In an effort to keep this thread from growing too large, I have started the November thread.
Good luck with your losing! 
I can hardly believe that I’m still hanging around the weight loss threads since I have been completely and utterly unsuccessful in losing weight (OK, that’s not exactly true, I’ve lost 10 lbs since January :rolleyes:)
But here I am, a mere 17 days from my 46th birthday thinking about rededicating myself to this. Again, for the umpteenth time.
Turns out what I’m really good at is starting over.
Good luck to everyone in November. The holiday season is upon us and I’m already seeing the signs of it at work, Halloween candy dishes, Thanksgiving pot luck lunch plans etc.
Julie
185.5/175.5/135
You haven’t failed until you’ve quit trying. I haven’t lost nearly as much as I wished, but I am glad of the life-style changes that I have made.
OK here we go…into the holidays!
I started October at 201.1 and now I am starting November at 195.2. I was not very focused on my diet in the middle of October and I am going to try to be better this month!
Good luck to everyone!!
Velvetjones: All you can do is just one day at a time. It’s like being an alcoholic or addict. Just focus yourself on your goal one day at a time, and you will be successful. If you stumble today - big deal. Get up tomorrow and start again.
Another notice of the New Years weight loss challenge - if you want in, lemme know. Just weighing in once a week and posting your results New Years Day. You don’t have to give me your current and goal weight, you can just say that you want to lose X pounds and keep me updated weekly.
AND NOW!!! I weighed in this morning at 75 pounds lower than my start weight. I gained and lost another 50 in there with the pregnancy, so I have lost 125 pounds since beginning. I started at 256 pounds and this morning, I weigh 181.
Since reaching my first intermediate goal of 220 (which I reported ~2 weeks back), I’ve been hovering between 220 and 225.
The last two weekends I’ve been doing the Low Key Hill Climb time trial series here in the bay area. The first was Old La Honda (3.35 miles, 1290 ft vertical elevation, 7.3% average grade); the second was Mount Diablo via North Gate (10.8 mi, 3600 ft, 6.3%). My goal was to finish “not-last”, which I achieved. Up this weekend, Highway 9 (6.8 mi, 2090 ft, 5.8%).
These races have really inspired me to train harder (next year I’d like to be within the top 50 percentile), so yesterday I started using a slightly hillier, slightly longer, route for my commute to work, made possible by the time change. On the other hand, the commute home pretty much starts in the dark which isn’t any fun at all.
Report Card:
May: 295? -> 279 (-16)
June: 279 -> 260 (-19)
July: 260 -> 248 (-12)
August: 248 -> 233 (-15)
September: 233 -> 227 (-6)
October: 227 -> 221 (-6)
I made it through Halloween without eating any candy. I waited until Saturday evening to buy candy, left it in my car until I got home from work yesterday, and then took the leftovers into work this morning.
For me to not eat even one tiny Caramilk bar is a minor victory, and I’ll take my victories where I can get them!
OH MY GOD I MISSED ALL OF THE TEENY COFFEE CRISP BARS. One good thing about not being home at Halloween, no teeny Coffee Crisp bars.
Fell off the wagon while on vacation in October. (Who know that there was so much to eat in London?)
149 pounds still. Hopefully, I’ll get through the upcoming Final Exams and Holidays without resorting to stress-eating.
Good luck everybody!
Started October at 199.4 and started November at 191.0. I’m finding that balancing proteins and carbs works great. I’m almost never hungry between meals. I’m allowed 2 snacks a day, but I find that most of the time, I only eat the one between lunch and dinner (it’s usually fruit and a low-fat cheese stick, or string cheese). Last night I ate a fun size snickers bar–just one!–and I was very happy. I find this astonishing. Thanksgiving will be a challenge though.
Ok, I’m jumping in now, even though I started getting serious about my weight loss back in August. July was stressful, and I was not eating well, but not exercising. Once I realized that I lost some pounds, I decided to keep them off, but with proper diet and exercise. The Dopefest in Vegas back on the last weekend of July was the last time when I was pounding beer, wine and steak dinners without a second thought; after that, I got serious. I am a 43 year old, 6’-3" man, who weighs:
July 1st: ~310#
Aug 1st: 297# (-13)
Sep 1st: 287# (-10)
Oct 1st: 281# (-6)
Nov 1st: 269# (-12)
I have been burning off fat using an elliptical machine at the gym, and I now I can burn 800-900 calories in 45-50 minutes each day, 5 days a week. The last two weeks, has been good consistent workouts on the elliptical, and my target heart rate for an aerobic workout is 142, but I like to be in the 145-150 range. My knees have always been an issue while working out, but this time, the absence of knee pain on the elliptical has helped a great deal to stay with the exercise program.
I have given up regular sodas for diet sodas or just water since August and I try to stay away from 2nds at the dinner table and limit my starch, sugar and fats…not totally abandon them though, just enjoy them less frequently.
So, I am “slashing” 3500 calories/week (7 days, 500 each) and “burning” 3500 calories a week (5 days, minimum 700 each). That should be 2 pounds of fat per week lost, although I am not as consistent as I would like to be. In October though, I was sick in the first week and vacationing on the second week, but since I was very consistent with working out and food intake in the 2nd half of the month, I still managed a good loss for the month.
I have lurked this thread over the previous months, and I enjoy reading the success stories of other Dopers and I feel I need to share too. I just want to say thanks for everyone’s inspiration in previous months.
Thanks for your kind words. GingerOTN you’re absolutely right. One bad meal doesn’t make for a lost day and one bad day doesn’t kill the whole week and one bad week doesn’t mean the whole month is a wash and so on. This is a lesson I need to remember.
Maybe I need the challenge.
I should get in on this. There is a gym just across the street from me and they aren’t expensive, but they haven’t signed up. I am feeling the itch for it, though, which surprises me, since I’ve never been active at all! Thing is, I have had bronchitis the past couple of weeks, and while it is getting better, doing much physical activity leaves me coughing and wheezing. I need a follow-up at the doctors, but my plan, then, is to not let November slip away without signing up and starting some sort of regular routine. Seems like an obtainable goal to me, and we’ll go from there. I think I eat ok as it is, but I have been awfully sedentary for the past few months.
It’s November 2 and everyone has lost their resolve, and this is buried on the second page?
HELLO! I HAVE LOST 75 POUNDS! I AM NOT QUITTING!
Sorry. Had to be done.
I’m sorry, I did not lose interest, I just had very little to say. 
(I know, no one will believe that one)
I am holding at 197.5 this is down from my start of 239.5. I hope to reach 191.5 as my next goal as this will be a 20% weight reduction. My ultimate goal by Dec 31, 2007 is to be 170 pounds. This is close to what I weighed when I got married at age 25. I believe it will be the proper weight for my health, age and self-satisfaction.
So my final goal is a loss of 69.5 pounds. Maybe I should push it to 72 pounds and have a total of a 30% weight reduction.
So fellow losers and those of us that stalled, do we have plans for navigating the next month of Holidays designed for over-eating and weather not conducive to exercise?
I do not and I am worried about it. My only plan involves shopping for a rowing machine. I guess I better get started.
Jim
Lost my resolve? Oh contrare (sp)
Although I did not have a good week when it comes to working out - I had to work late almost every day - I am still very much involved. I will be back to working out tomorrow. OK, there is a darn good chance that come Tuesday I will not be able to do my work outs, but then I guess I’ll have to switch to walking. I’ll be rather discouraged when (and it is probably a when) that happens, because I really like the shape my arms and shoulders are taking. But maybe the walking will have benefits I like too. We’ll see.
Been mad busy in work but I just wanted to tell you that that is amazing work on your part and you’re right to shout it from the rooftops!!! It’s a real achievement.
I’ve lost 104lbs but I post at the wrong time at the very end of month so it gets kinda lost. However, I’ve another 78 to go so I’m not resting on my laurels. I can’t ever, can I? This is a real lifestyle change, as I’m sure you’ve found out too.
I have 78 to go so we’re about the same now… how long would you think it’d take you to lose that weight? I’m hoping by May but I could be being too strict on myself.
My plan is great - I don’t live in the US so there’s no Thanksgiving here! I’ve planned that Christmas Day is off but I’m keeping to my regular routine otherwise.
I would love to get involved in this but I have no internet access from home - also I only weigh myself once a month. It’d be interesting to see how everyone else is getting on though.
I need to drop about 30 lbs and I am giving myself 14 months to do so. I got the big weight off, I have the healthy diet going and I got my Cholesterol levels to where they should be. These were my priorities. I still need to increase my exercise levels some more, but I did increase them. I spent 15 years putting on the weight, I was determined to drop the 40 in 6 months and I did. So I am trying to take the last and harder 30 at a much slower rate. I am only looking to drop about 2-3 pounds per month and if I exceed this, I will consider it a big bonus.
Jim