Author Topic: Losing Weight in 2016  (Read 459664 times)

Cookie78

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #250 on: February 15, 2016, 07:54:13 AM »
Skipped running all week. Was going to start again yesterday but didn't.

Monday check in:

Jan 4 Starting weight: 160
Jan 11 weight: 156
Jan 18 weight: 155.2
Jan 25 weight: 156.8
Feb 1 weight: 155.2
Feb 8 weight: 153.2
Feb 15 weight: 151.6
Goal weight: 130

Ready2Go

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #251 on: February 15, 2016, 10:32:15 AM »
Goal     - 137
01/04   - 152
01/11   - 149
01/23   - 148
02/09   - 150
02/09   - 148

02/15 - 148

Slow and steady right? I'll take this as a win. It's been bitterly cold here and I've been baking baking like crazy - and mostly resisting, even though I now have a fantastic recipe for soft dinner rolls that my family raves about... Bought lots of salad fixings yesterday, and so the challenge is to keep the focus on greens and not bread this week


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« Last Edit: February 15, 2016, 02:25:33 PM by Ready2Go »

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #252 on: February 15, 2016, 04:33:47 PM »
@cookie78 still a nice, steady downward trend! Great job!!

This weekend, I have been managing to get my workout every day. That, plus very low cals (yummy) meals plus sleeping through breakfast ever morning has meant a daily calorie surplus of 300-600cals at the end of every day.

It's been SO weird! Ice cream, caramel popcorn...I've been eating junk food every day - all within my calories.

Tonight I have a 500 cal dinner planned and 600 leftover cals. Debating how many treats to have tonight - I'll likely bank some cals for later this week.

Just a couple of weeks ago I was complaining that I was struggling with my calorie limit ...and now I am actually having to eat junk food to meet it. That said, I still passed on the brownies I baked yesterday in favour of a big cup of caramel popcorn! At least I am realizing that yes, I can have treats...but I can't have all of them.


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elaine amj

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Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #253 on: February 15, 2016, 06:44:03 PM »
Just realized its Monday - time to check in.

Jan 4 - 154 lbs
Jan 11 - 153.2 lbs
Jan 18 - 149.2lbs
Jan 25 - 149.2lbs
Feb 1 - 146.6lbs
Feb 8 - 144.8lbs
Feb 15 - 143lbs
GOAL WEIGHT - 130lbs

Total: 11 lbs

I was looking over my trends and I have a tendency to yo-yo around the same weight for 5-6 days and then have a sharp drop.  Very pleased so far with using TrendWeight - the day to day scale fluctuations can be rather discouraging but looking at the overall trend keeps me from getting frustrated.


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« Last Edit: February 16, 2016, 08:05:09 AM by elaine amj »

rockstache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #254 on: February 15, 2016, 07:16:25 PM »

At least I am realizing that yes, I can have treats...but I can't have all of them.



Yes!! This is just what MMM is all about to me. I can have (afford) anything I want, just not everything I want!

Great job everyone - love this group!

elaine amj

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Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #255 on: February 15, 2016, 09:09:03 PM »

At least I am realizing that yes, I can have treats...but I can't have all of them.



Yes!! This is just what MMM is all about to me. I can have (afford) anything I want, just not everything I want!

Great job everyone - love this group!

Very apt comparison. I'm doing a whole lot better since I started looking at my food the way I look at my money :)


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Geostache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #256 on: February 18, 2016, 10:26:13 AM »
Checking in. Weigh in is tomorrow. Yesterday was rough emotionally and I took it out on my body by eating all the things.

@cookie: great progress! Keep up the good work!

@rockstache: I like the way you re-framed the idea of calories!

I read this article the other day, and while the author made some good points, I generally can't say that I agree with her logic. It sounds to me more like someone who has just given up on herself.

http://www.vox.com/2016/2/15/10980830/oprah-winfrey-weight-watchers

I'm curious to know what y'all think of it.

MayDay

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #257 on: February 18, 2016, 01:11:27 PM »
I get the feeling. It feels like every other minute some new article or study in me about saying that people are fat because "reasons out of their control".  Like gut microbiology, or Nexus once you are fat, your metabolism is screwed up forever.

And it's a good point that if oprah, with personal trainers and private chefs can't do it, how can we?



But at the sametime, being overweight has such high risks, but individually and as a society, that how can we not?

Me personally, I hope poop transplanting becomes a thing.

1967mama

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #258 on: February 19, 2016, 01:36:11 AM »
I just watched a super documentary tonight (from the library, of course!) called "That Sugar Movie" and I can't say enough about it! I learned sooooo much.

I see that its avalable to rent/buy on itunes. There is a blog as welll, by the same name.

Worth a watch, if you struggle with the Sugar Dragon like I do:-D

Geostache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #259 on: February 19, 2016, 07:05:15 AM »
I just watched a super documentary tonight (from the library, of course!) called "That Sugar Movie" and I can't say enough about it! I learned sooooo much.

I see that its avalable to rent/buy on itunes. There is a blog as welll, by the same name.

Worth a watch, if you struggle with the Sugar Dragon like I do:-D

I'll have to check that out. I definitely have fallen off the sugar wagon a couple of times in my life. This time around, I'm hoping that I can keep it under control. So far, so good! I have indulged in sugary treats a few times since the beginning of the year, and each time I've been satisfied with only what I ate. I think cutting out the refined sugar in my regular diet has helped tremendously in slaying that dragon.

Friday weigh in results: I'm down 2.4 lbs. My 7 week total is 20.2 lbs! It feels good to have hit (and passed) the 10% mark. My next weight loss goal is to get to 155, which is where I was in my early 20's (even through grad school shenanigans).

Stats:
1/01/2016: 182.8
1/08/2016: 176
1/15/2016: 173.4
1/22/2016: 172
1/29/2016: 168
2/05/2016: 167.2
2/12/2016: 165
2/19/2016: 162.6

Nederstash

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #260 on: February 20, 2016, 10:13:35 AM »
Well, here I go...

Feb 20 - 204
GOAL WEIGHT 139
Only 65 to go!

clarkfan1979

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #261 on: February 20, 2016, 10:46:07 AM »
Started the year at 212. I would like to break 200 by the end of the year and then re-evaluate. My first goal is to get down to 205 by May 5th. I started 2 weeks ago and I'm already at 210-211. I haven't hit 212 on the scale in two weeks. So I am already 10% toward my goal.

cityfolks

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #262 on: February 20, 2016, 11:26:19 AM »
I'm at around 176, which is well over where I should be, ideally closer to 150. I've been more sedentary than usual this winter because of a bad bout of depression ... even so, I'm never going to be active enough to counteract a bad diet, and I think that's where I can make more changes faster. Fingers crossed!?

Cookie78

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #263 on: February 22, 2016, 07:54:10 AM »
The bad news: I failed on the nutrition front this week. Chinese lunch with my aunt. Family size potato chip bag. Carbs carbs carbs. It'll happen. I have never been good at cheat days, but every now and then I have a cheat week! I increased a little weight this week, but I expected that would happen and 1 pound is no biggie.

The good news: I got off my ass and continued my running program again yesterday. :D


Monday check in:

Jan 4 Starting weight: 160
Jan 11 weight: 156
Jan 18 weight: 155.2
Jan 25 weight: 156.8
Feb 1 weight: 155.2
Feb 8 weight: 153.2
Feb 15 weight: 151.6
Feb 22 weight 152.6
Goal weight: 130

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #264 on: February 22, 2016, 09:35:19 AM »
@geostache You are doing so awesome!!! I love seeing your awesome progress!

@Cookie78 Fantastic to see you picking yourself back up. like you said, 1 lb is no biggie - you've caught yourself very early on and now can get back on track. Kudos for getting back on the wagon - that's always the hardest part.

@cityfolks 80% of weight loss happens in the kitchen. I've tried the more active thing - just ended up gaining more weight *sigh* (it was too good an excuse to eat more).

@clarkfan1979 Slow and steady really will win the race :)

Jan 4 - 154 lbs
Jan 11 - 153.2 lbs
Jan 18 - 149.2lbs
Jan 25 - 149.2lbs
Feb 1 - 146.6lbs
Feb 8 - 144.8lbs
Feb 15 - 143lbs
Feb 22 - 141.2lbs
GOAL WEIGHT - 130lbs

Total: 12.8 lbs

Wasn't so sure I would like posting today since I gained a lb since yesterday (I know - water weight!) but it made me smile to see I STILL dropped almost 2 lbs from last week.

It's been an interesting week weight-wise. I upped my calorie intake 2 weeks ago. This week, I have been eating about 200+ cals/day of junk food (ice cream, cakes, and yes, I ended up eating the brownie) pretty much every day because I keep ending the day with extra calories. I still ended the week with an extra 300 cals UNDER my weekly net calories. Plus, i'm losing my weight even faster since I upped my calories. (from an avg of 1.5lbs/week to 1.9/lbs a week). I was scratching my heard over the math - but realized that because I have so many extra calories, I no longer try to underestimate calories but am more likely to overestimate. I meticulously weigh and log everything I make - but at least 2-4 times a week, I have to estimate (eat out/eat at a friend's/office treat).

I'm considering upping my calories again - but feel plenty satisfied (I was a bit frustrated on my old, lower caloric intake) so considering leaving it as is (avg 1400-1500 cals/day for a 5ft 36f). Will spend the next week or so considering this. I am forcing myself to learn patience and only change my plans after gathering adequate data every 3 weeks or so. Also feeling a touch concerned about how much empty junk food I have been eating. It fits within my calorie counts, which is fine for weight loss - but for overall nutrition, I think I should put more of those cals towards fruits & veg. It will likely be better for overall health to cut the treats down to 3-4 days/week rather than a daily thing. Someone on MyFitnessPal said they did a ton of research and experimentation and concluded that about 10-20% of daily calories aren't necessarily needed for nutrition and could be "spent" on empty junk. That does make some sense. That said, although I'm getting better about my fruit/veg intake, I don't feel like I eat as much as I should, so putting more effort into upping that will likely be good for me.
« Last Edit: February 22, 2016, 09:38:49 AM by elaine amj »

MicroSpice

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #265 on: February 22, 2016, 11:07:18 AM »
Haven't checked in for a while - sorry about that! Been kind of busy, but I am happy to say that I seem to be on track. Being 4'11" and 30-something and post-baby seems to make things go really slowly, but I am trying really hard to recognize that progress is progress, no matter how small. I suppose 5 pounds in 6 weeks is quite normal and healthy - but I would love for things to happen overnight, like most humans. :-)

I've got about twenty more pounds to go, and I would really like to drop 5 this month, so I am getting serious about the exercise part. I am really happy with myself about what I've been eating, but more impressed that I am getting a grip on portions. I'm not filling up the plate anymore or going back for seconds or having a treat just because. I'm tracking my calories during the week, but have been managing not to gorge on the weekends - I loosen up a little bit but I haven't gone overboard.

It looks like everyone else is doing great, too - thank you all for posting here and keeping me motivated!

Weight Progress:
- 1/10: 133 pounds
- 1/18: 131.8 pounds
- 1/21: 130.8 pounds
- 2/22: 128 pounds

Geostache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #266 on: February 22, 2016, 11:40:15 AM »
@cookie78: It sounds like you have the right attitude about the gain this week - it's bound to happen to all of us at some point during this journey.

@elaine: thanks for the words of encouragement. You have been doing awesome too! Obviously eating more calories is working for your body, so enjoy your treats guilt free! Have you tried making green smoothies? I am a huge fan. I don't cook as many vegetables as I should, but I drink a green smoothie every morning with breakfast, so at least I'm getting my green leafies on a daily basis. It should be 2/5 green leafy vegetables 3/5 fruit, mixed with water, milk, or milk alternative (soy or almond, eg).

cityfolks

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #267 on: February 22, 2016, 01:43:46 PM »
@elaine, I cook at home a lot and love trying new recipes, so I sometimes get caught up in that excitement and don't pay attention to nutrition as much.

I have a hard time being confident in my calorie counting. I use MFP and am diligent about recording, but with a lot of made-from-scratch food it's frustrating to record exact measurements of every ingredient, especially because it can add to the time it takes me to get dinner ready, not to mention the extra space a scale and measuring utensils take  up on our square foot (yes, that's singular) of counter. Has anybody come up with good shortcuts or estimates for calorie counting home-cooked meals?

Cookie78

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #268 on: February 22, 2016, 01:56:11 PM »
@elaine, I cook at home a lot and love trying new recipes, so I sometimes get caught up in that excitement and don't pay attention to nutrition as much.

I have a hard time being confident in my calorie counting. I use MFP and am diligent about recording, but with a lot of made-from-scratch food it's frustrating to record exact measurements of every ingredient, especially because it can add to the time it takes me to get dinner ready, not to mention the extra space a scale and measuring utensils take  up on our square foot (yes, that's singular) of counter. Has anybody come up with good shortcuts or estimates for calorie counting home-cooked meals?

I have this same problem. I just try to guess the best I can. Sometimes I know it is high, other times it is low. For me I still get the benefit of being conscious of what I'm eating, by entering it in MFP, even if the numbers aren't perfect. For things that I cook often I made my own recipe in MFP and added the ingredients. For one off things I find something similar that's already there. It's not worth the extra effort for me to be perfect, though last time I was losing weight I made a much bigger effort to be accurate.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #269 on: February 22, 2016, 02:05:09 PM »
@geostache I prefer to eat my calories so I have been resisting the smoothie/juicing route. That said - I have started to consider it...just to force myself to get more greens in me (never been a veggie fan). Going to try to more traditional "eat more veggies" route first but no longer going to resist the smoothie route. Many ways to skin a cat!

@elaine, I cook at home a lot and love trying new recipes, so I sometimes get caught up in that excitement and don't pay attention to nutrition as much.

I have a hard time being confident in my calorie counting. I use MFP and am diligent about recording, but with a lot of made-from-scratch food it's frustrating to record exact measurements of every ingredient, especially because it can add to the time it takes me to get dinner ready, not to mention the extra space a scale and measuring utensils take  up on our square foot (yes, that's singular) of counter. Has anybody come up with good shortcuts or estimates for calorie counting home-cooked meals?

Honestly, my (new) scale is the size of an iPad mini. I got this slim profile scale for $10 from Amazon:


When cooking, I find inputting ingredients on the app a little too slow so I keep a scratchpad next to me.

a. Remember to weigh cooking pot and record the weight!! (It has been a few weeks, and I STILL don't remember this.)
1. Put bowl on scale
2. Click tare (to return scale to zero)
3. Add first ingredient, scribble weight on scratchpad. Hit tare again.
4. Add second ingredient, scribble weight down. Hit tare again.
5. After cooking is completed, either weigh cooking pot full of cooked food (If I remember the first instruction above), or pour all food into a fresh serving dish that has been tared out on my scale. (Rather than serving from the cooking pot)
6. When I serve myself my food, I weigh it.

When i have finished cooking and served everything to my family, I usually sit and input my recipe into MFP's recipe builder. (I can do this after my dinner, but often I like to do it before I eat). It's not too hard to input the recipe - you just have to pay attention when the app matches ingredients as there are many incorrect entries.

Instead of telling the app that this recipe made 6 servings (and then I have to figure out what a sixth of a pot is!), I weigh the final cooked product and if it is 1567g, I input it as 1567 servings. Then I weigh what I serve myself and log that weight - e.g. 234 servings of the recipe.

It does take some extra steps but it really isn't as complicated as it sounds. For now, it is worth it to me to get some accuracy into my calorie logging. It's eye-opening that a small error in logging multiplied by several meals (apparently, even experts typically eyeball things wrong - and that's with using measuring cups) can wipe out a day's deficit.

Makes me feel SO much more sure about what I am eating - AND gives me the assurance to have my treats and eat more. Rather like how using a budget has been giving me the security to save more (I used to give myself a much wider safety margin of spare cash).
« Last Edit: February 22, 2016, 02:07:43 PM by elaine amj »

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #270 on: February 22, 2016, 02:17:04 PM »
Haven't checked in for a while - sorry about that! Been kind of busy, but I am happy to say that I seem to be on track. Being 4'11" and 30-something and post-baby seems to make things go really slowly, but I am trying really hard to recognize that progress is progress, no matter how small. I suppose 5 pounds in 6 weeks is quite normal and healthy - but I would love for things to happen overnight, like most humans. :-)

I've got about twenty more pounds to go, and I would really like to drop 5 this month, so I am getting serious about the exercise part. I am really happy with myself about what I've been eating, but more impressed that I am getting a grip on portions. I'm not filling up the plate anymore or going back for seconds or having a treat just because. I'm tracking my calories during the week, but have been managing not to gorge on the weekends - I loosen up a little bit but I haven't gone overboard.

It looks like everyone else is doing great, too - thank you all for posting here and keeping me motivated!

Weight Progress:
- 1/10: 133 pounds
- 1/18: 131.8 pounds
- 1/21: 130.8 pounds
- 2/22: 128 pounds

5lbs in 6 weeks is fantastic! And it sounds like you're really learning a whole lot about portion control - which is going to be the key to maintaining.

1967mama

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #271 on: February 23, 2016, 12:02:59 AM »
I went out for lunch today with an old friend and ordered like a healthy person:

a salad topped with a grilled chicken breast
olive oil and balsamic dressing on the side
tea (clear)
water

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #272 on: February 23, 2016, 11:06:17 AM »
@1967mama It's rather awesome to feel good about what you choose to eat, isn't it? I like the whole idea of choosing to eat the way a thinner, healthier me would eat.

Last night, I discovered just how insanely filling eggplant can be. I made Baked Eggplant with Spinach (modifying Skinnytaste's Baked Ziti - subbing the pasta for eggplant and adding mushrooms). I took a huge double portion because I really want to increase my veggie intake and it only added up to 545 calories. An hour later, I was groaning because I was SO FULL. Plus, it was really good! (although DH and I did agree that the version my kids were eating and raving about with pasta and lots more cheese wold have been yummier lol). Glad I managed to eat some more veggies!

I'm going to continue trying to use up more of my extra calories for fruits and veggies rather than using it all for empty junky treats. I know the empty calories are fine for weight loss - but I also want to increase my nutritional intake (wth a few empty calories thrown in for the yum factor). I have never been a veggie fan so trying to find ways to enjoy veggies. Loving eggplant and zucchini lately plus the last week we have been eating a lot of colorful cobb salads. Have spaghetti squash (with meat sauce for my carnivorous self) planned later this week. Will be looking for more veggie-filled recipes that I will actually like. And NO - I will not actually eat a celery stick - UGH. Instead, I have been making yummy stock with it :).

Geostache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #273 on: February 25, 2016, 07:46:30 AM »
Tomorrow is weigh in day. I'm not anticipating good results. Yikes. My weight has fluctuated all week, which it usually does, but there's generally a downward trend. All week, it's been flitting about the same as last week's weigh in. I guess we'll see!

@elaine: how's the veggie eating going?

rockstache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #274 on: February 25, 2016, 09:13:56 AM »
@Geostache, I have had a rough week too weight wise. I'm just staying consistent and trying not to worry about the numbers.

@Elaine I haven't commented much but your posts have been super helpful and encouraging to me, so please keep it up! We do have similar heights/weights, so I am enjoying following you.

Geostache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #275 on: February 26, 2016, 06:32:47 AM »
Whelp, it was as I suspected. I gained 0.4 lbs this week. Based on how I treated my body, it could have been way worse. Here's where I stand this week (week 8):

Stats:
1/01/2016: 182.8
1/08/2016: 176
1/15/2016: 173.4
1/22/2016: 172
1/29/2016: 168
2/05/2016: 167.2
2/12/2016: 165
2/19/2016: 162.6
2/26/2016: 163.0

Week 8 total loss: 19.8.

I'm not going to dwell on the gain. It's bound to happen sometimes. In the win department, I had to go shopping for work pants that weren't falling off, as my existing pants were doing! And, my 10 day running average is still decreasing.

I made a delicious mint chocolate green smoothie for breakfast this morning:
(Makes 2 servings)
1.75 c water
0.25 c 2% milk
1 c fat free greek yogurt
1/8 c dried figs
2 c spinach
1 square Ghirardelli 92% chocolate
2 drops mint extract
2 bananas


ruthiegirl

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #276 on: February 26, 2016, 02:05:20 PM »
Battery is dead in my scale and I haven't been to the store to replace it yet.  I don't think I have not lost weight, but have been exercising a ton...lots of long walks, lots of hills, even a bit of running.  I feel stronger and calmer, so that is something.  Now for the food part of the equation. 

Rightflyer

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #277 on: February 27, 2016, 09:33:07 AM »
Made it finally!!

Nov 1  - 201lbs.
Jan 13 - 188 lbs.
Jan 18 - 187 lbs.
Feb 12 - 186 lbs.
Feb 27 - 185 lbs.

Now on down to 180...(although we're having fajitas tonight and roast lamb tomorrow night so the next pound is a little way off down the line.

Goal 185 lbs.
Stretch 180 lbs

RonMcCord

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #278 on: February 27, 2016, 10:22:01 AM »
Jan 4:175lbs.
Jan 28:169lbs.
Feb 27:162lbs.

Depending on what BMI calculator you use, I'm either just barely above or just barely below a healthy BMI.  My waistline is down to what it was in high school, so that's encouraging especially considering that I've seen some of my high school friends around and they've gained a ton of weight.  Not stopping until 145 though.


jim555

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #279 on: February 28, 2016, 01:43:08 PM »
I got off the Coca Cola addiction and eat mainly chicken and frozen vegetables, lost 19 lbs., 4 lbs to go.

Tyn

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #280 on: February 29, 2016, 04:14:51 AM »
Start - 194
6th Feb - 192
28th Feb - 193

I've been ill most of the month so lacked motivation for any sort of meal planning, definitely need to start doing that again.  Just got an allotment so that will keep me a bit more active (and not lounging around boredom eating on the weekends) and hopefully I'll get some cheap healthy food out of it too.

Cookie78

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #281 on: February 29, 2016, 08:09:46 AM »
I'm not enjoying running enough to keep up with it and need to find something else to do for now. I'd like to do a martial art, but that'll cost more and honestly I'm more likely to succeed right now if I can do something regularly without having to leave my house. Maybe body weight exercises.

I kept up quite well with healthy food and tracking calories this week, but I need an exercise component to notice any significant results. at least I discovered Habitica this week which has been very helpful in reminding me to stretch each day (just 10 min, but it's a start), among other non fitness related habits I want to build or maintain (Spanish, meditation, dog walks, health stuff).


Monday check in:

Jan 4 Starting weight: 160
Jan 11 weight: 156
Jan 18 weight: 155.2
Jan 25 weight: 156.8
Feb 1 weight: 155.2
Feb 8 weight: 153.2
Feb 15 weight: 151.6
Feb 22 weight 152.6
Feb 29 weight 152.2
Goal weight: 130

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #282 on: February 29, 2016, 09:57:47 PM »
Jan 4 - 154 lbs
Jan 11 - 153.2 lbs
Jan 18 - 149.2lbs
Jan 25 - 149.2lbs
Feb 1 - 146.6lbs
Feb 8 - 144.8lbs
Feb 15 - 143lbs
Feb 22 - 141.2lbs
Feb 29 - 143 lbs

GOAL WEIGHT - 130lbs

Total: 11 lbs

I got all the way down to 140 last weekend...was hoping for some nice impressive numbers to share. But I feel the familiar bloat coming on. I piled on 3 lbs in one day *sigh* It is not going to be fun looking at the scale for the next week.

It's been really nice to see the encouraging reports of progress posted. It does help me a lot to know I will be posting here.

I had an amazing weekend getaway with DH - ate a lot, but was actually able to stop before stuffing myself. I even packed up half my lunch! And at a Chinese buffet, kept myself to about 1500 calories. All while NOT restricting myself. I ended up working out a lot all weekend (had a great time with the hotel facilities) and managed to end up UNDER my weekly calories. I was so far under that when I got home, I continued snacking. I finally stopped late at night because I was too full - even though I still had 500 cals available to eat. So different for me.

Then, today happened. I have been a miserable grouch all day. Ate 200 cals of ice cream at work but was too busy to go for my lunchtime walk. Got home and was grouchy all night. Ate without weighing (I guesstimate it was about 500 cals so not horrible) and refused to workout, holing up in bed with a book. Thankfully, I didn't take a snack with me like I used to do. I was so grumpy, I infected my DH too. Finally, I decided to do my best to shake out of it and I did my 12 min strength workout. It helped a little - at least I wasn't a total sloth.

I am a little worried about tomorrow. I spent a fair bit of time plotting to get my favourite chicken wing lunch tomorrow. And I usually eat 15 of them in one sitting. Eeeek. I have a sweet potato shepherd's pie in the freezer I should eat instead....

On a positive note, my veggie intake went pretty well last week. We ate a ton of veggie meals with lots of new recipes - Spaghetti Squash with Meat Ragu and Zoodles Lo Mein stood out. I was surprised at how good they were. I also reached for fruits for snacking instead of too much junk (although I still allowed some junk). I made a Vegetarian Curry from scratch last night (for the first time) and it turned out great! Hubs is happy as he wants to limit meat. On the plus side, veggie meals are way more filling for way less calories.



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elaine amj

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Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #283 on: February 29, 2016, 10:08:45 PM »
@geostache while I am sure it was disappointing to see the weight gain, I like your attitude. It was highly likely that it will happen at some point, and u already had an understanding based on your habits the past week. Rather than giving up and throwing in the towel, u can now use this knowledge to turn things around for the better.

@rockstache awwww...thanks :) I am totally rooting for u. It's not easy for us shorties - very envious of the extra calories tall folks get away with!

@ruthiegirl That is awesome that u are building up your fitness level! I started doing a lot more about 6-7 years ago and was able to have sooo much more fun. That said, u are right - weight needs to be dealt with in the kitchen. I used to think fit ppl couldn't be fat. I have learned otherwise.

@rightflyer Wooooohoooooooooooo!!! That is an amazing accomplishment to hit goal :) Now u need to share your secrets - what worked, what didn't work?

@RonMcCord It is coming off - and pretty quickly too!

@jim555 almost there :) those Cokes sure pack in a lot of calories, don't they?

@Tyn Meal planning helps so much- I'm sure it will feel great once now that u are able to get things more organized again.

@Cookie78 U know, exercise is great and everything...but REALLY not necessary for weightloss. That said, I have found some awesome YouTube videos. Free ...and u can do them at home. I like not having to go to the gym. Less time suck.


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« Last Edit: February 29, 2016, 10:12:28 PM by elaine amj »

Geostache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #284 on: March 01, 2016, 06:41:55 AM »
Jan 4 - 154 lbs
Jan 11 - 153.2 lbs
Jan 18 - 149.2lbs
Jan 25 - 149.2lbs
Feb 1 - 146.6lbs
Feb 8 - 144.8lbs
Feb 15 - 143lbs
Feb 22 - 141.2lbs
Feb 29 - 143 lbs

GOAL WEIGHT - 130lbs

Total: 11 lbs


Then, today happened. I have been a miserable grouch all day. Ate 200 cals of ice cream at work but was too busy to go for my lunchtime walk. Got home and was grouchy all night. Ate without weighing (I guesstimate it was about 500 cals so not horrible) and refused to workout, holing up in bed with a book. Thankfully, I didn't take a snack with me like I used to do. I was so grumpy, I infected my DH too. Finally, I decided to do my best to shake out of it and I did my 12 min strength workout. It helped a little - at least I wasn't a total sloth.

I am a little worried about tomorrow. I spent a fair bit of time plotting to get my favourite chicken wing lunch tomorrow. And I usually eat 15 of them in one sitting. Eeeek. I have a sweet potato shepherd's pie in the freezer I should eat instead....

On a positive note, my veggie intake went pretty well last week. We ate a ton of veggie meals with lots of new recipes - Spaghetti Squash with Meat Ragu and Zoodles Lo Mein stood out. I was surprised at how good they were. I also reached for fruits for snacking instead of too much junk (although I still allowed some junk). I made a Vegetarian Curry from scratch last night (for the first time) and it turned out great! Hubs is happy as he wants to limit meat. On the plus side, veggie meals are way more filling for way less calories.



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That's great progress, Elaine! I was hit with the emotional roller coaster about a week and a half ago. Just hang in there and know that you're still in a much better position now that you're tracking than if you just let it all go and ate whatever and however you wanted because of the emotions!

Veggie curries are awesome! I wish I could get my husband to eat more of them. He tends to not like most of the veggie based meals I make, unfortunately. :-/

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #285 on: March 01, 2016, 07:36:14 AM »
@geostache Thanks so much! I am doing better this morning and for lunch today, packed some baked eggplant I had in the freezer. Still resisting temptation - will let you guys know if I am successful :)

As for veggie meals - I am a confirmed carnivore and not typically a fan of vegetarian meals. But seriously, skinnytaste's recipes have changed my life! They are SO good I rarely miss the meat, or if there is meat, it is an accent to the dish. Another trick I found that worked is that for ground meat recipes, sub half the meat with grated carrots. After it takes on the flavor of the meat and sauces, your tastebuds can barely tell the difference. If I hadn't known I added grated carrots, I would have had no idea. My kids didn't even complain :)

Cookie78

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #286 on: March 01, 2016, 08:04:36 AM »

@Cookie78 U know, exercise is great and everything...but REALLY not necessary for weightloss. That said, I have found some awesome YouTube videos. Free ...and u can do them at home. I like not having to go to the gym. Less time suck.


I know it's not required, but it's also very helpful, at least for me, in many other ways. Energy levels (though I'm certain I must have some other issue causing the energy level problem, going to doctor tomorrow for blood test results), strength, happiness, sleep quality, flexibility (I can already feel the difference after a little stretching each day), and more muscles means more calories burned up without an extra effort. In my experience if I add strength building exercises the weight loss is more sustainable long term. More than anything, I'm just convincing/reminding myself of all this. It's easy to remember while I'm sitting at work each morning, less so when I get home exhausted and just want to crash. I've been in bed by 7/7:30 4 weeknights out of the past 6.

I think I'm going to do as you suggest and find different Youtube videos, etc, and mix things up each week so I don't get bored. I found a good body weight exercise plan too, and I have a couple old p90x videos from a few years ago that worked like magic at the time.

Elle 8

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #287 on: March 01, 2016, 10:30:10 AM »
Ugh, I really hate to put this in writing but I think I need to do something to make myself accountable.  5'6" female, 191 lbs.  This is the highest I've ever been.  I had been up to 188 about 5-6 years ago and went on Weight Watchers and got down to 165.  I felt good at 165, although that's still higher than I should be.  At 188 and now at 191 my size 16 pants are tight.  I really don't want to buy bigger pants.  At 165 I was at a loose 14 and thought I was going to get down to a 12 but that didn't happen.  Stopped going to WW and now I'm worse off than when I started.  I'm going to try to do this without WW this time but if I can't do it I will join again.

Current:  191
Goal 1:  165 by 6/1/16
Goal 2:  150 by 8/1/16

I'll reassess when I get to 150 (I almost wrote "IF I get to 150" but decided to be optimistic!)  That might end up being my target weight.  Even in high school I was 145 so that sounds reasonable to me.

Good luck everyone!

Geostache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #288 on: March 02, 2016, 11:19:58 AM »
@Elle, welcome! Everyone has been so supportive on this thread! It's good to see what different people do to help them over hurdles.

I think I have hit a plateau. After two months of quick weight loss, I have been bouncing around the same weight for almost 3 weeks. I started tracking my food yesterday, even though I know I'm mostly keeping my portions under control and eating healthy foods. I figured I can't fix a problem until I diagnose it! Yesterday, my UP app said that I ate 1234 calories. Monday, I logged 1,144 calories. I'll give it another couple of days, and if the calorie intake is the same, and the plateau sticks, I might have to give myself a few high calorie days to see what that does. Nobody said this was going to be easy!

Rightflyer

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #289 on: March 02, 2016, 02:02:37 PM »
@geostache while I am sure it was disappointing to see the weight gain, I like your attitude. It was highly likely that it will happen at some point, and u already had an understanding based on your habits the past week. Rather than giving up and throwing in the towel, u can now use this knowledge to turn things around for the better.

@rockstache awwww...thanks :) I am totally rooting for u. It's not easy for us shorties - very envious of the extra calories tall folks get away with!

@ruthiegirl That is awesome that u are building up your fitness level! I started doing a lot more about 6-7 years ago and was able to have sooo much more fun. That said, u are right - weight needs to be dealt with in the kitchen. I used to think fit ppl couldn't be fat. I have learned otherwise.

@rightflyer Wooooohoooooooooooo!!! That is an amazing accomplishment to hit goal :) Now u need to share your secrets - what worked, what didn't work?

@RonMcCord It is coming off - and pretty quickly too!

@jim555 almost there :) those Cokes sure pack in a lot of calories, don't they?

@Tyn Meal planning helps so much- I'm sure it will feel great once now that u are able to get things more organized again.

@Cookie78 U know, exercise is great and everything...but REALLY not necessary for weightloss. That said, I have found some awesome YouTube videos. Free ...and u can do them at home. I like not having to go to the gym. Less time suck.


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Thank you so much elaineamj! You have become a wonderful supporter on this thread. I very much appreciate your encouragement.

As for the secrets...No magic really.

What has worked:

1) Building a spreadsheet to track weight/calories (everything I do seems to start with a spreadsheet)

2) Religiously doing the Convict Conditioning workout

3) No booze during the week.

4) Only weighed myself when the spreadsheet projected that I should be down a pound.

5) Doing something active every. single. day. (Long walks with the dog, finishing the basement, chopping wood, shovelling the driveway etc)


What hasn't worked:

-Dieting
-Obsessing
-Self Flagellation
-Fitbits, watches, apps, androids, daleks, etc etc
-Weight loss books, websites, online groups (except this one!)

Basically: Less calories in - more calories out.

Bee21

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #290 on: March 02, 2016, 08:33:26 PM »
Well, the first few weeks went well and I lost 2 kg. Than I hurt my back in the gym and was unable to exercise (and do housework), so I can't report much progress. I reduced the breakfast to one slice of bread and curbed my snacking, but I can't see the results yet.

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #291 on: March 02, 2016, 09:05:48 PM »
@elle WELCOME!!! I was horrified at myself too...which is why I finally decided to join this thread. Something clicked and I am going strong.

I have to admit that this week I am struggling. I felt awesome all weekend but then got into a horrible mood Starting Sunday night (It's getting close to that time of the month sigh). Yesterday I did cave and got chicken wings. Ugh! Then followed it up with cookies. Double ugh. On top of that, I have been super tired and have not worked out since Sunday.

Managed to stick to plan today. But still thinking of more wings. I am going on vacation in 1.5 weeks and eating tons of food. So I really want to keep myself eating less until then - preferably at my calorie goal or slightly under calorie.

Of course, this is about the 2 month mark for me and like @geostache, the initial rapid loss is starting to stall. I have just returned to the same weight I clocked in 2 weeks ago after some yo-yoing. I am NOT going to panic yet though - TrendWeight still shows a steady decline.


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cityfolks

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #292 on: March 03, 2016, 07:23:02 AM »
Went to the gym for the first time in a long time this morning! My weight's been fluctuating in the same pound for the past few weeks, I'm hoping this will change things up a little.

Geostache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #293 on: March 03, 2016, 08:12:03 AM »
@elle WELCOME!!! I was horrified at myself too...which is why I finally decided to join this thread. Something clicked and I am going strong.

I have to admit that this week I am struggling. I felt awesome all weekend but then got into a horrible mood Starting Sunday night (It's getting close to that time of the month sigh). Yesterday I did cave and got chicken wings. Ugh! Then followed it up with cookies. Double ugh. On top of that, I have been super tired and have not worked out since Sunday.

Managed to stick to plan today. But still thinking of more wings. I am going on vacation in 1.5 weeks and eating tons of food. So I really want to keep myself eating less until then - preferably at my calorie goal or slightly under calorie.

Of course, this is about the 2 month mark for me and like @geostache, the initial rapid loss is starting to stall. I have just returned to the same weight I clocked in 2 weeks ago after some yo-yoing. I am NOT going to panic yet though - TrendWeight still shows a steady decline.


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Hormones are terrible! Nothing like an uncontrollable bodily function to make one feel like the world is crumbling around you! I got the double-whammy of depression and a seemingly insatiable hunger.

Mmm wings. I told my husband last night that I felt like it was beer and wings night. I haven't had wings in quite awhile! So, I went a little overboard, and wound up eating about 2,400 calories yesterday! One of the recommendations I read about plateaus was to vary the caloric intake between 1,800-2,400 for three days to 'trick' the body into bumping up the metabolism. I'm a little hesitant to do it again today, especially since tomorrow is weigh-in day. But we'll see! Maybe your wing and cookie indulgence will help you! I couldn't think of a better way to boost one's metabolism!

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #294 on: March 03, 2016, 11:09:39 AM »
@geostache I don't know about varying the caloric intake - but I guess I have been doing that anyway since I have had a few splurge days recently and when I go on vacation, I'm DEFINITELY splurging!

On a good note, I FINALLY broke the 140lb barrier this morning! I am at 139.8 lbs, down from 143 lbs on Monday (which I knew was a spike because I felt bloated that day). To make this even sweeter, this morning, my favorite wide elastic belt didn't fit - it was actually TOO LOOSE. I had to grab a belt I have NEVER BEEN ABLE TO WEAR because it was too tight. WOOOHOOOOOOO!!!!

I'm definitely saying no to those chicken wings. I had some cilantro chicken and shrimp with rice for lunch instead that I pulled out from the freezer (cooked about a month ago). Pre-packing all my dinner leftovers has made this all SO much easier! I had left my portion out on the counter in the lunch room as I was doing some other stuff and my coworker later asked me if I REALLY labeled all my food with the weight, calorie count, etc. I have actually been keeping it on the down-low and laughed, saying no one was supposed to see that! She then asked how I knew - and I told her I use a recipe builder and figure it out that way. It's super easy then just to portion it out after I cook it and freeze it for lunches. She mostly uses shakes, veggies for lunches, portion control, and restricting wine whenever she needs to lose weight (she yo-yos a bit between about 20 lbs but has never put on any significant excess weight in the 5 years I've known her) so she was curious. I explained that I count calories, because then I can give myself permission to eat more :)

Geostache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #295 on: March 04, 2016, 06:47:17 AM »
@Elaine: Way to break the 140 barrier! That's awesome! It feels good to have victories on the scale and also see it reflected in your clothing.

@Rightflyer: Thanks for the motivation! It's helpful to see how people have not only lost, but kept the motivation to maintain that loss.

I've definitely hit a plateau. I'm up 0.6 this week, and 1 pound from two weeks ago. Blargh! Maybe those chicken wings and beer had something to do with it. :-/

I only started tracking calories a few days ago, so I am going to keep at it this week and see if I'm eating what I think I'm actually eating. Chances are, I've been more slack that I think I have. It's all about accountability, right?

Stats:
1/01/2016: 182.8
1/08/2016: 176
1/15/2016: 173.4
1/22/2016: 172
1/29/2016: 168
2/05/2016: 167.2
2/12/2016: 165
2/19/2016: 162.6
2/26/2016: 163.0 (+0.4)
3/4/2016: 163.6 (+0.6)

Total loss: 19.2
Goal weight: 140

elaine amj

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #296 on: March 04, 2016, 07:59:05 PM »
@geostache as u get closer to your goal, your margin of error decreases. One thing I have learned about counting calories...it takes about 3 weeks of watching your trends to see if u are in the right track. So don't change up your strategies too quickly.

Also, a $10 kitchen scale made counting calories SOOOO much easier and less stressful.


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Geostache

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #297 on: March 07, 2016, 08:23:09 AM »
@Elaine, Thanks for the tip. I'll be sure not to change my eating habits too drastically. I do have a kitchen scale. Last night, I actually measured out the portions of dinner to be sure I knew exactly how much I was eating. I usually just visually divide up the dish I make, which is harder when the husband goes and helps himself to additional servings of unknown quantity.

I did my first day of Jillian Michael's "Ripped in 30" this morning. It was tough! I like that all of the muscle groups get worked in one 30 minute workout.

MicroSpice

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #298 on: March 07, 2016, 08:27:51 AM »
@Geostache - I second elaineamj's recommendation to track calories. I have been on MyFitnessPal along with a few other posters on this thread and it is definitely what's keeping me on track. I try not to be obsessive about it; for example, I don't log/track calories on the weekends. That said, counting calories and paying attention to the amount of food I should actually be eating has resulted in me being able to keep things in check during the days I don't track. So I might have an extra glass of wine, but I don't feel badly about it if I know that I've been eating well and tracking during the week.

I'm still going slow and steady, so that's why I've only been posting my progress on a biweekly basis. Nothing too exciting here, especially compared to others! But I'm getting closer and closer to my goal weight and I feel really confident that I'll reach it. I'm also going to pick up a fitness pass from my employer this week and go to yoga during my lunch break whenever I can. I still haven't been able to convince myself to get out of bed in the morning to exercise, but I'm working on it.

Weight Progress:
- 1/10: 133 pounds
- 1/18: 131.8 pounds
- 1/21: 130.8 pounds
- 2/22: 128 pounds
- 3/7: 126.4 pounds

Goal Weight: 110 pounds

Cookie78

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Re: Losing Weight in 2016
« Reply #299 on: March 07, 2016, 08:29:01 AM »
Was not very hungry this week at all. Started a medication on Wednesday that can have a side effect of increased appetite. Either it did the opposite for me, or I'm over compensating by eating even less than normal. Haven't started exercising more yet, as I'd promised last week. Daily stretching and walking, the occasional pushups, and gardening/year work (in March, wow!) are all I've been doing. But I broke the 150 barrier. :D 10 down, 20 more to go. (Confession: Free cake at work today and I partook... twice)

Monday check in:

Jan 4 Starting weight: 160
Jan 11 weight: 156
Jan 18 weight: 155.2
Jan 25 weight: 156.8
Feb 1 weight: 155.2
Feb 8 weight: 153.2
Feb 15 weight: 151.6
Feb 22 weight 152.6
Feb 29 weight 152.2
Mar 7 weight 149.4
Goal weight: 130

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!