January Weight Loss Challenge To All Ducks

[old] woolsmith · Post by **[old] woolsmith** » January 9th, 2006, 5:08 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'>QUOTE(Canada Goose @ Jan 9 2006, 04:58 PM)</div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'>QUOTE(Canada Goose @ Dec 20 2005, 12:16 PM)</div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>Hi, Well, I might as well join the rest of the flock and try out this weight loss challenge. I have lost 20 pounds since January 1, 2005. Now I need to lose another 21 pounds to make my goal. My birthday is on May 20th and I would like to be able to do Robin's 2,000 metre ranking on the 20th challenge on my 39th birthday as a lightweight! Shannon aka Canada Goose </td></tr></table> Hi all, Since it has been about a week into the January weight loss challenge, I thought that I would post my results. I have quoted my original goal above for a reminder. I have lost six pounds since that post! I now have 15 pounds to go until I am a lightweight. I must say that making the big, scary step of posting my goal publicly has really helped give me the kick in the tailfeathers that I needed! I've really enjoyed reading everyone else's posts so far in this thread. Shannon </td></tr></table> Wow, Shannon, way to go! Yup, nothing like good ol' public accountability to make ya wanna get something done. You're over 1/3 of the way there. Fifteen pounds sounds a lot better than 21 pounds, hey? A bag and a half of taters! I've just barely made the one pound, but I did it! But I think I'm going through caffeine withdrawal because of only drinking one can of Dr. Pepper per day. I felt really poopy again yesterday. Gotta boost my tea intake.... Congrats, and nice job! --Jen

[old] Mimi · Post by **[old] Mimi** » January 9th, 2006, 10:50 pm

Fellow Ducklings- I haven't had a real good last few days (problems with my steroid weaning) but I did have a 1.4 lb weight loss for this week - today was my official week ending. More would have been great but that's ok - I'm happy I need to see my Doc and make a few adjustments to my meds and then I'll be good to go. My body is really starting to respond to the rower again - I had been off for about 3 weeks so it felt good to feel the firmness start taking over again, mostly in my arms and shoulders, right now. I would love to try some kickboxing. Sounds fun ( I'm sure it's really hard, too) We don't have anything like that around here. My son competed in Martial Arts all over the country for about 5 or 6 years - he could probably teach me if I could just get him to stop by every once in a while I'll be posting some meters in a few days!! Mimi

[old] Canada Goose · Post by **[old] Canada Goose** » January 9th, 2006, 11:25 pm

[quote=woolsmith,Jan 9 2006, 02:08 PM] [/quote] Wow, Shannon, way to go! Yup, nothing like good ol' public accountability to make ya wanna get something done. You're over 1/3 of the way there. Fifteen pounds sounds a lot better than 21 pounds, hey? A bag and a half of taters! I've just barely made the one pound, but I did it! But I think I'm going through caffeine withdrawal because of only drinking one can of Dr. Pepper per day. I felt really poopy again yesterday. Gotta boost my tea intake.... Congrats, and nice job! --Jen [/quote] Thanks Jen, I've upped to two workouts/day and am being really careful about what I am eating. Seems to be working so far. Congrats on the one pound weight loss. Every pound counts!! Shannon

[old] holladay · Post by **[old] holladay** » January 14th, 2006, 4:58 pm

I am glad we are all out here together. I got up this morning feeling weak. I ate before recording (always a bad plan) and ate a 620 calorie breakfast--who would have thought two poptarts with peanut butter and chocolate chips could have been so expensive! After my nap (chosen instead of rowing), I got up and decided a batch of cookie dough was in order... Well I remembered I promised to log what I eat first... IF I ate the cookie dough I would only get salad greens and cucumbers for supper. So I made up some sugar-free crystal light and drank two glasses and the sweet tooth was satisfied. AND I can have supper with the family. Thanks for challenging me. Susan

[old] sirrobin · Post by **[old] sirrobin** » January 14th, 2006, 5:21 pm

Well, I guess it's time for some accountability. I was very discouraged after gaining 2.2 pounds for two weeks in a row (total gain in Jan = 4.4). This is not the direction I had wanted to go. But I have done some reflection and made some adjustments, and I'm on my way down again. It's just going to be a longer haul now that I've given myself a handicap! Oh well. I told you guys that I have gotten close to losing 10% of my starting weight several times and then gain gain gain. I just have to get past this! My husband says I can do it. I know I can. But... why don't I? That's the 64,000 calorie question! I rowed 10K+ today even though I didn't really feel it. Tomorrow I plan to do another 10k. I am determined to do a 1/2 marathon on Monday (MLK, Jr. Day) so I need to work up to it. I expect to be able to join the 2 million meter club this month. But even if I don't do that, surely I will have lost five pounds trying! Robin

[old] billandmargaret · Post by **[old] billandmargaret** » January 14th, 2006, 10:11 pm

It's not so fun gaining weight as losing it. Sigh. This week I gained 2 pounds, mostly from snacking. Not exercising daily didn't help; 3 days out of 6 is OK but not ideal. Probably the only way to make sure I get daily rows is to get up earlier than the rest of the family. Unfortunately I hate getting up early in the mornings but I know I'm the only one who can turn that attitude around. I'll have to keep thinking and experimenting to see if there's a way I can roll out of bed before I can come up with second thoughts. I wouldn't mind evening exercise but that competes with family activities. What I really need is to cement good habits in place--namely, daily exercise and less snacking. I let myself get derailed too easily. One week off isn't bad if I nip this in the bud and recommit to my health program. The calorie log works when I keep it, but there are times that doesn't work (small house, many piles, easily lost, must keep ahead of the kids) and that not keeping up a log is not a blank check to eat an unhealthy amount. When I can't record food in my log, I need to pause before I choose what I eat and how much: If I'm not, a cup of tea would suffice or to busy myself another way. If I am hungry, eat just enough to tide myself over to the next meal. Also, get back to planning out menus a week ahead so I have healthy food on hand. If I eat in a healthy way, missing an occasional day of exercise wouldn't be a problem. I also need to remember that this is my first year of homeschooling, and we're just getting back into the routine after a long break, and I spent the week tearing apart the house on a mildew search & destroy mission. So I can cut myself a little slack on finding time for exercise, but I need to take better care of myself by not overloading myself with calories. Margaret

[old] rhorva@hotmail.com · Post by **[old] rhorva@hotmail.com** » January 14th, 2006, 10:30 pm

<table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'>QUOTE(billandmargaret @ Jan 14 2006, 10:11 PM)</div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'>It's not so fun gaining weight as losing it. Sigh. This week I gained 2 pounds, mostly from snacking. Not exercising daily didn't help; 3 days out of 6 is OK but not ideal. Probably the only way to make sure I get daily rows is to get up earlier than the rest of the family. Unfortunately I hate getting up early in the mornings but I know I'm the only one who can turn that attitude around. I'll have to keep thinking and experimenting to see if there's a way I can roll out of bed before I can come up with second thoughts. I wouldn't mind evening exercise but that competes with family activities. What I really need is to cement good habits in place--namely, daily exercise and less snacking. I let myself get derailed too easily. One week off isn't bad if I nip this in the bud and recommit to my health program. The calorie log works when I keep it, but there are times that doesn't work (small house, many piles, easily lost, must keep ahead of the kids) and that not keeping up a log is not a blank check to eat an unhealthy amount. When I can't record food in my log, I need to pause before I choose what I eat and how much: If I'm not, a cup of tea would suffice or to busy myself another way. If I am hungry, eat just enough to tide myself over to the next meal. Also, get back to planning out menus a week ahead so I have healthy food on hand. If I eat in a healthy way, missing an occasional day of exercise wouldn't be a problem. I also need to remember that this is my first year of homeschooling, and we're just getting back into the routine after a long break, and I spent the week tearing apart the house on a mildew search & destroy mission. So I can cut myself a little slack on finding time for exercise, but I need to take better care of myself by not overloading myself with calories. Margaret </td></tr></table> Pat yourself on the back, Margaret, you're STILL IN THERE pulling those "oars." Well, don't feel like the LONE RANGER. Rubber Ducky didn't lose a POUND this week.. I didn't gain.. but I didn't lose. And I feel down about that. but see my post below... NEXT WEEK we'll show results!

[old] rhorva@hotmail.com · Post by **[old] rhorva@hotmail.com** » January 14th, 2006, 10:35 pm

Dear Ducks... sigh... (BIG DUCK TEARS here..) This week I DID NOT LOSE AN OUNCE!! Now, I did not gain, but I did not lose, which really surprises and disheartens me. My husband reminds me that I am "building muscle every day" by rowing, and that muscle is replacing fat in my body, and muscle weighs more than FAT. Isn't he SWEET??? But I do remember that when I went to Weight Watchers, everybody loses on a different scale... and I was one of those folks who wouldn't lose anything for a month, even gain, and then BOOM, five pounds GONE. So, if you are like me.. don't despair. The idea of being one of the DUCKS, and getting strong and staying healthy powers me through my days. I began a new job this week and had more energy for the long commute into NYC from up in Westchester than ever before.. HAS to be due to rowing, duckies. THIS WEEK I RESOLVE to plan what I eat before I shove it into my pie-hole, and to add some sit-ups to tighten these abs before summer comes (dreamer). Keep up the good work everyduck, I can't BELEIVE how far we're rowing!!! Virtrual Hugs from Rubber Ducky!

[old] holladay · Post by **[old] holladay** » January 15th, 2006, 2:56 pm

Carrots are my solution. I am a STRESS eater. (And I have a very stressful life at the moment.) I keep a couple of pounds of those cleaned baby carrots in my fridge at work and home. I can eat all I want. But the time I eat 20 (100 calories) I am finished munching. The other thing I keep on hand are those easy to peel clementines. Like I said yesterday, having you all out there kept me out of trouble yesterday when I was in my pity party! I gained a pound last week even though I ate properly. (I rowed last night for an hour to work off the bad breakfast yesterday.) I am looking for that BOOM weight drop! I only rowed three days last week. I resolve to row today through Thursday. NO EXCUSES. I will take Friday off to recover for the race on Saturday. Susan

[old] woolsmith · Post by **[old] woolsmith** » January 16th, 2006, 12:40 am

Hey Rubber Ducky, and anyone who hasn't lost or has instead gained: I'll have to look up the exact reference in a book, but the way I understood it, when you gain muscle mass, that is denser and will weigh more than fat, volume-wise. I think most everyone knows that. But think of what a pound of lead would look like vs. a pound of feathers. AND, the new, lean muscle will initially hold more water, which will make the weight loss factor seem even more skewed if you're going by the scales. What happened to Oprah during her first month of weight loss with Bob Greene, she lost 2 pounds in one week, lost 2 the next week, GAINED three at the third week, then lost six or eight for the 4th wk. And it was the water weight gain that was making everything look bad. And she kept up that pattern for awhile--lose, lose, gain, lose, lose, gain.... And of course, there's always that, grrrr, monthly hormonal fluid retention for lots of us! So, did you take some measurements? How are those doing, and how are the clothes fitting? And most important, how are YOU feeling?? I've only lost one pound, but I feel like the waist in my jeans isn't as tight. And I have just felt like crud all week for some reason. Tired, achey, but no fever or anything else to indicate that I was "sick." As a result, I'm about 20k behind my weekly goal for the JVTC and the JWLC. Every day has been a struggle for me to row this week, but I've managed to get some done. I missed 3 days in a row--doesn't happen often! I figure my body's trying to tell me something for a reason, so I backed off and only rowed when I had at least a little bit of oomph. No PBs this week! So I'm sure hoping next week will be better for me! Still been only doing one can of Dr. Pepper per day! --Jen in WI

[old] billandmargaret · Post by **[old] billandmargaret** » January 16th, 2006, 1:25 am

Thanks for the encouragement everyone. I really didn't feel like it, but I got on the erg today and rowed an hour, even forced myself to do my best (but no new PB today). That row was thanks to the inspiration of Fowl Play; I was so impressed with others' meters yesterday when I checked that it roused my competitive side. I was really grumpy today; I suspect being mad at myself had something to do with that. Not so much for the weight gain last week as for not following through with my goals. My temptation is to overdo it in response, but I'm trying to keep an even keel and just work on good habits, and let the results fall where they may. Regarding the muscle vs. fat question, perhaps I'm not the only one who has been at the same weight during different decades of my life with vastly different measurements, as in 3-4 inches difference in my waist, etc. I am tracking my waistline; it does mean more to me than the scale, and will post when I get definitive results there. Margaret

[old] woolsmith · Post by **[old] woolsmith** » January 16th, 2006, 1:40 am

Hey Margaret! Wow, I think this January must be really bad for the Seasonal Affective Disorder thing. I've decided that might be partly what made me feel so rotten this last week. We had a record number of cloudy days in a row here in Northern Wisconsin--something like close to 3 weeks have passed without seeing ol' Sol's face. But I really did feel better, even if I only rowed 2,000m and stopped. If I pushed myself, like I did the last couple of days, after I got past about 20-25 minutes, I felt a LOT better and could keep going. But getting to that point took some effort on my part. I'd row for a few minutes, stop and whine, row some more, stop and whine.... I think some caffeine withdrawal may have had an impact, too, but even substituting turbocharged tea for my beloved Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper didn't seem to help that much. I think I may have had a touch of something viral, too, because of how tired and achey I've felt this last week. But in any case, it has been a struggle since January 1st for me to row, and this last week was ridiculous. I just wanted to be a slug. And I was! I think I'll try walking down to the greenhouse at the end of our street. They've usually got some beautiful spring plants starting in the greenhouse section, and that will usually pick me up a little. Hmmm...maybe it's the grow lights?? --Jen in WI

[old] loonylady · Post by **[old] loonylady** » January 16th, 2006, 9:38 am

Hi All, I posted this same information in another topic but after reading these last few posts about no weight loss, I feel like I should rewrite the info here. We just got our erg the end of Oct and since that time neither my husband or I have lost more than a couple pounds each. I should mention we haven't changed our eating habits much either but I thought surely rowing 25-30K a week would do something for me!! And my husband rows almost twice that!! Anyhow, we read about taking measurements so the end of Nov we measured our waists and the other day we did our second measurement. We were both VERY pleasantly surprised to find that in those six weeks we lost nearly two inches around our waists. SO, don't get discouraged by the lack of weight loss as maybe your body is getting in shape in other ways. Also, we shouldn't forget about how much better we feel when we row. Keep up the good work. Carol

LindaM · Post by **LindaM** » January 16th, 2006, 11:39 am

Concerning weight loss and rowing: I rowed for years (at least 10) - 7-10K 5 days a week and though I was relatively fit - strong, with low resting pulse and low blood pressure, my weight stayed 20 - 30 pounds higher than it should have been until I changed my eating habits. I think I unconsciously ate more bad carbs as I exercised more - homemade white bread, pretzels, chips or crackers and cheese before dinner. Not until I cut way back on processed carbs and sugar and made a special point to eat more vegetables, fruit and only whole grain carbs was I able to drop the unwanted 27 pounds. And once I made those adjustments to my way of eating, the rowing seemed to melt the pounds away. It was effortless and without plateaus - miraculous really. The rower is a terrific partner in the weight loss endeavor, but it's only part of the equation.

[old] Canada Goose · Post by **[old] Canada Goose** » January 16th, 2006, 1:16 pm

Hi everybody! I just thought I would do my weekly check-in to say how I'm doing on my weight loss goal. I lost another 1.5 pounds last week! I am now into the 140's (148.5). Yay! I have another 13.5 pounds to go before I reach my goal of lightweight status. It wasn't quite as easy this week, the first week the pounds just melted away. I am being very careful about what I am eating, pretty much exactly what Linda M. was talking about in her last post is what I am eating (more veggies, fruits and whole grains, no sugar). I got weighed mid-week and didn't see any progress, so I increased my exercise and that seemed to do the trick. Phew! Go Ducks! Shannon

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