Let the 8 Week Challenge Begin!!!

I said I'd do it and here goes. Post the things that you'd like to work on in the next 8 weeks. The challenge will last til Christmas day which is 8 weeks from today. Makes some positive changes. Work on getting in your water or vitamins. Work on getting in your protein. Working on moving your body to get it fit and toned. We'll have a weekly check in for those participating. Remember you can jump in at any time. Some suggestions of things to keep in mind: 1. Try not to post "I want to lose 10 lbs by Christmas" - we all know this far post-op that it is hard to truly gauge how much weight our bodies will lose and how fast/slow it will go. It would be wiser to chose eating, water, vitamin and fitness goals that might yield weight loss when done consistently over the 8 week period. 2. Try not commit to doing anything every single solitary day during the 8 weeks. Do not set yourself up for failure from the start. We all know that is derned near impossible to do something every day. Illness, problems, work, family and just plain life gets in the way. Setting a goal of "I'm going to get 100 oz of water in and all my vitamins in at least 5 days a week every week" is better than saying you are going to do it 7 days a week. See my point? (See I actually did pay attention at Weigh****chers and other therapy type meetings). 3. Be sure to set yourself some cool reward at the end for a job well done. Whether it is buying yourself something if it is in the budget, a spa treatment, or just going to the library and getting a good book and allowing yourself the free time to doing nothing else but sit and read - go for it! So what'll it be. Name your own poison. LOL! Think I'll cross-post this on the WLS-grads board too, FYI. Kathy

Okay, here goes: My goal is to have resumed my exercise schedule to working out four times a week. I had been doing this pre-tt, but haven't exercised at all since Sept. 21. My doctor has cleared me for movement as tolerated, but I think I have been afraid to start. I will start slowly, with short workouts, 15 minutes or less, and continue to wear my compression garments to keep swelling down. My second goal is to maintain my current weight. For the last 18 months it has been focused on losing, and now I have to learn how to maintain. My reward will be renewed strength and endurance. I've missed feeling strong and confident. And maybe some new clothes. Debra M.

Sounds like great goals. Don't overdo the exercise! I love your rewards.

Well I haven't posted in quite some time, but I've been lurking, as always. My weight has been stable for the past 4 or 5 months now, so I'd like to at least see the scale move downward at least a pound or two by Christmas. I'd also like to work out more often.. I won't put a quantifier on that, because I know promising to work out 5 times a week is too big of a promise to keep for me. I'd like to drink more.. I passed out a couple weeks ago, and they think it's because I was either dehydrated or my blood sugar was low. It would be nice not to pass out anymore.. lol. I'd like to snack less. I've noticed a LOT of old habits are now new habits again, and I don't like that. If my stomach's capacity was not less than it used to be before surgery, I'd be right back at the same weight I was before. I really need to cut down on the snacking insanity! Ok, I think that does it for me. Hopefully it will be a Merry Christmas, and I can start complaining again about not being able to afford newer, smaller clothes. Jasmina

Jasmina, Great list! Please be careful on the water intake and the passing out. Be sure to eat regularly and keep your blood sugars up and stable. Good luck! Kathy

I have the following goals: 1. Cut the "splurge" days down to 1 per week - Sundays. Right now, I am very, very good Mondays thru Fridays but lose control on Saturday and Sunday. So, I'd like to regain control at least one of those two days. 2. I love pretzels... I get the Weigh****chers pretzels or the 100 calorie packs and have one nearly every day. I will cut that down to every-other day. 3. Get down at least 64 oz of water on weekend days. I drink, drink, drink thru the week while at work, but on weekends, I'm lucky to get down 30 oz per day. 4. Take my blood pressure pills on weekends. Again, thru the week, no problem but Saturdays and Sundays, no vitamins, no blood pressure pill, no calicum, no iron, no protein shake, nothin'. I don't know what I will reward myself. It has to be something that doesn't cost any money. I hate reading. I'm not into movies or tv. I do my own nails and toes. I'm at a loss. Maybe whatever the scale says will be reward enough!

You've got some AWESOME goals here!!! I love the cutting down the "splurge" days!! Very smart of you to NOT totally cut them out, but just to limit them to a reasonable amount. Best of wishes to you this next 8 weeks!!!! Laurie

I think that the splurge thing is how many normal weight folks eat, eh? They eat healthy and then when a big event comes up they allow themselves the indulgences and then the next meal they are back to the healthy eating. I'm with you on weekend water and vitamins and protein. I do excellent during the week but my routine is out of whack over the weekend. I definitely go too low on water on the weekends. I do okay on vitamins and protein but sometimes I'll miss a stray vitamin here or there or only get one protein shake in rather than more than that. You give me ideas for my goals. Thanks! LOL! We'll have to work on the reward ideas. Great list! K

Guess I should post my own: 1. Up water intake. Weekdays make sure that on at least 4 of the days, I get 100 oz or more. Weekends make sure that I get at least 64 oz on both days. 2. Exercise. I haven't been to the gym in a month. Think I've only been once since my cortisone shot in the back. My back has been doing very well and I think the rest did help. Now I need to get moving again. I want to get to the gym 4 times a week minimum. 3. Sugar free candy. As much as I said in my original note not to try to do something everyday, I am going to cut sugar free candy out of my diet during the challenge period. It is not hard to stick to that. We just won't buy any. I've had problems having it here. Almost compulsive eating of it. No way. I will allow up to one SF ice cream pop a week (but may do without those as well). Those do not seem to be triggers for me. 4. Fruit/vegies. I want to try to make sure that I get either fruit or vegies in with all 3 meals. I'll do this at least 5 days a week. I'm doing well in this arena but need to expand my diet a bit to include more. Not sure what my reward will be for the challenge. Won't have funding to buy anything but I'll come up with something later. Kathy

Well I've been thinking about this and I'm having a hard time coming up with things. (certainly NOT because I'm doing it all right) 1. I'm working on positive physical/mental/emotional/spiritual image!! This sounds strange but I really struggle with this. I've been listening to the wrong voices and it's got me quite mixed up. I dont really know of a "goal" for the next 8 weeks in this area but just to keep working on it and replace those negative images with positive ones. 2. Eatting - I've GOT to get an increase in my calories. Yesterday was a busy day and I only at 3 times - not my six times! That leaves me at around 650 calories for yesterday. UGH!! So, my goal is to get in 1,200 calories five days a week. WOW, that even "sounds" HUGE to me!!!! 3. Organization - I've got to get things more together. Between the kids' schedules, my personal schedule, my Mary Kay business schedule.... I don't quite know if I'm coming or going. So, I'm putting all those schedules together and I'm going to work on cutting out things that I don't need to do, can delegate to someone else, or I just need to do. I keep saying that I don't have time for all these doctors appts. (I have three this week alone) but I've got to make the time, so I have to get "creative". 4. Exercise - FORGET IT!!!! I'm not even going here. I went to open the darn door at a restaurant last night and I hit myself in the face with the door!!! OUCH!!! The dang door was just tooo heavy and I was in a hurry - smack - right in the face. I KNOW for sure that I can't exercise at this point in my health so I'm not even going to attempt a goal knowing that I can't do it. So that's it for me. Laurie