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.

[Mimishimi]

Down to 9st 11 (since June 10) but have had a shoulder injury then bad cold so haven't done Jillian Michael's shred for almost 2 weeks. Have been jogging and cycling instead but cold really took it out of me today. DS recovered from it in three days so hopefully should be good to go on Monday.

[RubySlippers77]

I can empathise about the cold, I never remember how long it takes me to recover from them! I had 2 1/2 weeks off my running programme, started again Wed, went for a run last night & how achey was I today?! Hopefully my 5K tomorrow will get me back into the swing of things, even if I have to walk some of it!

[tumbletumble]

Hello all

Can't believe I haven't posted on this thread for nearly a month, where does the time go?! I haven't lost any weight in that time either I went up over half term and have been taking it off again since then.

Determined to do better this week.

[RubySlippers77]

How are you doing tumble?

Another paltry 1lb loss for me after almost killing myself doing a 5K run. It's almost enough to make me give up and trot off to McDonald's to eat everything I can lay my hands on!!

[Dingle]

Oh, I have found you all again!

After 5 weeks of feeling really poorly I am desperately trying to get back on track. I have picked up where I left off with C25K and I am really enjoying (if enjoying is the right word!) that.
MFP has been very hit and miss, when I do find the time can be bothered to complete my food diary, I am always over the 1200 cals set and find it quite demoralising. I did work out a more accurate way of setting a calorie target, the link was on MN somewhere, but now I cannot find it!

[Murtette]

So, two months in and I have lost 3lbs. Its particularly poor as, at the end of May, I had lost 6lbs so could be close to my target if I'd stuck to that. Instead, I went on holiday for a week and then had guests for the past 6 days so we had dinner with pudding most nights & I had cake as well on the days I was at home. And had no time to exercise.
Back on the wagon tomorrow.

[RubySlippers77]

Oh Murtette, what a shame, but it's so easily done isn't it?! Pudding is my weakness (she says whilst demolishing bread with olive oil.....). I think the only thing keeping me on the weight loss trail is running, I'm so rubbish at it that my body clearly finds it difficult to adapt and hence loses a few lb's if I stick to the low carbing at the same time!

I've lost 5lbs in the last 6 weeks or so but to be fair I had 2 weeks off sick and didn't lose anything. So roughly 1lb per week. Not spectacular is it?! However my Harcombe July blitz starts tomorrow so maybe that will help.....

[Murtette]

So much for getting back on the wagon today. Instead, I watched it disappear off in the sunset! DS is teething so I resorted to my usual tactic of dealing with an inconsolable child which is to pace around the house having another chocolate biscuit each time I get to the kitchen. And then when I'd eaten all of them, I had a bar of Dairy Milk. I am now feeling so blobby and repulsive, that I will stick to it tomorrow.
Ruby - its still a loss. And if you manage 1lb a week during July then you've lost 3/4 stone which is a noticeable difference.

[Dingle]

I think it's been about 8 weeks since I started too! But because I was poorly for about 5 of those, I have only really been exercising for a few of those.

I struggle to stay on track with my calorie intake, I still snack, eat portions that are too big and eat the wrong foods. I weighed in this morning at 10st 13lb, that's an 8lb loss but I think it's the couch to 5K that's working for me.

I have just under 6 weeks until our holds, so it would be GREAT if I could continue to lose 1lb a week until then....short term target of 10st 7lb

[Dingle]

"....to our hols" not holds!

[RubySlippers77]

dingle, you are a woman after my own heart!! No matter how much I read that I SHOULD be full up after eating my low carb meals, I'm not, so I end up snacking... And running is the only thing shifting those pounds for me too!

However OH has booked us a city break to Barcelona on August 2nd & it's going to be hot hot hot, maybe the thought of more revealing clothes will shock me into action?!

[Dingle]

LOL Ruby at least in Devon I will not be likely to reveal myself! More likely wellies and waterproofs! BUT I'd still like to reach my goal regardless!

I don't often snack during the day, it's the evenings that I struggle with. DH will come in from the kitchen with a bar of choccie and I simply cannot resist!

[Murtette]

I'm off on hols that weekend too Ruby and want to have lost 8lbs by then. I'm hoping at least a couple will just fall of this week being a result of last week's cake rather than "proper" weight gain. That will get me down to 11st and possibly back into bikini territory.
I have done OK on the food today - actually have 100 cal to spare - but haven't exercised as went to Zumba and it had been cancelled. I came home meaning to do my exercise DVD but ended up catching up on chores.

[MegBusset]

Hello, I'd like to join if I'm not too late :)

I have been trying to shift half a stone since Christmas but keep failing because I'm not actually overweight - just half a stone off my happy weight - and have not been bothered about it to steer clear of my vices, which are wine and chocolate.

However, I'm going on holiday in five weeks and would really like to at least have shifted three or four pounds by then.

I am currently 9st 6lb and would like to be 9lb. I'm 5ft 3 1/2in so that half stone really shows round my middle. I am pretty active (run three times a week, walk to school and back several times a day) so it really is just down to eating and drinking too much.

[MegBusset]

9st 5lb this morning, a step in the right direction!

[Murtette]

Two lbs off already this week :-) That often happens if I've been indulging in cake & puddings. I think I'd be a lot slimmer if I could ditch the carbs and refined sugar completely but I just love them so.

Welcome Meg. It seems a few of us are off on hols at a similar time so can hopefully inspire each other/kick each other's butts

[Murtette]

Still at 11st 6. This weekend has been a bit of a disaster with two BBQs, Pimms, ice cream etc but its so rare to have such gorgeous weather than it seemed a bit miserly to go "oh no, I'll just have salad/water/an apple". Although I realise that that is yet another excuse. And I've done no exercise all week as I've been gardening each evening. Unfortunately, just dead heading, weeding, pruning (belatedly) and a few other bits which mean the garden looks a lot better but doesn't burn calories. I should go to zumba tomorrow night but may pass if the weather is like this. The hall has hardly any windows, let alone air con!

[RubySlippers77]

Hi Murtette - I too had lots of BBQ enjoyment over the weekend - am going running tonight before facing the scales tomorrow morning!! I don't think they'll be kind, unless running in this heat also has a sauna-type effect. I can but hope.....

[Murtette]

Not as bad as I feared as I've lost another 1lb so back down to where I was two weeks ago... Maybe I am on target for being 11st on hols. At least its enough of a loss to keep me focussed. If I can lose another 1lb then I'll be back where I was 6 weeks ago

[tumbletumble]

Hi everyone, sorry I'm a bit rubbish at posting regularly, but I am still with you in trying to lose weight! Last posted two and a half weeks ago and have lost 2lb since then, so it's still coming off... slowly...

Going to a wedding this weekend and I feel much better about myself than I did 3 months ago (have lost 12lb in total). I'd love to lose another stone though!

[Murtette]

Just been to zumba for the first time in four or five weeks and it was fantastic. I can't believe I've made excuses for so many weeks. I enjoy it so much. And I could feel my bulgy bits being squeezed!

[RubySlippers77]

Well done Murtette and tumble for your progress!!

I am feeling all blobby at the moment, was so ill on Monday night, think the running was too much for me in this heat; I was very dehydrated and in lots of pain. Have been eating bland food ever since as advised by the doctor but sadly it's all carb-heavy - bread, potatoes, bananas etc..... I can really feel the difference between the stodge (helpful though it is at the moment!) and what I'd usually be eating.

I need to take it easy on the running too, will probably start again at the weekend when hopefully AF will have left too.....

Tomorrow I think I need to work out the best way to tackle this, a bit more organisation would work wonders I reckon. How come I can figure that out at work but can't apply it to my home life?!

[Murtette]

I saw someone running yesterday and wondered if it was actually healthy to do that in this heat. Take care, Ruby!

I was delighted this morning to have lost another 1lb. I will definitely be going to zumba again! It inspired me to do the Shred this morning too. That meant I've been starving all day but, so far, I've stuck to my calories and still have 300cal left for dinner which is my usual allowance.

If I can lose another 4lbs this month - which should be possible - then I will be 11stone when we go on hols. That's going to be my new goal.

[Murtette]

My weight seems to have so little to do with what I eat and so much to do with what time of the month it is. This morning, I weighed in at 11st 9. So, according to the scales, I have gained 5lbs in 72 hours which means that I have eaten 17,500 calories on top of the amount that I would eat to maintain my weight! Yes, I had a 100 or so extra calories on Friday and probably about 500 more yesterday (BBQ) than my 1350 allowance but not 17,500 more!
Now that I've got that whinge of my chest, I'll confess to having had a really bad day today - again tied into PMT. A bar of Dairy Milk, some Haagan Daas and a couple of jaffa cakes. And a huge chunk of French bread. But I've haven't had any snacks which saved me about 300 calories so I'm probably no more than 300 calories over. I am about to get on my exercise bike though so can hopefully undo some of the damage.

[tumbletumble]

I've had a rubbish few days. Wedding on Fri and two BBQs at the weekend, plus cake for friend's DS's birthday. Didn't dare weigh myself this morning! Determined to be good this week.

I always gain weight when my period is due Murtette - a mixture of water retention and craving sweet food. Whenever I'm on a diet I just have to aim for three good weeks to counteract the inevitable one bad week!