Weight No More Team Chat - NOVEMBER 2023
Replies
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Just joined for the start of the December 2023 challenge.
I’ve had a rough year so far with little space for myself and my weight has suffered. I’m hoping a new challenge team will motivate me to try harder to take care of myself and lose my excess baggage.
Welcome to our group @Lessennan!
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Weigh In Day: Monday
PW (Previous Weight): 170
CW (Current Weight): 1692 -
CassieGetsFit2013 wrote: »I really want to keep going in the right direction, it just seems so much easier not to. I hope I can turn things around, and keep going forward! Tired of going backwards.
@CassieGetsFit2013 - You can absolutely turn things around. What did you do last week that was different? Which habits are you looking to hold onto?Just joined for the start of the December 2023 challenge.
I’ve had a rough year so far with little space for myself and my weight has suffered. I’m hoping a new challenge team will motivate me to try harder to take care of myself and lose my excess baggage.
@Lessennan -
Hi! Welcome aboard! I'm Ashley, one of the captains here in Team Weight No More. We are underdogs in this challenge, but we are mighty! If you have any thoughts, questions, or concerns, feel free to shoot them my way (or to Melanie (@melaniedscott)) and we'll make sure you are taken care of!
When we switch into December's chat, be sure to introduce yourself so we can get to know you better!1 -
@minstrelofsarcasm and @melaniedscott is there anything that we can do as a group to try to help our members lose weight? Looks like our team is in a bit of a slump the last two months.
Maybe more chat/conversation with weekly questions and motivations and encouraging words? Our group seems pretty quiet other than the weigh ins and steps. Thanks! 😀1 -
@minstrelofsarcasm and @melaniedscott is there anything that we can do as a group to try to help our members lose weight? Looks like our team is in a bit of a slump the last two months.
Maybe more chat/conversation with weekly questions and motivations and encouraging words? Our group seems pretty quiet other than the weigh ins and steps. Thanks! 😀
Hi @daria0919 !!
You make a very good point. And the light activity in here is partially my fault.
We have the misfortune of both Melanie and I being nearly consistently overworked and burnt out, so while we try to initiate conversation from time to time, our bandwidth tends to be limited. The good news is that we have incredible members in this group who can support each other if they choose to do so. (Our lovely Motivator, @BodyTalking may also be able to help out here)
I will do a better job of being a pro-active captain, I promise (please call me out, like you just did, whenever I start slacking!). But, at the same time, I'd love to encourage everyone to be the change they'd like to see in the party.
Is there something in particular that you think would help you more along your journey? Would a motivational quote every couple days help? Exercise/diet resources? I ask a general question of the team every other week or so and can probably up that to at least once a week. Let me know what you're thinking.1 -
Hi WNM... You have another new member joining your amazing team .. Please welcome @abowersgirl
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In response to Daria's post about upping the encouragement in our weight loss goals, I found doing my personal list of daily goals helped me.
Initially, I chose 7 things but, the time -consuming factor meant that I didn't always get enough 'cheers' for myself. I think it could be condensed to a list of 3 goals, combining some with others, and would feel more achievable and rewarding.
Here's an example for 7 days:
Daily Cheers to a BETTER ME!
🟥🟧🟨🟩🟦🟪🟫
❤️🥴💛💚💙💜🤎 Exercises
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🥴 Walk/Cardio
❤️🧡💛💚💙🥴🤎 Eat healthily
These are all standard emojis and you can copy and paste or just type your own preference of recording your achievements.
You can decide on the goals that suit you, eg drink more water, reduce carbs, step count, weightlifting, etc. It could also just be for weekends or workdays but should be doable, challenging, and something to improve on.
What do you think, do you want to join me in cheering ourselves and each other on?3 -
Laurabb99
weigh in days: Monday
PW 208.7
CW 209
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BodyTalking wrote: »In response to Daria's post about upping the encouragement in our weight loss goals, I found doing my personal list of daily goals helped me.
Initially, I chose 7 things but, the time -consuming factor meant that I didn't always get enough 'cheers' for myself. I think it could be condensed to a list of 3 goals, combining some with others, and would feel more achievable and rewarding.
Here's an example for 7 days:
Daily Cheers to a BETTER ME!
🟥🟧🟨🟩🟦🟪🟫
❤️🥴💛💚💙💜🤎 Exercises
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🥴 Walk/Cardio
❤️🧡💛💚💙🥴🤎 Eat healthily
These are all standard emojis and you can copy and paste or just type your own preference of recording your achievements.
You can decide on the goals that suit you, eg drink more water, reduce carbs, step count, weightlifting, etc. It could also just be for weekends or workdays but should be doable, challenging, and something to improve on.
What do you think, do you want to join me in cheering ourselves and each other on
ABSOLUTELY! Great - thanks @BodyTalking
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OllieAndEd2021 Steps for Nov 19-25
Sun - 8543
Mon - 12,422
Tues - 11,852
Wed - 7399
Thurs - 10,609
Fri - 22,076
Sat - 17,104
Total = 90,0052 -
@minstrelofsarcasm and @melaniedscott is there anything that we can do as a group to try to help our members lose weight? Looks like our team is in a bit of a slump the last two months.
Maybe more chat/conversation with weekly questions and motivations and encouraging words? Our group seems pretty quiet other than the weigh ins and steps. Thanks! 😀
@minstrelofsarcasm is right, I've been working overtime every week since August, minus the weeks I have taken vacation. And even vacation days have had extreme busy. I'm on here a lot more than you see me...but my phone lacks the ability to read my thoughts and put up motivational stuff or responses...so I respond but you never see them. That said, I don't really want my phone to read my thoughts, so it's a quandry. Also, I am in Kansas, home of Home on the Range (...where seldom is heard an encouraging word ...wait...is that supposed to discouraging word...now I can't remember) so, yeah....
On your point of stagnation...I totally feel that. On a personal level, I am not seeing losses and am pretty discouraged. Joined a gym and don't go much (which is why I hadn't joined one!), mostly because there's usually a choice involved -- do I put in the extra two hours and accomplish something or spend an hour in the gym, do I go to the gym or get groceries do I go to the gym alone or hang out with my husband (who really doesn't want to go, even though he is the one who wanted the membership), etc. I recently got a Cubii (free) and I have been using that at work. It doesn't make a big difference but any progress is good.
I guess that raises a question for everyone:
What do you do when you have too many things to do and none of them are very physically active?
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I'm trying to fight off the urge to not walk. I had started walking 2 miles about 5 days a week and added some front, back and side kicks, but something happened 2 weeks ago that got me off my routine.
The cold wind and 30 degree temps are encouraging me to sit on the couch and sip my hot coffee.1 -
I love the colors… Trying to wrap my head how it works, though!
I wasn’t as committed leading up to Thanksgiving. Still did all of my workouts, but the food definitely slid. Recommitting for the next few weeks! I was definitely hoping to be flirting with the 170’s by now.
Work has been - awful - this week. Chained to my desk, my steps have suffered. Managed to drag myself downstairs to do a Caroline Girvan 20 min upper body workout tonight, though.1 -
What are you favorite workouts, and do you all have indoor equipment to workout on? I’m struggling with the short days!1
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Slipped on the veggie front yesterday. Intended to have salad with dinner, then just got lazy and used the air fryer to make some starchy food from Trader Joe’s instead. Tasted great, just not vegetables.
@minstrelofsarcasm and @melaniedscott and @BodyTalking we do GREATLY APPRECIATE you guys being here for us. 😀👍🏻 This whole F2F group is a great set up!
@melaniedscott - I practically started singing along with “… and seldom is heard a discouraging word…” haha
@Laurabb99 I too find it’s getting more difficult to get walks done outside with the cold and the wind. The whole sit and sip coffee, or for me, warm apple cider and read a book, or binge watch Grey’s Anatomy (which I started doing several weeks ago with getting each season checked out one by one from the library). Do you have someone to make a walking date with? I’ve asked my husband to go to the Y with me a couple of evenings after work to get treadmill walking in. We’ll be going tonight.
@melaniedscott my husband and I have a YMCA membership and for many months we apparently were just making a monetary donation to the Y. This past weekend we decided to set up a date of going two evenings a week after work.
@sydditt i bought an inexpensive exercise bench, which hubby put together for me, and a few weights and a stretch band and have these in a spare bedroom to use when home. I often bring some weights downstairs and have them near me by the sofa for when we watch tv and I try to do some arm/upper body exercises with them while we watch tv after dinner. I also meet with a personal trainer once a week and she kindly tortures me 😆
I don’t have to think about the workout - she just tells me what to do and I do it. I’ve heard people use cans of food as weights or fill jugs of water to use as weights. Seems there are lots of videos out there to follow exercise routines. Maybe experiment and find something you like @sydditt. Do others have suggestions for exercise?
My problem is plain old overeating. I can’t seem to control portion sizes at all. I know on days when I have my 2 fruits, one of which is an apple, and 3 vegetable servings, two cups of which need to be salad, then I feel fuller and also lose weight. I also need 8 glasses of water. It seems so simple, yet so very difficult to discipline myself to do on a daily basis. It’s the old “I know what I have to do, but I just don’t seem to follow through with it” problem.1 -
Weigh in day: Thursday
PW: 257.5
CW: 258.0
Well a half pound gain sucks. Wife and I are back on track at watching what we eat, we do low carb and more meat and veggies. See you guys in December !3 -
melaniedscott wrote: »What do you do when you have too many things to do and none of them are very physically active?
I remember back when the pandemic started, my gym (at the time, a spin studio) was closed, I was stuck inside, and I was restless. And then I started associating certain activities with exercise:- After moving a load of laundry (into the washer, from washer to dryer, from dryer to basket), complete 10 squats
- After using the restroom, complete 10 jumping jacks
- Groceries must be moved one bag at a time (this usually meant having to do 4ish trips up and down stairs)
- While waiting for food to heat in a microwave, do walking lunges in the kitchen
Essentially, I just overcomplicated every task to make it more physically demanding, something which very much went against my engineering efficiency mindset. But it helped a lot, when there was nowhere to go, and not much to do. We spend a lot of time waiting, a LOT of time. But if we can wait while we also get something else done, why don't we?1 -
Also, I used to do this with every weigh-in, but since I've got a very full plate tomorrow, I'll do an update now...
GOOD NEWS!As of this past Sunday, I am an NASM Certified Personal Trainer!
FOOD -
I have been snacking a lot the last couple months, without really checking myself or questioning why I was turning to food as a coping mechanism again. And while a lot of the foods I've been munching on haven't been unhealthy, I have been consuming larger portions than normal.
EXERCISE -
On the other hand, I've been great about getting my activity in. I typically do lower body exercises on Mondays and Thursdays, upper body on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and cardio on Wednesdays and Fridays. Sometimes it shifts, sometimes an extra rest day is thrown in, but moving around has never really been an issue for me. I frequently joke that working out before getting to the office makes me more palatable around my coworkers, and it's honestly pretty close to the truth. Rarely have I ever left the gym in a worse mood than when I arrived, even if I started my day thinking that a workout would be the end of me.
I've also been attending spin class again, as one of my two cardio days. It's the same company, but a different location, with different instructors, so there's far less drama but a familiar format. The class has never been "easy", but I feel confident on a bike, and there are definitely points in every class where I feel like I am showing off. After over 1100 classes, I might as well push myself a little bit.
MINDSET - okay, mostly just venting
The holiday season is stressful, always has been for me. Everyone in my family claims to be on a "diet" but then finds every excuse to snack or have dessert or stop for a treat, all while being upset with me when I suggest anything that isn't in their definition of healthy. It's the time of year where I get to explain that carbs aren't evil, low-fat food is typically loaded with extra sugar and salt, diet soda isn't necessarily better for you, just because something contains fruit doesn't mean it's healthy... all the hits.
It's an added bonus that my sister is using an off-brand version of Ozempic and thinks that losing a few pounds makes her a health expert, all while my mom is telling people that her new skinny arms are a product of healthy choices rather than liposuction. Let's just say that my Personal Training Certification was taken as less of an accomplishment and more of an attack.
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@daria0919 yes, I like using the colours for an extra colourful motivation 😊 I forgot that the red heart doesn't work on this app and will use pink instead. I also use Notes app to make changes then copy and paste. It saves a bit of time.
@sydditt Choose 3 things you'd like to improve or that will help in reaching your goals. Then, each day, record if you did them or not. I use the 7 coloured squares to represent Monday to Sunday (or Sun to Sat if you prefer), then, below each day, leave myself a corresponding coloured heart if I accomplished it or a disappointed face if not. I prefer the squares to letters (MTWTFSS) because of the spacing differences.
M T W T F S S
🟥🟧🟨🟩🟦🟪🟫
🩷🥴💛💚💙💜🤎 Exercises
🩷🧡💛💚💙💜🥴 Walk/Cardio
🩷🧡💛💚💙🥴🤎 Eat healthily
In my example, it shows that I didn't exercise on Tuesday, I didn't walk or cycle on Sunday, and I didn't eat very healthily on Saturday. I achieved all my other goals for the week each day. I hope that helps you understand it better. You can lay it out differently according to what makes sense for you or just list what you did.
I suppose it's like the F2F group's habit tracker except that we share our personal tick list here to encourage teammates and to show how well we've done.1 -
My actual goals I've achieved/missed so far this week:
🟥🟧🟨🟩🟦🟪🟫 (Mon-Sun)
🥴🥴🥴⚪⚪⚪⚪ Exercises
🩷🧡💛💚⚪⚪⚪ Walk/Cardio
🩷🧡💛💚⚪⚪⚪ Eat healthily1 -
Weigh in
PW: 337 lbs
CW: 335.8 lbs4 -
minstrelofsarcasm wrote: »Also, I used to do this with every weigh-in, but since I've got a very full plate tomorrow, I'll do an update now...
GOOD NEWS!As of this past Sunday, I am an NASM Certified Personal Trainer!…….
Let's just say that my Personal Training Certification was taken as less of an accomplishment and more of an attack.
Congratulations @minstrelofsarcasm on obtaining your Personal Training Certification!!
👏🏻 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
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There is another new member coming your way for December. Please welcome @Lisa_Marie64 !2
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@minstrelofsarcasm Congrats!!! That’s a lot of hard work! Will you be working out of a local gym or doing it freelance?
@BodyTalking Thank you for the great explanation. I’m going to see if I can come up with my version. I love seeing the colors on all of the pages.
@melaniedscott I have a friend that does a wall sit while she brushes her teeth. 😜
@daria0919 Did you make it to the gym tonight?
I had another heinous day and rushed home in horrible traffic so I could do a 3 min change and get to weightlifting class with my daughter. I realized on my way home that I hadn’t eaten since breakfast and pounded Greek yogurt, chia seeds, and cooked chicken breast at the stop lights.
Non-Scale Victory - I realized yesterday that my dress pants felt looser. Up to this point I’ve lost all the weight (15 pounds total) in my face and boobs with zero change to my waist and hip measurements. It had been 3 weeks since I’d measured, and I’ve been lazier with the food and had only lost 2 lbs in the last 3 weeks. Well….I may have only lost 2 lbs in 3 weeks, but I lost 1.5” around the waist and an inch on my hips! 😁1 -
Mine:
🟥🟧🟨🟩🟦🟪⬛️ (Mon-Sun)
❤️🧡💛💚⚪️⚪️⚪️ (Protein/Fiber)
❤️🧡💛💚⚪️⚪️⚪️ (Planned Exercise)
☹️🧡☹️☹️⚪️⚪️⚪️ (Steps 5k+)2 -
Congrats on the NSV @sydditt! I’ve heard over and over that women lose weight I their face and boobs before their waist. Awesome that you’ve lost 1.5 inches in the waist and hips!@melaniedscott I have a friend that does a wall sit while she brushes her teeth. 😜
What a great idea! I’m gonna try it while brushing my teeth tonight!
@daria0919 Did you make it to the gym tonight?
Yes! Met hubby there. I did 3 miles on the treadmill - was very happy we went.
I had another heinous day and rushed home in horrible traffic so I could do a 3 min change and get to weightlifting class with my daughter. I realized on my way home that I hadn’t eaten since breakfast and pounded Greek yogurt, chia seeds, and cooked chicken breast at the stop lights.
Non-Scale Victory - I realized yesterday that my dress pants felt looser. Up to this point I’ve lost all the weight (15 pounds total) in my face and boobs with zero change to my waist and hip measurements. It had been 3 weeks since I’d measured, and I’ve been lazier with the food and had only lost 2 lbs in the last 3 weeks. Well….I may have only lost 2 lbs in 3 weeks, but I lost 1.5” around the waist and an inch on my hips! 😁
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minstrelofsarcasm wrote: »Also, I used to do this with every weigh-in, but since I've got a very full plate tomorrow, I'll do an update now...
GOOD NEWS!As of this past Sunday, I am an NASM Certified Personal Trainer!
FOOD -
I have been snacking a lot the last couple months, without really checking myself or questioning why I was turning to food as a coping mechanism again. And while a lot of the foods I've been munching on haven't been unhealthy, I have been consuming larger portions than normal.
EXERCISE -
On the other hand, I've been great about getting my activity in. I typically do lower body exercises on Mondays and Thursdays, upper body on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and cardio on Wednesdays and Fridays. Sometimes it shifts, sometimes an extra rest day is thrown in, but moving around has never really been an issue for me. I frequently joke that working out before getting to the office makes me more palatable around my coworkers, and it's honestly pretty close to the truth. Rarely have I ever left the gym in a worse mood than when I arrived, even if I started my day thinking that a workout would be the end of me.
I've also been attending spin class again, as one of my two cardio days. It's the same company, but a different location, with different instructors, so there's far less drama but a familiar format. The class has never been "easy", but I feel confident on a bike, and there are definitely points in every class where I feel like I am showing off. After over 1100 classes, I might as well push myself a little bit.
MINDSET - okay, mostly just venting
The holiday season is stressful, always has been for me. Everyone in my family claims to be on a "diet" but then finds every excuse to snack or have dessert or stop for a treat, all while being upset with me when I suggest anything that isn't in their definition of healthy. It's the time of year where I get to explain that carbs aren't evil, low-fat food is typically loaded with extra sugar and salt, diet soda isn't necessarily better for you, just because something contains fruit doesn't mean it's healthy... all the hits.
It's an added bonus that my sister is using an off-brand version of Ozempic and thinks that losing a few pounds makes her a health expert, all while my mom is telling people that her new skinny arms are a product of healthy choices rather than liposuction. Let's just say that my Personal Training Certification was taken as less of an accomplishment and more of an attack.
Wow. That sounds so much like the family I walked away from, it hurts. I am so glad you have space from them the rest of the time. Big congrats on the certification!🥳🍾🎉 Family should celebrate your success, not feel threatened by it. Take care of yourself the next several weeks!1 -
Here's another way you can track your daily achievements. You can either print it out and tick the boxes or colour them in, or keep a digital image and edit each day. I'll also post a blank one so you can add your own goals.
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These are the things I use at home when I'm properly exercising. Autumn didn't see much use of these but maybe Winter will 😊
Also, here's a link to my collection of videos for exercising https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLla5M2h0VqsCjne1jFOjIedPwPIXEwGFB
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