Lose 15 pounds by Dec 31, 2014 -- google doc added!

[ender]

Here is a link to a google doc I setup for tracking. Add yourself on the "Main" tab:

• username
• Current Weight
• Target Weight
• Start date (for personal tracking)

If you go to the chart tab you can see your progress by selecting entering your name. This is boring right now of course since all of us are starting and have no information but it will show your progress over time compared to what you need to do to meet your goals.




See here for some context.

I currently weigh about 180. I want to weigh 165 by the end of this year. There are only 5 months left in this year which means I need to average a loss of about 3 pounds per month. This is totally doable obviously if I'm even remotely disciplined. But, well.

This is going to be hard for me. Way harder than the "easy" goals of saving 50% or more. But probably just as impactful on my life longer term.

So, throwing down the gauntlet.

[HappierAtHome]

I'm in!

What changes will you be making to lose the weight?

[Al1961]

I'll pick up that gauntlet.

Currently 194, want to reach 155 by this time next year, so @ 1 lb/week, my goal is ~20 lbs by year end.

[apfroggy0408]

Awesome!

I have about 10 lbs to lose on this cut! I want to be done with this cut by the end of August.

Weigh 170 right now... I'm in

[jugglingcontinents]

Count me in! I'm at 141 pounds and would like to be 130 (so ~10 pounds to lose). My personal goal is to lose as much of the weight before the end of October, as I'm getting married then, but to stick with the plan til the end of the year.

To get there, I'm going to (try to):
1. go to the gym twice a week and also try and squeeze in a run around my neighbourhood park once a week (2.7 miles). I already bike 40 min every weekday (to work and back)
2. keep a food diary
3. keep healthier snacks at work so I don't reach for the cookies in the super-well-stocked pantry at work
4. inform people of my goals and progress so that I'm accountable - it'll be embarrassing if I don't make it!

What changes are you all planning to put into place?

[NinetyFour]

I'm in!

I'm right around 150 right now.  Ick.

I'd be thrilled if I can get down to 135 by the end of the year.

Changes:  more exercise, less food (except for veggies)!

Thanks for throwing down this gauntlet, enderland!

[Nate R]

I'm in. 202 yesterday. (Down from 223 in January!)

[hermoninny]

I *so* need this!  I'm still trying to lose some baby weight (kids are 3 and 19 months).  I've been struggling with the same five pounds for over a year now and it needs to end!  I still have about 25-28 pounds in total I'd like to lose....10 from baby #1, 5-8 (depending on day) from baby #2, and 10 from horrible-boss-syndrome before getting pregnant.

My changes:

1. Give up the sugar.  I'm beyond addicted.  It's a strain on both my weight AND my wallet because my downfall is cookies in the cafeteria at work.  I lose 3-5 pounds, then have a stressful day and go buy cookies at lunch.  It's $2-3 every time I give in, depending on which cafeteria I go to.

2. Drink more water.  I eat less when I drink more water.

3. Get more exercise.  Need to get back on my bike (fell down hard this month after a great start).  My commute is only 2.7 miles, and probably one of the easiest rides ever (mostly flat, lots of bike path options.)

4. Get back to my protein smoothies.  I do really well when I drink two a day, but I get lazy at work, give into the sweet craving and grab oatmeal from the cupboard for breakfast, leaving my morning shake for the afternoon, then I don't want one at dinner. 

This morning I was 183, the highest of my 5-lb struggle.  My eventual goal is 155.

[horsepoor]

Weighed 167 this morning.  Would like to be in the 155-160 range.  I just signed up for a 7.5 mile race on Sept. 13, and will be registering for a half marathon Nov. 1st, so running is on the menu, along with weight lifting and lots of gentler movement (gardening, canning, horse training/riding).

[JoyBlogette]

I'm in.  175 lbs.  Would love to lose at least 10 lbs before my sister's Thanksgiving wedding.

[Doomspark]

I'm in!

Currently weigh 190.  Haven't seen the underside of 180 in years.

Let's DO this!

[sunnyca]

I'm in- sort of.  I hate looking at the scale, so I'll be going by how my clothes fit.

[Meggslynn]

Me too!!!

I would like to lose 3lbs each month till end of the year for a total of 15lbs.

I still have another 20lbs to lose to reach a healthy level but I am better with short term goals.

The changes I am going to make:

1. No sugar (only naturally occurring ones), no white carbs, smaller portions, mindful eating.
2. Log food into myfitnesspal
3. Continue with 3-4 treadmill workouts per week but up the intensity. Once done physio rehab consider bringing yoga and weights back into my life


How often should we check in? Once a week?

Not starting this a the best time, we are commencing a six day road trip tomorrow .....oh well better now than later.

[ohyonghao]

Just found this thread, but I had joined a site called Diet Better.  Basically you bet against yourself, and if you lose the weight you win.  Unlike biggest loser where the top person takes all, you just have to beat yourself and you are guaranteed at least your money back.  A 6 month challenge for 10% of your weight typically is $25/mo, with monthly rounds that accumulate with half going towards the final round.  It's been a good motivator for me instead of saying that I can get some more "stuff" as a reward, I get to not lose my money instead, that $2 slice of Costco pizza now has a $125 price tag on top of it.

Now for what I do, to help with motivation aside from the monetary aspect, I use a trend weight system to smooth over those ups and downs that are inevitable.  A lot of people quit their diets when they suddenly gain 2lbs in one day after not eating anything for the entire day and hiking Mt. Everest.  Check out my current graph in my signature and you'll see the bouncing that my weight does, but you'll also see the smooth blue line that has been going down.  Here is my 90 Day graph which shows my climb up.  If you join for free then you also have an overview page which shows you your current rate of loss and calorie excess/deficit.  The site can be used for both gaining and losing weight.

The disclosure, my friend and I are the two developers of the site.  There may be glitches, if you find any let us know.  We both work full time jobs and work on this on the side.  More updates are coming soon.

Right now I have turned my 7 Day trend and 30 Day trend to going down, but my 90 Day trend is still a slight rise.  If I keep up with my exercise and diet plan then I should be able to start pulling that 90 Day trend down!  So excited for it.

My Diet Better goals set me at losing 4kg by August 12th, and another 1kg after that by August 19th.  Then my 6 month Diet Better goal is a total of 10kg by December 12th, and to maintain that until January 12th.

Unfortunately this 10% diet bet has closed, but there is another one starting on August 12th if anyone cares to try it out.  There are also DB4's (4% in one month) that are starting all the time.  Wagers may be $25 - $100.  4% is hard, I'm on track, but it's been tough.

[Dulcimina]

I'm in too!  Currently 150 so 15lbs sounds like a good.  My changes will be:
1) Lift heavy things three times per week
2) Walk at least 30 mins every day
3) Work in my garden at least three times per week.  It's a community garden so not as convenient as just walking out the front door.
4) I have the same problem as hermoninny with buying crap at work when I don't have healthy alternatives prepared.  So a) Batch cook delicious meals/snacks once per week and b) give up going to the convenience store for one week. 

[ibleedirish]

I'm in as well. 208 now, so count me in for -20.

[ausername]

Great timing enderland! This will fit in with the 'don't eat out august challenge' pretty well I think! I'm in too. If I could crack the spending money on crap food thing, it'd be brilliant.

[ausername]

How often should we check in? Once a week?

Once a week seems about right.
Can we have a spreadsheet? I've become a little obsessed with spreadsheets!
Rather than recording actual weights we could just record number of pounds lost or gained each week or something?

[Al1961]

How often should we check in? Once a week?

Once a week seems about right.
Can we have a spreadsheet? I've become a little obsessed with spreadsheets!
Rather than recording actual weights we could just record number of pounds lost or gained each week or something?

Once a week sounds about right.

My scale just doesn't seem consistent. Or maybe it's just the effect of water weight, depending on how much salt I ate the previous day. I'm considering also recording my progress via tape measure like so: two measurements around the spare tire - average of sucking it in and letting it all hang out (eek,not a pretty picture).

Currently 195 lbs and 42"

Al

[MBot]

I'm in! This will be tough since my weight is incredibly static. My metabolism keeps it at 148-152-ish pounds no matter what I eat, drink or exercise. When it gets above 155, I know I'm really slacking off in what I eat. 

I was at 158 earlier this month and I am now at 154. If I can get to 140, that will mean a huge change in how disciplined I am about snacking and drinking water. 

[neophyte]

I'm in!  Gained 10 lbs at Christmas and I still haven't lost it :(  Was 165 this morning.  I'd love to be 140, but for right now 150 sounds like a good goal for me!  I walk about 4 miles a day, but that's about it, so I know I need to step it up.

[RNwastash]

I'm in!! 171 at this time.  I felt great at 155.  I signed up for a half-marathon in November and I will start my interval training/ muscle workouts on my days off. 

I will also eat less white sugar and log what I eat.

I look forward to losing pounds and getting healthy with my Mustashian friends :)

[Cressida]

You guys are all awesome. This sounds like a great goal - manageable, but significant. I recently lost exactly 15 pounds (took me about 4 months), but I've gained a couple back already. So I'm following this thread for inspiration to maintain the results. Most important for me is to keep up my habit of walking for ~45 min at lunch. I'm a bit concerned that I'll let it slide when it gets colder, but fortunately that's hardly an issue at the moment.

[Cecil]

I'm in. I'm at 186 right now and could stand to hit 170. I have found weighing myself every day and plotting the moving average helps, as does logging everything I eat in MyFitnessPal.

I find the best thing about tracking what I eat is that it forces me to think. It adds an extra decision between me and food - "Do I really want to have to enter this in the app later". And often that extra step is enough to help me short-circuit the desire to eat.

[bekkah]

I'm with you all in spirit! I don't think I can technically join the challenge as I don't weigh myself anymore (it just makes me crazy and obsessive). However, I do want to increase my level of fitness, which usually (for me) means losing some weight. :)

[ender]

Wow, lots of interest from others as well. This will be great!

Tonight after work I will setup a google spreadsheet for everyone to track their progress.

[MandyM]

I'm in!! Current weight = 158. Work pants = Too tight!

[happy]

I'm joining also. Currently 184lb (83.5kg) and would like to be 163lb (74kg) by end 2014. This would mean I am no longer officially obese. That would be 21lbs to lose. A bit of a stretch goal but doable at 1lb a week.

[Fatmouse]

I am in for 10 lbs.  :)

The critical thing for me is needing exercise.  Small apartment, no gym membership.  I do bike but feel I cannot bike out my front door.  I drive to a trailhead or bike path, face punches I know. So my exercise on weeknights is limited to walking and yoga, which is not happening consistently enough and not getting the job done.

I recently gained access to a $10/ month gym at my new office building (office just moved).  I like weights and I know how to use them, so it will be great to get back into this!  My fiancé and I may also join a local hiking club.  This involves a considerable expense per hike ($25 per person), to cover transportation costs (a group bus and ~2 drive, depending on the destination for the day) and refreshments provided.  But, we need more friends in the city, and this has promise to be a way to meet people that does not involve consumerism or drinking, I need more nature, and this will be well worth it for us I think!

[Dulcimina]

Is that the Capital Hiking Club? I take hikes with them occasionally.

[apfroggy0408]

I think it should be said how important it is to take weight loss as a change of lifestyle habits, just like getting to FIRE.

I'm at around 65 lbs of weight loss right now over about 16 months. This has been done because I've changed my lifestyle to fit my goals and not just cared about the end number.

Too often people, myself included, lose the weight then change their diet because they hit their magic number and then slowly again overtime build that weight back up.

[mrsggrowsveg]

I would like to join also.  I am about 15 lbs from my dream weight (ugh pregnancy leftovers).  I like this slow approach of 3 lbs a month.  So often I have done the quick fixes that left me very thin but gaining it back quickly.

My plan:
-no eat out August
-start biking more often.  Really make a habit of biking for local transportation.
-keeping a food diary, but not being too obsessive about calories
-Daily yoga.  I have been doing this for the past month and feel amazing.
-Limit alcohol consumption. 

[ohyonghao]

Today I weighed in at 96.9kg, down 3.2kg from 2 weeks ago. This Diet Better has proven to be quite a bit of motivation, but so has having a friend who is also losing weight with me (he needs it more, weighing in at 346 right now).

I figured out that I need a deficit of 1000 calories a day to reach my one month goal, so I set out a list of things to get me there. The Hacker's Diet by John Walker really inspired me before, and the thing that hit me the most is eating vs exercise. A can of coke may be 200 calories, which I'll need to run for 30 minutes to burn.  The question is which is easier to fit into a busy schedule? 5 hours of exercise or eating 1000 fewer calories? I'm aiming for a happy medium of adding a little exercise and getting rid of a lot of consumption.

I read recently about changing our view on food, as apfroggy0408 suggested a diet should be a change in lifestyle. Is food our energy source of our entertainment? When we busy ourselves with other things that are more exciting than a large pizza we can focus on food as a source of energy to help us with what we actually want to do.

[Icecreamarsenal]

Good luck all. I lost 15 pounds in the last 2 months. I could stand to lose 15 more for ideal body weight.
Calculate your basal metabolic rate. Eat less calories than that, doesn't matter what kind of calories. Move around more. Voila.

[horsepoor]

Today I weighed in at 96.9kg, down 3.2kg from 2 weeks ago. This Diet Better has proven to be quite a bit of motivation, but so has having a friend who is also losing weight with me (he needs it more, weighing in at 346 right now).

I figured out that I need a deficit of 1000 calories a day to reach my one month goal, so I set out a list of things to get me there. The Hacker's Diet by John Walker really inspired me before, and the thing that hit me the most is eating vs exercise. A can of coke may be 200 calories, which I'll need to run for 30 minutes to burn.  The question is which is easier to fit into a busy schedule? 5 hours of exercise or eating 1000 fewer calories? I'm aiming for a happy medium of adding a little exercise and getting rid of a lot of consumption.

I read recently about changing our view on food, as apfroggy0408 suggested a diet should be a change in lifestyle. Is food our energy source of our entertainment? When we busy ourselves with other things that are more exciting than a large pizza we can focus on food as a source of energy to help us with what we actually want to do.

Just be sure you're exercising enough to preserve muscle mass.  I think everyone here is wanting to lose fat, not weight.  Simply dieting, the body will get rid of both fat and muscle, which will lower your basal metabolic rate, so you'll continually have to decrease calorie intake, to a point where it's hard to get proper nutrition.  Maintain the muscle, lose the fat, and your BMR will be maintained.  Also, exercise helps keep energy up for the busy lifestyle.

For the person with the small apartment and no gym membership - if you have enough room to do yoga, you have enough room to swing a kettlebell.  Might be worth looking into if you're really interested in adding some more intense exercise.

[sleepyguy]

Challenge accepted :)  I generally eat like a pig so this will be a bit hard... and I've scaled back by workouts because of 2 little ones.  But no excuses... Target for me 180lbs with 10% bf.  I'm quite athletic though so that makes it easier.

[ohyonghao]

...The question is which is easier to fit into a busy schedule? 5 hours of exercise or eating 1000 fewer calories? I'm aiming for a happy medium of adding a little exercise and getting rid of a lot of consumption.

Just be sure you're exercising enough to preserve muscle mass.  I think everyone here is wanting to lose fat, not weight.  Simply dieting, the body will get rid of both fat and muscle, which will lower your basal metabolic rate, so you'll continually have to decrease calorie intake, to a point where it's hard to get proper nutrition.  Maintain the muscle, lose the fat, and your BMR will be maintained.  Also, exercise helps keep energy up for the busy lifestyle.

For the person with the small apartment and no gym membership - if you have enough room to do yoga, you have enough room to swing a kettlebell.  Might be worth looking into if you're really interested in adding some more intense exercise.

Thanks for watching out for me horsepoor.  I admit the temptation sometimes to just starve oneself in the name of losing a couple pounds can come around, especially when you get frustrated at the slow progress, or backwards progress, that you are making.  I also track my body fat % each day and then run a calculation for how much lean mass I have.  Lean mass will naturally go down slightly along with your weight due to the imprecision of the measurement, but it is something to watch out for.

I'm working in using more of our HOA's gym for lifting some weights, and have been looking at Craigslist to try and score some free weights for home.  Also adding in some pushups and situps to the routine.  As soon as my ankle feels better I'll start doing body weight squats also.  By using OpenDiet I can see what my real calorie deficit is and then add in the calories needed to compensate for my exercise.  Current deficit is running at 990 a day on average for the past 7 days.

[Left]

I'll join challenge, I don't have a target goal in mind but I just joined the gym this last monday and I'm aiming to go everyday (minus weekends for family). While I want to lose weight, I don't really weigh myself consistantly but I know how much I weigh now, I'll track it by the month.

I'm not too sure I plan to change diet right away, I have the standard asian diet, lots of rice + veggies + some meat but I'm also on the "american" fast food diet a few times a week >.>

[Doomspark]

Doom's plan:

1.  Stop drinking sodapop.   Drink tea or water instead.
2.  Make sure to walk for at least 20 minutes of my lunch hour during the week.
3.  Cut down on processed foods.
4.  Cut down on eating out.
5.  Possibly start c25K.

[FrugalZony]

I am in! I am down 12 pounds since May!
I have a couple of challenges coming up over the next few months, mostly trips to countries, where I tend to fall of the
bandwagon easily, because I enjoy the local fare so much.

But I'd love to get rid of another 15 pounds before the end of the year! Ideally 8 of them BEFORE 14th October!.

When I am on track, I usually have no problem staying the course, it's my frequent work trips that make me stumble
and fall off the wagon! Then it's hard to get back in the swing of things.

This is what I do:
- drink lots of water
- eat 5+ servings of fruits and veggies a day (I try to do 3+ veggies and 2+ fruit)
- stay under 1550 calories/day (I casually keep track in my head)
- get 30 minutes of work out 3-5 times a week (mostly taken care off by riding to work)
- allow for 1 cheat day, where I eat a little more (usually social things)
- keep a weight loss journal (on another site), I weigh in once a week

As I prepare most of my food myself, I have usually no problem.
It's the out of town trips, that make it tough, especially when I have to entertain clients.

[wiggam007]

I'll join this one as well (and I am thinking of trying that diet bet challenge; might as well try and earn some money at the same time haha)  261 is my starting weight.

The plan:

1)  Participate in the no eating out/no junk food for August challenge (and try to keep it going for the rest of the year.)
2)  Do 30 minutes of exercise in the morning to help me get going.
3)  Walk or bike for an hour 5 times a week. 
4)  Start tracking what I eat and the calories.

[tanhanivar]

I'm in too! Weighing in at 216 pounds, and need to weigh less as I'm getting lower back pain again, and also want to be able to get up certain hills on my bike.

The plan:

1) Cook at home more (already happening, and we don't keep much bread in the house).
2) Commute 15k twice a week, at least (it is an electric bicycle but I'm reducing motor use each time - 2 weeks in a row already!).
3) Several people at work are doing the 5:2 eating plan so I'm trying that out for collegiate solidarity and to kick-start the process (it isn't really fasting as you get a decent sized meal on the 'fast days', and as I used to fast one day a week for non-health reasons anyway it isn't particularly hard).
4) Go to America for three weeks in November and eat my way across New York.
5) Start again.

On the upside, 15 pounds isn't a large proportion of my current weight. BMI wants me to be 154. From experience, I start feeling cold (and losing endurance and not being able to sit comfortably on hard chairs) before I get down to 175. I'd be comfortable with anything under 200.

[Fatmouse]

Is that the Capital Hiking Club? I take hikes with them occasionally.

It is!  Haven't done a hike with them yet, but might do the Moonlight Hike in Great Falls next week.  What do you think of the group?  Feel free to reply to me by PM if you prefer.

[Fatmouse]

For the person with the small apartment and no gym membership - if you have enough room to do yoga, you have enough room to swing a kettlebell.  Might be worth looking into if you're really interested in adding some more intense exercise.

Thanks for the tip!  I haven't tried kettle ball.  I hope it does not require one to be terribly coordinated!  Worth investigating in any event.

Inspired by this thread, I did get access to the office gym for $10/month today!  Thanks interwebs MMM friends.  I can try a kettle ball routine at the new work gym, and if it goes well I will get a kettle ball for home, so I can have that as an option on days where the lunch break workout falls through.

[MidwestGal]

Commenting to keep track of this for motivational purposes.

[wild wendella]

I'm in.  I'm still up 15 pounds from my baby making expedition 2 years ago.  Going hiking in the grand canyon the end of this year, and it would seriously help if I were lighter.  Also, eating more costs more.  Great goal!

[TKE Super Dave]

Count me in as well.  In the past two years my weight went from 199 to 174 to 203 to now 193. I want to get back to the 174 now that I'm injury free and I can do so.

[fecklesslayabout]

I'm in! Currently at around 127 pounds (my scale is wonky but currently reading 57.5 kilos), and would like to get to between 110-115 (50-52 kilos).

[Polaria]

Hi,

Actually I am well on my way for this challenge; lost 4 kg / 9 pounds since January, my objective was to lose around 8kg / 18 pounds to come back to my "happy" weight (63kg / 139 pounds), so I am half way.

I am a former morbid obese (my peak weight was 110 kg / 242 pounds when I was 19), and I don't want to go back to that point!

Good luck all!

Pol

[ohyonghao]

Hi,

Actually I am well on my way for this challenge; lost 4 kg / 9 pounds since January, my objective was to lose around 8kg / 18 pounds to come back to my "happy" weight (63kg / 139 pounds), so I am half way.

I am a former morbid obese (my peak weight was 110 kg / 242 pounds when I was 19), and I don't want to go back to that point!

Good luck all!

Pol

That's great progress!  I started this trek at my highest point of 102kg and am now down to 96.8kg (I'll let everybody else practice their math skills and do the 2.2 conversion to lbs).  I've been taking pictures about once a week, and looking back two weeks when I started is amazing, especially the profile shot where you can really see my stomach protruding out.  I plan on making a short video after I adjust the images so I'm the same height in each.  Really seeing the difference like that is a great motivator.