Determined December 2016: Week 3 (12/15-12/21)
baconslave
Posts: 7,018 Member
Required repetition of challenge blurb:
Keep on top of your planning, ladies and gents. Don't let that be you come the day after Christmas.
Posting early. I have kid appts at 8:30am and much morning business tomorrow.
See ya laterz, gatorz.
baconslave wrote: »There's a statistic going around that 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.
Last month we focused on the basics in an effort to avoid gaining during a hectic time of year. There's lots of treats around. But many of us managed to hit our goals and not gain. Some of us even lost a few pounds, or gained insight into our own patterns when faced with pressure.
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 and goodies rampant this type of year.
This month we are again going to focus on the low-carb basics. They really are so important to success. And keeping tabs on them reinforces good habits that will serve us through our weight loss journeys and beyond into Maintenance Land. We're shooting for Determined December. Some people choose to handle this time of year completely on-plan, supplementing low-carb recipes for all our bad-ol' favorites.
This may not be realistic for some. After all, there are many temptations in our faces this month. And a lot of celebrations. What I have done in the past was pick 1 or 2 events that were most important, enjoy them that day, and the next day was immediately back on track. No guilt, but no excuses. Every other time, I planned ahead. Eat before going to a carby event or bring plan-approved goodies. I actually lost weight in December of 2014. It can be done.
You can pick either strategy, but in this challenge monitoring our plan Basics are what makes the difference.
Consistency + Persistence + Time = Success
I really can't parrot that cliché formula enough. Because it's true.
Any low-carb plan is welcome. Just post your monthly goals and/or beginning weight, or if you are just planning to maintain through the month, or have NSVs to achieve, check-in daily or weekly with how well you did.
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.
Share recipes, problems, thoughts.
Determined December is possible!
We are DETERMINED to maintain, and maybe even lose, this year.
We are DETERMINED to not let December run rough-shod over us, right?
We CAN do this.
To give you and idea of possible check-in entries here's what mine might look like:Monthly Goals:
To lose that rotten, stinkin, stubborn, no-good, malicious weight that has crept on thanks to lack of sleep, a supplement, and general bad attitude.
100g daily, 1700 cal, 6 days/week with 1 FATurday. Weekends have gotten too loose.
Keep working them muscles.
Be sparing with the alcohol, Jess. And plan for calories to be preposterous on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day.
Start weight: 165.4 (Thanks for the lil' extra, adrenal support supplement!)
Goal weight: 159 and to stay there.
Sunday, 11/29:
Water: 120/120oz
Electrolytes Good:
Logged Food:
Exercise as Planned?: 60 min Dreadmill walk
At or Under Carb Level: 100/100g total
At or Under Calorie Limit: Yes!
Planned Day Ahead: Yes!
7/7
Weekly Trees of Christmas Awesomeness Collected:
Keep on top of your planning, ladies and gents. Don't let that be you come the day after Christmas.
Posting early. I have kid appts at 8:30am and much morning business tomorrow.
See ya laterz, gatorz.
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Replies
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CW 175-will be very happy if I can get to 174 this month, it's still progress
No taste testing while baking-got home too late the last few nights to bake
Be more active-going to the gym after work tonight for some cardio and weight
Better meal prep-made some guac last night and enjoying the last of my soul bread loaf today
I'm off the next 4 days, will get back on Wednesday.
Stay warm everyone!1 -
Wed&Thurs:
SW: 163.4
CW: 160
Water: 72oz
Electrolytes Good:
At or Under Carb Level: Yeppers
At or Under Calorie Limit:
Exercise: Cardio HIIT Wed but too many errands yesterday for a formal exercise session.
9/10
Weekly Trees of Christmas Awesomeness Collected:
Week 1:
Week 2:
Week 3:
Nice to have all dem purty trees.
Even though it's super dorky. 2 -
Determined December goals:
Stay under calories every day - check
Complete all scheduled exercise - back injury = no way this is happening, I'm going to play it by ear for the rest of December, and I'm already working on revamping the plan to scale back the weights for January...recovery is goal #1
Target loss of 2lb for December - check - met my goal weight today (141), I know at least some of this is water since I'm on day 4 of not lifting, but I call it a win...now I just have to keep it off for the rest of the month.2 -
Back to 170!
I'm holding it here, but nothing lost for another week. Of course, it's no surprise. I wish I could whine, and say that I'm doing EVERYTHING perfect and don't know why I can't lose.
Nope. I know the why and the how. Ninny Muggins here. YUP!
If I do what I'm supposed to do, it WILL work. If I don't it won't. Pretty simple.. Fresh start tomorrow.
Water: OK
Carbs: Ug
Calories: Still too much
Exercise: Too cold.
Alcohol: yes.
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slimzandra wrote: »Back to 170!
I'm holding it here, but nothing lost for another week. Of course, it's no surprise. I wish I could whine, and say that I'm doing EVERYTHING perfect and don't know why I can't lose.
Nope. I know the why and the how. Ninny Muggins here. YUP!
If I do what I'm supposed to do, it WILL work. If I don't it won't. Pretty simple.. Fresh start tomorrow.
Water: OK
Carbs: Ug
Calories: Still too much
Exercise: Too cold.
Alcohol: yes.
Uhoh...hope this wasn't you.
I look more like an angry paranoid squirrel myself when I'm in ninny-muggins mode.
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Check In 12/16
Calories 1154
Carbs 30
Walk after work
No wine, no treats
Good day!
Weighed in this am:
SW:163.2lbs
LW:158lbs
CW:160lbs
Was hoping for a loss not a gain
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Focusing on the third week today, determined. Though no new loss since lowest weight. Been up and down a couple of pounds a bit. Got my period, so hoping between the end of that and some real loss, I will see some results this week.
Also stopped counting calories but been mostly keto, except a few bites of honey crisp apples! I have to start sleeping better and started home bike again last week. Way way too cold for walks outside. Still hoping that somehow come January 1st I will be 187.3. So around 9 pounds needs to disappear over the next 16 days. If I have water to lose, or some whoosh waiting around to happen, it might happen.
I'm kinda determined to not cheat eat on christmas or nye, cause it makes me so sick and disappointed. I might drink some to celebrate. And I will make keto treat foods. I have been cooking favorite foods keto adapted, so this is sustainable, except those honeycrisp apples that my partner loves! And he barely eats healthy so I encourage him to eat more of any healthy thing he likes. Good luck everyone!0 -
My first week back to keto and I'm down 2.4 lbs. No inches. But i'll take the lbs. I was hoping for more but at least something left this body. So now
SW: 154.6
CW: 152
I started with 1200 cals. but it was to much for me so by wed. i went back to 1000. I am not a big eater. I also up my fat
85%
carbs 5 %
protein 10 %
I am going to play with this for a week and see how it works.
Wish me luck!!!1 -
I'm so done with this week. But it isn't done with me.
Fri:
SW: 163.4
CW: 160
Water: 72oz
Electrolytes Good:
At or Under Carb Level: Yeppers
At or Under Calorie Limit:NO. Darn hubby and the night-cap he brought me. Oh well. FATurday today just needs to be a little leaner than usual and I'll try to get a good workout in.
Exercise: Kettlebell
4/5
Weekly Trees of Christmas Awesomeness Collected:
Week 1:
Week 2:
Week 3:
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Finally saw movement towards south on the scale, albeit little 0.4 pounds, but boosted my morale -- now at 196.2. I ate more sautéed greens than usual last few days and also apple and peanut butter, and I think that helped move a lot of bloat. Really important, those veggies:)... too bad the farmer's market said no more till april... the freshness doesn't compare to the grocery store's.
Still not sleeping early. Gotta fix that tonight and the rest of the week
Bike home.
Stop eating earlier.
Be mindful about calories, though I'm really reluctant to start measuring and logging.0 -
SW: 186
GW: 182
No sweets! (I learned my lesson over Thanksgiving weekend.)
Work out at least 3 times a week.
CW: 183.1 - getting there!
No sweets! - yup! I drooled over the display of Holiday Mint M&M's at the drug store, but did not buy any.
Work out at least 3 times a week. - nope Only got in one workout this week.
This is the busiest time of year for me at work, so getting in a workout is difficult. The good news is that I got a standing desk last week, so I'm not sitting on my *kitten* all day! That last pound WILL come off before New Year's Eve!!0 -
baconslave wrote: »Weekly Trees of Christmas Awesomeness Collected:
Week 1:
Week 2:
Week 3:
Nice to have all dem purty trees. Even though it's super dorky.
Awwwww, I LOVE your Trees of Christmas Awesomeness! Maybe I can earn some, too?
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Finally saw movement towards south on the scale, albeit little 0.4 pounds, but boosted my morale -- now at 196.2. I ate more sautéed greens than usual last few days and also apple and peanut butter, and I think that helped move a lot of bloat. Really important, those veggies:)... too bad the farmer's market said no more till april... the freshness doesn't compare to the grocery store's.
Still not sleeping early. Gotta fix that tonight and the rest of the week
Bike home.
Stop eating earlier.
Be mindful about calories, though I'm really reluctant to start measuring and logging.
Well the "stop eating earlier" can help with that. Don't snack as much between meals, if at all. And practice what they call Mindful Eating. Be fully present while eating and take your time. That helps you note your true satiety clues and may help you keep calories reasonable without having to measure yet. I also trick myself using a smaller plate to plate my food. That tricks my brain into thinking I have more than enough. Hopefully that will head you off from having to jump into that yet.3 -
feel free to thief the .gifMyriiStorm wrote: »baconslave wrote: »Weekly Trees of Christmas Awesomeness Collected:
Week 1:
Week 2:
Week 3:
Nice to have all dem purty trees. Even though it's super dorky.
Awwwww, I LOVE your Trees of Christmas Awesomeness! Maybe I can earn some, too?
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Thanks and yes. Definitely smaller plates help significantly. And not doing anything else, except berries or keto ice cream etc. I try to stick eating anything else always in the kitchen if not always at the dinner table and not doing anything else. My partner had very much put us in a prepare all to eat along with a movie mode, feasting with a movie you don't realize how much you feast.
I try to do intermittent fasting almost everyday with a bulletproof coffee within a couple of hours of waking. I can eat pretty late like that but it's an issue when I don't stop eating. With winter started cooking a lot and lots of delicious things and favorites such as curries and sushi and pasta, but all keto style... I could definitely make more progress eating less, but if I eat happy things then this is more sustainable for me. Not feeling deprived physiologically is a big advantage of keto woe, not feeling deprived psychologically makes me stay on track. This is also why one needs to be able to put in some time to stay keto.
Another half or so pound left between yesterday and today. What I read is that a lot of weight moves once the period kicks in, not so much once it's gone. I remember this trend from last month too. It helps to figure out the way the body acts.baconslave wrote: »Finally saw movement towards south on the scale, albeit little 0.4 pounds, but boosted my morale -- now at 196.2. I ate more sautéed greens than usual last few days and also apple and peanut butter, and I think that helped move a lot of bloat. Really important, those veggies:)... too bad the farmer's market said no more till april... the freshness doesn't compare to the grocery store's.
Still not sleeping early. Gotta fix that tonight and the rest of the week
Bike home.
Stop eating earlier.
Be mindful about calories, though I'm really reluctant to start measuring and logging.
Well the "stop eating earlier" can help with that. Don't snack as much between meals, if at all. And practice what they call Mindful Eating. Be fully present while eating and take your time. That helps you note your true satiety clues and may help you keep calories reasonable without having to measure yet. I also trick myself using a smaller plate to plate my food. That tricks my brain into thinking I have more than enough. Hopefully that will head you off from having to jump into that yet.
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I've been a little up and down. Holidays really can be hard! What I need to do is make myself some LCHF treats that are handy when tempted.
Overall I've been better this past week though and weight is back to 0.8 lbs above goal maintenance range.
Back problems this week though so my workouts have been limited to walking.
I REALLY need to work on the whole going to bed earlier thing. I'm just 3 weeks away from needing to get up 2-3 hrs earlier for work and that's going to be rough with my insomnia and late night schedule!0 -
@macchiatto
Did you try melatonin and magnesium? Helps me a lot when I'm not resisting to take them:)macchiatto wrote: »I've been a little up and down. Holidays really can be hard! What I need to do is make myself some LCHF treats that are handy when tempted.
Overall I've been better this past w though and weight is back to 0.8 lbs above goal maintenance range.
Back problems this week though so my workouts have been limited to walking.
I REALLY need to work on the whole going to bed earlier thing. I'm just 3 weeks away from needing to get up 2-3 hrs earlier for work and that's going to be rough with my insomnia and late night schedule!
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CW: holding steady at 174.
Bought my favorite blood sausage over the weekend as a treat after my first run since my injury. After I ate 90% of it, figured out it's got rice in it. I feel like a week of hard work went down the drain, oh well. I have my lunches for the week pre-cooked and pre-packaged already, so all I have to do is to stick to it this week, and maybe the scale will move down next Monday.0 -
Oh my goodness you guys.... the Keto flu has got the best of me. The first time is started Keto this never happened and now i am a mess. I can't even get out of my own way and all I want to do is stay in bed i am so tired and my head is killing me. I think the one thing that is different this time is do not have the vitamins on hand cause i was not able to get to the store. I will have a ride tomorrow, so i will be able to get them then. It seem a wee bit harder the second time around and i do want to give into carbs but i am staying far away from them.
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@maggiegbrown the Keto Flu usually means you need electrolytes. There's good info about it here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10358179/keto-flu-dizzy-weak-tired-headaches-cramping-muscles-electrolyte-imbalance-may-be-your-problem#latest
I hope you feel better soon!1 -
Sorry I've been absent, y'all. I've been reading your posts. I'm just stinkin' busy. Kids are being squirrely. My sis is coming in to visit and I have to order this wreck of a house. I'm being good and doing the thing. More work to do before her flight comes in this afternoon. TTFN.
And stay off the Naughty List!
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I've been up to all kinds of no good!
Still So excited for Christmas. We get the last week of the year off from work!! That's going to be even more fun!
Going out to lunch with the Boss today. UG!! I should look at it like a free lunch at a great restaurant. Instead, I'm kinda dreading it. The whole department is going. Lots of awkward silence and over enthusiasm in praise of the food when it finally arrives. "Oh, so what did you get?" "O My, that looks delicious!!" Me: "It's a sandwich without the bread" .. HAHAHA.0 -
I have a few days to catch up on...
12/17
Calories 1048
Carbs 29
Got walk in!
Had one bit of a sugar cookie my son and I baked...ONE BITE! lol
Drank all my water!
12/18
Calories 1069
carbs 20
Walk...YES!
Lots of water
12/19
Calories 1166
Carbs 4 (not sure how I was so low!)
Water...not quite as much. Crazy day at work so I wasn't even thinking about it!
So far hanging in there! Let's see how I do for Christmas Eve and Day
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I was good on eating until yesterday. Really fell off the wagon. However, I've been very active these past several days including painting my kitchen, shoveling my driveway, elliptical and a weightlifting class.
Back on track today with meal planning and getting in my water.0 -
Doing the thing. And my weight isn't cooperating...
I have family in and prep for Christmas...controlled chaos. Got a workout in yesterday. Carbs and cals were good. I have a feeling in January I'm going to have to go more hardcore if I want to see any more scale movement. My body is so stubborn. All I want is 1 more pound. Is that really too much to ask? Apparently.
Oh well.
Onward anyway.
Staying on the Nice List.
Not too hard...yet.0 -
Scale not moving is a big bummer. Maybe best to relax, take your mind off of it, and not weigh yourself till after the stress is over and then get in a couple of very disciplined weeks as you say. Enjoy having your family around!
I wish I could resist weighing myself everyday at least on days I know for s fact the scale will go backwards. One of those days. It's less than a pound up but very discouraging when I need it to go down. I probably need to go back to logging to see the big picture and feel calm if I'm not overeating but just don't have the drive to do that. With logging that's sthg that makes a difference to me. I don't feel guilty about every bite when I know how much I'm eating.baconslave wrote: »Doing the thing. And my weight isn't cooperating...
I have family in and prep for Christmas...controlled chaos. Got a workout in yesterday. Carbs and cals were good. I have a feeling in January I'm going to have to go more hardcore if I want to see any more scale movement. My body is so stubborn. All I want is 1 more pound. Is that really too much to ask? Apparently.
Oh well.
Onward anyway.
Staying on the Nice List.
Not too hard...yet.
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Oh my gosh, you guysssssss. Dropped a pound (so I'm back to my starting weight of 173). At least it's going in the right direction! Also, starting to run again, which is such a relief. I was going nuts with the restriction. Here is hoping there will be another few lb drop in the near future.3
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December goals:
Under 50 net carbs
Take a walk (can be subbed for other exercising) at least 3 days per week
Limit Halo Top to no more than 4 nights a week...it fits in my carbs but it's becoming a nightly habit....
Drink more liquids
Maintain weight +/- 5 lbs for water retention/hormone fluctuations
I'm super late checking in again but this was a good week. I took a walk and a couple of neighborhood jogs.
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