Healthy for the Holidays Challenge - 9/06 - 11/22

can I join this group? My starting weight is 198.2 and my goal weight for 11/22/11 is 173 lbs.

thanks!

Hi Mayra! I've added you to our group spreadsheet! Check back every day for motivation, and feel free to share anything with us. Our current week's exercise and food challenge can also be found at the top of the spreadsheet. Here's a link that you can bookmark to access the spreadsheet at anytime:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AoomF1o6sg6LdEw2NV92dFQ5RDZqbm1Bek5xR1M4M3c&hl=en_US

Welcome to the group!

Ok on veggies today, but not super like yesterday. DId a total body sculpt with Gilad today which I consider weight training since there's a lot of weight work and calisthenics in it.

Work sucks and I'm overly stressed, but the workouts help to make it less bad. That's a good thing in light of some not-so-good things

And finally, my routine

It is the same for Mon-Wed-Fri and I will change it up in 1-2 months.

Back: Dumbbell bent over row- 8 reps 3 sets
Chest: Dumbbell bench press- 8 reps 3 sets
Quads (Thighs): Dumbbell squats- 8 reps 3 sets
Hamstrings (Upper back leg): Dumbbell straight leg deadlifts- 8 reps 3 sets
Abs: Bicycle crunches: 8 reps 3 sets
Shoulders: Dumbbell lateral raises 8 reps 3 sets

The following is optional:
Mon: Add 6 reps 2 sets of dumbbell tricep extensions to the above.
Wed: Add 6 reps 2 sets of standing calf raises with dumbbells to the above.
Fri: Add 6 reps 2 sets of dumbbell bicep curls to the above.

This is very similar to the routine a trainer at my gym set up for me. I do it at the gym, so I do incorporate a few machines, but it's mostly dumbbell and body weight stuff. I'm really impressed that you came up with this on your own! I have two different total-body routines (to keep things interesting) and my goal is to alternate them every three days (so, one day on, two days off). I haven't quite gotten there yet, but I'm working on it.

Next time I'm at the gym I'll make a copy of my routines and share them with you all.

Well.. I didn't exactly come up with it by myself, I had a lot of help on the forums, especially from stroutman81 (check out his posts, he has a lot of great info) and crisanderson27.
They also suggested that I do 5x5, I did 8x3 for my first day, but planing to go with their reccomendation and do 5 reps and 5 sets for most movements as I work with heavier weights.

What do you do for abs? I only do 1 thing and it feels like it's not enough? But maybe it is, what does your trainer have you doing for abs?

I do two sets of 15 reps for most of the exercises, but I have no idea what the differences are between the number of sets and reps. Obviously, you could do however many you wanted. Anyway, here are my ab exercises. I've included some links for pictures/explanations in case you don't know what they are.

Routine #1
30 second plank x2 (http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/exercises.asp?exercise=7)
15 sit ups on exercise ball x2
30 second superman x2 (http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/exercises.asp?exercise=191)

Routine #2 (I'm not as sure about the numbers on this one, but these are the exercises)
15 right-sided crunches, 15 left-sided crunches
15 bicycle crunches x2
15 medicine ball twists x2 (http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/strengthening/free_weights/medicine_ball_twist.php)

You could probably do the medicine ball twists with free weights instead of a medicine ball if you don't have one.

My weight on Tuesday morning was 147. 1 pound loss. i have faithfully logged in my food each day so far!

Almost Friday...thanking God for that...I'm sure that this Monday I won't have a net loss, but hoping to lose what I gained last weekend, have been really good with my eating this week, hopefully it pays off!
@Olivia Just want to let you know that I am thinking of you and praying for you. Hating going into work is not okay, that stress can be part of what is keeping the weight on. Stress has a way of negatively impacting our health in many ways, and is definitely a hindrance to weight loss. Not having that support from your husband at night must be so difficult. I hope that you are able to find joy, you deserve it, and of course, feel free to complain and share here anytime. Sending virtual hugs!
Hope everybody is having a great week!
Jenni

Olivia, sometimes just knowing people are on the same boat as you will help, and TRUST me when I say I'm on that same boat, and have as well found it really difficult to stay on plan... I have 2 toddlers my oldest will be 4 the end of next month, my youngest is 2... My husband works graveyard shift 5:30 pm-6:00 am. I don't get help with dinner time, bed time.. nothing. It gets VERY stressful on top of my work day which I get more and more pressure at work on a daily basis. The best suggestion I have to control night time is if your daughter is on a schedule.. REALLY try and stick with it. My kids lay down at 8pm for bed time every night no matter what. Sometimes my oldest falls asleep right away.. sometimes he'll sit in his bed and read or watch a little TV before he sleeps, but he's in his bed lights out at 8. Same with my youngest, though he usually falls asleep faster. The days they fall off schedule are always horrific and I get crazy stressed out. And I'm a total stress eater.

I've been slacking in the exercise department lately, i've just been so buy and work has been so crazy I havn't been able to get to the gym during my lunch break because I'm not taking a full hour anymore. Its also why my stress levels are up as I have not been releiving the stress.

I did do some walking yesterday but I need a balls to the wall strength training session so I'm going to do the 6W6P AND the 30 Day Shred tonight even though my trainer said not to do curcuit training... I need to kick my butt so to speak.

I've been doing okay on the food front and logging but my sodium has been crazy high still lately. I need to get back to my eating basics of eating fresh foods.. I've been eating out WAY to much.

I love the chart. Thanks for the strength training challenge. I usually only think of doing strength training at the gym. I went yesterday and did a part of my program. My sister was with me and I showed her some of what I am doing. I didn't get to finish. So today, I can do some of the things I didn't get to yesterday right at home. Great motivation to not just exercise at the gym...thanks!

Yesterday was my birthday and I still did really well. :drinker:

I went jogging, did strength training, ate healthy the whole day including eating lots of veggies and had just 1 slice of cake.

I guess I'm starting to see this as a lifestyle change rather than a diet that I should be cheating on special days. :glasses:

Happy belated Birthday. :flowerforyou: You just gave me encouragement without trying. My birthday is in 2 weeks and I've already been scaring myself that I'm going to over do it. :sad: But, knowing that others can enjoy their special day without eating half a cake gives me encouragement to do the same.

thanks for the kind words everyone. I hope things will get better at work so I am also less stressed at home. I am trying to put some things in place at work to lighten the load and make the difficult things less hard, of course some of the difficulties involve people who are used to pushing others around at work to get their way, but it is my hope that this will abate soon by me standing up to them.

@stacy - thank goodness my daughter loves going to bed. She is in bed shortly after 7pm every night and often will ask to go to bed, "ni-ni" is one of her biggest requests. She has a special stuffed dog (she calls him bubba) that she loves to snuggle with and suck her thumb, and she can only have him in bed, so that motivates her to want to go to bed. I am lucky with that, but after that I get in a quick workout, then need to login to work remotely to catch up on things that I am behind on because I am short staffed and am picking up the work of others (I think we'll be hiring on some new folks soon, or at least I' holding out hope).

Thanks for all the love and support. Being a part of these challenges have supported me in so many ways over the last 8 months. I feel better knowing I have you all to lean on in harder times. I look forward to things looking up and doing the same for many of you all.

Yesterday was my birthday and I still did really well. :drinker:

I went jogging, did strength training, ate healthy the whole day including eating lots of veggies and had just 1 slice of cake.

I guess I'm starting to see this as a lifestyle change rather than a diet that I should be cheating on special days. :glasses:

Happy belated Birthday. :flowerforyou: You just gave me encouragement without trying. My birthday is in 2 weeks and I've already been scaring myself that I'm going to over do it. :sad: But, knowing that others can enjoy their special day without eating half a cake gives me encouragement to do the same.

Thank you and I'm glad I was able to encourage you. Think of it this way: you want to be healthier, feel better and look better and this is what you want for you birthday. You may not get to your goal for your birthday this year but you can feel good about yourself knowing that you are one step closer. You also won't have that horrible feeling you get after eating the whole cake. Just eat light and healthy all day so you have room for a slice of cake later on.

You know what u should do? The day before your birthday you should do a workout that you know will make you really sore the next day. So on your birthday you'll have a constant reminder of how har you've been working

That's the best idea ever! Remind me of that in May when it's almost my birthday!

I set myself up to be in a whole world of pain tomorrow.. I'm dreading the morning. level 2 of 6W6P really is unbearable.

Helen.. can I please readjust my goal weight? i took a sneak peak at the scale this morning and i want to give myself a REAL 10 week goal.. so can I change it to 138? Please

Yesterday was my birthday and I still did really well. :drinker:

I went jogging, did strength training, ate healthy the whole day including eating lots of veggies and had just 1 slice of cake.

I guess I'm starting to see this as a lifestyle change rather than a diet that I should be cheating on special days. :glasses:

Happy belated birthday!! I just had mine on the 4th...it was great because this is the smallest I ever remember being on my birthday for a long long loooooooong time, it's good to reflect!

Helen.. can I please readjust my goal weight? i took a sneak peak at the scale this morning and i want to give myself a REAL 10 week goal.. so can I change it to 138? Please

Done and done! And you're still in the green.

Ladies, Mind if I join too? My eleventh wedding anniversary is 11/22, I would love to have encouragement to be slimmer for it!

My current weight is 190, I would like to be 180 by then. My NSV would be to be able to run a 5k and to only have one sweet/treat per day.