***Holiday Trimmings Challenge Updates***

***Sorry, Registration is Closed for this event.***

Check the boards for other challenges: new events start all the time!

To answer some questions from the other thread: this challenge (as stated from the beginning) is a total pounds lost challenge. I know that makes it difficult for people with less weight to lose to be the "winner", but over Christmas holidays, with all the temptations we're facing --it might be anybody's game. I feel that losing ANY weight at all over the holidays will be a victory for most of us.

I hope that this challenge will be used for each individual to work on their own goals simultaneously (% body fat etc.).

A reminder that I won't be posting our weight loss along the way, only at the end, but I will be giving everyone general updates on how everyone is doing (how tough your competition is).

You can send me your weigh-ins on whatever day you like, but I know most people weigh on Friday or Saturday. If I don't hear from you by about Monday of each new week, expect an e-mail. I'll be keeping tabs.

How is everyone doing? The Thanksgiving countdown is upon us. A good head start going into it will help. Get some extra exercise and stay strong!

 

Kelly

I love thanksgiving!  I had a great holiday weekend - I didn't want to come home and go back to work!  I was in Montana visiting a friend and we did "huffing for stuffing" - a 5k run on thanksgiving - it was really fun!  It could have been more fun if it was a little warmer - it was one degree outside 

She made a quinoa stuffing for something different with butternut squash and cranberries - yum!  we also had the regulars turkey, mashed potatoes, and green beans with almonds.  It was all made pretty healthy and I did well.  We did finsh up with homemade pies (pumpkin and pecan) which weren't healthy but totally good!

If i went overboard on anything it was def alcohol ... but nowhere close to as much as last year when her old roommate made us do shots of tequila and makers mark all weekend!

Despite feeling good about my choices I am still on this plateau (or even slightly going up ) - so here's to one really good week to get the ball rolling again!  I did cardio last night and am lifting with my fiancee tonight.

How did everyone else do??? 

This forum is keeping me in check. I might have just given up until New Years without it.

Since Monday, I have been to  Pilates, Yoga and Weight Training classes, and have taken one 50 min. walk. Keeping up with exercise is key to my ability to maintain or lose. In order to meet my newly earned Weight Watchers lifetime goal weight, I need to weigh-in at a max. of 124 in Dec. I won't be there this Sat., but I should be there on Dec. 8 if I keep up with the post-Thanksgiving sensible eating and exercising.  

And yeah, the alcohol adds mischief t to the challenge. Not only is there all this food, but there is beer and wine to go with it. I've just received two party invites for Dec. 6 and 9. Fun Times. The "huffing and puffing" in the great outdoors is so crucial to working off all this revelry. 

Hi. Thanks to everyone who's been giving me updates. This challenge is still anybody's game.

I wanted to point out to anyone who's struggling: it's a new month.There's more than  a month left in the challenge. If you've slacked, stumbled, indulged...it's not too late!

This month will pass whether you do anything about it or not. You will most likely weigh less or weigh more --make it less! Even if it's by a few pounds. Get ahead of the New Year's dieters.

Come on!

We're ALL with you. 

I forget to send in my weight last week: 124.8 on Sat., 12/1

Hello all just a quick note to say it's been very busy at my house since Thanksgiving and it's really been tough to stick to any regular eating schedule but I have been about two-three days on plan then a slip-up and then back on plan it helps to read what everyone else is posting to get back on target. I have decided not to weigh in again until Dec. 26th just to stay focused on staying healthy and not pleasing the scale gods........Kathy

I'm up a pound this week but I still believe I'm doing better knowing I'm trying to lose/maintain over the holidays. I went to a cookie exchange Thurs. night and indulged some. But I brought the frosted "fancy" cookies to work on Friday and the staff devoured them. For home, I kept the less rich stuff like the oatmeal and choc. chip cookies. I'm getting to the fitness center and I'm walking, eating fruits and veggies. Just think what happens to people who don't even try to watch the food intake or to get some exercise during these weeks. I read somewhere that the average weight gain from Halloween through New Years is 7 pounds.

I've been doing pretty good this past week.  I'm back on track with the exercise trying to get at least 4 (or more) workouts in each week.  My plan for the holidays is to make sure I know in advance what I'm having for the day. So each night I plan out my meals for the following day.  If I know what I'm going to have then I'm not as inclined to grab snacks while I decide what I'm fixing for dinner or end up going out for dinner.  In the past my worst time was around 4:30-5:00pm on the way home from work.  If I don't have a dinner planned it is so easy to give in and head to the nearest fast food restaurant or buffet!

Cvedros: I've read the same thing that people tend to gain betwen 7 - 10 pounds during the holidays - and this year I won't be one of those statistics! 

Just think we will all be well ahead of everyone who makes a New Years resolution to lose weight!

Good luck everyone!

I am finally back on track too!  I actually gained a pound (according to the trend line on my log) in the last two weeks of november!  But this week alone I have seen a couple new lows on the scale, and I think it's for real.  I am feeling better and more in control of my choices.  I've walked by yummy looking cookies and cakes and such in my office lunchroom now, like a pro!  Before I would usually have to take a 'taste'.

I still need a solid plan for when I go home for christmas, because I won't be able to check in here very much.  I am def going to have a small notebook to log, and hopefully I can guess well enough at the cals to stay in a reasonable range.

7-10 on average? that seems crazy, but then a few years ago while making christmas cookies with my aunts and cousins, we were using stick after stick of butter and someone yelled -- Christmas IS butter!  LOL  we say that all the time now when you go somewhere with tons of treats.

Everyone has disappeared into shopping land, falalala.

I'm trying to keep on track. It's exam week this week and it's almost over, but the stress and crunch time to study has left me unable to get food in when I need it, and when I do eat it's something convenient. That's convenient fast, not conveniently good for my body in any way, lol.

Hope everyone is burning those extra calories while shopping! Maybe I should go to the mall and do some laps. I have no money to spend (boo being in college) but hey, I can wander around like a creep! HAH.

<3 Jenn

Is this challenge still running?

I don't know if this challenge is still runnning. There isn't much activity on it. I am weighing in and planning to keep up with this as lomg as it keeps going. We've had a week of rain and snow, which cut me back on my walks and then my gym time got cut back last week because of other obligations. But I am going to take a walk after this and unless something unexpected comes up, I will be able to go to the fitness center for pilates, yoga and weight training Mon.-Thurs. Most likely I'll go 3 of the 4 days and get some walks in over lunch at work.

Just checking in to say hi - "HI!"

Last week went pretty good got in 3-4 workouts but the weekend was horrible. All I wanted to do was eat (cookies, chocolate). The weather was terrible as well which probably had something to do with it.  It snowed then rained most of Saturday and threatened to continue all day Sunday.  So I mostly stayed in and unfortunately ate and watched tv. 

I'll get back on track this week.  I generally do much better Monday - Friday anyways when I'm not around the junk food as much.

 

Hello everyone! I'm breathless! I've only recovered internet access at home again, and the loss of it had come simultaneoulsly with working in an internet-less area of my workplace for the last several weeks. I'm thrilled to be back, and I've missed the support of this site. I had a VERY hard time over the last couple of weeks, not being able to log my calories here.

How is everyone else? I apologize for not having been able to communicate with everyone like I wanted to. I hope everyone is meeting their own personal goals.

I'll be catching up with all the e-mails next. You guys have sure filled up my box!

Good luck over the next few days.

-Kelly 

First <Bump> of the year.

The challenge ends on the sixth, so be prepared to send me your final weigh-ins.