☔️🌧️ April Daily Weigh-in and Logging Challenge☔️🌦️

iLive2Walk wrote: »

Hello I'm Darlene. Retired, 63-year-old. Married (Greg), one adult daughter (Allyson), and one goldendoodle (Monty). I have been on this weight loss journey since January 2023. I found MFP in March, and this group in April. This challenge is the first I signed up for on MFP, so it holds a very special place in my heart. 💖 This month is a year with some of these amazing people. 💖 I am so thankful for their support and accountability.

My Goals for April

⚖️ Lose 2% of my body weight - changing my goal this month, my 4 pounds per month is getting really difficult now that I almost to my goal weight - but still am going to try to get that 4 pounds!
👣 Average 17k Steps Daily with one day of rest
📝 Log Daily
🥗 Stay under my calorie range
💪 Strength Train 3 days per week
🧘‍♀️ Tai Chi or Yoga 1 day per week
🫀 Aerobics 3 days per week
💦 6+ glasses of water
📖 Putting this one back in there - read almost every day

Each Month I write a reflection on how the month went Here's My March Reflection if anyone wants to read:

March 2024 Reflection

March was a good month, met my four-pound goal; although as I get closer to my goal weight, it is much harder to do. I am rethinking my goal for April. Instead of a pound goal, I think I will shoot for a 2% loss: a ½ percent each week. I am down almost 75 pounds since the start of my journey, about 20 pounds to go.

I have been successful with the walking goals, averaging well over my 17K goal, and tracked a little over 250 miles in March; year to date a little over 725 miles. I am also on track for intentional miles with about 220 miles in March and 550 miles to date.

I have been keeping on plan with my cardio and strength routines. I alternate one day of cardio and then one day of strength. Although I do not like them much, I add one stretch type routine weekly.

I finished the last book of the Harry Potter series – read along with the Hogwarts Challenge, and am currently reading The Masked City – the second book of the Invisible Library Series. Will need to finish soon before the next round of Hogwarts starts. I am also trying to read a non-fiction book as well, and am reading the Chicken Soup for the Soul book. A story or two a day.

I finished all the challenges that I am in on My Fitness Pal and am only going to keep the ones that mean the most to me. After our leader in the The Biggest Loser Challenge is on medical leave, I have become captain of the team. It will take up a lot of time but need to re-focus my time. So, The Biggest Loser (of course), the Hogwarts Challenge (the most creative one I’ve found), and the Daily Logging and Weigh In Challenge (the first one I joined and has a special place in my heart) will be what I stick with for now. I am also in one that is purely data and spreadsheets - so it fits my personality. That is enough to keep me motivated and busy!

My April Goals:

• Lose 2% of my Body Weight
• Log 150 intentional miles; reach 1,000 miles in my 2,024 in 2024 goal
• Alternate days of Cardio and Strength Training
• Stretch routine 1 day per week
• Average 17K steps per day
• Read almost every day

I hated taking pictures of myself. I find it hard to find some before pictures. Looking back I wish I had taken more, and certainly wish I had more of the process. It is so hard to see your weight loss success from just the scale (and even the difference in clothes size). You see yourself every day – so the change isn’t noticeable. Those around you see you every day, so the change isn’t noticeable. It wasn’t until I had lost 50 pounds that I finally did an after picture. I wish I had done them more. Now I take one every month. I encourage everyone to do so; you only have to share them with yourself – but it is so nice and motivating to see your own progress and know that all the hard work is worth it. And yes – it is really hard work.

So here it is - my before and after for March 2024:

👣 📝 🥗 💪 🧘‍♀️ 🫀💦📖

Highest Weight 228

SW Dec: 228 | Jan: 217 | Feb: 212 | Mar: 207.6 | Apr 200.2 | May 194.8 | Jun: 189.6 | Jul: 187.4 | Aug: 179.8 | Sept: 174.2 | Oct: 169.6 | Nov 164.6 | Dec 164 | Jan 159.8 | Feb 156.8 | Mar 154.8

April Starting Weight: 154.8

🌷🌈April 🌈🌷

April 1: 154.8 👣 📝 🥗 🫀💦📖 I love the beginning of a new month. Feels like a fresh new start; a clean slate. I have noticed a pattern in my weight loss. I do fantastic the first week of every month, then I kind of get lazy and for two weeks and the weight loss slows. Then I see the end of the month coming; and Yikes - only one week to finish my goals. I usually finish out the month strong. This month I'm hoping to skip that laziness in the middle of the month. Keep me to it!

Thank you again @jm216 for this monthly group. I really appreciate it!

Welcome back to all our returing members! And a special welcome to our new ones @ATnowornever @koeitjiesa and @mlmom6 - so glad you found it. Hope you love it as much as I do.