Determined December Challenge 2019

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  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
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    Yesterday was a bit under in food...and I haven't worked out in like a full week now...stupid cold...but I'm starting to feel a bit more peppy, so I'm determined to make the most of the remainder of the month while still listening to my body and getting back to full health!
  • weatherking2019
    weatherking2019 Posts: 943 Member
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    omg8ksg1gkan.jpg
    OK, so day 2 of skipping dinner went well.
    Made kids dinner after I got home, got ready for OTF and off I went. It was endurance day which was H A R D... and the fire alarm went off there so it was a crazy night.
    Afterwards, I made and had a cup of protein smoothie and that was it! Took a shower, watched a bit of tv and in the😴💤 land.
    The best part of it? I am back down to 109.2! Don't feel bloated! Tonight is mammogram night. So no working out but sticking to my plan😘👌
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 6,958 Member
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    Baconslave's Boring Update:
    Dec 17
    on plan cals
    on plan carbs
    workouts: 2/6

    Cardio today.

    I'm really not doing well on the NEAT. It's cold out. I'm stuck on my butt supervising kiddo stinkfaces. And walking in place for no reason just to get it in is difficult for me. Plus my Fitbit has decided it will only randomly alert me that I haven't moved when it feels like it and as a result is unpredictable. I have the reminders on because I CAN'T REMEMBER on my own. :unamused: Whatever. At least it is sunny.

    Have a fab on-plan day!
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
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    These cold days make me grateful that I have a treadmill even if it's a super cheap $100 one...and elliptical, which was free and is kind of noisy...but at least it's a way to get in the activity without having to suffer the cold.
  • anglyn1
    anglyn1 Posts: 1,802 Member
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    12/17

    1.Under 75 carbs tops (I'm usually under 50 but leeway for holiday events) DONE

    2. Work on adding at least 1 or 2 days of some sort of exercise each week. I know that sounds lame but I have literally done NO exercise, not even taking walks in many months due to a huge long lasting RA flare.

    Had to take my daughter shopping for the babies. Then went to dinner with in-laws.

    3. Try a new low carb recipe each week to motivate me and my husband who is kind of sorting following the plan.

    Went out to dinner so no recipe last night. Tonight I'll either do leftover soup or I have a taco casserole recipe I want to try.

    @baconslave I need to remember to put my fitbit back in action! I am the worst for zoning out at my desk for hours. :( I have a windowless office and a space heater and I just kind of cocoon up in here during the winter and forget to move!
  • francesca_grey
    francesca_grey Posts: 96 Member
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    I binged on Sunday and that was bad but I got right back to regular programming on Monday and I don't care about it anymore. I'm just glad I didn't go off the rails completely. I am trying two new foods today - Thai curry soup with chicken for lunch and some kind of ground turkey tex-mex bowl for dinner. Having meals to look forward to helps me stay on plan more than anything else.

    Tried on my favorite pair of jeans yesterday (haven't worn them since this spring) and I was expecting them to be loose like usual but they are not the stretchy kind so they did not fit. That was a reality check! I had no idea I gained so much on my lower body. I know it's muscle but I've been maintaining the same jean size for 6 years and my brain is having trouble processing what happened. The silver lining is now I have some goal jeans!

    My NEAT is not good either, I can't complain about the weather because it's in the mid-60s here, but it is is "cold" to me and I am bundled in a fur-lined hoodie all day haha. I think it's the calorie deficit too.
  • Violet_Flux
    Violet_Flux Posts: 481 Member
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    Dec 18th is done for us! :)

    We had another pretty good day today. Workout was a bit shorter this morning but it was enuf. Appetite was lower too, just barely got over 1000cal in. :confused:

    1) Carbs < 30g - ✅
    2) 1000 < Calories < 1500 - ✅
    3) Log Everything! - ✅
    4) Hit our activity goal every day - ✅
    5) At least 5 workouts/week - ◼️◼️◼️◻️◻️

    Hope everyone's having a good day! Just 2 weeks left in December! :smiley:
  • vkrenz
    vkrenz Posts: 183 Member
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    Dec 17 check in for me. It was a success.

    1. Lose 5 lbs before 12/31/19 [the scale has been very good to me this week]
    2. Stay under carb goal (< 35) and under calorie goal (<1,500) every day [23 carbs and 1,025 calories]
    3. Exercise every day at least 30 minutes, walking on treadmill or outside if weather permits [I have been able to turn up the speed so did 2 miles in 38 minutes]
    4. Plan ahead every day which is challenging with so many potluck opportunities and I love to socialize. [Good planning and was able to stay on track]

    I have to work on NEAT. I went W A Y down the hall to the bathroom twice today and went up 2 flights of stairs to deliver some paperwork so every little bit helps, right?!

    Good job everyone!

    Whoever posted about the tex mex ground turkey bowl, it sounds good so I'll be googling for a recipe when I have time

    Vicki
  • herblovinmom
    herblovinmom Posts: 367 Member
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    Day 18
    I am determined:
    Staying under carbs-YES
    Staying under calories-YEs
    Logging and measuring-YES
    Getting in exercise/movement-1/3
    Increasing water intake-almost met my daily water goal 👍 I can already see my goals for the next challenge 😉
    Planning ahead meals-Yes, as best I can..
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
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    Yesterday was good, kind of...I was fine on calories but crazy low on protein...which seems to be happening a lot...I also got on the scale this morning and no change since the Nov baseline, so I can't help but wonder if the lack of protein is hindering my results...granted, there are some NSVs like no cellulite on my thighs and a definite reduction on the booty...I also did a quick waist/hip measurement yesterday afternoon and my waist was the same even after eating and such, so probably reduced at least a bit since I usually measure empty stomach first thing in the morning, plus hips were down like a full inch, which I didn't expect because visually my booty looks bigger and my jeans are definitely tight there...in any case, I am getting some results, but I do wonder if my results could be optimized if I were hitting that protein goal consistently.

    I'm going to attempt to rewire my brain to focus on getting to the top of each of my macros each day (and not going over) while just ignoring calories. If the macros are on target, calories will take care of themselves.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 6,958 Member
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    anglyn1 wrote: »
    12/17

    1.Under 75 carbs tops (I'm usually under 50 but leeway for holiday events) DONE

    2. Work on adding at least 1 or 2 days of some sort of exercise each week. I know that sounds lame but I have literally done NO exercise, not even taking walks in many months due to a huge long lasting RA flare.

    Had to take my daughter shopping for the babies. Then went to dinner with in-laws.

    3. Try a new low carb recipe each week to motivate me and my husband who is kind of sorting following the plan.

    Went out to dinner so no recipe last night. Tonight I'll either do leftover soup or I have a taco casserole recipe I want to try.

    @baconslave I need to remember to put my fitbit back in action! I am the worst for zoning out at my desk for hours. :( I have a windowless office and a space heater and I just kind of cocoon up in here during the winter and forget to move!

    Mine was great when it kept up with nagging me... I forget to move too. Chained to the dining room table with my Messasauruses. If I leave the room one minute they start messing around.
    I did better yesterday. I need to make super sure to do better today since it's strength day so I don't have cardio to get the steps in.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 6,958 Member
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    Yesterday was good, kind of...I was fine on calories but crazy low on protein...which seems to be happening a lot...I also got on the scale this morning and no change since the Nov baseline, so I can't help but wonder if the lack of protein is hindering my results...granted, there are some NSVs like no cellulite on my thighs and a definite reduction on the booty...I also did a quick waist/hip measurement yesterday afternoon and my waist was the same even after eating and such, so probably reduced at least a bit since I usually measure empty stomach first thing in the morning, plus hips were down like a full inch, which I didn't expect because visually my booty looks bigger and my jeans are definitely tight there...in any case, I am getting some results, but I do wonder if my results could be optimized if I were hitting that protein goal consistently.

    I'm going to attempt to rewire my brain to focus on getting to the top of each of my macros each day (and not going over) while just ignoring calories. If the macros are on target, calories will take care of themselves.

    Nice NSVs. NSVs are what our body is doing when it's being a brat and avoiding giving some up to the scale. Which I know you know. Part of us knows that while the other part freaks out. :unamused: It's been 5 years low-carbing and my mind still gets ridiculous over certain issues sometimes. *sigh*

    I hope you are feeling much better. Being sick just screws with everything.
    Good luck on the protein. So essential, but jiggering with the macros can be tricky sometimes.
  • Violet_Flux
    Violet_Flux Posts: 481 Member
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    baconslave wrote: »
    I'm thinking about doing a New Year Bootcamp Challenge. Heavy on the Basics to help the New Year Newbie, but adaptable for low-carb veterans.
    January Jumpstart
    I know I'll have a pound or 2 to get rid of. My birthday is New Year's Day as well. My husband is off 5 days throughout that plus weekends. :grimace: I'm hoping to at least keep up with my workouts and IF every morning (my usual). So all that to say, I'll be Jumpstarting my Januaury as well. I gained 10lbs over the winter last year that I then had to chip away at half the year. Not doing that this year.
    We're up for a January Jumpstart! 😸

    In the past, the last week or 10 days of december has been a time we kinda cut loose & binge & stuff... but considering we kinda had many months of that up till November, we're hoping to get through this month as close to target as possible.

    Tho we will have a 'blowout' day this weekend... Saturday we're going to let the kids take over, so the carbs & calories will be off the charts probably. 😿
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 6,958 Member
    edited December 2019
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    baconslave wrote: »
    I'm thinking about doing a New Year Bootcamp Challenge. Heavy on the Basics to help the New Year Newbie, but adaptable for low-carb veterans.
    January Jumpstart
    I know I'll have a pound or 2 to get rid of. My birthday is New Year's Day as well. My husband is off 5 days throughout that plus weekends. :grimace: I'm hoping to at least keep up with my workouts and IF every morning (my usual). So all that to say, I'll be Jumpstarting my Januaury as well. I gained 10lbs over the winter last year that I then had to chip away at half the year. Not doing that this year.
    We're up for a January Jumpstart! 😸

    In the past, the last week or 10 days of december has been a time we kinda cut loose & binge & stuff... but considering we kinda had many months of that up till November, we're hoping to get through this month as close to target as possible.

    Tho we will have a 'blowout' day this weekend... Saturday we're going to let the kids take over, so the carbs & calories will be off the charts probably. 😿

    It will be okay to let the kids have their day once. We don't get overweight when we celebrate a holiday here and there, but when we start treating every day ( or multiple days a week) like a feast day/holiday. So one isolated blowout won't be too hard to recover from. As long as we get right back to business. :+1:
  • weatherking2019
    weatherking2019 Posts: 943 Member
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    baconslave wrote: »
    Dec 18
    on plan cals
    on plan carbs
    workouts: 3/6


    I'm thinking about doing a New Year Bootcamp Challenge. Heavy on the Basics to help the New Year Newbie, but adaptable for low-carb veterans.
    January Jumpstart
    I know I'll have a pound or 2 to get rid of. My birthday is New Year's Day as well. My husband is off 5 days throughout that plus weekends. :grimace: I'm hoping to at least keep up with my workouts and IF every morning (my usual). So all that to say, I'll be Jumpstarting my Januaury as well. I gained 10lbs over the winter last year that I then had to chip away at half the year. Not doing that this year.


    I like the New Year Bootcamp Challenge! (whatever it may be) N.Y. is always a good time to "Start" something. I don't have a resolution yet for 2020, so I plan on writing it out.
    But I will continue with the ones I have been sticking to this year.
    1. OTF 3,4 times a week
    2. Eat healthy. Limit eating out.
    3. Annual visit to doctors.

    I've lost the fat I wanted to rid of. But now I am stuck with a flabby, uneven skin that is not flattering. I plan on finding a way to smoothing, tightening up!
    Maybe try those collagen stuff?? Let me know if any of you take it with good results.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
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    I have already planned the workouts and nutrition (outline, it will need the math adjusted each month if the weight or body fat % changes) for Jan-May (this is what happens when I am bored at work)...January will be maintenance food/strength training and lots and lots of cardio - need to build up that heart muscle too...so a bootcamp or jumpstart would be awesome!!!

    In regards to lose skin after weight loss, mine takes about 2 years to really catch up, so don't fret about it too much between the loss and the 2 year mark...typically oral collagen is of very little value since the bioavailability is poor (under 50%), so you might find better results with other healthy fats like avocado or vitamins B/C/E or fish oils or beta carotene...things that are cheaper and more bioavailable and still provide your body a similar raw material to support skin elasticity...but mostly you probably just need time...skin is slower to respond and adapt, but it will catch up eventually.
  • francesca_grey
    francesca_grey Posts: 96 Member
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    @vkrenz - the tex mex bowl was so good! I added ground turkey with taco seasoning, onions, bell peppers, corn, black beans and cauliflower rice mixed with a couple tablespoons of quinoa. Salsa and guacamole on top. Would have added some cotija cheese if I had it. Super easy and a very high volume food.

    My version was 700 cals, 55g carbs, 19g fiber, 31g fat and 52g protein. If you used plain cauliflower rice (I used a mix with peas in it) and omitted the quinoa it would be lower carb. I like bowls and stir fries like this because I can meet my macros by adjusting the ingredients but the concept is the same.

    @Violet_Flux I think having blowout days and getting back on track right away is good training too.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 6,958 Member
    Options
    baconslave wrote: »
    Dec 18
    on plan cals
    on plan carbs
    workouts: 3/6


    I'm thinking about doing a New Year Bootcamp Challenge. Heavy on the Basics to help the New Year Newbie, but adaptable for low-carb veterans.
    January Jumpstart
    I know I'll have a pound or 2 to get rid of. My birthday is New Year's Day as well. My husband is off 5 days throughout that plus weekends. :grimace: I'm hoping to at least keep up with my workouts and IF every morning (my usual). So all that to say, I'll be Jumpstarting my Januaury as well. I gained 10lbs over the winter last year that I then had to chip away at half the year. Not doing that this year.


    I like the New Year Bootcamp Challenge! (whatever it may be) N.Y. is always a good time to "Start" something. I don't have a resolution yet for 2020, so I plan on writing it out.
    But I will continue with the ones I have been sticking to this year.
    1. OTF 3,4 times a week
    2. Eat healthy. Limit eating out.
    3. Annual visit to doctors.

    I've lost the fat I wanted to rid of. But now I am stuck with a flabby, uneven skin that is not flattering. I plan on finding a way to smoothing, tightening up!
    Maybe try those collagen stuff?? Let me know if any of you take it with good results.

    I echo tcunbeliever with the answer being plain ol' TIME. I'm still seeing slow, subtle improvement and it's been 3 years since I hit goal weight. Some people say dry brushing stimulates skin turnover. I personally couldn't ever find the time to consistently do that. It stinks it taking all that time, but considering the wreck I made of my body, it's coming along nicely. And as it's often said, this is a lifelong marathon, not just a sprint. So just another milestone. :smile:
  • weatherking2019
    weatherking2019 Posts: 943 Member
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    @tcunbeliever Thx for the good info! I don't take much vitamins so my bottle of C's and Fish oils are still more than half full. I will be taking them :)
    The Nivea Skin Firming and Toning Gel Cream with Q10 Plus isn't really doing much. (or I just don't see much difference)