Take off 15 lbs by Valentine's Day Challenge (Edited to say 15 lbs from 20)

This is a challenge for those of us wanting to get rid of the last 20 lbs by Valentine's Day.

I'll keep it open unless there gets to be too many to keep up with.  I'm just asking you EDIT YOUR FIRST POST WITH YOUR UPDATES so it's easier to keep track of everyone. 

Thanks and good luck!!!

Also, feel free to post a comment at the end of the weight loss posts.  If you have a question, suggestion, frustration, idea, whatever!  I'm open to hear it all!!! And it will keep the challenge bumped too!

You can copy and paste this to post your stats and weekly weight if you want.

Here are my stats:

SW (when you first started losing weight): 

SW (this challenge): 

GW: 

CW:

12/29/08 -
01/05/09 -
01/12/09 -
01/19/09 -
01/26/09 -
02/02/09 -
02/09/09 -
02/13/09 -

Hey everyone! sorry for not checking in.. my internet has been off for the last few days and I'm so backed up on emails and work stuff that I haven't been able to get on here much...

Tammy... I am still stuck! RE: what you mentioned about our bodies adjusting.. I was reading someone's post about basically the same situation (not losing weight, plateauing, losing motivation to lose weight, etc.) and someone suggested giving the weight loss process a rest for a few months allowing the body to adjust and then go for it again. I think I will consider doing this at the end of this challenge. It just seems like even with eating well, exercising and for the most part creating a daily deficit things are not progressing as they should which is really a shame.

Hope everyone has a nice weekend!

Sorry I haven't been on all day.  I'm feeling alittle under the weather and just want to crawl under a rock and stay there for a few days! lol

Buggy ~ Don't worry about anything.  You take care of yourself first and don't think about this challenge until you're ready. Ok? 

V_Avila ~ I've been around this same weight for months and I've tried everything I can think of to get below 170.  I hope by the end of this stupid challenge I can see 160 something! It's so frustrating, I know.  I wish it was easier for us.

Have a nice weekend everyone!  ;)

As of this morning I am up a couple of pounds from last week. I dropped so much more than I expected that I guess my body is trying to make up for it. This scares me though because I don't want to keep going in that direction. However, when I read everyone's posts I see that maybe that is just the way dieting goes. Mentally I get it, if I just keep doing what I am supposed to it will come off. Emotionally it feels awful. I have been under a lot of stress this week, do you think that could contribute to it? I haven't been eating more than normal or anything like that.

My goal for today is to drink a lot of water and eat and exercise like I always have, and see where it goes from there....

edit:  added the following

So I'm obsessed.  I'm frustrated.  And after weeks of not really feeling hungry I feel like I haven't eaten at all today, even though I have.  So, I was thinking of changing my eating patterns and came across this link in the forums Are All Diets Unhealthy?  So, based on what they described it looks like I am eating too little.  (OK I kept telling everyone I was going to try the trick of cycling calories but I could never bring myself to eat over 1350.)  My average for the last 6 days (not including today) is 1260.  The week that I went to Disneyland and lost a bunch of weight I averaged 1,607 cals!  I think I sabotaged myself and now I am in starvation mode. 

I know I need to increase my calories; but, mentally I think I went into the unhealthy category this week.  It still seems unreal to me that I would loose more weight eating an average of 1607 than eating an average of 1260. I was in the hospital last year with meningitis and the doctors told me that my high sodium diet and high blood pressure were contributing factors into allowing disease to pass into my spinal column.  They had trouble with the spinal tap and my neurologist told me that my weight was a good portion of the problem with that.  This scared me so much that it really motivated me to get healthier, even though it took almost 6 months for me to do anything about it.  I have been very good at limiting my calories with this motivation.  But, increasing my caloric intake?  I think I need help, support, something.  I don't know how to make myself do what my brain tells me is logical.

First.....THE STEELERS WON THE SUPER BOWL!!!!!!

Second.....Sheltonmath, Your average is too low.  Just pick a couple days a week and eat what you want to increase your calories for the week.  I do and it works.  Especially exercising you want to eat enough.  Throw some nuts into your diet, that will increase your calories without feeling like you are eating alot. Drizzle some olive oil over your food, that will help you too.  Just little things like that will increase our calories a bit without having you feel like you are eating more.

See you all tomorrow!

FYI - On my weight post today, I'm averaging Sunday morning's weight with this mornings weight, due to Superbowl eating fun.  I did try a reciepe for healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip and it was gooooood. :)

Here are my stats:

SW (when you first started losing weight): 

SW (this challenge):  175

GW (this challange):  160

CW:

12/29/08 - 175
01/05/09 - 175
01/12/09 - 173 Lost two pounds this week.  Walked about 20 miles.
01/19/09 - 172 Weather not good; Walked 5 miles.
01/26/09 - 171
02/02/09 - 171 Stayed the same
02/09/09 -

02/13/09

yay!! I'm finally moving in a downward direction!!!!  Good that took forever!!  but I doubt I'll make it to 135.

GW: 135

12/29/08 - 149.8
01/05/09 - 151.2
01/12/09 - 151.2
01/19/09 - 150.6
01/26/09 - 150
02/02/09 - 147.4
02/09/09 -
02/13/09 -

Hi all!  I just read sheltonmath's post about not eating enough calories and I have the opposite problem, I eat too many!  I know if I overeat I will not lose weight but like sheltonmath I have trouble making the brain to action connection. 

It really helps me tremendously to write down what I am going to eat the day before.  I have not been doing this as well lately hence the slowdown in weight loss.  So now I am back on it and doing better.  I plan it all out, count all the calories and then adjust where I need to.  Sometimes, I need more protien, sometimes I need less carbs, etc so I can adjust it the day before I eat it.  Then it's just sticking to the plan and not giving in to Starbuck's giant, 450-calorie chocolate chip cookie!  That's the hard part for me.

momof2 is right on with the nuts and olive oil suggestions.  Also, beans are a great source of protien, fiber, and healthy calories (1/2 cup serving is usually 110 calories).  Here's another recipe using beans:

Two Bean Salad

2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 large red pepper, chopped

1/4 cup chopped, fresh cilantro

mix all these together and add this dressing:

1/2 C. white vinegar

2T. olive oil

1T. sugar (sometimes, I omit this and it is still very good)

2t. ground cumin

1t. dried oregano

1/2t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

whisk all together and add to bean mixture.  Refrigerate for 3 hours to enhance the flavors.

120 calories per 1/2 cup serving

I guess you can tell I like cumin, oregano, and cilantro!  Enjoy!

Sorry about the ranting yesterday!  I was having a bad day in a lot of ways.  I appreciate everyone's pacience with me

Thank you laniemox and momof2 for the ideas.  I like the idea of of adding nuts and beans because I tend to overdo sweet things in general.  The two bean salad sounds really good. I'll be sure to add it in.  Plus, I am a huge fan of cilantro!

Everyone here is really great.  Thank you so much.

I had a huge gain.  I don't know what to say.  This is pitiful....I was doing good, then BAM!  I've got to get this weight off.  I know I can do it.  I've lost so much already, so I know how to do it.  I want to lose this weight and be done with it so I can maintain. 

I'm so disappointed in myself for eating too many sweets and just not paying attention to what I'm eating. 

Well, tomorrow is the "start over" for me and I'm going to lose this weight because it's driving me nuts.  I've got to be 160 lbs by the end of March and I'll do it.  Because I know I can do it!!!!

I love that positive attitude momof2!  You CAN do it and I know you will, keep thinking positive!

One day at a time, I'm just taking my goals day-by-day, focus on my meal plan and stick to it each day.  I'm not going to worry about tomorrow or dwell on yesterday. 

I'm tired of backsliding, I've been doing it for months now, stuck between 130 and 136.  I'm sick of it and I'm going to bust through 130 to the 120s.  I feel like the tortoise in the race.  It's taking a loooonnnggg time but I'm going to win it!

I did so well today with my eating.  I think I've overdone the fiber and it made me gain weight.  So I have backed off the fiber a bit!

I hope to drop these pounds I gained real quick and get back to losing weight I haven't lost already!  Ya know what I mean? 

Hurt my back carrying the laundry basket upstairs this evening. It's pretty  bad right now.  Took pain meds and hopefully tomorrow I won't be any worse for it.  I know better, I just did it bc I didn't want to ask someone to carry it for me.  That gets real old.  This herniated disc is a problem for me.  I just want to do more for myself.

Looking forward to tomorrow and doing as well as I did today....

How's everyone doing?  I want some reports back.  C'mon ladies!!!  ;)

I'm going to keep trying this a bit longer but I think I'm going to go to a dietician soon.  I'm working out 7 days a week and eating between 1300 and 1700 calories per day (with one cheat day a week) and am not losing much.

Definitely getting frusterated.  Can fiber cause you to gain weight?

eknutsen-you are doing well, IMO!  You've lost 6 pounds since the start and you only went one week w/o losing but you maintained.  You should be proud of that.  The closer you get to your goal the more determined you have to be.  You can do this, stick to it, you're losing weight.

I don't think fiber can cause you to gain weight.  Remember that not all calories are created equal, try to stick to low-fat, low-sugar foods.  What is your score in CC's analyzer?  I just read something this morning that said the more sugar in your diet the more your body cannot use your stored fat as energy.  Something about the hormones in your liver and how they are released.  I think I still have it if you would like to read it.

I've been eating well and working out this week so I'm hoping to see a little (hopefully big) drop in the scale come Monday.  I can always put more protein in my diet though!

I was told too much of anything can cause a weight gain.  Not just too much sugar, but the good things too.  So I've cut back on the fiber and just getting about 27g a day.  That's plenty.  I think that was my problem.  Because I've lost 3.6 lbs since Sunday.  I know a good bit of it is probably water, but it's motivation nonetheless.  lol 

Anyone have loose fat in your upper, inner thighs?  What a question, huh?  Sorry.  But I have this problem and it's annoying the heck out of me and the dr said I'll probably never get rid of it unless I have surgery to remove it.  Not an option for me! 

I walked alot this past summer (now I can't bc I've got a herniated disc) and I don't know why it just didn't go away.  But it didn't and now I'm annoyed by it. The dr says its an age thing too.  The older you are when you lose alot of weight, the more this happens. 

Then there's the issue that I had to rebuild muscle in my legs too.  You see, I use to be in a wheelchair and then I walked with a walker and I spent 2 yrs just laying in bed.  THAT'S how I gained the 70 pounds.  That and lots of steroids and alot of comfort foods from my family.  I can't tell you how many cookies I ate in 2 yrs. 

Don't be sorry for me, just some background on myself so you know me better. Now I can walk around the house without the use of equipment.  I do use a cane if I have to walk any distance or sit for any length of time bc I get stiff and sore. 

So I've come a long way and I'm proud of myself for what I've accomplished. I had to start out walking in the driveway for a few minutes at a time and worked up to 4 miles.  It took me 3 months, which surprised everyone!

Be back later!

Momof2:  Wow! you have come a long way.  I am impressed. 

Loose fat in the upper thigh is a problem for a lot of us I think.  Even when I was younger and danced a lot that was a problem for me.  I don't know if you can do it or not with your herniated disk, but there are a lot of dance exercises designed specifically to tone that area.  I think when my thighs are well toned they don't look fatty.

I like the following -

• Plies (jut not with weights like in the video)
• inner thigh lifts
• squat/ inner thigh lift (I do it in a turned out position and lift my leg diagonnly toward the front with a slight bent to my knee.  Oh and I don't use a resistance band, your body provides plenty of resistance.)

Hope it helps.

Thanks for the info sheltonmath!  I'll try to do those, but may need to change up something. 

My legs ache real bad from nerve damage so I have to watch I don't stretch the nerve or I'll be in bed for a week or so until it calms down.  Yeah, I'm a mess.  But I do what I can and modify exercises to suit me. 

It works. I just don't give up and that's why I encourage others to never give up and keep working towards your goal.  If I can go from a wheelchair to walking 4-5 miles a day WITH A CANE, then others can do more who have no physical disability. 

I wrote about my back in my journal if you all want to read it.

Have to go now, be back tomorrow.

Just a quick check in....

I've dropped some more of the weight I put on last week.  I hope I can get back down to 170 by weigh in on Monday.   I'm trying!

Last night I had a terrible craving for ice cream.  What did I eat?  DONUTS!!!  But it didn't hurt me any....thank goodness!  I escaped that one!

Here's to staying on track! CHEERS! LOL

Where are all of you?  Stepped on the scale.......(drumroll)  Tuesday was 178.8 and now 171.0!!!!

I'm sticking to my diet over the weekend and not going overboard.  Monday's weigh in is gonna be a good one!  It better be anyways! lol

Still here...lost 1lb between yesterday and today (however, that's still up 1 from Sunday), but going out for Mexican food tonight.  Uh Oh.  I'll eat well but I have to get a margarita.  I've been smart all day though and will drink a lot of water and do a 2 hour work out tomorrow!