15 pounds to lose challenge- Feb. 1, 2023-April 30, 2023

Thanks for commenting on the Boston photos
It's so much fun babysitting them

I'm getting packed for Friday’s 5-day road trip. Visiting family in California 🥳
Lots of snow covered roads so we are driving the truck. I’ll take some pictures 😍

I'm also working on isometric holds with weights. 5 upper moves with 10 and 5 lb weights, holding for 2 minutes. Feels a little lazy but my arms are showing definition.

@RubyRed427 have fun this weekend

@deepwoodslady have a great week

Hi to everyone 👋

Eye On The Ball ✅
💞 Karen

@GinLee61 - Great ideas, thanks! I will try some of those! This morning I had cottage cheese, walnuts and mixed fruit with sprouted grain toast and butter. 25 grams of protein.

@200Karen Hi Karen - I hope you have a great road trip to California. As for the flywheel reference, it is from a book called From Good To Great. A flywheel is a heavy wheel that is hard to push at first, for me it is getting back into a regular exercise routine, but as you keep pushing the flywheel it turns more easily and faster, which is what I am hoping for, that exercising becomes easier and more effective.

I check-in on Monday but had a couple of days with food choices that weren't really in line with my goals! I will get back to it! Just feeling a little bummed today but also know it is a new day and I can let go of what is already done and try to make choices that set me up for success today!

Opened a cough drop early this AM. The wrapper has some inspirational sayings and I think they apply to us.
-Conquer today
-Let's hear your battle cry
-Push on
-Be resilient
-Don't give up on you
-Impress yourself today.
All of these on a little cough drop wrapper!!!!

I am a 5'3" retiree living in upstate NY.
I started tracking again with MFP in January 2022 and have lost 65.5 lbs to date.
My final goal weight is 135-140.

January 3 2022: 230
March 7: 216.6
June 3: 196.4
Sept 2: 182.8
Oct 28: 175.4
Jan 27 2023: 164.7

Feb 3: 162.9
Feb 10: Away
Feb 18: 164.5

Oops. I had hoped to keep steady while away on vacation by getting a lot of exercise. However, as the saying goes, you can't outrun your fork. Too many meals out and more adult beverages than usual took their toll despite all those walks on the beach.

Oh well, I'm moving forward and considering it a temporary setback. I had a great vacation and a great visit with my sister and BIL. A 1.6 lb gain is a small price to pay.

Have a great weekend!

Challenge Goal: 10 lbs (154.7)
Challenge Actual: .2 (164.5)

@GinLee61 thank you! Those are simple options which is perfect for me. Whenever I go on Pinterest it’s usually very involved or time/ingredient intensive. I did look at the yogurt I get my kids and it has 8g fat per serving! My kids are 5 and 3 so it’s fine for them, we don’t buy whole milk. I did pick up low fat cottage cheese for myself and I’ll probably get some fat free Fage this week. I normally shop at Aldi and they don’t carry it but it’s my favorite plain yogurt.

Also, alcohol always makes me go up on the scale. I don’t drink a lot, usually just a glass or two of wine once a week or so. I did drink more a few years ago and noticed a huge difference when I stopped.

@nay0m3 I like to check back in after a few off days. My husband and I went to brunch Friday which was not logged into MFP but I’m sure eggs Benedict and crepes are a lot! (I only ate half the eggs Benny though) So you aren’t the only one.

@MrsLaven2015 : ideas for protein: whole eggs (yolk has most nutrients, whites have most protein), Greek yogurt (Fage fat free), coffee or smoothie w/collagen scoop

Oh yeah, and for fiber, canned pumpkin is really great, so if you like “pumpkin pie” oatmeal, it really is great to get that fiber in early in the day.

Hi- I’m Char, a 5’3” 45yr old mom of 3 tween/teens. I have been using MFP for a few years inconsistently. I started at 159lbs in Jan 2018 and lost 25lbs in 8 months. Then maintained until summer 2021. Since then, I swapped around some daily medications and thus my weight fluctuated- going up. Starting 2023, I hit 150lbs — and have recommitted to tracking, weighing and using macros to get that extra weight off. Looking for continued success in 2023. Glad to be here ;-)

CHALLENGE TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS GOAL: Total Loss of 10 pounds to land at 137.2
CHALLENGE STARTING WEIGHT (FROM January 31): 147.2 LBS
CHALLENGE ENDING WEIGHT: TBD

FEBRUARY 1530 cals
02/01- 147.2
02/06- 146.4
02/13-traveling in England, 2/19 weight 149.4
02/20-xxxxx
02/27-xxxxx
02/28-xxxxx

Feb Goal: 144.2
Feb Actual:
Feb Loss/Gain:
Cumulative Weight Loss so Far:

So, 8 days in England eating home cooked Indian and scones with clotted cream took their toll. And there were drinks out at pubs, lattes instead of coffee w/low-fat milk etc.

All in all, as planned, I thoroughly enjoyed my trip. I am very happy with myself as I was careful to enjoy but not over indulge unnecessarily.

I expected 2lb gain due to my cycles and 2lb b/c of England. So I’m on-track and essentially met my own expectations for the week :-)

My name is Donna. I am 5’ 5” tall, 62 years old and from the Michigan USA. In 2016 I weighed 253 lbs. I am on a journey of health and to get back to the real me.
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



Starting Weight (from January 31st): 194.8
Goal: 189.8 (Five lb Loss)
Actual Ending Weight: xxxxx

**************************************ONE DAY, ONE STEP, ONE DECISION AT A TIME************************************


Weight in blue makes me blue because it’s a gain. Weight in fuchsia pink makes me feel cheery because it’s a loss. Weight in black means no change.


02/01-194.6-(Trend Weight 196.7)-


02/02-196.6-(Trend Weight 196.7)-


02/03-197.8-(Trend Weight 196.8)-


02/04-196.4-(Trend Weight 196.8)-


02/05-195.6-(Trend Weight 196.7)-


02/06-195.6-(Trend Weight 196.5)-

02/07-196.6-(Trend Weight 196.6)-

02/08-195.8-(Trend Weight 196.5)-

02/09-194.4-(Trend Weight 196.3)-

02/10-193.6-(Trend Weight 196.0)-

02/11-193.0-(Trend Weight 195.7)-

02/12-193.6-(Trend Weight 195.5)-

02/13-192.2-(Trend Weight 195.2)-

02/14-193.8-(Trend Weight 195.0)-

02/15-194.0-(Trend Weight 194.9)-




02/16-194.0-(Trend Weight 194.8)-

02/17-DNW-(Trend Weight DNW)-

02/18-196.8-(Trend Weight 195.2)- So….today will be the first day of my new macros . The 1400 calories haven’t changed and are approved. Carbs will be set at 158g (45%), Fat at 54g (35%), and protein at 70g (20%). The dietician recommends less fat and less protein than what I am going to start with so I can add even more carbs! Her plan seems wrong and drastic to me so I will start with this as a compromise. If my glucose or my weight starts increasing, I’m outta there! I will, however, give the so-called “experts” a chance. My main worry is that I know my increased carbs will not be filled with the good kind. If I didn’t have such aversions to foods, their plan could be more effective than I believe it will be. But I do have eating disorders and my carbs will not be the good kind, or the clean foods they expect so I worry that the results will be skewed and cause weight gain and high blood sugars. I understand there may be more than one way to achieve my goals and so I will try their "tried and true" method short term.
We shall see. I will, of course, do my best at food choices but it is what it is. BTW, My family doctor has always approved my low carb dieting including Keto. Such a division in the medical community over this, even in my research! So, I've tried low carb and I'll try this but I truly believe I already know the answers.

02/19-195.2-(Trend Weight 195.2)- Because I am keeping calories at 1400 or lower, I do think I can lose weight, even with my new dietary restrictions. It won’t be as fast or as dramatic as the lower carb version of my calorie in-calorie out attempts. What I’m really watching is how this will affect my blood sugars. BTW, when I told the dietician it is hard to fit in 3 or more meals per day because I don’t like eating early in the morning, so I use that time to link to my sleep time and practice a bit of Intermittent Fasting, she absolutely thought I was trying to commit suicide! She said that going without food for any length of time puts my body in a starvation mode that is counter-productive to weight loss and dangerous for my T2D. I told her that I am living proof it has HELPED with weight loss and I don’t believe in eating when I’m not hungry. She thinks my whole glucose instability and problems are due to my “bad habits and practices” such as IF. She really turned my whole world upside down. I’m sorry, but I’m not eating when I’m not hungry. My body is not stupid and there are hormones in place that will let me know when it’s time to eat! I am willing to try anything she says due to her success with other patients, but I’m going to use a little common sense here. Yesterday I went one calorie over goal (1401) and was only able to reach 117 carbs (she wants 190-250). I tweaked the menus all day but couldn’t reach anything higher without going way over calorie goal which would have caused a weight gain. I realize that if I had added more low calorie veggies I would have had much higher carb counts but that is not how I can eat. Clearly this is not going to be effective for someone like me but I’ll keep adding whole wheat for grains, what veggies I CAN tolerate and applesauce. Sorry for another rant.


02/20-xxxxx-(Trend Weight xxxxx)-

02/21-xxxxx-(Trend Weight xxxxx)-

02/22-xxxxx-(Trend Weight xxxxx)-

02/23-xxxxx-(Trend Weight xxxxx)-

02/24-xxxxx-(Trend Weight xxxxx)-

02/25-xxxxx-(Trend Weight xxxxx)-

02/26-xxxxx-(Trend Weight xxxxx)-

02/27-xxxxx-(Trend Weight xxxxx)-

02/28-xxxxx-(Trend Weight xxxxx)-

*Week 3 update*
Hi, I’m a 38 year old female who has inched back up from my healthiest weight about 8 years ago. While I haven’t climbed back to my highest weight (195), I’m uncomfortable with the 170 I have reached after being comfortable at 150 for a while. I would like to lose those extra pounds again. 15 lbs in 3 months sounds reasonable to me.
I jumped in a little late on 2/5/23.

2/5 - 170.6
2/12 - 166.6 (mostly water weight the first week)
2/19 - 167.4 (reasonable to go back up around my period)
2/26 -
3/5 -
3/12 -
3/19 -
3/26 -
4/2 -
4/9 -
4/16 -
4/23 -
4/30 -

I think the 15 lbs loss is achievable in this time frame.

@charlouiselb- Fortunately I am mending well from Covid. I do strength training 3x/wk at the gym ( hope to get back in another week). I have a very small frame so my goal of 120lbs is in the recommended BMI range, as well as where my weight naturally maintained before menopause.

I'll tell you what keeps you moving; running after a 5, 7 and a 1 year old for 5 hours. Yesterday my husband and I had the 3 grandkids and did not sit down much. We were both exhausted after they left but went out to eat so that blew any calories expended. I like the saying someone just said, "you can't outrun your fork". So true. I was hoping to lose 5 lbs by the end of the month when I started on 2/1 but that is not going to happen. If I get down 2 lbs by the 28th, I will be happy. I MUST do better in March!

My name is Donna. I am 62 years old and I live in the Midwest of the US. I am 5’ 5” tall.


CHALLENGE STARTING WEIGHT (FROM January 31): 194.8
CHALLENGE ENDING WEIGHT:
CHALLENGE TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS GOAL: Total Loss of 15 pounds to land at 179.8 (seems Impossible, even Laughable but a girl can dream right?)


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


Weight in blue makes me blue because it’s a gain. Weight in fuchsia pink makes me feel cheery because it’s a loss. Weight in black means no change.


02/01-194.6-(Trend Weight: 196.7)-

02/06-195.6-(Trend Weight: 196.5)- I ate something for the first time last night that I thought I would HATE. Scallops! Even after rinsing they smelled so fishy but I followed the simple and fast recipe and OMGOSH, they were delicious. Thank you Gordon Ramsey for giving me the faith to try. I was having spaghetti squash with a cream basil alfredo sauce and decided I needed to add some protein and had them in my freezer. After a quick thaw in a bowl, they were only 4 or 5 minutes to cook. According to MFP, the 5 small scallops came in at 89 calories and 4 carbs. I will be having them again!


02/13-192.2-(Trend Weight: 195.2)- Travel today to endocrinologist for 1st consult. I am hoping my improvements will help me avoid insulin although I am a million miles away from where I need to be in weight, BMI and my glucose fasting numbers. I hope the doctor will see my progress as hopeful and give me a chance to continue improving without adding insulin.


02/20-194.0-(Trend Weight: 195.1)- The doctor has decided to give me the chances I’ve asked for. I go back in 3 months. I saw a dietician that changed everything and for the past few days my glucose has shot back up based on her higher carb (ridiculous!) recommendations. I am stopping her diet plan today and going back to my own before she kills me! Mine was working.


02/27-xxxxx-(Trend Weight: xxxxx)-

02/28-xxxxx-(Trend Weight: xxxxx)-


Feb Goal: 189.8
Feb Actual: xxxxx
Feb Loss/Gain: xxxxx
Cumulative Weight Loss so Far: xxxxx



03/01-xxxxx-(Trend Weight: xxxxx)-

03/06-xxxxx-(Trend Weight: xxxxx)-

03/13-xxxxx-(Trend Weight: xxxxx)-

03/20-xxxxx-(Trend Weight: xxxxx)-

03/27-xxxxx-(Trend Weight: xxxxx)-

03/31-xxxxx-(Trend Weight: xxxxx)-


Mar Goal: xxxxx
Mar Actual: xxxxx
Mar Loss/Gain: xxxxx
Cumulative Weight Loss so Far: xxxxx



04/01-xxxxx-(Trend Weight: xxxxx)-

04/03-xxxxx-(Trend Weight: xxxxx)-

04/10-xxxxx-(Trend Weight: xxxxx)-

04/17-xxxxx-(Trend Weight: xxxxx)-

04/24-xxxxx-(Trend Weight: xxxxx)-

04/30-xxxxx-(Trend Weight: xxxxx)-


Apr Goal: xxxxx
Apr Actual: xxxxx
Apr Loss/Gain: xxxxx
Cumulative Weight Loss so Far: