Abu's AWESOME August 2015 - W.I.S.H. Weight Loss Challenge! Any & All Welcome to Join!

[ThistleMae]

The best thing about this fall is my DISNEY TRIP! November for Thanksgiving! I really hadn't started thinking about fall yet but it was really cool here in NH this morning and I could envision frost appearing on my skylights! I love Halloween! It is my favorite start to the Holidays! I have a Yankee Candle Boney Bunch Collection that I put out every year. I have tons of Yankee Candles with Pumpkin and Cinnamon scents. Thanks to this post today....I am starting to think I will need to get ready soon. I'm still spring cleaning...LOL! And preparing for winter....getting house in order, washing siding, stacking wood! And I'm cruising at the end of September....to Caribbean! WoW....Fall is bringing me lots of presents....even before Christmas!

 

[ThistleMae]

On Another Note....just to keep everyone inspired....You know how at night, sometimes you wish you could just eat whatever you want? Then you start to think about how you will never be able to be that person again....who just can eat and enjoy and not think about being overweight...but of course that's depressing too because you don't want to be overweight. Well the good news is this.....in the morning...you are brand new! You feel great! You made it another day with good eating and you feel proud of your accomplishment! It is the best feeling in the world! So for anyone whoever feels that night time urge to binge....just remember how good you'll feel in the morning if you just say NO! Have a great Thursday everyone!

 

[SarahDisney]

I LOVE crafting. LOVE it. I just don't love it as much when it's stressful, and on a budget, and there's a deadline... lol. Halloween and Christmas decorations? I craft night and day! Other people's parties and weddings? Sign me up! My own wedding, though... Totally regretting this plan. I need some handy crafting elves to help me out. I'll just leave everything on the table and go to bed and it'll be done when I wake up! Right?

I'm the same way sometimes ... when there's no hurry, I can craft away, but when there's a deadline involved ... can the crafting fairies do it for me please??

That is adorable!

On Another Note....just to keep everyone inspired....You know how at night, sometimes you wish you could just eat whatever you want? Then you start to think about how you will never be able to be that person again....who just can eat and enjoy and not think about being overweight...but of course that's depressing too because you don't want to be overweight. Well the good news is this.....in the morning...you are brand new! You feel great! You made it another day with good eating and you feel proud of your accomplishment! It is the best feeling in the world! So for anyone whoever feels that night time urge to binge....just remember how good you'll feel in the morning if you just say NO! Have a great Thursday everyone!

Awesome reminder ... thanks for sharing!

 

[JacknSally]

Guess what, friends!!

IT'S FRIDAYYYY!!!!!!!!!



Everybody do your Friday dance!
(It's ok. I'll wait!)

Now that we've kicked off our day with a Friday dance, who's ready for your Friday QOTD?!

QOTD - August 7, 2015



This is SO ME. It's SO easy for me to get discouraged because I feel like I've got all this weight to lose and it's going to take forever and why am I even doing this and that Reese's cup looks SOOO GOOOODDDD... I bet I'm not the only one! Especially right now, I'm stuck at a plateau, and I haven't lost or gained in the last week, so I'm discouraged and I miss the foods I love and I wonder why I'm putting myself through this and how much would that burger REALLY hurt anything?

But then I remember that earlier this year, heck, even in June, I was 20lbs heavier than I am now. I haven't really lost enough yet that I feel a big change in my energy levels, and while my clothes are a little looser, I'm not at the point where I can go out and start my new wardrobe. But I've still lost 20lbs - automatically, that makes me healthier than I was 2 months ago.

So, at the end of our first week of August, when we might be feeling discouraged because we haven't seen dramatic results yet -
INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT HOW FAR YOU STILL HAVE TO GO, TELL ME HOW FAR YOU'VE ALREADY GOTTEN.
Did you get out and walk every day? Have you upped your water intake? Did your simple change on Monday make any difference in your day-to-day? Do you feel better because you swapped out cookies for fruit every day? Is this your 2nd or 3rd or 8th month doing these challenges - if so, how much progress have you made prior to this one week?

​

 

[JacknSally]

Have a great Thursday everyone!

I need you to know the heart attack you just gave me! Here I was celebrating all morning because it's Friday and finally the weekend and this very, very, very long week is finally almost over if I can just make it til 4:30... and you go and wish us a happy Thursday! I checked my phone and my calendar just to make sure I hadn't lost my mind. Oh my goodness.

 

[JacknSally]

So... you know how we mentioned decorating for Fall and Halloween decorations? Disneyland put out their Halloween decorations while we were at the park tonight and I snagged this little guy for my desk at work. (The decorations are adorable this year!)

I love this so much! I'm in a Disney October 2015 group on Facebook, and they shared a bunch of pictures of the Halloween merchandise at Disneyland yesterday. I'm so so so excited!!! Can't wait to make it to the World. I hope some of this cute stuff is still there the last week of October!

 

[DisPup75]

Friday check in! Weighed in at 209.8 this morning so down 0.2/5 so far. I've also completed 2/8 workouts (both upper body). So far I've achieved 14.5% of my August goals! WooHOO!

Good news! My arms no longer feel like they've lifted Mack truck the day after. I guess that means it is time to trade my miniature pink dumbbells for the almost as miniature baby blue ones. The bad news is that means I need to dig around my garage until I figure out where I stashed the rest of the weights.

 

[DisPup75]

So... you know how we mentioned decorating for Fall and Halloween decorations? Disneyland put out their Halloween decorations while we were at the park tonight and I snagged this little guy for my desk at work. (The decorations are adorable this year!)

SO adorable!

On Another Note....just to keep everyone inspired....You know how at night, sometimes you wish you could just eat whatever you want? Then you start to think about how you will never be able to be that person again....who just can eat and enjoy and not think about being overweight...but of course that's depressing too because you don't want to be overweight. Well the good news is this.....in the morning...you are brand new! You feel great! You made it another day with good eating and you feel proud of your accomplishment! It is the best feeling in the world! So for anyone whoever feels that night time urge to binge....just remember how good you'll feel in the morning if you just say NO! Have a great Thursday everyone!

That's a great thing to remember! Thank you!!

 

[DisPup75]

INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT HOW FAR YOU STILL HAVE TO GO, TELL ME HOW FAR YOU'VE ALREADY GOTTEN.
Did you get out and walk every day? Have you upped your water intake? Did your simple change on Monday make any difference in your day-to-day? Do you feel better because you swapped out cookies for fruit every day? Is this your 2nd or 3rd or 8th month doing these challenges - if so, how much progress have you made prior to this one week?

This one is a really tough one for me!! I'm far too concerned about the 70 pounds that I want to go away and I don't give myself nearly enough credit for the ~10 that are gone. But thinking like that is what has led me to crash and burn (usually within a week and never more than three weeks) every single time I've tried to take better care of myself.

This time is different. I've logged every morsel of food/drink that has passed through my lips since June 15 - good, bad, and ugly. I've started to figure out how to budget for the things I really want to eat. And when I've "overdrawn" the calorie checkbook, I haven't freaked out and abandoned the plan. I've gone from huffing/puffing up one or two flights of stairs to walking up the subway escalators with ease. I can walk the dog for 2 or 3 miles without getting winded or tired, even if I've been running around all day. My arms no longer hurt after lifting 3 pound dumbells. I have a fridge full of produce and sometimes I actually eat it. I've gone from a 2-3/day soda/sweet tea habit to 1 a week.

Honestly, I'm not always happy with my progress. I would like to be done NOW. I would like to be able to run more than 2.5 seconds without looking like a sweaty tomato in the midst of a heart attack. I would like to have strong, sleek muscles. I would like to be something resembling flexible. But you know what? If I were all of those things right now, my clothes would be better but my daily routine would still be largely the same. I would still have to exercise. I still wouldn't have free license to eat whenever I wanted in as much quantity as I wanted. I'm developing a lifestyle that I'm going to have to live with for the rest of my life. And I think I am FINALLY managing to do just that. The rest will eventually come if I just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Preferably while not holding cookies.

 

[JennysSeven]

I'm a HUGE crafter, lol! When we were house shopping last fall I drove my hubby crazy because I vetoed looking at anything that wouldn't allow me to have a dedicated craft room. And once we moved in and got our basic furniture taken care of, (you know, so we could eat and sleep, lol) that was the first room I really got into setting up. Now if only I could craft as fast as I can amass hoards of craft supplies, I'd be set!

 

[JennysSeven]

Friday update...it looks like I need to reevaluate my plans. I lost 3.6 lbs. this week, and while I'm not sure how, I do know that's too fast to be healthy. I've been tracking my food in MFP and eating back about half my exercise calories, which puts me at anywhere from 1450-1750 calories/day. According to my UP24, I burn 2000-2200 calories a day, so if I average it all out that should be about a 500 cal/day deficit, which should translate into 1 lb. per week loss, since 3500 cal = 1 lb. I guess I should eat back more of my exercise calories and see what happens--maybe it's underestimating how much I actually burn? I haven't been hungry though. It might also have something to do with timing of the monthly cycle. Who knows. Anyway, that puts me at 82% of goal.

 

[JacknSally]

I'm a HUGE crafter, lol! When we were house shopping last fall I drove my hubby crazy because I vetoed looking at anything that wouldn't allow me to have a dedicated craft room. And once we moved in and got our basic furniture taken care of, (you know, so we could eat and sleep, lol) that was the first room I really got into setting up. Now if only I could craft as fast as I can amass hoards of craft supplies, I'd be set!

Oh, you sound just like me! Our "guest bedroom" is really my craft room. I have got to figure out a better system for everything in it, though, because right now it looks like a Hobby Lobby exploded in it. I have a "dream craft room" board on Pinterest with WALLS of organizers. I'm in love. One day I will have it!! I'm really bad about seeing cute craft supplies that I KNOW would be perfect for something, and buying them, even though I don't know what that "something" might be when I do. I think the majority of my craft supplies are things I picked up like that LOL.

Friday update...it looks like I need to reevaluate my plans. I lost 3.6 lbs. this week, and while I'm not sure how, I do know that's too fast to be healthy. I've been tracking my food in MFP and eating back about half my exercise calories, which puts me at anywhere from 1450-1750 calories/day. According to my UP24, I burn 2000-2200 calories a day, so if I average it all out that should be about a 500 cal/day deficit, which should translate into 1 lb. per week loss, since 3500 cal = 1 lb. I guess I should eat back more of my exercise calories and see what happens--maybe it's underestimating how much I actually burn? I haven't been hungry though. It might also have something to do with timing of the monthly cycle. Who knows. Anyway, that puts me at 82% of goal.

Honestly, I don't think that a 3.6lb loss in a week is too bad! I know it's more than the math makes sense to be, but unfortunately our bodies don't respond the way the math logically dictates they should. Otherwise, weight loss would be so easy! Want to lose a pound a week? Easy peasy! Just shave off 3500 calories and voila! I wish it were that easy - I'd be set!

Obviously if it's a rate that you're uncomfortable with, definitely reevaluate your plan, but I think it sounds like great progress, especially for week 1! Keep in mind that your body will generally drop weight pretty quickly when you first start out with a plan (especially a plan that involves both diet AND exercise) and then it will even out as your body adjusts to the new routine. Just because you lost 3.6lbs this week does NOT mean you'll lose at that same rate next week, even if you keep everything exactly the same. If you were losing 3.6lbs every week, consistently, then yes, that's definitely something to be concerned about. I wouldn't be alarmed after just one week, though.

Also, all calorie estimations, both eaten and lost, are just that - estimations. So you may be overestimating how much you're burning, but you also may be underestimating how much you're eating. If you don't feel hungry, though, I would say you're doing things really well. Of course, I'm not a doctor or nutritionist, so take my opinion for what it's worth.

Congrats on your loss, nonetheless! 82% of your goal is fantastic, be it week 1 or week 4!!

 

[JacknSally]

This one is a really tough one for me!! I'm far too concerned about the 70 pounds that I want to go away and I don't give myself nearly enough credit for the ~10 that are gone. But thinking like that is what has led me to crash and burn (usually within a week and never more than three weeks) every single time I've tried to take better care of myself.

This time is different. I've logged every morsel of food/drink that has passed through my lips since June 15 - good, bad, and ugly. I've started to figure out how to budget for the things I really want to eat. And when I've "overdrawn" the calorie checkbook, I haven't freaked out and abandoned the plan. I've gone from huffing/puffing up one or two flights of stairs to walking up the subway escalators with ease. I can walk the dog for 2 or 3 miles without getting winded or tired, even if I've been running around all day. My arms no longer hurt after lifting 3 pound dumbells. I have a fridge full of produce and sometimes I actually eat it. I've gone from a 2-3/day soda/sweet tea habit to 1 a week.

Honestly, I'm not always happy with my progress. I would like to be done NOW. I would like to be able to run more than 2.5 seconds without looking like a sweaty tomato in the midst of a heart attack. I would like to have strong, sleek muscles. I would like to be something resembling flexible. But you know what? If I were all of those things right now, my clothes would be better but my daily routine would still be largely the same. I would still have to exercise. I still wouldn't have free license to eat whenever I wanted in as much quantity as I wanted. I'm developing a lifestyle that I'm going to have to live with for the rest of my life. And I think I am FINALLY managing to do just that. The rest will eventually come if I just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Preferably while not holding cookies.

You and I are in the same boat, friend! I get so focused on my 7lb goal for August that when I remember I really ultimately need to lose about 50lbs, it's such a devastating blow. But, as I realized/remembered last night, I'll never get to 50lbs without getting to the 7lbs first, so I just have to keep focusing on the small obstacle and not let myself get overwhelmed or defeated by the big obstacle. I would give anything to be at my goal now. It makes it so much worse when I know I was at my goal just a couple of years ago, and I blew it. I get SO depressed when I think about it like that. So I just have to stop thinking about it like that! I might have been there 2 years ago, but I'm not there now, and THAT'S what I have to deal with. And if I don't make a substantial change, then even if I get there now, 2 or 3 years from now, I'm likely to be right back in this same position.

The progress you have made so far - being able to walk up stairs without getting winded, being able to walk 2-3 miles with ease, being able to do weights without feeling like your arms are made of jello - all of that is MASSIVE. Regardless of what the scale says, the most important thing is that your body is telling you that you have made a positive difference. That's FANTASTIC! KEEP IT UP!

 

[SarahDisney]

I will try to answer the QOTD later (I'm a little swamped right now), but I wanted to report a 0.5 lb loss this week - aka 17% of goal (well, 16.67, but I'm rounding up)! It's pretty good progress for my first week, so I'm happy!

 

[JennysSeven]

My craft room is pretty much entirely Ikea (SUPER dangerous that I live 10 minutes away from one, lol!) so the bones are there for good organization. But, like you, I have a substantial layer of Hobby Lobby, Michael's , JoAnn, etc. covering it all up. I need to get it cleaned up and snap some pictures. In its cleaned-up state, it's awesome!

I think you're probably right about the weight loss. Just watch, I'll probably end up just holding steady or gaining this next week. I think I'll just eat when I'm hungry, keep logging it all, and see what happens in another week before I get too worried about it.

 

[JacknSally]

So I'm doing a little bit of experimenting with my plan this weekend. I've been stuck in a plateau for a couple of weeks now, and I got to thinking that, last month, I spent the two weeks leading up to my wedding shower really off my diet because of stress and lack of time to eat really well, especially at dinner time. I put on a little weight that two weeks, going from 209 to 213. Then the day after the shower, we got back onto our diet pretty strictly, and by the end of that week I was at 206, which is where I've been since then. So this weekend, I'm off my diet - not going crazy and eating everything in sight, but eating more carbs than I ordinarily would on my diet. Next week I'll go hard on my diet and exercise and see if there's any progress. Mix things up a little! I think my body's getting used to the lack of carbs so it's not as effective as it was when I first started - which, from the reading I've been doing, is definitely something that happens. Sigh. Why does this have to be such a game!!

 

[Keithsmomma]

I'm 19.4% of my goal and going strong.
QOTD
Since my change I'm drinking more water and notice I'm gaining some energy . I just had to buy new pants for work. I went down 2 whole sizes. I've been trying to lose weight slowly over 1 1/2yrs. Winter time normal hurts me. But this winter I'm changing it up (just not sure how)lol. I can't wait for our trip to Disney this Nov. I'm going to be walking a lot more. (Granted this is our first time at food and wine fest too). I feel way better and happier. Plus I'm very happy to have an awesome group to talk to.

 

[courtneybeth]

Question of the Day Response -- how far I've gotten:

• Since March, I have lost just over 20 pounds, but 10 of those pounds have been through WW in the last 30 days! (IT DOES WORK!)

It's more than just weight loss though. It's an overall lifestyle and attitude change. I'm happier and more accepting of myself and I am surrounding myself with people who are supportive of my endeavors. I've been drinking more water and less soda. I've switched to healthier foods and no longer crave sweets or crackers.

For the first time in a long while I am satisfied with my life and happy with the direction in which it is moving.

I think that is more important that the number of pounds lost.

 

[SarahDisney]

INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT HOW FAR YOU STILL HAVE TO GO, TELL ME HOW FAR YOU'VE ALREADY GOTTEN.

So I'm going to go in a bit of a different direction...
Last summer, shortly after I started training for my first runDisney event, I started to keep a journal of all my runs.
The first entry (8/12/14): 1.48 miles in 20 minutes
This week's long run (8/3/15): 5.28 miles in 69 minutes
And this week's long run was a really slow one - lately I've been closer to 5.5 miles. So in less than a year I've been able to add 4 miles to my distance and I can stay out there running for more than 3 times as long as I could last year. There is still progress to be made, but I think that's a big improvement - especially because 5 years ago I thought I could never run.

Friday check in! Weighed in at 209.8 this morning so down 0.2/5 so far. I've also completed 2/8 workouts (both upper body). So far I've achieved 14.5% of my August goals! WooHOO!

Yay!

Honestly, I'm not always happy with my progress. I would like to be done NOW. I would like to be able to run more than 2.5 seconds without looking like a sweaty tomato in the midst of a heart attack. I would like to have strong, sleek muscles. I would like to be something resembling flexible. But you know what? If I were all of those things right now, my clothes would be better but my daily routine would still be largely the same. I would still have to exercise. I still wouldn't have free license to eat whenever I wanted in as much quantity as I wanted. I'm developing a lifestyle that I'm going to have to live with for the rest of my life. And I think I am FINALLY managing to do just that. The rest will eventually come if I just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Preferably while not holding cookies.

I love this. Sometimes we think of what we're doing as just temporary until the weight comes off, but it's really not - it's a lifelong change. And it's really important to remember that - you may look different at the end, but your actions will be the same.

Friday update...it looks like I need to reevaluate my plans. I lost 3.6 lbs. this week, and while I'm not sure how, I do know that's too fast to be healthy. I've been tracking my food in MFP and eating back about half my exercise calories, which puts me at anywhere from 1450-1750 calories/day. According to my UP24, I burn 2000-2200 calories a day, so if I average it all out that should be about a 500 cal/day deficit, which should translate into 1 lb. per week loss, since 3500 cal = 1 lb. I guess I should eat back more of my exercise calories and see what happens--maybe it's underestimating how much I actually burn? I haven't been hungry though. It might also have something to do with timing of the monthly cycle. Who knows. Anyway, that puts me at 82% of goal.

It could be any of the factors you mentioned, but it could also be that your last weigh in was artificially high for some reason. That happens to me some times - I weigh in down a little one week (or even up a little) and then down a lot the next week, and there was some reason why the first weigh in was higher than it should have been (usually monthly, but occasionally something else) and the weight came off over two weeks, not one.
I think that a lot of people lose a lot early in a new plan and then even out a bit. Give it some time and see what happens.

I'm 19.4% of my goal and going strong.

Yay!

 

[ThistleMae]

I need you to know the heart attack you just gave me! Here I was celebrating all morning because it's Friday and finally the weekend and this very, very, very long week is finally almost over if I can just make it til 4:30... and you go and wish us a happy Thursday! I checked my phone and my calendar just to make sure I hadn't lost my mind. Oh my goodness.

LOL...sorry about that....the days just all blend together for me sometimes.