Getting fit & losing weight before our next 2015 Disney trip!

[dreamseeker9]

Welcome to the new members! The stats post has been updated. Please verify for accuracy.

I'm now officially in the double digits count down until my trip. I'm very excited but also very panicked. I need to get this weight off! I'm back to down 23lbs, but I have 17lbs more to go. I've been doing T25 for 3 weeks now. It has definitely helped get the extra I had gained off, but lately I'm just in a funk emotionally about my slow progress. I know it is fairly normal, but I really am working out a bunch more than I had been. I had hoped for more progress because of it. I've amped up my routine so now I'm doing walking 5 miles per day, T25 5x per week, weights at the gym 3x per week, & concentrated 5-10 minute core workouts 4x a week. I'm really just bummed all of this isn't doing more.

This week I started tracking my food again. I hate doing this. It is such a pain, but I'm trying to figure out what my problem is. So far with the exception of Valentine's day the calorie counts look pretty normal & nothing outrageous. I have to say though, I'm bouncing between the Fitbit app, MyFitnessPal app, & Sparkpeople app. I can't find 1 tool that does everything correctly. Fitbit's calorie burn estimator was throwing the count way off & the barcode scanner for food is annoying. I switched to MyFitnessPal but it removes calorie burn from all of my walking as soon as I input that I did a 25min workout video, & it also doesn't give me any calorie burn credit for weight training. Sparkpeople doesn't have a barcode scanner so logging food is just a pain. *sigh* At this point what seems to work ok is if I turn off the calorie estimator in Fitbit, log my food & workout videos under MyFitnessPal, sync MyFitnessPal to Fitbit so the food & videos will transfer to Fitbit, then log the weight training in Fitbit. Seriously, there's got to be an easier way.

Cynister, you're motivating me to work out more - you're doing great! I'm sure the weight will come off.

I agree that logging food on the SparkPeople app is a major pain.

I just hired a health coach for the next 6 months. She is advising me not to weigh myself and not to log calories, but to concentrate on eating lean proteins and veggies (and some fruits and whole grains). She's also asking me to start meditation and yoga daily. We're just starting out, but I'm excited to try this new approach, and I feel relieved at not spending time logging in foods and weighing myself. So I'll keep everyone updated on how it's going.

112 days until Disneyland, and 224 days until WDW!!!

 

[finny1981]

Well I am back down 18 pounds total, but afraid after this weekend. I have been doing points plus on my own and it worked very well, when I weighed Friday I lost the 7 pounds I gained over the holiday's. However on Saturday's we do movie night and the person who's turn it was to pick the movie and snack picked Chex Mix...which you would all think was ok, but for me it is not...it was the brownie kind. So I didn't track points on Saturday which would have been ok I think, except halfway through yesterday I ate the rest of the Chex Mix and did not track points then either and we had spaghetti (another weekness) which since I wasn't tracking I am sure I had way too much of. See I do ok when I track points, but I have this nasty habit of talking myself into not tracking when I know I am going to go way over. So back on the wagon today and trying to figure out how to keep myself from doing that. I think maybe I just need to plan ahead for those times that there is something I really want. See I also think it would have been ok on a normal week, but last week was prep for this weeks audit at work and I worked 71.5 hours. I pretty much just came home from work, showered, went to bed and got up for work, so by Saturday when I was finally home I just talked myself into it...excuses excuses...

 

[4under4]

Well, if it's not too late, I would like to join this group. I'm not having much luck trying to get fit on my own.

-First name: Connie
-Date of 2015 Disney trip goal: August 24
-Reason for the goal: 1. Health 2. Feel better about myself 3. Make touring more enjoyable
-Target approach for the goal: Work out at least 3x per week [swim, elliptical or walk] AND lose at least 20 lbs.
-Progress to date/Total goal: Just starting

 

[momtohms]

Welcome to the new members! The stats post has been updated. Please verify for accuracy.

I'm now officially in the double digits count down until my trip. I'm very excited but also very panicked. I need to get this weight off! I'm back to down 23lbs, but I have 17lbs more to go. I've been doing T25 for 3 weeks now. It has definitely helped get the extra I had gained off, but lately I'm just in a funk emotionally about my slow progress. I know it is fairly normal, but I really am working out a bunch more than I had been. I had hoped for more progress because of it. I've amped up my routine so now I'm doing walking 5 miles per day, T25 5x per week, weights at the gym 3x per week, & concentrated 5-10 minute core workouts 4x a week. I'm really just bummed all of this isn't doing more.

This week I started tracking my food again. I hate doing this. It is such a pain, but I'm trying to figure out what my problem is. So far with the exception of Valentine's day the calorie counts look pretty normal & nothing outrageous. I have to say though, I'm bouncing between the Fitbit app, MyFitnessPal app, & Sparkpeople app. I can't find 1 tool that does everything correctly. Fitbit's calorie burn estimator was throwing the count way off & the barcode scanner for food is annoying. I switched to MyFitnessPal but it removes calorie burn from all of my walking as soon as I input that I did a 25min workout video, & it also doesn't give me any calorie burn credit for weight training. Sparkpeople doesn't have a barcode scanner so logging food is just a pain. *sigh* At this point what seems to work ok is if I turn off the calorie estimator in Fitbit, log my food & workout videos under MyFitnessPal, sync MyFitnessPal to Fitbit so the food & videos will transfer to Fitbit, then log the weight training in Fitbit. Seriously, there's got to be an easier way.

I was just poking around and haven't posted on this board yet, but had to chime in. I did T25 last year and am doing it again right now in a hybrid with another workout called PiYo. I also walk quite a bit and do extra core work too. With T25 I really didn't see any changes in the Alpha phase when I did it last year, but when I got into Beta in that first week I just suddenly started noticing HUGE differences. I didn't have much weight to lose when I did it, but I lost a ton of inches and toned up quite a bit. I'd say a good 85% of the changes I noticed all happened in Beta. Several of my friends who have done the program had a similar experience with their results being slow to come at first I haven't noticed much difference doing the Alpha workouts this time around either in my weight/measurements but my strength/flexibility/stamina are all improving and they really do make a great foundation for Beta! It's so frustrating not to see results though, I gained a bunch over the holidays that has been slow to come off and our trip is in just over 3 months! I'm definitely feeling the pressure but trying to remember to stay motivated and not let stalls discourage me Keep up your great work so far!

 

[Cynister]

Cynister, you're motivating me to work out more - you're doing great! I'm sure the weight will come off.

I agree that logging food on the SparkPeople app is a major pain.

I just hired a health coach for the next 6 months. She is advising me not to weigh myself and not to log calories, but to concentrate on eating lean proteins and veggies (and some fruits and whole grains). She's also asking me to start meditation and yoga daily. We're just starting out, but I'm excited to try this new approach, and I feel relieved at not spending time logging in foods and weighing myself. So I'll keep everyone updated on how it's going.

112 days until Disneyland, and 224 days until WDW!!!

Definitely find what works for you & excel at that. Everyone's different & our bodies will respond to different things. Good luck & I can't wait to hear how it works for you!

 

[Cynister]

I was just poking around and haven't posted on this board yet, but had to chime in. I did T25 last year and am doing it again right now in a hybrid with another workout called PiYo. I also walk quite a bit and do extra core work too. With T25 I really didn't see any changes in the Alpha phase when I did it last year, but when I got into Beta in that first week I just suddenly started noticing HUGE differences. I didn't have much weight to lose when I did it, but I lost a ton of inches and toned up quite a bit. I'd say a good 85% of the changes I noticed all happened in Beta. Several of my friends who have done the program had a similar experience with their results being slow to come at first I haven't noticed much difference doing the Alpha workouts this time around either in my weight/measurements but my strength/flexibility/stamina are all improving and they really do make a great foundation for Beta! It's so frustrating not to see results though, I gained a bunch over the holidays that has been slow to come off and our trip is in just over 3 months! I'm definitely feeling the pressure but trying to remember to stay motivated and not let stalls discourage me Keep up your great work so far!

I was finding the same kind of progress as well with Alpha. I definitely lost a few pounds over the 1st 3 weeks, but nothing drastic. I do however feel I've lost in inches. My hips just seem narrower. I have 1 more week at Alpha before I move on to Beta. I'll take measurements then. I really don't want to measure before Alpha is over. I do have some good news that I'll share in my check-in post though. What is PiYo like? Is it any good for losing weight?

 

[Cynister]

Welcome 4under4! I'll add you to the stats post on the 1st page.

My check-in for this week is good news, I am happy to report! As I reported before I've been doing T25 in addition to walking 5 miles a day & some other exercises. I had seen a few pounds loss, but after 3 weeks of T25 I was getting a little frustrated that I wasn't seeing anything more significant since I was working out A LOT, 7 days a week. I started tracking my food to see where I was. I tracked for a week & found I normally eat about 2,000 calories a day. So, this week I decided I was going to try something a bit more drastic. I cut out 500 calories from my diet to see what would happen. Now rightfully I know I probably shouldn't have cut this much given all of the high intensity exercise I am doing everyday, but I was annoyed & figured I'd just try it for a week. I've lost 4lbs this week! Granted, the 1st few days I was starving at night because I hadn't figured out what I could eat to space everything out. But, I'm happy to say that this combo is working for now & giving me the kick I need to keep going with T25. I've now achieved a 25lb loss out of my 40lb total, fixing all of the damage I did in January with birthday cake.

 

[thetorit]

I'm a newbie to the thread! My name is Tori, and my 2015 trip is planned for May 3 - 10 weeks from yesterday! I don't have a set number goal, I just want to improve! (And if I drop a few pounds while doing that, yay me!) I'm a dietetics student at Kansas State so I've got my diet locked down, and diet is 80% of fitness, but when my 10 week mark rolled around and I started buying my kids new swimsuits for the trip, I got bummed that I'm not comfortable in a swimsuit, so today I started the Insanity workout. It lasts 60 days so I'll be done about a week before my trip starts (enough time to rest before the work-out that is Disney World!) I bought my "goal" swimsuit this morning and am super excited about how I'll look in it in 10 weeks!

 

[dreamseeker9]

Cynister, congrats on your weight loss this week! That's terrific. You're sure to keep going on that track with your intense workouts and counting calories!

Welcome, Tori! I love that you bought your goal swimsuit. I've considered doing that, my trip to Disneyland is in June. I'm not quite ready to take that leap, but you are motivating me! Thanks!

I saw my doctor last week. She suggested that I do a 3-week detox. I did one of these 3 years ago, and it kickstarted my 30-pound weight loss (that I gained back, unfortunately). So I started this detox on Saturday - it's the MediClear Plus detox. After 3 weeks, I'll reintroduce foods that I've eliminated with this detox (wheat, eggs, cheese, soy, shellfish, chocolate, corn, tomatoes and peanuts). I've made it through Day 3 - only 18 days to go! The first 3 days haven't been easy, especially yesterday - major detox side effects - headache, nausea. The shakes are also not tasty, I'm experimenting with recipes to try to make them more edible.

I also hired a health coach. She wants me to incorporate meditation and yoga into my morning routine. I'm struggling to fit it all in, to be honest, but I know it's part of what will help me succeed. I also need to step up my exercise program. Wish me luck!

 

[momtohms]

I was finding the same kind of progress as well with Alpha. I definitely lost a few pounds over the 1st 3 weeks, but nothing drastic. I do however feel I've lost in inches. My hips just seem narrower. I have 1 more week at Alpha before I move on to Beta. I'll take measurements then. I really don't want to measure before Alpha is over. I do have some good news that I'll share in my check-in post though. What is PiYo like? Is it any good for losing weight?

I've avoided weighing & measuring too, but clothes seem to be fitting better so I'm guessing I'm on the right track PiYo is a mix of pilates & yoga, it is a lot lower intensity than T25! I tried to do it on its own last year and while i enjoyed the workouts they weren't enough for me on their own - some of the workouts burn a decent amount of calories, others not so much. I don't think it would enough for me to lose a significant amount of weight on its own but it would depend on what you have to lose and what your diet was like. I do love the added strength & flexibility it gives me and have really enjoyed it paired with T25 and walking!

 

[momtohms]

Oh and I should probably introduce myself! Hello! I'm momtohms, and we're taking our first trip to Disneyland at the end of May (my husband and I, our three daughters, and then my parents are coming too). Exactly 3 months to go! Yay! My weight has fluctuated a lot over the last couple of years and was on a serious upswing at the end of 2014 so I'm determined to get back in shape. I've been working hard since the beginning of January focusing on clean eating and daily exercise. My goals are to walk at least 10,000 steps a day, and stick with the T25/PiYo workout calendar I designed. I'm just starting the 5th week and it's a 16 week plan, so I'll finish the week before we leave! Our scale was a casualty of my 2.5 year old's decision to flush the toilet paper roll and flood the bathroom last month and I haven't replaced it yet. I have to admit it has been kind of nice not knowing what I weigh while watching my clothes fit better I'm planning to take updated measurements soon so I'll post those as my progress when I do!

 

[dreamseeker9]

Welcome to momtohms! 3 months will go fast, how fun! I like your plan to finish T25 right before your trip. I've decided to start the 90-day Jillian Michaels Body Revolution DVD workout program on Monday, so I'll finish it just before I go to Disneyland in June! And then I'll have another 90-day window between that trip and my WDW trip in late September to do a different program.

I'm on Day 8 of the 21-day MediClear Plus detox that my doctor recommended. I definitely feel less sluggish, and I'm noticing that I'm feeling full after eating less, which is good! I lost 4 pounds the first week - I'm sure a lot of that was water weight, but I've also started doing meditation and yoga every morning in addition to my journaling. I was resisting them at first, but I'm growing to like them now. I just have to set aside the time for all that in the morning. I just do a 10-minute yoga routine in my PJs, nothing strenuous - more to wake up and stretch my body.

I was emotional yesterday evening and just wanted to order a pizza, but I was so glad that I didn't. The evening turned out to be really great because my WDW Annual Pass voucher arrived in the mail, and my family friend who works for Disney used his friends and family discount to book us rooms at the Yacht Club for my birthday trip! I'm beyond excited, I have been wanting to stay at the YC or BC for so long, and it's my first deluxe stay!

 

[Cynister]

Hi Tori, I'll put you on the stats post to be official but what should I put as your goal that you will track to?

Congratulations Dreamseeker9 on the booking! Very exciting!

Well, I finished out the Alpha program of T25 today & finally took measurements. It looks like I've lost 1.5 inches in my waist, 1-1.5 inches in my thighs, & .75 inches in my right arm only for some reason. Anyway, not bad I guess for 5 weeks. I had hoped for a bit more loss in pounds, but I'll keep pushing on. Beta starts on Tuesday! I've got to push hard, my trip is about 2.5 months away. I can't believe it is March!

 

[disnygirl55]

Joining in - because I need all the help I can get! I am Leslie, and we leave for a week-long WDW trip, staying at the Polynesian for the first time, on May 13. My WISH is to lose 35 pounds in the next 2 1/2 months. Pretty ambitious goal, but I think the first 10 will come off quickly. It will be the rest that will be a struggle. I tend to get pretty bored and lose focus, so looking forward to watching everyone's progress through the next few months. We also have a trip to Disneyland planned in early October, so when we get back from WDW, I'll set a new goal at that time. I have been through Weight Watchers, but have really liked the Lose It app on my phone, so I primarily use that now. The one thing I miss about WW is the community and the accountability. So hopefully this will fill that hole. Good luck to everyone!!

 

[TLMcMarks]

Update: I've lost a total of 31 pounds so far, since January 13, and I'm walking two miles a day now! So happy with this accomplishment, the walking. When I started I could only walk about a half mile at a time. 20 more pounds to get off by June 1st, and I'd like to get up to walking about 5 miles a day. So looking forward to our 2015 WDW trip!

 

[dreamseeker9]

I'm trying to respond to quotes, but it's not working (or maybe operator error).

Thanks for the congrats, Cynister! I'm very excited! Right now, I have 8 family and friends joining me for the celebration, and hopefully a few more will come as well. And congrats on the inches lost, that's excellent! I just measured myself yesterday for Phase 1 of the Jillian Michaels Body Revolution, so I'll hopefully be reporting some inches (and pounds) lost in another 4 weeks!

Welcome to Disnygirl55! You can meet that goal, no problem!

TLMcMarks, amazing progress! You're an inspiration! Congrats! A walking program is such a great idea, especially to prepare for a trip to WDW or DLR, where we do so much walking and don't want to be miserable while we are there!

 

[disnygirl55]

Update: I've lost a total of 31 pounds so far, since January 13, and I'm walking two miles a day now! So happy with this accomplishment, the walking. When I started I could only walk about a half mile at a time. 20 more pounds to get off by June 1st, and I'd like to get up to walking about 5 miles a day. So looking forward to our 2015 WDW trip!

TLMcMarks - that is so very awesome. You posting that has given me hope. 31 pounds in a little more than 7 weeks - it is really motivating to hear that. Seems like I'd better hit the treadmill if I want to match your accomplishment! Woo Hoo!

dreamseeker9 - Thank you for your belief in me. It helps me believe in myself.

Onward and Upward! Best of luck to all - and I'll check in next Monday with good news!

 

[Cynister]

Welcome Leslie! Good luck on your goal, I've been doing a similar plight myself. It takes A LOT of work, but you can do it with serious commitment.

Ok, check-in time for me. Well the 1st week of the Beta level of T25 seems to be shocking my system enough. I lost 4lbs this week! I'm now down to 28lbs of my 40lbs goal by the end of May. I've lost 2 sizes. My biggest problem is finding clothes for this interim period. I don't want to waste a lot of money buying a new wardrobe knowing that this isn't my end goal. After this 40 will be another 40, but my husband keeps telling me to go buy clothes that fit. I really hope this progress doesn't plateau quickly like it did on the Alpha level. I'm putting a ton of effort into this both in multiple workouts & food tracking in order to keep my calorie intake low. I'm going to the doctor next week & I'm hoping she's going to take me off of the blood pressure medication completely. My blood pressure has been very low now that I've lost a bunch, so I'm thinking this may be it!

 

[dreamseeker9]

Ok, check-in time for me. Well the 1st week of the Beta level of T25 seems to be shocking my system enough. I lost 4lbs this week! I'm now down to 28lbs of my 40lbs goal by the end of May. I've lost 2 sizes. My biggest problem is finding clothes for this interim period. I don't want to waste a lot of money buying a new wardrobe knowing that this isn't my end goal. After this 40 will be another 40, but my husband keeps telling me to go buy clothes that fit. I really hope this progress doesn't plateau quickly like it did on the Alpha level. I'm putting a ton of effort into this both in multiple workouts & food tracking in order to keep my calorie intake low. I'm going to the doctor next week & I'm hoping she's going to take me off of the blood pressure medication completely. My blood pressure has been very low now that I've lost a bunch, so I'm thinking this may be it!

Wow - congrats, Cyinister! I hope you can stop and feel amazing at what all you have accomplished so far! Losing two sizes is fantastic, and now you have an excuse to shop! I think I have at least 3 different sizes in my closet, and I'm the largest of those now, so I'll need to drop 3 sizes before I do any serious shopping - motivation! I do have a few really cute Disney t-shirts that are too small right now. I want to be able to wear them by June to Disneyland!

I hope you can go off your BP meds, that is an awesome feeling.

My weekly report - I lost 1.8 pounds on my first week of the Jillian Michaels Body Revolution (and my second week of the detox). So I've lost 5 pounds total on the 2 weeks of detox. One more week to go, and I'm at a hotel for work tonight and tomorrow night. I packed my Magic Bullet with me to make the shakes, and I found a great grocery with healthy eats nearby and also brought some healthy foods. I've been eating too many foods that are high in sugar, like potato chips and carrots - so I'm working my way to eating more veggies that are lower in sugar. I'm glad that I'm almost done with the shakes because they are inedible unless I add fruit to them. And starting Saturday, I can reintroduce foods, one at time, to note if I have any kind of reactions to them. Last time I did a cleanse, 3 years ago, I reacted to gluten and have been mostly gluten-free in my eating, so it will be interesting to see if I have that same reaction.

I signed up for the Jillian Michaels DietBet, it starts Tuesday - I have to lose 4% of my body weight in 4 weeks - daunting, but I'm up to the challenge! If I can make it through this last week of the detox, then next week I'll be traveling 4 days out of the week, the rest will be easy!

 

[disnygirl55]

Way to go, everybody! It's so exciting to me to see your progress - so many different approaches and such great results!

Week 1 Update for me:

Leslie
May 13, 2015 - Goal is to lose 35 lbs for health and to feel better during the long hot days in the parks!
I've been using my LoseIt app for calorie tracking. Probably will add in exercise next week.
As of this morning, I've lost 4.5 lbs - so about 12.86% of this goal. Hooray!

Best of luck to everyone this next week. Think MICKEY!!