Anyone want to join me in a May/June/July weight loss challenge?

[Murtette]

I've realised that its 1st May tomorrow, that there are 13 weeks during May, June & July and that I want to lose a stone before going on holiday in the first week of August. So, if I can lose a lb a week for each of those 13 weeks, I'll have cracked it. Anyone else want to join me?
My plan is to have 1300 calories a day except for Sundays when I'll have between 1500 - 1600, do Zumba twice a week and finally get the Shred out of its packaging and do that a couple of times a week. I think my downfall is that, on the two days I work in an office, I'll have little control over what I have for lunch as always eat in the canteen with colleagues and there's little choice so I need to control what & how much I eat there.
I'm 11st10 today and want to be 10st10 by 1st August. If I can lose 1.5lbs a week, then I'd be 10st3 which would be brilliant as then I'd be a few pounds into my "ideal" BMI as opposed to still being "overweight" which I will be at 10st10.

[eslteacher]

Seems the scales aren't playing fair for either of you Dotty and Murtette. I have honestly found through my life that scales don't seem to reflect the reality a lot of the time, and I try to focus more on how I feel and how my clothes fit rather than what the scales say. Its hard sometimes though. Google 'same weight different body' - there are some inspiring before and after pictures out there of people who haven't lost weight but have completely changed their body nonetheless.

[tumbletumble]

Dotty and Murette, personally I find that the scales do reflect reality in the medium term but not in the short term. You have to ignore day to day fluctuations and have faith that, if you keep sticking to the diet, the weight will come off eventually.

You may remember I had gained 1lb on my weigh in day last week. But today it's my weigh in day again and I've lost 4lb - yay!! So that's 3lb in the last 2 weeks, and a total of 10lb in 4 weeks

[DottyboutDots]

OMG, that's amazing tumble, well done! Excellent work.

[DottyboutDots]

Murtette, how tall are you? I'm still in the one splat of fat at the moment!

[eslteacher]

Good example tumble, congrats! I definitely agree that scales are more effective over medium/long term.

I've been weighing myself in kg (am in France), and all pleased that Ive gradually lost 0.8kg over the past couple weeks. Then realised that is about 1.5 lbs! If I was weighing in lbs I'd be getting fed up with scales not moving, but in kg you get numbers going down quite regularly. Maybe this is why I feel I've been having more luck with the scales this time round compared to previous efforts in stones and lbs...

[tumbletumble]

Thanks guys! Although I've just realised it's actually 10lb in 5 weeks, but still v happy with that.

Keep at it riverboat, slow and steady is good!

[wizzler]

Hope you are right Tumble. I lost 2 lbs in week1, but out them back again this week. I have felt pretty grotty all week so hoping that the virus or whatever it is , is 2lbs in weight, iyswim!

Anyway, am continuing on with C25K and trying not to be too stringent in my diet as I think that may be causing me to feel rough.

Well done on losing 4lbs Tumble

[Murtette]

Turtle - well done! That's fantastic

Dotty - I'm 5'4". Whilst the rolls of fat in some ways look worse, it is nice to remember that I do have ribs and hips and that they may one day be visible again!

Thank you for the reminder that its not just the scales that count. I've previously changed shape and the scales stayed the same - to the extent that I got a tiny friend to stand on them as I'd convinced myself that the scales were stuck!

[RubySlippers77]

Riverboat, tumble & Murtette - well done on your weight loss!! A measly 1lb for me this week, making an equally measly 2lb in 2 weeks - pah. Not much to show for all that running! Still, I do feel better for doing it and my clothes are definitely looser, hurrah.

Dotty - I completely sympathise - I've been there, thinking I haven't been strict but I haven't been bad, so why the weight gain?! Hopefully it will have evened out by next week.

Wizzler - hope you feel better soon!

[tumbletumble]

We're away with friends for half term so next week is going to be v challenging for me. Am aiming to maintain rather than lose. I just don't want to undo the hard work so far!

[Dingle]

Hi everyone, just being nosy at what everyone else has been up to! I have done absolutely nothing since last Monday. This flu bug has really taken it's toll.
I took a few days off last week but tried to suffer it this week. I have really struggled and have noticed that I am feeling really hungry these last few days.
Hope to pick up where left off in the next few days.

[eslteacher]

Hi Dingle, had noticed you weren't around and assumed you were still feeling crap. It sounds like you're having a horrible time, I hope it's starting to get a bit better though?

I think if you're ill and hungry, you have to eat...it would seem really wrong not to. I guess the best thing is to try to eat tons of good nutritious foods and less crappy junky ones...but sometimes only a doughnut will do ;-)

As far as things are going with me, I'm pretty happy with how it's all progressing. Have been amazed that for the first time I can remember, I am steadily losing weight...very slowly, but it's still definitely happening! I'm not sure if it's the MFP diet, or because it's the first time I've weighed myself regularly / weighed in kg / weighed on proper digital scales...but whatever it is, I am feeling pretty encouraged by it. Trying not to get too hung up on it though, as I'm sure the numbers won't keep playing nice forever.

In non-scales terms, the last few days have been good, I haven't been feeling that hungry and haven't felt like I'm denying myself that much either. Have been consistently under my calorie goal, so have earned some credit for the weekend when I'll inevitably go over.

[AnnoyedAtWork]

Currently 9 st 2 (58kg) aim 8 st 9 (55 kg my normal weight for yeaaaars)but in the last 2 yrs I've not been able to get below 9 st (57.5).

Yes they are the last 7 vanity pounds and I want them to be gone by summer!

Using my fitness pal, running once a week and cycling to work 3 times a week

[RubySlippers77]

No weight loss at all for me this week. Pah! Although to be fair I have been back on the carbs, not as much as previously but still more than I'd like, mainly due to lack of choice - that's what happens when the person buying the picnic considers cheese & onion pasties a diet food...

Have added on a bit to my runs & am up to 35 minutes now. Hoping that's 5K but my app doesn't measure anything off road properly so who knows?!

[Murtette]

Its taken me ages to find this thread again!
Ruby - I would have thought 35mins should be 5k, especially if its a route which hasn't got many uphills.
I haven't weighed in since Friday (when I was 11st4) as I've been at the in laws since then. The most I could have hoped for whilst there was to stay the same as we ate out a lot & I didn't do any exercise. That was a minor blip compared to the one I'm currently going through - DP and the DCs are still away so I'm home alone and eating all my favourite foods, none of which (other than butternut squash soup) are low cal. Surely 36 hours can't do too much harm?

[auntpetunia]

Am I to late to join? After 4/5 months sitting round unable to do much after hysterectomy in late December I got weighed at hospital yesterday and was devastated to be told I'm 12st 7¡!!!!. The nurse was really nice and said coz I'm tall 5ft 10, it was OK. Its not. Am aiming based on my fitness pal to eat 1200 a day,it reckons I'll loose 2pound a week that way. Does that sound right?

[eslteacher]

Welcome petunia! 1200 cals is what MFP suggests to everyone, but personally I think its too low to be sustainable as a long term way of life. I am 5"7, have been aiming for 1600 cals a day, and I started 25 days ago. So far I have lost 4lbs which I am delighted with - I am hoping to lose about a stone in total but want to do it slowly so that it is more likely to stay off!

[auntpetunia]

Thanks river, I have to admit I've done 2 days of ordinary eating so far but putting everything onto the app as wanted to see how much over I was eating, but both days I've had calories left to use! So maybe my eating isn't the problem ?maybe its been lack of exercise. Am going to keep with it though and hopefully get back under 12st. I'd like to loose a stone so 11.7 is my aim.

[Murtette]

So, June 1st which means I've been doing this for a month and have lost 4lbs. It would have been at least 6lb, if not 7, if I hadn't had my break earlier this week. Other than the past week & when I had my period, I pretty much managed to stick to 1250/1300 cals. I did two lots of 5 days of the Shred but that was it. This month, I need to keep sticking to the calories and up the exercise - which may be tricky as we're off on holiday in 10 days!

[racingheart]

Hi
Please can I join?
Started on a fitness regime about a month ago - doing zumba, martial fitness bootcamp, running (C25K), powerwalking and bikram yoga all of which is making me feel stronger but no weight loss or inch loss yet, despite working out 3 times a week on average.

So, started a diet this week, using MFP and calories. I'm aiming for about 1300 per day with exercise calorie burn of 2000 per week. I'm 5'4", 11st and normal weight is 9 st 4lbs, though I'd settle for 9 1/2, so weight loss aim is 20-25 lbs.

Would love some tips. I'm cutting out all processed foods and most sugars except fruit, and keeping carbs fairly low, also drinking lots of water.

Bit surprised that on 1200 cals people are only losing 2lb per week - what does it take to lose 3-4lb pw?

OP - are you going on holiday anywhere you can exercise?

[OHforDUCKScake]

Hello, can I join too? Ive got a holiday at the start of august too.

My usual weight is 9st8lb-12lb but breastfeeding is making my usual weight as 10st5lb-10lb.

Id really liked to get to 9st 12lb and im currently at 10.5

Its not much at all but incredibly hard when breast feeding. My body just wants to cling on to every ounce of fat.

I lost a stone in 2 weeks when I stopped breast feeding my eldest.

So Im using myfitness pal because I dont feel hungry, like Im losing out or taking anything vital away.

I did get down to 10.2 with it, but then my son had his second birthday so I ate cake etc then I had an operation a week after so I wasnt sticking to anything then.

But here I am, back on it. Its just over 8 weeks until the holiday so I expect I will lose, gain, lose and gain by then!

I just want to see single figure stones again and I will be happy.

[HaPPy8]

I'd like to join too. I started MFP almost two weeks ago and have lost about 5lbs. I know that some of that will have been water weight and now the loss will slow down a lot so i need motivation to keep going! i only want to lose another 7lbs so I know its not too much but I am only short so every lb shows. If I could lose that 7lbs by the end of July I would be very happy, i think that slow and steady is more realistic for me but its oh so hard to keep going when you want to weigh each day and there is no movement on the scales. Which i know is silly - it didn't go on in a week!

[Mimishimi]

I would like to join up as well. Am 5'4" and 10 st. 1. I have a big dance performance at the end of August and I'd like to get down to 9 st. 2. Have been doing level one of JM's 30 day shred for the past 7 days and have seen improvements with measurements (yes, even in just one week) but not much on the scale as yet. Goal is also 1300 calories.

[RubySlippers77]

It was a measly 1lb loss for me this week ladies so wishing you all better luck in your weight loss quests!! I've been coughing and sniffling for days now so haven't managed to run for a week and am beating myself up about not sticking to the healthy eating and running routine that I've got into over the last few weeks. I know it's not productive to do that but you know when you have one of those days when everything makes you feel demoralised?! Hoping to take Wednesday off work to get myself back on to the straight and narrow.....

[RubySlippers77]

Hi everyone

New week, new enthusiasm from me..... OH is away for a week from tomorrow so I have no excuse not to get out and do some running, hopefully I will lose a couple of lb's whilst he's away!!

How is everyone doing with their weight loss challenges?