30 Day Challenge - who's with me? Starting 4th September

Keymash

I started on the 18th, as the 17th was my Bday so I figure a pretty good day to have a last hazzah. I ate exactly what I was supposed to eat. I was a bit hungry after breakfast and it got worse as the day went along so I figured I'd add a wheetabix biscuit [60 cal] and 30 grams of cheddar makes it bettar [120] cal], and 100 ml of extra skim milk. I think that will do the trick. If it doesn't I may add 30 grams of peanuts.

I do have the cravings for the junk food, hopefully having a bit of cheese which I like will help, but I just got to get over the cravings for cheese Peanuts are also a bit of a pleasure food for me. Nothing like a Rielly's Sandwich or North End Pizza or an A%W papa burger or a ..... whimper.

Also did the gym yesterday and today.

There should either be a life time challenge thread for those whose dietary aims will take longer than a month, I figure I am good for a year myself. The joys of being able to weigh your self in fractions of a metric ton.

The 19th turned out pretty good. Added peanuts, 20 grams. A bit more food in total then I would like but I figure as I get used to things and the metabolism slows I can drop the cheese and peanuts. 250 calories is half a pound a week.

Keymash

Last night I was really hungry, I went to McDs and had a green tea and went to the corner store and just got some peanuts and had allowed amount. Hungry, food places, method of payment, didn't cheat. Except for the tiger's blood because apparently I am winning Charlie Sheen style, only sober and sadly with out the sex workers.

ConnieSC

Congratulations on winning sober and without the sex workers. I am sure your mother would be proud. ☺

Keymash

"Congratulations on winning sober and without the sex workers. I am sure your mother would be proud. ☺"

I am sure there is another Charlie Sheen reference I could use here but it was long ago and I don't remember anything but tigers blood and winning.

Aaron

I guess we'll have to add 'Tiger Blood' to the food database?

Susan_RD_101

Wowza!

Just jumped into this forum and I think I'm going to jump right back out. LOL!

brian_cronometer

Hey all,

I haven’t had a chance to post in a while and I see a few updates by you guys since then. Good work so far – we can do this!

Well, here we are - at almost at the 30 day point. I’m 7lbs down but am facing into a weekend of beer so I’m hopeful when the clock strikes on day 31 (on Oct 4th that I will be still at least 6lbs down (my 1.5lbs per week goal). And I didn’t have to resort to tiger blood yet ( @ConnieSC , @Keymash ) but I will if I have to!

Whether or not I hit my 30 day goal exactly, I’m confident that I’ve changed my day-to-day habits enough to help me continue on the path to losing 15lbs before my 2nd child arrives in late November. I will be trying my best to hit the target.
One side effect of this weight loss is that my Seahawks jersey looks even bigger on me – might be useful to hide when I’m at the Patriots this weekend.

Hopefully on Wednesday I can discuss how much went right with this challenge, but either way I’ll try to reflect on what went right and wrong, and how I can continuously improve my process, and how Cronometer could help me improve for the next 30 days.

Speaking of continuous improvements, make sure to check out our newest blog post about Polar devices and a new search tab we’ve been working on at Cronometer HQ:

Search Tabs Update & Polar Integration

mnanagrandma

good luck with your weekend Brian. love the process improvement comment . its my mantra. i have lost 10 in 4 weeks. this is def a great way to improve health overall. love the forum too.

doug

I, too, am down about 7 pounds. I don't know that my process has improved, though. I could probably be doing better if I wouldn't go on huge ice cream binges. It'd be one thing to eat a normal sized bowl of ice cream. Or even to polish off a pint. But to devour an entire half gallon in a single evening doesn't help with weight loss goals

Somehow, though, I've managed to keep a downward trend through this month. Going to work hard to keep it going down for the next month. The extra gym workouts have been improving my flexibility and my mood, so I'm going to try to keep that up.

Last night I had one scheduled after a volleyball game. I really didn't want to do it. But I made myself go knock it out. I was so tired afterwards, and I'm still tired this morning, but I'm happy I did it.

ConnieSC

Brian at Crnometer,

7 lbs in 30 days?--if that is right, you are doing good!
You sound optimistic--outlook affects everything.
Keep on keeping on!

ConnieSC

This comment is for Doug, on this page.

It really helps to comply with a weight loss program if we KNOW that sugar (as contained in ice cream) is DEADLY. That is, we may give in to temptation for a day, but we don't make a habit of it.

Here is an article that increases the desire to avoid the problem food.
http://www.lifeextension.com/Magazine/2017/10/As-We-See-It/Page-01

Here is what I use for a substitute treat:
Atkins vanilla shake: 1.5 oz.
Almond milk shake 1.5 oz.
Stevia, liquid - A drip from dropper.
Nutmeg of sprinkle.

And I sip it very slowly.

Also, another possible tool to help with the urge for sweets:
I just discovered "Cal-0-Sweet", by PForLife.com. (Sounds too good to be true, actually, but I'll buy and try soon.)

Also, there is a sweetener called Lo Han Guo, which Dr. Mercola uses (which I have not yet used) and is all natural.

Hope any of this helps!

mnanagrandma

question--is the Lo Han Guo the same as monk fruit? i am hesitant to use anything else like erytritol because my understanding is that most of it causes insulin rise. any help is appreciated, thanks

Ceithlenn

I believe Lo Han Guo is monk fruit

mnanagrandma

thank you

brian_cronometer

Hey all,

So we’ve reached the end of the 30 day challenge, and I’ve just weighed in at 195.02lbs, a full 6.6lbs down on my starting weight, and right on target for 1.5lbs per week, as set in my cronometer.com profile.

The start and end weights only tell half the story (as I’m up 1 lbs since last week) but I followed the advice given earlier by @Susan_RD_101 to know my indulgences, and in my own way I made room for them. Knowing that I was away this last weekend made me try harder in the previous weeks so that my goal would still be achievable.
I think that’s probably what I’ll take from this initial challenge, the behavioural changes in myself – logging my food intake, and exercise, has helped me understand how I can:

• still eat
• feel full
• get all my required nutrients
• still lose 1.5lbs per week
• have a more honest relationship with food and beer (it’s the beer that gets me, almost liquid bread )

I’m going to keep up the 1.5lbs per week pace that I’ve set myself this past 30 days to get down to my healthy BMI – I’m still 15 lbs from the top of the healthy range. I’d like to lose maybe 20-25lbs to give some wriggle room for Thanksgiving, Christmas and other events that can cause the scales to tip a little.

How are you guys getting on coming to the end of the first 30 days? Are you going to keep with me? Has noting your diet in cronometer.com changed your behaviour at all?
Conveniently, @Susan_RD_101 has posted another blog article to blog.cronometer.com discussing weight-loss. Be sure to check it out!

I’m still reflecting on what the app could have done better to help on this journey – I’ll post as I figure these out, and as I continue my own journey to 25BMI/180lbs!

mnanagrandma

gonna keep going too. i am in my 6th week. down 13.5 pounds. at least 2 inches off my waist, feel better than i have in years. my cholesterol is down and my triglycerides too. luv this keto LCHF. have a group at work doing it too. so we support each other with ideas and recipes. got some awesome soup recipes when the cool weather comes . i have at least 60 pounds more to go if not more. but i feel great and its really very easy for me. i just plan ahead and stick to it. i have jicama and grean beans planned for thanksgiving. no potatoes for me. ive come to far to get out of ketosis now. lol..

Frank

@mnanagrandma Awesome! Keep at it. You can cycle in and out of ketosis. At the start of your journey, it usually is advised to stay in ketosis for a while, but you don't have to in the long term to be successful. Cycling out teaches you what carb level takes you out of ketosis, and what it takes for you to get back in. That is all great info for you personally. And cycling in and out will be slower the first few times you do it, and doing it a bit can train your metabolism to do it more efficiently over time. The other big bennie is that you get to cheat once and a while and have some of those "forbidden" foods. Sweet corn and watermelon are two I cheat with in the late summer because they are so good! Look into that a bit and don't freak out if you come out of ketosis!

mnanagrandma

ok -- here's a question. intermittent fasting. any thoughts?
its supposed to really kick in the use of glycogen stores and get things going.
i kinda follow a 16 hour fast when i can, for example stop eating at7 pm and no food until noon or 1 o'clock the next day. then i understand you can extend the fasting to 4 pm the next day , etc...

Frank

@mnanagrandma That is a book to answer! Check out Jason Fung's book The Complete Guide to Fasting. He is the "man" when it comes to fasting. It is as good as you hear it to be. Mankind has fasted for eons for a reason. It will kick start your ketosis, and keep you in very affectively. Here is a short video with him talking to the Diet Doctor (Dr. Eenfeldt) at Low Carb USA last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFJ5Sv5ifes

That will give you perspective as to how good it can be for you.

ConnieSC

Dr. Mercola, through his "Fat for Fuel," made me a believer in fasting. For someone who does not have the book, the video above and other articles on Dr. M's website will probably teach you what you need to do it.

I always had thought that fasting was a tremendous sacrifice, that it required unusually great will power, and one would be preoccupied (stressed) with food all the time. On the contrary, the fasting I have learned from J. Fung & Dr. M is very doable, and very bearable. Most of the time, while fasting, I have NO food cravings. (I want to learn more: I just ordered J. Fung's book yesterday. Knowledge is indeed Power! ☺)

After 30+ years into nutrition, Alt Med, natural medicine, etc. --NOW I learn about fasting-and I'm the better for having learned. As I read somewhere, "...not eating is as natural as eating..." Yes, it is! Therefore, I am sharing with anyone who will listen.

I thank God for Dr. Mercola. His knowledge has been a blessing to me.

mnanagrandma

jason fung is all over you tube . it is amazing that this is all free.. i have watched several of his videos and have practiced fasting. it is easier that i thought. i also throw in a spiritual component to it. for example i may think of someone in need while fasting. going to try fasting until 4 pm which would give me a 21 hour fast. keeping the food consumption between noon and 7pm helps too if i remember right , anyone else ?

gem

Hey @brian_cronometer! Do you know if any of the cronometer staff plan to start any challenges on Jan. 1? I started on keto on Dec. 26th and am using this week to tinker with things and get used to it, but would love a formal challenge to capture all those "New Year, New Me" folks I'm sure are kicking off Jan. 1!

brian_cronometer

hey @gem I'm not 100% sure exactly when they are starting, but I think @SpencerD may be starting a keto one around Jan 2nd. I'll have more details in the next 48 hours. Keep an eye here, and I'll post it in the challenges main section too.
Failing that, I hope to reignite one for myself in the next few weeks too, as I happily over indulged over the Christmas period!