Summer of Heroes - June 2017 Lifestyle/Weight loss Challenge

[Oneanne]

Hello I'm Lizanne... and joining in again this month with I think two goals, which will go under short term:

1. To get a program going with the nutritionist
2. To get a program going with the therapeutic yoga teacher

Long term goals... to maintain good health for an active life style well in to my 80's.

Today is a half day for me and then I'm outta here. We leave for the beach Friday morning and will be there by lunchtime. We're actually going all the way to Astoria Oregon, to have lunch with a friend of my Sister's then will double back to where we are staying on the Washington Coast. We're in my second favorite hotel, right on the beach which will be nice even though this is going to be a challenging trip.

Sure looking forward to June, it's feeling like a fresh start... I think having some sunshine certainly does make a difference. And having some time off is going to help me to regroup and getting going in the right direction, so I'm pretty excited about how this month is going to pan out.

I'll be off line for the next week, and will check in when I get back.

 

[HappyGrape]

I am in again! Reading and thinking about this journey everyday is keeping me so on track right now, so I'm keeping it going.

Same goal as last month - 12 classes at Orangetheory. I will also be eating sensibly (not tracking though). I am finding that if I keep my body moving, I can trust the work. My body is taking care of the weight loss, slowly but surely. I just have to keep moving and keep away from too much dairy, fats, and sweets!

I feel like I am practicing right now for the future I want. I want to eat sensibly without tracking every mouthful, but stay active enough to maintain my best weight. Right now, I am exercising 3-4 times per week, eating sensibly, and still loosing weight. Once I get to where my body settles at a weight where I can maintain that lifestyle, I think I want to reel it in a little on HIIT workouts and incorporate other types. This is my exercise vision for my maintenance mode -- one strength & cardio training day, a dance based class day, and a yoga day per week -- and then eating sensibly to maintain. Nothing insane... things I enjoy... totally manageable. My goals right now are a means to that end in that obviously I want to loose weight faster than my maintenance vision would allow, but also I need to build up strength and muscle and most of all create the routine.

I LOVE the sentence in bold.

Tracking isn't for everyone. I love it, estimating seem to be working for me for maintenance and it takes me about 5 minutes a day. I love having the data to review and look at things as energy level and types of foods I was having! My DH absolutely hated it when he tried and he decided on completely different way forward. He eats in moderation and plays tennis. He is much happier doing his thing If you view it as practice for the future you want (awesome line!), and what do you want to keep doing long term, you will figure out what is the right thing for you to get there, I think. And also relate to wanting to have results faster, and wanting it all done right now but how well you put the most important thing creating the routine! I have zero patience.

 

[HappyGrape]

Hello I'm Lizanne... and joining in again this month with I think two goals, which will go under short term:

1. To get a program going with the nutritionist
2. To get a program going with the therapeutic yoga teacher

Long term goals... to maintain good health for an active life style well in to my 80's.

Today is a half day for me and then I'm outta here. We leave for the beach Friday morning and will be there by lunchtime. We're actually going all the way to Astoria Oregon, to have lunch with a friend of my Sister's then will double back to where we are staying on the Washington Coast. We're in my second favorite hotel, right on the beach which will be nice even though this is going to be a challenging trip.

Sure looking forward to June, it's feeling like a fresh start... I think having some sunshine certainly does make a difference. And having some time off is going to help me to regroup and getting going in the right direction, so I'm pretty excited about how this month is going to pan out.

I'll be off line for the next week, and will check in when I get back.

Sounds like a lovely month ahead of you! I am loving the sunshine and summer so much, so much more energy compared to dark and rainy January.

 

[cheshirealliekat]

What are you training for? It's awesome to have athletic goal to train for.

I am doing the Princess half in February! So I am trying to do some speed improvements now to get a good proof of time. Although it's so hot and humid in FL I am even slower at the moment!

 

[MommaoffherRocker]

Question of the day - Introduce yourself, tell us about your goals for this month, your long term goals, and your strategy

I'm Melanie, a SAHM with 5 kids from Florida. I am a runner as most of you know. To date I have run 1 marathon, 8 half marathons and numerous other smaller races. Right now I am training for a 10 miler in September to get a proof of time for Dopey 2018. My long term goal is to lose 50lbs and bring my total weight loss to 75lbs. I gained 8lbs last month because of vacations and continuing to eat bad once I was home. I was going to make that my goal for the month but that might be setting the bar too high. Instead I think I am going to focus on drinking water and hopefully as a byproduct I will lose weight. I have gotten away from water and I really need to get back to it because it is so hot right now! My goal for the month will be to get in a min. of 8 cups of water each day.

 

[4HOLIDAYS]

I'm in! I'm Jennifer, 51, married,just had my 22nd anniv., mom to 2 DS(21 and 18) and a 4 legged baby. I am just finishing homeschooling my 18yr, so now I have more me time. I homeschooled both all the way thru. We have our own business, which my DH keeps wanting me to do a little more and a little more now that I have "free" time-I thought I was retired!

I love WDW! Grew up on it-first trip was grand opening in Oct '71 when my parents stumbled onto it, then almost every yr they would bring us down in the winter. I raised my kids on it, too!

I am hoping to lose 6 lb this month. Overall, at least 50. Some health isssues are really motivating me. I joined WW and am down 6lbs in 2 weeks.

 

[HappyGrape]

Well done for your weight loss @4HOLIDAYS and welcome. I am sorry to hear you are having some health challenges. Well done for taking actions towards healthier you

@MommaoffherRocker I find it harder to go back to normal after vacation, even now after I changed the way I eat on vacations. There is little element of not wanting to leave the vacation mode for me, and trying to cheer myself up with tasty treats can give short mood boost. Well done for not avoiding the scale and staying aware - it's not big deal if you don't make it big deal!

 

[HappyGrape]

June 2 - Happy Friday!

"All or nothing rarely gets us all! It usually gets us nothing"

Question of the day: When, in your previous experience you felt that it was easy for you to stick to the diet/way of eating plan? What can you do to make it easy for yourself this month? When is it hard? Is it anything you can do to not be hard for you to stick to the plan this month?​

There are things that we can't control -for example, when I was 23 and had no kids to look after! That ship is sailed. But there are many things that can be done. There will be similar question on exercise, so this is only focused on food.​

 

[HappyGrape]

Complete lack of theme again! I hope pictures of super fit superheros provide some inspiration and I will focus on trying to come up with good topics for us

Here is my answer! Warning - it will be long. I am really looking forward reading yours too


When is it easy to stick to a healthier way of eating

When it's spring and summer! Honestly, I find it much easier now as I love summer fruit and veggies and I find my cravings much healthier. Nothing can be done about that! I will have to decide on trying to maintain summer weight this winter or expect I will be few kg up during the winter.

When I track calories. I just find it so easy, and I have no issues estimating my meals but find the consistent habit of adding it all up like awareness exercise. Even when I go over, I add the numbers, own it and move on. It has been tool that made it easier for me.

When I have holiday to look forward to! Honestly it's true, I don't like the thought of looking puffy in the pictures or on the beach and I as shallow as it sounds it gives me motivation.

When I eat a lot of veggies or veggies and fruit. Half, or at least 300g with each of my meal and part of my snack too. It really helps me be satisfied with meals for longer. Again - this one is much easier in the summer as produce taste better.

When the plan is flexible. I found it easy to stick to the plan when I did the no added sugar diet for 100 days but impossible to do after I ate sugar on WDW vacation. I find banned lists of food makes it harder for me. Or having a specific numbers of meals, or anything too strict - doesn't work. I need framework, skills to allow me to navigate through my day and still get progress. Not rigid rules that I have to keep

Having said that - I find eating very sweet desserts, or any very sweet items makes it harder for me. Only last weekend I was asking my husband to go for a cake in my favorite cheesecake shop and he commented what's up with that? I linked to protein powder I have been experimenting with. It's sweet, and it made me crave more sweets. It doesn't matter if it's listed as 0 sugar or low carb, the sweetness is what makes it harder for me to be happy with box of berries, if I have other highly sweet items in my diet. I am not saying I don't eat suits or ice cream, but it's easy for me to look at them as sometimes food, not part of my diet. As I want to find it easy, I don't go for desserts very often at all

Eating food I don't feel like, or I don't like makes it hard for me. This makes me craving food other food for hours after! I need to enjoy my meals, I commit to be sensible most of the time in exchange for that, but I am not eating just for fuel - I have to enjoy my food.

Not eating out makes it hard for me. I eat out a lot, and if a plan is to work for me it has to be able to accommodate that. When I avoid social situations so I can stick to the plan - I am in trouble! I have gone too far and soon I will start hating it and give up! My plan have to include meals out.


Specific items I do, or plan to do this month

I found out a lot of options near my work - from shops I can buy bag of lettuce, add tuna and dressing for a quick salad, to lighter options on bagel cafe, salads, soups, burrito bowls - I have so many tasty options around me that will fit in my calorie budget and contain veggies or veggies and fruit, it's not an issue to not feel like bringing boxed lunch. I do this at least one day a week. It's tempting to skip it and bring food but I know better by now what happens after trying too hard. This has been sooo helpful!


I find I need few hours, perhaps half day to get myself ready for the week ahead. Make a rough plan, do my shopping, pre chopped veggies (you have to try this!) and store in zip lock or glass containers. It's struggle during the week if I don't have this in place.

I don't let myself create too big of a deficit more then one day in row.

I will also read some recipes this weekend and make few new things! I love food and keeping it fun and enjoyable really helps me feeling that I can do this, I can do this easy and I am loving it. I will try at least 2 new recipes weekly for the next 3 weeks from the hairy bikers books.

I bring myself some thing in work - we have fridge. So for example Monday I will 3 single serving of yogurts and boxes of berries, perhaps hummus and little flatbread type cracker. I love having a healthy snack to reach out to, and cuts the temptation to get unhealthy one. Bringing them once a week makes the daily load less! Theyare there

planning ahead is definitely worth it for me

Looking forward reading your replies, perhaps I can pick up few new items!

Be kind to yourself. Have a healthy and happy Friday

 

[piglet1979]

June 2 - Happy Friday!

"All or nothing rarely gets us all! It usually gets us nothing"

Question of the day: When, in your previous experience you felt that it was easy for you to stick to the diet/way of eating plan? What can you do to make it easy for yourself this month? When is it hard? Is it anything you can do to not be hard for you to stick to the plan this month?​

There are things that we can't control -for example, when I was 23 and had no kids to look after! That ship is sailed. But there are many things that can be done. There will be similar question on exercise, so this is only focused on food.​

I don't think I have a previous diet. I was always thin and didn't have to care about what i ate until I was about 30. For now I go by I can eat anything in moderation. This week while the kids have been gone I have had an ice cream cone everyday but I won't have another for weeks. At a party I will have a piece of cake but just one and not a huge piece. If I cut everything the "diet" will not work.

It is hard for me to eat good when we are busy and we don't have time to cook. I need to be better at preparing meals a head of time. I also found out this week it is harder to eat good when the kids are away. I must feel like I need to cook for them or maybe it is the cost of eating out with 4 rather then 2.

This month is a little crazy in a way. My son plays baseball and it is now in full swing. He has a baseball game (2 hour games and we have to be their 30 minutes early to warm up) 2 to 3 nights a week. Thankfully dance is over for the month and we only need to worry about baseball. I need to really work on planning and preparing food ahead of time. We shop on Sunday morning so there should be no reason I can't prep on Sunday after shopping.

This coming week is going to be difficult as well. My daughter goes to the allergist on Thursday and she can't have any of her allergy meds for 5 days prior to the appointment. This means she will be miserable until we can get her back on them. She will be very clingy because she is not feeling good and i will feel bad that she has to deal with it and then cuddle on the couch with her instead of getting dinner cooked. I am really hoping we find out what she is allergic to and that she get something that is stronger then the over the counter meds.

 

[Flossbolna]

Just a brief hello to take a spot on the thread! This week has been mayham with work, family issues and heat. I can't wait for the weekend (which will start soon, but big thing at work needs to be finished first). On top of that it is about to be that time of the month and the days leading up to this I am always far less relaxed than usually... Arg!

I was disappointed with my results in May, I just lost 0.1kg. Not sure what I want to make my June goal. I feel like my weight loss efforts are all in vain, even when I am good about it. I have no clue why. There were good aspects in May, I kept running a lot, the first month I ran over 60km in a month, I tracked 27 days out of 31. I mainly stayed within my goal calories (500 kcal deficit), only exceeded calories burned on one day I was tracking and only by 50kcal. Often had slightly more than 500kcal deficit. I am happy with my healthy lifestyle and I think I need to focus more on this instead of on the scale. But my weight is higher than what I want as high maintanance weight, especially since a lot of my nicer summer clothes don't fit really well. So, some weight loss is really needed. I will think about my June goals a little. And will try to answer today's QOTD later today because it is a really interesting one!!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

@HappyGrape I relate a lot to your post. I love fruits and veggies so spring and summer are natural times to eat much more of them (watermelon is my very favorite food on the planet and the first one of the summer is almost a spiritual experience).

Things that make it hard for me: One is that my husband is not on this journey with me and he happens to eat a lot of junk food....which I crave. His metabolism is off the charts because he eats like a hippo but is still very slender. So there have been lots of times where he sits next to me and eats an entire pizza while I'm crunching on a salad and some grapes or something. But he can't be on this journey with me in some ways because it would be unhealthy of him to lose weight. So I've been working on my self control and allowing myself just a bite of his pizza to satisfy my craving, then focusing on my goals.

Also, my work brings in a lot of food. Probably once a week I either have lunch provided or we have a lunch meeting out somewhere. Eating out has gotten easier for me and being able to pick healthy choices, but sometimes when they cater there simply are no healthy choices! So I'm working on planning for those days and bringing lots of fruit/veggie type snacks to supplement in case there isn't a lot that I'm comfortable eating that's being provided. Or I can just be the goober that brings her own lunch to the party

Another thing is that I'm a little bit picky. There are a handful of things that I just can't eat that happen to be in a lot of recipes...tomatoes, mushrooms, anything spicy, bell peppers, etc. So I get really bored with food. I'm working on trying to find new and exciting meal prep recipes so I'm not recycling the same three over and over.

 

[HappyGrape]

I was disappointed with my results in May, I just lost 0.1kg. Not sure what I want to make my June goal.
!

Honestly so was I! But if you have done your best, and have kept at your 500 cal deficit (mine was 400 in the end) that's all that you can do! I like behavior goals more as they are always encouraging to do well and the scale can be really frustrating at times.

If your clothes don't fit well, put them away and go out buy some that fits you well now! There is nothing that makes me feel fat and not good enought quicker than ill fitting clothes. I bought pair of shorts last year that were never the right size for me but I thought they will be perfect when I lose few more! There are few dresses from last year that don't feel right. I got very little wear out of them, but they don't make me feel good and have no place in my life!

Saying this made me realize I need to do a clear out again

 

[4HOLIDAYS]

QOTD- It was easier before kids! Actually before DH! His family owned a restaurant, which we ate at often, he loved to cook and always worked late so we would eat late, like 8/9 at night.

Since gaining, I have only found 1x that was pretty good, I was on the treadmill at home 30 min/day and on here!-it was a few yrs back when doing more like the biggest loser challenges-5 veg/day, #of water,min exercised/day...things like that.

I find it all hard-trying to change a lifetime of food habits...again. DH bringing home doughnuts, kids coming in with pizza, NOT eating the popcorn at the movies,BTW-wonder woman last night was great!, making sure I get my steps in...

I am finding motivation being on this board, searching other sites incl ww, skinnytaste...things like that for recipes, success stories. I hope this will make it easier for me.

 

[MommaoffherRocker]

When, in your previous experience you felt that it was easy for you to stick to the diet/way of eating plan?

When I lost weight after my first baby (over 60lbs on top of baby weight) I think I wanted to eat healthy for him, now things are so hectic and stressful and I reward myself with bad foods. I need to get back to that mindset of wanting to be healthy.

What can you do to make it easy for yourself this month?

Not put myself in bad situations like going out to eat or bring bad foods into the house.

When is it hard?

When I feel bad about myself or am stressed out.

 

[MommaoffherRocker]

If your clothes don't fit well, put them away and go out buy some that fits you well now! There is nothing that makes me feel fat and not good enought quicker than ill fitting clothes. I bought pair of shorts last year that were never the right size for me but I thought they will be perfect when I lose few more! There are few dresses from last year that don't feel right. I got very little wear out of them, but they don't make me feel good and have no place in my life!

YES!!! I am so guilty of this and it makes me feel so bad about myself, good fitting clothes are the best no matter the size.

 

[Lady Marie]

Question of the day: When, in your previous experience you felt that it was easy for you to stick to the diet/way of eating plan? What can you do to make it easy for yourself this month? When is it hard? Is it anything you can do to not be hard for you to stick to the plan this month?

This sounds like a cop out answer and I promise I am not blaming him, but before I was married was the best for me diet-wise. I was just looking out for myself and not influenced by anyone else's preferences or options around the house. Finding a common ground has not been easy, but I think we are coming to a better place. We had a conversation about fending for ourselves a lot and it's working. We just don't have compatible eating habits. He's a 3 squares, meat and potatoes guy... I want an apple and veggies with hummus for dinner. So now there is no more guilt on ourselves or pressure from the other to prepare meals together since we have communicated about our needs. We still enjoy meals together (sometimes just eating different things), and sometimes we both have a healthy meal that we prepare together. But managing our own diets has been so helpful for me.

Recently (as of like last week) he has been getting on my track more and more. He joined the gym (yay!) and is now more into eating better. It's much easier when he isn't bringing in sweets and treats to the house!

It gets hard with all of our families and special events. Summer brings a lot of them. And also with summer comes lazy Sundays at the beach or in the pool which usually come with a cocktail or 3.... and then if we are at his parent's pool (which is often), lazy pool day turns into lets order pizza for dinner so we don't have to do anything and can stay lounging in the pool... This year I am ready with my La Croix for cocktail mixers (no more tonic!) and limiting my drinks to 2 a day and only on weekends. For beach days, no more taking a sub sandwich to the beach. I'm loading the cooler with fruit and veggies!

Honestly it's true, I don't like the thought of looking puffy in the pictures or on the beach and I as shallow as it sounds it gives me motivation.

SAME! That is one of my big motivators. I have been avoiding photos for far too long, and I am far too vain to be like that! On the wall at Orangetheory they have sayings and one is "Think about why you started" -- Every darn time I look at those words I think about how bad I feel looking at some of my heaviest pictures and it really keeps me going.

If your clothes don't fit well, put them away and go out buy some that fits you well now! There is nothing that makes me feel fat and not good enought quicker than ill fitting clothes. I bought pair of shorts last year that were never the right size for me but I thought they will be perfect when I lose few more! There are few dresses from last year that don't feel right. I got very little wear out of them, but they don't make me feel good and have no place in my life!

Saying this made me realize I need to do a clear out again

Seriously! I literally did a closet clean out last night. One thing I noticed I am struggling with is emotional attachment to some of the clothes or a fantasy that I will wear them again. What I need to get through my head is that even if I do get down to the same weight I was 8 years ago, my body has changed. Different body now as I creep up on 30 than I had when I was 20 and barely not a teenager anymore!

 

[HappyGrape]

I love this quote from one of the lifting books I read "Strong". One of the authors, who is the trainers and makes the workouts recovered from stage 4 cancer

“If you ask a woman how much she weighs, you get a story, right? She’ll tell you, ‘When I was in high school, I weighed 135lb.’If you ask a guy how much he can deadlift, he’ll tell you, ‘When I was in college, I deadlifted 400.’”

In both situations, Alwyn would redirect the client: How much do you weigh now? How much can you deadlift now?

So what would he say to a 41-year-old client who focused relentlessly on what he could do two decades, one continent, and two cancer diagnoses ago? He’d say something like this:

“Let’s start over. Pretend you’ve never lifted before. Give yourself a clean scorecard. Every workout, every lift, is a new record. Five squats with good form? It’s a new record. Well done. You got six on the next set? Same weight, same technique? Outstanding. That’s another record, your second one today. Let’s move on.”Moving on, in fact, is essential to your success in Strong."


I think holding on to clothes that don't fit, and not buying clothes that fit me now is like message - "you aren't good enough unless and until you fit in the clothes" or "you have to fit in the clothes again, you can't be happy until then". This is not true! You don't need to put your happiness on hold, the clothes mean nothing, you are worth it and you are worth it as you are, today, not at some distance point. Toss them or hide them away and give yourself permission to be happy. I give my clothes in better condition to the charity shop. Things that are just little snug I pack away, and put them somewhere I don't see them. Out of sight out of mind. The quickest most pointless way to make myself feel down is worrying about clothes that don't fit me anymore.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

I think holding on to clothes that don't fit, and not buying clothes that fit me now is like message - "you aren't good enough unless and until you fit in the clothes" or "you have to fit in the clothes again, you can't be happy until then". This is not true! You don't need to put your happiness on hold, the clothes mean nothing, you are worth it and you are worth it as you are, today, not at some distance point. Toss them or hide them away and give yourself permission to be happy. I give my clothes in better condition to the charity shop. Things that are just little snug I pack away, and put them somewhere I don't see them. Out of sight out of mind. The quickest most pointless way to make myself feel down is worrying about clothes that don't fit me anymore.

Wow I so needed to see this. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Wish I lived in Fl]

Having some carbs allowed on a diet (The F-Factor Diet)rather than no carbs (Ketogenic Diet) is easier for me to stick to rather than giving up entirely.