Holiday Challenge - Week 1 -Oct 24th

 I think that our LW forum has had some great posts lately about the holidays.  I can see that I'm not the only one that wants to be successful this Holiday Season.  A few people have posted about wanting to shed a few pounds before the end of the year so I thought I'd start a weekly topic as a place to share our victories and struggles.  A place to ask for help or ask people to celebrate us.

I've been thinking about what I would like to accomplish before ringing in 2011.  My goal is to weigh less than 156 on December 31st.  Keeping my goal in mind will help me be mindful of the food that I'm eating at Halloween, Thanksgiving, Channukah, Christmas and all the celebrations in between.  If I can shed these pounds, I will come away feeling like a winner and knowing that I'm forming good new healthy habits.

To help me challenge myself, I've put my goal in my signature line so that I'll always be reminded and not get amnesia.  I intend to continue my support groups during the holidays.  Continue to weight in at WW every Monday night.  Continue my food and exercise tracking as well as taking my vitamins and daily fluids.  I also intend to ask for help when I need it and not worry about appearing a failure if I need help.

I'm fluctuation between 170 and 171 for the last week.  I'm ready to drop into the 160's and get this party started!!

Anyone with me on this?  Anyone else find strength in numbers during the holidays?

What's your New Year's Goal?  

I'm with you, Lee!  

I think my goal will be 149 by the end of November.  I'm hoping to be 159 by the end of this month, so it's a stretch goal (and I won't be horribly mad if I'm a few weeks behind) but maybe a possible one? 

I don't really envision the holidays as much of a problem for me.  Not food-wise, anyway, since adapting to changing menus is part of what I do every day.  I've figured it out so far, so I'm not worried about the holiday meals.  I dump on sugar, so that's no temptation.  And all I really eat is protein with a few veggies.  My family eats heart-healthy foods, anyway, so butter and fats won't even be on the menus.  

At the same time, it helps to have this kind of focus.  I want to totally wow my family when they see me for the first time at Thanksgiving!  Even people at church who haven't seen me in 2 weeks wind up not recognizing me now.  So I can't imagine what my relatives who haven't seen me in a year or two will say!  

After I get to 149 I'll be ready to set a Christmas goal.  What better Christmas present could I give myself than coming even closer to goal???

Really, I just wanna be like Shannon and Jody and all those folks who lost around 10 lbs a month until getting to goal in well under a year.  :) 

Thanks, Lee!

 Oh my goodness!  I'm so happy that I'm not the only one that wants to really focus over the holidays!

Wow wow wow... I didn't realize that it's been so long since you've seen some of your family Rosa.  For some reason, I just visualized them being uptown from you.  :)  You are sooooo going to wow your family.

I'm not envisioning a big problem with Thanksgiving because Turkey is definitely on my plan and there is little room for sides after that.  The place I go every year is with good friends who are uber supportive of whatever food plan I'm on.  I do not dump on sugar, but allow myself only a bite or two, like at my birthday celebration.

I think that 149 is really realistic as you're a good loser!  By Christmas you'll be so much closer to goal.

OK, we're in this together!

Great idea Lee!!!

January of last year, my world was turned upside down at my job.  I love my job.  I'm a middle school secretary and have worked in the same building for the past 21 years.  Unfortunately, my principal/boss/very dear friend found out that he was transferring to a different building.  I was crushed.  We were a perfect team.  The two of us working together was no longer an option.  So I made the decision to leave the place I thought I'd retire from and transfer to the newest middle school in our district and took on the task of opening a brand new school.  My exit came sooner than expected and I was sent to the new school in April to prepare for a fall opening.  It was a very, very stressful time for everyone involved.  I missed my old principal/friend and my coworkers, as it was just me and the new boss (a young man 10 yrs my junior) in this great big building all by ourselves.  Anyway, with all the stress came the mindless eating and the weight gain.   Spring turned to a summer of oppressive heat and humidity here in the midwest and I just continued to sit on my but in the nice cool air conditioning and contemplate what to eat next.  Don't get me wrong, it weighed (pun intended) on my mind everday.  I flirted with the 5 day pouch test in June for all of about 5 days. Lol.  Then when it was time to return back to work in August reality set in...OUCH...literally ouch!!!  Everything was too tight.

Fast forward to October...DH and I decided it was time...no more excuses, no more poor me, no more I miss my job, I miss my friend, etc.  It was a conscious choice and I feel so much better for it.  Weight gain after WLS is such a head game.  I've never had the body issues that I've had since I started gaining, not even pre WLS.  But I'm happy to report me and my head are in a great place now.  I am down 7 pounds and DH is down just over 14.  I feel like myself again.  I have always prided myself in being such a positve and encouraging person and that person had all but disappeared.  Certainly not something I was proud of...

So I'm here today to accept your challenge.  Today I weighed 161.6.  My goal is to weigh 149 by the time we ring in 2011.  My lowest weight post WLS was 141 and my surgeon's goal for me was 138.  Baby steps, right!!!  I WILL GET THERE!!!

I'm off to update my siggy also.

Than you again for the CHALLENGE!!

 Julie, you've had such a tough year.  I can relate so much!  In 2006 my company was sold and so many things changed.  I had just been eating raw vegan for 2 years and managed to shed a chunk of weight.  The upheaval at work sent me on a downward spiral and I gained 70 pounds in 2007.  OUCH!  That year I surpassed my high in the 220's and went up to 249.   You have all of my compassion about work and how the stress can undermine us.

I am so proud of you and your DH for deciding together to make so many positive changes in your lives.  I would love to join you at 149 by 2011 but my slow losing has me setting something that I think will be more realistic for me.  I've only been losing 3 pounds a month so shooting for 155 is a big leap for me and should keep me challenged.

Hey, I can't do this alone so thank you for wanting to challenge yourself right along side of me!

I am totally with you Lee! I have one pound till my ultimate goal...but then I want to stay there. So my goal will be to be fairly comfortable in my maintenance by the end of the year. I want to take 2-3 days off a week from working out, and not gain.

 YaY Shannon!  I love that you're going to do this because I can learn from you about how to deal with maintenance when i get there.

Let's celebrate when you get to that ultimate goal.  :)

 Shannon, I LOVE your new pic!!

Thanks Lee!

Excellent post, Lee. I want to participate in this challenge. My quest to run a half marathon is winding down. I haven't lost one pound doing so much running. I just seem to eat more because I am so hungry.  I made my doctors goal but never made mine so my holiday challenge goal is to be to 135 lbs.  It is doable but definitely not without some work. I have done a pretty good job of maintaining but what will happen when I am not running like a fiend?
I am currently reading "Mindless Eating" and learning quite a bit from it. I hope to put the ideas into action this upcoming season.

Thanks Lee,

Cheryl