Reflection: how'd Summer go / Forecast: changes for Fall?

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minimyzeme
minimyzeme Posts: 2,708 Member
I'm not ready for Summer to end (though I wouldn't mind an end to the heat and rain) but as we approach Sept. 1, clearly we're moving into Fall.

How did your weight management journey go this Summer and what changes, if any do you plan for the Fall?

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  • minimyzeme
    minimyzeme Posts: 2,708 Member
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    My Summer has been hectic with a lot of time off my home turf. The home I bought came with some unexpected and stressful challenges, which has delayed the move and created a lot of anxiety. As a result, I've lived largely without either a food or bathroom scale for much of the time. All in all, probably due to tracking my food pretty diligently, I've gone 0.6 pounds above my 2-pound WW lifetime weight limit. I attribute that to staying mindful, realizing (most of the time) that eating isn't going to change the circumstances that are stressing me, and making my health more of a priority in this time of transition.

    I intend to stay the course over the Fall months. I still have several hurdles ahead of me that are bound to be stressful and challenging. I will have my scales back but I think more importantly, I will focus on maintaining good health. I realize now I do myself no favors by mindless eating and drinking, thinking it somehow gives me relief from what's bugging me. That happens by addressing the root of the problem, not adding more weight which just leads to more / other problems for me. I didn't know this back-in-the-day, but I know it now...
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,480 Member
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    Frankly I’m wondering if 170 lbs is a new happy weight for me or if it was just a response to a very hot July.

    My plan going forward is more yoga and meditation.

    I was thinking this morning about mindfulness and the big steps forward I got in mindful eating from tracking. Think I’ll go over to Motivation & Support and start posting about mindfulness. I always go on and on about tracking, but never connect the dots with mindfulness. Lots of folks there zooming around like pinballs on a diet.
  • Philtex
    Philtex Posts: 928 Member
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    I did not do well weight-wise this summer. I am up almost 10 pounds from where I want to be. Too much snacking and not enough exercise. The heat has not broken here yet so I still can't do my running outside. The heat is no excuse for my poor eating choices, so that is something I just need to get control of.
  • Al_Howard
    Al_Howard Posts: 8,036 Member
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    Since June 1st to today, down 0.2 pounds. That's why I'm toying tith trying to return to PP, and/or the MFP tracker.
  • savignr
    savignr Posts: 711 Member
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    Pretty happy with mine. Down 13 pounds since June 25, which includes two weeks of vacation that ended up dead flat (a major victory for me). I’ve incorporated daily walking into my routine, normally 2-3 miles. Hope to amp that up a little once the heat breaks down here.
  • misterhub
    misterhub Posts: 6,253 Member
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    I lost about 10 pounds over two months. Nothing special, just modifying my portion size.

    I am concerned with my heart health potential, so I am moving more toward a heart healthy diet, and I am making a concerted effort to move more.
  • myallforjcbill
    myallforjcbill Posts: 5,561 Member
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    I am down 12 lbs after returning to weekly meetings in May and committing to trying Freestyle for 6 months. I did decide this month to double track on MFP so I can see my nutrition info again.
  • Jimb376mfp
    Jimb376mfp Posts: 6,232 Member
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    Since hitting GW in March and Lifetime since May I have been below GW (184) through Summer. :smiley:

    Fall may be a challenge with back surgery next month for pinched nerve with bulging disc with arthritis :disappointed:

  • Jerdtrmndone
    Jerdtrmndone Posts: 5,699 Member
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    I've at least maintained. This of course is not what I want because I need to lose 50 lbs. to get back to goal. I am going to PT. to see if they can get me back to moving better because my arthritis is taking over.
  • whathapnd
    whathapnd Posts: 1,238 Member
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    Overall, I had a decent summer weight-wise. I had steady weight loss between January and early May then was relatively flat for awhile. I then lost about five pounds by early July and was within two pounds of WW goal. I gained some following my mother's death but that is starting to come off. As of this morning, I'm the same weight I was in mid-May. I'm currently six pounds over goal.

    My focus this fall/winter is going to be on moving more and starting some strength training.
  • countcurt
    countcurt Posts: 593 Member
    edited September 2018
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    I have been frustrated by an unwillingness on my part to do the things I know I need to do to lose those pesky 10 pounds I need to get rid of in order to get to my 'ok' range. It's almost like there's been a willful decision not to attend to those behaviors. So, I've not gained weight this summer, but I certainly haven't lost weight and my eating habits are not improved.

    I did decide on Thursday to get serious about changing my behaviors. So far, I am pleased with my actions. Four days does not a pattern make, but my personal experience has been that if I can successfully implement the desired actions over a couple of COMPLETE days, I can usually get it going over a more extended time frame. It's too early to assess the impact on weight, but I know that if I 'do' the right thing- tracking, measuring (OK, on this I eyeball and always have), make the better choice most of the time- the results will come.

    I have made one technical change- I decided to go back to paper and pen[cil]. It is definitely less convenient than using my phone. On the plus side, I find the tactile 'neurolinguistic' process of writing to be very reinforcing. Since I don't weigh food and since I have a pretty damn good idea of the caloric values of food, the process works for me. Bonus? I use the other side of each day's card to 'track' my chores. It's amazing how much more of those I'm 'remembering' to get done.
  • gadgetgirlIL
    gadgetgirlIL Posts: 1,381 Member
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    My knee is much improved since the beginning of summer which translates into better sleep quality and the ability to do more walking without discomfort.

    My weight has drifted down a couple of pounds so I have a cushion again for my WW LT weigh-ins.

    Things at work are still very unsettled so my focus is now on trying to make headway on some important projects that have landed on my desk. These projects directly affect my ability to continue to be employed next summer after our current crop of students graduate. There aren't any applicants in the pipeline for our program at the moment.
  • Rachel0778
    Rachel0778 Posts: 1,701 Member
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    I didn't track my food since the last time I posted here (so it's been awhile!), but I did still make healthy choices and kept up with my activity. My weight is definitely up, but since my pants are just starting to get a little tight I'd guess it's not by more than 10lbs. I guess we'll see on my weigh in day
  • Rachel0778
    Rachel0778 Posts: 1,701 Member
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    Rachel0778 wrote: »
    I didn't track my food since the last time I posted here (so it's been awhile!), but I did still make healthy choices and kept up with my activity. My weight is definitely up, but since my pants are just starting to get a little tight I'd guess it's not by more than 10lbs. I guess we'll see on my weigh in day

    And weigh in day arrived. After a week of watching my food I'm only 5lbs up! I'm counting that as a huge win
  • Jerdtrmndone
    Jerdtrmndone Posts: 5,699 Member
    edited September 2018
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    @Rachel0078 Way to go. You really had this all along and you allowed yourself to get into a negative mood which put you in a frenzy. Stay positive and you will feel better about your self.

  • imastar2
    imastar2 Posts: 5,984 Member
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    Looking back on the last 3 months is a sobering experience. I'm up 1. 4 lbs in the last 3 months when in my mind I'm suppose to be in a loss mode. So that tells me that while I think I'm in a loss mode I'm evidently not concentrating on it very much.

    So whenever one looks at the past without results one was looking for, one must look at the data and say where or what do I do now.? If I want to change I've got to make a decision to change. So is there any reason to delay my decision? I don't think so.

    Loosing weight is one of the most challenging things I have to do. I just plain love food and I eat too much when I eat. So a strategy is at hand. I think a lot of times we feel like we have to make a huge sacrifice and that is true to some degree but planning it out is the key and sticking to my plan and tracking everything are both huge keys.

    So on to 1/1/19 but more importantly on to the next break and the next day. Guess I had to get this off my chest today.

    SW 400.8
    CW 342.8☹
    Next GW 300.0
    Final GW 185.0

    58.0 lbs Total lost
  • Rachel0778
    Rachel0778 Posts: 1,701 Member
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    @Rachel0078 Way to go. You really had this all along and you allowed yourself to get into a negative mood which put you in a frenzy. Stay positive and you will feel better about your self.

    Thank you! I think this was one of the first times that stepping back on the scale actually helped my mental state rather than hurting it. I'm definitely feeling a lot calmer about the process ahead.

    @imastar2 Change and weight loss are so hard! It sounds like you've got some great ideas to plan ahead and track consistently to get you to your goal
  • mr_sandyman
    mr_sandyman Posts: 187 Member
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    I started the summer in cardiac rehab and finished still in cardiac maintenance (voluntary program). My fitness level is way up and I feel I can continue to improve. I started and finished below my goal weight with only one WI above.

    Unfortunately the Alaska winter is right around the corner and I tend to hibernate. The sun that came up @ 5:30am just a couple months ago is still below the mountains at 7:30am today(and will be below at 10am in just a couple months). So while the summer was a win I'm hopeful that it set a solid foundation for a better winter.
  • countcurt
    countcurt Posts: 593 Member
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    Unfortunately the Alaska winter is right around the corner and I tend to hibernate. The sun that came up @ 5:30am just a couple months ago is still below the mountains at 7:30am today(and will be below at 10am in just a couple months). So while the summer was a win I'm hopeful that it set a solid foundation for a better winter.


    I suspect this would be a real struggle for me although when I used to run in the early am, I could handle any two of the three: cold, dark, wet. I could never manage to overcome all three, even when I was in my most committed days as a runner.


    In the meantime, as a follow up to my prior post on this thread, I’m happy to report I’ve been able to get my head around the tracking, now for 10 days. Which, again, is not a lifetime. But it does tell me I’m in a much better place in terms of healthy eating than I was two weeks ago. Right now I’m trying to figure out what makes it ‘so easy’ to track and manage foods when it’s easy and what makes it so f’king impossible when it’s not.