Author Topic: October Weight Loss Challenge  (Read 4159 times)

neophyte

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October Weight Loss Challenge
« on: October 05, 2018, 06:49:55 AM »
It's not as creative as Sun Hat's thread last month, but it's the 5th and I need a new thread where we can commiserate and motivate each other!

Neophyte  3 lbs
CorpRaider    4 lbs
SproutingStacheHK.  10 lbs.
Alleykat.  10 lbs
Goinganon. 9lbs
Chuck Ditallin 8 lbs
CrustyBadger 2.4 lbs
Patchyfacialhair. 3 lbs
Hirondelle.  2 lbs
Cookie78. 4lbs
« Last Edit: October 14, 2018, 10:52:26 AM by neophyte »

neophyte

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #1 on: October 05, 2018, 06:55:31 AM »
I'm not sure where to set my goal for this month with all the weird things my weight has been doing lately.  Part of me would just like to consistently be under 155 by the end of the month, another part of me says that goal is too conservative and I should aim for 150. Another part says let's see where I am next week and then set my goal.

For right now I'm going to focus on meeting workout and calorie goals and worry less about what my weight is doing.
« Last Edit: October 05, 2018, 07:52:03 AM by neophyte »

CorpRaider

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #2 on: October 05, 2018, 08:36:54 AM »
I'm in.  Put me down for 4 lbs. 

Could you just take your budgeted calorie deficit for the month?  Like if you're running a 1000 daily calorie deficit (or planning for that), you estimate 2 lbs per week?

SproutingStacheHK

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #3 on: October 05, 2018, 09:24:18 AM »
I'm in too!  5lbs - and the additional goal to go to the gym at work at least twice.

alleykat

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #4 on: October 05, 2018, 12:55:18 PM »
I am in for a stretch goal of 10lbs.  I haven't been successful so far but last time I put in for 10lbs is the month I lost the most. I just happened to of gained it all back. :(.

I am really trying to control my sugar intake this month. I have only had one bad day so far and that day confirmed that I am a stress eater.




Goinganon

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #5 on: October 06, 2018, 05:38:30 AM »
I知 in for 9 lbs. If I can do that, I値l be at nearly 30 lbs lost since the beginning of August.

Chuck Ditallin

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #6 on: October 06, 2018, 03:43:03 PM »
ooh, can I play, please?

Currently 13st 6 (as of the end of September, first weigh-in tomorrow!)
That's 188 of your American pounds!

As I'm down to 2 days a week at work and have a Spring marathon to run, I am living the (almost) full-time athlete* lifestyle at the moment.

Target: 8lb loss this month.




* like an athlete, but much, much slower and heavier.

CrustyBadger

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #7 on: October 07, 2018, 08:25:37 AM »
I'm starting at 184.4 pounds.  I would like to lose 2.4 pounds by the end of October.   I wish it could be more but I feel I am losing as much as I can right now.

neophyte

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #8 on: October 08, 2018, 07:17:35 AM »
My weight seems to have stabilized at about 157 and I adjusted my goal to 3 lbs counting from this week.

I find it very difficult to stick to less than 1400 calories a day and estimates put me between 1800 and 2000 burned most days so I'm just going to aim for about a pound a week for the rest of the year. 

An aside, I'm annoyed with the google fit update. Earlier this year I religiously tracked calories, weightloss, and TDEE estimated by a couple different apps. Google TDEE estimate - calories in fit my weightloss over two months almost perfectly. After the update it's giving me rediculous numbers, like 26 calories a day. My Fitness Pal seems to wildly overestimate my calorie burn and rate of weightloss for some reason. At least I have a decent idea of what I burn though.
« Last Edit: October 08, 2018, 07:44:37 AM by neophyte »

patchyfacialhair

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #9 on: October 10, 2018, 11:34:31 AM »
I weighed in at 203.0 this morning. I want to be sub 200 by Halloween.

Chuck Ditallin

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #10 on: October 10, 2018, 02:12:31 PM »
1lb off, 7 to go!

I find MFP to be wildly optimistic about calorie burn for exercise, so I edit their figures to match what my watch and heart rate monitor suggest. I tend to lose a little more than MFP suggests, but this is a good thing!

neophyte

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #11 on: October 11, 2018, 06:36:25 AM »
I was 154.6 this morning which means 2 things:
1. My weight hadn't stabilized as much as I thought yet.
2. I'm equal to my lowest ever adult weight and now weigh about as much as I did when I was 12!  Still a long way to go, but it gives me motivation.

Hirondelle

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #12 on: October 11, 2018, 06:56:56 AM »
Joining in late. Last week I weighed in at about 63 kg and I'm aiming for a 2 lbs/1 kg loss this month.

SproutingStacheHK

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #13 on: October 12, 2018, 08:17:54 PM »
Weighed myself this morning, and I have smashed my goal!  Nearly 8lbs down after just over a week - suddenly going from a terrible, fizzy-drink filled diet to proper sensible eating gets those early results... I hereby revise my goal to 10lbs.  Thanks a million for starting the challenge, neophyte!  Just what I needed to get myself going.  Now to keep at it (my grocery bill is looking amazingly low, too, which is really helping with the motivation.)

Cookie78

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #14 on: October 14, 2018, 10:14:14 AM »
4 pounds for me.

Was away the past 11 days and lost most of that already. Hopefully I can kick ass on the last half of the month too.

neophyte

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #15 on: October 15, 2018, 03:27:09 PM »
Ugh. I've been binging the last couple of days and I'm finding it difficult to get back on the horse.

Just gotta suck it up and do it I guess.

SproutingStacheHK

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #16 on: October 15, 2018, 07:32:56 PM »
You can do it, neophyte!

neophyte

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #17 on: October 15, 2018, 08:03:05 PM »
Thanks. There is halloween candy at work and in the house now. After another rough night, I'm realizing moderating myself is not something I can do right now. I'm going to have to ban myself from refined sugar consumption for a couple weeks.

I'll bulk prep some lunch salads tonight. It helps if I can just pull it out of the fridge and go. Maybe tomorrow I'll plan my dinners for the week. I've never tried doing that in advance before.

CorpRaider

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #18 on: October 17, 2018, 05:36:19 AM »
Down three lbs this morning after doing some fasted cardio (yesterday).  Posted lowest weight yet since I started tracking/doing the thing (~ February 2018), so that's something.
« Last Edit: October 18, 2018, 06:54:10 AM by CorpRaider »

SproutingStacheHK

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #19 on: October 20, 2018, 06:28:01 PM »
I wrote out a list of all the meals I'll be eating this week - and in my fridge is exactly as much food as I'll need to make them.  I don't have so much as an egg over.  That oughta keep me on track!  How's it going with avoiding the Halloween temptations, neophyte?

neophyte

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #20 on: October 20, 2018, 09:32:35 PM »
I wrote out a list of all the meals I'll be eating this week - and in my fridge is exactly as much food as I'll need to make them.  I don't have so much as an egg over.  That oughta keep me on track!  How's it going with avoiding the Halloween temptations, neophyte?

That's impressive! I have fantasies of someday planning out my groceries that well but I always end up being a bit haphazzard. I haven't been perfect with my sugar ban, but I've been much more reasonable with my candy consumption the last few days!

I pulled out all my tomato plants this weekend and made marinara, so I'll probably grab a spaghetti squash. I've still got some greens growing in a planter I want to dismantle so I'm going to try to eat my way through them over the next two weeks too.  My beans and hot peppers are still going at this point and sweet potatoes should be ready to harevst soon if I'm lucky. If not, sweet potato greens are my new favorite anyway, so it'll still be fine.

JoJoP

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #21 on: October 20, 2018, 10:57:01 PM »
Hi!  It's nice to find this thread, since I'm on a roll.   

I'm down a solid 10 pounds over the past 2 months, and much of it I was on vacation. (I've never lost weight on a vacation before, so I'm really proud of myself)  I haven't been this low in over 5 years.  My goal is another 30, to be  a thin person again, but I'm just going to stair step down so it doesn't seem too intimidating. 
I've eliminated nearly all sugar, increased healthy salads and veggies, cut down on meat, increased all manners of probiotics, exercising more and just trying to stay motivated.  I'm learning to make fermented foods (Sauerkraut, kombucha, pickles, etc) and all that sour stuff helped me lose my taste/cravings for sweets, which is nothing short of a miracle. 

SproutingStacheHK

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #22 on: October 21, 2018, 07:36:12 AM »
10lb is brilliant, JoJoP!  Also:
I'm learning to make fermented foods (Sauerkraut, kombucha, pickles, etc) and all that sour stuff helped me lose my taste/cravings for sweets, which is nothing short of a miracle. 
That sounds like a great hack - I'm for sure going to try it.  Sweets are one of my huge issues.  I'm on a similar determined kick - the first 10lb of a long journey, that I know from experience is way easier at the start than a couple of months in.  But I so badly want to be "a thin person again" too!  Keep us posted how you're getting on.

Neophyte, I'm so jealous of your home-grown veggies!  Let us know how the cooking goes.  (I've never done the grocery & cooking planning thing before: this weightloss challenge is overlapping with a determined desire to get my expensive groceries under control, and I've kind of gone all in for it this week!)

neophyte

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #23 on: October 21, 2018, 08:48:50 AM »
I'm learning to make fermented foods (Sauerkraut, kombucha, pickles, etc) and all that sour stuff helped me lose my taste/cravings for sweets, which is nothing short of a miracle.

I suspect all those probiotics do do good things for us. Have you tried kimchi? I love kimchi, I've actually been buying it by the gallon bucket. Fortunately I live close to the Korean grocery store! 

I've given up on my grocery bill. Eating healthy food and delicious food makes me happy, and if it costs a few bucks extra it's worth it to me. I don't go all out on organic and grass-fed and everything, but I buy a lot of produce (despite the garden). I'm questioning the artichokes I bought the other day. $1.99 each. But, hey, they are fun to eat.

JoJoP

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #24 on: October 21, 2018, 10:37:28 AM »
I'm am doing some serious diet changing, and the probiotics are a huge part of it.   The weight loss seems to be more of a by-product of the dietary alterations.
 I added the kombucha to my diet about 4 months ago.  I liked it, it was healthy, and low calorie, so I investigated what the whole probiotic thing is about.  Then, frugal me who also loves cooking, I quickly decided to tackle making it myself. I started with a "scoby" from Amazon for about $10 and some cheap black tea.   I dug out my big sun tea jar and got started.  It's easy, and now there's always kombucha brewing.   After I got the hang of that,  I branched out to sauerkraut.  It's very, very easy to make (cabbage, salt, time) and I've acquired a taste for it.  I try to eat something fermented (a bit of kombucha, a bite of kraut, some yogurt, a pickle with my salad) at least 3x a day. 

In the kitchen, I've branched out now, and last night did some pickles (cucumbers), radishes/carrots, and lemons.   It took far less than 30 minutes, maybe more like 10.  I put them in a dark, cool cupboard and that's it.   They'll be ready in about 10 days but you can leave them for longer.  You can leave the kraut for months.

The true miracle is the loss of a sweet tooth.  I had something sweet nearly every day (ok, multiple times a day) for most of my adult life.  Now, it doesn't even look good.  I don't even want it.  Dark chocolate was my go-to treat.  I have sweets less than once a week now. @neophyte , did you lose your sweet tooth at all, after all that Kimchi?   I did a modified kimchi (no fish sauce) and ate it up.  I love spicy!
« Last Edit: October 21, 2018, 10:40:09 AM by JoJoP »

Hirondelle

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #25 on: October 21, 2018, 11:42:56 AM »
Gained 2 lbs so far this month, oops! Need to get back on track.

SproutingStacheHK

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #26 on: October 22, 2018, 03:06:22 AM »
There's still time, Hirondelle!

I've given up on my grocery bill. Eating healthy food and delicious food makes me happy, and if it costs a few bucks extra it's worth it to me. I don't go all out on organic and grass-fed and everything, but I buy a lot of produce (despite the garden).
I totally hear you on this, neophyte: I don't think that counts as giving up on the bill - you're clearly buying sensible, healthy stuff, which more than pays for itself.  I've had to be super strict just because 80% of my grocery bill, when I'm not watching what I eat, goes on sweet pastry and bread things, and fizzy drinks.  And in a country where that kind of western food has a serious added premium!  And then of course, the few veggies I do buy don't get eaten because I'm too full of junk - and I chuck them out guiltily.  This month (thanks to your challenge!) I have seriously got my shit together on both counts.  (And my goodness, the payoff in both...!)

middo

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #27 on: October 22, 2018, 03:12:40 PM »
I started the month at 96.4 kg and was hoping to get down to 95 kg but the end of October.  I haven't had access to scales since the start of the month, so this morning it was with some trepidation that I re-acquainted myself with them.  93.7 kg.  Happily below where I wanted to get to.  Now I want to get below 93 by the end of the month.

neophyte

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #28 on: October 22, 2018, 05:22:07 PM »
@neophyte , did you lose your sweet tooth at all, after all that Kimchi?   I did a modified kimchi (no fish sauce) and ate it up.  I love spicy!

Sadly, no. Lol but at least the kimchi is good for me!

We had a blood sugar and cholesterol check at work today. I'm afraid it had the opposite of the intended effect. My numbers were so good that I gave myself permission to eat Chinese food at our lunch meeting instead of the healthy lunch I packed! Oops!

And I had Ethiopian for dinner last night. I think I managed to keep it reasonable, but all the rules go out the window when Ethiopian food is involved.


neophyte

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #29 on: October 25, 2018, 07:07:23 AM »
I'm struggling with motivation right now. On one hand I'd like to loose smooth 10 lbs by the end of the year, on the other I just don't care enough to actually commit right now. There's another family wedding this weekend, so I'll be away from home and won't have much control over my diet for the next 5 days. I did ok with three last wedding, but my motivation meter was on high then. I'm trying to kick it up a notch today.

I've been thinking about donating most of my jeans since I'm comfortably down a size, but I think I'm going to hang onto them until spring so I can wear leggings under them this winter. I'm much more sensitive to the cold when I'm less insulated.

JoJoP

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #30 on: October 29, 2018, 09:15:03 PM »

And I had Ethiopian for dinner last night. I think I managed to keep it reasonable, but all the rules go out the window when Ethiopian food is involved.

Yeah, that's a rule, too.

CrustyBadger

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #31 on: October 31, 2018, 05:54:57 AM »
I'm struggling with motivation right now. On one hand I'd like to loose smooth 10 lbs by the end of the year, on the other I just don't care enough to actually commit right now.

I hear you!!  It feels nice to admit it sometimes....  So hard to stay motivated this time of year.

middo

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #32 on: October 31, 2018, 05:56:25 PM »
I finished the month on 93.7 kgs.  Down by 2.7 kg in October.  I hope to do the same again in November.  Would love to see <90 by Christmas.

Goinganon

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #33 on: November 01, 2018, 05:26:26 AM »
I知 in for 9 lbs. If I can do that, I値l be at nearly 30 lbs lost since the beginning of August.

I lost 9 lbs exactly. It was a really tough month to lose weight. I was stuck on a plateau for over 2 weeks so I知 really surprised that I managed to lose much of anything let alone the full 9 lbs. I知 slowly inching toward 30 lbs lost.

neophyte

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #34 on: November 01, 2018, 11:56:10 AM »
Somehow, despite ending the month with 5 days of free flowing booze,100% restaurant food, and extended sitting followed by Halloween, I managed to meet my goal. (Ok, so I hit it in the first week...) End of November goal is 150 and end of December is 145.

Now I just have to figure out where I misplaced my motivation.

CrustyBadger

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #35 on: November 01, 2018, 05:36:06 PM »
I met my 182 pound goal briefly but then went back up to 184, which appears to be a kind of plateau for me.

I didn't focus my energy on weight loss very much at all most of October.  I seem to be able to only pay attention to one or two things at a time nowadays.

SproutingStacheHK

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #36 on: November 02, 2018, 07:05:32 AM »
Hooray, neophyte!  Well done! 
This was my first serious month of watching what I eat after years of sloth and junk food: my final loss is 9.1 kgs - exactly 20 pounds, which is a nice round number.  I'm really happy, but I know it's going to be much harder from here.  Thanks for giving me the project I needed, neophyte!

neophyte

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #37 on: November 02, 2018, 12:01:52 PM »
my final loss is 9.1 kgs - exactly 20 pounds, which is a nice round number. 

Holy moly! I didn't know those kinds of number were possible!  Congrats!

Who wants to start a November challange?

SproutingStacheHK

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #38 on: November 03, 2018, 07:48:14 AM »
I am so in for a new challenge!  (And those number are possible, I'm ashamed to say, when you start out at 260lbs. :(  But I'm going in the right direction now!)

CorpRaider

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #39 on: November 06, 2018, 09:15:49 AM »
I only lost 3 lbs.  Fail.

Cookie78

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #40 on: November 06, 2018, 10:39:18 AM »
I only lost 3 lbs.  Fail.

Sounds like a win to me.

neophyte

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #41 on: November 06, 2018, 12:17:37 PM »
I only lost 3 lbs.  Fail.
Sounds like a win to me.

Yep! 3lbs in the right direction

snogirl

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #42 on: November 06, 2018, 12:50:47 PM »
My last weigh in was October 8 and today showed 8lbs difference. Also follow up blood work went down in all categories. At my annual physical in April, PC doctor was super concerned.  Overall down 16lbs since making life changes in July. I moved in May and it took me a couple months to settle in. With these challenges, I adopted no sugar, candy, processed food or bread. Water or tea with coffee as my daily treat with half &amp; half in a.m.  I found out through this process that I enjoy cooking real food and daily exercise. Grateful to making process and adopting better habits that align with other areas of MM.

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CorpRaider

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #43 on: November 07, 2018, 07:42:53 AM »
I only lost 3 lbs.  Fail.
Sounds like a win to me.

Yep! 3lbs in the right direction

Thanks for the encouragement. 

JoJoP

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Re: October Weight Loss Challenge
« Reply #44 on: November 26, 2018, 07:38:44 PM »
I only lost 3 lbs.  Fail.

NO! Not a fail!  That's great.  It's 3 pounds in the right direction.   Oh I hope I lose another 3-5, but we're starting to joke around that we're not only stripped naked and just peed, but going to start shaving before we jump on the scale.