1. Be retrospective like Carol : talk to your team about a fire in your life or smoke you saw that "consumed" you and made you rise like a phoenix from the ashes in a new direction, especially if this story relates to health and fitness like a sport's injury or regaining weight you had lost.

About a year ago at this time I started to have really bad knee pain and it contiuned for about 3 months(until I could get into see a orthopedist). Well come to find out the muscles around my knee had atrophied, due to a motorcycle accident many years ago. As a result my patella was coming out of place whenever I would try to bend, etc. After doing my sessions of therapy I really wasn't seeing or feeling much change. I would continue to workout and just suffer. But then after starting this challenge I have felt more relief than i could have imagined. I realized that I wasn't pushing myself enough to make myself better. I'm a small person and not overweight, but people laugh when I tell them that I'm doing this challenge. I realized that doing a fitness challenge is more than trying to loose weight it's about learning better habits, to eat better to get into a workout routine and most importantly to push yourself. Everyone is capable of doing it you just have to believe and push yourself. It may have only been a few weeks but I have to say this has changed my life and I hope to continue doing other challenges and push myself.

2. Be determined and optimistic like Daryl and encourage someone in your own life who is experiencing difficulties in reaching their goals or is having similar setbacks.

I WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO EVERYONE IN MY GROUP THAT YOU ALL ARE SO AMAZING! I LOVE READING EVERYONES STORIES AND HEARING ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCES. YOU ALL ARE DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB AND KEEP IT UP. I HOPE THAT I CAN HELP ENCOURAGE YOU ALL MORE, I'M NEW TO POSTING ALOT AND LIFE KEEPS ME A LITTLE BUSY, BUT IF YOU EVERY NEED ENCOURAGMENT OR JUST SOMEONE TO TALK TO I'M HERE AND I WILL DO WHATEVER I CAN TO HELP YOU. I HOPE THAT I CAN BE MORE OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO THIS TEAM.

1. Be retrospective like Carol : talk to your team about a fire in your life or smoke you saw that "consumed" you and made you rise like a phoenix from the ashes in a new direction, especially if this story relates to health and fitness like a sport's injury or regaining weight you had lost.

I don’t have an injury to blame for my weight issues. I have myself to blame. I guess in a way I could say my obesity is a fire that consumes me. It keeps me from doing so many things that I once loved and enjoyed, still would love and enjoy it I were able. It has caused me health problems as well. However, MFP has helped me start to extinguish the fire I suppose. I’m working to become a healthier person. A person that can enjoy the things I so dearly miss. Maybe when this is all over and I reach my goal weight I will truly feel like a phoenix rising from the ashes of fat that no longer hold me back from being who I want to be!


2. Be determined and optimistic like Daryl and encourage someone in your own life who is experiencing difficulties in reaching their goals or is having similar setbacks.

As I said last week, my husband is struggling terribly with his weight loss right now. He texted me just an hour ago and said he is ready to quit because he isn’t seeing results as he did in the beginning. I refuse to let him quit. I told him that the weight loss cycles, at least it did for me. I reminded him of how I went 3 weeks without losing weight, and then I lost almost 10lbs in one week. I reminded him of how well he has done so far (60+ loss in 88 days) and told him I’m proud of him. He won’t give up because I won’t let him. We are in this together and we are going to stick to it until the end because I KNOW we will both be much happier WHEN we make it!

1. Be retrospective like Carol : talk to your team about a fire in your life or smoke you saw that "consumed" you and made you rise like a phoenix from the ashes in a new direction, especially if this story relates to health and fitness like a sport's injury or regaining weight you had lost.

I've always been so hung up with the number on the scale (I still am, to a degree), but I've started realizing that just because I'm not 135# doesn't mean I don't look good. This weekend my youngest told me, right outta the blue, 'wow, mom, you're looking very slim these days'. I really haven't lost any weight, not even with this challenge. But my strenght minutes are crazy and it's true....a pound of muscle looks so much better than a pound of fat!

2. Be determined and optimistic like Daryl and encourage someone in your own life who is experiencing difficulties in reaching their goals or is having similar setbacks.

With winter upon us, it's really hard to keep up a fitness routine (and easy to cover up in bulky sweaters!) I encouraged a friend in another challenge I'm part of to hang in there and keep her eyes on the prize. I reminded her why any of us really participate in challenges anyway - to be accountable. I promised I would hold her accountible....and I will!

1. Be retrospective like Carol : talk to your team about a fire in your life or smoke you saw that "consumed" you and made you rise like a phoenix from the ashes in a new direction, especially if this story relates to health and fitness like a sport's injury or regaining weight you had lost.
I too agree with @maphammonds! I have always been about the scale and never realized muscle ways too since I never really did strength training. I try not to obsess too much about weight in front of my daughter because even though she is only three she is a sponge and soaks it all in. I am always stressing in front of her about being healthy. The other day while on vacation I put my bathing suit on and she said "mommy you look so healthy!" I almost died laughing but it is true it is more about being healthy and around for her than looking good. And that is me starting over for the last time with my weight! It has been a battle my whole life and after having yo-yod back and forth one too many times. This time i mean business!

2. Be determined and optimistic like Daryl and encourage someone in your own life who is experiencing difficulties in reaching their goals or is having similar setbacks.
So two years ago when I did weight watchers I dragged my mom on that journey and she lost a lot of weight with me. But last year she had complications during a routine surgery and gained some of it back However on my my new quest of "healthy" choices, I have encouraged her to start walking during her lunch! (which I did today during the coldest day and I cannot believe I was so determined to get in those 30 minutes of cardio)!

And on a side note I still see a lot of beginners posting their numbers even though they are short cardio or strength... We are a team and a pretty tough team so please ask before you post we always have many members willing to donate! Lets rock this week as the group gets ready to rock the hospital and all of them in there!!!!

Congrats @tracymayo1 - That's wonderful.

1. Be retrospective like Carol : talk to your team about a fire in your life or smoke you saw that "consumed" you and made you rise like a phoenix from the ashes in a new direction, especially if this story relates to health and fitness like a sport's injury or regaining weight you had lost.

Hmm...I guess my fire is happening now? I've spent the last two years fighting injuries (wrist and posterior tibialis tendon), which have forced me to modify most of what used to be my favourite fitness activites and pretty much demolished my goal of running a 5k a month last summer. I gained 14 lbs after switching to a desk job last summer, and I'm fighting to get back down to my starting weight and back to my old level of fitness. But I took a 10-week bellydancing class and then I signed up for this challenge and started logging again, so I am making the right decisions to support those goals. Now if we can just add a few more hours in the day so that I can get my workouts in, that would be grrreaaat...

2. Be determined and optimistic like Daryl and encourage someone in your own life who is experiencing difficulties in reaching their goals or is having similar setbacks.

Oh man, when DON'T I do this? I'm a case manager and between work, husband, and my friends, it seems like some days all I do is support & encourage others. I'm taking a pass on this.

Congrats Tracy! That is an awesome achievement!!

1. Be like Carol: When I first started running (C25K program) a few years ago, I was well over 200 pounds. I really enjoyed it but my knees started hurting almost immediately. I finally dragged myself to the doctor. He ordered xrays and determined it was severe degenerative osteoarthritis. He didn't really offer much advice except to prescribe naproxen (Aleve). So I soldiered on and kept running. Something the xray technician said to me helped tremendously. She said she was diagnosed with arthritis in her hips but kept exercising because strengthening the muscles around those joints really helped relieve the pain. So that's what I've done, and she was right. I still have bad days when I've done too much during the week and they are sore, but I keep going. I take Aleve maybe once every 2 or 3 months at most.

2. Be like Daryl: I saw a post on MFP about someone who was struggling with a particular aspect of her weight loss journey. I offered advice then sent a friend request. It's a little thing, but sometimes those little things stick with you (like the xray technician in the above example).

Note to team: I will probably NOT make the calorie goal this week. It's awful. I am already about 1,200 calories over for the week! I will try my best but it's not looking good. Too bad we can't share our calorie deficits with each other like the exercise minutes, lol! But that wouldn't really help me. I will do better next week, even with Thanksgiving.

CindyB97 wrote: »

Congrats Tracy! That is an awesome achievement!!

1. Be like Carol: When I first started running (C25K program) a few years ago, I was well over 200 pounds. I really enjoyed it but my knees started hurting almost immediately. I finally dragged myself to the doctor. He ordered xrays and determined it was severe degenerative osteoarthritis. He didn't really offer much advice except to prescribe naproxen (Aleve). So I soldiered on and kept running. Something the xray technician said to me helped tremendously. She said she was diagnosed with arthritis in her hips but kept exercising because strengthening the muscles around those joints really helped relieve the pain. So that's what I've done, and she was right. I still have bad days when I've done too much during the week and they are sore, but I keep going. I take Aleve maybe once every 2 or 3 months at most.

2. Be like Daryl: I saw a post on MFP about someone who was struggling with a particular aspect of her weight loss journey. I offered advice then sent a friend request. It's a little thing, but sometimes those little things stick with you (like the xray technician in the above example).

Note to team: I will probably NOT make the calorie goal this week. It's awful. I am already about 1,200 calories over for the week! I will try my best but it's not looking good. Too bad we can't share our calorie deficits with each other like the exercise minutes, lol! But that wouldn't really help me. I will do better next week, even with Thanksgiving.

Let me get this straight.. for the calorie deficit, if I am under for the TOTAL of the week (but went over one 1 day) - it would still count as being within my calories?
Sorry, I just automatically logged that I didn't make this goal in previous weeks because 1 day was over by 30 calories - but the rest of the week was still way under goal.. so now as above im not sure if that is right?

Be retrospective like Carol : I had total ACL/MCL knee surgery at the beginning of 2012 and it completely changed my life. I couldn't exercise like I use to, I was in SO much pain, and the weight just kept piling on. A year after my surgery I decided to stop focusing on what I couldn't do and start focusing on what I COULD do so I trained for and ran my first 5K! I let myself slip back again after that and soon I was at the heaviest I had ever been. When my knee doctor told me my weight gain had contributed to early arthritis in my knee it was a huge wake up call. I have a long way to go, but I've already lost 15lbs and there's no turning back!


3. Be determined and optimistic like Daryl: My mom has struggled with her weight for the last 10 years or so and lately I have been encouraging her to try new (healthier) foods and get more exercise in. She told me today that she has decided her goal is for us both to run a 1/2 marathon together!

It's been awesome reading everyone's input for this week's challenge - thanks for sharing - it motivates me

And I agree with the thread on how to count the calories - cumulative for the week. There are days I don't eat back my exercise calories during the week so I can have a glass of wine or a margarita on the weekends.

Shout out to CindyB97, I think we've talked ourselves into starting the 5:2 Fast Diet - we got this!

On another note - my cardio work out today included 2 minutes of plank jacks. I was excited because I was going to count it as my planksgiving, but sadly today was not a plank jacks day Whoever posted this plansgiving challenge - Thank You! It's totally kicking my butt and I hate it....but I love it! My favorite jeans are too big in the waist and saggy in the butt and even my family noticed how different my shoulders/arms and upper body looks just 3 weeks in.