Week 7 Results!

Sorry for the lack of update last week. It was a rough two weeks here but I'm on the mend, thank goodness! Thanks for all the well wishes :)

Not that it's an ideal way to lose weight but hospital stays and IV fluids helped me lose 15 pounds in the last two weeks. But I'll take it! Wanting comfort foods when I'm sick was hard for me but it helped that nothing tasted very good. It feels like this will be a good week to get back to basics - fruits and veggies, lean protein, and halloween candy, bread, and pizza are bad. I know that I haven't eaten the best foods this week so adding back in fruits and veggies will help a lot.

I hope everyone has a great, strong week!

Week 5 Results, Part 2

So here are the results, with Ann and Bob updated. Thanks everyone!!

Week 5 Results

Is your head in the game? Well, is it?

I can't say that my head is always in the game - I had candy yesterday, but I'm more here than I have been in a really long time. I had a couple pieces of Halloween candy and moved on. Had a great weigh in this morning and a perfect food day, although I did not make salad tonight. Just wasn't feeling it. Weigh-ins like this morning really refocus me and keep my head in the game. Seeing my hard work pay off feels awesome! I hope you all feel the same way. Keep your head in the game!!

So, we had a couple people who have not weighed in this week - Ann, Bob, and Jason. I hope you guys will come back to join us. It's not always easy but its ALWAYS worth it.

Way to go Greg! You got back on the horse this week (I know Im mixing my metaphors - football, horses. Blah, blah) and I really feel like you'll hit your milestone this week. Keep it up!

Lisa has the best opportunity for a comeback this week. Get back in the game with us!

Have a great week guys! We are 1/3 of the way to our first goal!!

Week 4 Results

Can you believe that we are already a month in to the challenge?! Is it starting to get easier for anyone? 

No, me either :) It's a struggle most days but it's worth it in the end. 

Are you as far along as you wanted to be at the end of the first month? Personally, I wanted to be down 20lbs in the first month. I didn't quite meet my goal but I'm pleased to be down 15. If I stay at the same rate, and that's a completely reasonable goal, I could be down 50+ pounds by Christmas. Thanks for being in this with me! I couldn't ask for better company on this journey.

On to the results...

Chris won the week with a loss of 3.6lbs. Way to go, Babe! Stay strong in FL this week!

Ann has the best opportunity for an amazing week this week. I think this week's gain is due to getting back to your regular scale after being away for a few weeks. 

Stay strong everybody and make good choices!!

Week 3 Results

Happy end of Week 3 and beginning of Week 4 everybody! This was a much better week for everyone!! I'm so pumped to have you all doing this with me.

This challenge really helps me be conscious of everything I'm eating, everything I'm feeling, and why. For me, and most of us, so many emotions are tied up in food and eating - we eat when we're happy, when we're sad, when we're celebrating, when we're commiserating, and everything in between. The one I've been struggling with lately is stress though. I eat when I'm stressed and I don't have any other stress coping mechanisms. I used to be able to relieve stress by going to the gym; obviously, that ship sailed long ago. I will get back to that spot again. I loved that spot. But I need to lose some more weight before I can do the gym activities I need to do. I know it's a copout - but I feel uncomfortable going right now because I'm still so easily winded and tired when doing things. I know that one solution is the gym/exercise but I'm just not there.

Anyways, back to stress coping mechanisms. I've been practicing some mindfulness exercises and I find them so so so helpful. I use them when I can feel what might be a full blown panic attack starting  and I can usually decrease the intensity; I use them when I'm trying to fall asleep at night; I used one while writing this post. It helps me be here and not have my mind everywhere. It helps me focus and relax, which really, isn't that something we all could use? What do all of you do to relax and relieve stress? Lets share tips!

If you think it could be useful to you, or the group, let me know and I'll write more about it later. But now, on to the results!!!

Winner of the week - Ann! Way to go!! I know you guys are camping but keep up the great work :)

Individual with the best opportunity for next week - Bob. Let your wife inspire and help you. She's on a roll and you can be too.

Read this cool article!

A new study proves that we can retrain our brains to prefer healthier foods. Our brains are truly amazing!

Lets get moving on that reprogramming!

http://healthyliving.msn.com/nutrition/reprogram-your-mind-to-like-healthy-food

Week 2 Results

Wow, guys. Just wow. Its only week 2 and five of us gained weight. I'm guilty too and super disappointed in myself. I'm letting myself down and letting all of you down. Paula asked for more inspiration last week and I just didn't have it to give. I ate extra food during the week. I had alcohol every day. I had a really high anxiety and stress week and I struggle to find outlets for my feelings other than pushing them down with food. I know I've typed these words over and over again and I need to break this cycle. I couldn't even motivate myself to well and couldn't muster up the energy to motivate anyone else.

Here's what I will do better this week:

• I will stick to meals and eliminate snacking. If I must have a snack, it will be a fruit or veggie.
• I will blog at least one other time this week.
• I will eat less than 2000 calories every day.

What are your plans to having a better week? Please share so we can all think about how to be our best self.

Before I announce the winners, I'd like to note that I'm hesitant to trust Ann's and Bob's weigh-ins. They are camping and away from their regular scale; they had Michael report their weights. I feel like their weights will correct next week. But if Im a huge jerk and these weigh-ins are accurate, WAY TO GO!!! These are losses like you have never had in the challenge. Keep up the great work!

Winner of the week - Bob, with a loss of 13.9 lbs, 6.1%.

Individual with the most chance to recover next week - Jason, with a gain of 4 lbs, 2%. 

Lets have a better week overall! Keep it up y'all.

And the results are in!!

So, I dieted for a week. Am I skinny yet??

Sadly no. It took a long time to put all this weight on and it's going to take a long time for it to come off.

I am so proud of all of us for making the difficult, but incredibly important, decision to change our lives. It takes courage to say that you want help and want to be held accountable for your actions. I have trouble asking for help, and here I am, 50lbs from my all time high. Its not working out very well for me. So here I am.

The first week is a difficult milestone but its not enough for a true change. We need to integrate these "weight loss" behaviors until they become our "normal" behaviors. Healthy living. Not dieting.

Thank you so much for sharing your stories all week in our Facebook chat. Its great to hear from people who are inspired but not competing like Yvette and Jess. Greg - I'm so glad that you joined us. It seems like this came along at a great time for you. Our community is inspiring and supportive and I hope we can all continue.

On to the results...
Jason is the big winner this week! Way to go!! 4.1% loss is a huge achievement. Be proud :)
Becky was the only one to gain this week. I know you'll get it back this week. Just stick with it!

Welcome to the weight loss challenge.  The first week is over and we will see how everyone did later tonight.  I know that I was down for the week and I feel good about my result.  But, you've accomplished nothing.  You managed to not stuff your fat face for one week.  Anybody can do something for a week.  There are 13 more left in this challenge.  I look back on last week and feel good, but then I realize all of the things I did wrong.  I did NOT need Blue Cheese dressing on my salad yesterday.  I did NOT need to steal the hunk of cheddar out of the fridge on Saturday.  I did NOT need the second Italian Ice on Saturday.

My point, is that like the Patriots yesterday, you can still win and know there were things that you should have done better.  Make sure not to pat yourself on the back too hard or you will end up feeling so good that you'll give yourself permission to eat a sausage grinder or corn bread (you know who you are.)  

Saying that we need to change our lifestyles is not just words.  We have proof.  Every single one of us went backwards in a big way without the challenge.  So is it our destiny to be fat?  Do we really believe that?  I know that I don't believe it about myself.

While our current mission in this war is to get to a healthier place over the next 13 weeks, we all need to understand that we don't get to go back to the way it was before.  FOREVER - it is wrong to order Brothers every Friday night.  FOREVER - bread is to be consumed in moderation.  FOREVER - processed foods and snacks belong in the trash not in our stomachs.  FOREVER - chocolate, pies, candy, cookies, chips, cheese-its, and move theater popcorn are for all intents, off limits.

Do you have the tenacity to sustain this journey for 13 more weeks in row?  What about the tenacity to change the way you live?

Who feels like they are having a good week?