doing dry February besides for Super bowl and Valentine’s Day! Lost four and half pounds in Jan! Looking forward to achieving and hitting my goals in Feb!
  • BackInSoFL
    BackInSoFL Posts: 82 Member
    Here's the results from January. Weight loss 3.7#, inches (the big 3) 4.8" loss. Average daily burn 1775, ave daily cal eaten 1425, which is a 20% calorie deficit - spot on my goal. I am surprised how close I got to that goal. I changed things up a bit the 3rd week of January and added intervals to my walking and moved inside to the treadmill. The treadmill has some issues, it's stuck on 5% incline which is a challenge.

    I am going to make some exercise changes in Feb, still working out the goals, thinking about BWM type lunges/squat, pushups, all I've been doing is walking. I am getting meal planning under control with the help of my husband. Trying to add more fiber and reduce the dairy for February. I eliminated added sugar in January- nailed that goal. Also had a January goal of never eating over daily burn. Got pretty close on that one, had one day +5 cals.

    I am thinking about continuing the Jan goals and adding some new things for February. I'll have a cheat day or 2 this month, Wedding Anniversary but sometimes you just have to enjoy.

    Good luck everyone on February!
  • msarobix
    msarobix Posts: 211 Member
    Hey everyone! Not much new here today. My running workouts are going well, I have been increasing the running time each week and this week I increased the running time as well as the speed. I for the last few weeks I have only be increasing the running time by 2 minutes at a time, but I think next week I am going to jump from 7 minutes to 10 minutes. During my run today I increased the last running segment from 7 minutes to 12 minutes and I still felt pretty good doing it. I walk 3 minutes between the running segments. I am hoping by April I will be able to run without walk breaks for 30-45 minutes.

    How is everyone else doing? Once I log all my numbers for this week I will share my stats for January. I typically don’t fill in my spreadsheet until Friday or Saturday when I have a bit more time to be on the computer.

    I can tell you that I lost a total of 6.6 pounds in January and a total of 8.5 pounds since December. I will take my measurements tomorrow morning. This past week, I have been able to wear a few pairs of slacks that were a bit snug a few weeks ago, so I am fairly certain that I have lost some in my measurements also.

    I am looking forward to the weekend, and trying to break another record, I am just not sure what it will be this week.
  • msarobix
    msarobix Posts: 211 Member
    edited January 2019
    @BackinSoFL - It sounds like you have a very successful month, Congratulations. It is always a good idea to evaluate your workout routine and increase the intensity every so often. I agree 5% incline is challenging, hopefully you can get that fixed soon so you can challenge yourself in different ways.

    I would say +5 calories over daily burn is still hitting the mark. I mean really that is barely a minute of activity.
  • kimmie373
    kimmie373 Posts: 57 Member
    It’s nice to read how everyone else is doing. It’s inspiring for me. The only thing I accomplished for January is starting the exercise routine. My eating habits need a lot of work. I have been up and down 2 pounds all month for a zero change. I think for February I will take measurements. I am loving my watch challenges. Even if I don’t win it has been spurring me on to not quit. Go get that exercise and close my rings.
  • loonyhiker
    loonyhiker Posts: 81 Member
    Well, during January I gained 3 lbs. and then lost those 3 lbs. so I'm back where I started on Jan. 1. I did lose an inch in my waist though. This month I'm starting an exercise routine and keeping track of it in my bullet journal. Having friends on my Apple Watch has encouraged me to walk even when I didn't want to do it. :smile:

    @Fitness327wk Congrats on your weight loss!

    @msarobix Good job on increasing your running and your weight loss!

    @BackInSoFL Great job on weight loss and inches!
  • I have forgotten to post for like a week! sorry! I am doing pretty well, doing Jillian Michaels Banish Fat Boost Metabolism today. I walked 4 miles yesterday.
  • Lanibugluv
    Lanibugluv Posts: 44 Member
    I plan to work out 3 times a week for an hour each day. I plan to track my calories everyday. I plan to weigh in once a week. These are three simple goals but consistency is key and I have to start somewhere. Currently I barely make it to the gym, eat whatever whenever, and am miserable in this overweight body. Thanks so much for this accountability!
  • BackInSoFL
    BackInSoFL Posts: 82 Member
    msarobix wrote: »
    @BackinSoFL - It sounds like you have a very successful month, Congratulations. It is always a good idea to evaluate your workout routine and increase the intensity every so often. I agree 5% incline is challenging, hopefully you can get that fixed soon so you can challenge yourself in different ways.

    I would say +5 calories over daily burn is still hitting the mark. I mean really that is barely a minute of activity.

    Thanks! There's no hope for the treadmill. It was a craigslist find. The incline is messed up, it records a -5 degree so it thinks I walking down hill lol. I have a polar fit chest strap & fitbit blaze so I get good burn numbers. But ultimately all the devices that track burn are a big "estimate". I try not to get into the weeds with the calcs.
  • BackInSoFL
    BackInSoFL Posts: 82 Member
    loonyhiker wrote: »
    Well, during January I gained 3 lbs. and then lost those 3 lbs. so I'm back where I started on Jan. 1. I did lose an inch in my waist though. This month I'm starting an exercise routine and keeping track of it in my bullet journal. Having friends on my Apple Watch has encouraged me to walk even when I didn't want to do it. :smile:

    Good job on your 1" waist loss! And during a Florida vacation. Travel always messes up my routine. NSV are still victories. I am going to try a bullet journal too. Putting to writing will keep me from forgetting something. I have postmenopausal brain fog alot.


  • SallyLuvsFitness
    SallyLuvsFitness Posts: 13,724 Member
    I am READY to continue hitting my goals in February! In January, I am happy to report I lost 4.5lbs and down 3% of my body weight! At first I was a bit discouraged the first few weeks of January since the scale was not moving as much as I thought it should, LOL! I had stopped drinking all alcohol (I think my body was in shock, where was the vino???!!!!), eating healthy (prior I usually ate a pretty well balanced healthy diet) and focused on working out!

    Needless to say, calculating the % of loss in Jan, I am thrilled!

    All the best to everyone and achieving February GOALS!
  • Melionfire
    Melionfire Posts: 343 Member
    I am READY to continue hitting my goals in February! In January, I am happy to report I lost 4.5lbs and down 3% of my body weight! At first I was a bit discouraged the first few weeks of January since the scale was not moving as much as I thought it should, LOL! I had stopped drinking all alcohol (I think my body was in shock, where was the vino???!!!!), eating healthy (prior I usually ate a pretty well balanced healthy diet) and focused on working out!

    Needless to say, calculating the % of loss in Jan, I am thrilled!

    All the best to everyone and achieving February GOALS!

    Way to go!! That is an amazing loss! Let's see what February brings;)
  • mynacha73
    mynacha73 Posts: 120 Member
    Hi Everyone,
    So some goods and not-so-goods. I'm thrilled that despite not being able to walk for half the month, I still lost 9.3 pounds which is just under 3% of my body weight. I took a mental health day and skipped work today. I just went for a 3 mile walk - the first real walk in a month. It was great! On the not-so-good side, I'm sinking into another depression. I'm trying to do the things I need to do: exercise (back to it!), eat healthy (check), sleep (check), I'm working on getting out of a job situation that's really rough, I'm doing my weekly therapy, etc. But I'm sinking. I'm going to work on creating a morning checklist that focuses on my well-being goals. I think if I start the day thinking about my physical health, reaching out to 1-2 friends not connected to work, and do 1-2 job search things, I might feel a little more in control and positive. I'm also going to pretend to be a tourist for 1 day each weekend and go explore something in my neighborhood that I haven't seen before. I mean, seriously ... I've lived in the SF Bay Area for nearly 30 years and never been to Alcatraz....
    Happy February - we got this!
  • BackInSoFL
    BackInSoFL Posts: 82 Member
    @Fitness327wk Great loss! I had a slow start to Jan too. My scale wouldn't move, I even changed the battery.

    @ kimmie373 Regular exercise is a great start, and your enjoying the watch challenge. Sounds like you are maintaining, so you're getting an idea of your daily burn. Next step calorie deficit and you're on your way.

    Have a great weekend everyone.
  • SallyLuvsFitness
    SallyLuvsFitness Posts: 13,724 Member
    Thank you 🙏!
  • msarobix
    msarobix Posts: 211 Member

    This is going to be a busy weekend for me. We have month-end close at work, and I have a brand new accounting team, so most of the month-end process is going to be up to me this month. Which means I need to get some things accomplished this weekend so that I don’t fall behind next week.

    That doesn’t mean that I won’t get in my regularly schedule exercise. I am planning on running 5-6 miles tomorrow and at least another 5k on Sunday.

    I will try to check in tomorrow, but in addition to working for a few hours and 90-120 minutes on the treadmill, I also need to get to the grocery store, so we will see how it goes.

    I splurged a little with dinner tonight. I think a once a month treat at the beginning of the month after a successful month of weight loss and sticking to my exercise program is completely acceptable.

    @lanibugluv - Welcome to the group.

    @mynacha73 - sorry to hear about your depression. It sounds like you have a plan to help combat it. I know they recommend exercise to help with depression, but since I don’t have depression I really don’t know if it really works. I hope it works for you.
  • kimmie373
    kimmie373 Posts: 57 Member
    Lanibugluv wrote: »
    I plan to work out 3 times a week for an hour each day. I plan to track my calories everyday. I plan to weigh in once a week. These are three simple goals but consistency is key and I have to start somewhere. Currently I barely make it to the gym, eat whatever whenever, and am miserable in this overweight body. Thanks so much for this accountability!

    That sounds like a good plan. It’s hard to tackle everything at once. Set a couple goals and master those and then add to it.