Weightloss Challenge Thru Dec - Jul 20th Thread

trotchase

trotchase

Cathlete
Hi all!

Well, Melanie and Shereta are away for a few more days. So, here I am to check in with....myself?!

I took a much needed two day break off from intense workouts. I've been so mentally stressed out that I became so physically exhausted. I know exercise helps with stress, but my energy wasn't there for a challenging workout and it depleted me for the day, so I've gardened instead! This decision was encouraged by Shereta's good advice :)

Im feeling better today and things are starting to get resolved for me with some of my issues, so I will be getting back on track. Today though still may be an easy workout. I have two weeks left of STS Meso 3 to do too. My workout may just be house work as that has been neglected during this time as well!

I definitely back slid on the weight loss regaining the 7 pounds I lost (need to change my tracker!). But once again, I am picking myself back up. I know I can do it. I have started to meditate the last couple of days and I hope to utilize that during stressful times instead of eating!

This is a journey, a process and remembering that it is not perfection that matters, but progress helps me. I have made progress, because in years past I wouldn't have recorrected my disastrous course just after two weeks. There were instances that it took me months and 40# later for me to wake up and take good care of myself.

We can do this girls! Especially now that we are here to encourage, motivate, and support each other. This just may be the last piece to our puzzle...

Love and Blessings :)

Gina
 
I'd like to join your weight loss check-in. A little background, I'm a 43yo, 5'5", 153lbs.

I'm an apple shape, used to be a string bean and never had any nutrition/exercise skills. A few years ago I ballooned to my max weight ever, 178, just shy of obese. I've lost 25lbs but for the last 10 months I've hovered between 150-155. Using the 100lbs/foot + 5lbs/ inch method I should be 125lbs.

I'm trying to clean up my diet w/o actually going on a diet. I believe I need a lifestyle I can maintain past the weightless phase so that I don't regain the weight. My Achilles heel is sugar, I love my sweets!

On the exercise front I'm a beginner/intermediate. I have a variety of Cathe videos and generally can't keep up with her. But I figure I can grow into them :). I've tried to become a runner for two years now, tried the Nike walk to run program multiple times. Am currently doing the Women's Health Mag program, with slightly more success than in the past.

I work from home, have a slapped together treadmill desk which I haven't used for about 3 weeks now because I get sweaty which is uncomfortable while trying to get work done.

I hope we can all encourage each other to reach our weight loss goals!
 
Hi Sue (right? is that your first name?)

WELCOME :-D Of course you can join us!! We had a few more in the beginning, but they haven't posted for quite some time, but there's a few of us that are regulars.

We have a lot in common it seems. I'm 41 y.o. 5' 5.5", and currently 162 which I have been up and down the last 7 pounds for the past year now and would like to break through! Although, I am very much pear shaped! My goal is 136-142. But size wise I would like to be a size 6/8 no matter what the weight. The weight method is an okay guideline, but it also depends on your body frame, amt of lean mass and so forth. If I were to get down to 127 according to that, people would think I was anorexic!

I have decided to get off the "diet" mentality as well and just focus on healthy foods. Also, working on listening to my body like stop when full, eat when true hunger hits, but also moderately indulge when a craving strikes. Sugar is my downfall too...I easily get addicted to it and need more and more! Tryin to rebreak that habit as we speak!

I also am trying to become a runner!! It is hard. I did the Couch to 5k a few years back and I even completed a 5k! But I stopped running after that which was two years ago. I've always wanted to run, but dread it at the same time. Crazy! Melanie and Shereta will have great advice for you as they are currently training for longer races...I think a half marathon? Can't recall right now. My goal, which I just started is to do Jeff Galloway's method of run/walk intervals for the whole session as to not get fatigued fast so I can run longer and hopefully not be so bored!

And I ALSO rigged up a treadmill desk!! Ok, so I've only done it twice, but my intentions are to make it more a habit. How fast were you walking? Have you tried going slower to maybe not sweat so much? Or put a fan on you like I do! They say 1-2mph is the best to walk and work. I think my comfort was 1.6? I'd have to check my workout log though for sure. And that means I better get back on and start walking! Obviously, it's been a while ;)

I started out with Cathe as a major beginner in exercise! I am able to do some of her Hiit and Interval workouts now, but they still kick my butt quite a bit and I have room for improvement! You will over time, if you keep pushing yourself a little more with each workout, become faster and stronger! It is amazing to see and feel how your body changes over time with exercise! So CONGRATS for doing it!! Some people have even done the step w/os on the floor without the step to build up to being able to do them ON the step!

So welcome aboard! Share whatever you like. Some like to post what they eat, we pretty much all seem to post our workout for the day, and we definitely give each other encouragement!

Gina :)
 
Welcome Sue! We seem to have many 40-somethings on this challenge. I'm 45, 5'3 and hover around 147lbs (can't believe I just typed that :eek:) Full on gravity fighting from here on out.

Stress levels remain high (supersonic) so the stress eating is still a battle. My workouts are keeping the worst at bay. Two cardio workouts yesterday and STS M2D24 today. Really looking forward to a total cardio week for the next 7 days, it's like eating dessert for an entire week. I haven't done Turbo Barre or Afterburn for an entire month and can't wait to put those in this weeks rotation.

Gina, your treadmill desk sounds really cool. I wish I could rig up our tv to only run with the use of some sort of exercise equipment. It would solve many issues in this house. ; )

Hope you all have a great weekend. : )

Tina
 
Tina, too cute about connecting the tv to treadmill. I sooo understand! I actually used my step bench as my desk! My rails are padded so they hold the bench in place. Your arms are supposed to be at a 90degree when using the computer so I added my high step riser on top of the bench and it was PERFECT!! Actually quite stable. And when I want to do more of a cardio workout on the treadmill it removes so easily unlike those desks which look like they don't! Saved me tons of money which I put towards the purchase of XTRAIN :) hehe

Also, congrats on completing Meso 2!!! Is this your first time doing STS? It's mine and today I started week 3 of Meso 3. The strength gains are incredible!! Enjoy your recovery week!

And I am sooo proud of you for continuing your workouts during your stressful time because it could be just as easy to stop doing them!! Thoughts of healing, love, and blessings for you and your mother. {{{{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}}}

Catch you all tmrw after gardening in the am with my Dad.

Gina
 
Thanks for the kind words Gina. This is my second round with STS. I'm so grateful to have this program in my life right now. It's so easy to follow and doesn't take any lengthy rotation planning. I'm going to plan one more round and hope that Xtrain will be released right around the time I finish round three (and more importantly, mom should be done treatments!). I've made some gains from the first round, in micro amounts, but still improvements. It's made a huge improvement on my cycling speeds this year, so I'll plan to always do STS during the season.

We have a new 50 mile hilly route to try in the morning in an area I've never even driven through and the weather looks perfect, chilly and sunny. :D


(edited to say I'm really not a paid spokesperson for STS, I just REALLY love it).
 
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Hi guys! I just did Squat Rack not too long ago. It was my 2nd one and this week was much better for my form. I only have like a week and a half left of STS and I am so excited to try Cathe's other DVDs to see how my strength compares to the last time. I have definitely made some strength gains!

My eating has been much better these last two days. I believe I can keep the momentum going. I even declined donuts at my parents and I love Dunkin ones! I really didn't want it...very odd for me!

Tina, you are right, STS IS great! I will do it again in the future without a doubt! Like you said it has improved your cycling, it has improved my cardio workouts as well...very cool! I love it!

How was your new route today? It has to be exciting, like a new DVD is, when you bike a different course.

Ok, gotta run for now. Will check in tmrw. Sunday is usually my recovery day, but I plan on working out cuz I took off 3 days this week.

Gina
 
Thanks for the welcome ladies! Yesterday was turbo barre, only did about half of the mat work, anything past an hour and I'm wiped out. Today I'll be doing a walk/run, I've been repeating week 4 of a 6week program for a few weeks now. I do it in my neighborhood and there's a bunch of inclines. I could do it inside on the treadmill but I don't like running on the treadmill, just walking. I may have to though if it gets much hotter this summer! So if I can run 8 minutes with 3 minute walk in between I'll be able to progress to week 5 :)

For the past two days I've kept my calorie deficit at about 500, on track for a pound a week. When I know I'm eating poorly I avoid writing it down so on my bad days I usually don't know how bad they really are. I've been having a protein drink for breakfast and it's been keeping me full all the way to lunch. Later in the day I'm having trouble wanting to snack but I know it's psychological because I gauge my hunger and it's not there.

Gina- I can't believe how much we have in common! i like to walk about 2mph on the treadmill. anything slower and it's actually distracting. when I have to do heavy thinking I have to sit though. not sure why? Congrats on declining the donuts, that would have been a tough test for me!

Tina- sorry to hear about the stress, I hope things get better in that regard. It seems like you're doing the right thing and taking care of your exercise needs. do you do any meditation-like activities?

love hearing about your STS experiences, I'm definitely curious!

Sue :)
 
Hello!!

This am I did my run/walk on the treadmill. I did 8 cycles of run for 1.5mins then walk for 1min. It felt really good today for some reason. Very odd for me cuz I struggle to run. But I did focus on keeping my heart rate at about 75% (140) and it felt more comfortable for me to run, although it required a slower pace 4.5-4.8mph. I've attempted so many times to start running again, but always quit. I know my heart rate would reach 160s which is hitting 90%, no wonder why I always thought running was hard cuz it was! I think if I stick with a lower rate I'll stick with my training. Melanie and Shereta do you guys monitor your heart rate during your workout and/or stick to a certain zone?

Sue, I would like to do the local 10K Peace Race run through our beautiful park. Which is exactly 13 weeks from today and the training program I am following is for 13 weeks! The thought scares me, but for some crazy reason I want to try it. It has some good hills in it so I need to practice running hills.

I always thought I needed to be able to run the entire way, but after reading Galloway's training of the run/walk method his studies prove that you are better off with walk breaks and end up at the end either at the same time or slightly sooner b/c you do not fatigue as fast when you take walking breaks. They can be as short as 30 secs.

My goal is increase my running time with a 60 sec walk break until I hit 5 minutes then decrease my walk break to 30 secs. I think that is the recom. goal to reach he said 5 min run/30 sec walk time. Im waiting to receive his book I ordered. I'd like to check out your Health Mag program you are following. I'll try to do a web search for it.

Gosh, I'm long winded! Sorry, if I bored ya ;)

Good job on eating better these past few days Sue!! I know how hard it can be. I have Sunday dinner with my parents and that is my free meal for the week as I know I consume more calories, but at least I have learned to stop eating before I am way overstuffed. But Mom is succchhh a good cook! Let's keep our momentun going. I am on my 3rd day of doing good.

Ok, I'll be back ltr to hopefully report on my STS w/o that I have planned to do. Im waiting for my second wind...

Gina
 
Hi Gina, Sue and Fembot. I got back in town a few hours ago. We're putting our things away and getting ready for work tomorrow.

I really enjoyed the convention and feel rested and motivated to continue on with my journey. I ate really well until today, but Sundays are always my 'have a little treat day" anyway. so , no worries. I don't think I sabotaged my weightloss challenge. I'll know for sure tomorrow morning.

Welcome Sue. Gina, thanks for getting us started this week.

Tomorrow should be a 3.5 miler.
 
All your running talk makes me wish I was able to do it too. I've tried several times to become a runner, only to have major knee issues after each attempt. Gina, your 10K sounds like an awesome goal to reach for.

My overtraining flag was raised this afternoon, so tomorrow will be a light recovery ride and a nice long walk and nothing else. Fantastic riding this weekend, but the hills did me in. Passed a few men climbing, and that always makes my day. ;)

Caved on an ice cream treat with the family tonight at a local shop. It must have contained 1200 calories: butter crunch ice cream w/ graham crackers, coconut, walnuts, and giant chocolate chips. I don't even want to know the fat content. It was so goooooood! Good news is there is absolutely nothing in the house for junk this week, so I have no choice but to keep on track until Friday.
 
Hi everyone - I'm back from my holidays! So nice to come back and read all your comments and see how everyone is trying to keep on track.

I had such a great week off - I really needed it, just to unwind, de-stress and not have a schedule.

I did run throughout the week, my longest run being 9 miles!! Woohoo!!! That is the longest I've ever run. So I'm feeling really positive about being able to run the half marathon in September.

I'm not sure about my weight cause I haven't checked. It was my holiday, so I ate icecream, drank a couple of beers, had some sweet potato fries, and one night ate one too many peanut butter M&Ms. Oh well, I'm not beating myself up over it. What's the point of doing that? So today I'm back on track.

I have so much work to do though, so I gotta get going. I'll write more when I get more time.

Have an awesome day girls!
 
Hi all! Last night I finally finished week 4 of the program I'm following, here's the link: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/weight-loss-program-walk-run?page=1

Tonight I'll be doing w5 r10 w5 r5 w5. That 10 minutes of running is really intimidating, especially since I can't avoid the big hill in my route (unless I turn around and go in the other direction :) I don't really enjoy the strength days in this program. I do them (not always), but I take a really long time. I like being able to follow along to video better than looking at instructions and then doing the exercise. There's a lot of stop-and-go that I don't enjoy. But I do get DOMS so something good is happening! I usually take Thursday as my rest day.

Yesterday I ate 5 cookies but still managed to have a 612 calorie deficit (cookies were lunch - oops). One thing I don't allow in my diet is artificial trans-fats. At the grocery store I read all the labels and make sure "hydrogenated" doesn't appear in any of the ingredients. I don't worry about it when eating out, but at home it's a big no-no. I've learned how to do a lot of scratch baking since implementing that rule because most of the premade & box bakery items have trans fats, even if they list it as zero on the nutrition label.

Gina - That peace race is a good goal. I've also read about taking short walk breaks every mile or so, it makes sense to me. Just remember this - whether you think you can or think you can't you're probably right. Not sure what the attribution to that quote is. I'm going to get back on my treadmill desk later today, but I'm enjoying my coffee sitting down!

Shereta - nice to meet you! I love having my treats, but I have a hard time keeping them "little". Your running blows my mind, I hope I'm putting up that milage sometime soon!

Tina - that ice cream sounds great! My calorie thingy says I get 1200-1450 per day so I could eat that if I had broccoli for the rest of the day!

Hi Melanie - nice to meet you too! Sounds like a great holiday. Good luck on getting back into the swing of work :)

Have a wonderful day ladies!

Sue
 
This morning was a soft pedal ride for 10 miles and then STS yoga abs, where I finally (drum roll please) completed four perfectly balanced levatation holds. The first time ever that I've managed to do them correctly (but not the crazy legs outstreched holds Cathe manages). Tons of yard work and house scrubbing for the rest of the day. Eating has been pretty clean, excluding the oat bran blueberry bread slice at my mom's. It's good to have a nearly empty cupboard.

On deck for tomorrow is Afterburn, I can't wait! : )
 
OK I'm back - I got caught up quite a bit at work so I thought I'd take a few minutes to say 'hello' to everyone again.

Gina - I'm glad you took a couple days rest from your high intensity workouts. Gardening is exercise too, and its so therapeutic! Must be nice for you to have that time with your Dad to garden.

Keep it up with your running goals - bit by bit. I don't monitor my heart-rate, but I would like to (just interested in knowing what it is). But I do watch how many minutes per mile I'm running. On my super long 9 mile run, I slowed down to 12 minutes per mile. I'm usually 9.5 - 10. But 12 felt great, and it enabled me to run that distance.

Sue - Welcome to the forum! Nice to have another person checking in and keeping us all accountable. I like to write down my food too. You should write down what you eat on those days that you over-indulge. It'll be a good exercise for you (although painful), but its good to be realistic about our eating habits. Maybe it will help you to identify when and/or why you over-eat.

Also eating lots of sugary carbs can just make us crave them more. So try a day when you eat good carbs, lots of veggies, healthy fats and lean protein, just to see how you do. It'll take a lot of patience and determination, but eventually your cravings for the sugary carbs will be reduced.

Shereta - welcome back too! Glad to hear that you had a good time at your convention.

Tina - your 50 mile ride sounds awesome. I'm really in awe of you that you can do that!!! How are you feeling now though? Still a little tired?

OK so yesterday I ran another 9 mile long run, but I started at 8 a.m. By that time it was already HOT. By the time I got home, because of the heat I had two huge blisters (even though I run with special blister-proof socks), I had a heat rash on my back, chafing in my arm-pits (wore a cotton tank top which I think was a mistake) and chafing in other areas that I don't really want to mention!!!! So I gotta do something about that. This is all a learning process for me as its the first time I've ever run so far. I guess I'm just learning by trial & error.

This was the first time I didn't feel super elated after a run. The first time I ran 9 miles I was overjoyed, but I also didn't have blisters, chafing and a heat rash!!!
 
Sorry I'm back again.

I just went back and read all your posts from the days I was gone, and all I can say is WOW!!! You girls are all awesome. I just love your energy, enthusiasm and support. We all have those tough days when we struggle with stress, fatigue and the grumbling food monster in our bellies, but its so great to see a group of women committed to becoming their own success story!

So just wanted to let you know that you've all encouraged me to keep going and to keep positive.
 
Hey, yall. late post. busy day. a little jet lag means no run for me, but I PRAY I will be back at it tomorrow.

Great news, abolustely no weight gain over the 4 day weekend. woohoo. That's never happened. But back on plan tomorrow for sure.

til tomorrow
 
happy tuesday, All

Today's 3.5 run was great. I ran a little faster than normal and on a 1% incline for 2 miles. After 3 miles, I bumped it up a little more until I had 600 meters left. Then I started slowing down for cool down. I should be able to keep increasing my speed since I'm getting in better shape. And today I was well rested and felt fresh sinse I just had a 5 day break. Just what I needed to shake the ole jet lag off. Tomorrow should be weights.

My food intake planned for the day is:

B. slim wheat bagel with full fat cream cheese (that's all I had)
s. Yogurt, apple
l. Salad, Lean cuisine pizza thing
s. Luna Bar, apple
D. Green beans, roasted chicken
s. Pudding
 
Hi guys,

I'm feeling really hungry today, but also very tired. So I'm not sure if my tiredness is making me feel so hungry. Good thing I'm at work and only have access to food that I brought for myself. Cause all I want right now is a loaf of warm bread & peanut butter.

Ahhh carbs.....

OK - off to have an apple.
 
Did my walk/run last night, hit that hill twice! Cookies again yesterday, but managed to keep a 400 calorie deficit. Wanted a cocktail but that would have put me even so I skipped it.

Tina - What's a soft pedal ride? Good luck on Afterburn today. I've attempted it a few times, it's way out of my league. Since reading the forums I found there's premixes for it so I think I'm going to whip out the workout blender & get myself a premix before the next time I try it. Congrats on the yoga pose & eating clean. It's sad that a food containing oat bran isn't clean :(

Gina - never got on the treadmill yesterday, but I'm on it right now! I'm just standing, won't be walking until after my coffee.

Melanie - thanks for welcoming me :) I know you're right about tracking food even when I've gone off the deep end. BTW, a little peanut butter on apple slices is heavenly! Plus you're adding fat & protein to your snack to make it more well-rounded :) I have no idea about the chafing, but if you find a solution your should post it for the ladies who are behind you in training.

Shereta - No weight gain while out of town is AMAZING! How do you decide what runs you'll be taking? Are you following a plan or do you just know what your body needs?

Today is strength training for me. Not feeling it right now but hopefully I'll be in the mood later.
 
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