My name is Muriel, i am from South Africa, love weight lifting...its still new to me and i struggle a lot with my diet....This will be my first challenge....

Sounds like you have a solid plan and that’s the first step to success!

Happy Friday, December Gutbusters! We'll begin posting December weigh-ins starting on Sunday. For those of you who are new to the group, here are some weigh-in FAQs:

• When do I post my weigh-in?
  Post on your "scheduled weigh-in day". So, if you posted a weight in the New Member Registration thread on a Tuesday, then your scheduled weigh-in day will be each Tuesday of the month. You can also check the December spreadsheet to see what your scheduled weigh-in day is.
• Why is Week 1 beginning on Sunday? Haven't we been already posted our starting weights?
  Think of it like a first birthday. You're born, then you have to live a whole year before you can celebrate being 1. In this challenge, you post a starting weight, then you have a whole week to work on weight loss before you post your Week 1 weigh-in.
• How do I post my weigh-in?
  Your posts should look like this:
  Username:
  Week: November Week 1
  PW: Previous Weight in lbs
  CW: Current Weight in lbs
• What's my previous weight?
  If you're new, your Week 1 previous weight is whatever weight you posted in the New Member Registration thread, or check out the current spreadsheet to see what your posted info says. If you're returning, your Week 1 previous weight is whatever your weight was in the last week of the previous month.
• I'm still confused. Who can help me?
  Just ask a question here and tag me, or PM me and I'll do my best to get back as soon as possible.

heartofhearts wrote: »

Hey! I'm from VA. I'm a stay at home mom. This is my 1st challenge with this group. I miss going to the gym. I used to go a lot years ago but I'd go through periods of where I'd go nonstop for months then quit going. I miss going to Zumba class at the gym. So, when I have the extra $, thinking some dvds may fill my void. I've been at a high weight ever since I was a kid. I'm excited to give this an early start & keep it going into the new year. I don't have much social support at home, which is why I'm here.

I'm doing aerobics of YouTube this month. Maybe we can swap favourites?

I am Farah.I have two children.This year 2018 was not good for me.First I got my finger cut in blender while preparing baby’s food.A month later I got extreme stiffness in my back and diagnosed with herniated disk.And EGD and colonoscopy this month.Hence those days when I am good with back issues I exercise.Limiting carbohydrates whenever I can.Started eating dinner early.Start with 5 minutes in exercise and then continue for another 5 minutes and do it whenever I remember again.Hope we make improvement this month.

I am very excited for December’s challenge! My goal is to reach 143 by December 31st. I am currently 148. My November history shows I can lose 2-3 pounds a week as I went from 158-159 to 148 over the course of November’s challenge. I’m hoping to slow it down a bit but still maintain my new habit of weighing and tracking all of my food. It’s made a huge difference in my success.

Hi! I'm Cathy, 52 years old, mother of 2 kiddos - one in Philadelphia, one in Memphis. I don't have a huge amount of weight to lose, but these last 10 pounds are the hardest! I've been trying for several months and have hardly had any movement. For me, it's not the eating, as I don't really eat that much, it's the lack of exercise. I don't go to a gym, am uncomfortable looking stupid in front of everyone..... I recently had 2 stress fractures after starting to run on a treadmill, and then those healed and the treadmill broke! 🙃 This is pretty much how my life goes ha ha ha! Anyway, glad to be here and I hope I help the team instead of hurt our numbers!

12Sarah2015 wrote: »

heartofhearts wrote: »

Hey! I'm from VA. I'm a stay at home mom. This is my 1st challenge with this group. I miss going to the gym. I used to go a lot years ago but I'd go through periods of where I'd go nonstop for months then quit going. I miss going to Zumba class at the gym. So, when I have the extra $, thinking some dvds may fill my void. I've been at a high weight ever since I was a kid. I'm excited to give this an early start & keep it going into the new year. I don't have much social support at home, which is why I'm here.

I'm doing aerobics of YouTube this month. Maybe we can swap favourites?

@heartofhearts @12sarah2015 Hi mamas! I just finished a 60 min strength workout video from hasfit.com's free motive program, which is what I follow. My little dudes (4 and 6) were around me and crowding me the whole time, but although it's periodically annoying ("back up, I need more space!"), I've changed my mindset to see it as a good thing. They get to see their mom exercising and pushing past challenges, and I hope that my making this a routine means that someday when they're grown, they'll just see it as routine to exercise around their kids, too. Like it's not something you have to specially schedule to do for when the kids are asleep or at day care, but that you just do with the kids around, because it's normal to do so. So I feel good about exercising around them, even though it's sometimes annoying, because I feel like it's part of their life education to see exercise around kids as normal. Does that make any sense?

Anyway, I hope you get that same feeling from exercising with your kids nearby. I know mamas have to work around a lot of challenges and it's hard, but every time you make exercise happen, you're showing your kids how to live a healthy life, and I think that's a non-scale victory (NSV) every time!

dommylifts wrote: »

heartofhearts wrote: »

@LesickaBod So, if my weigh in day is Monday, do I post this Monday or next Monday? I'm still kind of confused OR is this Monday like starting weight & then the following Monday, 1 week's worth of weight loss?

I am also wondering this as my weigh in days are Sunday. I believe I am weighing in tomorrow.

@dommylifts You got it! Your Dec starting weight rolls over from the last week of Dec, and your first weigh-in is tomorrow, Dec 2. Check the spreadsheet if you have questions

amynew4u wrote: »

For me, mini goals are important. It isn’t just about the weight, though that’s certainly in the mix. The first six weeks were about portion control, water and logging every morsel.
Now I’m ready to add intentional movement. That includes what I’m calling GETOUT35. Not including my standard lifestyle craziness, I want to be outside, intentionally breathing and moving for the sole purpose of raising my heartbeat for 35 min. per day! Broken up into shorter increments or all together, just 35 no matter what. I can manage that, even in Minneapolis!
Not without notice, my weight loss mini goal is to be at 250. SW: 301. CE:285. 35# to lose to reach that goal —- GETOUT35.

@amynew4u I love your branding of your goal! Also, being outside is so good for the spirit, in addition to the body. @rocknut53 is an avid hiker in Montana. Our two northern US Gutbusters can be kindred spirits in overcoming the cold and enjoying your outside time this winter!

December 2
Week 1
Exercised. No
Calories No
Tracked. Yes
Still struggling with a cough and cold.