10% by Halloween Challenge (CLOSED)

(Note: This challenge is no longer accepting new participants.)

This is a 12-week challenge (starting on August 11, 2008) where participants will work toward losing 10% of their current body weight by Halloween. 

Here's how it works:

• Weigh-ins: Weekly weigh-ins will occur on Mondays.  That's right ... no more slacking off on the weekends. 
• 1-3 rule: Participants are encouraged to comment on three other posts when they do their weekly weigh in post.  This will ensure that each participant will get an adequate amount of support as they journey toward better health.
• Journals: Participants are encouraged to add other participants to their friends list and leave plenty of comments about their journal entries.  Of course, it's also encouraged that each participant write their own journal entries.

Your weekly weigh in posts should appear in this format:

This week: XXX lbs.

Last week: XXX lbs.

Loss/Gain (week): XXX lbs.

To JohnnyAppleseed ... Crazy how much weight you can lose by just eating apples!  Good job!

To PaulaDeanFan ... That butter will kill you.  I sympathize with you as a fellow butter lover.

To CookieMonster ... I wish I had your willpower!  Truly inspiring!

The results of the challenge will be tracked on this online spreadsheet.

Good luck to everyone in this challenge!  I can't wait to see the transformations!

Hi Everyone!

I'm weighing in on our first unofficial Monday update.  I know we don't have to count this week but I'll throw it out there anyway.  This really isn't progress for me because my trend has started going up even though today's weight is lower.

Original Weight: 163

Today's Weight: 161.8

Leanne:  I don't really weigh myself 10 times a day but I do step on a couple of times in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon.  I usually try not to step on in the afternoon because I think it hurts my progress my affecting my perception of the weight I've lost. 

Now I'm working on trying to only get on the scales once in the morning.  I have a digital scale and it NEVER reads the same weight which is frustrating.  Like this morning, I stepped on before getting in the shower and it read 161.8 but for some reason I decided to weigh again after the shower and it read 162.4 so I'm just a little obsessive.

My strategy for this challenge is to keep my calorie intake down to a 1300 calorie maximum and try to develop some sort of exercise routine.  I tend to work really long hours and have 4 kids so that part could be a little tough.  (I realize I sound like someone off of Survivor talking about strategies but it does sort of feel like we're competing to win something right?)  Can anyone say Alliance? 

Good luck everyone!

***WEEK 1 MINI-CHALLENGE***

Put it in writing ... your plan, that is.  Tell us exactly how you intend to get to the lofty 10% goal by Halloween.  That way we can hold you accountable.  This can include your diet plan, your exercise plan, your plan to create a plan (???).  The point is, your goals become more powerful when you have something in writing and other people know about them.

You can post your plan here in the forum, in a journal entry (which we're all hopefully reading), or on a third-party website designed to help you design and track these kind of plans (just include a link so we can see it).

By the way, each week, I plan on doing some sort of "mini-challenge" to keep us motivated throughout the 12 weeks.  Participation in them is totally optional. 

This week: 141.5 lbs.
Last week: 140 lbs.
Loss/Gain (week): +1.5 lbs.

Dunno if I'm supposed to weigh today or not, but I may as well.
Just a bit of bloatiness, hopefully back down for next week. 

The plan:
- Stop eating those yummy cafe breakfast bagels and start eating something healthier, like a bowl of oatmeal with lots of fruit instead.

- Less beer. No more excessive drinking. One drink a day, tops, and trying to switch to wine instead.

- GYM! Started back last week. 3-4 days a week 90 minute workout.

- Not worry about calories, but pay attention to how I feel. When I eat, ask myself 'Am I hungry?' and if so 'Is this nourishing or junk?'.

- Smaller REASONABLY sized portions. I have to get out of this mindset that I'm cheating myself if I only eat a single serving.

Lisalac - Way to go on the loss! Maybe the scale says you weigh more after a shower because your hair holds a lot of moisture? Your strategy sounds good (can I be in the alliance? lol)

Leanne -  Those gin and tonics got me last thursday. At least you kept track. As long as we're aware what we are consuming, we're still in control :)

Everyone -  you all sound like you are on track for losing that 10%. Lets do this! =D

Well new weight for today, I still wanna keep my goal at 185 but I'll definitely go ahead and update my weight.

Last week : 205 lb

This week : 202.8 lbs.

Gain/Loss : -2.2 lbs.

Starting weight could have been off a bit, i bet i was more like 204.5.

I can't 'weight' to be back under 200... pardon the pun ;)

hahaha

I'll do mini-challenge later today but I've gotta get going and head to the gym!

Ciao

My weight has basically stayed the same since the initial post, so I'll keep that unchanged.  This weekend was BAD ... lots of eating out.  Oh well, I'll treat it as sewing my wild oats before the challenge started.

Yeroc ... You're on the right track coming into this losing some weight.  Let us know how your workouts are going.

Sarah ... I plan on starting up new at the gym this week like you did this past week.  I'm sure we'll both be a little bit sore!  I'm totally with you on the portion control.  It's absolutely my biggest obstacle to overcome.  I was raised as a "clean your plate" kid.

Lisa ... Did you think you burned some calories by taking a shower? haha.  Digital scales can be funny sometimes.  With mine, I will have to weight just my foot or something in between weights because it has a tendency to quickly show the last weight that was recorded if I don't take that step in between weighs.  Anyway, I can relate to the obsessive weight checks.  My wife says it's not a good idea, but I fight her on that because I think it motivates me throughout the week to stick with it.  If the scale is moving upward, that may be another story.

This week: 158 lbs.
Last week: 155.4 lbs.
Loss/Gain (week): 2.8 lbs

Plan

~ Give up sweet tea or at least only have one glass at dinnertime. (GOOD GRIEF why does the stuff have to be everywhere and taste so good in the summertime.)

~ Start back going to the gym. It's way to hot to be outside here and the kids are in school so I planning to go tomorrow, Friday and Sunday.

~ I have my meal plan for the week outlined in a notebook that way I don't have to think about what I am having, I just look at the notebook and get it out of the fridge.

~ Get through BBQ tonight without making a pig of myself. Keep telling myself chicken chicken chicken no ribs.

Sarah less beer! You go girl, you are stronger than I am.

Lisalac what about a walk at lunch time? I have three kids and used to work long hrs (around 48 -72 per week) so I understand the situation. Remember to always take your lunch break.

Yeroc good luck at the gym you will be under 200 in no time! Keep up the good work!

My plan:

Cardio: 60 minutes of cardio 6X a week (taking Saturday off).  I'll probably do mostly walking on non-gym days and elliptical or bike on gym-days just to mix it up.

Strength training: Plan on joining the local gym this week, but until then, I have been working at home with my resistance bands and other bodyweight exercises (i.e. pushups).  I plan to go to the gym on 3X a week (M, W, F) and doing full-body workouts during each visit until I stop seeing any gains ... then I might start doing a split routine. 

Diet: Aiming for a 1,000 calorie deficit each day.  Tracking all food consumed.  Making a point to never run out of groceries and always planning the week ahead in terms of dinners.  Sticking to salads if I go out to eat on the weekend.

Support System: Keep a daily journal on this website.  Encourage my wife to change her lifestyle along with me. 

Keeping track of all this by using SparkPeople.  You can check my food and fitness tracker here.

This week: 175.6

Last week: 177.8

Loss/Gain (week): -2.2

 

Don't have much time to write right now... but... yahoo! :)

Sarah:  Yes, you may join the alliance!

Alexanderrob: My weight actually went up after the shower so I don't know...maybe I'm a sponge?  Maybe it was my hair weighing more...who knows.  I guess I should just be happy that it's still going down slightly.

Mintberry:  I've thought about trying to develop a routine at work but so far no luck.  I wouldn't want to try something that was just sporadic and rare and I haven't been able to develop a "regular" lunch time with this job.  Frequently, I find myself having "working" lunches and sometimes we have "meeting" lunches where we either have to meet people and clients for lunch or we're called to do a conference call and lunch is catered.  Eating at work in itself is a challenge because most people eat out daily and we don't really have a "break" room.  We have a small kitchen to prepare you lunch in but then your only option is to eat in your office which inevitably turns into a working lunch.  At home, I don't live in an area without sidewalks or any sort of decent access for walking....and I love to walk so that part is difficult.  Oh, BTW, have you thought about trying tea made with splenda.  I LOVE sweet tea and buy it buy the gallons so when I found they made tea with splenda already in it, I was thrilled.  I honestly couldn't tell a big difference between real sweet tea and tea made with splenda although now, if I try to drink a regular sweet tea...it tastes extremely sweet...too sweet to drink.

 

Crap, there were a lot of spelling errors in there...sorry guys, I promise I'm edukated!

This week: 148.8

Last week: 150.0

Loss/Gain (week): -1.2 lbs

My Plan:

-Get a new pair of running shoes and start running/walking intervals

-Start getting out the morning when I start school. It'll be easier because I don't start school until 12pm most days.

-Play more squash and get better

-Climbing gym membership (I can probably get one for free...weee)

-Get a good free weight set and start establishing a regular lifting routine.

Diet:

-Continue on the path I am now. Try to stop snacking at home. Stop smoking the weed that makes me get munchies- or at least plan for the munchies or something.

alexanderrob- You're going intense now! Congrats! Good luck with finding a good gym.

mintberrykin- I sometimes plan out my whole week after I go grocery shopping. I usually use calorie count itself because it will let you add stuff in the future too.

sarah_11235- I've also had a problem cutting out the alcohol. I stick to red and white wine now. Once you get used to it you can never go back! Having a good glass of red wine sometimes feels like you're eating expensive chocolate. So decadent.

To everyone! Keep up the good work!

I will have to weigh in and such this evening as this morning was an "I overslept and don't want to go to work" morning. So a bit rushed.

My plan I will also add later as my journal entry took a long time to vent...er write...and I HAVE to get some work done!

Hey All - "Happy Monday"

My weight hasn't changed since I first reported it - so my official Starting Weight for the challenge will remain the same - 198.

Sarah_11235 - Your plan of less alcohol consumption is also mine! Haha - Alcohol is my Achilles Heel if you will so lets motivate each other to cut it down!

Jamminatorr - They say that if you plan on running/walking/gyming it that running shoes should be a prime investment because it can make/break a full workout routine.  If you plan on buying some new ones - spend that "little extra" to make sure they are a really good pair that is also comfy!

alexanderrob - Your plan and routine especially at the gym sounds awesome.  If your starting a M-W-F routine with full body weights - how do you plan on tracking when you "stop gaining" - measurements?  Let me know!

And to everyone of course - we all seem all the ball so lets get this challenge started!

My plans will be outlined in my journal in about an hour or two - so check there for more info!

But I can tell you right now - the first "phase" is to keep myself motivated to GO to the gym on a daily basis.

-Aaron

Original Post by uberman:

If your starting a M-W-F routine with full body weights - how do you plan on tracking when you "stop gaining" - measurements?  Let me know!

I'm glad you reminded me that I want to take all my measurements here at the start of this challenge.  But to answer your question, I was thinking more along the lines of when I hit a plateau as far as being able to lift an increasing number of pounds doing the various exercises, then that may be when I switch to splits so that I can focus more on the individual muscle groups.  I'm starting out by doing a full-body workout because you're activating a larger number of muscles which in turn will release more of those chemicals in your body that aid in burning more calories.  All that scientific gobbledy gook.  Long story short, I'm more interested in increasing my calories burnt than developing the "guns."  At least at this point.

This week: 191.
Last week: 188.1
Loss/Gain (week): -2.9 lbs ?!?!?

I highly doubt that I actually lost 3 pounds in a week, I figure I just didn't drink enough over the weekend so I lost a pound or two of water weight. I am happy however to be under 190, even if its just for the day. I don't want to update my starting weight, just incase this new weight is correct, then I have a jump start on the challenge.

Lisalac: The weight difference pre-shower to post-show might be as simple as wet hair, and damp skin, weighing a little bit more.

alexanderrob: Your plan sounds very active! Good for you.

nbkelly: Isn't that the definition of Mondays? I have trouble getting going Monday mornings as well.


My plan:
According to CC, I need to eat about 1250-1300 calories a day to get down to my goal weight in time, but since I worry about going so far under my BMR (about 1650) so I will start getting active again 3 or 4 times a week. I would like to get back into jogging, but I think that will take a bit more time to accomplish.

Eat at least 2 servings of fruit, and 2 of vegetables a day. I tend to be very good about eating lots of fruits, but I tend to have only 1 serving of veggies a day, and I know I need to improve that. I also need to find better-for you instant food that doesn't taste bad. I tend to work long hours then come home to grab whatever is easiest in the freezer, which is more likely frozen pizza, then the homeade food that I have in there.

alexanderrob: Your workout plan sounds pretty good, I've been doing a full body routine for the past 2 or 3 weeks every other day. I can definitely tell my body is starting to slim up and my muscles are becoming more defined. I can even fit into a pair of jeans I bought like a year ago with the intention of wearing when I lost some weight! I'm with you on the whole full body routine > split routine. Seems to be a lot better when you're trying to LOSE weight to use ALL your muscles. (like you said, more calories burned)

My plan:

• Weight training: class on Mon/Wed starting next week - 1hr per day (will be going on Friday as well, depending on how hard the class is, maybe Thurs/Saturday if the class isn't too intense)
  

• Diet: Calorie Deficit - 600-1000 calories less than what I burn (generally burn around 2900 on an active day) so I'll eat around 2000. Will hopefully be logging my diet, or at least keeping mental notes. Also I'm drinking protein shakes/eating protein bars and taking a creatine supplement to help with weight lifting gains.
  

• Cardio: Running 2 miles (15 min) AND walking 2 miles (30 min) OR Soccer (60-120 minutes) depending on the day. Every once in a while I'll mix it up with some stationary biking (10 miles, 30 minutes)

Well good luck to everyone! and stick with your plans!

Ciao!

Hey Rob and Yeroc!

Good stuff with the routines and tracking them!
Just out of curiosity - what do your full body workouts consist of?

ie. how many sets/reps for each muscle group?

Currently Im doing the 5/day split and pretty much just exhausting whichever muscle I choose for that day.  I may try out the full body if it will help with the weight loss for sure.

Let me know when you get a chance!

Aaron.

Woooo Monday! A highschool reunion party I hosted on Friday night definitely ruined me. (I threw all thoughts of keeping track of my calories (alcohol or otherwise) to the wind as the competitive spirit of flipcup and the excitement of seeing everyone again took over). Also, I took the entirely wrong mindset and wanted to eat those few last fatty meals before really committing to this diet that we're all embarking on today. That said, a half-pound gain is far less than I anticipated (although really it was like a 3lb gain cuz I was down to 140 on Thursday) and am so ready to start this!

This week: 142.5
Last week: 142
Loss/Gain (week): +0.5lb

alexanderrob: I definitely had the same type of weekend. Between the party, and my "last chance" to eat fattening food, I definitely didn't do well. But no worries! Today is our new start right? Speaking of new starts, your exercise plan sounds fantastic! I wish you the best with that!

lisalac: I would definitely blame the shower. Your hair is porous and thus would retain a fair amount of water, and your skin definitely would have absorbed moisture as well. I weigh myself everyday in the morning after the washroom and before showering/eating/drinking. I don't think I could ever manage to get on the scale at any other time of day! I strive to see the lowest numbers possible and would probably get upset with my afternoon/evening weights. My advice? Stay consistent. Weigh yourself at the same time every day. And if you jump on the scale more than once a day, only compare that weight to what you weighed the day before at the same time (not to the morning).

Sarah_11235 and uberman: I am so joining in to your alcohol-cutting plan. In two weeks' time I'm back at university and will really have to watch it.

saxkat13: I have the same target calorie range.. we'll definitely have collaborate on meal plans!

 

Week 1 Mini-Challenge- My Plan

I've done up an excel document with 4 sheets. Sheet one will track my burn meter, calorie count, and deficit. Sheet 2 will track my fat, protein, carbs, and nurtrition grade from the Analysis page. Sheet 3 will track my counts from the Analysis page (ie. cholesterol, vitamins, sugar, sodium, etc). Sheet 3 will track my deficit versus weight. I know a lot of these things are on CC, but this way I can clearly see/compare values from one day to the next. Also, I can see the impact my deficit has on my weight.

Calorie goal: 1250-1400
Deficit goal: 750-1000

Exercise Goal: Not too sure yet.. Definitely running at least half an hour on days that I don't work or only have a four hour shift. And I'll start going to the gym as soon as I get back to university in two weeks (free membership there lol).

Steps:
1. Limit alcohol and plan around its consumption by eating less on the days that I know I'll be going out (also beneficial in that by eating less I won't have to drink as much to get bombed.. hahah horrible I know, but true)
2. Keep my burn meter above 2000.
3. Two meals a day must be half fruit/veggies.
4. Make as many vegetarian/vegan choices as possible. (I cut out red meat a while ago and recently switched to soy milk... protein supplements, nuts, etc have helped me reach my protein intake, and I still eat chicken fish occasionally)

Hey, everyone!  Looks like we are all off to a great start! 

Starting Weight 142 lb.

Today's Weight 139.5 lb

Loss 2.5 pounds!!!

I think I will still use the 142 for my start weight, as I had two beers yesterday, and I tend to lose water weight when I do that.  However, it was a pleasant suprise to see something below 140!

Alexanderrob: You have a great plan!  I especially like that website.  That is one I never heard of.  Is it easier to track food/workouts than this site?  I also like the idea of taking before and after pics.  I will persuade my bf to take some tonight.

nbkelly: I like the fruit and veggie requirement of your plan.  I have no problem eating veggies, but fruit is always a struggle.

sarah_11235: I too struggle with having too many cocktails.  I also catch myself "saving up" calories so that I can drink - especially on bowling night.  I need to figure this out as bowling starts in a couple weeks.  My body needs more than just empty calories!

I will post my plan later today in my journal!

Dena