15 pounds to lose challenge August-October 31, 2021

Height: 5'5"
Highest Weight: 174.0 lbs (6/7/21)
Ultimate Goal: 130 lbs

August 1st Weight: 172-174 lbs (didn't weigh in as it was my birthday weekend!)
October Goal: 159 lbs (adjusted due to slower loss)

Weight Lost in August: ~4.2 lbs.
Weight Lost in September: 3.8 lbs.
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8/1: ~174 lbs
8/13: 171.4 lbs
8/18: 168.8 lbs
8/31: 169.8 lbs
9/10: 167.4 lbs
9/29: 167.0 lbs
10/1: 166.8 lbs
10/7: 165.8 lbs

I am so close to 10 lbs down! And I know I've said this before, but I can't believe how much better I feel already. I swear I physically feel lighter! It's funny, because a few years ago, my current weight was my highest weight then and I felt so uncomfortable. But now, I know what it feels like to be heavier and I have a new appreciation for my current size. It really is all perspective, isn't it?

I'm not losing as fast as I originally hoped, so I readjusted my end goal of this challenge to 159 lbs (versus 147 lbs which is when I'll be a healthy BMI). And you know what? That's okay! I've been eating in a way that feels satisfying and super sustainable. I've been cooking more and making meals that are delicious--I'm just trying to eat smaller portions. And the crazy thing is that it's been working!

And this is top secret, my Internet friends, but as I mentioned in the start of this challenge (read spoiler for details), we are going to start trying for a baby this month! I didn't hit my weight goal, but I realized that pregnancy doesn't mean the healthy, mindful eating has to end. In fact, I should be considering what I eat more than ever! (Within comfort and reason, of course.) So I am keeping my eye focused on health and new habits, and if it takes us awhile to conceive, I will at least be able to continue to shoot for my ultimate goal in the meantime!

Cross posted this on my team board in the biggest loser challenge, sorry if you see this twice. Thinking about this gave me a motivation boost today and I wanted to share



My coworkers and I were reminiscing about a challenge course we did two years ago today. There were team building exercises before but the highlight was a high rope course, with a zip line. It was a great bonding experience, empowering and really a lot of fun. When our department's director first announced it I thought he was crazy, our section of the department is a call center, we sit on our butts all day and answer calls, was he trying to kill us? I weighed 240lbs then, was so out of shape and out of my comfort zone. Stepping out of my comfort zone lead to a fun experience and the knowledge that I can do more than I think I can if I just try.

Reminiscing on it today reminded me to try new things, even if it makes you nervous. It may not always lead to a great experience but either way you can say you tried and you learned more about what you and your body can do.

I'm Michelle, 50. I started the year at 185, started the april challenge at 170, and am currently 164. My goal is 10,000 steps a day, swimming 3 times a week and to lose 2-3 pounds a month, so 6-9 pounds for the new challenge!

August 1 164
August 8 162
August 27 163.2
Sept 4 162
Sept 11 162.4
Sept 17 161
Sept 24 160.5
Oct 1 160.5
Oct 8 159.8

I was super excited to get under 160 today, love getting in to the 150s. It's Thanksgiving weekend here so planning out turkey dinner for Sunday.

Joining from the last challenge.
Welcome to everyone new whose joined!

Highest weight 225 2020
2021 starting weight 180.8

Challenge goal loss 9 lbs
I'll weigh in on Saturdays this challenge.

8/1 162.8
8/7 161.8
8/20 161.6 (Weight is coming off slowly, but the last couple weeks I've been consistently exercising, and walking a lot more. I know I'll still make my challenge goal.)

8/28: This week decided I needed to switch things up, so I put the scale away and uploaded a pedometer to my phone. I'm waiting on a band to arrive so I can wear it. I'll share my step count next week.

9/04 Averaging 6,200 steps a day. Goal is to increase to 10,000 steps a day. I've also been consistent in getting in my workout routines. I have a doctors appointment Oct. 5th, so I'll hold off and weigh on that day.

9/11 Averaging 8,500 steps a day. Happy with the increase from last week. I never realized how much more energy being more active gives me.

9/18 Averaging 7,900 steps a day. Finally getting some much needed rain, so I'll be getting a lot of indoor steps.

9/25 Averaging 9,800 steps a day.

10/02 Averaged 12,400 steps a day, and for the month of September averaged 9,100 steps a day.

10/05 159 glad to be out of the 160's, now to work out of the 150's. Motivated for a strong challenge finish.

10/09 155.6 averaged 16,200 steps a day this week. Challenge weight loss 7.2 lbs.

Bumped my Elliptical time up a bit today I did 130 minutes and cut the grass(1 hour).
I bought my new scrubs for work on 9/12. The pants are starting to get a bit loose already with being 10 lbs lighter than that day and have to roll the elastic waist down 1 turn.

Hello! I’m 34F, 5’4 and started using MFP again at the end of May and feel like I am in it for the long haul this time, learning how to cook healthy foods and creating healthy habits.

May 28th 2021 Weight 240lbs (also my highest weight)
Ultimate goal weight 170lbs (I’ll reassess once there but that feels more like a doable goal right now)

Challenge starting weight- 220.4lbs
Challenge end goal- 205lbs
Sunday is my weigh in day



08/01- 220.4lbs
08/08- 216.2lbs -4.2lbs Surprising amount of weight loss this week, I didn’t exercise a few days this week due to fun time and am thinking was probably backed up a bit last week
08/15- 226.6 +.4, total -3.8. Had a 2lb gain in middle of week, not sure why exactly besides random body fluctuations, only had one day was over calorie goal, by about 300 calories. I was tired and had a lack of motivation this week, did exercise 4 days so that’s something
08/22- 215.2 -1.4, Total -5.2 Pretty good this week, just over calories one day due to Pizza, exercised 5 days this week and then had a 6th day I walked a lot more than normal due to grocery shopping.
08/29- 214.8 -.4, total -5.6 Brought home take out Friday and went to a wedding(small, outdoors) and had cake on Saturday so am happy it was still a loss despite being small. Exercised 5 days and was under my calorie goal 5/7 days
08/31- 214.8 5.6 lbs lost for the month!

09/01- 214.4. -.4, -6lbs Total
09/05- 213.0, -1.4, -1.8 this month, -7.4lb challenge total. Exercise 4 days this week, was over my calorie goal a couple days but not by too much
09/12- 210.8 -2.8lbs, -4.6 this month, -10.2 challenge. Tweaked my ankle in the middle of the week and didn’t do any cardio the rest of the week but did pick up my weights for the first time in years, made me realize I need to start using them regularly again as 5lb weights should not feel that heavy.
09/19- 211.8 +1lb, -3.6 this month, -9.2 challenge. Didn’t exercise much the first half of the week and had a couple days over calorie goal a bit but math wise I shouldn’t have gained weight. Yay body fluctuations! My ankle feels back to normal now so next week will be better exercise wise.
09/26- 210.0 -1.8lbs, -5.4 this month, -11 challenge. hit 30 pounds lost milestone since starting MFP four months ago. Walked my normal loop in 43 minutes today, my fastest time yet, 6 months ago it took 55minutes, had to pause so many times on the hill. It’s nice to look back and see that I have gotten healthier and to know that I can continue to improve
09/30- 209. -1lb, 6.4lbs lost this month! 12 pounds total challenge



10/03- 209.8 +.8, -11.2 challenge, Did not track anything most of this week, work and my period combined dampened my motivation for exercising. Went to a couple new(to me) bakeries/restaurants this week and got way too many nummies. Also went to farmers market and got lots of healthy stuff too and am set up to eat healthier this week

10/10- 209.6 -.2, +.6 this month, -11.4 this challenge. Honestly, I expected a better number on the scale, had a pretty good week all and all. Oh well, next week will hopefully have better results scale wise. I did love being able to fit in some more clothes this week that I have not worn for a few years.

Thank you RubyRed427 for starting this challenge!

I'm in !!I have 15 to get rid of to get back to my 60 pound goal.

71 year old female...5'5" ...I used to be 5'7" but arthritis hit and I lost two inches, so now that two inches is squished around my waist like the billows of a big accordion... ...Oh, well. I'll just keep working on it.

Heaviest ever - 192.2
August start weight - 149.4
October 31st goal weight - 135.0

I weigh in on Mondays. -

08/01 - 149.4
08/02 - 149.2
08/09 - 149.4
08/16 - 146.6
08/23 - 148.2 ...two b'day parties!! yumm!
08/30 - 148.6
08/31 - 146.8
August loss/gain -2.4
Challenge loss/gain -2.4

09/01 - 147.2
09/06 - 145.8
09/13 - 146.8
09/20 - 145.4
09/27 - 145.4
09/30 - 144.6
September loss/gain - 2.6
Challenge loss/gain - 4.8

10/01 - 145.6
10/04 - 142.4
10/11 - 144.0
10/18 -
10/25 -
10/31 -
October loss/gain -
Challenge loss/gain -

Chris

My name is Donna and I am 61 years old. I live in the Midwest of the USA. 5' 5" tall. My starting weight was 253. I have relapsed in the past year and need to get back on track. I am type 2 diabetic and in remission for breast cancer. Health is my #1 priority.
I would love to join! Here are my weights so far:

Start Weight: 192.4 (Weight on July 31st)
Goal Weight: 177.4
End Weight: xxxxx

Short term goal: To lose about 5 pounds per month.
Ultimate Goal Weight: 145-155 (I’ll know it when I get there!)

Every healthy habit brings me closer to scratching each of these off to NEVER see them again!
250’s; 240’s; 230’s; 220's; 210's; 200's; 190's; 180’s; 170's; 160's; 150’s



July 31: 192.4…..(trend weight 194.9)
Aug 01: 191.4…..(trend weight 194.6) A nice way to start but it may not stick. Very little food yesterday due to an emergency with my well. No water again today. This is horrid!
Aug 03: 190.4…..(trend weight 193.7) A little topsy-turvy and moving all around. I am hopeful that August will be a good month. July was good to me.
Aug 10: 189.6 (trend weight 192.0) Progress. I hope the long travel day which will include at least one restaurant will not derail me too much.
Aug 17: 189.8 (trend weight 190.4) An overnight bump up but still trending down nicely. Today I will work on having a very good day even though, emotionally, things just couldn’t be worse. Biopsy results are still not in. Still no water. Well company is not responding to messages since yesterday. Plumber has stopped coming because prime on the well doesn’t last anyway for any serious length of time. I’ve lost my joy. My energy is zapped. Hugs are welcome! Prayers and good vibes are requested.
Aug 24: 187.4 (trend weight 188.6) Progress on the scale and with the other things I spoke of last week. The biopsy turned out non-cancerous although they did say that it could be a pre-cursor to a metastasized breast cancer to the skin in the future. That would be a nasty and very aggressive cancer with an extremely low survival rate. But I am focusing on the negative cancer (for now) results! Also, my water has been working for 4 days straight now. I am still very nervous about it because it is acting differently than before, but keeping the Faith…..! My exercise has slowed down a bit and my food choices have mainly remained within calorie but the choices are not always ideal. I must remember, it is not just about hitting my macros. It’s about overall health. I love all the stories and ideas that you all are sharing. It is so much more helpful than you think! Please don’t take for granted those little tidbits that are obvious to you. Sometimes it’s new to me or something I’ve forgotten. I appreciate your generous sharing! I’m getting ready to order a book someone mentioned on another challenge. It’s called “The Beck Diet Solution: Train your brain to think like a thin person” by Judith S. Beck. It was recommended by several people. I’ll let you all know how I like it,

Aug 31: 186.8 (trend weight 188.3) Up & Down all week with lots of travel but I ended with a 0.6 lb loss over last week so I’ll take it! Received my book but I haven’t started it yet. CT scans on liver and lungs are scheduled for Sept 9. University Hospital Cancer Center appointment for the skin on the breast area is Sept 16. I will see a breast surgeon and I have no idea what to expect. I am going to try hard not to eat my emotions and to stick to plan. Health is the #1 priority right now and losing weight will be a big part of that! Weight lost in August: 5.6 lbs.

Sept 01: 182.8 (trend weight 187.8) I find this weight hard to believe today. 4 pound loss overnight??? (After a 2.4 loss the day before???) My scale is reliable and I stepped on it 3 times but I don’t trust this and consider it a fluctuation. I did everything right. I had TM. I finally slept over 4 and ½ hours which is good for me> But that is a bit much. Traveling today and tomorrow. Plenty of sitting and restaurant food. I’ll be home each night and will keep up with the posts. Friday morning my scale reading will not be pretty but that is how I roll.
BTW I typed my August weight loss wrong yesterday on the entry above so I’ve corrected it today. I guess I’ll have to start using my calculator! Good luck to everyone in September!
Sept 07: 187.2 (trend weight 187.9) I knew that last week’s weight was a fluke. I could not have lost 6.4 pounds in just two days! Today I am at an inflated weight which is likely very real fat. I had a couple of days of travel, some medical worries, well problems with lack of water on many days and then a serious and horrific death in my extended family. Oh, and then there was the holiday. All excuses aside, I could have and should have done better anyway and I do know that eating my emotions only adds to my problems. Yesterday I pulled up my boot-straps and shook it up with a 1002 calorie day (I usually aim for 1400). I added in some extra exercise and I made pretty darn good choices in what I ate. It payed off on the scale. I’m hoping to do well this week and get back down even further. I think my last real weight was in the 185 range and I am up from that, even if I’m down overnight.
Sept 14: 187.6 (trend weight 188.9) My weight shot up this week but I am working it back down. I have been burning a ton of calories on window washing projects on this 3 story house. Keeping my diet in check is proving more difficult but yesterday was an “easy” day for no particular reason. It doesn’t always make sense why one day I am starving and can’t seem to fill up and the next day I don’t even need snacks. (And that is eating the same dinner with my leftovers). I won’t question it too badly and just be grateful I guess!
Sept 21: 185.8 (trend weight 187.1) More improvement this week. My fitness has leveled off due to rain and many reno projects still going on involving lots of people in my home. However, I’ve been working hard on sticking to my guns in regards to diet, and especially snacks. It’s paying off.
Sept 28: 188.4…..My trend weight went askew when I had to reset my fitbit that was tied to my trendweight app. It will be a little bit before the trend weight is trending accurate again. July and August were good months for me. September has been horrid. Since I have had such cancer scare medical issues and upcoming surgery, I have required so many tests, appointments, and long travel. I’ve got to pull my emotions together and make a better plan for all the travel. I am still down from challenge starting weight, but if I don’t watch my p’s and q’s, I could rocket up very quickly. October will be challenging for all the reasons I mentioned above, but I’ve got to make the moments count, every chance I get!
Sept 30: 186.2….. So far I have lost 6 pounds this challenge. Most of that has been in August. September has not been a good month. I will try to improve in October. However, October will have lots of travel especially for medical appointments and surgery. I’ll do my best.


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Oct 01: 187.0 Starting October with a gain is disappointing. I will make today count and will try to avoid bingeing!

Oct 05: 186.8 My goal was 177.0 for this challenge and I don’t even see me reaching that by Christmas! However, I am still down from the start of the challenge and I have a few more weeks to make more progress, so, folks, I’m going for it!

Oct 12: 185.6 (trend weight 187.9) It’s been a rocky week. I did well for most of it but saw an uptick mid-way through. I am still down from last week. That helps my spirit. I clearly won’t make my original goal, but I’m still down from my start weight. So happy the 190’s are a memory.

Oct 19: xxxxx (trend weight xxxxx)

Oct 26: xxxxx (trend weight xxxxx)

Oct 31: Final Weigh In: xxxxx (trend weight xxxxx)