Hi Everyone. Here's your place to get encouragement and accountability for the month of October. This is the place to state your goals, victories or slip-ups and generally encourage each other on our weight loss journey.



Summer has slipped away and autumn is here for those of us in the Western Hemisphere. For some it means cool weather, colored leaves and Halloween. For others in more Southerly climes the change may not be so dramatic. But whatever the weather make a plan for the month. State your goals and get to it. Post as often as you want or need to. This is your place for support. Do not become discouraged if you slip up and eat off plan or not get in your exercise goals. Just coming here will keep you encouraged to keep up the good work. Each day dawns bright and new and so we can carry on and know that one off-plan day or even a bad week is not a disaster. Here's to a great, healthy October!!!

I'm probably the only one who's already in October



My main goal last month was to get my waist under 30", and I got it there but not any lower.



So this month, same.



-get waist to 29.75"



-couch-to-5k program



-more water



-continue with green smoothies for breakfast



-stretch twice a week besides when I go running



-stick to limited processed foods

I'm GOING to lose inches this month, I am positive. I just got back from the apartment gym and I power walked/ran/walked for 35 minutes!!! 1.6 miles. I'm going to focus on measurements more than weight. The best part of the gym is they have 2 treadmills, they're a lot easier for me to run on than the elliptical at my parents house. They also have a TV, I was watching Top Model tonight while running. My current measurements are (all biggest part of everything):



Thighs: 20 3/4 inches

Hips: 35 inches (bloated right now between period and just eating dinner)

Waist: 27 inches

Arms: 12 inches



I don't have any specific goals, just to drop at least an inch everywhere, if possible.





Oh, my 1 goal: Not to eat all of the Halloween candy

I need support!



Fitness goals:

- 30 minutes on the Stairmaster 6 mornings/week

- Weight training 3 mornings/week

- Sit ups/leg lifts 3 mornings/week

- Walk the dog in the evening

- Yoga twice/week



Nutritional goals:

- Green smoothies for breakfast 5 days/week

- Salad 7 days/week

- At least one serving legumes per day

- At least one serving cruciferous vegetable per day

- 3 fruits per day

- 1 serving whole grain per day



Avoid completely:

- Sugar

- White flour



STOP EATING POTATO CHIPS OUT OF THE JUNK BOX AT WORK !!! I do this because I eat the plain ones and I tell myself they're not that bad because they are minimally processed and have minimal ingredients....but I am eating them nearly every day and that probably puts back at least half the calories I burn on the Stairmaster....definitely not worth it !! I need to tell my coworkers if they see me with a bag of chips to knock them out of my hands and smack me upside the head!



I already do most of these things almost regularly, but I am so inconsistent......Just think how great I will feel at the end of October WHEN I do the above consistently!

New thread! Starting this month at 133.6 and I'd like to be 125-127 by the end of the month and I'd also like to get 19.5 inch thighs 'cause they're too big!



I want to start making healthier meals too! Not just the ones that are convenient.

It feels like it was just yesterday that I had started the September challenge. Now, it's October?! Time goes by so fast.

My goals for this month are:



1. Not eat desserts during the week. I'll have one real dessert on the weekend.

2. Exercise at least 5 days a week

3. Track my calories at 1200-1400 per day.

Funny you say 19.5 inch thighs because that's what I was at one point in 2006 (when I was 112, 5'5") and I was complaining about how big they were. I think we just need to accept that we have thighs Thighs aren't made to be slender.



Me too!






I know! It does.






Only 1 dessert? Would you live? Can a person live off 1 dessert?



<--- eats dessert after every meal, including breakfast



That's something I'll never give up. If I don't get that sweetness after a meal, I don't feel satisfied. I really don't like that aspect, but I just deal.

Halved my afternoon trail mix portion and stiff felt satisfied; cut out the AM soy milk. And I am at last seeing movement on the scale again Still trying to get below 130. I am almost there though. Goals for October (I am keeping it simple)



1) Sign up for a workout class at the community centre; I am in a rut and need to shake up my fitness routine



2) Be stricter about the treats now that school has started again. My skin really does feel better when I avoid my allergens/irritants more stringently



3) Try one new recipe a week to build up a repertoire of healthy, easy meals and to further my goal of becoming a better cook

I had a pretty good September, but water is still a problem! Ugh.



My goal is to continue to track my calories and stay in my calorie range each day.

Exercise at least 3x a week, but try to include two additional days.

Drink 9-10 cups of water a day.

Lose 6-8 pounds this month.

OK, I'm here, it's Oct, and I'm going to commit.



I will try to move at least 3x per week. I will try to go to the gym, but if I can't get there, I will at least do floor exercises at home.



I'm going to "try" to cut out pure junk. I know better, I know what to eat, I just like junk......???



I'm not so worried about weight or inches, I just need to be mindful of what goes in my mouth. I am small framed, and chubby for my height. I know what I should look like, but I don't expect miracles.



That's my story



Anna

danakscully64 Yes I shop HEB, it's about all that is here, except Wal Mart.



Maybe your SO will pick stuff up for you at the commissary, much cheaper.

Ha, ha, one can live quite well with only 1 dessert. I've been doing that all of September. I get sweet food but it's natural, like dried apricots, and fresh fruit. It doesn't take long to break the "dessert after the meal" syndrome.





Doing well so far in October. Been up an hour and haven't done anything to jeopardize my health.

Good morning.....day 1 !



I have to get to bed earlier. I like to stay up late but I have to get up early in order to have time for my morning work out. This morning I set my alarm for 5:20 and I hit the snooze until 6:10 because I was up until about 10:30 last night. And I can't get out of bed and get right on the Stairmaster....so if I get up late that's the first thing that gets left out of course. I'm getting my butt on there right now! I hope you all have a good day.

Ugh, I'm in for this month. I need to come up with some goals.

That's all I've seen here too, but overall, they seem really cheap!



He keeps telling me he's going to take me there, it's just been busy. I've been to one military shopping place and it was all processed, sugary foods. I don't know if the local commissary is like that. This weekend, we'll have time






*jaw drops* I've tried, I get headaches. I've actually been getting reoccurring headaches lately, hope I'm okay.



Same.

In about 30 minutes, I'm going down to the gym

My goal last month was to be 145 by the end of September (I was around 152 when that month started). I was a pound short of that goal (I ended the month at 146). My goal for this month is to get to 140.

My height is 5'9.

I've mainly been drinking lots of water and of course trying to eat healthy. The problem for me is the exercise. With full time school and work I just don't have the energy when I wake up or at the end of the day. I walk 20 minutes every morning up the hill to the train to go to work but that's about it.

So this month along with continuing to eat healthy I want to TRY to do some light cardio at night before I go to bed (b/c it's not even an option for me to get up 15-20 early in the morning to do it-lol.

Good luck everyone.

Kremasmooth and Michael and CKR.



Dana, you go girl!



I had a marvelous walk today. It was gray and overcast and threatening rain but I decided to go anyway. As suspected rain did come but just very gently. I was listening to classical music (Music for the Royal Fireworks by Handel) on my MP3 player and found myself conducting the orchestra as I was walking in the rain. For a moment I became so entirely immersed in the music I hardly knew where I was. I felt so blissfully happy at that time I almost cried for joy. My whole day is colored by that moment of sheer happiness. It's like nothing can make this day go wrong now.

I'm back from the gym! I went for just over 20 minutes. I didn't want to overdo it since I worked out last night for more than 35 minutes. I walked/jogged/ran on the treadmill, did some leg crunches, did quite a few ab curls (machine) and a few bench presses. I'm tired! My scale keeps saying 120, I want a new one asap.

Ok here I am again! I will do an "official" weigh-in on Saturday as that is when I always weigh myself. I seem to have lost track of how much I have lost per month lately. My goals for October are the same as always: Portion control, less sweets, exercise, exercise, exercise!! I want to be below 120 by the end of this month or I will not make my year end goal!!

I am starting a new job as a Massage Therapist this month. Having finally gotten my weight to stabilize in the range I want it to be, my goal is to maintain that weight and develop more strength and endurance to help me with my career. The challenge will be not just exercising and conditioning myself, but also learning to adjust my calorie intake for the more physically demanding aspects of my job. I have a big appetite, so it is easy for me to go overboard. I'm confident though. Without confidence, it is hard to succeed.

Congrads GingerFoxx on your new job, and being happy with your weight.






OK, great ideal, only 1 dessert, but how do you do it? I am addicted to sugar. My breakfast was ok, ww toast, and pb little jelly. Lunch not so good, I choose a Little Debbie cake. And I don't even know why??



I'm open to any good ways to get off sugar?

I don't know how I do it. We have cookies and pie and ice cream in the house. I just made a decision not to have dessert and I don't. Not eating dessert gives me more real food to eat during the day. Because I eat that one dessert on the weekend I always go way over my calorie limit on that day. I love desserts and I'm a good cook so I can whip up something sweet any time for DH, but I'm only eating them one day.



For the calories in a little Debbie Cake you could have had a big bowl of vegetable soup. We just have to make time for good nutritious food choices. Our bodies can't run efficiently on junk. I'm not off sugar as I do eat things with sugar like apple sauce or a little jam. I guess I've really cut it down though.

I have a HUGE sweet tooth! However since becoming vegan, my intake of sugary sweets has dropped dramatically. There aren't as many choices in that cookie aisle that I CAN eat so I am forced into cutting back. Every now and then I do buy Oreos though!

Isabella....wow your walking experience this morning sounds amazing. isn't great how the simple things can bring you such joy.



the first day of my october commitment was only so so....i was on the Stairmaster this morning when my MP3 player died and i tried to go on but it's like torture without music so i was only on there for about 15 mins. so i took my neighbors dog for a walk and he sets a good pace so at least i got some exercise.



i didn't get to leave work for lunch today so i had chips out of the junk box......



tomorrow will be a better day....

Hello fellow October-ers!



Well, September was so-so, with limited exercise (not on purpose) and having only three weeks or so of vegetarianism. Somehow I managed to lose 4.5 pounds and over 15 inches.



I start October at 177 pounds. Final goal is about 130-140.



Goals:

*Stay off the scale until November 1st.

*Keep the candy bars to one a week. Have fruit and vegan cupcakes for dessert when needed.

*Drink two cups of water for every cup of coffee when having study sessions. Try to limit coffee to one cup a day otherwise, and substitute green tea instead.

*Get off my butt and start walking in the mornings. I used to walk a 4-mile stretch every day. If it's too hot, do yoga or aerobics in the house.



I am also going to cut down further on the dairy products. I don't need the cottage cheese with my fruit, and soy yogurt tastes just as good.

Sorry, that "when needed" in relation to dessert just sounds very funny (even though it's totally true).

Indeed, sometimes one does NEED cupcakes!



Went to the park today and took the bike. I rode it while Jer did the couch to 5K. It is kind of hard to ride slow.... and the stupid gears don't want to shift....But I did get a pretty good ride by going ahead of him and coming back a couple times. I also walked and he rode it a bit and when he was done with the couch run/walk, I walked with him. I was surprised we had spent almost an hour on the trail! So it was a pretty good workout. Tomorrow I get on the scale and hope to have lost at least that one pound I had gained.

I'm letting my body rest today, no workout. I'm going to be cleaning my apartment though, that can count. The weather is getting bad, I don't want to leave my dog in the apartment with loud thunder, she might freak out.



Cupcakes = Necessary for survival. It's science.