Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes? 20 minutes walking
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day? Yes
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank? Yes

User Name: euronorris
February Week 1
PW: 182.8
CW: 183

Sigh. Water weight works both ways. Sisters 40th birthday party on Saturday night, so plenty of alcohol. Also plenty of dancing. I am sore all over, so I'm pretty sure I'm retaining water in my muscles. Oh well. Onto a new week!

We have a monsoon due to hit tonight. If I don't get to weighin this week that's why. Trying to keep full, not lose weight

Hello team Gutbusters.

Short introduction.

I am a happily married 50yo father of one. I live in Melbourne Australia. I am passionate about helping people. Late August 2017 I passed my minimum goal weight (70kg - down from 91.5kg) and am now trying to maintain without bouncing back too far. I achieved the reduction in 4 months (so 40+ lbs in 4 months). I have kept the weight off for over 12 months now.

As I am now actively trying to NOT lose weight. At BMI 20.6 and less than 8% body fat, it would be crazy (if not dangerous) for me to try lose more weight.

(Why would someone not losing weight want to help run a weight loss challenge? Because it helps so many people and I feel I have so much to share. I learned so much losing weight that I seems a shame to not have it benefit others.).


Moderators preamble.

As I am not losing weight, I will act as coach for this month (when I can - I travel a bit and cannot always check in). My role here is to help motivate, encourage.

I am also moderator for the TBL challenge (Ashley ( @AB0215. ) has been doing most of the heavy lifting, I've been available for advice and guidance when required). Ashley relies heavily on the support of the team captains to make this successful as it is too much for one person to do alone.

Les (@LesIckaBod.) is continuing to do an amazing job as captain. As team captain, Les' primary role is to also help motivate and encourage the team. The captains secondary role is to keep the weight tracking spreadsheet up to date based on people's poset weigh in's. Les has gone from over 212.2lbs to 158.7lbs while in TBL. Lots of experience and well worth listening to.

Les is looking for a co-captain. As Les has been doing this for a while, I'm sure assistance would be appreciated.


Mini-challenge

You will see a daily post from me (most days). This is from a mini-challenge (and it has helped me attain and maintain goal weight). I used the principles of this challenge to win July 2017 (6.29% - down 10.8 lbs) and August 2017 (6.44% - down 10.4 lbs). Following this challenge does work.

First and foremost is that participation in this challenge is optional. It's up to you as to whether you want to try this. (If you take the attitude that "this is not what I signed up for", that is up to you).

The challenge is based on another challenge on MFP called UAC (ultimate accountability challenge). The way UAC works is that the aim is to follow 5 basic rules.

1. Track EVERYTHING you eat that has calories on MFP.
2. Stay inside your allocated daily budget.
3. Do at least 20 minutes of activity a day (anything: walk, run, cycle, swim, gardening, housework, yoga, gym, etc.. As long as it gets you active and off the couch)
4. 1 pass day permitted per week (went over calories, could not track, not enough exercise, intentional pass)
5. Check in daily (tracking yes/no, calories yes/no, exercise yes/no).

In UAC, at the ned of the month, those who have kept to plan for 28 out of 31 days (3 or less non-plan days) are recognised in the thread as being part of the weekly "winners circle". (I have been in the UAC winners circle for 18 straight months - part of how I maintain my weight and help others).


Using this strategy of consistent tracking and minimal exercise I have set a lifestyle plan that should keep me in my target weight range. (has for the last month )

I liked this strategy as:

• No dietary restrictions. (fine for vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, paleo, carnivore, etc...)
• Works with whatever strategy you may want to follow. (keto, 5:2, 16:8, atkins, etc..).
• You set your own daily budget (MFP helps with this).
• You choose you own exercise and intensity (no step limit, no exercises you cannot or should not do, 20 mins of gardening counts as much as a 10mile run).
• Is not weight based (as weight fluctuates day by day).
• Can continue beyond weight loss.

Daily check in keeps you in touch with those doing similar. Longer term weight management is hard to do on your own.

It works on an honor system. Being honest with yourself and others is a key to making things work.

Consistency and new habits have been shown the only long term successful way to change weight. We all want the progress made here to last a lifetime.

You will find out more from me as the weeks go on. I have done A LOT of research into weight loss, diets, health and strength. I will happily share what I have learned with the group.

My commitment to this group is to post my daily results for this accountability tracking (and help out where I can).


So welcome February Gutbusters.

michellelagle
Week:5
PW: 148.7
CW:147.7
This is the smallest I've ever been!!! I love wearing clothes now!

Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes? Yes, its my day to walk the dog so I did 45 minutes.

Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day? No, 22 over but I am not logging exercise so I know I'm really under.

Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank? Yes

michellelagle wrote: »

This is me now...and single 😉

@Michellelagle Congrats on your red dress! I hope you feel fabulous!!

LesIckaBod
Feb Week 1
PW: 158.7
CW: 159.3

No surprise on this little spike! I enjoyed my chips and salsa last night!

Since I've still got this cold (allergies? who knows?) I'm focused on maintaining my weight while attempting to gain strength. Folks here on MFP usually call this "recomposition" -- the idea that you maintain the same weight, but your body composition changes, so that you replace weight in fat with weight in muscle.

The fact is, I'm probably not going to be very successful at recomposition now - I just don't have the appetite for much protein, and I'm very tired most of the time, so it's hard to increase the weights I lift. While I could walk for exercise instead, I actually enjoy the strength training more -- plus I'm a 40 year old woman and I feel like my bones need all the help they can get from this point on.

Anyway, I guess I'm trying to say that I'm going into this month expecting that I probably won't lose much until I feel healthier again, and I feel like this is a strategic choice rather than a cop-out. (A self-delusion? Sometimes I can't tell).

Still need to get back on task with tracking though!

February 4
Exercised? Yes, Yoga class at lunchtime
Calories? Yes
Tracked? Yes

My Fitbit is playing up again, while I never count my steps as true calories burned (and try not to eat my exercise calories) I've joined a new life insurance policy that rewards me for steps, don't want to miss out on my free cinema ticket!

LesIckaBod wrote: »

matthewsfive wrote: »

User Name:Matthewsfive
February Week 1
PW: 259.2
CW: 254.6

Above it the correct info. I usually don't take this much time to caught on.

@matthewsfive I know, this weigh-in stuff can feel a little confusing at first because of how the registration works. Just to get us all on the same page:

You posted on the New Member Registration page on Jan 28 that your starting weight is 259.2. It looks like you want a Saturday weigh-in. The first Saturday weigh-in for February will be this coming Saturday, February 9. Then Sunday will start WEek 2, and your Saturday Week 2 weigh-in will be February 16.

Basically, posting your new member weigh-in on a Monday but choosing a Saturday as your weigh-in day, you bought yourself some extra time before your Week 1 weigh-in! Bonus days! That means more time to lose!

And if this is still confusing, just keep an eye out for @BonnieHosk85 's daily reminders about whose weigh-in day it is, and you can check out the February spreadsheet linked on the TBL main page to see your starting weight, previous weights, etc.

Good luck!

@LesIckaBod
Thanks for helping figure this out. So if I weighed in this past Sat Feb 2nd at 254.6 , should that be my start weight? I don't want to start with a number that's not fair to everyone else. The 259.2 weight number was from Jan 26th.

Did I exercise for at least 20 minutes? Walking home and gardens of Biltmore for 3 hours, 9,000 steps
Did I stay within my calorie budget for the day? Yes
Did I keep track of everything I ate and drank? Yes