August Challenge

[LauraM5]

My goal this month is to
exercise 3-4 times a week for longer periods of time. about 2 hours a week (30 min X 4 days!)
make better food choices!
get under 175 lbs, which would mean an 8 pound weight loss this month.

My starting weight is 182.4.

I'm 178.0 today. I did much better this month with food choices but had a hard time with exercise with starting back to work this month (I'm a teacher).

[michelleb]

Well if I'm down tomorrow I'll update, if I'm up...not, lol!

[scgal21]

I'm so happy to report that I surpassed my expectations for August. I've been sick and I'm sure that's the reason, but at this point I'll take it! My surgiversary is on the 8th of each month, but so far I've lost 7 pounds with 1 week to go Getting my water and excercise in most days. My gallbladder comes out next Wed so I'm trying to get as healthy as possible.

[Gayle]

I am goal oriented so let's see: BTW School starts Monday the 6th for me (BIG, scary change. School is how I gained all this weight)
goal #1: stop at the pool on the way home from school even if deadly exhausted; do NOT go home first and get sucked into the lethargy that has ruled my life for so long
goal #2: 4 meals / day -- no snacking
goal #3: beat the carb seeker in me at school -- no more crazy hunts for something to eat!
goal #4: starting weight 178.6 goal 170 (that's a high goal for me -- I have been a very slow loser)
goal #5: take the time to make fun and delicious lunches for school so that I have something to look forward to
goal #6: take the time to eat breakfast -- plan to try baked oatmeal and egg white frittata muffin cups so that they are ready to go.
Good luck, everyone!

Okay -- End of August tally:
goal #1 I stopped at the pool on the way home almost every day (weather permitting) and swam 1 mile -- 2 days I was too exhausted to move and went straight home and to bed.
goal #2 4 meals / day -- no snacking -- once I moved my snack to the morning all was good
goal #3 same as #2
goal #4 exceeded my goal! 178.6 start 165.8 end
goal #5 fun lunches -- I bought some bento boxes for lunches and they really help beat the blahs for lunch. I fill the big slot with field greens, add a little plastic souffle cup with Maple Groves sugar free Balsamic Vinaigrette (5 calories / 2 T and GOOD!) and 1/2 oz goat cheese for the salad, add some veggies and 2 oz of meat, sometimes some Special K chips in a snack size baggie, sometimes 1/2 a Flatout -- not bored yet!
Goal #6 in a rut of Fage 0% with Stonewall Kitchens sugar free wild blueberry spread (yummy!) but DID try banana bread baked oatmeal and it's quite tasty
Now, what's the goal for September?

[SECRETSLEEVE]

Goal is to track food and exercise everyday on myfitnesspal and lose 10 pounds- Starting weight 179 Goal weight 169

Results- Lost 8.5 pounds and tracked food and exercise everyday for the whole month.

[Dee Leshuz]

Now, see, this is why you wait till the month's over. I lost another pound between yesterday and today!

My goals were to:

Get in daily exercise
Be vigilant about my food plan changes
Whatever I weigh at the end of the month will be okay as long as it is less than it is now (187)
I think taking the pressure off to get to a certain number will help.

I did fairly good w/ exercise but always room for improvement.
Sometimes vigilant w/ the food changes, sometimes not.
Lost 5 lbs., which is really good for me as I lose slower than most.
Taking the pressure off to lose x amount of pounds DID help.

Congratulations, everyone, sounds like we all did well!

[maryhad2lambs]

My August Goals were:

1. Drink, drink, drink to get all my fluids in for each day
2. Run 4 continuous miles by the end of the month (I am do 2.5-3 right now)
3. Lose 10 pounds (starting at 164.4 lbs)
4. Find a dress to wear to my daughter's October wedding. I have been putting it off because of the weight loss. I am afraid I will buy on then it will be too big by the wedding.

What I did:
1. I met my fluid intake goal most of the time. I keep that one for September
2. I met my run 4 miles goal
3. I lost 8.2 pounds instead of the 10 I wanted, but is am still happy with that.
4. I found a dress for the wedding and for the rehearsal, but they are still a little tight.

Now to think about September's goals. How did everyone do?

[maryhad2lambs]

Gayle, aren't bentos the best? I used to make them for my youngest daughter and now I make them for me.

[Gayle]

I agree, Mary -- they make portion sizes and variety easy. I bought some of those "souffle cups" (tiny throw away plastic cups) for 1 oz with tops on EBay for not much and use them for my salad dressing. I also bought some silicone cupcake forms in bright colors to separate out the meats/seafood. So colorful and spawn so many tasty ideas!
What do you pack in yours?

[michelleb]

Well if I'm down tomorrow I'll update, if I'm up...not, lol!

Okay..update, down another lb to 160.

[Munchkin]

August goals:

- Cardio work out at least one hour per day.
- Eat 2-3oz protein first in each meal
- Eat 5-6 times a day
- Drink 64oz liquid
- Takes all vitamins & meds
- Food journal
- Lose 3lbs. Starting BMI: 26.0 Ending BMI: 25.3 or lower
- Get enough sleep

I was terrible in July, ate too much sweets and junk. I hope to do better in August. I am setting a small goal so I don't feel discourage.

Starting BMI was 26.0 in Aug 1st, ending BMI was 25.4 on Sept 1st. Did not make the goal BMI but very close. Meet almost all the other goals.

Weight went up four to five pounds at the beginning of August for three weeks. It was scary. Glad to get the weight off and then lose some weight as well in the last week. My weight gain was hormone related. The minute TOM started, the weight started to go down rapidly. I want to share the story since it can happen to others as well. Still it was challenging mentally while I was in the middle of the weight gain.

[Tara McGee Jackson]

My August goals
1) PROTEIN!!!
2)Exercise (I WILL do it this month)
3) Loose 8 lbs (weigh in under 150!) This will be a VERY hard goal to hit this far out from surgery. Going to give it my all though!!

I was on vacation this weekend so I didnt get to update on time. I only lost 3 lbs. I weighed in at 155lbs. UGH!!