The eight week healthy weight loss challenge - Page 9

[dantesmama]

Originally Posted by Milk8shake 

What do you use to motivate you to keep "on track"?

For example:  I stuck a picture on the fridge of DP and I from about 2 months after we met (seven years ago!).  We both look really healthy in it. 

I'm using an app that tracks my weight, calories, and exercise. It's really motivating for me to enter my meals and keep my calories under the limit, track my workouts, and keep the line on my weight graph heading down. I guess it's kind of silly, but it works! Also, I'm down 16.5 lbs now and I am beginning to see the difference in my body. Between the love handles and the saddlebags, the contour of my body was pretty lumpy and unattractive. I've noticed that I have a much smoother silhouette and my love handles have shrunk considerably (yay!) and overall, my clothes are fitting much better - which is the ULTIMATE motivation to keep going!

Trekkingirl - congrats on the weight loss! (And gorgeous pics by the way!) How is the low-carb going today?

Buzzer - have fun at Yellowstone!
 

I've decided to get an exercise bike for the house this week. I was going back and forth between that and a treadmill, but I decided on the bike because it's smaller, cheaper, quieter, and doesn't require much maintenance. I'm also looking at the Slim in 6 program from Beachbody, but I'm not sure about the time commitment - an hour a day, six days a week. I'm kind of on the fence about that.

[claybear]

I have a recumbent stationary bike in the house and I love it. I work out on it about 5 times a week and love having it.

I low carb also and it makes me feel great. My energy level is higher, less moody, less hungry, no snacky urges. Seems to work really well with my body.

[lovetolaugh]

I've also been thinking about getting another piece of exercise equipment for home.  I'm a SAHM and my youngest has an immune system disorder, so any type of child care setting is out of the question for him.  So for me, that means no going to the gym (unless I could afford having a nanny come to my home, and even then, she'd have to have a bit of medical training to take care of him...that kind of care is out of my price range).  So, I've been thinking recumbent bike or elliptical...does anyone really love theirs?  Claybear, which recumbent bike do you have? 

I've really been fighting discouragement this week.  I've eaten so very healthy, really good portions, too.  I've also exercised every day, but the scale is just not moving!!!  I'm so glad you are all here with this challenge, because if it wasn't for this, I'm sure I would have thrown in the towel by now! 

I even tried to step things up this week and do Jillian Michael's 30 day shred....hahaha!!  She kicked my a$$ in 20 minutes!  She actually had me talking to my television...asking her if she was crazy or what?!?!

It's really encouraging and motivating to see everyone changing exercise and eating habits...and getting results.  So, I'm hanging in here.....

[Milk8shake]

Everyone is doing so well!  I forgot to weigh in this morning, so I will have to do it tonight instead... We shall see how that does.  I got AF and I am feeling bloated like you wouldn't believe, so I don't expect much in terms of numbers.  Also, AF is always incredibly painful for me (lucky me having a uterine condition), so I usually have 2-3 days where anything other than basic survival is out of the question - so probably no exercise for a couple of days either.  It's usually the time of month that I tend to come a bit unstuck eating wise, so I'm going to really try not to let that happen. 

[PoppyMama]

I'm scared to weigh in tomorrow.  Earlier this week I had gained half a pound which is weird since I've been eating less and better and getting way more exercise.  My almost 1 year old has started nursing a ton more but I haven't been eating a lot more?

[trekkingirl]

still plugging away at the low carb diet. The LIFE WITHOUT BREAD book that I am using says stay under 72g of carbs per day. Here is what I am aloud to eat...

Fish

Any type of animal meat

Eggs

Cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, plain yogurt, milk in moderation

All kinds of animal fats ( although all I could think of was butter)

Salads, leafy vegetables, asparagus, brussels, sprouts, cauliflower, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, cucumber, avacado, tomatoes in moderation

Alcohol unsweetened in small amounts ( but I don't drink)

Nuts in moderate amounts

lovestolaugh maybe try sticking to those foods. I've been losing steadily with this new diet

[claybear]

Starting weight:               225

Last weeks weight:          217

This mornings weight:     215

No huge dramatic number like last week but this was another 2 pounds and I will happily take that. Feeling good.

My bike says Stamina 4825 Magnetic Recumbent Exercise Bike on the side of it. Got it on Amazon for under $200 and with free shipping. Have had it for over 2 years and it works perfectly for my needs.

[Buzzer Beater]

No surprise here this morning-  weighed 151, which means one pound last week as always.

Skiing yesterday was great- very beautiful day in the park. After lunch I was sunbathing while dh went further up the trail. I was just dozing off when I heard something on the path, but not enough noise to be another skier. I opened my eyes, and there was a coyote not 2 feet from me! I jumped up and screamed, and he bared his teeth at me and raised his hackles. I picked up a ski pole and started swinging, but didn't get him. It seemed an eternity before he backed off, tho I'm sure it was only a few seconds. Coyotes are normally present on the trails but never so bold.

Needless to say I was skiing better in the afternoon with an adrenaline rush.

[stegenrae]

Is it totally cheating if I ask to skip weigh-in this week? AF is probably going to hit me like a ton of bricks by the end of the day, and I'm so bloated I'm wearing a bigger freaking size jeans than I was just 5 days ago. :/

[trekkingirl]

wow that was a bold COYOTE! Holy Crap!

Well I'm really excited to announce that I weighed in at 199.6 this morning! I was 204 last monday. My first weightloss goal was to get under 200 lbs so I officially just completed my first goal. I'm really happy!

[pacificbliss]

Wow buzzerbeater what a crazy day of skiing!

Congratulations trekkingirl! That's awesome!

AFM, weighed in this morning at 171.6. Getting closer to be back where I was before the holidays.

[allisonrose]

My weigh in: 170.5. I lost 2.5 lbs. I weighed less Saturday morning but weekends are always tough for me to eat healthy during because my hubby is not into eating healthy at all. (I really, really wish he'd eat better for his own sake.)

I went to the gym yesterday and did 45 minutes of cardio. Today is a rest day since my younger guy had a well child check up so that took up our entire morning. I really need to make time to go to the mall because all my pants are too loose!

[Amandamarie]

Down 1 lb. this week. My weight now is 219.  My period started yesterday so I'm surprised I didn't gain my usual 5 lbs of water weight. Maybe it's because I've been drinking 8 glasses of water a day or it's having a cold. We took a family walk yesterday so I did get a little exercise. My dh is doing a biggest loser competition at work so yesterday he cut up veggies for us to snack on during the Super Bowl, and we didn't eat any junk.

[claybear]

Everyone is doing great! Really excited to see so many people weighing less than last week. It means we are all on the right track to being healthier when the 8 weeks are up.

[lovetolaugh]

Way to go, trekkingirl!  Nice work!  How will you celebrate your first goal? 

Wow, Buzzer!  So cool and so scary at the same time!  He sure was bold...maybe he wanted your sunbathing spot!

Stegenrae, I think no problem on skipping weigh-in this week.  But also no problem if you weigh in and you've gained....you'll just see a much bigger loss for next week, and that always feels good!

And congratulations to everyone else on their losses this week!!

I weighed in this morning at 135.2, so I'm only down 0.6 from last week.  At least it wasn't a gain, and losing something is better than nothing!

[Milk8shake]

Well done everyone - especially trekkinggirl!  Congrats on the first goal. 

I have to admit that I weighed in at 0.3kgs (0.6lbs) heavier than last week. Damn.  I did weigh myself at the weekend though, and I was quite a bit lower than that, so I'm pretty sure that AF is to blame.  Having said that, I'm pleased to report that some of my clothes are starting to fit a bit looser, so I think there is some re-shaping happening. 

Rae (and everyone) I was thinking that we could maybe have one "skip a weigh in" pass each for the whole eight weeks.  Once it's used, that's it... you have to weigh in every week regardless.

I'm a little embarrassed that I have gained this week, but at least posting it keeps me accountable, so I'm not going to use it.  And next week I have no excuses. 

Back tonight with PIE.... (charts)

[dantesmama]

Buzzer - wow! That's crazy that it got so close!

Trekkingirl - congrats! That's an awesome loss!

Great work to everyone - it's great to see everyone posting losses. It'll be fun to add up how much we all lost together at the end of 8 weeks.

As for myself, I weighed in at 176.8, down 3.4 lbs from last Monday (and 17.2 lbs total!).

[dantesmama]

Milk8shake, I like your "skip a weigh-in" idea. Good for you for posting anyway - you'll probably have a huge loss next week.

[BarefootMama99]

Wow, so I think I did the worst this week . . . I had a gain :(  Started at 200.4, week 1 I was down to 198.4, and now I am up to 199.6.  Grrrrrrrrr

Well, I am taking this moment to be thankful for the accountability and get motivated to make week 3 count!  I am going to step up my workouts this week and make a no snacking when the kids are asleep rule.  I tend to make MUCH healthier choices when my kids are watching me :)

What do you use to motivate you to keep "on track"?

For me, it is my husband's getting back from deployment.  He left January 2011, and will be back mid march.  I wanted to loose the baby weight and then some before he got back.  At this point, I will be happy to just shake the baby weight by the time he gets home.  I have 19.6# to go to be at my pre-baby weight and about 60# to go to be at a really healthy wieght for me (I had to gain weight inorder to get my cycles regular enough to get pregnant, so I have been feeling poorly carrying all this extra weight around).  I want to get back to the energetic person I was before all this wieght came and we are officially done with adding to our brood, so that also is very motivating - I won't have to go through this again :)

Go BLUE team!!!!

[Buzzer Beater]

It hurts like something I cannot describe, but I am off peanut butter. It's been two days. It's been a... problem.