Welcome to November, April Bandits! It's nearly the holidays and we're all going to meet our weight loss goals with the help of our November Challenge. Speaking of, the terms are as follows:

(1) Complete 17 or more exercise sessions (counting only one session per day, if you're the type to do more!);

(2) To count, each session must be at least 35 minutes in duration; and

(3) Consume at least 64 oz of Water (or whatever your personal goal for water intake is) at least 6 days a week.

We can do it! Let's check in with each other often this month, as the holidays make it so easy to check out on diet/exercise until the New Year.

Here we go....

35 mins. on the treadmill. Four more to go!

Roberta

Hi Everyone,

I haven't posted in days, but I have been exercising. And, I am so excited because with today's weigh in, I officially have less than 100 pounds to lose. I am really excited about that. Especially with Thanksgiving and all the yummy foods, but I still managed to lose a pound this week. I love my band and how it helped me stay in control this week.

Boo and Eficka, I am sorry you both are battling illness, I hope you both get to feeling better real soon. It seems like this time of year, it is hard to avoid it sometimes.

11/1: No exercise. 50 oz. water

11/2: 40 minutes treadmill. 48 oz. water (48 is my daily goal)

11/3: 40 minutes treadmill. 60 oz. water

11/4: No exercise, 48 oz. water

11/5: 55 minute fast-paced walk around the neighborhood, 60 oz water

<!-- / message -->11/6: None - too miserable from overfill experience. About 30 oz water

11/7: 40 minutes on the treadmill. 60 oz water.

11/8: No exercise, 60 oz water.

11/9: 40 minutes on the treadmill. 72 oz water.

<!-- sig -->11/10: 40 minutes on the treadmill. 60 oz water.

11/11: 40 minutes on the treadmill. 60 oz water.

11/12: No exercise. 48 oz. water

11/13: 40 minutes on the treadmill. 60 oz water.

11/14: 40 minutes on the treadmill. 60 oz water.

11/15: No exercise. 48 oz water.

11/16: 40 minutes on the treadmill. 72 oz water.

11/17: None. 60 oz. water

11/18: 40 minutes on the treadmill. 72 oz water

11/19: 40 minutes on the treadmill. 72 oz water

11/20: No exercise. 60 oz water.

11/21: 40 minutes on the treadmill. 60 oz water.

11/22: 40 minutes on the treadmill. 72 oz water.

11/23: No exercise. 60 oz water.

11/24: No exercise. 48 oz water. (did do lots of mall walking though)

11/25: 40 minutes on the treadmill. 60 oz water.

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Eva, sorry you just haven't been able to get your health under control this month. Hope everyday gets better for you!!

Susan: Congratulations for staying in "control" and actually losing during the festivities

Roberta: Thanks for the well wishes! I'm on the mend and hope to be good as new within the week.

Susan: Congrats on LOSING over the feasting week! WTG!!

I DID IT!!!! Finished the challenge...and an extra as of yesterday!!

We had an excellent Thanksgiving, I actually got several of the family to go walking with me after dinner. We put the grandbabies in strollers, and took off. We met all kinds of people out doing the same thing!!! Then my SIL and I actually went to KMart that evening, she wanted to buy a new tree. While there I lucked into one of the new Tickle Me Elmo's for my granddaughter.

Then DH and I were up and in line before 4 AM for Black Friday sales, and we managed to get all the things we went for. I think I shivered off a few hundred calories!!! I managed to actually lose a half a pound over the last couple of days...as opposed to gaining, I am thrilled!!!

Had a rough weekend, a man we knew committed suicide, leaving behind a wife and 3 kids. Then went to Church Sunday and found out a little 14 yr old girl we have watched grow up, had attempted suicide as well. It just saddens me.

Today the DGD and I are off to do a little shopping. Then we are going to finish putting up the tree. It is in the stand and it ispre lit, so I am just waiting so she can "help". I love being the Granny---spoiling is such fun! We are going to be baking and candy making over the next couple of weeks, hope I am not tempted to sample too much!

Glad you are feeling a little better Boo, hope you are following suit Efficka. Sorry y'all have been sick.

Will be hitting Curves this afternoon, if I can manageit after shopping with the baby!!

Do we have any changes in store for the December challenge?

Kat

Kat, congratulations on finishing the challenge! Woohoo! Way to go! As for the December challenge, I think we should leave it exactly the same -- 17 workouts for 35 minutes. We'll kick it up a notch in January, but I think the holidays throw enough of a wrench into our lives that to ask for more or longer sessions in December would be a disincentive. If I'm underestimating our group, just give a yell and we'll change it up for sure. I'm up for anything.

Susan, I'm so excited that you've got less than 100 to lose. That's AMAZING. Just think -- some docs use the 100 lb mark as showing that you're eligible for WLS. So by that standard, you're not even eligible for the band by your current weight! What a great milestone. My personal goal is not 100 lbs away, but by the medical charts, I could still lose 100 or even more (I'm only 5'2), so that milestone is still a way off for me.

To all those who are sick this November, heal up and we'll be looking forward to you blowing us away in December. Boo, I'm really impressed that you're still trying to meet the challenge even though you're sick. That's AMAZING. Don't feel like you have to run though, if you're not up to it. A 35 minute walk counts too. Eficka, I'm off to read your thread....

France was glorious. Too much wine, too much cheese, too much chocolate, but no weight gain. I weighed exactly the same this morning (to the tenth of a pound) as I did when I left. I guess that's the power of the band. And I went to the gym this morning and will be 100% back on the diet tomorrow (when the cheese that I brought to work to share with my colleagues is gone).

Take care all,

Welcome back Julie. Glad to hear that you held the line with your weight in spite of all that good food and drink.

kat: Congratulations on finishing the Nov. challenge. Sorry to hear about the suicide and attempted suicide in your town. The holidays can be so hard for some people to cope with.... so sad to hear.

Dear Friends: I have completed the November challenge. This feels miraculous to me because I have been struggling with a major bout of depression for over a month now. I sincerely wanted to maintain a presence here because your feedback has been such an inspiration in keeping me focused on the band trip. I did post once, a couple of weeks ago, but then retreated into invisibility when there was no response. It's been hard, and I'm sorry if this sounds too down. But in fact I have been feeling much better the past few days, am hoping for recovery, and of course am thrilled with the fact that I have managed to stay on track with diet and exercise.

April Bandits November Challenge: Seventeen days of exercise completed (30 individual sessions of 35 min. or more)

Dear Bluehill, I cycled back through the thread and found your 11/11 post. You posted this while I was on vacation, however, when I came back I did go back to old posts to see how everyone was doing. I did read your post for that day, but for some reason I did not get the tone of your post. I'm truly sorry that I was not there for you when you needed the support the most. I am glad that you are now feeling strong enough to join us once again. How wonderful that you have had the strength to complete the challenge, all the while battling your depression. You are to be commended, that is awesome. We are "family" here, and like a real family sometimes things go over our heads.

Roberta

35 mins. at Curves this evening.

Dear Bluehill: I am SO sorry that you are battling depression. It happens to most of us at some point. I hope you can find something that helps! Come on and post anyway. We are all in this together. I know that sounds cliche, but we bandster buddies understand the struggles with weight and other maladies, like depression that often strike. I read once that the propensity for depression and eating disorders are located on the same gene.

And KAT: The heartache you have seen this week is the saddest of all! I am so sorry!

I vote we keep the challenge the same, so we don't fall behind. It's not fun to not meet the challenge! I will be short two workouts this month. Oh well...December starts Friday!

Bluehill, I'm so sorry you're having a rough time. I've had 2 major depressions in my life and I know how it feels to want to disconnect. Stay in touch with us if you can. If you can't, please consider short term medication if you haven't already. It helped a ton for me both times. In any event, we're all so proud of you for completing the challenge. You're doing great.

Bluehill, as they have said we are a type of family here, and in that respect, I will tell you same as I would my crew here at home.

I am not that intuitive---sometimes I need bashed up side the head with something. I can explain what a busy time that was with DH's health---but it still breaks my heart to know that I contributed to the let down feeling you have/had. I truly apologize for not being the friend I should have been. Please keep coming back, and if you need extra support---PLEASE SAY SO!!!! Especially this time of year, everyone is so focused on getting everything done, we may miss something, and I would hate for that to happen. In that respect, I will be PM'ing you and the others with my home email address. I would be glad to have any of yours as well, so if we don't hear from someone in awhile, we have contact possibilities. On another thread I chat in regularly, we had a woman who was there everyday, and shared pictures, and family stories, and one day was just gone. We literally mourned her...we have no idea what, why, or where. She had a son in the service, and we all worry about that. Bluehill, we don't want you to stay away---we want to help. I hope you feel the (((big hug))) I am sending your way............check that---make it hugs for ALL of you!

Kat

OK -- I need to do a little self-reflection in a public way, so here goes. I've not been following the bandster rules for over a week now. I've been eating crap alongside my healthier food. When I was in France, that was one thing, but it actually started a couple of days before that and I haven't stopped it yet and I've been home for 2 days.

It's not been dire -- I haven't gained any weight. But I haven't lost any either and I really need to get my FOCUS back. I'm stress eating. I'm stressed over changing jobs, I'm stressed because I'm in the middle of buying an apartment (which has me poor and that's always stressful) and I'm stressed because I'm starting to be more skinny than fat and I don't know what I'm going to do with myself once I'm skinny.

Anyway, I just wanted to post to say that I need motivation to get back on track -- good meal planning and routine exercise. And water! It's been a week since I had my 8 glasses and that's no good. Grrr.

Hope yall are all doing better than me!

Take care,

Don't worry too much, Julie. Schedule time with your trainer and those endorphins will kick in and give you all the motivation you need! Your life sounds very hectic and stressed right now; it is vitally important that you get your exercise time in. Eat lunch over your work and get to the gym!!! We have a 10K to complete!

 

Thanksgiving was a total success for me, but then I fell apart the day after. For some reason, I started eating pizza, cookies and leftovers. Strangely, nothing got stuck and I never felt full. It made me realize that I needed to re-focus, appreciate the band, and not run from success. Two days of protein shakes and six miles later, my head (and cravings) are back on "track.":) Get fierce! Everything will work out, just make sure that YOU do!!!