April Lose 4% Challenge

Wow everyone did really good. I'm loving this challenge. So has the May one been posted?

Starting Weight 156 [39.8]
Goal Weight Loss 6.24 (156 * .04)

Week 1 - 151.6 lbs. and 2.8 % lost (Monday 9th April) [38.5]
Week 2 - 152.6 lbs. and 2.2 % lost (Monday 16th April) [39.2]
Week 3 - 150.6 lbs. and 3.5 % lost (Monday 23rd April)
Week 4 - 149.6 lbs. and 4.10 % lost (Monday 30th April)

Total Lost 6.4 lbs. (Monday 30th April)
Total % Lost 4.1 % (Monday 30th April)

Week 1 - 170.4 lbs. and 2.85 % lost (Monday 9th April) 5.4 lbs
Week 2 - 168.0 lbs. and 1.41 % lost (Monday 16th April) 2 lbs
Week 3 - 166.0 lbs. and 1.19 % lost (Monday 23rd April) 2 lbs
Week 4 - 164.3 lbs. and 1.02 % lost (Monday 30th April) 1.7 lbs

Total Lost - 11.1 lbs. (Monday 30th April)
Total % Lost - 6.32 % (Monday 30th April)

Starting Weight – 236 lbs. (Sunday 1st April)
Goal Weight Loss – 9.44 lbs.

Week 1 –234 lbs. and 0.85 % lost (Monday 9th April)
Week 2 – 232.8 lbs. and 1.36 % lost (Monday 16th April)
Week 3 - xxx lbs. and xx % lost (Monday 23rd April)
Week 4 - 233 lbs. and 1.27 % lost (Monday 30th April)

Total Lost – 3 lbs. (Monday 30th April)
Total % Lost – 1.27 % (Monday 30th April)

Only ended up dropping 3 lbs. for April, but given the recovery from cardiac surgery in March and just getting back to regular exercise levels about a week ago, I'll take it.

One big thing that the recovery experience has provided for me, besides getting better from open-heart bypass surgery, is that. I also had a revelation, actually more like an increased education, on calorie intake and losing weight. Before my surgery, I was losing, consistently, 10 or more lbs. per month. I was doing this by exercising and eating my calories back. What I didn't realize, at the time, is that was putting me in a position to eat more than my BMR each day. After my surgery, I went at least three weeks with no additional exercise and another three weeks with very limited exercise. In going back and looking at my food diary, on the no-exercise days, I stayed under the MFP calorie recommendations of 1900 calories, but that also put me below my BMR of 1920 or so ... I was probably eating around 1,700 calories or so each day or less. Even with light exercise when I was starting my rehab, I found myself coming in under the 1,920 on most days. While I've seen folks talk about that 1,200 calorie floor, I'm convinced more than ever, that issues around plateaus, at least in my case, are probably tied to BMR. I'll get to test that theory in May!

Like I said, 3 lbs. in a month certainly isn't where I've been based on the previous four months' worth of output ... all 10 lbs. or more ... but any month where the end of the month is lower than the start of the month is not a bad thing!

Starting Weight 200
Goal Weight Loss 8 pounds
Week 1 - 199 lbs. (-1#) and .5% lost (Monday 9th April)
Week 2 - 198 lbs. (-1#) and .5 % lost (Monday 16th April)
Week 3 - 197 lbs. (-1#) and .5 % lost (Monday 23rd April)
Week 4 - 195 lbs. (-2#) and 1% lost (Monday 30th April)

Total Lost 5 lbs. (Monday 30th April)
Total % Lost 2.5 % (Monday 30th April

Has a May one started?