40-something Valentine's Day Challenge

kandd416 · 02-08-2012, 08:17 AM

I don't think I've ever been so happy to start as I was today. Well............ maybe once or twice in my life. lol

It's TOM about 8 days early, but that helps to explain the non movement on the scale. Woohoo!

Kinda weird because I'm kind of like clockwork, every 26 days, but I know I usually gain around 3 lbs during my TOM so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that next week's weigh in will be good.

Have a great one!

Kim

andrew80k · 02-08-2012, 09:04 AM

Yesterday: Good day, stayed on plan. New upper body workout done.
Challenges: Yesterday was a good day. No real challenges.
Today: Focus on today, get through today. Run tonight.

guacamole · 02-09-2012, 08:43 AM

For the first time on this board I actually achieved a challenge/mini goal within the set time frame! Got down to 165lbs today! I can't wait to see what the next challenge will be for us 40 somethings. Until then, I will keep plugging away!

Good luck, everyone!

andrew80k · 02-09-2012, 11:19 AM

Yesterday: I ate clean, ran my 5k.
Challenges: Staying focused on the other things that I need to get done. Not getting too wrapped up in myself.
Today: Focus on today, get through today. Lower body tonight.

Guac Yay!! Great job!!!

Zumbachica · 02-09-2012, 10:11 PM

bad day in court today....ate whatever wasn't nailed down when I got home.....

andrew80k · 02-10-2012, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zumbachica

bad day in court today....ate whatever wasn't nailed down when I got home.....

How'd that make you feel?

I've long met my goals in this challenge and have enjoyed it. A few more days left and we'll need to come up with a new one. Any ideas? St. Paddy's? Memorial day is a little too far. Spring Break? That varies for most folks I think. Maybe just a monthly?

kandd416 · 02-10-2012, 08:49 AM

Great job for those of you that have already made your goals! Andrew, you've been great about updating your progress. Guac, it's great that you've made your goal, even better that it's a head of schedule!

It's looking like I'm not going to quite make my goal for Valentine's day. Two pounds a week is just a little too hard for me to obtain without being super strict in my diet. And I know being super strict is not good for me in the long run.

I've already joined a challenge for February for another short term challenge & then a challenge that runs unil the 4th of July. That should put me at my goal weight with a 1.5 pound per week loss, which I think is doable for me.

I think this challenge has helped keep me motivated. Since I have to report my stats. I will update Tuesday, but wanted to thank everyone here for their support over the last month.

Hoping everyone hits their goal!

Kim

natamars · 02-10-2012, 10:45 AM

Finally weighed in and I am up .6 from where I started the challenge. I have once again learned the amount of exercise I am doing is not enough to compensate for too many calories. That even a primarily healthy diet with too many calories can lead to a gain. That the only way for me to be successful is to write everything down and keep to within a calorie range.

On the positive side, I started tracking again today. I've also decided to cut out sugar for a while. I'm not going to obsess about a little sugar in cereal or salad dressing, but none added to tea, and no treats. I swear any granola/fiber bar with chocolate in it has helped bring me to this point. Let's be honest - they're pretty much junk.

Also, I took my first ever swimming class last night! I never learned to swim properly, with my face in the water. I would always hold my nose when I went under. The classes will be one hour, one night a week. I swam for the majority of the time and enjoyed it, and think I burned some decent calories. Several of the people in the class had a real fear of the water, and it was cool to see how far many of them came. And I think they were all older than me.

Kim, 1.5 lbs/week is an awesome pace..fantastic work! If everyone sends me their stats I will do a summary next week.

andrew, St. Paddy's is a good idea, personally I perfer the shorter challenges tolong-term.

zumba, I'm so sorry you had a bad day. Courts can be so dehumanizing. It's a new day and it's Friday, and the sun is shining here..see if you can get out for a while today and just breathe.

andrew, what's your 5K time now? I haven't worked on speed at all the last few weeks. I just bought a foot pod to wear with my GPS watch for running indoors, so I'll be testing that this weekend..supposed to be cold and snowy here. I'm signed up for a 5K in April, but I may run it with my son so I can't be pushing the time. trying to get DH to do it too so I can run ahead of them :-)

guac, YAY on meeting your goal!!!

guacamole · 02-10-2012, 11:04 AM

natamars -so cool that you are taking swimming lessons! I also like how you are taking your weigh-ins and learning something practical and doable from them. You are doing great!

kandd416 - I often don't make challenges in the given time frame either - it's just a goal to shoot for - but you WILL get there even if it is after Valentine's day.

andrew80k - You are really cruising along! I think that a monthly goal is a great idea! St. Patrick's day is Saturday, March 17th, 2012 this year. Maybe that is good time frame after this Valentine's Day challenge? It's fun to have a challenge revolve around a special day. Although, a simple last day of the month challenge is fine too.

I am a little bit leery, because I didn't lose a single pound in January, so what if I don't lose anything in March. Maybe I am doomed to only lose weight every other month? Well, I won't be a defeatist, and will try and do whatever monthly challenge we come up with next.

andrew80k · 02-13-2012, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by natamars

Andrew, St. Paddy's is a good idea, personally I prefer the shorter challenges to long-term.

Andrew, what's your 5K time now? I haven't worked on speed at all the last few weeks. I just bought a foot pod to wear with my GPS watch for running indoors, so I'll be testing that this weekend..supposed to be cold and snowy here. I'm signed up for a 5K in April, but I may run it with my son so I can't be pushing the time. trying to get DH to do it too so I can run ahead of them :-)

I'm up for St. Paddy's too. I like the shorter term ones as well. It's part of my new "Slight Edge".

My best this time around so far is 32:23. I have a Suunto T-4 and I have a foot pod for it. I haven't tried that yet since I have really bad shin splints and have trouble running outside.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kandd416

Andrew, you've been great about updating your progress.

Thanks! Are you interested in joining a St. Paddy's day challenge or an end of March challenge here?

Quote:

Originally Posted by guacamole

andrew80k - You are really cruising along! I think that a monthly goal is a great idea! St. Patrick's day is Saturday, March 17th, 2012 this year. Maybe that is good time frame after this Valentine's Day challenge? It's fun to have a challenge revolve around a special day. Although, a simple last day of the month challenge is fine too.

I'm OK either way too. The Valentine's day puts us at the middle of the month and we could do an end of March or St. Paddy's day. After thinking about it we might be better off doing an end of March since there isn't any sort of significant holiday until the end of May and we can transition from month to month going forward until summer and we can do Memorial Day and July 4th. Thoughts?

guacamole · 02-13-2012, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrew80k

After thinking about it we might be better off doing an end of March since there isn't any sort of significant holiday until the end of May and we can transition from month to month going forward until summer and we can do Memorial Day and July 4th. Thoughts?

I am fine with doing an end of March challenge. Whatever works for everyone else.

kandd416 · 02-14-2012, 12:22 PM

Does this challenge end today or tomorrow? I've joined a challenge through the end of February, through Easter & through the 4th of July. Whew! But I'm hoping that the mini-challenges will keep me on track.

The Easter Hopping To Health Challenge!

Anyone up for a challenge from now through July 4th?

I will update my stats tomorrow. I know I didn't reach my goal, but I'm on my way & moving in the right direction.

Hopefully I will see ya'll at another challenge.

Have a good one.

Kim

kandd416 · 02-15-2012, 01:30 PM

It's official. I did not make my goal by today.As of this morning I weighed in at 184.2. That's a total loss of 6.6 pounds or about 61% of what I wanted to lose. So now I'm trying to make the 180 by the end of February.

To all of you that made your goal, congratulations.

To all of you that didn't, like me, keep up the work & we will get there. Maybe not as quickly as we wanted to, but we will get there.

Hope to see you all around.

Hugs,

Kim

andrew80k · 02-15-2012, 02:56 PM

Kim Congratulations. You made progress and you stuck with it. That's success in every sense. It's all part of finding a path you can follow for the long haul. You will get there.

guacamole · 02-15-2012, 03:46 PM

Hey guys! Congratulations to everyone for getting healthier and working at forming good eating and exercise habits. That's the real benefit of these challenges - to keep us on track - even if we don't meet our weight goals at the end of them.

I started a new March challenge thread - so everyone up for the next 40-Something challenge, please join in!

March Madness Challenge