The 100 day challenge

[cruisinskier]

Well a week or so back (May 13 to be exact) a few of us were sitting around discussing our upcoming cruise on the Oasis of the Seas in August which was roughly 100 days away. Somehow we then got talking about wanting to shed a few pounds between now and then. Within a few minutes, 8 of us had decided that we were going to challenge each other to lose some weight. We each put $50 in the pot for a total of $400, winner take all. We all weighed in and the winner will be based on the highest % lost (it was the most fair way we could determine to measure).

 

So here we are roughly a week and a half later, I have been eating much better and been to the gym 6 times since we started our little challenge. I am a 48 year old male and weighed in at 218.2 lbs which is the heaviest I have ever been (and yes I hesitate to put it out there but I do so in the hope that it keeps me focused). The snacks have stopped, the water intake has increased and I am motivated.

 

At this point I today weighed in at 212 lbs, down 6.2 lbs in 10 days so i am feeling good at this point....but it is early. I have set a goal for myself to get to 195 lbs by cruise date. In the end I am more focused on getting to 195 lbs than actually winning our contest. But if I can get there, I will have made the others work hard to beat me and if they do that then they deserve it. In the end we will all benefit from this.

 

I will post occasionally on my progress (hopefully at least weekly) and I welcome anyone who wants to join in with this thread to keep us all motivated and to provide any suggestions / recipes / weight loss tips, etc. I have lurked behind the scenes on this board for a while and am inspired by the weight loss stories I have read. I have noticed that there are not too man men on this site and frankly guys, most of us could stand to lose a few pounds. I hope this also inspires you to join me as I begin my quest to shed 20+ pounds by mid August.

 

OK, we now have 93 days remaining until we cruise. I am now out in public I hope to stay motivated and reach my goal. Thanks for stopping in and I wish you all well with your weight loss plans!

 

Jerry

[Anita Latte]

Good luck Jerry! Having a goal like this is a great motivation, especially if you can use it to try to establish new healthier habits.

 

I love to cook...what kind of recipes are you interested in? I grill a lot. Have some good crock pot recipes, too. Good lunch ideas too. Do you work and take your lunch with you? Is it just you that you are cooking for?

[cruisinskier]

Good luck Jerry! Having a goal like this is a great motivation, especially if you can use it to try to establish new healthier habits.

 

I love to cook...what kind of recipes are you interested in? I grill a lot. Have some good crock pot recipes, too. Good lunch ideas too. Do you work and take your lunch with you? Is it just you that you are cooking for?

 

Hi Anita. We are a family of 4 and all are wanting some healthier habits. I do work and do take my lunch almost everyday. I do like to BBQ and we actually use it year round. Recently we have had lots of grilled chicken, salmon, etc.

 

I think we mostly know what we need to do, now it is just putting it in motion. We are fairly active and we ski lots all winter (we are probably among the few who do not want to cruise in the winter as it interferes with our skiing :D). We just need to eliminate a few bad habits (boy that sounds easy, eh! :rolleyes:).

 

Appreciate any info or websites you can provide. I was checking out myfitnesspal.com last night for the first time...looks like lots of good info, recipes and sharing there as well.

 

Thanks everyone.

Jerry

[cruisinskier]

So today marks the end of 2 weeks on our challenge. I just weighed in at 210.6 lbs, down from a start weight of 218.2 for a loss to date of 7.6lbs!! I was able to get to the gym 4 times this week, we are eating better (almost all home cooked meals), and I have drank a ton of water. I know the weight loss will not continue at this rate however I am motivated and just overall feeling better.

 

The highlight of this past week for me was finding the MyFitnessPal.com website. There is just so much info available on that site. By tracking my meals it has allowed me to really see what I am eating and not just calories but also protein, fat, sodium and sugar. I am learning so much that I probably should have known by now and it is kinda like a grown-up science experiment when you input a food for the first time and see the breakdown of that item. It really shows you how bad the processed foods are (even when they are low calorie!).

 

Hope everyone is doing well.

 

Jerry

[cruisinskier]

Hi all. So today marks the end of week 3. I weighed in at 207.0 today, down 3.6 lbs for the week and 11.2 lbs in the past 3 weeks. I don't think I expected to loose this much this soon and I am sure it will slow down but I will take it!!

 

We have made some major changes in lfestyle. We make much better food choices, trips to the gym have become part of our routine (at least 4 trips a week with minimum of 450 calories burnt), and we are drinking a ton more water. These items have made a major impact so far and we hope to keep the momentum going forward. I continue to track every meal on myfitnesspal.com and it has made a big difference.

 

82 days to go until the cruise and I am already roughly half way to my original goal weight of 195lbs. I am still focused and motivated to get there. Hope everyone is doing well and thanks for stopping in.

Jerry

[elgato2]

Congrats on your loss!

I just wanted to chime in and say I started the thread Legend Losers around April 1st to 'go public' with my loss..

I too LOVE myfitnesspal...between these boards and that I've stayed very motivated...I work out every day..really mix it up with floor exercises, weights, nordiktrac, biking and swimming..had company last week for four days..cheated a little and still lost 1.6lbs.

I'm down to 155 from 165+ on April 1..BTW I'm a 58 yr old female..and since I've started this I've never felt better!

Again..congrats!

We cruise in December..so I have lots of time..I'm hoping to adopt this as a total lifestyle change...

[cruisinskier]

Congrats on your loss!

I just wanted to chime in and say I started the thread Legend Losers around April 1st to 'go public' with my loss..

I too LOVE myfitnesspal...between these boards and that I've stayed very motivated...I work out every day..really mix it up with floor exercises, weights, nordiktrac, biking and swimming..had company last week for four days..cheated a little and still lost 1.6lbs.

I'm down to 155 from 165+ on April 1..BTW I'm a 58 yr old female..and since I've started this I've never felt better!

Again..congrats!

We cruise in December..so I have lots of time..I'm hoping to adopt this as a total lifestyle change...

 

Hi elgato2. First, congrats to to you on the 10 lb loss to date. With that exercise habit and your food choice changes you should be able to hit your goal with time to spare before your cruise!!

 

To date I have remained very motivated, have been very active (even on the days we don't get to the gym), and the food choices are much better with reasonable portions. Everything is weighed and tracked and I am actually learning alot from doing that. It is all about "better" choices, not necessarily the "best" choices. For example I have still had the occasional beer, just now it is a lower alcohol and therefore lower calorie beer (Moosehead Cracked Canoe at 90 cals per bottle).

 

We are also doing this with the intent it will become a lifestyle change. At no point have I considered myself on a "diet". Rather, I want to change and as a result lose weight. And the biggest benefit is that my wife and 2 kids (19 & 21) are doing this as well. It makes it so much easier when all of the "bad" foods are not lying around the house as we are bringing better food into the house. Yes there are snacks and treats but everything in moderation.

 

I wish you well on your journey, both with the weight loss and on the cruise!!

 

Jerry

[mp2010]

Congratulations on your weight loss so far! I hope the scale continues to go down for you! Keep us updated on your progress. :)

 

I'm trying to get off around 10 pounds before my cruise (110 days). Several years ago, I lost around 60 pounds, and since then I have fluctuated up and down in about a 10 pound range. I'm just hoping to get to the low end of my range before I go so that I feel a little better in a bathing suit and won't feel so bad when I get home and realize I've probably gained the 10 back from all of the food! :p I'm trying to cut back on stuff that isn't so good for me and exercise an extra day or two more than I already do.

[cruisinskier]

Congratulations on your weight loss so far! I hope the scale continues to go down for you! Keep us updated on your progress. :)

 

I'm trying to get off around 10 pounds before my cruise (110 days). Several years ago, I lost around 60 pounds, and since then I have fluctuated up and down in about a 10 pound range. I'm just hoping to get to the low end of my range before I go so that I feel a little better in a bathing suit and won't feel so bad when I get home and realize I've probably gained the 10 back from all of the food! :p I'm trying to cut back on stuff that isn't so good for me and exercise an extra day or two more than I already do.

 

Thanks for taking the time to send me your note....appreciate all the support I can get! The fact my wife and I are doing this together makes it much easier as we motivate (and challenge) each other.

 

To date we continue to make better food choices (not always the best but better than in the past) and we have made the exercises a part of our routine. I have been to the gym 3 of the past 4 days this week so all remains on track. Weigh in will be Sunday each week so we will see where we stand at that point.

 

Good luck to you in achieving your goal. I am sure you can get there....but it is work!! Enjoy your cruise!

 

Jerry

[beckeck1]

Hello! Congratulations on your changes and resulting weight loss! I'm just starting my journey (or I guess I should say restarting) with weight loss, and I love myfitnesspal also - it really helps with accountability. I can't wait to read more about your success! :D

[cruisinskier]

Hello! Congratulations on your changes and resulting weight loss! I'm just starting my journey (or I guess I should say restarting) with weight loss, and I love myfitnesspal also - it really helps with accountability. I can't wait to read more about your success! :D

 

Hi beckeck1. Thank you for your comments and good luck on your journey.....and it is a journey! My user name on MFP is the same as here if you want to find me. Thanks again and good luck.

[cruisinskier]

Well another week comes to an end and I continue to stay very focused. I have yet to exceed the 1620 calorie daily goal I have set in myfitnesspal.com. And the trips to the gym continue with 4 trips this past week.

 

My weigh in today shows me at 205 lbs, down 2 lbs on the week and a total of 13.2 lbs lost over the 4 week period. I am now more than half way to the goal of 195 lbs I had set for our August cruise....and I am really starting to look forward to cracking that 200 lb level :D.

 

Thanks for the support to those of you who have left messages and also to those who are lurking on this site.

 

Jerry

[beckeck1]

Great job cruisinskier!! I know you will be so excited when you reach the other side of 200 pounds.

[mp2010]

Good job! Looks like you are right on track!

[cruisinskier]

Great job cruisinskier!! I know you will be so excited when you reach the other side of 200 pounds.

 

Good job! Looks like you are right on track!

 

Thanks folks! Appreciate the comments....and yes breaking 200 is in sight and will be a milestone!! I have been to the gym 3 of the past 4 days so staying very focused on my goal. And best of luck to you as well!!

[cruisinskier]

Week 5 comes to an end today and weigh in put me at 202.8lbs, down 2.2lbs for the week and a total of 15.4lbs to date. I continue to be very happy with the results so far.

 

As I had originally mentioned, this started as a challenge among 8 of us who are cruising together in August. 5 of the 8 are now friends on MFP so as a status update, the 5 of us together have lost a total of 75 lbs, not bad results for only 5 weeks!! Hope fully the other 3 have similar results...

 

Good luck everyone and stay focused on those goals!

 

Jerry

[cruisinskier]

Hi all. Today marks the end of week 6 and weigh in this morning was at 201.4 lbs, down 1.4 lbs for the week and 16.8 lbs so far. Given there was lots going on over the past week (Father's Day, my son's graduation, etc) I am happy with the results. And we were out today and friends asked if I had lost weight so it was great to hear that it is starting to be noticable :D

 

Hope everyone is doing well and keep focused on the end goal!

Jerry

[cruisinskier]

Hi all. Another week has passed and what a week it was. Personally, I was able to meet a few milestones this week. I had a loss of 3.4 lbs taking my total loss to date over the 20 lb mark. Also, I smashed through the 200lb mark, now sitting at 198 lbs!

 

I remained very focused, hit the gym 5 times during the week, and am still tracking all food on myfitnesspal.com.

 

I had originally set a goal for myself of getting to 195 lbs before our August Oasis cruise....looks like I should get there with some time to spare!!

 

I hope everyone had a great week and keep focused for the week ahead!!

 

Jerry

[cruisinskier]

Hi all. Well this was the week that I had owndered where it was....to this point all had gone farly well and I was dropping each week. This past week I continued eating well, made it to the gym 4 times, and overall did what I had done the prior weeks. I weighed in this morning and.....no change :confused:.

 

Anyhow I will continue to plug away and keep focused on my goal. I remain only 3 pounds away from my goal of 195lbs that I had set before our August Oasis cruise. Hope everyone else had a great week!

Jerry

[ariawoman]

Hi all. Well this was the week that I had owndered where it was....to this point all had gone farly well and I was dropping each week. This past week I continued eating well, made it to the gym 4 times, and overall did what I had done the prior weeks. I weighed in this morning and.....no change :confused:.

 

Anyhow I will continue to plug away and keep focused on my goal. I remain only 3 pounds away from my goal of 195lbs that I had set before our August Oasis cruise. Hope everyone else had a great week!

Jerry

 

It's called a plateau but don't worry, you'll break through it. :-)

 

It probably knows how close you are to your goal and is just teasing you now!

[cruisinskier]

It's called a plateau but don't worry, you'll break through it. :-)

 

It probably knows how close you are to your goal and is just teasing you now!

 

Thanks Aria, yeah I knew it was coming at some point....things had gone too smoothly to this point and I will get through it. I continue to eat well (it helps that my wife and I are doing this together!) and I have changed up my workouts a little and have started running in addition to the elliptical. Also had also increased the weights last week so I know I am building muscle which can initially slow the weight loss....

 

I am not going to worry until I have had 3-4 weeks with no loss....I am still motivated and have been to the gym twice already this week so the results will come. Thanks again for your support!

[cruisinskier]

Well another week has come to an end and what a week it was.....when we started this challenge back on May 13, I had set a personal goal to try to get from 218 lbs to 195 lbs by our August cruise. Well this week I weighed in at 194.6 lbs, achieving my goal!! I had to stand on the scale about 8 times to fully believe it!!

 

So now my new goal is to get into the 180's before we fly out on August 21.....over a month still to go so I hope to make it!! Hope everyone else had a great week and I wish you all success in achieving your goals!!

Jerry

[lovevacadays]

Well another week has come to an end and what a week it was.....when we started this challenge back on May 13, I had set a personal goal to try to get from 218 lbs to 195 lbs by our August cruise. Well this week I weighed in at 194.6 lbs, achieving my goal!! I had to stand on the scale about 8 times to fully believe it!!

 

So now my new goal is to get into the 180's before we fly out on August 21.....over a month still to go so I hope to make it!! Hope everyone else had a great week and I wish you all success in achieving your goals!!

Jerry

 

 

Jerry, I just "stumbled" across your thread. I really am enjoying reading it. I was waiting with bated breath to see if you would break through that plateau. So happy to hear you did. So many things affect weight from week to week. Sounds like you are doing the weightloss thing the correct way - exercise and good nutrition. So many look for a magic pill. Looking forward to reading about the next month of your journey.

[cruisinskier]

Jerry, I just "stumbled" across your thread. I really am enjoying reading it. I was waiting with bated breath to see if you would break through that plateau. So happy to hear you did. So many things affect weight from week to week. Sounds like you are doing the weightloss thing the correct way - exercise and good nutrition. So many look for a magic pill. Looking forward to reading about the next month of your journey.

 

Hi Michelle, thank you for your kind words. Yes we all want that magic pill...if only it existed!! While my journey started out as a challenge among 8 of us to see who can lose the most weight before our upcoming cruise, this has become so much more. We really want a lifestyle that is sustainable long term and an exercise ritual that we can maintain. I have always been active and have had my gym membership since 1986, I just was not consistent recently and for some reason I needed to do more than just pay for the gym.....I had to actually go!!

 

And as you say, there is much more to this than just the number on the scale (of which an update is coming shortly...) including other measurements, the way my clothes fit, my overall health, heart rate, and just the way I feel. Thanks you for your support and I truly think we have made a lifelong change as a family. Thanks again.

Jerry

[cruisinskier]

Hi all. Well another week comes to an end! It has been a very active week with 5 trips to the gym and a day on the golf course. My total calories burned this week exceeded 3,600. And on the food front, I ate reasonably well, tracked everything on MFP, and stayed within my daily calorie goal. So all sounds good right??

 

Well for most of the week I was up 3 lbs?? Today on weigh in I had dropped some from that but ended up with a gain of 0.5 lbs for this week. While I am not thrilled with this result, it is not the end of the world either. I know I am doing all the right things, I am getting more exercise than ever, we are eating better, my clothes fit better (and I have had to buy some smaller sizes!!), etc. I am determined to keep doing what I am doing and I know the 24 lbs I have lost to date will continue.

 

I wish you all well in your journey, stay focused and determined. If this was easy everyone would do it.....

Jerry