Just Give Me 10 Days - Round 226

This round is full of birthdays and family events. My goal is simply not to go off the rails!!

SW RND 218 152.4 lbs. EW 147.8 lbs
SW RND 219 148.4 lbs. EW 146.8 lbs
SW RND 220 146.6 lbs. EW 145.6 lbs
SW RND 221 145.0 lbs. EW. DNW (out of town)
SW RND 222 149.2 lbs. EW 144.8 lbs
SW RND 223 145.8 lbs. EW 147.0 lbs
SW RND 224 145.4 lbs. EW 143.6 lbs
SW RND 225 143.8 lbs. EW 143.0 lbs
SW RND 226 143.0 lbs

6/11 143.0 lbs
6/12 143.6 lbs
6/13 143.0 lbs
6/14 143.6 lbs
6/15 144.0 lbs
6/16 144.0 lbs
6/17 DNW (out of town)
6/18 DNW
6/19 DNW. Lots of events this weekend with family. Guess I’ll see tomorrow how much damage is done.
6/20

Christine from Burlington, Ontario, Canada 😊
My 15th Round
Age: 53
Height: 5’3.75”
HW: 345 lbs (Aug 2005)
LW: 138.6 (Apr 2023)
CW: 144.6 lbs
GW: 135 lbs
Long-term Goal: <145.6 lbs until June 5, 2024 (Normal BMI)

This round's daily goals:

1. <1300 + 50% exercise cals 10/10 days – ☹☹😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
2. >7 miles of steps 10/10 days – 😊☹😊😊☹😊😊😊☹
3. 6 cups fluids 10/10 days – 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
4. 10 mins meditation 10/10 days – ☹☹☹☹☹☹☹☹😊
5. 20 mins strength training 5/10 days – ☹☹☹☹☹
6. 20 mins bike ride 5/10 days – ☹☹☹☹
7. Attend work 7/7 days – 😊😊😊😊☹☹
8. Stay under 145.6 lbs 10/10 days - 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

6/11 – DNW – Forgot to weigh myself; and I’m sure my weight would probably be up, but that would make me feel worse than I already do. I haven’t felt well these past few days or weeks.
6/12 – 144.6 lbs – I guess I’ll use this as my starting weight for this round. Down -- lbs this round and 9.6 lbs to goal. I started my period today. I really struggled with my mental health all weekend (IE, I had to call a suicide help line on Saturday morning and yesterday I told my husband that I was sick of him and I wish he would move out). I really think I need to talk to my doctor about this. Or a psychiatrist. I am crazy enough without hormonal issues. ☹ I am wondering if I could go on birth control to help deal with this? Does anyone on here have any experience with mental health issues + peri-menopause?
6/13 – 144.2 lbs - Down 0.2 lbs this round and 9.4 lbs to goal.
6/14 – 141.8 lbs - Down 2.8 lbs this round and 6.8 lbs to goal; 105.07/210 miles for June.
6/15 – 140.4 lbs - Down 4.2 lbs this round and 5.4 lbs to goal; 115.35/210 miles for June. I started Vyvanse and Cipralex today.
6/16 – 139.8 lbs - Down 4.8 lbs this round and 4.8 lbs to goal; 115.44/210 miles for June. Well, my period came and went. For the last few days I have NOT been starving, I have NOT been irritable and I’ve been able to access the logical part of my brain. I have been able to make some kind of repair to my relationship with my partner, and I have been able to attend work every day (although I have not been able to focus for some of that time). I went ahead and called the psychiatrist and was able to have a call with him on Weds aft. He suggested Vyvanse for the binge eating, which I started yesterday. (It did not help me to focus yesterday, but it was only day one, so…) I also started Cipralex, as he said that it is sometimes used to help with mood swings in menopause. He also said that Cipralex in adjunct with Welbutrin (which I already take) is used to assist with major depressive episodes, which I may or may not be experiencing. So, I will give these a try. He also prescribed a few tabs of Clonazapam, to be used only in case of emergency, as it is habit forming, and I have struggled with substance use in the past. I wasn’t supposed to start both drugs on the same day, but I am not very compliant. Lol. Whoopsie. I am very happy to be under 140 again. I got under 140 in April, but did not maintain that for very long. I know I have my goal set at 135 at the moment, but I am currently thinking that if I could stay under 140, and maintain that, it might actually be a weight that I’d be happy with. (IE, 139.8 or lower.) That idea of being satisfied with a particular weight is very strange to me. I have never experienced it, in my entire life. Ever. I have always looked at the scale and wished the number was lower. Every single time. As I’ve been losing weight, more recently, and struggled to set a goal weight, I have been fearful that there will never be a weight that I will be happy with. Like, what if my head is so messed up that I can’t ever be happy with the number on the scale, the clothing size, or how I look in the mirror? The last time I went shopping, my pants were size 2-4 and my shirts were size small. And all those clothes still fit; and some are even loose. And yet, when I look in the mirror, I still see a fat person. I try to connect the fact that if I am wearing those sizes (even if those are “vanity” sizes, although they were purchased across a variety of stores) I cannot still be “fat”. But I still look fat. I saw some pics of me a few weeks ago and I just… still look fat, to myself. (Mind you my weight was up to 149.4, at that point.) I looked at myself in the mirror this morning, and I actually was somewhat satisfied with what I saw. I mean, I have to grab a handful of saggy skin and pull it to the side while I look in the mirror, LOL, but it is what it is. Not much I can do about that until I save up about $20-30k. Anyway, the thing I am getting at is that maybe there is a weight that I can be happy with. Maybe that is a possibility. And I know a lot of it is dependent on my mood for that day (IE, when I am depressed I can look in the mirror and I see a 350 lbs person), so I know it will shift from day to day, or even hour to hour. But I do know that when I tried on the size 2 jeans, I was very pleased with the size and also satisfied with how I looked in the mirror. And today I felt satisfied with my “side view”. (Looking in the mirror too much is an eating disorder behaviour, btw.) Anyway, this is all very complicated but I am slowly teasing it out, I think. I feel hopeful, today, thus far. But it is very early. LOL. I am also happy with the fact that I have been able to drink 6 cups of fluids every day for the past few days (I count all fluids that go into my face). That is quite good, for me. I have to be very intentional to get even that amount in, which I know is a lot less than lots of folks on here drink! And I am glad that I set myself a goal of trying to achieve 210 miles in the month of June. I should say that that is a total of all of my steps, so, that includes all my “walking around the house” steps. It is about 15,000 steps a day, which equals about 7 miles a day, according to my Fitbit. But I set a goal of trying to hit 7 miles a day of steps, and so far, I am on track to hit that goal. I think I should start taking note of my sleep, as well – Weds night I only got 4.75 hours of sleep, and yesterday I was not able to focus for even one minute of work. Last night I slept very well, and got 7 straight hours, which is amazing, for me. Like, incredible, and unheard of. And I feel great, mentally, at the moment. I think that sleep impacts my mental health significantly, and I should probably track it, in some way. (It also impacts my ability to stay on track with calorie goals, which in turn also impacts my mental health.) I made an appt with GP for Tuesday after work. I’m going to ask about the idea of birth control as way of getting a handle on my periods. So that might help, too. Anyway, I better get ready to take the dog out, he is going to start whining at any moment. 😊 Have a great day, everyone!
6/17 – 138.6 lbs - Down 6 lbs this round and 3.6 lbs to goal; 135.69/210 miles for June. I’m killin’ it. I can say that I have been meeting my caloric goals most days this round, but I would not insinuate that the loss is just because of that. I have to assume that it is related to my menstrual cycle in some way. After I finally got my period, I just wasn’t as hungry (even before I started taking the Vyvanse) and also when I was hungry I actually chose protein most of the time – I wasn’t starving for carbs. Augh. Hormones are the WORST. Anyway, I am back down to my lowest weight, which I had achieved in April but was not able to maintain for very long. Let me see how long I can do this. I am getting close to my goal; maybe I can actually make it. Yesterday I walked into my bedroom to see that the dog had peed in the bedroom (he sometimes has accidents, still, after being rescued in January after being in a kennel for almost a year where he just peed on the floor every day). Anyway, he somehow managed to pee all over my scale. So when I was cleaning it I somehow changed the setting from pounds to kgs and I can’t see how to change it back. Lol. That is confusing. I was thinking that maybe next round I could make one of my daily goals to be under 140 for 10 days. That would be next level (and ensure that I meet my long term goal of staying in a “normal” BMI). It still seems kind of wild that I am even under 140… the thought of maintaining that seems kind of unreal to me. I have never in my life been so low on the scale, but more importantly, I have never been so fit! I am pretty lean and my legs are strong from so much walking this past year and I can go up and down stairs easily and I can run for short periods of time and I do have some definition of muscles, somehow, in my arms and legs, that you can see even with all the extra skin in the way. So I think I have some upper body strength, although I do need to do my actual strength exercises. I can do all kinds of stuff like biking and kayaking! It is pretty amazing what the body can endure and overcome, really. (After being 350+ lbs from the age of 13-35 and then yo-yoing between 170-240 from the age of 36-present, 53, through cycles of excessive restricting followed by cycles of bingeing.) I was curious and I see that since I got my dog on January 2nd I have lost 25.6 lbs. That is actually pretty impressive. Also, he has lost 7 lbs! He was very overweight when I got him as nobody at the shelter would walk him – he was too big and strong and had zero leash manners, plus he was a bit bitey with resource guarding issues and zero impulse control. And he looks like he has some pittie in him, so lots of folks are scared of him, poor guy. Okay, well, he mostly looks like a tall pitbull. Lol. Which is a banned breed, in Ontario. Unfortunately for him he is big suck and loves people to pat him and love on him but some people are downright scare of him. And he is dog reactive, so when he barks and lunges he scares the crap out of people, and nobody seems to understand that this is a fear reaction. Poor baby. We are working on it, though, and he has gotten soooo much better. I love that big goofy guy. Anyway we have both leaned out quite a bit. The other day I saw a lady running. We actually crossed paths a few times. She was doing great and I wanted to be supportive so I waved and shouted “You’re doing great! Keep going!” (I’m from a small town, I talk to everyone.) She smiled and then I pointed at my dog and said, “You need to get a crazy dog!!”. Lol. She laughed. Later I thought about what I had said and I hope she didn’t think I was being facetious. (She was overweight and I was thinking maybe she is sensitive to people’s comments, like I am.) I hope she knew I was being sincere.
6/18 – 137.4 lbs - Down 7.2 lbs this round and 2.4 lbs to goal; 145.61/210 miles for June.
6/19 – 137.6 lbs - Down 7.0 lbs this round and 2.6 lbs to goal; 148.66/210 miles for June.
6/20 – 137.4 lbs - Down 7.2 lbs this round and 2.4 lbs to goal; 152.44/210 miles for June. I am very happy with my success this round! I am at an all-time low, for me, and I am a bit stunned that my weight is in the 130’s. It just feels so strange. And it also feels strange that I actually feel a bit of hope around maintaining in this range. That is just such a new mindset, for me. I usually just assume that it will only be a matter of time before I start gaining and go back up to 220. But I feel different, this time, somehow. Well first of all I know I have to walk my dog for a minimum of 2 hours a day for at least the next five years, so that helps. Lol. Yesterday I was soooo fatigued. I just could not seem to do anything. I had to call my dog-walker to walk Golly. I just didn’t think I had the strength to wrangle his dog-reactive butt. So I did not achieve my goal of 7 miles of steps, yesterday. I didn’t even crack 10k steps, which is unusual, for me. I have been feeling pretty spaced out since I started my new meds last Thursday. I am not able to do anything at work, and although I have been logging in, at least, both Friday and yesterday I had to log out early because I was just too sleepy, and had to go take a nap. I am trying not to be too concerned, as side-effects from new meds usually go away after a week or two, for me, so we shall see. I can definitely say that I haven’t been as hungry, but that could be related to my menstrual cycle, not the Vyvanse, so it’s hard to tell. I am going to see my GP tonight after work, and I think I am going to ask both for birth-control AND a referral to a gynecologist or endocrinologist or whoever helps with menopausal stuff. It’s worth a shot.

6/11 134
6/12 132.4
6/13 132
6/14 129.8
6/15 129.8
6/16 129.2
6/17 128.8
6/18 129.6
6/19 131.6
6/20 131.2

74 years-old great-grandmother (5'2")
ON 8/29/2022: I was 134 LBS and had a 33” natural waist-

MAINTENANCE 114-117
Lessons Learned for maintenance: 1) exercise at least 30 minutes five {5} days a week 2) try to walk no less than 10,000 steps a day 3) If/when my weight creeps up (116.5-117 LBS) increase the incline on the treadmill and add a burst of running to routine 4) eat a low-calorie salad before eating dinner 5) limit fried, breaded, and salty food 6) continue to add ice cubes to my daily 5 oz glass of wine 7) eat fish for dinner at least 2 times a week 8) eight to nine hours of sleep a night 9) Of the 64oz of water daily-drink 8oz of water a half hour before each meal 10) three (3) meals a day and 1-2 small snacks, nothing after dinner.

Average weight recorded for 2022- 130 LBS
Average weight recorded for May ‘23-116.1
Average weight recorded for June ‘23-???

Round 225-ended 06/10 -115.5
Round 226 RSW 115.5

06/11-115.5
06/12-115.4
06/13-115.3
06/14-115.2
06/15-115.8
06/16-115.8
06/17-115.8
06/18-116.7
06/19-115.3
06/20-115.1 (this was a bouncy round but in the end, it all worked out)

Round 226
Starting Weight- 147
Current weight- 143.2
10 Day Goal-I made it into the normal range for BMI. I would love to remain there and possibly lose a bit. Healthy eating. Exercise most days. Drink more water. Take vitamins.
Ultimate Goal Weight: Sub 130
6/11 143.0 Spent the day with family. Went to the Louvre. Was on my feet for hours, but obviously slow walking around. Ate at home, so stayed under calories. My water intake was pretty terrible, and I did not take my vitamin.
6/12 143.5 This should be just normal fluctuation. Did a ton of meal prep. No exercise. Stayed under calories. Drank plenty of water. Did not take my vitamins again,
6/13 143.7 Woke up with swollen, achy, inflamed joints. The joys of getting older. 70 minute evening walk. Was warm but there was a breeze. Ate junk for dinner despite having meal prepped, but remained under calories. Water intake was ok. Finally remembered vitamins.
6/14 143.2 Visit to new dentist. Was hungry most of the day, but resisted the urges. No exercise. Remained under calories. Ok with water. No Vitamins. Must work hard on my goals.
6/15 142.8 Slept in. This has been a difficult week for exercise. Late night snack, but under calories. Good on water. Took Vitamin,
6/16 142.8 Another busy day. No exercise. Late night snacking. Remained under calorie. Terrible water intake. No vitamin.
6/17 142.6 Thank goodness I meal prepped earlier this week as it is the only thing keeping the calories down. No exercise except running around town. Water intake not great. No vitamins.
6/18 142.4 Under calories. No exercise. Ok water. No vitamin
6/19 142.4 Under calories. No exercise. Poor water intake. No vitamins.
6/20

SW- 170
GW- 130

6/11 - missed

6/12 - 168.2

6/13-169.8 - did workout. Ate somewhat better after that but still eating habits need correction.
Not sure how people meet there protein intake, I am far away from my macro percentage for protein. Carb and fat seems to be just taking the whole 🥧.

6/14-169 ( early morning weight check. Hoping it keeps me on track for rest of the day)

6/15 - 169.2
6/16 -168.4
6/17 - 169 - so bloated. Ate bad yesterday and it’s reflecting today morning.
6/18 -169.8 - Early Father’s Day dinner last night. Indulged in yummy Cheesecakes😳😳. Scale is reflecting it in morning.
6/19 - 168 - went for exercise at F45 and pool later.
6/20- 168.8 - didn’t do any workout yesterday. Ate mostly healthy though. Next challenge will keep an eye on protein intake as well.

Thanks for good round everyone. See you at next one tomorrow!!

Hi, I'm Charissa - Round 226

Thank you, again, QuiltingJaine for hosting this challenge!

Starting Comments:
62 y/o female
OSW 2022-03 230.3
1SW 2023-01 221.8

Goals This Round per Day:
- Tracking and staying within calorie count using zig-zag daily calories averaging 1400 daily. 🍎
- IF ( 18:6) - but also not eating until actually hungry (Level 3) 👌
- Water (Goal 64 oz/SS and 96oz M-F) : ✅
- Walk/Steps: 🚶🏽

Stats and Previous Rounds
SW: 213.6
Doing the math - June fits nicely with 3 10 days challenges
15 (weight to lose to hit 199)/30 days = .5 per day * 10 = 5.00 per challenge
In a perfect world - But realistically just looking for downward trend.
Challenge Goal - 5.00lbs or Weight of 209. Leaving this for reference but main goal is downward trend.

6/11 214.1 (+0.5/+0.5) ~

6/12 215.0 (+0.9/+1.4) ~ Here we go again, but then, It was the weekend...Last night was guilty of late night snacking, after doing pretty well during the day. The weather was yucky so didn't get a full outside walk in but I did walk for 30 minutes. Today WILL be a good day!! I see lots of new names this round, so Welcome!!!

6/13 215.6 (+0.6/+2.0) ~

6/14 214.3 (-1.3/+0.7)

6/15 212.5 (-1.8/-1.1) ~ 🙂🙂🙂 Not to jinx it, but this is the lowest weight I've seen in 2023!
have two dining out events planned so it will be tough....

6/16 212.2 (-0.3/-1.4) ~ 🙂🙂🙂 Not sure what the weekend will bring.... fingers crossed. We have two dinning out events planned so it will be tough....

6/17 211 (-1.2/-2.6) ~🙂🙂🙂 hot damn! Tomorrow will be back up I'm sure as we did a little Father's day celebrating eating out for both breakfast and dinner. Tomorrow will include a 3 Mile walk. 3 more days to finish the round

6/18 211.6 (+0.6/-2.0) ~ Totally ok with a .6 gain with all that was consumed yesterday. Today will include a single meal out but should be within reason.

6/19 213.1 (+1.5/-0.5) ~ I'm still ok with this because I know most of it will be gone tomorrow and I'm still down 1/2 lb from the start of this round. Did have one meal out then had some caramel corn cheese corn mix... (yummy). I did get my walk in, today will be good.

6/20 214.7 (+1.6/+1.1) ~Well, not exactly where I wanted to end but....I'm learning more and more about my body and actually paying attention! The IF at 18:6 was working, but I saw an opportunity to do a "Power week" to "mix it up" which included a 20 hour fast and a 30 hour fast. I felt good about the 20 and succeeded. I was a little apprehensive about the 30 hours which was supposed to have ended this morning. I ended early last night and had dinner. I was only a little hungry but I didn't wasn't ready to sacrifice sleep due to hunger pains. I am also hanging on to water...probably due to all the "fun" I had this weekend. I drank over 90 oz of water yesterday but my trips to the bathroom were not frequent.... Today I will return to 18:6 and I expect results to follow. I've also started tracking my average weight for 7 days for comparison. It's actually a better indicator of what's really going on vs the day to day fluctuations. As always, looking forward to a new round!