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 -

Thanks kaybug, you are a sweetheart. 

I'm going sugar-free in 09.  I did the vegetarian thing in my teens and 20s and it's not for me.  My body does not respond well to it.  I get low in vit B and iron without red meat once or twice a week.

I can't imagine being a vegetarian.  I do have to force myself to eat meat though.  I just never cared too much for it.  That's why I drink a whey protein shake at least once a day.

I limit my sugar alot and use Splenda in my hot drinks (tea, coffee, and hot chocolate). 

Woke up today getting spasms in my lower back.  Not fun at all!  So I took a muscle relaxer and slept all afternoon.  I hate that, but I wasnt feeling the pain though.

Hope you all have a safe and happy New Year's!

Hmmm...I'm not doing so well.  I think maybe grains trigger binges for me.  Does anyone else have a problem with sugar or find themselves having a hard time controlling what they eat if they've had carbs?

Has anyone here ever given up sugar completely?  I'm trying but I think bread, popcorn, fruit, crackers, etc are hindering me.  Has anyone ever heard of this before?

It's a little depressing.

Can I join?  Hope it's not too late.  I've been trying to lose 10-15 pounds for -- I don't know how long -- feels like forever!  Maybe this will be a good motivator. 

Here's my stats:

SW (when you first started losing weight):  142

SW (this challenge): 136.5

GW: 120

CW: 136.5

12/29/08 -  136.5
01/05/09 -  133     (-3.5)  
01/12/09 -  133     (-0)     
01/19/09 -  133.8  (+.8)      

01/26/09 -  131.8 (-2)         (I'm posting early as I'll be away all next week.)
02/02/09 -  134.4 (+2.6)    Damage from vacation.  Back to the drawing board!
02/09/09 -   132.9 (-1.5)   Almost back on track.
02/13/09 -

Laniemox, I have a problem with sugar and simple carbs.. I crave sweets! things like cookies, cake, doughnuts, etc. followed by savory chips after I've eaten sweets. I try to make sure not to bring any triggering items home and I have to exercise great will power when going to parties, friend's houses, or receiving gifts because cookies, chocolates, cakes are some of the easiest things to pick up and overindulge in.

When I'm faced with temptation, I try to figure out the calorie content for whatever little piece of heaven is staring back at me and then consider all the wonderful, nutritious, filling foods I can have instead and usually the cravings subside but it doesn't always work.

I do my best to keep fresh fruit at home and sweet alternatives for when I'm craving a little something. I found that whenever I eat anything prepared with white flour, I don't feel full, so I have changed to 100% whole wheat everything and it does seem to help.

When I do allow myself a treat, one not prepared by me or one that is low fat, I adjust my calorie intake for the day and find a way to compensate.

Welcome DEEGEE52!  anyone can join at any time! 

When I get tempted to eat something sweet, I think about it for a while and decide if I REALLY want it and what I can have instead.  And I drink some water too. 

Hope everyone had a safe and good new year's eve!

Thanks, gals.  I guess it's just more about will power than anything else.  I did great yesterday, I even got ice cream for the kids and did not have any.  Whoopee! 

I feel so needy, I post so much here, sorry!

Hi Everyone:

Laniemox

I just had to reply to your post because I can certainly relate.  I had the same problem.  I love carbs and sweets.  When I'm on a diet I, of course, didn't eat those things and it always caused me to binge.  I did that for years until someone on the message boards told me how they dealt with their binges.  And it's so simple too.  She just includes her sweets and carbs right into her daily calorie count.  She allowed for a couple snacks a day, but made certain she got her daily allowances of fruit, veggies, meats, milk, etc. first.  Then what ever was left over after having those foods, she allowed hereself to have any snack she wanted until she maxed her calories for the day. 

I didn't think I could handle having the food around the house all the time because I had always binged.  I started out small and then added foods I liked (100 calorie snacks and the like).  I haven't binged since December 2007 and I've lost 75 pounds to boot!!  Her method taught me a lot about eating healthy and being in control.  To me it's a lot easier to control myself and get a little bit of what each day than to deprive myself completely of everything and then binge and gain it all back again.  Now after a year, I pretty much have anything I want to eat within my calorie range and I feel like I can eat like this the rest of my life.  I don't crave anything because I get it everyday.  There's no need to binge. 

There's two rules you must focus on and never, never break when you do this program:  always eat all your portions of fruits, veggies, meat and milk and  never, never go over your calorie count for the day.   It works and I'm living proof.   

Original Post by laniemox:

I feel so needy, I post so much here, sorry!

 That's what we're here for!  Don't feel you are posting too much.  :)  OK?

You have to learn moderation.  After overeating so much, it takes time to learn portion sizes and what you're suppose to eat.  It all just takes time.  You'll get there.

Ahh! I disapeared for awhile. :D Spent the night with my friendsies so I haven't been counting calories that much. It's weird, when I'm reeeally distracted by friends, I generally can push off eating for SO much longer then I do on an average "stay-at-home-most-of-the-day"..day. Not only that, but I feel more alert eating just what I need to keep my energy going. It's kind of cool..

I just wish I could find more stuff for me to do during the day so I could achieve that nice energy level all the time! @_@

Lanie - I think it's great that you post so much! :D It's way better then keeping bottled up questions/conversations/problems/whatever inside. I've been and still am in the binging/overeating part o' life, and nothing is worse then keeping yourself bottled. Or boxed. Why can't we say "boxed inside"? I think that'd be cooler then being in a bottle. Hmm. Anyway, practice makes perfect, and whatever you want to accomplish, it's going to happen with practice, right? Don't give up!!

Thank you so very much, you girls are really wonderful!  You are so supportive and encouraging, I'm lucky to have found this group.

ribbon-You are very fortunate to have that kind of self-control.  I do not.  There is no way I could have a dozen cookies in the house and eat only one.  I've tried, believe me, many, many times.  I keep telling myself, "I can do it this time, I won't eat all of these," but I always end up eating the whole bag or box after the children have had their portion.  It's not because I deprive myself for so long that I binge.  I could (and have) binge every day.  It is almost like an addict, like I have no will power against it.  I really think I have a sugar addiction.  Or, maybe I'm just wierd.

Today I am feeling more calm about it.  I'm planning on no refined carbs (sugar, flour, bread, etc).  I will be filling my plate with protein, veggies, beans, legumes, nuts, and fruits.  We'll see how this goes. 

kaybug-it is always easier for me to be away from home and eat better that way.  I don't know why, it's funny.  I guess because I don't have such easy access to the kitchen.  How's it going eating no meat?  Are you starting with just no red meat but still chicken and fish?  Or are you going all-out vegan?  Good luck with it.

Here are my stats:

SW (start): 185.4

SW (challenge): 182.6

GW: 162

CW: 182.6

12/29/08 - 185.4
01/05/09 - 182.0 (↓3.4)
01/12/09 - 179.0 (↓3.0)
01/19/09 - 177.4 (↓1.6)
01/26/09 - 176.8 (↓0.6)
02/02/09 - 174.8 (↓2.0)
02/09/09 - 175.8 (↑1.0)
02/13/09 - 172.4 (↓3.4)

Goal weight: 170.4 lbs

Goal not reached, but very happy with a 13lbs loss!!!

Here are my stats:

SW (12/3/08): 167

SW (this challenge): 156

GW: 140ish

CW: 156?

12/29/08 - 157
01/05/09 -156
01/12/09 -157.5
01/19/09 -155
01/26/09 -
02/02/09 -
02/09/09 -
02/13/09 -

lanie, i know that so many people have replied to you already, but i just wanted to tell you that i too have had to battle the same problem! im totally fine if i just stay away from breads and such, but if i so much as put a crumb of bread/cookie/anything starchy in my mouth, i find that i cant stop, and usually even slightly binge! lately ive been very good at exerting self control, but it took a looooong while for me to train myself. You'll get there. i hope that knowing that youre not the only one with this problem will make it easier for you to just keep trying, and not get discouraged if you sometimes do disappoint yourself, and occasionally binge

Lanie:

Hi again.  I hear you.  I used to not be able to have anything in the house either.  A year ago I would not dare have cookies in the house.  It was definitely a red-light food.  I started off slow.  I started with 100 calorie snacks and did that for a long time.  After I had more control, then I started adding some of my red light foods, but if it was still a red-light food, I got rid of it.  I gave them to the neighbor kids or something or took it to a pot luck and left them.  I began to understand that changes don't happen over night and I needed more time to change the bad habits I had developed. 

The other thing I've done is to keep red light foods in the freezer, which makes it harder for me to just pop one in my mouth.  Have you ever tried that?  There is hope, Lanie.  You know yourself better than anyone else, but I just wanted to let you know that there is hope.  I was a terrible binger.  If I can do this anyone can.

It's so nice to see so many posting on a Saturday.  That's great!

Lanie ~ Hang in there!  Practice makes perfect.  :)

I got some bad news yesterday on my MRI of my back.  There won't be any exercise in my near future. I wrote about it in my journal if you want to go look there.  It's just bad no matter how you look at it. 

But no giving up here!  I'll lose this weight, just maybe a bit slower than most of you.  Well, alot slower.  I've been at this since Oct '07 and I haven't quit yet so why now? right? 

STAY MOTIVATED!  FOCUS!  MOVE!   

lanie - I wish more kitchens were built with doors. Normal kind. The kind with doornobs that can be locked. ;~; I swear it'd cut down the mindless munching SO much!

No meats at all. I went cold turkey.. Or should I say cold veggie?  (Yes,yes, that was awful. XD) My parents/friends still haven't gotten used to it, but it's so liberating. I can't imagine going vegan, though. I have enough trouble finding things to eat that fit within my nutrition expectations, adding looking through labels for possibilities of some variety of dead bug that was used to make my food red or something. @_@

momof2funykds - I read your blog, and that's awful news! I can't imagine staying on track during that bad of news. But darn it, if there's a will there's defiantly a way, and you can defiantly do this. How do you keep yourself so focused and motivated like that? o.o

KAYBUG ~ I don't eat much meat myself.  Just because I don't like it.  I never really have.  I drink whey protein shakes alot to get my protein.  About my news....yeah, it's awful and it's all I can think about right now.  Tonight I did over do it with chips and cookies, but tomorrow is a new day.  I've been at this too long to just give up.  It's a lifestyle change, not a diet so it's never over. Ya know?  A diet has an ending, a lifestyle change doesn't.  I work on it everyday and I know where I want to be to maintain and I'm not giving up on my goal. I won't, I can't afford to.

You see, in my family at the age of 46 people have heart attacks and die. Or have heart attacks and have to have bypass surgeries.  I don't want to be one of them.  I'll be 44 this month and I think of 46 creeping up on me.

Then there's the issue with my back.  I have to get my weight down to try to help that out.  I've lost almost 70 pounds and I have 15-20 to go.

That's why I went ahead and made this challenge to help me.  I need you all.  I need your support and encouragement.  This is important to me. 

ITS MY LIFE.....

momof2funykds, I really wish I could have that attitude. "It's never too late!" kind of thing..

I totally just binged tonight. :( I was doing so well all day, but I didn't exercise and I noticed a distinct pattern that if I don't get any exercise in, I binge... and I don't understand why that is. I feel as if I've probably eaten enough to gain a pound, and this will be my second binge this week, so it's possible I'll go up two pounds. I'm really frightened that it may be possible that I cannot lose weight, and I cannot do this challenge.

Gah. I don't want to give up, but I have so much doubt in myself and my willpower to really lose weight before Valentines day..  .___.;

Hi Mom of Two Funny Kids:

So sorry to hear about the news from you doctor regarding exercise.  How about walking.  Will he let you walk?  I saw an exercise physical therapy chair on TV the other day that looked like it might be pretty mild exercise.  Hang in there girl.  You have a great attitude and eventually you will work yourself out of this corner.