No-Nonsense November: Week 4 Check-In (11/22-11/30)

baconslave
baconslave Posts: 7,018 Member
edited November 2016 in Social Groups
Loveable, repeated challenge blurb :wink:
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. 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 maintain.

You can pick either strategy, but this challenge is 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

This thread will be stickied to the top of the Group, with links inside to the weekly threads. So if the weekly thread gets buried in our busy little group, you'll be able to easily find in in the sticky.



To give you and idea of possible check-in entries here's mine from last year:
Monthly Goals:
To lose those rotten, stinkin, stubborn, no-good, malicious last 2lb to goal weight.
By hitting the basics daily. I have one calorie UP-day, Saturday, where I'd like to log but I don't care how many calories I eat, as long as I keep my carbs under 50g. I only have adult beverages that day. Sometimes my carbs sneak over. I make sure I'm pristine all other days of the week, however. This arrangement works fine for me, for now. But if I don't continue to lose at least a fraction of a lb a week, then obviously I'll have to tighten the reigns on that.

Start weight: 153.4 (weight is up due to salty nuts, bacon, and sausage balls)
Goal weight: 150 and to stay there.


Sunday, 11/1:

Water: 80/80oz check.jpg
Electrolytes Good: check.jpg
Logged Food: check.jpg
Exercise as Planned?: Cleaned house like a fiend for 3 hours check.jpg
At or Under Carb Level: 13/30g net check.jpg
At or Under Calorie Limit: Yes! check.jpg
Planned Day Ahead: Yes! check.jpg


Share recipes, problems, thoughts.
Fight back against all the NONSENSE life throws at us this time of year.
Make it a No-Gain November. :wink:

Let's do this.

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Replies

  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,018 Member

    Ok, Turkey-Day celebrators. Thursday is the day.
    Make your plans.
    Stay low-carb?
    Indulge one meal but NOT bring home leftovers?
    Make a decision and resolve to stick to it.

    Whutchu doin'? hmmm????

    I'm probably staying on plan. I'm staying away from gluten to see if I have a sensitivity, so I'm making a low-carb dessert to bring for me and for my diabetic MIL. I don't care about potatoes anymore or rolls, so it shouldn't be a big deal for me to stay away.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,018 Member
    Also, I'm herding the 29th and 30th into this. So this will be the last week of the challenge.
    Ok?
    Ok.
    Carry on.
  • AshStout83
    AshStout83 Posts: 190 Member
    I'm starting week #4 at 144 lbs., so I've surpassed my goal of 4 lbs. lost in November. Woohoo!
    Goal #1-Lose 4 lbs. Done!
    Goal #2-Drink 64 oz. of water per day.
    Goal #3-Walk 10,000 steps per day.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    My thanksgiving survival plan is to not stuff myself, and to log EVERYTHING - even if it's over and I don't want to see it, the log will be as accurate as ever!
  • VKetoV
    VKetoV Posts: 111 Member
    Going back to zero carbohydrates...well maybe about 3g from whole eggs. Have been hovering in the bastardized "keto" range of 50-60g/day. Bonus: went from a 2 week vegetarian to a pure carnivore
  • Cadori
    Cadori Posts: 4,810 Member
    I've been terrible about tracking and checking in the last few days, so here's to a fresh start for tomorrow.


    11/xx check in
    Daily Goals:
    Water:
    Logged Food:
    Exercise as Planned:
    At or Under Carb Level:
    At or Under Calorie Limit:

    check.jpg

    Monthly Goal:
    Lose 10 pounds

  • kdz0444
    kdz0444 Posts: 143 Member
    edited November 2016
    Got off plan on Friday and Sunday but so far so good this week and staying at 203 so that is better than gaining. Going out of town for thanksgiving and hoping to stay on plan except for one meal. But I only plan once having mashed potatoes and maybe a roll. Still weighing in at 203 so better than gaining. Doing good on water.
  • MindfulMother
    MindfulMother Posts: 38 Member
    edited November 2016
    baconslave wrote: »
    Also, I'm herding the 29th and 30th into this. So this will be the last week of the challenge.
    Ok?
    Ok.
    Carry on.

    You want this to be the last week of checking in for November so am I understanding that correctly?
  • MindfulMother
    MindfulMother Posts: 38 Member
    I am still holding at 8 pounds lost of my goal of 10 pounds this month
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
    Legs of lead today. 3.6 miles walking. 60 minutes. Done.
    235 minutes remain to meet monthly goal of 1200 minutes.
  • solska
    solska Posts: 348 Member
    By the last day of November, my goal is to be 198lbs or less. That's less than 3 pounds away.
    I will not eat carby thanksgiving food. I just have to take some cheese with us and maybe eat before. Eating out is also an issue. So need to be prepared and keep my resolve away from home, visiting others, and while out. This is important that I don't get off track because when I do it takes a long time to get back on track and makes me feel miserable.

    I didn't have my bpc yesterday and noticed that I was so unusually hungry at night. Wonder if it could be because of the new B12 vitamin spray I started taking?

    Other goals for the week:
    At least one hour of Fitdesk bike a day
    At least half an hour of walk a day
    Sleep at least 7 hours, sleep before midnight (this hasn't been happening)
    Take meds and vitamins
    Stay under 30 carbs
    Drink water
    Put on moisturizer
    Journal
    Focus on work and being healthy
  • macchiatto
    macchiatto Posts: 2,890 Member
    Oops, posted in the wrong thread.
    I was on track today. Didn't have time to exercise but met my goals for cals, carbs, sleep.
    And weight is back to 0.8 lbs above maintenance weight. So close!
  • tishsmith101
    tishsmith101 Posts: 1,651 Member
    For 11/22
    Water-only 48 oz at best
    Food-logged
    Exercise-walked 30 min
    Below 70g carbs-48
    Below 1400 cal-1172
    Meals planned-it's a meat and cheese day

    Also planning on a spin class tomorrow morning, Happy Thanksgiving!!
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,018 Member
    baconslave wrote: »
    Also, I'm herding the 29th and 30th into this. So this will be the last week of the challenge.
    Ok?
    Ok.
    Carry on.

    You want this to be the last week of checking in for November so am I understanding that correctly?

    I'm saying I'm not going to make a Week 5 thread for just 2 days. :smile:
    So, even though technically this week ends on the 28th, we'll tuck the last 2 days of the month in this thread. That's what I was trying to say anyway. :lol:
  • macchiatto
    macchiatto Posts: 2,890 Member
    Did pretty well today. I ate LCHF but not keto.
    Did YAYOG!
    Slept 9 hrs last night!
  • canadjineh
    canadjineh Posts: 5,396 Member
    Hungry day, I wanted more carbs :/
    Goals for me:
    Drink my 8 glasses of water :/ only 6 including jasmine green tea
    IF for at least 14 hours and preferably 18 daily :) 20 hrs today!
    Stay at or below my 25g net carb goal :s 53g net - I should have chosen the cabbage rolls OR the banana & 1/3 apple... but I already knew that before I ate them. Conscious choice.
    Make sure my protein hits approx 70g BUT not much more :) 74g
    Get at least one day a week of non-work related exercise :) A couple hours of slow walking while doing multiple errands in town.

    Trying for a lower carb day tomorrow.
  • solska
    solska Posts: 348 Member
    edited November 2016
    Very tiny transgressions which I hope didn't kick me out of keto, a little bit of sugar in the salads at thanksgiving dinner, I had a total of 5-6 spoons maybe. Don't have ketostix with me so don't know.

    But overall, I'm happy that I didn't go for any of the desserts cause I was content with the low carb blondies I made the night before.
  • macchiatto
    macchiatto Posts: 2,890 Member
    Last year I did a very keto Thanksgiving.
    This year I decided to do mostly keto but make a few exceptions. Carbs were still in the low carb range though.
    Fam and I took a 4-mile hike after eating!
    And I got more than 8 hrs of sleep last night.
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
    Nov 23, 24, 25: big zero!
    Today 11/26: 100 minutes, 27 miles on stationary recumbent. 135 minutes left to meet goal of 1200 November minutes.
  • canadjineh
    canadjineh Posts: 5,396 Member
    Goals for me:
    Drink my 8 glasses of water :)
    IF for at least 14 hours and preferably 18 daily :) Well, I managed 14 hours even though I ate late last night and got up relatively early this morning.
    Stay at or below my 25g net carb goal :| 47g net.... but I have found over this past month that I lose better when I am at between 25 and 50 or so.
    Make sure my protein hits approx 70g BUT not much more :) 68g
    Get at least one day a week of non-work related exercise :D Now that the metal is all out of the ankle, I am getting to do so much more.

    Side note.... When I first started this challenge I weighed 139.4. After keeping it under 25g carb I gained a bit and ended up staying pretty steady at 141 or 2. After a few days of 50 -60g net carb the past week I am back down to 139.2. So, I still have 7 lbs to go to get to my original maintenance weight. Which just sux. :/
    Sometimes I wonder why I bother, as Keto doesn't seen to have any real benefits for me and in fact, is the only time I get severely constipated (sorry TMI). I may just go back to low carbing below 100g net. I will finish this challenge off properly first though, on the 30th, then decide.
  • solska
    solska Posts: 348 Member
    Weight isn't moving, kinda settling in within +1 of last lowest of 199.8, which isn't terrible that it's not going up too much. Slight panic that I may not get down to 198 over these last couple of days of November! I am back on track with low carb, movement etc. sleep still not well...
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
    Yesterday-0
    Today- 70 minutes on stationary recumbent. 15 miles for 150 miles this month.
    65 minutes remaining to November goal of 1200 minutes.
  • tishsmith101
    tishsmith101 Posts: 1,651 Member
    Stayed low carb Fri/Sat, my only food on Thanksgiving (away) and Sunday (repeat Thanksgiving at home) was dinner. I indulged in small amounts of once a year carb favorites stuffing and mashed potatoes. Back on plan today.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 7,018 Member
    canadjineh wrote: »
    Goals for me:
    Drink my 8 glasses of water :)
    IF for at least 14 hours and preferably 18 daily :) Well, I managed 14 hours even though I ate late last night and got up relatively early this morning.
    Stay at or below my 25g net carb goal :| 47g net.... but I have found over this past month that I lose better when I am at between 25 and 50 or so.
    Make sure my protein hits approx 70g BUT not much more :) 68g
    Get at least one day a week of non-work related exercise :D Now that the metal is all out of the ankle, I am getting to do so much more.

    Side note.... When I first started this challenge I weighed 139.4. After keeping it under 25g carb I gained a bit and ended up staying pretty steady at 141 or 2. After a few days of 50 -60g net carb the past week I am back down to 139.2. So, I still have 7 lbs to go to get to my original maintenance weight. Which just sux. :/
    Sometimes I wonder why I bother, as Keto doesn't seen to have any real benefits for me and in fact, is the only time I get severely constipated (sorry TMI). I may just go back to low carbing below 100g net. I will finish this challenge off properly first though, on the 30th, then decide.

    It's not like you haven't given it a fair try. And those side effects are no bueno.
    At least you are learning lots of things, so even if your weight didn't really go anywhere, you got some insights into what works best for you.
  • coloradoartstudio
    coloradoartstudio Posts: 104 Member
    I'm up one pound to 192 from 191 last week before Thanksgiving. I consider that a win though considering years past.

    In the last week, I only exercised 2x with family in town and over indulged in food and drink - even keto snacks like nuts. I think I'm one of those people who has to track calories to lose weight.

    I am not going to make my original goal of weighing below 190 by dec 1.

    But, I am going to do an egg fast this week to jump start Dec. I love eggs!
  • genmon00
    genmon00 Posts: 604 Member
    Welp, this holiday turned into a smorgosborg (?) for me so it was no bueno. But Im back on track today. Scale is moving so slowly for me these last 2 months, maybe 3 lb loss but no gain so thats a plus to me lol. As much as i would like to reach a magic number, seems like it will take a while. Trying to get fitness in, as I miss it, but new work schedule makes it much more difficult. No excuses though, need to get my butt in action :) Im looking forward to December!
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
    kpk54 wrote: »
    Yesterday-0
    Today- 70 minutes on stationary recumbent. 15 miles for 150 miles this month.
    65 minutes remaining to November goal of 1200 minutes.

    Done! 4.1 walking miles, 70 minutes. 1200 minutes for the month of November walking or the recumbent. Beats sitting in the recliner flipping channels.
  • VKetoV
    VKetoV Posts: 111 Member
    Zero carb diet consisting of whole eggs, lamb, beef, & coconut oil is paying off; abdominals & serratus are staying sharp & no water retention is present. My impression is that coconut oil >>> evoo as far as appetite suppression resulting in far fewer kcals consumed from added fat.

    I'm not quite sure how I will be "cheating" to prevent adaptation; either a high kcal day 1-2 times every 2 weeks consisting of cheese or coconut manna seems plausible. Trying not to mess around with sodium/potassium as these often obscure progress/results