February 2016 Challenge

retirehappy
retirehappy Posts: 4,756 Member
edited January 2016 in Social Groups
Putting this up early as I won't have access to my computer on the 1st.

Welcome to the self challenge thread. Simply set your challenge for yourself and report back in this thread on your progress.

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Replies

  • mxchana
    mxchana Posts: 666 Member
    edited January 2016
    Thanks, Joell - That's a perfect picture of the journey, with its narrow path, its ups and downs - and the unending vista. A journey for life, one step at a time and one bite at a time.
    others-079.gif

    I am sticking with my January plan because it worked:

    (1) Begin the day with Higher Consciousness (prayer, meditation, and/or journaling).
    (2) Write down everything I eat.
    (3) Exercise daily and record same.
    (4) Use EFT or hypnosis daily to aid in maintaining my motivation.
    (5) End the day with HC (see #1).

    I am also going to experiment with moving slowly toward a more vegetarian diet. I want to see if I can do that and still keep my carbs fairly low. First step: have three meat-free days a week. (Meat includes fish in this plan.) We'll see how that goes.

    My goal is to release 9 pounds by February 29. (And isn't it exciting that we have an extra day to accomplish our February goals!)

    Good luck everyone! hello-011.gif

    ~Kathy
  • sharondtd
    sharondtd Posts: 548 Member
    My plan is to meet daily step goal for bone density, 30 active minutes for cardio, and keep up the 10 veg and fruit servings for nutrition.
  • keyauwee
    keyauwee Posts: 22 Member
    Happy February, everyone! I've been back on MFP for 85 days now. My goal for both November and December was not to gain, which I accomplished. I lost just 3 pounds in January and I am ready to step it up!!!
    Here goes:
    1) Log in every day.
    2) Stick to my new IF 18-6 Keto lifestyle.
    3) Exercise 1 hour a day.
    4) Hike twice a week.
    5) Lose at least 6 pounds this month, preferably 10!
    6) Be happy!
    Wishing everyone much success this month!
    Marla
  • LottieStanley
    LottieStanley Posts: 290 Member
    February goals:

    01. Keep logging my food
    02. Adding exercise ( need to research exercise
    for bad knees)
    03. Walk outside weather permitting
    04. Lose at least 5 lbs.
    05. Continue grief councellng
    06. Need to get back to my spiritual side
    07. Make new friends

    I'm really made progress in January I logged everyday. I see nutricianist tomorrow to weigh in. I will begin exercise this month. Went to gym Saturday did treadmill no incline and my knees were sore. Took dogs for walk, made a sideways move and left knee had pain so bad I limped all the way home.

    This is my second month. I will let you know how my weigh in goes tomorrow.

    Work hard everyone and let's make February goals.


  • DreamOn145
    DreamOn145 Posts: 460 Member
    Made my weight loss 3 lb goal in January, in fact lost 4.8. Did not accomplish daily journaling. Did well with exercise and reiki.

    February

    1) Lose 3 lbs
    2) Journal daily
    3) 5k steps daily
    4) 30 minutes exercise bike daily
    5) yoga daily
    6) reiki daily
    7) continue to eat from my list of 150 healthiest foods on the earth
    8) continue with 15/9 on the IF until I am doing it consistently, then move to 16/8
  • DreamOn145
    DreamOn145 Posts: 460 Member
    Lottie, I was told to stay off treadmills if you have bad knees. So, I bought an elliptical. Then I found out that ellipticals are not that great for short people! (I am 5 ft even!) So, I now have a recumbent bike that I use for interval training and cardio, but stick to 5k of steps because its the compromise I have found that the arthritis foundation recommends as minimum ( I also an arthritic knee) and does not exacerbate my plantar fascitis. We keep making adjustments as we go along! lol
  • ker95texas
    ker95texas Posts: 304 Member
    My longer term goal is... be able to wear the clothes I wore last summer THIS summer LOL

    To do that, I'll need to maintain a very steady loss of 8 pounds a month so that will start with February. So basically,
    • log food and be within plan
    • walk average 8-10 miles every weekday (weekends are up for grabs depending on plans)
    • Stay focussed
    That'll do it :smiley:
    -marilyn / ker
  • LottieStanley
    LottieStanley Posts: 290 Member
    Dreamon

    Thanks for the tip about the elliptical. I'm 5'3 so I'll try it and see. I bought some knee braces today. I actually went to Zumba and my great teacher told me how to modify. I loved it. I also read speed walking is good for knee problems. Kentucky weather makes that iffy right now.

    Lottie
  • DreamOn145
    DreamOn145 Posts: 460 Member
    Lottie I am going to tell you this, and feel free to that I am crazy, but I was having hip pain and this took care of it. I have taken apple cider vinegar on and off for years (because of the results I saw two of my long term home health patients have), but never did it exactly like this. I take 1 Tbsp of honey with 1 Tbsp of ACV, add about 6 oz of hot water and drink it morning and evening. I don't know why, but within a week after starting it my hip pain was gone. I am a big advocate for natural health as opposed to pharmaceuticals, so you will here this kind of thing from me lol
  • LottieStanley
    LottieStanley Posts: 290 Member
    I'm willing to try I'm so tired of feeling weak with this pain.
  • mxchana
    mxchana Posts: 666 Member
    edited February 2016
    To say that I am disappointed in my results this week is an understatement. Overall, I had a loss of just .8 pounds. Grrrr is all I can say. unhappy-028.gif

    So how did I do day by day?

    (1) Begin the day with Higher Consciousness (prayer, meditation, and/or journaling). CHECK
    (2) Write down everything I eat. CHECK
    (3) Exercise daily and record same. CHECK
    (4) Use EFT or hypnosis daily to aid in maintaining my motivation. NO... not one day.
    (5) End the day with HC (see #1). CHECK

    I am also going to experiment with moving slowly toward a more vegetarian diet. ... First step: have three meat-free days a week. CHECK - had 4 meat-free days in all.

    AVERAGE CALORIES PER DAY: 1158.8 (actual calories, not net)
    AVERAGE EXERCISE MINUTES PER DAY: 61.7

    What can I say... except REALLY???

    Kathy
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 4,756 Member
    Finally back home and can do a mid month report. My challenge this month was to up the iodine in my diet. While traveling in CR. that was fairly simple to do, eat lots of the local fish, which I did.

    I also was determined that while not counting calories while gone, I would maintain at the same level as when I left on vacation and I was actually down .5 from my preflight weight, even though I usually wait a couple of days after a flight to weigh myself, I did weigh in when I got up this AM after late night arrival and 12 hrs. of sleep. So I did well on that mini challenge I gave myself.

    I have a colonoscopy and mammo coming up this month, so I will be happy to maintain this month and get on with a larger challenge next month.
  • DreamOn145
    DreamOn145 Posts: 460 Member
    My goals for the month pretty much went out the window with the RA diagnoses and all of the changes I have been making because of that. At present I will just be happy to be ready to set goals again for next month.
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 4,756 Member
    edited February 2016
    DreamOn, I know the feeling. Too many medical issues going on to worry about this month's challenge, which was a medical related one. Hopefully my adding more iodine back into my diet will help. I have been able to do that on the low fiber diet they have me on atleast. Looking forward to March so very much!

    I hope everyone else has been able to focus on their goals for the month.

    Kathy, how is your meatless meals project coming along?
    Marilyn, how is the walking coming along?
    Lottie, hope your knees are doing better.
    Marla, how is the keto diet working out for you?
  • marjanet
    marjanet Posts: 145 Member
    I'm late to the party but I'm finally here. Haven't logged in for months, maybe a year, but I'm back! My ongoing challenge for the rest of February is to log in daily and record dietary and fitness information. :)
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 4,756 Member
    Welcome back.
  • sharondtd
    sharondtd Posts: 548 Member
    With BIL's recent surgery and the complications, it's gotten pretty unwieldy around here as far as managing intake and timing. I really appreciate the support the group has been giving. It's helping so very much.
  • DreamOn145
    DreamOn145 Posts: 460 Member
    Just stopping in to close out the month. Weight loss wise, February just did not get it. Receiving the rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis just completely derailed me. I feel like a ship that just went through a huge storm!! Now its time, hopefully, to get back on course
  • mxchana
    mxchana Posts: 666 Member
    marjanet - the secret to success is to keep coming back - and here you are! Welcome back.

    Joell - I have actually had quite a lot of success with non-meat days; however, since I am trying to lower my daily carbs, that presents a challenge. Meat is the easiest road to super low carbs. For now, while I get myself back on track, I'm going to be having more of it.

    Janet - I have faith you will right the ship and sail on, whatever it takes! Hope March is a much easier month for you.

    ~ Kathy