53 pounds by July

[SherryA]

Hi guys. I know it is a weird number. Why 53, not 50 or 55? I guess because I woke up weighing 252 this morning and 53 pounds will put me just under the 200 mark. Why July? I have a meeting with my family then, and I want to be thinner than I've ever been around them (they live a few hundred miles away) for years anyway.

My plan? I'm going to set very small goals no more than 3 or 4 pounds at a time. I'm going to work toward meeting those little bitty goals and as I reach each one I'm going to feel like I accomplished something WONDERFUL and then I'm going to set a new goal. Every little success will spur me on to do a new challenge, meet a new goal and reach it.

For January I've already set 4 goals. 3 of which I've reached. To be honest I don't believe anyone can lose 50 pounds. I've done it and I just don't believe it is possible! Why? because looking forward at 50 pounds is discouraging. Looking back at it isn't hard. So baby baby steps. 3 or 4 pounds at a time and NO more than that.

But, say we set a 3 pound goal. Reach it by the time a week and a half has gone by, then set another 3 pound goal. Reach it in about the same amount of time. Set a 4 pound goal and reach that in another week and a half. By the time February is over that is 10 pounds. If we keep doing that, we can have the 50 or so pounds off by July.

I'm following Atkins, and I know fat comes off fast on this diet. What plan others are following is up to you, but I also plan to exercise aerobicly at least every day or two. Sometimes every day, sometimes twice a day. Aerobics burns fat. Weight lifting builds muscle which is good, but it isn't easy to lose actual weight while lifting. You tend to build heavier muscle (which looks pretty good, but doesn't help in the weight loss and what I'm after now is weight loss). So I probably won't be lifting for awhile.

Anyone want to join me?

[Healthy]

SherryA, let's do it!!!!!!! I need an accountability partner and you sound like that person :). I have quite a lot of weight to lose and need a lifestyle change in order to shed the pounds and keep them off forever. I've not decided upon a plan, but it will be low carb plus exercising at least 3 days a week.

I'm excited about this challenge.

[ApplBride]

Hi Sherry.
Sounds like you have the same goals as I do...but I just don't think that Atkins is the plan for me. I have my wedding in August and I want 46 pounds.
I want to be the pretty bride. You are strong to do the Atkins diet - good for you! Sounds like you are doing really well. If you need someone to email, you can drop me a note. I am always looking for someone to drop a line to when I am hungry..ha. Starting weight..approx 216..I will weigh in tomorrow...ha.
Good luck!
-Christine

[SherryA]

Oh good. I'm so happy to have some people join me. Let's call it a 4/3/3 plan. My next goal is 248 which is 4 pounds from now. And I know I can do that! Every 4/3/3 we lose is another 10 pounds!

[Healthy]

Since I'm fairly new at this online support...can you tell me the "rules"? Do we just post weekly when we meet our goal (notice that I'm thinking positive and believing that we will be successful)? :)

[SherryA]

I think that works. If you weigh in weekly then post when you meet your first goal. Are we all going for 4 pounds for the first one? (I am). If you weigh every day, you can post when you get the first pound lost or second or whatever. When you get to your first 4 pound goal we'll put some stars around it and celebrate!

You can also go to the User CP link at the top of the page and create a 4/3/3 goal bar for use in your signature. That way we can see your progress as you go. This site has a neat way of letting us see how close we are to our next goal. Too, when we get to that goal we can change it and set the next one.

I think the important thing is to check in often for support and encouragement. Some people like to post what they've eaten for the day, or what exercise they have done, or what successes they have had by losing inches or by resisting a temptation they REALLY wanted to succumb to...

Whatever works best for you to find yourself encouraged works for me.

[ApplBride]

Do you want to start a new thread? 4/3/3?
Count me in.

[SherryA]

Sure, if it will help!

[Healthy]

This is just a test to see if my ticker will show.......Yeah it's showing :).

[SherryA]

Hi Healthy, Yes it works and is showing... but you know what? I think it would be more encouraging to you if you only showed your first goal (4 pounds or 3). That way when you hit that baby step goal it says "Congratulations you made your goal!" (instead of 53 pound! which looks so overwhelming!)

Then as each small goal is reached, you can change the number in your signature to reflect the new goal.

Or if you like you can keep this one and make a new one that only shows the baby step goal. My suggestion only. I can't look at 53 pounds all at once. It doesn't motivate me at all. 3 pounds or 4 pounds motivates me, because I know I can do it. And I know I can do it fairly soon and then celebrate my success for having done it! I can rejoice, I can jump up and down (mentally at least) because HEY look what I did! ya know?

[HappyWife]

I have been losing an average of 2lbs/week, so this is doable. We, too, have a family gathering in July...and a reunion where I will be seeing family that I haven't seen in years.

[Healthy]

Good idea Sherry!

[Healthy]

Just another test...

[SherryA]

Looks like you fixed it! (scroll up to see).

[SherryA]

Well my first pound and a half is gone!

[Healthy]

Why does my tinker keep disappearing. My previous post showed it but now it's gone. Oh, well.

Alright this is what I've been doing since Saturday (Jan 28th)...
1. Limit my carbs
2. 45-60 minutes on my recumbent bike
3. Drinking green and white tea
4. Praying for my weight loss

I'm the type of person who sweats A LOT when I exercise so I know that I've probably lost quite a bit of water weight...now for the fat :). I'll weigh myself on Saturday and post the results.

I hope everyone is being successful. If anyone has any weight loss tip please share :).

[SherryA]

I think your ticker disappears the same way mine does. I think it only posts once or twice within the same page. It's there now.

Tips... Well have you read the Atkins book? Any of them? There are quite a few different editions. Atkins is the fastest weight loss program I know. I'm not following it terribly strictly, but what I do, is to eat meat and vegetables mostly. I avoid breads, starchy foods, and sweets. So the veggys I eat are mostly low carb green veggys or tomatoes. I make sure I have protein with each meal, which is satisfying and filling. I do allow low carb treats. Particularly berries or non sugared diet foods. I limit those too though, because you can find yourself not really dieting if you eat too many of them.

I've really been enjoying the foods I've been eating. Fats are allowed, butter, sour cream that sort of thing. But not high starch or sugar.

There is a whole theory about why it works so well. Some of the first weight loss is water because carbs hold onto water, but the fat comes off quickly too.

[SherryA]

One more half pound today

[SherryA]

One more half pound off today, so I'm at 249.5! I love those times when the scale takes you below a decade marker. It is like getting something at the market for 2.99 rather than 3 dollars! It LOOKS better! It isn't much better, but it makes a difference in how you feel about buying it!!

[frustrated 1]

Hello,

I just joined 3 fat chicks today, and am very new to all the forums, hopefully i will get comfortable soon and get the hang of posting messages.

My starting weight is 169, and am hoping to go down to 120 by summer time ( June), i will definetely take the LOSE 53 lbs. by JULY challenge.

:)

[SherryA]

Welcome Frustrated.

It may be more difficult for someone starting as low as you are to lose the whole thing, the closer you are to goal, the slower the weight comes off sometimes. So go for it anyway, but don't get discouraged if some of us heavier people lose more quickly. On the other hand you may just be more active than us and may beat us all the way!

Anyway 4/3/3 is the main point of the challenge. Looking at those baby steps and aiming for them one at a time.

I keep getting close to the first 4 since proposing the challenge, but the scale isn't cooperating. Yesterday evening I briefly saw 249 (I need 248 to make the challenge) and then this morning after eating dinner and drinking water it was up again.... It's teasing me.

On the good hand I had a good situation happen today! Someone finally said something about the weight I have lost! Took em long enough!

[SherryA]

How is everyone doing? I finally lost one more half a pound. I'm down to 248.5. One more half pound to go and I will be at the first 4 pound goal. I can't believe how much my losses have slowed down. I was doing so well in January and this month it has been like trying to pull teeth to get even the smallest increments of weight to leave!

I've only lost two pounds since January 30th. Frustrating how much it has slowed down lately.

[SherryA]

Weird. I got that last little half pound I was looking for tonight! So my first 4 pounds is gone. Now for the second part of the 4/3/3 challenge. 3 more pounds and I'll be at 245!

[HappyWife]

....my official weigh-in is on Monday.

[SherryA]

That's great Happywife! Keep it up!

My scale registered another half a pound this morning! So I'm 247.5 now. 2.5 pounds more to go for my next mini goal and for my Valentine's Day goal. I'd REALLY like to make it, even though it is only 2 days away... I kind of expect it won't happen, but you never know.

Update. No, I didn't make my Valentine's day Challenge goal, but I almost did. I originally wanted 9 pounds by Vday and I got that. I didn't get the 11 I upped it to because I wanted that nice round number of 245. Still I'm pleased.

The weight IS slowly but surely falling off. 1/2 pound at a time, but I've only got 2 more pounds to go to reach the first 3 of my 4/3/3 challenge.

I've been averaging (so far) about 10 pounds a month. So assuming I can keep that up, I should be able to make the 53 pounds. Or very close.

[SherryA]

Scale is down to 246. Only 47 more pounds to lose to get to ONEderland. one more pound to lose to the first 3 of my 4/3/3 goals. After that I get to set the last 3 part of the challenge, for a total of 10 pounds (when done) from where I started. I love small goals. They are so easy to reach and so encouraging when you do.

[Need2loselots]

I would love to join this challenge. I think it's just what I need! :)

[SherryA]

Then welcome and let's go for it. Set a goal for 4 pounds then 3 pounds and then 3 more. One at a time. Keeping focused on such small numbers makes it easier to reach and then keep going with the next one. A diet that helps you lose fairly quickly helps too. I'm doing low carb, but you can do whatever works for you.

[SherryA]

Wow! I'm so excited! I struggled all last month. Lost 4 pounds total, but 2 of them kept coming back on! Then suddenly this morning the scale made up for it all! Over night I made two of my goals!

A couple of days ago the scale was at 248 and I was feeling frustrated that I couldn't get it back down to the 246 I had seen breifly last month. Then yesterday it slipped to 245.5, which was still 1/2 pound up from my second goal (4/3/3 I was trying to go from 252, to 248/245/242). Then this morning I get on the scale and it read first 242.5 and then a little later another bathroom break away and it was down to 242 (and I even saw 241.5!)...

So in one day I made TWO goals!

Started this challenge with 53 pounds to lose, and now I'm down to 43 (or 42.5 if you take the lowest of my scale numbers this morning)!

I'm feeling more positive now. Maybe I really CAN make my July goals!

So ladies KEEP on going it CAN be done! I'm doing Atkins, but I've also been less hungry so I'm sure my calories are lower than normal too. It is just amazing how long I waited through February to see any real change. Then suddenly there it is!

[SherryA]

Well tomorrow is 1/4 of the way (time wise) to my goal date. According to my notes if I'm to be on track, I should weigh 238.5 or less by tomorrow. Considering that today's weight was up to 246.5, I don't think I'm going to make it. I'm on plan today and hoping to be down some tomorrow, but I think I would have a very hard time being down in the 230s that soon. So I'm off track a little... Need to tighten things up and make up for about 8 pounds. I want to keep as close to my "part way" there goals as possible. I don't want to get to July with 20 or 30 still to lose. I guess I need to go cook dinner (earlier than normal) and exercise on my stationary bike. Got to redouble my efforts for awhile.

[SherryA]

Today I hit 238.5. Close to where I wanted to be last post. My weight loss has been slowing some so I had to become a little more extreme to jump start the thing.

[HappyWife]

but, I'm the one who started it! I am now down another 13 pounds from where I was when the thread started. Not as much as I wanted, but am down a few clothing sizes! I have 40# to go. Just started exercising, though :o , so maybe I can start losing faster. I am trying to "Walk across America" to my parents in Michigan. Hopefully, I'll get there by next year.

[SherryA]

You are doing GREAT! Congratulations! Only 14 pounds to onederland? I wish I was there with you!

[HappyWife]

OK.. Since posting last, I have walked 41.9 miles and lost a measley 2#. I look better, though! A lot of people are noticing. I was even told that I was thin this past week!:love: :carrot: