Challenge: Carry the weight you've lost for an hour.

MDF247

I have a 27 lb dumbbell that I use for workouts. I realized yesterday that I have lost exactly that much since I started dropping pounds. For that, I say, HOORAH!

So, I let everyone in the family lift it and feel for themselves how much it really is. Surprising really, how much extra we carry around and become accustomed to.

I'd like to challenge you, if it's possible for you to do without injury, to carry around the amount of weight you've lost for an hour, in whatever form is convenient... a barbell, a bag of flour, a box of books, whatever. For me, it's a HUGE motivation to not want to carry that around on me EVER again.

If nothing else, sit down with the weight on your lap... it'll make an impression!

P.S. I started my ticker after I had already lost a bit of weight. I still have a ways to go.

edstreiff

I have lost 50lbs+ at this point and yesterday as I was at the hardware store I looked at a 50lbs bag of rock salt. Curious I picked it up and was blown away by heavy it was.

Hard to believe that 6 months ago a bag as heavy as that was on my body 24/7

Keep up the good work

Changeisachoice

I change out the water cooler jug at my office and am amazed that I have lost almost twice the amount that the jug weighs. Hard to belive that i carried that much extra weight around all these years!

mochapygmy

Great idea OP!

MDF247

I have lost 50lbs+ at this point and yesterday as I was at the hardware store I looked at a 50lbs bag of rock salt. Curious I picked it up and was blown away by heavy it was.

Hard to believe that 6 months ago a bag as heavy as that was on my body 24/7

Keep up the good work

I went on a hike in the fall and was really struggling to get up and down the hills. I told my friend I was with it was because I was wearing a 50 lb pack. He looked at me odd since it wasn't "visible".

lavaughan69

Well as I struggled to curl a 25lbs weight on the weekend I'm pretty sure there is no way I'll be able to lug around 46lbs for an hour! It would be a great challenge though!

dschassie

I picked up a 100 pound barbell at the gym and tried lifting it...and to think that extra weight used to be on me from fingertips to toes! How did I walk and not waddle back then?

MDF247

I picked up a 100 pound barbell at the gym and tried lifting it...and to think that extra weight used to be on me from fingertips to toes! How did I walk and not waddle back then?

It's amazing, isn't it? For all the grief overweight people get, you have to be pretty crazy strong to tote around all that extra.

accokeekjudi

A fabulous reminder indeed . . . thanks for the suggestion . . . I am going to do that with every pound I loose.

lizzardsm

Brilliant! Great job on your losses sofar!

seltzermint555

in total, I've lost 113 lb. I can't lift 113 lb.

mamagirl49

I went to the grocery store and had my son snap a photo of me with two ten pound bags of potatoes to celebrate the 20 # mark. I'm gonna need another bag of taters here very soon!

BarbellBlondieRuns

Not happening!!! I'm strong but not THAT strong.

captmiddy

Picking up a weight really wouldn't be proper as your weight on your body is distributed, also for people like me who have dropped 100lbs a good portion of that was lean body mass as well which means I am no where near as strong as I once was. But I have thought about it and how I could put a body pack on that would distribute the weight a little on my upper body and allow me to tote around 100lbs to remind me NEVER to go back.

Cathalain

Yikes. Carrying around 111 pounds for an hour? I'd be lucky to carry that for five minutes!

Your point is well taken, though. It's amazing that I was able to function on a daily basis with all of that extra weight. Crazy.

meganjcallaghan

I don't need the chiropractic bill

linluvsbirda1

Well congrats to you all for your success!

GracieGag

I love your idea!

deaddawn

Although I'm quite overweight, I'm pretty strong. I recently carried my 65 lb sleeping child two short blocks and into a parking garage while holding the other's hand. Whenever I pick up either of my children and carry them upstairs or into the house while they are asleep, I'm reminded that if I lost the weight I would not be carrying an invisible child around everywhere I go.

I think I get the best "feel" for it when I put them on my shoulders so they can see something over a crowd. The weight is over my feet that way.

So far I've lost a milk jug. Whenever I unload the groceries I remember.

MDF247

I love it! Losing milk jugs, sacks of taters, and invisible children!

cwolfman13

I do this a couple of times per week. I have 40 lbs worth of bricks that I carry around in my ruck on my hour long lunch walks. It's heavy.

sophayz

that would be hard! carrying around 85 + lbs i don't know how i managed to do such a thing

RawCarrots

My goal when I started on MFP was to lose the amount of weight my toddler weighs. I've done it, and a bit more, and every time I lift him up now is a reminder of how far I've come. I will struggle carrying him around for an hour though

Althin

Great post! I haven't lost much yet (compared to what I have to go) but yesterday as I carried in a 15 pound bag of dogfood, it hit me that just recently, I had been lugging that same amount of extra "me" around before starting to care more about my health. Makes me focus on the good job done so far and not only on what I have to go.

THANK YOU for the great reminder!

thesupremeforce

Hmmm... What do I have around the house that might work for this?

MDF247

Hmmm... What do I have around the house that might work for this?

Do you have a 6th grade child handy?

tm82001

I have lost 35 pounds (I lost two before staring mfp). I was carrying a 40 pound bag of cat litter into the house yesterday and was shocked how heavy it was. Wow...how was I lugging an extra 35 pounds around for so long?

ylmitch

That's awesome words of encouragement and a great challenge.

tapirfrog

That's a sack of dog food. I ... I seriously don't think I could pick one up right now without hurting myself, considering all the other injuries I'm recovering from.

No wonder I hurt all the time when I had that weight on me. Now maybe I can start recovering from the other injuries!

MDF247

Let me reiterate, PLEASE no one hurt themselves! I was just making a point.

claudineer

Great idea. Will try. Than you.