No-Nonsense November 2020 Challenge
baconslave
Posts: 7,018 Member
There's a statistic that goes around: something like 25% of people will gain weight between Halloween and New Year's. It's Holiday season. We're busy with work, school, get-togethers, and shopping. Or we used to be in the Before Times. 
2020 or no, we all have a lot on us! It's easy to just say to heck with it and cave. And wake up on New Year's Day and looking in the mirror, unhappy with what extra weight we've gained. It happens to the best of us.
During my first LCHF holiday, I checked the weight chart, and I had lost 13lb (almost 6kg) between Oct 31st and my birthday (New Year's Day.) It's possible to not only NOT gain but to LOSE weight during the holiday season.
Planning ahead and keeping an eye on the basics are two of the most important focal points if we want to keep on the up and up in the face of all the junk, goodies, and other nonsense rampant this type of year.
Some people choose to handle this time of year completely on-plan, supplementing low-carb recipes for all our bad-ol' favorites.
What I've done in the past is to pick 1 or 2 events that were most important. For me it was Christmas Eve and New Year's Day (my birthday). I enjoyed those celebrations. Once the day was over, the indulgence was OVER. I brought home no leftovers to continue the nonsense. I picked specific things I was going to have, not ALL THE FOODS. I told myself that at bedtime, the day was over and when I woke in the morning, it was back to the routine. The rest of the days during that period, I planned ahead to stay on-plan. For those other events I didn't select, I either ate before-hand, or brought on-plan dishes to them. The 1st year, I lost 13lb between Halloween and New Year's. The 2nd year, I was very close to goal and lost the 2lb needed to reach my goal weight.
This year, my goal is to continue working on the Quarantine 15. 2020 is bananas!
And while you may not be going to get togethers, there will still be in-home nonsense to navigate. We can make it work. Together we'll figure this out.
But this challenge is also about monitoring our plan Basics. Focusing on nailing the Basics is what makes the difference.
Consistency + Persistence + Time = Success
Any low-carb plan is welcome. Just post your monthly goals and beginning weight (if you are just planning to maintain through the month, like me, that's cool, too) and check-in daily or weekly with how well you did. Alternately, if you are focusing on keeping to fitness goals instead, that's certainly welcome. After all, this is YOUR challenge.
The Basics:
Staying under carbs
Staying under calories
Logging and measuring
Getting in exercise/movement if that's one of your goals
Keeping an eye on electrolyte levels
Getting enough water
Planning ahead
Share recipes, problems, thoughts.
Fight back against all the NONSENSE life throws at us this time of year. Especially this year!
Let's do this.
2020 or no, we all have a lot on us! It's easy to just say to heck with it and cave. And wake up on New Year's Day and looking in the mirror, unhappy with what extra weight we've gained. It happens to the best of us.During my first LCHF holiday, I checked the weight chart, and I had lost 13lb (almost 6kg) between Oct 31st and my birthday (New Year's Day.) It's possible to not only NOT gain but to LOSE weight during the holiday season.
Planning ahead and keeping an eye on the basics are two of the most important focal points if we want to keep on the up and up in the face of all the junk, goodies, and other nonsense rampant this type of year.
Some people choose to handle this time of year completely on-plan, supplementing low-carb recipes for all our bad-ol' favorites.
What I've done in the past is to pick 1 or 2 events that were most important. For me it was Christmas Eve and New Year's Day (my birthday). I enjoyed those celebrations. Once the day was over, the indulgence was OVER. I brought home no leftovers to continue the nonsense. I picked specific things I was going to have, not ALL THE FOODS. I told myself that at bedtime, the day was over and when I woke in the morning, it was back to the routine. The rest of the days during that period, I planned ahead to stay on-plan. For those other events I didn't select, I either ate before-hand, or brought on-plan dishes to them. The 1st year, I lost 13lb between Halloween and New Year's. The 2nd year, I was very close to goal and lost the 2lb needed to reach my goal weight.
This year, my goal is to continue working on the Quarantine 15. 2020 is bananas!
And while you may not be going to get togethers, there will still be in-home nonsense to navigate. We can make it work. Together we'll figure this out.But this challenge is also about monitoring our plan Basics. Focusing on nailing the Basics is what makes the difference.
Consistency + Persistence + Time = Success
Any low-carb plan is welcome. Just post your monthly goals and beginning weight (if you are just planning to maintain through the month, like me, that's cool, too) and check-in daily or weekly with how well you did. Alternately, if you are focusing on keeping to fitness goals instead, that's certainly welcome. After all, this is YOUR challenge.
The Basics:
Staying under carbs
Staying under calories
Logging and measuring
Getting in exercise/movement if that's one of your goals
Keeping an eye on electrolyte levels
Getting enough water
Planning ahead
Share recipes, problems, thoughts.
Fight back against all the NONSENSE life throws at us this time of year. Especially this year!
Let's do this.
9
Replies
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In!
Okay, little preamble for those who don't know me from Gen Pop - I've been around MFP for nearly six years
, lost my weight (I think originally 13kg?) that year, then did the winter gain, lose it again routine for the next couple of years (always within healthy weight range), was fit, slim, healthy (or so I thought), and then...early 2018 I had what is technically a relapse of ME/CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome). And let's just say going from highly active to not at all, plus comfort eating and just getting the easiest, least energy expenditure option for dinner a lot (this would be pizza), is not good for the waistline. So, 30kgs later...I've always been within the low carb 'range' when in weight loss mode, averaging around 100g, this time it just wasn't cutting it. The hunger was real, and frustrating in a wanting to cry and throw things way. I tried increasing fibre to no avail, so figured the next thing to try was cutting carbs further. And here I am...
So, November goals! The whole holiday season thing isn't really an issue for me (NZ, so Halloween and Thanksgiving aren't a thing), so it's just the basics, really:- Stay under 50g net carbs (arbitrary number I plucked out of thin air)
- Stay under calories
- Log every day (with my usual ridiculous precision)
- Walk every day (this comes with the caveat that if I have a flare and genuinely need to rest, I do)
- Weigh daily (skipping weighing and/or logging are the slippery slope for me, always)
- Keep up with electrolytes
- Continue to optimise nutrition (I'm on a kick to try to get at least 100% of my essential micronutrients from food)
- Keep fats in check (they're crept up a bit because I've been munching on sunflower seeds to hit micros )
- Try at least two new recipes (I am shocking for eating the same things on repeat, which doesn't actually bother me, but I think it's good to mix it up) - if you have any vegetarian, decent protein content (~30g) recipes around the 10g net carb area max, lemme know!
- Oh, protein 100g minimum
- Get my container garden set up and growing!
That seems like enough 5 -
Hello fitness pals!
November for me looks like this:
1. Add another 1200 steps per day, up to 1.5 miles.
2. Weigh in/measure body weekly on Saturday mornings. Haven't done this in three years...when I started down the slippery slope of unrelenting relapse. I used to weigh daily and I will again, but for starters, once a week is good.
3. Reintroduce food plan. I like a very simple repetitive plan, and have stocked up on food packets and supplements and drinks which are hopefully going to bring me back to a solid keto range with the least amount of temptation. Keto is my happy place.
4. Non-food Reward for every 3 lbs lost; some of which I already have in-house for inspiration.
I'm very psyched for this month, and hopeful that I am ready to stand up to my food beast/eating disordered self after all this time. I know I have it in me to do this again.
Let the games begin...6 -
@Nony_Mouse if you haven't already, you might want to try Black Soybeans. Use them in about any recipe you'd use legumes. 1/2 cup has 11 grams of protein and 1 net carb with 8 total and 7 fiber. Eden brand (canned) is the only brand I'm familiar with in the USA.2
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@Nony_Mouse if you haven't already, you might want to try Black Soybeans. Use them in about any recipe you'd use legumes. 1/2 cup has 11 grams of protein and 1 net carb with 8 total and 7 fiber. Eden brand (canned) is the only brand I'm familiar with in the USA.
I love Eden black soybeans, but they cost a fortune here in western Canada, $3.50 or more a can. Haha, I buy them when I'm feeling rich.
As for me, I'm trying again (seems like every day, lol). Originally in mid Nov 2013 I got serious and lost 35 lbs by the end of Feb 2014. Maintained for quite a few years easily until stress (elderly parents with dementia and my own autoimmune diseases) helped me slowly gain to 10 lbs above my happy place. This past 9 months I've upped even more - another 15.
I had to buy new clothes.
I am back to texting with a coach/friend for support. That might help. It's just been so easy to throw up my hands and say, 'who cares anymore.'
Anyhow here I am again currently at 161.4 lbs (actually 2.4 under my highest since the original loss)
Working my way back to 132-135 happy range....
Best wishes for power and inspiration to us all!!
5 -
[Nonsense] There I added some nonsense.3
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@Nony_Mouse if you haven't already, you might want to try Black Soybeans. Use them in about any recipe you'd use legumes. 1/2 cup has 11 grams of protein and 1 net carb with 8 total and 7 fiber. Eden brand (canned) is the only brand I'm familiar with in the USA.
@kpk54 sadly it would appear that black soybeans aren't a thing in New Zealand
They'd have been perfect. I can probably do something with edamame though. I'd confined them to the back of the freezer because my go-to stirfry with those came out fairly hefty on carbs (40 net). But I can get creative. 1 -
November goals for me:
Food:
100g net carbs per day - mine have been creeping up lately, so time to clamp a lid on that
125g protein minimum per day
No evening snacking
Exercise:
Cardio of some form (bike/eliptical/walking/etc) at least 3 days per week
Strength at least 2 times per week
Minimum 7500 steps per day
Active weekends
Weight:
Lose at least 5 lbs for the month2 -
1
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Nony_Mouse wrote: »In!
Okay, little preamble for those who don't know me from Gen Pop - I've been around MFP for nearly six years , lost my weight (I think originally 13kg?) that year, then did the winter gain, lose it again routine for the next couple of years (always within healthy weight range), was fit, slim, healthy (or so I thought), and then...early 2018 I had what is technically a relapse of ME/CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome). And let's just say going from highly active to not at all, plus comfort eating and just getting the easiest, least energy expenditure option for dinner a lot (this would be pizza), is not good for the waistline. So, 30kgs later...I've always been within the low carb 'range' when in weight loss mode, averaging around 100g, this time it just wasn't cutting it. The hunger was real, and frustrating in a wanting to cry and throw things way. I tried increasing fibre to no avail, so figured the next thing to try was cutting carbs further. And here I am...
So, November goals! The whole holiday season thing isn't really an issue for me (NZ, so Halloween and Thanksgiving aren't a thing), so it's just the basics, really:- Stay under 50g net carbs (arbitrary number I plucked out of thin air)
- Stay under calories
- Log every day (with my usual ridiculous precision)
- Walk every day (this comes with the caveat that if I have a flare and genuinely need to rest, I do)
- Weigh daily (skipping weighing and/or logging are the slippery slope for me, always)
- Keep up with electrolytes
- Continue to optimise nutrition (I'm on a kick to try to get at least 100% of my essential micronutrients from food)
- Keep fats in check (they're crept up a bit because I've been munching on sunflower seeds to hit micros )
- Try at least two new recipes (I am shocking for eating the same things on repeat, which doesn't actually bother me, but I think it's good to mix it up) - if you have any vegetarian, decent protein content (~30g) recipes around the 10g net carb area max, lemme know!
- Oh, protein 100g minimum
- Get my container garden set up and growing!
That seems like enough
Lots of goals but all good ones!
So sorry to hear about the CF relapse. I suffer from intermittent Chronic Fatigue and have Sjogren's. After getting mono at 19, I'm always more tired than a human should be. Losing weight helped. But it's still awful to never have any gas in the tank. Even my bigger flares are only moderate. I can't imagine how debilitating a severe flare would be. I've only had a few short experiences there. Trying to live life through molasses is how I describe my experience. If that makes any sense. Everything becomes exhausting.
Anyway, I am a creature of habit myself and am also mainly content eating the same things all the time.
Glad to have you!2 -
canadjineh wrote: »Best wishes for power and inspiration to us all!!
YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!
And also, The Quarantine 15, we hates it! 1 -
For me. So...Most of you know bits and pieces of me, but I'll do a quick recap as Nony probably doesn't know me as I mostly just keep my head down in the MF.
I started keto for the second time June 1 of 2014. The first time I just counted carbs, following prevailing advice, and that got me nowhere. So I discovered r/Keto over on Reddit and knew I needed MFP to count the calories. Over the next 1.5 years, I lost 100lb. But toward the end, I began to develop Sjogren's and my Sjo experience did not mesh with ketosis! Dry body disease plus a diet that keeps water off me too well...that just made dry eye and dry mouth episodes a living hell. So I had to just go low carb. After that, I would yo-yo up from maintenance about 10 or 15 pounds, get tired of that and then get back down. The last time I had to do that, I decided NO MORE.
I was doing really well, too. Due to an elderly father, we've been quarantining for real since March. We've had a couple camping trips but that is it. I was doing really well for the first few months. Then things just kept adding to 2020 Bingo. My country became a dumpster fire. Very upsetting to me. So I got up about 15 from my mostly-comfort zone in the Before Times. Last month I only lost about half a pound.
I've always been a huge proponent of "Who ever gets to eat the most but still lose weight wins." But I'm not losing and so I need to tweak things a bit. Part of the problem is my dear spouse, who is the grandest of all Grand Saboteurs. He is the king of disruption. So weekends become a s---show.
So, after all that blah blah blah, goals:- Militantly resist the hubby-induced disruptions more often.
- Diligently count every morsel 6 days a week.
- Getting my exercise (not an issue) but making sure I at least get over sedentary steps on strength days. Maybe add a workout session on one day during the weekend.
- Try not to lose my mind.
5 -
Hey guys! So any of you interested in Black Soybeans it’s called Kuromame in Japanese and you can probably find the dry version at any Asian supermarkets. It’s nothing special.
And as for November, it’s my birthday month so I’m going to enjoy on those special days including my fiancé’s birthday, his sisters, mine and thanksgiving!
But I will stick to healthy eating and exercise.
Going for a perfect active days for November 💪🏼
4 -
Thanks for continuing to do these challenges @baconslave!
Main goals for November will be to eat on plan and to continue training for my half marathon on Thanksgiving. Toning up/clothes fitting better will be a bonus!3 -
November goals
Log food every day, keeping total carbs under 60
Strength training twice a week
40,000 steps per week
Lose 3 lbs.
SW today 175.5
GW 11/30 172.5
Not a goal but aiming to improve lunch planning/food prep 😁
3 -
My November Goals:
Food:
Stay under my calorie goal every day (of course, track every.single.thing)
<60g net carbs per day
No evening snacking
Exercise:
Weight lifting at least 2 days per week
Core exercises at least 2 days per week
Minimum 10k steps per day
Weight Goal: 8 lbs in Nov.
Weight at 175 on Christmas Day 2020
SW today 190.9
GW (11/30) 182.92 -
Happy November 1st everyone!
1. Food as per logged.
2. 5 mile training run plus another 6 miles walked sightseeing with our visitors.2 -
Okay, two days in for me. What did I say I was going to do again?
Check mark on most everything. Today was mucky, which is reflected in my diary - fat is a little higher than I'd like, and didn't hit all my essential micros (tracked elsewhere). Not in the mood to stand in the kitchen munching on mushrooms and spinach to get there either (technically I'm fine, thanks to supplements, but I'm trying to get all of them from actual food, it's harder than you think!).
Missed my walk today due to the aforementioned mucky/messy day, but I lugged midden samples back and forth between my lab and storage container, plus general busyness, so I'm giving myself a pass on that one.
Got a jump on new recipes and made cheesy stuffed red peppers on the 31st (photo in the foodie thread).
And emptied some fish bins (plastic storage tubs) while I was shuttling midden as step one of creating container garden.4 -
Nony_Mouse wrote: »Okay, two days in for me. What did I say I was going to do again?
Check mark on most everything. Today was mucky, which is reflected in my diary - fat is a little higher than I'd like, and didn't hit all my essential micros (tracked elsewhere). Not in the mood to stand in the kitchen munching on mushrooms and spinach to get there either (technically I'm fine, thanks to supplements, but I'm trying to get all of them from actual food, it's harder than you think!).
Missed my walk today due to the aforementioned mucky/messy day, but I lugged midden samples back and forth between my lab and storage container, plus general busyness, so I'm giving myself a pass on that one.
Got a jump on new recipes and made cheesy stuffed red peppers on the 31st (photo in the foodie thread).
And emptied some fish bins (plastic storage tubs) while I was shuttling midden as step one of creating container garden.
Yeah. We get mucky mess days for sure. Tomorrow is our Election Day. I have no idea how long I'll be standing in line for that business. I'll just have to assume the afternoon will be a wash, and I'll have to either try to squeeze my workout in after supper, when I'll be pretty tired, or just do without. Life happens.3 -
Just dropping this in here.
For Nov:
SW: 177.6
GW: whatever I can get rid of
I've got 10.6lb of the Quarantine 15 left. Hopefully I'll be able to start chipping away at some of the nonsense to speed this slow slog up a little. I got rid of booze, but clearly that wasn't enough to make the scale move faster. Onward!
I'm going to be a wreck until the Election results finally come in whenever that is. This year has been a whole mess of "you can't make this *kitten* up!" Not over yet.
I watched this comedy special on Netflix with hubby yesterday where it turned out there were people in a back room planning all the awful crap that was going to happen from now until 2028. And after naming some of the things (that sound suspiciously familiar) the devil pops up and says, "No. Put it all in 2020!" Yup. Bout right.
I need to walk to day but it's supposed to be like 40F (4ish Celsius or so) and I'm not interested in getting Ghost Fingers and Toes (Raynaud's Phenom...yay ) so I may just do a walk video inside even though it is sunny. We'll see how breezy it is this afternoon.
I'm off to snoop around all my haunts and then doom-scroll while fussing at kids to do their school.
Have a great day, y'all.5 -
My November Goals are ....Pre-log my food daily , Meal Prep 1x a week, Exercise 6x a week , drink 120 oz. of water daily.... and no eating after 8pm ...I would like to lose 10 lbs this month but I will be happy with any losses this month
4 -
11/1:
Food - protein was good, carbs were a little high, overall calories were good.
Exercise - weekend day so no deliberate exercise, but did stay active putting up the Halloween decorations, cleaning out a bunch of stuff from the attic, putting up Thanksgiving decorations and cleaning up the garage (a busy day!).
Only problem with the super busy day is that I tweaked something in my lower back so I haven't done any exercise today. Will have to see how the back feels tomorrow to see if I can start exercising again.4 -
I’m in for November after a less than stellar weekend. Goals will be:
1. continue to focus on reducing after dinner snacking
2. Reduce carb consumption and increase protein- I’ve been on a bender for some reason
3. Cut back on alcohol- I don’t drink often but lately the weekends are adding up to making poor decisions
I’ve decided to stay off the scale because of weight lifting and I struggle wrapping my head around being okay with an increase. I’ll go by how my clothes fit for now and push numbers out of my head.5 -
1. Food on point
2. 6 mile training run plus another 7 miles walked at work.
Trying to figure out fitting in voting, training run, plus taking my daughter down to Mayo Clinic (about an hour away) for a couple of appointments tomorrow. It might be a very early morning....2 -
11/2
Snacking after dinner 😁 had a couple of nibbles midday but realized I was just bored and stopped. Evenings are my bigger trigger time.
Carbs/protein 😀 tried to stay mostly carnivore today so did well in both categories and had a deficit for calories.
Alcohol- really only have drinks on the weekend so I likely will only report at that time.3 -
3 Nov.
Carbs and cals fine, fats a little higher and protein a little lower than I'd ultimately like, but both acceptable. B3 and zinc continue to be my nemeses on micros, joys of being vegetarian (B3 is actually easily sorted with mushrooms, I just need to get some more nice fresh ones). No walk again today, bit tired from yesterday's busyness, and work activity, plus pacing up and down my hallway while dinner was in the oven, was it. Tomorrow work will be a sitting on my butt day, so more likelihood I will have energy for a walk.3 -
Nov 2
All Goals met. ✅ I even stayed UNDER on my (lowered) carb goal! I'm happy. Purchased my new treadmill yesterday so cold, wet, dreary days won't hold me back!
11,214 steps.6 -
11/2:
logged and on=plan:
exercise: I took the walk, which I immediately regretted for about the first 7 minutes as I adjusted to the chill breeze. My toes were numb until about 2/3 the way through but they finally stopped throwing a fit.
Today is The Day. I do hope a bunch of people go early. Eldest's classes aren't over until 1:30. This is going to be super weird for me as I haven't voted on Election Day in years. I always early vote and that is at a different place. And a place where I played basketball away games in high school.4 -
baconslave wrote: »11/2:
logged and on=plan:
exercise: I took the walk, which I immediately regretted for about the first 7 minutes as I adjusted to the chill breeze. My toes were numb until about 2/3 the way through but they finally stopped throwing a fit.
Today is The Day. I do hope a bunch of people go early. Eldest's classes aren't over until 1:30. This is going to be super weird for me as I haven't voted on Election Day in years. I always early vote and that is at a different place. And a place where I played basketball away games in high school.
Sorry. Meant to say today's place is a place where I played b-ball games. Some of you know this cuz I whined before but due to changes they made, group mods can't edit their own posts any more inside their Group. It's weird. So there will be typos, since I generally post in here before I've finished my first cuppa. My brain isn't awake completely yet.4 -
I have a bad habit of typing long, heartfelt messages and promptly hitting Done. Ah wells. I'm here. If I'm nothing else, I'm persistent even when boggling my weight and food and logging. I keep.coming back lol.
SW 240
CW 212
GW Under 200 to start.
I'm full of gratitude for you who've never giving up on me, when I've given up on this. Thank you.5 -
Oh hey, my goals are simply:
1. Log everything, everyday.
2. Stay at or under calories.3
