Okay, my last inches challenge (Shrink into the New Year) is ending with just a few stragglers left. I've been brainstorming how I can make my next inches challenge more successful and I think I came up with some good ideas.
First, the Biggest Loser is EVERYWHERE on this board so I thought I'd start a
BIGGEST SHRINKER... and yup, there will be a winner--6 winners actually.
On the TV show The Biggest Loser, you win by losing the greatest percentage of weight loss. But here at the Biggest Shrinker, you win by losing the greatest percentage of inches... and since everyone loses differently, I've decided that each person has six chances to win. You could be the:
Bust Buster! The person who loses the greatest percentage from their bust.
Waist Whittler! The person who loses the greatest percentage from their natural waist.
Belly Blaster! The person who loses the greatest percentage from the widest part of their abdomen.
Hip Slimmer! The person who loses the greatest percentage from their hips.
Thigh Master! The person who loses the greatest percentage from their thighs.
Lance ARMstrong! The person who loses the greatest percentage from their upper arm.
Okay maybe that last one needs some work.
When does it start?
Right now! Post your measurements for these 6 places as soon as you can.
What equipment is needed?
A tape measure and a pinch of motivation. Tape measures are cheap (cheaper than a scale), you can find them in the craft sections of a discount store for under $2. The motivation is cheaper but sometimes harder to find.
How long does it go?
It goes until Sunday, March 15th at midnight, so about 10 weeks. Since losing inches sometimes takes longer than losing lbs, the challenge will be a bit longer and take us right into spring. I live in Asia, so my Monday evening means it Sunday night in the United States. Once it passes midnight in the US, I'll post results.
I wanted it to correspond with Spring, since around 3/15, we'll be taking off our winter coats and putting away our heavy sweaters... what a treat it will be to WOW everyone with our new skinnier selves!
How often do we post results?
Every week. Post them by the end of Sunday and I'll post everyone's results. It will look like this:
Waist:
Ann: -2%
Betty: - 1%
Carol: -.5%
Thigh:
Carol: -3%
Betty: -1%
Ann: +.5%
Can I join late?
Yes! You just have less time to "compete" but having a strong motivation and a good workout ethic, you could still join late and win!
Can I post late?
Yes, post whenever. On Sunday (my Monday) when I tally everyone's numbers, I will just add in the new results of that week. If you skip a week, no big thing. If you skip a month, no big thing. However, the only deadline that counts is the final one, 3/15 at midnight. If Ann only posted in weeks 1-3 but had lost 10 inches from her waist in 3 weeks, well, she might still be the winner! If you post in Week 1 and Week 10 only, you can still win too. Of course, I HOPE you post more often... but there is no penalty for skipping weeks.
I can't do math/I forgot my results.
Lucky for you, I love math and stats. Like I said, I'll make a spreadsheet or something with all the results. If you want to tally your own stats, go for it! But I'm pretty adept at that type of thing, so if you are not number savvy, leave the crunching to me.
Where do I measure?
Bust: Under your breasts. I think this is technically a chest measurement, but I think that's more important than over your breasts.
Waist: The smallest part of your abdomen. Some people call it their natural waistline.
Belly: The largest part of the abdomen. Generally that is below the belly button.
Hips. Put your legs together and measure around the widest part of your lower body.
Thighs: The largest part of your thigh.
Arm: The largest part of your upper arm.
I have found it most helpful to measure in front of a mirror. Bending over to see my hip measurement often distorts it. Also, you can see if you are at the widest part or not.
Why inches instead of lbs?
As many on the boards have found, sometimes you lose a lot of lbs and stay the same size. And other times you can lose a ton of inches and the scale doesn't budge. For me (and others), getting slimmer is more important than the number on the scale and that's why sometimes it's good to focus on losing inches.
How do I lose inches?
Toning! Weights! Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred! For those you joined and have successfully lost a lot of inches, please share that information with others. We're all in it together!
I can't wait to start this thing! So, start posting your starting points or just a simple "I'm in!" so I can see the level of interest.
Happy New Year!
Happy Shrinking!
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FINAL SCOREBOARD! Updated 03/17/09
Bust Busters:
1. krock614 ... -6.6%
2. river ... -5.9%
3. TheRose ... -5.5%
4. frieden ... -5.3%
5. georgiad ... -4.0%
6. fld20 ... -3.1%
7. joyra ... -2.9%
8. jahjah1223 ... -1.6%
9. (tie) Dixiemae / alexs hot momma ... -1.3%
0s. JulieJ08 ... +/- 0
Waist Whittlers:
1. fld20 ... -12.5%
2. krock614 ... -9.6%
3. alexs hot momma ... -4.8%
4. joyra ... -4.6%
5. TheRose ... -4.5%
6. river ... -4.4%
7. georgiad ... -4.2%
8. frieden ... -2.6%
9. JulieJ08 ... -0.4%
0s. jahjah1223 / Dixiemae ... +/- 0
Belly Blasters:
1. fld20 ... -9.0%
2. Dixiemae ... -8.9%
3. georgiad ... -8.8%
4. krock614 ... -5.9%
5. joyra ... -3.9%
6. frieden ... -3.0%
7. (tie) river / alexs hot momma ... -2.7%
8. TheRose ... -2.2%
9. JulieJ08 ... -0.7%
0s. jahjah1223 ... +/- 0
Hip Slimmers:
1. krock614 ... -6.5%
2. georgiad ... -6.3%
3. fld20 ... -5.0%
4. river ... -3.9%
5. alexs hot momma ... -3.3%
6. TheRose ... -2.8%
7. Dixiemae ... -2.6%
8. frieden ... -2.5%
9. joyra ... -1.7%
10. JulieJ08 ... -0.9%
0s. jahjah1223 ... +/- 0
Thigh Masters:
1. (tie) jahjah1223 / fld20 ... -8.3%
2. krock614 ... -6.0%
3. river ... -4.4%
4. Dixiemae ... -3.8%
5. alexs hot momma ... -2.9%
6. joyra ... -2.8%
7. georgiad ... -1.7%
8. TheRose ... -1%
9. JulieJ08 ... -0.5%
G. frieden ... gained
lance ARMstrongs:
1. alexs hot momma ... -10.3%
2. Dixiemae ... -6.8%
3. georgiad ... -6.7%
4. river ... -4.2%
5. krock614 ... -4.0%
6. TheRose ... -2.2%
7. frieden ... -2.1%
8. joyra ... -1.9%
0s. JulieJ08 / jahjah1223 / fld20 ... +/- 0
Overall Biggest Shrinkers:
1. fld20 ... -7.0%
2. krock614 ... -6.7%
3. georgiad ... -5.4%
4. river ... -4.2%
5. Dixiemae ... -3.7%
6. alexs hot momma ... -3.5%
7. TheRose ... -3.2%
8. joyra ... -3.0%
9. frieden ... -2.6%
10. jahjah1223 ... -1.5%
11. JulieJ08 ... -0.5%
MIA: scarahjs / JenJam / macomer / akacutie / mtiger / icicle84
Remember, new people are welcome anytime!