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Cowphilosopher wrote: »I'm Lisa. 43 and this is my first challenge. While I have been incorporating more activity and exercise into my life and trying to eat fewer calories, I struggle with consistency: I work out with a trainer there days a week, but I do very little on the off days; or I stick to my calories during the week but the wheels come off the wagon at the weekend. So I am happy to find a forum to keep me accountable every day for the whole month. Good luck to everyone!
@Cowphilosopher WELCOME Lisa! I think we have a few people who have the same struggles that you mention.... For me, I've found that I HAVE to have some kind of "routine" on the weekends (albeit, a little less structured than my weekday routine), because weekends do seem to be more difficult. Pre-planning and pre-logging my weekend meals and snacks (especially!) seems to help me. Good luck to YOU!! We can do this!!
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It's always nice to see so many of our regulars popping in to introduce themselves! WELCOME BACK!
I'm glad that you're here as well!
@jmu1965
@TerriRichardson112
@enlightenme3
@BMcC9
@ideas2
@donna25trinity
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recommended on Youtube ... zumba session "funeral for my fat" GOTTA love / be inspired by the name!5
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Mrs_Hoffer wrote: »It's always nice to see so many of our regulars popping in to introduce themselves! WELCOME BACK!
I'm glad that you're here as well!
@jmu1965
@TerriRichardson112
@enlightenme3
@BMcC9
@ideas2
@donna25trinity
Aww shucks thanks boss. @Mrs_Hoffer Xo2 -
Hi Everyone!
I'm Caroline. My first weight loss effort was post-college, losing the weight I had gained from my school's truly excellent dining services desserts. I did weight watchers and learned a lot about nutrition. I lost ~25 pounds in about 6 months and kept it off for ~10 years by weighing myself daily and tracking calories whenever I reached the danger weight (weight watchers changed their rules several times during that time and they no longer made sense to me).
Then I got pregnant and was very sick during pregnancy - the only way to keep from vomiting was to eat every 2 hours and the only things I could eat were white foods and fatty foods. I gained over half my body weight. After having my daughter, who is turning 10 this month, I fairly quickly stabilized at a weight that was 45 pounds above what had been my danger weight pre-pregnancy. I dealt with a miscarriage, infertility treatments, another pregnancy with my son (during which I was better medicated and gained a more reasonable amount of weight). After that pregnancy I again stabilized at that same weight.
I'd been really wanting to lose the "baby weight" but with little kids and a sick older dog, unable to make the time. The kids got older and the dog died. Finally, almost 3 years ago, May 2019, I had a break in between jobs and took some time to reset my life. I started a 15 minutes a day fitness program, MommaStrong, which I am still doing. I developed an eating pattern or routine to lose weight (not willing to count calories yet). By the end of 2019, I'd lost 16 pounds.
The weight loss began to slow and then plateau at 21 pounds lost. In Feb 2021 I decided it was time to try calorie counting and I joined MFP. In August (I think) I joined UAC which has been so inspiring and I've learned so much. With all that I've lost... another 5 pounds.
I think I am currently at the most difficult part of my weight loss journey (though the time when I was pregnant and gaining the weight was definitely the hardest part). Weight loss has become SO hard this last year, and I am not sure why or what I can do to bust through this plateau.2 -
Welcome newcomers!🎉 I joined the UAC on the tail-end of Jan 2022 and just completed my first full month in Feb. This group is a gem: an active, supportive, insightful, encouraging accountability group! I am a long-time MFP user (2012; many periods of daily use to get to goal and then would stop using MFP) but only recently started using the community platform and am so happy I did.
On my most recent MFP reset: I lost 15lbs Feb to July 2021, gained back 10lbs July to Oct 2021 (did not handle the loss of a loved one well and a month later severe ankle injury; truly was struggling emotionally and physically), and pulled myself together in November. Since Nov 2021, I've focused on “the basics”: sleep, water, movement, daily calorie deficit, and mindset/habits. In particular, I’m focusing on my mindset and habits more than ever before. I'm now 17lbs down from SW (which was also all-time high) with 35lbs to GW. I've lost 20lbs and 35lbs in the past, but didn't make sustainable habit or mindset changes in the process either time. My goal now is to get to my GW in a steady, sustainable way for permanent lifestyle change. I'm focused on changing my mindset and being kind with myself whereas before I'd always try to shame and deprive myself into weight loss. I look forward to another month with this incredible group of people!3 -
I've been here since December 2020. This group has helped me do a better job of getting into consistent exercise. Food and loggings aren't much of an issue for me. Unfortunately, I've not done very well the last month due to a couple of unanticipated trips. I should be home until the first of April at which time I have a vacation planned.
Goal for this month is to have zero pass days. I've managed to maintain from March of last year until mid January but my weight has creeped up a few pounds over the last six weeks or so. Not planning to weigh myself until Friday as some of the uptick is likely due to all of the restaurant food this past week.3 -
Hi Everyone! My name is Julie and this will be my eighth month in the UAC. I am Canadian, and live with my husband on the prairies. 🇨🇦 Our 18 month old standard poodle Beauregard is a hoot and keeps us all laughing (well, except when he is destroying throw pillows or shoes).
I love to cook and bake and enjoy finding and modifying recipes to create healthy alternatives. My focus for months has been on increasing my protein intake without using supplements. As a person who rarely eats any meat at all, I have found this challenging. I am working on becoming more open to using a protein supplement. Now to find one I can stomach. Any recommendations would be very welcome!
Personally, I am looking forward, every day, to the return of spring. 🌼 I am not great with the freezing cold temperatures and the ice. I walk 10,000+ every day (outdoors is preferable but I am all set up with the treadmill and use it if needs must). I have been adding strength and core training routines to my weekly exercises and don’t yet enjoy any of them. Sticking with it until I do… 😉
Looking forward to the March UAC Challenge.4 -
Hello everyone! My name is Chris. I first started UAC last March, joined MFP in 2014, and started working on my health and diet back in 2007.
I grew up hating gym, exercise, all that stuff. Although I was extremely active as a child, always out doing things (loved baseball and swimming) with most of my friends involved in some form of sport, curiously enough. I guess I simply couldn't be coached or stick to any routine. I did what I wanted.
Fast forward to 35 years old, desk job, family stress, blah, blah, and I was freaking huge. Literally. And terribly out of shape. On a whim I decided to have a physical (thankfully) and learned I had high cholesterol, pre-diabetes, and was of course considered morbidly obese (the primary cause of most of that). I knew due to family history where this led. As well as data from the AHA and ADA. I entered all of this at 35 with a data driven mindset (as a database admin and software engineer) focused primarily on weight and diet.
I wish I could say it was as simple as waking up to the error of my ways and changing them to healthy ways, and everything was happily ever after. But the truth is it has been cycles of ups and downs. Some were big ups, some were big downs. What I can say is that as long as you don't literally give up and take on an attitude of "I do not care one bit for my health because I will die anyway" that even those down periods can be a net gain.
The only time I reached a higher weight than when I started was after my first big weight loss in 2007-2008 via radical diet changes where I went from a self processed "Bacon-tarian" to a raw vegan. I started in the 290's, and after burning out on all that "radical diet crap" I eventually reached my highest weight of 316 in January 2014.
Ok, that is wordy, I apologize, I do like to share, and share too much all too often. But since 2014 all has been "net positive".
Does that mean I never gave back up again?
No.
But I did take a "somewhat" more sensible approach starting in 2014, and have been refining that ever since. I say somewhat because I started running in 2014, which eventually included running 3 full marathons within a 30 day span (apologies for saying that more than once, I think I'm still in disbelief that I did that).
For me, and I realize everyone is very unique and may not see parallels, I have periods of time where I am 100% "on" in terms of improving health and fitness. And then there are periods where that is not so much in focus. BUT...every healthy thing I can engrain into my regular normal daily life that I "truly" enjoy will stick with me even in those "down periods". So what happens is a cycle of ups and downs that net in a downward trend. And that works for me because.. well ..I don't seem to have much choice in that matter. No matter how much I may "want" to just keep following some routine forever, the nature of the universe ensures that I must change with it, and sometimes that means periods where I'm not 100% on my game.
I'll take that.
So here I am, in March 2022, fifteen years after starting, at a net lower weight, and with a 50 year old physique that puts my 35 year old physique to shame, and just itching to launch out of the gate into this Spring.
I like to be inspired, and try to pay that forward. I'm an active MFP member, and lurker of many things in the MFP forums. I contribute here because I feel UAC epitomizes the essence of MFP and provides the best route to success for those either starting off or trying to figure out their path on their health journey.
I accept friend requests from people I recognize, so if you are posting here and looking for support, feel free. If I turn it down just say something here so I realize you're a real person and not some MFP bot account.
Looking forward to a stellar 2022!6 -
@WhatMeRunning Chris you are inspiring, as always
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jamcnewman wrote: »Our 18 month old standard poodle Beauregard is a hoot and keeps us all laughing (well, except when he is destroying throw pillows or shoes).
@jamcnewman
Julie!!..... just look at that perfectly innocent face! I'm sure he doesn't have a CLUE what you are talking about!! Lol. 5 -
@WhatMeRunning Chris, I agree that your story is very inspiring! And dont ever feel like you are too "wordy". You have so much experience and insight to offer, especially to newbies..... I always appreciate your input!4
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I loved reading your post @WhatMeRunning - so inspiring! Thank you for sharing!
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@jamcnewman He is a prince of the Universe My DH used to call our dog so 1
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Winner_in_Life wrote: »@jamcnewman He is a prince of the Universe My DH used to call our dog so
@Winner_in_Life
He prefers “Mr Handsome” (given by our training class leader) but will add this new option to the list of ways we lovingly name him. He is off at the groomers this morning (preventative to the disaster we ended up in with him in dreadlocks after two cancelled appointments (Covid)…)
Have a wonderful trip to your husband’s birthplace and stay with friends. It looks like a beautiful city.1 -
Hello! I am Amber, I am 29 and I live in SoCal with my husband. My weight has been an issue for as long as I can remember. I’ve done all the diets in the past and just need to continue learning to do things in a way that will have lasting impact. I do the grocery shopping and cooking so my eating habits effect my husband as well, we are both overweight and ready for change! My being overweight has caused me to be so tired and low energy, it also seems to have caused infertility, I am so hopeful that losing weight will help me to be able to have a baby. I don’t want that to be my main focus though, I don’t want to be disappointed if it doesn’t happen, my main motivator is to feel good inside and be the healthiest version of me!
I am so excited for this group, I was invited by my friend Mak, “Hi Mak!”7 -
Solagratia25 wrote: »I am so excited for this group, I was invited by my friend Mak, “Hi Mak!”
Yay!! Hi Amber! 👋🤗 I am so happy you're here, my friend! This is such a great group of people and I think you'll love it!💗1 -
@Solagratia25 WELCOME Amber!! We look forward to getting to know you better, and we think that you'll love it here too! And thank you @makattack220 for inviting your friend!
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Name: Marilyn
Where am I? British Columbia Canada
Am a senior citizen just turned 74
Married 38 years have 4 adult children, the youngest still lives at home as she has Down Syndrome, have 8 grandchildren and are parents to 2 rescue fur babies that think they are the boss of the house.
I started up with this group back in January 2022 and am enjoying it - helps keep me accountable6 -
I originally posted this in the wrong place and have asked to have it deleted. Hopefully I'm doing it correctly now. I've been using MFP for a while, but have never taken part in the community or with groups/challenges. I believe there is a MFP 101, but I haven't been able to find it. Help appreciated. 😁
I'm 61, have been overweight my entire adult life. Need to get serious now. Recent diagnosis of high cholesterol and pre-diabetes.
I've worked out somewhat consistently for the last 30 years, but started my own freelance bookkeeping business in 2020 and it's been so successful that I sit at a computer more than before. I don't take the time to get to the gym like I used to. I've been there this morning though.
One husband, 2 adult sons, lots of pets. Western slope of Colorado. Looking forward to getting to know some of you8
