Determined December Challenge 2019
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It's the 3rd day of the challenge.
This thought wall might be a little late for some of you.
We just had a holiday. And for me, since it means my DH (dear hubby) was off work, it meant off plan for several days.
There's always a little struggle, even almost 4 years out from reaching goal, around holidays. I know from experience, and there's even a thread to this effect in the MF (Main Forum), that one "refeed" day isn't going to ruin everything. And it really doesn't. Does it mean you're going to get to your goal a few days later than you originally had anticipated? Maybe does; maybe doesn't. If it delays a bit, is that the end of the universe? Nope. Because we don't gain weight or become obese or lose progress because we feast on a holiday. It's when we get loose and then start treating most days like holidays when we get in trouble. This is truth: if you get right back to business and back to your consistency right away, you'll be just fine.
This applies to me as I feel a little bloaty from carb-associated water retention. Part of me still wants to freak out. But the habit-part of me that has done and done this, knows that today I'm right back on plan, doing the thing, as per my usual. The bloat will go, and life will go on.
All I'm trying to do this month is workout a little extra to mitigate the Thanksgiving Black Hole thanks to DH, and keep my Consistency Habit chugging along despite all the opportunities that will come along to potentially bomb my plan. Like Friday, I have to bake a BAZILLION cookies for a church event on Saturday. I will not get into the cookies. They are not for me. On Saturday I may have something, as that's how my calorie/carb-cycling plan works for my maintenance. But Friday, I will be resolute.
I don't usually work out on the weekends, as I workout every weekday. But I'll probably add at least one weekend day to help offset the aforementioned Black Hole.
Lots of crap to do this week for me including the last class of the semester long Health class I've taught to homeschooled highschoolers. Teens are as silly as preschoolers sometimes. I could seriously use an eye-roll emoji, MFP. It's been 5 years, guys.
Anyway,
TLDR; Thanksgiving is a calorie-bomb wrecking ball, but if we indulged, we just get back to work and everything will be just fine.
But of course I'm not weighing till Friday cuz I AM sporting a wee tire around my middle from carb-water.
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@baconslave the mental struggle is real. Amazing how hard it is to rewire our brains from that all-or-nothing thinking that says “I had an off day I’m ruined forever”
And yes baking yummy carby things for others and not tasting any of it takes a lot of self control. Especially when you’re like- “I have to! How can I give them away without tasting ? what if they came out gross”
**eats batch of cookies** 😬
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@al4374 I just did that with the Banana bread I made for the family. I didn't even think of it when I ate the end piece! It was sooo goood, if I say so myself!
But back to "watching" what I eat. I just want to lose a bit I gained over the holiday so it can't be that hard, right??
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It took me a few seconds of trying to process the goal of "Cat in Virginia" before I realized that was a NAME and PLACE...
I might be a little slow today...
Perhaps more coffee or a walk would help...
Tiffany in Virginia1 -
weatherking2019 wrote: »@al4374 I just did that with the Banana bread I made for the family. I didn't even think of it when I ate the end piece! It was sooo goood, if I say so myself!
But back to "watching" what I eat. I just want to lose a bit I gained over the holiday so it can't be that hard, right??
Does it take persistence and consistency? Definitely.
Hard? Maybe a little, if we're talking about shushing the cravings. And needing to be patient.
Worth it?
@baconslave the mental struggle is real. Amazing how hard it is to rewire our brains from that all-or-nothing thinking that says “I had an off day I’m ruined forever”
And yes baking yummy carby things for others and not tasting any of it takes a lot of self control. Especially when you’re like- “I have to! How can I give them away without tasting ? what if they came out gross”
**eats batch of cookies** 😬
This is what my kids are for, particularly my human-vacuum-cleaner teen son. I don't have to beg them to taste one. More like I have to get out the broom to keep them out of the baked goods so there'll be enough left to bring! 4 -
LOL - I did a doubletake when I saw that too, took a few moments to figure out how to parse it.tcunbeliever wrote: »It took me a few seconds of trying to process the goal of "Cat in Virginia" before I realized that was a NAME and PLACE...
Tho my misread was maybe different than yours.
(a cat) in Ontario
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Last to the party but I'm here. My goals are pretty loose. I have only been back low carb for 3 weeks after a very rough year. Also I have not yet decided if I want to be keto or just low carb. Whether to have carb cycling days or not? I'm just winging it and being mostly keto for right now. Anyhow here are the goals:
1.Under 75 carbs tops (I'm usually under 50 but leeway for holiday events)
2. Work on adding at least 1 or 2 days of some sort of exercise each week. I know that sounds lame but I have literally done NO exercise, not even taking walks in many months due to a huge long lasting RA flare.
3. Try a new low carb recipe each week to motivate me and my husband who is kind of sorting following the plan.2 -
I am so happy to hear about everyone's success and determination. It is very motivating for me to hear about others doing well.
My goals completed for Dec 2.
1. Lose 5 lbs before 12/31/19 [work in progress, scale is going in right direction since first posting]
2. Stay under carb goal (> 35) and under calorie goal (>1,500) every day [success, 22 carbs & 900 calories, I ate LARGE on 11/30 so I'm going low a couple days]
3. Exercise every day at least 30 minutes, walking on treadmill or outside if weather permits [exercised 40 minutes]
4. Plan ahead every day which is challenging with so many potluck opportunities and I love to socialize. [success, easy day to plan ahead, no parties]
Vicki in Wisconsin 1 -
Another day done, still sticking to the plan!
1) Stay under the carb goal - Yeah!
2) eat enuf calories, but not too much - Yeah!
3) log everything - Yeah!
4) hit our activity goal every day - Yeah!
5) workout at least 5x a week - On track! 3 down, 2 to go!
We hope its been a good day for everyone else too! 3 -
Day 3 has gone well- upped NEAT today by walking to a further bathroom and making the rounds to visit and coach team members. Listened to hunger cues for lunch and ended up needing a small snack later. Dinner was LCHF but I added a banana because it was going bad and wasn’t still hungry. Could have been worse! Upping my water is still lower then I’d like but I still have time before bed!3
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Forgot to report yesterday. But score for Days 2&3! Love the accountability, totally helped me control myself at dinner tonight3
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Day 3
I am determined:
Staying under carbs-50g total-YES even with an Irish creme got chocolate 😋
Staying under calories-1500 per day-NO
Logging and measuring-YES
Getting in exercise/movement-2/3
Increasing water intake-YES doubled my water intake
Planning ahead meals-YES4 -
VR boxing and Beat Saber two days in a row for me.6
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Dec 3rd
On-plan calories: Yep
On-plan carbs: Yep
Workouts: 2/6
Did not eat a donut! There are 6 of them sitting on the counter staring at me.
My whole rhythm of cal/carb cycling is just off this week thanks to the Black Hole, but I'm doing well with my revised plan. I need to do more NEAT. Thanks to @taylok23 for reminding me about that. I was a couple hundred steps away from 10K yesterday, for a cardio day, that's bad. The lack of sunlight, cold, and chilling of my schedule due to soccer season ending has really tanked the NEAT big time. Did a Leslie Sansone 4 Miles workout adding extra boosts (jogging and other uppity higher impact movements) to it the last half as is my custom. I don't know why I'm so dumb and hate running so much, (I would rather do anything than run, especially on a treadmill in the dark cold basement right now) but I'm ok if I'm following a video and will even kick it up several notches. Silly like that I guess. My inner motivator is such a brat sometimes... :grumble:
Have an awesome day and keep it up!
Today ends in last day of class prep and volunteer work at church for 3 hours. Busy busy.
Jess in Northeast TN 4 -
1. FOCUS ON MAINTAINING (or lose a pound or two)
2. PLAN ACTIVE HOLIDAY FUN (Going to AZ for winter break/Hiking is on my list)
3. SCHEDULE WORKOUTS (just booked 12 OTF classes)
4. GET EXCITED ABOUT LOOKING GOOD AT HOLIDAY PARTIES (because!!)
Doing okay so far.
I lost a bit of body fat.
I went to OTF 2x and did a walk/run 1x.
Made dinner from scratch yesterday and I brought the left overs for lunch!
So doing good at day3 3 -
Day 1-3
1.Under 75 carbs tops (I'm usually under 50 but leeway for holiday events) DONE
2. Work on adding at least 1 or 2 days of some sort of exercise each week. I know that sounds lame but I have literally done NO exercise, not even taking walks in many months due to a huge long lasting RA flare. NOT YET
3. Try a new low carb recipe each week to motivate me and my husband who is kind of sorting following the plan. NOT YET
Last night I had to pick up the gluten free cookie dough I ordered from a friend's kid before I went back low carb and I took it straight to my mom's. Now today I've been gifted a tin of homemade fudge for Christmas! I will probably have one or two pieces between now and the holiday but I fear my husband will completely derail. I might take a few pieces out for us and give the rest to my daughter and her family.3 -
Day 3 of determined December. You all are doing so good!
1. Lose 5 lbs before 12/31/19 [work in progress]
2. Stay under carb goal (> 35) and under calorie goal (>1,500) every day [success, 31 carbs & 1,079 calories]
3. Exercise every day at least 30 minutes, walking on treadmill or outside if weather permits [exercised 41 minutes for 2.3 miles on the treadmill]
4. Plan ahead every day which is challenging with so many potluck opportunities and I love to socialize. [success, easy day to plan ahead, no parties]
Tonight (for Dec 4) may be a challenge b/c my church group gets together for bible study and someone always brings a good treat.
Keep up the good work every one!
Vicki in Wisconsin
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Happy wednesday everyone! Our day is done, another good one here!
1) Stay under the carb goal -
2) eat enuf calories, but not too much -
3) log everything -
4) hit our activity goal every day -
5) workout at least 5x a week - 4 down 1 left
TBH we really try to do a workout every day, but I figured saying 5/week left some leeway incase we get a bad week or something. Sometimes weekends are tough.
ALSO - I forgot to mention right up front we do IF, like usualy 7:17 or something like that. Its just kinda our natural default, we just eat 2 meals a day. Sorta late breakfast/brunch, and then early dinner. And usually there's a snack, which just sorta happens whenever, depending when the other two meals are. Like our schedule is kinda flexible & sometimes a meal can move around by a few hours. But like overall, we do most of our eating inside a 6 to 8 hour window.
Hope everyone's had a good day today! 2 -
Today’s update: NEAT down but still ok, increase in water moving up AND I bypassed the donut truck at work today! Stayed LCHF all day, stopped when full at lunch but had a few nuts after dinner. Regretting those as I feel too full now but it’s a good reminder to stop when I’m ahead. Keep up the good work!
Kristin in OH2 -
This is a good challenge!
I'm determined to start my journey by walking at least 2x a week.
I'm determined to stay under my carb goal (54g) for at least 6 out of 7 days of the week.
I'm determined to drink water water water!3 -
Day 4
I am determined:
Staying under carbs-50g total-YES
Staying under calories-1500 per day-NO- I’ve been so hungry the last few days
Logging and measuring-YES
Getting in exercise/movement-3/3
Increasing water intake-YES still working on increasing
Planning ahead meals-YES
My favorite part of today was walking around my neighborhood with the littles looking at all the lights and decorations ☃️❄️🎄⭐️2 -
Day 4 was a win for me, logged all my food. Better get logging if I want to win today 2
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I am determined to stick with it even though the scale is being a brat!2
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I am late in joining the thread but I’ve been sticking with my goals thusfar!
I was overweight many years ago and lost 70 pounds through online support. Now my goals are more about health, self-care/self-love, fitness and consistency. I’ve been bodybuilding to help with a medical condition and gaining muscle has helped reduce my symptoms so much! Not tracking for the past 9 months has been a nice break but now it’s time to lose some extra fluff as I keep working on strength gains and developing more muscle. I’m really proud of myself and happy with my body right now so this is a great starting point.
My goals for December are strict, but a little deprivation is good for a reset right now.
1) Stick to planned foods only, except on Christmas
2) Work out 5 days a week, aiming for 25 hours of exercise this month
3) Track every day
4) Hopefully get down to 150 again, starting weight was 156, but since I’m strength training I won’t worry about the number as much
5) Fit back into the clothes I recently hulked out of!
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Dec 4, great to report success
1. Lose 5 lbs before 12/31/19 [work in progress]
2. Stay under carb goal (< 35) and under calorie goal (<1,500) every day [success, 19 carbs & 600 calories, I wasn't hungry]
3. Exercise every day at least 30 minutes, walking on treadmill or outside if weather permits [exercised 31 minutes for 1.9 miles on the treadmill]
4. Plan ahead every day which is challenging with so many potluck opportunities and I love to socialize. [success, easy day to plan ahead, no parties]
I am also glad that taylok23 mentioned NEAT. I hadn't fully considered how beneficial that could be through out my day at work. I have a sedentary job on the phone for the most part. So I have been trying to increase my steps through out the day with walking up 2 flights of stairs a couple times per day and going w a y down the hall to use the bathroom. So far so good.
Everyone is doing a great job,
Vicki in Wisconsin
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Day 4
1.Under 75 carbs tops (I'm usually under 50 but leeway for holiday events) DONE
2. Work on adding at least 1 or 2 days of some sort of exercise each week. I know that sounds lame but I have literally done NO exercise, not even taking walks in many months due to a huge long lasting RA flare. NOT YET
3. Try a new low carb recipe each week to motivate me and my husband who is kind of sorting following the plan. YES....I made a low carb spinach alfredo "lasagna".
I did eat one piece of fudge last night but it fit into my carbs. Today I was going to get a tall Irish Cream cold brew at Starbucks because I'm dying to try it but it was sold out so Starbucks saved me those carbs....I just got a plain iced coffee with a splash of cream instead.3 -
Little later than usual today, we had one of those messed-up-schedule kinda days here.
1) Stay under the carb goal -
2) eat enuf calories, but not too much -
3) log everything -
4) hit our activity goal every day -
5) workout at least 5x a week -
So that 'log everything' thing... kinda funny, but today I had to look in the MFP food database for 'cat treats' Kinda surprised TBH there were actually afew brands of kitty treats already in the database? Just, not the brand I was eating. 
But, the package listed some nutritional info so I figured out how to add it to the database, and so I got 'everything logged' today!
Hope everyone's had / having a great Thursday! 0 -
I'm going to with Friday as the end of the week since the weekend is where I am most challenged and therefore what I want to think of as "the start" to try and trick my brain into staying more focused and more on-track.
Week 1 was good...I had 1 too low calorie day, but to be fair I was sick and slept most of the day so I can't imagine my calorie needs were much anyway. I had a couple low protein days at the start of the month, but I managed to pull it up and the tail end of the week was better.
I missed 2 workouts instead of just the goal of 1, however, I was also sick so I'm going to cut myself some slack just for this week.
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Day 4 was good for me as well. Got more water plus a Gatorade zero in, fasted 16:8, and buzzed all over the office to keep NEAT up. Overate a bit at dinner but stayed LCHF so that’s a win!1
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The good news is that I stuck to my goal and logged everything for Day 5. The bad news is that I tasted the mini cinnamon buns I was baking 😬
I’ve been baking them in small batches since Tuesday and resisting beautifully, but somehow last night I ended up choosing to taste them. Oh well, logged it as best as I cld and movin on.4
