August 2009 Mile Challenge

[2911plans 16]

Week 4

18.95 miles biked

60.75 total

.75 over goal

[2911plans 16]

Some exercise miles seem longer than others. Tonight the miles just seemed to drag on forever!

I have experimented with my Protein intake this week. I have aimed for 80 a day. I added two Protein Drinks (20 grams each). I have dropped 3 pounds this week.

Mmmm....I think there is something to this protein thing.

I'm going to keep at this to see if this loss continues. :frown:

Jenai I am happy to read about your 3lbs weight loss this week. That is just what I needed to get myself in the right frame of mind for setting another goal for the month of September. My weight loss stalled 3 weeks after surgery. Albeit, I have lost lots of inches, I want it all. Inch loss and weight loss.

Tell me what you all think about setting our usual miles goal and maybe shooting for a weight loss goal too.

I would set a weight loss goal of 8lbs for the month.

[Jenai 0]

Jenai I am happy to read about your 3lbs weight loss this week. That is just what I needed to get myself in the right frame of mind for setting another goal for the month of September. My weight loss stalled 3 weeks after surgery. Albeit, I have lost lots of inches, I want it all. Inch loss and weight loss.

Tell me what you all think about setting our usual miles goal and maybe shooting for a weight loss goal too.

I would set a weight loss goal of 8lbs for the month.

I am hesitant to set a specific weight loss goal as if I don't meet it through no fault of my own, I would feel discouraged. I could eat perfectly, get all my Protein in, get all my exercise in, and if my body is stressed it still may not let go of the weight.

I like the idea of setting the miles goal and maybe also setting a protein goal.(Willow suggested the protein goal). Because I can do specific actions to meet both of those goals, with the weight loss it is going to come off when my body is ready to release it.

I am not opposed to setting a weight loss goal, it just has the propensity to provide discouragement to me when I have followed all the rules.

I'm game for whatever everyone else would like to do though.

Maybe we could do all three. Then as we lose weight we can see the protein impact and the success we all had and learn from each other.

[Jenai 0]

I want to give us all a reminder that when we make our final post for miles completed in the month of August, we put in the text the actual miles achieved. Last month it was difficult to find the totals for some of the participants as it wasn't specifically listed in their post. It was in their exercise ticker, and when we updated our tickers for the next month, the previous month's numbers of course disappeared.

I will post a graph with everyone's totals to see how many miles as a group we completed during the month of August.

Thanks,

Jenai

[DebbieGail 0]

My miles for this week was 15.3 miles walked and 8.2 miles biked. It was harder for me this week -- I've messed up my Achilles heel...I'm going Tuesday to the Family Doctor hopefully it is just strained...but since I'm limping I wanted to get it checked out. I biked instead of walked yesterday and layed off today...but I really feel guilty and amazingly I'm missing it. I can't believe my attitude toward exercising has changed so much. I went through my closet trying on clothes and had to get rid of quit a few clothes - I've had a hard time getting rid of them though....but today I felt ready and bundled them up and tomorrow they are out the door. I'm feeling strong today that I will never return to that weight to need them...It took me a while to get there but I was reay today! Just one more step in my new way of thinking. Well enough of my rambling. One more day of August hope all are feeling good about their goals. Are my early birds still seeing the sun rise? I'm having to adjust my bedtime but am still committed to the early morning!

I'm thinking about my Septmeber goal....would like to hold off on setting my goal until I talk with Doc Tuesday...

By the way Sept. 2 is my 37th Anniversary...my present to my husband this year was going over a 100 lb loss. Well really that's my present...his is getting a much more energetic and happy wife back! He has been so supportive.

Thanks for all of your support alwo. This has been a great month working toward our common goal together.

Deb

[Jenai 0]

My miles for this week was 15.3 miles walked and 8.2 miles biked. It was harder for me this week -- I've messed up my Achilles heel...I'm going Tuesday to the Family Doctor hopefully it is just strained...but since I'm limping I wanted to get it checked out. I biked instead of walked yesterday and layed off today...but I really feel guilty and amazingly I'm missing it. I can't believe my attitude toward exercising has changed so much. I went through my closet trying on clothes and had to get rid of quit a few clothes - I've had a hard time getting rid of them though....but today I felt ready and bundled them up and tomorrow they are out the door. I'm feeling strong today that I will never return to that weight to need them...It took me a while to get there but I was reay today! Just one more step in my new way of thinking. Well enough of my rambling. One more day of August hope all are feeling good about their goals. Are my early birds still seeing the sun rise? I'm having to adjust my bedtime but am still committed to the early morning!

I'm thinking about my Septmeber goal....would like to hold off on setting my goal until I talk with Doc Tuesday...

By the way Sept. 2 is my 37th Anniversary...my present to my husband this year was going over a 100 lb loss. Well really that's my present...his is getting a much more energetic and happy wife back! He has been so supportive.

Thanks for all of your support alwo. This has been a great month working toward our common goal together.

Deb

Deb, I'm so sorry to hear about your ankle. Sounds like a good idea to get it checked out. I can so relate to missing the exercise and feeling guilty for not doing it although you were really doing the best thing for your body to give your ankle a bit of a rest today.

It is very encouraging to me to see how my attitude toward exercise has changed as we go along. Tonight (and in another life I would have definately thought I was crazy) I started sprinting on the elliptical and I just loved it. Funny,huh.

Take care and do let us know how the dr appt turns out.

Jenai

[Jenai 0]

Week 4, 30 miles this week

90 miles for this month

10 miles to go:hurray:

[melinda_205 0]

goal 15 miles

actual 15.2

I ask if I could join on August 22nd and set my goal at 15 miles then. I have to admit that I got lazy for a day or two but I said I would do it and I did. I actually missed the gym when I didnt go...and I think that is really a good thing. This challenge has been a really big part of getting my butt in gear so I'm gonna do the September challenge too. I may have to set my miles a little lower than I would like but this is the last semester of school and I have to put my grades before everything else...even weight loss! Everyone done an excellent job...keep up the good work.

[willowcat 93]

I am hesitant to set a specific weight loss goal as if I don't meet it through no fault of my own, I would feel discouraged. I could eat perfectly, get all my Protein in, get all my exercise in, and if my body is stressed it still may not let go of the weight.

I like the idea of setting the miles goal and maybe also setting a protein goal.(Willow suggested the protein goal). Because I can do specific actions to meet both of those goals, with the weight loss it is going to come off when my body is ready to release it.

I am not opposed to setting a weight loss goal, it just has the propensity to provide discouragement to me when I have followed all the rules.

I'm game for whatever everyone else would like to do though.

Maybe we could do all three. Then as we lose weight we can see the protein impact and the success we all had and learn from each other.

I have to agree with Janai. I don't seem to have control over when/how much my body decides to lose weight. I do have control over what I eat and how much I exercise. Weight-loss goals just bum me out. For example, I've been on a plataue (that doesn't look right?--too lazy to look it up--and I'm a teacher--Yikes!--oh well) for about 2 weeks. I don't think that I changed anything, and then all of a sudden I lost 1.5 lbs on Monday and then 2 more lbs. on Friday! I suspect a new plataue (sorry for the sp) is on the horizon. Bodies seem to have a mind of their own that way.

[willowcat 93]

I want to give us all a reminder that when we make our final post for miles completed in the month of August, we put in the text the actual miles achieved. Last month it was difficult to find the totals for some of the participants as it wasn't specifically listed in their post. It was in their exercise ticker, and when we updated our tickers for the next month, the previous month's numbers of course disappeared.

I will post a graph with everyone's totals to see how many miles as a group we completed during the month of August.

Thanks,

Jenai

Since August ends tomorrow (Monday), I'm going to hold off making a final post until then--I still have 13 miles to bike between today and tomorrow--otherwise I won't make my goal for the month (teaching is taking a lot out of me and by Friday, it's all I can do to bike even half of my daily goal--realistically, I'm thinking I've got to lower my goal for September to account for the extra energy spent at work). So, I'll post on Monday. Willow

Edited August 30, 2009 by willowcat

[willowcat 93]

My miles for this week was 15.3 miles walked and 8.2 miles biked. It was harder for me this week -- I've messed up my Achilles heel...I'm going Tuesday to the Family Doctor hopefully it is just strained...but since I'm limping I wanted to get it checked out. I biked instead of walked yesterday and layed off today...but I really feel guilty and amazingly I'm missing it. I can't believe my attitude toward exercising has changed so much. I went through my closet trying on clothes and had to get rid of quit a few clothes - I've had a hard time getting rid of them though....but today I felt ready and bundled them up and tomorrow they are out the door. I'm feeling strong today that I will never return to that weight to need them...It took me a while to get there but I was reay today! Just one more step in my new way of thinking. Well enough of my rambling. One more day of August hope all are feeling good about their goals. Are my early birds still seeing the sun rise? I'm having to adjust my bedtime but am still committed to the early morning!

I'm thinking about my Septmeber goal....would like to hold off on setting my goal until I talk with Doc Tuesday...

By the way Sept. 2 is my 37th Anniversary...my present to my husband this year was going over a 100 lb loss. Well really that's my present...his is getting a much more energetic and happy wife back! He has been so supportive.

Thanks for all of your support alwo. This has been a great month working toward our common goal together.

Deb

Deb, Congrats on the 37th Anniversary! Congrats on the over 100 lb. weight loss! Congrats on recovering the energetic, happy you! Congrats on letting go of old clothes!

I'm sorry about your Achilles heel. Hope all is well soon.

Yes, this early bird is still seeing the sun rise (everyday except for Saturday)!

Willow

[willowcat 93]

Ladies, Good morning from the UK! I am off to complete my challenge this morning and probably add some too. I'm so excited to actually have set this goal and now know I am actually going to do it. Pre band I never had a challenge in my life that I recall anyway, it's unbelivable how I have taken this on and really enjoyed it too. The fat girl gets fit and is loving it! I'm also going to 'take the plunge' this morning after gym and have a swim for the first time in 3 years. My swim suit is a little on the loose side but not enough yet to be offensive to others. So off to it I go! :wub:

Happy moving!

ellea, How was your swim? I love swimming! I hope it was fun for you to be back in the Water after your 3-year hiatus!

Congrats on setting your exercise goal, achieving it, and enjoying it! The old-timers on this board with long-term weight loss all say that regular exercise has been the secret to their long-term success. It's kind-of fun, isn't it, to be joining the winners for a change?! Willow

Edited August 30, 2009 by willowcat

[2911plans 16]

Good Morning Everyone! It looks as though we all had a great month. I love reading the post and reading that you really miss it when you can't get a workout in.

This past week I had a similar revelation. My usual bedtime is 8:00pm. I was watching tv with my 20 year old daughter. I had flipped through the channels and realized there was nothing on that I wanted to watch. I stood and said, "I'm going workout." My daughter was gushing over me. She kept saying how proud she was of me. I gave her a weird look, because at I've been working out for 2 months now. I then realized the impact of her words. It was 8:00pm and I was not headed to bed, I was going workout. WOW! Me? Nothing ever stopped me from going to bed at 8:00.

THANKS and CONGRATULATIONS to all of you who have remained true to the challenge. I would have never made it this far without you.

Keep sharing your milestones. You have no idea how much it helps to keep us all encouraged.

I will set up the September thread, but we still need to post our final miles for August on this thread. I, like most of you am still exercising daily.

Would you all mind if I just aim for a weight loss goal and not make it a goal for the challenge? Even with all the miles biked and inches lost the scale is not moving. I do not eat nearly as much as I did before my band. I need to stay away from kettle corn and ice cream. I need to be accountable for my food intake as well. The idea of getting more Protein in will be a key factor in possibly moving the scale. I still do not have any restriction.

Jenai, did the protein drinks replace your regular meals?

Willowcat, congrats on the weight loss!

Deb, I wish you a speedy recovery. We are so glad you came on board with us.

Way to go Melinda!

[Jenai 0]

Jenai, did the Protein drinks replace your regular meals?

I added the protein in addition to my meals. The number of calories I'm burning on the elliptical range from 800-1000. I wasn't eating enough calories, so my body was under stress from not enough calories in relationship to the number I was burning. The extra calories and extra protein seemed to do the trick.

I was reading a book this week that talked about our bodies are continually breaking down and building up our muscles and it needs protein to do that. When we add exercise to the situation it increases the breakdown and build up of the muscles ten fold. The author suggested we have a Protein Drink as soon after our workout as possible.

Each of us will be different in our protein needs and will need to tweak it depending on our results. I too was losing lots of inches the past two months, but truly believe it was a lack of protein with all the exercising I have been doing that made my body hold on to whatever calories I was giving it. Once I added the extra protein, it released the weight immediately. Like I was finally giving it what it needed and the stress it was feeling whooshed away.

Edited August 30, 2009 by Jenai

[2911plans 16]

I added the Protein in addition to my meals. The number of calories I'm burning on the elliptical range from 800-1000. I wasn't eating enough calories, so my body was under stress from not enough calories in relationship to the number I was burning. The extra calories and extra protein seemed to do the trick.

I was reading a book this week that talked about our bodies are continually breaking down and building up our muscles and it needs protein to do that. When we add exercise to the situation it increases the breakdown and build up of the muscles ten fold. The author suggested we have a protein drink as soon after our workout as possible.

Each of us will be different in our protein needs and will need to tweak it depending on our results. I too was losing lots of inches the past two months, but truly believe it was a lack of protein with all the exercising I have been doing that made my body hold on to whatever calories I was giving it. Once I added the extra protein, it released the weight immediately. Like I was finally giving it what it needed and the stress it was feeling whooshed away.

I will add more protein to my diet and see if I am just as successful. My doctor pushes protein first at every meal. I'm in the habit of eating carbs first then protein. Old habits are hard to break. From now on my plate will have protein only for a while.

What protein drinks have you tried? I've tried several, but find it hard to stick to.