Weight Loss PVP: 10 or 12 lbs in 10 or 12 Weeks! [Jan 1 - Mar 26, 2023)

[Shello]

On 2/23/2023 at 3:59 PM, TiogaGirl said:

Oooh, I just got a coveted show choir solo for our June show. (Anne of Cleves from Six, woohoo)

More motivation to look my absolute best so please please please help me stay accountable!

workouts have been solid this week: arms/shoulders Monday, quads/abs Tuesday, back/chest today, I think something glutey on Saturday. Woo!

Congrats!  

 

On 2/24/2023 at 7:36 AM, Darciana said:

I made a realization. I don't hate working out, but I don't love it either. I don't even particularly like it. I just like what I get from it: feeling strong, feeling accomplished, the happy endorphin rush after, etc. If I'm going to make this a regular part of life, I need to be brutally honest with myself and others. This is me doing that. 

 

You and me both!  I still have trouble making myself workout even though I like all the positive after affects.  I like how you compared it to work and paychecks.  Maybe I can use that for my mindset too.  Keep it up! 

[Shello]

My starting weight: 258.4

Week 2: 257.4 (down 1.0)

Week 3: skipped

Week 4: 256.6 (down 0.8)

Week 5: 256.4 (down 0.2)

Week 6: 256.0 (down 0.4)

Week 7: 256.4 (back up 0.4)

Week 8: 255.8 (down 0.6)

 

Inching my way there.  Part of me thinks there isn't enough time before vacation to make any significant progress so why bother?  Why not just wait until I get back and deal with it all at once.  Trying hard to ignore those thoughts and just try to do my best every single day.  

[Loveable_Bouncer]

On 2/24/2023 at 7:36 AM, Darciana said:

 

Henceforth I acknowledge: I don't like to work out

I've been feeling the exact same way! 

 

I do though get a small enjoyment when I realize I can lift a heavier weight or a certain exercise is less gruesome... But realize working out is like brushing teeth... Needs to be done for my ultimate goals, but wowza there's no way to gamify it. 

 

19 hours ago, Shello said:

Inching my way there.  Part of me thinks there isn't enough time before vacation to make any significant progress so why bother?  Why not just wait until I get back and deal with it all at once.  Trying hard to ignore those thoughts and just try to do my best every single day. 

You got this! I know for me its just the reminder of changing my "weight average" to a lower number slowly so my body can get used to the new normal. 

---

Feb. 17 - 278 lbs

Feb. 24 - 273 lbs (5 down)

 

Looking at my weight chart, I realize its been almost 3 months since I've been in the early 270s...

Found out I can meal prep and just ball parking my 4 meals a day and keeping the snacks veggie and protein focused help!

(Along with noticing 90% of my baked goods are a sign my gut needs help with the food adjustment). 

So I hit my 5 lb goal, and lets see if I can at least stay at 273 the rest of this challenge!

 

And talking about goals, I am going to my cousin's wedding in May. A day trip to seeing family I haven't seen in years (lots of emotions...) I won't be in the party and probably in the back, but just knowing I tried my best with weightloss would be  mentally helpful. 

[Darciana]

2 minutes ago, Loveable_Bouncer said:

I've been feeling the exact same way! 

 

I do though get a small enjoyment when I realize I can lift a heavier weight or a certain exercise is less gruesome... But realize working out is like brushing teeth... Needs to be done for my ultimate goals, but wowza there's no way to gamify it.

 

Yes! I feel so accomplished when I'm able to get more reps in 1 minute or when I finally felt good enough to add in (and had actually purchased) a 20lb kettlebell to my workout. But that still doesn't mean that I look forward to waking up and doing the thing...

 

I like the brushing teeth thought process better than my work one. It must be done whether I like it or not. At least I've found something that I don't absolutely hate and can push through consistently. I hope you've found the same. 

[Loveable_Bouncer]

22 hours ago, Darciana said:

I like the brushing teeth thought process better than my work one. It must be done whether I like it or not. At least I've found something that I don't absolutely hate and can push through consistently. I hope you've found the same. 

I'm in the boat with my workouts on realizing they are something I would never do for the heck of it. I however enjoy watching the dumbbells weight go up, or see my biceps go "howdy" for the first time in my life. 

Especially as I've stayed more consistent, I've noticed the positive results do come faster than my dental hygiene has shown up for me. 

[Darciana]

1 hour ago, Loveable_Bouncer said:

I'm in the boat with my workouts on realizing they are something I would never do for the heck of it. I however enjoy watching the dumbbells weight go up, or see my biceps go "howdy" for the first time in my life. 

Especially as I've stayed more consistent, I've noticed the positive results do come faster than my dental hygiene has shown up for me. 

 

Dental hygiene -- you and me both. That's been fairly stagnant (though I suppose stagnant is better than slowly decaying or something) but my muscle gain has not been so stagnant for which I'm quite thankful. It's about the only thing that keeps me going (that and my Wednesday mornings which are rest days in which my mornings are not rudely interrupted by a sweat session)

[TiogaGirl]

*sobs in weight up this week*

i don’t really think it’s “up” up, just a bunch of bouncing around and Monday happened to be a high day! But I am grappling with the realization that now I’m not running around everywhere on foot (knee is still roughed up) I can’t get away with all the snacking I used to. Good news is that I’m pretty much cleared to do weights again, lower as well as upper body, and my strength workouts have been consistent. 

Revisiting some old cardio friends too, in place of walking mileage. Physio guy recommended the stationary bikes at the gym and I’ve been digging those.

Now going to clean up post-gym, eat a quick and early dinner, then head out to choir rehearsal (woo!) Only about 600 calories to play with for dinner, but I’ll be out all evening and away from the household snacks! ? 

 

[gonegirldelightful]

On 1/31/2023 at 5:22 AM, WolfDreamer said:

Sorry for the lack of updates. I'm holding at 187, which isn't as discouraging as if I had gained, I guess.

Keep up the good work, and remember that progress doesn't always come in leaps and bounds, but every little bit counts!

[TiogaGirl]

Worked out (back and chest), did some yin yoga to unwind, and stayed well within my goal calories today! Yes, that last one is a big deal as I’ve routinely been blowing past caloric limits for *mumble mumble* a long time now. Going to toddle off to bed now with a smug smug heart ? 

[Darciana]

What did I do right?! I have been hovering at 160-161 allllll week. Then suddenly, out of nowhere this morning, I'm in the 150s?! I'm down 4.9 (grr that stupid 0.1) from the beginning of the year and down 6lbs from my highest ever (Jan 10th). 

Even better, yesterday was the oldest's 18th bday and he lives with us. He requested my calorie-bomb of a dinner and I made him a chocolate zucchini bread with andes mint melted chocolate topping. I had to try it out of curiosity. I'm really shocked at the scale with all that in mind.... 

 

I'll be quite happy if I can inch a little closer to 6lbs down (from beginning of year, about 7lbs from highest) by the end of this. I'm focused on increasing muscle (I noticed my arms yesterday. They look so big and flappy until I flex. Wowza, I'm impressed with myself) but obviously losing fat as well so I'm really happy with the amount the scale has moved. Hopefully I've gotten my body into a nice little groove and some momentum going so I can keep on this positive trend

[Rurik Harrgath]

Apologies for going off the rails a lil bit, I've been nursing my skull back to health after a migraine boss battle.

 

But I'm still on track!  Haven't seen the scale creep down the way I want but it hasn't risen either so that's a victory in my books.

[Darciana]

7 hours ago, Rurik Harrgath said:

Apologies for going off the rails a lil bit, I've been nursing my skull back to health after a migraine boss battle.

 

But I'm still on track!  Haven't seen the scale creep down the way I want but it hasn't risen either so that's a victory in my books.

 

I commend your bravery through this battle. I hope its over and you can fully rest and recover to get back on the downward scale trend. 

[Shello]

On 3/6/2023 at 10:07 AM, Rurik Harrgath said:

migraine boss battle.

 

The boss of all bosses.  Glad to see you came out on the other side.  

[Shello]

My starting weight: 258.4

Week 2: 257.4 (down 1.0)

Week 3: skipped

Week 4: 256.6 (down 0.8)

Week 5: 256.4 (down 0.2)

Week 6: 256.0 (down 0.4)

Week 7: 256.4 (back up 0.4)

Week 8: 255.8 (down 0.6)

Week 9: 255.2 (down 0.6)

 

Not the pace I was hoping for but I'm happy with the consistent downward trend.  Vacation is next week so I'm sure I'll undo everything.  

[TiogaGirl]

On 3/7/2023 at 1:20 PM, Shello said:

  Vacation is next week so I'm sure I'll undo everything.  

Eh, it probably won’t set you back more than a week. Depending on what you are doing and where you are going, you may even maintain if not lose. Lots of time for sleep, naps,, walks on the beach … I think for people who gain weight due to busy, fast-paced life, vacations can actually be good for fat loss. (And if that’s not you, disregard, enjoy the heck out of your holiday and don’t stress that one week can undo like six weeks of hard work!)

[TiogaGirl]

I am happy to say I have a four-day streak of not eating like a self-sabotaging jerk! Next step is to keep that vibe rolling through the weekend.

[Shello]

3 hours ago, TiogaGirl said:

Eh, it probably won’t set you back more than a week. Depending on what you are doing and where you are going, you may even maintain if not lose. Lots of time for sleep, naps,, walks on the beach … I think for people who gain weight due to busy, fast-paced life, vacations can actually be good for fat loss. (And if that’s not you, disregard, enjoy the heck out of your holiday and don’t stress that one week can undo like six weeks of hard work!)

Thanks!  Sometimes I do actually end up losing weight on vacation.  I think it's a combination of more sleep, less alarms, and more walking.  There is usually TONS of food!  

[Darciana]

[Sorry it's long, lots of things changed this week...]

 

Up 0.7 this week from last. 

 

All 110% because we ate out at a Chinese restaurant last night and I can feel the water bloat from the sodium. My fingers look like sausages and normally my fingers are the skinniest thing about me ?

 

Last weekend totally ruined my progress. I went from 159.5 Friday back up to 161.8 on Sunday and spent all week working to get down again yesterday morning to 159.6 only to realize, mid-Chinese-food-dinner that I'd bounce right back up today for weigh in. Oh well. 

 

I've started running. By 'started' I mean on Wednesday I did Week 1 Day 1 of a zero to 5k free app to train for a 5k we all signed up for on June 10.

Stepdaughter is cross-country track runner. She's wanted to do a 5k with a friend and I for awhile. Her asking for a 5k together was renewed when her dad told her he was running again. So we found one that works with our schedule and she's actually down here (stays with mom in different state during school year) and signed us all up. By us, I mean our friends, us, stepson, and stepdaughter. The man also talked about doing the Shiner Beer Run. Our friends (husband and wife) did the 1/2 marathon together while I ran the 5k back in 2021 while he hung out and took pictures. He's thinking of building up to a 10k and wants me to challenge myself to a 10k. It's in November so more than enough time to train, especially with the 5k in June. I have a free app ("Just Run: Zero to 5k") that also has 5k to 10k training I can do after the race. 

 

With that said I'm still doing my bodyweight workouts, I'm just trying to plan out how in the world to organize my days to allow that. Monday, Thursday, and Friday are all bodyweight. Tuesday and Thursday are cardio sprints, which I did on the bike and rower, respectively. Wednesday was a rest day.

So I'm thinking of moving Thursday to Wednesday.

Day                                  Current                                                                                                                  Planned

Monday:                   Bodyweight                                                                                                       Bodyweight & C25K

Tuesday:                   Cardio Sprint (bike)                                                                                       Cardio Sprint (rowing machine)

Wednesday:           Rest                                                                                                                         Bodyweight & C25K

Thursday:                Bodyweight & Cardio Sprint (rowing machine)                             Rest

Friday:                       Bodyweight                                                                                                         Bodyweight & C25K

Saturday:                 "Fun" workout (sports, games, etc)                                                       "Fun" workout (sports, games, etc)

Sunday:                     Rest                                                                                                                           Rest

 

It just starts getting light enough outside to run at about 630 and I have to be on the computer for work at 7. Doing bodyweight before the sun comes up and therefore before running allows me to skip the "warmup" part of the run program and shaves off some time to squeeze it in. 

Thoughts?  I'm not going to lose all this progress with building muscle so I'm focusing on protein but I'm also not reducing my strength workouts. 

[TiogaGirl]

Weight “up” this week, but only 0.1 lb, so I’ll call it a draw. I’ve been consistent with working out, general activity levels are gradually getting better as my knee heals up, and I know the big boss I have to master here is consistency in not-eating-like-a-jerk [specifically, late in the day and on the weekends]. Working on campus (away from the snacks) helps a lot, as does making sure to eat enough protein at lunch so I don’t get super hungry in the late afternoon (or failing that, fixing a protein shake when I get home). 

 

Legs and abs workout coming up today!

also, Darciana, you are GOALS for working out before the sun comes up! Blah, I’m still dragging from the time change this weekend.

[Darciana]

4 minutes ago, TiogaGirl said:

also, Darciana, you are GOALS for working out before the sun comes up! Blah, I’m still dragging from the time change this weekend.

 

Aw, shucks, I never thought I'd be goals material! Best compliment ever! 

The ugly side of my mornings: 

In all actuality, I'm dragging and dying most days getting out of bed. Puppy does wake me up on occasion. Sleep disorders (I have 2) do cause me to be a super light sleeper and I hear our vacuums (we have those robot ones) kick off about 5am which wakes me up. And the man has been getting up to run in the mornings the last couple of weeks which forces me up. I could try to fall back asleep, but his alarm will wake me up and I'll likely just be cranky from interrupted sleep plus any oversleeping will give me a migraine. I'll take the groggy sleepiness to migraine any day. I've been going to bed at 8pm-ish and reading for an hour to wind down and avoid bluelight and mental stimulation from electronics as much as possible. Lights out by 9pm. It has helped significantly in my ability to get up and work out early. Coffee as a pre-workout does, too. Definitely not a pleasant instagram-worthy morning, but I get it done because I told myself I'm someone who gets up and works out and I'm not going to lie to myself like that. This is pure grit, determination, and a lot of factors that would normally work against me (puppy, sleep disorders, etc) that I'm now using to my advantage. 

 

Also, at this point with the time change, I'm starting work before dawn so its either work out that early or don't work out at all. The exception is a gentle evening walk with pups as I can't work out with any food on my stomach or I'll be revisiting said food in a not-so-pleasant manner. I'm really hating this change since it's still light out when I crawl in bed for my wind down (it's a mental thing there) and it's dark until after I'm already working.

[Rurik Harrgath]

This coming week is the final weigh-in for this 12-week PvP.  I'm hoping it's gone well for all, and even if it hasn't, fret not for it shall continue alongside the start of this next challenge!

 

Hope to see you all there.  Bring a friend  

 

In the meantime, I trust you'll all stay the course and stay true to your goals and values.  I'd love if anyone wanted to share their experiences, tips and tricks, or even a rundown of what worked or didn't these past 12 weeks!

 

Personally, I managed to hit my goal, but was not steady with my challenge goals due to migraines.  I'm easing up on the severity of my goals to account for that, and relaxing from 5 expected workouts to 3 mandatory days, with a mind to accomplish just 5 more minutes of some kind of exercise every day otherwise.  Above and beyond my daily manual labors.  Otherwise I'm excited to keep rucking and likely bring back some sledgehammer workouts!  Especially when I can get to my tires beneath all the snow we had dumped on us this week.

[RES]

I was getting discouraged this morning when I stepped on the scale because it had gone up, but realized that I was 1/2 way to my goal, which is 100% better than I've been doing lately!

[Loveable_Bouncer]

278 to 274. 

I saw 271 for 1 day, and probably got my hopes up too high. 

But 4 lbs in a month is a solid win, especially being the new consistency. 

Looking back since Jan. 3rd I was 277. So a bit yoyoing. 

 

My goal for the next 2 challenges is trying to keep sleep consistent (which will help with my drinking calories of tasty coffee).  With simplifying my meal planning.

While finding ways to enjoy the weekend with 1 treat/meal...  (my budget happily enforces this). 

We'll see how this goes!

[Loveable_Bouncer]

17 hours ago, Rurik Harrgath said:

Otherwise I'm excited to keep rucking and likely bring back some sledgehammer workouts!  Especially when I can get to my tires beneath all the snow we had dumped on us this week.

 

5 hours ago, RES said:

I was getting discouraged this morning when I stepped on the scale because it had gone up, but realized that I was 1/2 way to my goal, which is 100% better than I've been doing lately!

Heck yeah! Congrats on seeing that milestone!

[Shello]

Great job everyone!  Whether you hit your goal or not, we're all still working at it!  

 

My starting weight: 258.4

Week 2: 257.4 (down 1.0)

Week 3: skipped

Week 4: 256.6 (down 0.8)

Week 5: 256.4 (down 0.2)

Week 6: 256.0 (down 0.4)

Week 7: 256.4 (back up 0.4)

Week 8: 255.8 (down 0.6)

Week 9: 255.2 (down 0.6)

Week 10: skipped

Week 11/12: 260.8 (up 5.6)

Overall gain - 2.2

 

Well heck.  I did expect to gain over vacation but hoped to drop a few more beforehand to at least maintain.  But I'm up only 2.2 and food on the last day or 2 of vacation was worse with less walking and more driving, plus ordering pizza and having a lazy day yesterday.  I'm ready to start again and make some progress this time.   My biggest downfalls are eating breakfast instead of fasting for no good reason and eating out.  Well, also not fitnessing enough.   I did a little better in the most recent challenge as I started logging food again.  I wasn't consistent with it though and don't really want to battle myself that much to do it either.  But it was a good level set and I identified some pitfalls (sweets and breakfast) so that's the focus of the coming challenge.