AF Biggest Loser/Fitness Challenge-April 1 to May 1

[Shell B]

In a little more than a week, we'll be challenging each other to reach weight/health/fitness goals together. It's only kind of a contest, given that some people will not be aiming for weight loss goals, but will be doing other challenges. Still, the yet to be determined prize I offer the winner will likely be for the person who loses the most weight, unless someone pulls through and does something none of us can deny is the biggest achievement. 

In this thread, we will all start by stating we are going to participate and choosing our goals. Next, all you have to do is post your updates throughout the month of April. Now, I hope we will also see some sharing of recipes, workouts, encouragements, etc., but that isn't a rule. If you don't have time, it's enough that you're getting healthier for yourself. You still have a chance to win, as long as you update me on your progress.

I think I'm going to work on the honor system here. If any of you object, we can come up with a system for "proving" we've been participating.

If you have any ideas for how I can do this better or what you'd like to see, please share.

My goal is going to be to lose some weight. I'm going to eat smarter and see how many pounds I can lose in a month safely.

Participants and goals:

pocaracas: I care for getting home faster than I do currently. The goal is to make most of the trip from home to work and back using the bicycle's highest gear.

CD: My goal is to be far along enough recovering from knee surgery that I can walk normally by the end of the month, and not put any weight back on.

Nymphadora: lose 10-15 pounds this month AND since I have activity induced asthma, I'm going to try to walk my neighborhood at least once, without having to do a nebulizer treatment. My starting weight is 220. My heaviest ever.

mlm: My goal is to actually focus on my diet and stop eating so much fast food and drinking so much beer/soda. I want to lose an inch off my waist but with my husband's new schedule I haven't been going to the gym as much so my diet is more important.

godlessheatheness: My goal is to lose another 15 pounds.

paulpablo: My vague challenge I'll set myself is to give up my daily can of fizzy drink because I've been feeling some guilt over that recently. I'll try drinking at least 2 small bottles of water a day because I don't think I drink enough straight water. At the gym I'll try and go even wilder.

whateverist: I'm looking for gradual weight loss. I'd be happy with a pound/week.

Shell B: Lose 8-10 pounds this month. Starting weight 195 at 6' tall. Heaviest of my life.

Tiberius: My goals are to get into a proper early morning run schedule. I figure to start out, I'm gonna try waking up at 8am and going for a 1 mile run, every weekday.

TheRealJoeFish: Drop >5 pounds in April, no fast food, and run a continuous mile by April 30.

ukatheist: Think I'll start with the 5:2 diet in April, then go from there. My goal: to drop one dress size. I don't have scales! Starting size is UK 18

MysticKnight: I would like to get Abs, so I need to list about 15 pounds to get that.

Little lunch: I'm in. I'm starting at 236 pounds. (107kgs) I just want to concentrate on cutting out junk food. I reckon I can lose a kilo/week. My goal is 90 kgs. I'll start looking at exercise next week.

Sal: I don't have a set goal, I just eat less and walk to/from work. gives me an 1 hour of walking a day.

[pocaracas]

I don't have a scale here... yet... and I'm not planning on getting one in April... so, I don't care for weight.
I care for getting home faster than I do currently.
The goal is to make most of the trip from home to work and back using the bicycle's highest gear.
Of course, this varies with wind strength, rain and my own tiredness (either from lack of sleep or just too much work) and with other users of the bike path.
Right now, of the 8 gears available, I'm can comfortably go through the whole path on the 4th gear.
April is Easter month, so I'll have a bit of a break with lots of food... that'll be fun!
I think that, for one month, it's enough of a goal to make it on 5th gear.

Today, as I was returning home, I did it on 6th, mostly... but I had the wind on my back, which is rare, here.

I use the phone app Runkeeper to keep track of most of my rides ("most" because I sometimes forget to hit the start button...).
It feels nice to see it on those days when I take just about 15 minutes for the whole path, while there are the other days when I take 25 minutes...
This is my best, at the moment:

[Jackalope]

I'm participating. Goals to follow.

[Joods]

I'd like to join this.

So do we have to say what our current weight is and I think pics of weight loss progress would be a good idea too. Maybe we could do this for more than just a month since safely, weight loss should be gradual. Any more than 10-15 pounds in a month isn't healthy. Just my thoughts.

[mlmooney89]

So I've been working out but not really messing my diet so I haven't had as much progress I should. My goal is to actually focus on my diet and stop eating so much fast food and drinking so much beer/soda. I want to lose an inch off my waist but with my husband's new schedule I haven't been going to the gym as much so my diet is more important.

Oct 2015- April 2016

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April 2016- February 2017

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After my wedding Sept 2016 I stopped working so hard and the progress hasn't been much which pushes me to work harder now

[godlessheatheness]

I'm participating. My goal is to lose another 15 pounds.

[paulpablo]

I think my weakness when it comes to exercise is that I hate numbers, statistics and plans.  The moment I think about them I start to feel sleepy and just don't want to work out.

My work out plan consists of me thinking "Paul, you're a Roman god of war, go forth and destroy"

I seriously have similar conversations with a lot of people in work about this where they have all the statistics, the best plans, they've giving me diet and exercise advice and yet they haven't been to the gym themselves in months and completely lack motivation.
Whereas I just tend to go wild at the gym around 2,3 or 4 times a week and it works alright.

My vague challenge I'll set myself is to give up my daily can of fizzy drink because I've been feeling some guilt over that recently.

I'll try drinking at least 2 small bottles of water a day because I don't think I drink enough straight water.

At the gym I'll try and go even wilder.

I might put a pic up of my body at the start of the challenge to see what I can achieve.  I don't necesserily want to lose weight but I can put that up there too.

[Whateverist]

I'm in but I don't need a prize, just the camaraderie of other goal chasers. I'm looking for gradual weight loss. I'd be happy with a pound/week. I'm about 190 (too much trouble now to get nekid but I'll get an actual weight soon). My goal is to get to 175 pounds. I'd like to make this happen without being as intent about it as I've been recently. I also want to get more fit. I haven't done any cardio work in literally years. Improved flexibility and upper body strength would also be nice.

[Whateverist]

Damn, just weighed myself all nakey like and got 187. Twelve to go and I'm a winner .. unless I still feel pudgy. Not exactly sure what a good final weight for me should be.

[Shell B]

I'd like to join this.

So do we have to say what our current weight is and I think pics of weight loss progress would be a good idea too. Maybe we could do this for more than just a month since safely, weight loss should be gradual. Any more than 10-15 pounds in a month isn't healthy. Just my thoughts.

I absolutely do not want anyone to post their weight if they don't want to.

We can do this for longer than a month, but the prize will go out after a month. I want to make sure I can give this thread some attention/support and be able to determine a winner. Any longer than a month and I might get too caught up in work or something. We can always start another thread and offer a new prize next month! The prize could be something as silly as a special signature in the forum.

I would actually say 8-10 pounds is safer for a month, which is still a big win! People who are bigger may lose more faster without a problem. I'm hoping for 8-10, would be thrilled with 15!

Glad to see so many takers. I think Mr. Forum is going to do a running goal.