Lose 5 Pounds a Month- July 2010 Challenge

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  • TCASMEY
    TCASMEY Posts: 1,405 Member
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    Some ideas for people new to weight loss.

    These are ideas I have read in magazines or used in my own weight loss.

    1. If dropping from your current calorie consumption to 1200-1400 (or whatever your calorie goal is) is too daunting, start by dropping around 100 calories from your dinner each night.....at that rate it will take you a little over a month to lose a pound. After you get used to that drop 100 calories from lunch and then from breakfast....now it will take you around 12 days to lose a pound. Keep cutting a bit here and there and soon you will be withing your calorie guidelines.

    2. Don't skip breakfast! Nuf said!

    3. Drink lots of water!

    4. Give up bread products. Most are laden with calories and unless you eat whole wheat not much nutritional value.

    5. Get most of your carbs from vegetables and fruit!

    6. Read nutrition labels! Some packages that look like single servings contain several servings so instead of eating 100 calories it may be several hundred.

    7. Get enough sleep! When you are tired it is very easy to overeat. For me when I am tired I tend to nibble all day and that can really put you over your calorie limit.

    8. IT REALLY IS ABOUT CALORIES. Which is easier not eating a 500 calorie pastry or spending an hour running on the treadmill to burn off that pastry. I love to run but my run will be worth more if I avoid that pastry.

    9. Don't let people think you are selfish for taking time to workout. You are doing it for yourself, you are doing it for your family. You want to be around to see your children graduate, to grow old with the love-of-your-life, to (put in whatever you are dreaming)

    10. Do not deny yourself everything you love. If you cannot give up ice cream for the rest of your life then you need to figure out how to have it in your life and maintain your goals.

    11. Reward yourself for small victories...a new outfit, a manicure, some collectable.....I know the reward should not be food but for me my motivation is 10 pounds and I get to go to Arby's and get some jalepeno poppers:blushing:

    12. DO NOT BEAT YOURSELF UP IF YOU TAKE A WRONG TURN IN THE ROAD! MAKE A U-TURN AND GET RIGHT BACK ON THE RIGHT ROAD. THE LONGER YOU STAY ON THE WRONG ROAD THE LONGER IT TAKES TO GET BACK TO WHERE YOU MADE THE WRONG TURN.

    13. Enjoy yourself. This is your life. Be proud of yourself and what you are accomplishing!

    Please feel free to add your own insights and wisdom to this list.

    Terri
  • Jennplus2
    Jennplus2 Posts: 984 Member
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    Jacque-
    Welcome back! I do eat worse around some people. It is hard when so much junk is around. I get mad at my guy sometimes when he eats a huge bag of chips then goes for my healthy stuff because then I have no fruit left and he then moves on to the crap I wont eat!

    Amanda-
    Yay I'm glad you like the challenge idea!

    I'm going to go shopping today for corn on the cob, pineapple, and portabella mushrooms to put on the BBQ on Sunday, I already have my other veggies I'm going to grill. I have a friend who is coming over and she asked if she could bring a chocolate cake. :grumble: I told her no. :blushing: I said that I have a fruit salad planned and I am going to put whip cream on top. I think she was a little pissed off at me but whatever, I disclosed that I am eating healthy before I asked her to come so she knew what she was in for. If she wants to eat junk food she should go to someone else BBQ. I know that sounds mean, but I am trying really hard to stay on track and I don't need chocolate cake calling my name all day! I'm also doing a watermelon eating contest for the kids and people like me who want to play even tho they are not kids. So we have lots of good yet healthy food.


    I'll post my weigh in once I go buy a scale today!
  • RushinBruisette
    RushinBruisette Posts: 2,109 Member
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    Wow!! Lots of new faces!! Welcome all! :flowerforyou: And thanks Terri for the info!! :flowerforyou:

    I am gonna reweigh in tomorrow for the heck of it! :wink: I will be on and off throughout the weekend via my phone. Monday I having a swimming date with my hubby and two friends. Then Tuesday I'm gonna start Week6 of c25k :noway: Wow, week 6 already!! If anyone has any ideas for next weeks challenge, private message me...I want to make sure it's something everyone has access to and can do at least 5 of (if it happens to be push ups, etc) per day.

    Enjoy your weekend all. Be happy, safe, and healthy!! Rock on all and see ya next week! :drinker:

    :heart: Bru
  • theatremack
    theatremack Posts: 52
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    I'm a day late, but I'm in!!! :happy:

    What a great way to put it that we could lose 30 lbs by Christmas with only losing 5 lbs a month!! That is an achievable goal!! Thanks for breaking it down that way. I was already frustrated that I hadn't lost 2 lbs a week but I would be close to my goal at this rate.

    July 1st: 168
    August 1st 163
  • Jennplus2
    Jennplus2 Posts: 984 Member
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    OMG! I love my new scale! I don't know if it is correct or if the one I have been using is off but I'll take it! And I only paid $1.57! I had a birthday gift card for Target and used that so I totally scored a great scale for cheap. Thanks to my Brother and his wife!

    5/14-143
    6/25-149
    7/2-143.6 :noway: I weighed 2x just be sure!

    I am so happy, If I stay on track I might just fit in my dress for the Bridal Shower after all! Oh I love veggies! And I love all of you!
    It also might have been the jogging I started this week, I have been going everyday and each day I can go a bit longer that the one before. I wonder if the scale at the gym was weighing me heavy, I have to assume the new one is working correct because it is new and digital. I can't get over myself right now! I better start to work or I'll be sorry, but I am beaming from ear to ear!

    Congrats to the losers, keep at it to the ones who didn't lose.
  • girlruns
    girlruns Posts: 344
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    Alright, I'm in!
    7/1/10: 145.8
    8/1/10: 140

    So 5.8 pounds total! When I hit this, I will only have 10 more to go!!! Can't wait to be on this journey with all of you!
  • fivefatcats
    fivefatcats Posts: 368
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    Terri - what wonderful, sound advice - I'm gonna stick a copy to my refrigerator!!

    Jennplus - yay on the new and improved scale!!

    Have a GREAT weekend everyone!!
  • AmandaB4588
    AmandaB4588 Posts: 655
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    Jacque—I hope your mom is doing OK. Sorry she is in and out of the ER, and I am glad she is feeling better now. I think your only option is to cook when you are there because we can’t expect an 81 year old to change her ways! The same thing happens when I visit family. One cousin made an entire dinner of frozen CRAP (pizza rolls, bagel bites, french fries, hot wings, chicken nuggets, etc.) There wasn’t one bit of nutrition in the whole “meal.” It was terrible! My boyfriend and I ate because we didn’t want to be rude, and it actually made us sick. From then on, we have always offered to cook when we visit!

    Jenn—WAY TO GO!!! That weight just fell right off! I am definitely going to start snacking on raw veggies now. I have never been into them much but maybe I will learn to love them. Good job turning down the chocolate cake! Fruit salad with whip cream sounds delicious! It sounds like you have a really fun weekend ahead. I hope you have a blast!

    Bru—Kick butt on Week 6! Please tell us all about it so I can know what to expect. Week 4 kicked my butt yesterday and probably will again tomorrow!

    Terri—I LOVE that advice!! Especially the part about the poppers! :laugh: I love those things!
  • jheller
    jheller Posts: 194
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    5lbs is what I'm averaging no matter how hard I try to lose more. I started in December and have lost 32 lbs to date - April was a bad month and threw off my average but I'm hoping I can keep it up and have the next 30 off by New Year's Eve.

    Good luck everyone!!
  • 55tolose
    55tolose Posts: 510 Member
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    Today I am still the same 172.8 : ) no weight gain after going to the movies to see eclipse on the 30th so yay : ) lol

    My reward to myself once i hit my goal weight of 120 is a brand new wardrobe at 5 pounds a month i should be there by the end of may wich is the same month of my birthday! so that will be my two week late birthday present/ weight loss reward.
    Thanks everyone so much for the advice and support im glad i joined
  • sandraq77
    sandraq77 Posts: 3
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    I lost my first pound! YAY!!! I know a pound is not much at all and i can gain it back very easy, but im so excited! I have to thank my co-worker for telling me about this website, i love it. Im so lucky to have found this group, u gals sound awesome! It's a great support group.

    Jennplus2 - Thanks so much for the tips! I love veggies, i just dont eat enough of them, but raw veggies to snack throughout the day is a great idea. I like to add lime juice to my veggies, yummy, this way i wont be tempted to add dressing. Hopefully this will help me maintain my calorie count for dinner. Looking at my daily food journal i can tell that's where im over eating and consumming most of my calories. I have been doing a great job keeping my carbs on check. Im also gonna try oatmeal for breakfast, good idea.

    Oh yeah, and excellent job turning down that choloate cake.

    Bru- great idea going on a swimming date. Im gonna try a gym date with my hubby. We haven't set foot in a gym since July 2009. I think its time! LOL.

    Terri - Thank u sooo much for taking the time to put that list together, fantastic tips! Makes perfect sense, lowering calorie intake little by little, so if i go over by a bit, i wont freak out.

    fivefatcats - love ur picture! My goal is to join my neighborhood running club, hopefully this fall.

    Ladies, this weekend will be tough, 4th of July bbq, ugh! We can do it! Im gonna drink lots of water and eat plenty of veggies before i serve my plate.
  • OnMyWeigh
    OnMyWeigh Posts: 252 Member
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    Hey my LOSER friends!!

    I am going to be super busy this weekend....aren't we all, but I wanted to check in one last time before the festivities begin. Planning on lots of fruits and veggies to fill me so I don't eat CRAP and doing some intensive exercising (playing with the kids!!) I'm gonna show this holiday weekend who is boss. I'm looking forward to seeing how everyone did come Monday!Have a safe one everyone!
  • ifychudy
    ifychudy Posts: 210 Member
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    I am definitely in for this month challenge. My weight on July 1st was 226. Goal of 10lb loss for July. Weigh in on Mondays. Welcome on board newbies, you will enjoy this group

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    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Weight Loss Tools
  • joanewright
    joanewright Posts: 50
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    I weighed today and i was down to 185.5!! That's 1.5 pounds from two days ago. I know weight fluctuates, but I'm on a downhill spiral, so i'm excited. I ate out yesterday with friends at a Russian place. I was proud of myself for not eating the dessert they ordered and shared. It looked really good, but it wasn't that hard to just leave it alone.

    I hope I can do really good this weekend. i am going to a Styx, Foreigner, and Kansas concert tomorrow night, and the 4th on Sunday, so i'm really going to be aware of what I am eating.
  • TCASMEY
    TCASMEY Posts: 1,405 Member
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    Good evening everyone!

    Just wanted to check in to say I won't be checking in for a few days.. We are leaving for Oregon at 4:30 am and not sure about computer use at my father-in-laws. We are going to the coast on Tuesday so I hope the hotel has wi-fi. My daughter is bringing her notepad so I may have to beat her to use it and check and see how everyone is doing.

    This vacation has me nervous about making good choices....mainly because they are hard to find. We have not been there in a few years so maybe they have changed their ways and started making healthier foods.

    On a side note.....I packed for myself and 3 children in the time it took my husband to pack for himself....plus I stopped to help him buzz his hair! I love him dearly but sometimes I just don't understand! Plus I put away the weeks worth of laundry while he took the dog to the kennel. Oh and did I mention I had to take the youngest to ER last night. He fell asleep earlier and then woke up with such a headache he was crying. I was worried about a concussion (stupid skateboards and ripsticks)
    Just a virus.....sometimes I don't know if that diagnosis helps ease my worries.

    Anyway

    Have an awesome 4th of July. Remember to thank a vet or current service person for the freedoms we enjoy!

    God Bless!

    Terri
  • snowangel1975
    snowangel1975 Posts: 58
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    I'm in!!
    SW 183. July 2nd
    GW178. Aug 2nd

    So how do we keep track of everyones progress? Do we weight in together in Aug and post it on here?
  • TCASMEY
    TCASMEY Posts: 1,405 Member
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    I'm in!!
    SW 183. July 2nd
    GW178. Aug 2nd

    So how do we keep track of everyones progress? Do we weight in together in Aug and post it on here?

    We are pretty informal. We check-in once a week on our own weigh date. Don't change that for us. Just keep us informed of your triumphs so we can cheer you on and your struggles so we can offer support and cheer you on!

    God bless!

    Terri
  • ATJune
    ATJune Posts: 89 Member
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    i am in!!!
    july 1- 154lbs
    august 1- 145lbs!
  • rjadams
    rjadams Posts: 4,060 Member
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    Terri - have a great trip. You are lucky we are supposed to have decent weather all next week. ( I am a little north of Oregon but it is really all the same)

    I am so happy its Friday. Wine and peace and no worries!!! aaaaah life is good.
  • fromPuertoRico
    fromPuertoRico Posts: 21
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    232.0 pounds !

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