My Experience With Weight Loss Challenges Online

The Last Day Of Smoothies.

Trying to do an online group weight loss challenge. I have done 3 in the past. I think it has been 3. They all seem to blend together into an opportunity for me to say, just take my money.

The goal of this group? To weigh in each Friday and for at the end of the 6 weeks, or is it 8, to lose 6% of your beginning body weight.

I always do the math first; make sure it is attainable. Like I will not be setting myself up for failure.

You guys do not know me well, but let’s just say I am my own worse enemy. I always manage to set myself up for failure. I even break down the weightless in to how many pounds per week which always seems manageable at the beginning. Not so much when you hit a plateau week 2 after week 1 you lost all your water weight…

The first challenge I did I lost a little. I was so excited. I think I was within a few pounds of my goal weight for the challenge. I was so ecstatic to have lost any weight that I could not have cared less that I did not meet the percentage amount loss that I was to supposed to lose. I was at a plateau for so long no matter what changes I made, that I really thought this is just supposed to be the weight I am for the rest of my life. So losing weight really opened my eyes that I could do this!

Fast forward to the next challenge, or maybe the next 2. I lose weight and I am getting closer and closer to my real life goal weight which is exciting, but I want some of my money back. I get so close, and yet, I miss the last weigh in goal weight by just a hair.

So close and yet so far and so goodbye money.

There is truly something to putting your money where your mouth is, or at least there is for me. By having money on the line, I have said no to night snacks and yes to things like “weightless smoothies” or “detox smoothies”.

Yes, I know these are not long term weight loss options. Yes I know I need to figure out what I am doing wrong overall and fix my bigger issues. Thank you food comfort issues.

I honestly know a lot of my issues without going to a nutritionist again. I love all things starch and all things fried (including veggies). I love all things sweet. I love to over indulge on all those things listed above.

Add to that a desk job and then being too tired physically when I get home to want to do anything, and you have a recipe for disaster. The funny thing about working out is the more you finally get out of your head and do it, the better off you feel and the more like working out you feel.

But first, you must get out of your own head long enough to make that first move. That first move is the doozy that often gets me. I do not just want to walk for a bit, or move a little in yoga or lift a little weight. I want big actions so I can see big results. I mean, that is how it works right?

Thus where I set myself up for failure. Oh and let us not forget that I must be rewarded for working out. That is why in my Lose It app it gives me back those calories that I just walked off or worked off right?

Imagine my horror when one of the ladies in one of the earlier challenges mentioned that she does not eat back the calories earned from exercise. What? I thought it was some golden rule I must do to meet my exact, or as close as possible, count of calories. Oh and color me embarrassed for not understanding what the heck a macro is and yet I have done the research. I still do not understand how to properly track. I know there are apps but I have done so many apps calorie counting that to go to tracking my macros and eating actually more calories, but in the correct category, just really freaks me out.

It really is more of a comfort thing. Scared of using a new app and having to put more thought in the eating and preparing process. I once again blame comfort for my weight. Hello comfort food!

Last year this time, my daughter was headed to prom with a friend so she quickly became my walking buddy. This was a saving grace during the pandemic break out because I felt I was getting closer to her and we were both getting healthy. Plus it got us both out of the house without having to mask up or worry about other people.

Great things all around. Also, our breathing was getting better where we could hold conversations better even at a healthy pace. Then we started doing sprints in the middle of our walks where we would just pick a space to start and then say we were going to run to the next bridge or the next mailbox or whatever. Of course she would beat me every time but it challenged me and like I said, we were getting some bonding time in under the guise of exercise time.

This time though, it seems hotter outside. She has no goal to work towards and no special event coming up to worry about how a dress fits and so I am on my own for motivation. I also have my husband who finally for the first time in our marriage weighs more than me telling me I should just eat and be happy with him.

My endocrinologist, who I have managed to avoid for the past year I believe, was loving all my health changes and said my levels were all healthy and I was able to go down on dosage of my thyroid medicine. Which I will not even go into me using that as a crutch too. Hashimotos, you suck.

So I am drinking my last smoothie for weight loss right now. Logging in my calories for this drink that I do not even want to finish but it is full of healthy things and I know exactly what is in it so I cannot really complain. Even if my husband does keep telling me that it looks more like pond water or baby poop… Thanks sugar for helping me motivate. (Insert eye roll here)

I now have the issue of figuring out what my next step is in this challenge. I have lost my beginning water weight. Now I must figure out how I will move more and get my butt in gear. I just have to figure out where my motivation is along the way I guess.

Or maybe I’ll tell myself if I win one of the top ten spaces for the challenge I will finally have the money to put with my gift card for my AirPods that I refuse to buy for myself right now.


I think I just found my motivation. :)