Biggest Loser Challenges - BL Fall 2009 Early Start Combined Team Chatter Thread

*I win at naming threads* :D

Everyone please introduce yourselves on this thread. Tell us as much or little as you like.

Newbies: Jump in and chat. Ask any questions you have on the Q&A thread at the top of the BL Forum page. We'll try to make sure every question is answered promptly.

Challenge Veterans: Lets start inspiring. Share your strategies for a successful challenge.

Hi everyone. I don't know which team I'll be on this time as I had to bow out on the last challenge. But I'm game to be on either color team as losing the weight is the main thing for me.

I've had a rather traumatic summer with my son getting married and my mother passing away a month later. My emotions have been all over the place but things are starting to settle down and I've finally had 4 good days on plan. Now, I'm not back to counting calories and tracking at fitday as I've done before but I'm eating sensible meals and have stopped all the night time eating. I've even been seen on my exercise bike. :D

I'm really looking forward to this new BL challenge and am determined to keep on track. (Speaking rhetorically, what else could happen to throw me off?) Hopefully, by next week I'm going to start counting calories and tracking my food. By the first full week in September I hope I'll be back on track with the exercise, too. Tracking food intake is one of the keys to success for me and counting the calories is just a good bonus.

Hi all! how is everyone, i am excited to be a part of this BL Challenge, i have seen the show a few times it looks fun! so i hope i can stick with it and keep my teammates going as well!
Id like to know how we will do this? does each team have a tread and we chat there and then see who lost the most weight at the end? I havent watched a season through yet but i am going to follow with is since i am doing this. Ive got the start date written on my calender so i wont forget!

For the introduction, im Danielle, and i am a newly married... well 9 months newly lol. since i got married i gained like almost 20 pounds and my husband has gained like 30! so i came here just to keep myself accountable on what i do since ive got this great team of women behind me, and i found this! what better way. i work at a grocery store in the bakery@ thank goodness im vegan or id eat everything....o but the bread is soooo good.... i need to get that out of my head hehe. so i am still young and i want to change myself before i dont want to anymore...not sure if that makes any sense but...ya anyways cant wait to find out what team im on! cant wait for this to start!
ill be back to see if anyone asked any good questions that i cant think of... ta ta!

:wave: hey everyone! I am fairly new here to 3FC but absolutely :love: the biggest loser. I am a big Jillian fan and am SO excited for the challenge and the new show to start!

My highest weight was 257 pounds. I lost 40 pounds of that and was just about to be under 200 when I had a major shift in my lifestyle. My exercise and diet started to slip as I went from a stay at home mom with tons of time to workout to a work at home mom stressing to get a new business off the ground. I kept telling myself my size 16s still fit and I was "maintaining" but I am at the point I have to be completely real with myself. I gained it all back but 5 pounds and am now starting all over again :cry: lying to myself will no longer work.

My task now is to get back to where I was about a year ago when I was taking it off and feeling so great....but now it's about balancing it with a lot of other stuff like busy work demands, 2 active kids, and a husband who is now unemployed and hanging around the house all the time.

SO I really need this challenge for support and accountability! I got serious this past week and have lost 3.4 pounds so I am eagerly awaiting my Monday weigh in so I can move my ticker again :carrot: I am really loving my tickers!

Okay I get to ask the first newbie questions I guess...I just noticed the sign up thread now has a request for us to post our starting weight, so should I just edit my original sign up post and put my startint weight? Put in a new message in the sign ups or here with the start weight? and can I wait until Monday when I weigh in or does it need to be like right now?

And if someone could tell me how long the challenge will last I'd like to set up my goals and ticker....

That's all I have to ask :tape: I promise

SkinnyJeansInWaiting we have a lot in common! The beginning of 2008 I lost 52 pounds doing WW on my own, also being a stay at home mom. My family then went on vacation, and when we came back I started an at home business and started gaining back every pound and then some!

In July I tried to CC, but never really got back on track. Now, my kids are going back to school and I'm determined to lose all of this excess weight! I can't wait for this challenge to start! I'm going to weigh in on Monday, August 31st and have a fresh start on becoming the person I want to be.

Well I am a veteran of these challenges. I think this will be my 4th. Yep, I've had a lot to lose and I lose it slowly. I have decided that is OKAY. Once I lose it, it's not coming back!!!! So I have lost 70 pounds in the past year and a half and it has changed my world completely. It still is changing me. I count and log all calories, religiously. I also workout almost everyday, I miss very few. I am probably one of the most determined, hardest working on-plan people you will meet.

I am 49, it's H*** losing weight at my age. Pre-menopausal, strike 2. I have 2 grown children and teach for a living. Don't get me started today. I live on a small farm and try to enjoy everyday to it's fullest. You will see me on here a lot, because I am a steady eddie.

Questions- Yes you should go back to the sign-up thread and edit it to add your weight. If you want to do that now, great. I like to wait until a little closer to the date. Sept 8th. There will be 2 chat threads, one blue, one red. You weigh in by a specified date each week and our wonderful leaders tabualte results. You find that in the results thread.

It's fun and i hope you all stick with it.

P.S. I am a Jillian fan all the way!!! 70 pounds gone, remember. I do a lot of Jillian.

Hi everyone, My name is Elise. I was part of the spring challenge, on the blue team and made it so close to the end before I had to drop out. I lost 19lbs out of the 40 I needed to lose, but I gained some back over the summer. I can't wait to get back into the competition again.

Let me tell yall more about me. I'm about to be 27, a stay at home mom of 4 kids and I'm happily married to the love of my life. We live in Southeast La and just bought a farm, so I have lots of room to exercise.... no excuses, lol. I'm trying to get back to my prebabies weight of 115, but most of all I just want to be fit, have the energy to do all the things I want to do and actually fit in clothes I like. ;) Last time I just added cardio, circuit training and counted calories, so I think I'll give it another go.

I can't wait to meet you all and howdy to all the people on my old blue team!

Another stay at home mom here. I have 3 kids, 2 of which are going to public school for the first time this year. We've homeschooled up 'til now. So, we are making some transitions here, too.
I have lost roughly 50 pounds in the last 9.5 months and am still working toward my goal. I'm not really sure what my end goal will be, but once I figure it out, I am determined to get there.
I do some other challenges on 3FC, but have wanted to participate in a BL challenge for a while since I am a big fan of the show. I look forward to getting going with this and will post my starting weight closer to the start of the challenge. Besides, I am currently without a scale! I do hope to have mine back from being repaired shortly, but I'll figure something out.

Okay I get to ask the first newbie questions I guess...I just noticed the sign up thread now has a request for us to post our starting weight, so should I just edit my original sign up post and put my startint weight? Put in a new message in the sign ups or here with the start weight? and can I wait until Monday when I weigh in or does it need to be like right now?

And if someone could tell me how long the challenge will last I'd like to set up my goals and ticker....

That's all I have to ask :tape: I promise


Any of those methods will work for giving me your starting weight, or you can PM me. The challenges generally last 13 weeks, but we try to time it so we end when the season does. So if they add an extra week, we do too.

Hi everyone. :wave: I'm back. Again. I think this is my 5th? challenge. Maybe my 6th. I'm not sure. Go BLUE!

I'm a 34yo SAHM to nearly 5 year old twins. They start school on the 8th so I will finally have time to focus on ME. I can't wait.

I started the new year out doing awesome. I was down 30 pounds in less than 4 months. Then I maintained for about a month and I was okay with that. It was around that time I started running and was starving constantly. That same month I started running DH was laid off and things have slid downhill ever since. I've been stress eating and we all know what that does to us. He has been off work bugging me at home for over 3 months now. Thank god for the running or I would have probably put on WAY more than the 10 pounds I have.

I can't wait for the new season to start.

Hi everyone,
50 yo working mom of 2, DS will be 20 in Oct and is in the Army. He will be home from a year long deployment the end of Sept. DD is 8 and my little dancer. My goal is to suprise DS when he gets home with how much thinner his Mom is.
I'm calorie counting, exercising more, a friend gave me an elliptical and I love it, and avoiding as much processed food as possible. So far this year I've lost around 30 lbs and lots of inches. Dropped from a size 22 to a 16, and have a total cholestrol of 127!! I'm hoping to reach my goal of being under 200 lbs in the next month or so, then I'll set a new goal.
I'm not sure how many of these I've done, but I started as a member of the black team and then went on the red team.
Hope everyone has a great week!

Bette K

Hey all. This is my first BL challenge. I'm on WW and work out at the YMCA. I reached my first sub-goal (10%) a couple weeks ago. I'm a new substitute teacher (just had my first job yesterday), and looking for a permenant job as an art teacher.

Hi all!
I'm crashing the thread to wish everyone a GREAT BL contest! They were a GREAT incentive for me on my journey (I did 3 BL contests during my weight loss).

You have chosen an excellent way to stay motivated/encouraged/inspired and focused on your goal.

Enjoy! And, good luck, on your journey :)

CD

HI!

I'm new to the forums, I have been on here since july. In the past I've only lost the weight once down to 199 and regained and so this time I'm determined to lose and keep the weight off. Not much going on with me other than that I'm unemployed and recently graduated and all I do is look for a job and try to lose weight. so i'm basically trying to live the biggest loser lifestyle while i'm unemployed = / i've been trying to make the most of my time and it has worked so far! = ) but hopefully once i get a job I plan to stay on plan and work just as hard on losing the weight. i love biggest loser - it's my big inspiration.

i had a question

do people get eliminated from teams like on the tv show? why do people drop out?

Lucky for all of us, no one is eliminated, not even if you really have a terrible week, everyone here still will be your friend, but you can eliminate yourself.
You need to post your weekly weight by 12pm on each Monday, you do have two freebies to use whenever you feel the need {like due to TOM or vacation, or you just plain forget to post} There is a sticky with all the rules and guidelines.

Welcome to all the newbies and Great to see all the returning red and blue team members!!

Hi I'm back, had alot of life happen lately, and what else to do, then slip back into old ways.

So ready to start my third challenge, and hope to stay on until the end this time. This challenge really does help me to stay accountable, and I must say, I do enjoy chatting with all of you.

Hi everyone. I'm new to the board but very excited about starting the BL challenge. My name is Shannon and I am 25 years old, single, and living and teaching currently in South Korea. I am starting the Biggest Loser Diet on September 1, 2009. I have done several diets for many years but always gain back and never stick with anything. I'm going to the doctor on Monday to get my current weight, but last month I weighed in at 379lbs. That is the highest I have ever been. I am keeping a blog during this time as well if anyone is interested and wants to drop by. Its:
http://www.3fatchicks.com/diet-blogs/shan84/

So...at 379lbs, 5'10, I am ready for a lifestyle change now. I'm committed and while my diet is going to be adjusted since I'm in South Korea and some products are not available here, I will be sticking very close to the biggest loser diet. I live on an island off the southern most tip of South Korea so there is lots of hiking and walking to be done. I also walk to and from work daily which is about a 20 minute walk. As I said, I'm doing the BL diet so I am counting calories. Probably going to be the most intensive life change I have ever accomplished but I know I can do it and I am so ready to get started. Look forward to being on a team for the challenge, and good luck to everyone out there. :)

Hi everyone! I am a 31 year old who over the last 8 years has slowly let life take over, while I seemingly sat back n watched it all happen..lol I used to bike and run everyday without fail, and I can not honestly say I know exactly when and why all of that changed, but over time I have done more sitting and eating junk at random times of the day then eating any actual meals and exercise...
Over the last 2 years I have been getting closer to God.. I have always been a Christian, my mom brought us up going to church on Sundays and instilling in us the "right" things to do in any situation without pushing...she is an amazing lady! But over the years I guess as any young adult I figured I had it all figured out.. but as i have gotten older and was being treated for depression, which I didn't feel comfortable taking the meds, I turned to God and over time my heart has been changed, m y mind set has been changed,, i do longer see myself as the athletic chick who runs every evening, who is just a little off but whenever I want can get right back to it... ha yea right! My body is sore when I do much exercise, my body does not fit the clothes hanging in my closet...and I have finally come to see me and what I have actually become and am now with the grace of God finally able to fix all of that by taking the appropriate steps.. I am not diving headlong into intensive exercise as i once did and after being too sore to move for days later be too scared to do it again...lol and I am counting calories now.. I never thought I would be,, but I have learned that it is the only way to do this healthy and be accountable for what I am putting into my body... I ihave never felt so sure about being able to achieve this as I am now..probably has a great deal to do with getting rid of that cocky attitude that being a former"healthy" person that when I wanted I could go right back there.. yea was I ever sooo in denial! Swim baby ..SWIM! lol
So yea.. I am not married, I have 2 cats.. Gats and Gracie and I am the Assistant Director and a Preschool teacher at the daycare here in town.. I LOVE my job! The administration part can be demanding but it is the best thing I have ever done..
So.. to make this offical.. lol Hi my name is Angela andI am a recovering junk-a-holic and self destruction-ist and I can not WAIT to get started with you ladies here! Good Luck to EVERYONE! :grouphug:

Hi!!

I'm Liz. I'm 28, married and no kids, and no plans to change the no kids aspect ever :) I have two very spoiled chihuahuas ;)

I signed up for the summer challenge, but kind of forgot about it, and then never really felt like I 'belonged' in the group (just my own issues :)) since I missed the first two WI and chat threads.

Anyway, I hit my highest weight of 290 something at the end of 2006. I ended 2007 with a 12ish lb weight loss, and then became more serious in 2008, since I was getting married that year. I was 253 when I was married.

I'm 233.8 as of this morning. I really hope to get under 200 lbs by the end of the year. I know I can do it, if I'm committed and serious about this. But I tend to slack off at times.

Hi everyone. So glad I found this challenge, it will definitely help me on my journey.

I did Medifast for 6 month and lost 115 lbs ending in Feb of last year. But when I started adding back food, I found that my gallbladder was shot from the rapid weight loss and had to have it removed. BTW - I won the biggest loser challenge on the MF site while on the diet. Gallbladder surgery isnt that big of a deal, but while in surgery they flipped me on my side and because of being sedated and no back support, and an underlying back issue (which I was unaware of) the flip pinched several nerves in my middle back.

Long story short, or kinda short, I went thru a year of steroid ephidurals in my middle back (alot more painful then in lower back) lots of painpills, next to no sleep, and no activity (I was a work out queen and really miss working out).

The pinched nerves caused excrutiating pain that wrapped around my ribs. I thought the gallbladder pain was bad, but it didnt touch what I went thru with the pinched nerves. I gained 10-12 lbs after each epidural, regardless of how good I ate. That plus no activity and binge eating at times out of pure disappointment and depression put a lot of lbs back on.

But, I FINALLY am to the point of normal life again with only occasional pain now. I still cant work out like before, and am building back slowly as I can only walk right now. I recently started doing home delivery of fresh foods (about 1400-1500 cals a day) and am now starting to lose weight again.

I would love to lose quick again, but I just cant bring myself to go back on MF after all I went thru and feel like even if it takes me a long time to get the weight back off, slower is going to be better for me in the long run. (I keep trying to remind myself of that haha)

I loved doing the challenges on the MF site and was a team captain many times. It really helped on my journey to feel part of a group who were experiencing many of the same things as myself. So I am so glad this challenge is starting up and I look forward to getting to know y'all :)

So where do I find out what team I am on and when do I weight in?

Success to us all !
Brenda

Thanks Dixied for creating this thread, love the title!!

Hi everyone!!!

I'm so excited about the biggest loser challenge!!! :)

I have a question - which of the two teams is Jillian's team ? And is it possible to request to be on that team? :)

I've not watched the show before, but I'm currently watching season 6, and i love it!!!

A little bit of information about me:

I'm a phd student, currently studying for my final viva examination (on the 28th sept).

I'm following Paul Mckenna's 4 golden rules and doing the P90x workout.

I'm from London, UK

This is my first BL challenge, and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm relatively new to 3FC and love it here!!!

Good luck everyone!!! I cant wait for the teams to be announced!!

Thanks Dixied for creating this thread, love the title!!

Hi everyone!!!

I'm so excited about the biggest loser challenge!!! :)

I have a question - which of the two teams is Jillian's team ? And is it possible to request to be on that team? :)

I've not watched the show before, but I'm currently watching season 6, and i love it!!!

A little bit of information about me:

I'm a phd student, currently studying for my final viva examination (on the 28th sept).

I'm following Paul Mckenna's 4 golden rules and doing the P90x workout.

I'm from London, UK

This is my first BL challenge, and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm relatively new to 3FC and love it here!!!

Good luck everyone!!! I cant wait for the teams to be announced!!

LOL! i was thinking the same thing - I want to be on the Jillian team = P

I love reading everyone's introductions and backgrounds. I have a lot in common with many of you and can't wait to get to know you all during the challenge. I can't wait for it to start already!

Hiya all! I'm really looking forward to this challenge. I participated in a summer challenge a yr or two ago. I really enjoyed the team aspect of doing this - it helped me to hold myself accountable, esp for exercising. That is what I am most looking forward to on this one.

I'm 38, married with one little monkey, and work outside the home. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism last November and this is my first real attempt at losing weight since starting treatment. I feel like I have so much to learn...

Sorry I have another question!

Since the 8th of september is the deadline for declaring our starting weight, what happens for example,
I declare my weight today. but by the 7th of sept my weight has changed, either gained or lost. is it okay, for me to edit my starting weight on the 7th of september.

but i totally understand that once the challenge starts, that we're only allowed to weigh in once, and not edit it :)

I was wondering the same thing, Echo! I PM'd my weight already but then realized we still have like 2 weeks until it starts and I intend to lose more in that time frame...so would it all count toward the first week's loss for my team?

I'm so glad that we're doing introductions for this round. Maybe the Blue Team leader will finally get her stuff together and run a decent challenge....oh wait, that's me. Nope, probably no chance in getting everything done in a challenge I'd want..I'm too busy running. ;)

Hello, my name is Dee and I'm a running addict. :running:

I never thought I'd say that. I've been overweight since I was about 23. Before that I was very thin. It took me a long time to recognize that I was actually fat. I've been accused of reverse anorexia, I'd look in the mirror and see a thin person. So even though I've been dieting since age 24, I never really thought I was that big. After about 1000 dieting attempts and enough walking that I could have circled the globe, I think I've finally got a handle on it.

What changed?

1) These BL Challenges. Sticking around here (and posting regularlly) had kept me on track and accountible. If I disappear for more than 3 days, you can bet I'm on the counch with some ice cream. :o

2) I finally gave up walking for exercise. For 13 years walking was the only form of regular exercise I got. And it didn't work for me. I'm not saying that some people can't drop massive amounts of weight with just walking, because I know thay can. But I'm not one of them. The reason I list this is that you must learn to listen to what your body wants. In my case that means running and weight training. Once I began running the pounds flew off. I've lost 60 pounds in the last 2-1/2 years, and all but 15 of them have been since last October.

3) I didn't give up. In the first year I only lost 15 pounds, and then I maintained that for another 6 months. And sure, I backslide occasionally, we all do. But I didn't stop trying. And I didn't drop out of the challenges (well, maybe 1?).

4) I got professional help. I went to my doctor and explained the problem. I took my food and exerise journal. This was the same week I had decided to try to learn to run using the C25K (Couch-to-5k program). I wanted to make sure it was okay to start running. Also, I listed on paper everything that bothered me about my helath and my body. I had only recently switched to this female doctor after having two different male doctors who didn't seem to grasp female issues. My doctor took a look at my list and then asked a few questions. Then I finally got answers. Turns out I have PCOS, which can make losing weight more difficult. That's the reason why the walking didn't work for me. I needed higher intensityand my diet has to be stricter that average. Boo! Hiss! But at least I got a reason.

So here I am 10 months later, at the lowest weight I can remember as an adult, with 14 or so pounds to go. My focus right now is on two things, lowering my body fat and training to run a half-marathon next August. I still backslide every now and then, but I've learned what I need to do is to get back on track literally, and go for a run.

Advice to Challenge Newbies

Post! Post! Post! Even if it's just a quick "hello, I'm still here" post. I know we probably will have some folks that like to lurk more than they like to post, but please let us support you. That's really the point of having teams, not competition.

The first two weeks there will be a lot of posting. There will be chatter between returning team members, but please don't feel left out. Some of us have been doing these challenges together for years now. Team members come and leave and come back again. You'll be surprised how quickly you're inducted into the cult...I mean into the team.

Got questions? Ask away...

I am new to 3FC but I am excited to be part of this challenge. I am 37 years old and a mother of four. 7, 9, 14, and 16 all girls. I have always been heavy with the exception of my senior year in high school and a couple years after graduation. Then I had my first daughter and never lost all of the baby fat after she was born. Two years later had my second daughter, although I lost more weight after she was born I was still no where near my before baby weight. The weight has gradually increased over the last 14 years.
I have been working full time and going to school full time for the last 9 years. I have decided to take a break from school for a couple of years and decided that I needed to start focusing on my health with the same passion I focused on my education. I have a master's degree plus 50 additional credits and I have maintained a 4.0 GPA. If I can dedicate the time and energy into weight loss that I did with my education then I will have it made.
I started my weight loss journey on July 6th of this year by hiring a trainer and going to the gym every day. Nearly two months later I am down 20 lbs and still going to the gym every day. This last week was going to be my biggest obstacle so far since it was the first week of school (I teach 4th grade). I made it through the week and continued going to the gym.

I'm not sure how this challenge works since I am new to the challenge and pretty new to 3FC. If someone can give me some info on what I need to do I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

Questions & Answers (from the thread so far)

I'm going to start a Q&A thread where you can post your questions, but I'll go ahead and answer these here too. I think I got all the questions, but I may have missed some. (Disclaimer: The Blue Team Leader isn't perfect, if I missed you question I'm sorry, please go ask in the Q&A thread)


Sorry I have another question!

Since the 8th of september is the deadline for declaring our starting weight, what happens for example,
I declare my weight today. but by the 7th of sept my weight has changed, either gained or lost. is it okay, for me to edit my starting weight on the 7th of september.

but i totally understand that once the challenge starts, that we're only allowed to weigh in once, and not edit it :)

Personally, I post my weight as soon as its allowed. That way I show a nice big loss for the first week which gives my spirits a boost. Or you could wait. The one time I waited to post I binged between challenges because I wasn't accountable to my team. :o

do people get eliminated from teams like on the tv show? why do people drop out?

Nope, we don't kick anyone out. You can take yourself out of the challenge is something life altering happens, or you can be eliminated for not weighing in. You get two "freebie" weeks, after that we have to assume you've dropped out. On that note, if you do decided to drop out, please let you Team Leader know so we can adjust our team spreadsheets. Once you have dropped out, or missed weigh-ins more than twice, we do try to take your weigh-in posts off the team weigh-in thread. It just makes it faster to pull the numbers on Mondays.

Okay I get to ask the first newbie questions I guess...I just noticed the sign up thread now has a request for us to post our starting weight, so should I just edit my original sign up post and put my startint weight? Put in a new message in the sign ups or here with the start weight? and can I wait until Monday when I weigh in or does it need to be like right now?

And if someone could tell me how long the challenge will last I'd like to set up my goals and ticker....

That's all I have to ask :tape: I promise

You can edit your original post, post a new message, or PM me. Any oft hose will work. If I haven't got your weight on by 6th, I will try to PM you.

Hi everyone. I don't know which team I'll be on this time as I had to bow out on the last challenge.

I've had a rather traumatic summer with my son getting married and my mother passing away a month later.

(Speaking rhetorically, what else could happen to throw me off?)

Rhetorically answering, you could get a divorce, get a new job, lose your current job, transfer to Europe, go back to school, join the Peace Corps, adopt some kids, decide to try out for American Idol.... I'm out of ideas...no wait, you could join the circus!

Thanks for the answers DixieD really appreciate it! :)

I've only been in one challenge, so I am by no means an expert on this but this is usually how it goes. This is just a summary for any newbies that are wondering what this is all about and how it goes. I was new to this in the spring and I felt lost, so hopefully this helps someone.

You sign up and enter your starting weight. They close sign ups, take everyone and split them into two teams, each one led by a team leader. They take everyone's weight and add it up for the team's total.

Each team leader has a thread to introduce everyone and encourage their team through advice, inspiration and just plain ol' chatting to keep up with everyone and their progress or struggles. Both team leaders and participants post QOTD (questions of the day), which you don't have to answer, but help to keep the conversation going. They will close that thread when it gets too long and start a new one. To win the biggest loser title, you not only have to win at losing weight, but you also have to check into these chat threads at least once a week. And it can be as simple as just saying, "Hi, I'm just checking in to say I lost/gained this much this week!" They may also post separate threads with mini-challenges to your teams, and although optional, they can really help motivate you to ramp it up and keep you on track.

There's no set exercise plan or diet. You do what works best for you. This is all about having support and accountability. Some people work harder because they want to win or because they don't want to let their team down. Some benefit from the support of having a team that is there for them. Whatever reason or combination of reasons to join, the desired result is healthy weight loss. Not necessarily massive, quick weight loss, but steady, continued loss over the 13 or however many weeks.

Each leader will start a weigh in thread for their team, where you make one post and list all the weeks in the challenge (usually they help by posting a template) and you edit that post each week with your updates, for example: +1.5, -2 or freebie week (you can only have two). Just make sure you post your weight before the set time Monday so they can tally them and figure out the standings.

Then they take each person's weight and compare it to their last weigh in and figure out the percentage of weight lost for each individual, then for the team as a whole. They also remove people who drop out and edit the team's weight, the weigh in thread and the spreadsheets to reflect who's still in. Then the leaders post to a thread where both teams enter the team's combined weight and weight loss, plus the biggest loser of that particular week and the runners up and any other accomplishments or notes they feel necessary.

Then at the end of challenge, they figure out which team won and which individual was the biggest loser. :) There's no affiliation with the show or big prize, it's just a title and the awesomeness of knowing that that person stuck it out till the end, lost all that weight and won.

And that's this competition in a nutshell. ;) A really large nutshell.

Hi, I'm a 30 year old mom and student and recent runner :) I've been overweight nearly all my life and I'm looking to get healthy. I am steadily losing weight for the first time in my life, and I am ready for a little more challenge. I'm running my first 5k in October, and I want to get stronger.

I have never seen the Biggest Loser TV show, but I understand the premise, and can't wait for this challenge to begin!!

Hi, my name's Ellie. :) Just had my 44th b'day this past week. My highest wt was 206 back at the end of 2006. Then I got serious and lost about 31 pounds, then slacked off and regained about 10. This summer's BL challenge was my first one; unfortunately, I was sick most of the summer with a bad cough/cold, which sidelined my efforts and put me in a funk, both physically and emotionally. But I did manage to get rid of just over 5 pounds, so I did accomplish my goal of ending the challenge weighing less than when I started, even if not by what I'd hoped! :p

I am psyched and ready for this one now (and, please, no runaway viruses this time, lol)! :sp: It's gonna be my feet running, not my nose! :p

Thanks inklestinkle. I had figured out most of that by lurking in the last challenge (I was too late to join but very curious about it all). But that seems like a really good summary for those just tuning in.

My name is Jen. I'm married and we have a beautiful little boy. Like I told my doctor on Monday "I just don't know what to do anymore, I have been dieting on and off for 13 years" . . . my doctor (who I adore) told me "No, you have been doing the wrong things for 13 years". I was diagnosed offically with PCOS June 22, 2009. Right now I'm working on figuring out how to work past that, and what I have to do to beat it. I have an appointment with a nutritionist in a couple of weeks, but until then I'm just trying to just eat healthier and watch my carb and sugar intake. Exercise is next on my list. :)

This is either my 3rd or 4th BL Challenge and I'm excited to be back. Support is very important to me and I know I can get lots of that here. :)

Hi guys, I'm Ruth, and I'm from Australia. Because of this I often fall behind in the chats and things, because you lot are gabbing on while I'm sleeping! But I'll try to keep up.

I've lost 28lb so far in 12 months. Slow and steady, that's me. Having said that, I did take a 6 month hiatus to maintain because I was a bit over it. I didn't put on any weight in this time, and now I'm refocussed and back with a passion.

That's why I'm here really. I like the motivation and kick-in-the-pants style of the challenges. I like the way everyone groups behind people who are having trouble to refocus and remotivate them. The support here is unbelievable.

So cheers chickies, and let's move it move it!

Good morning everyone. :wave:

I posted my starting weight. My menu for today is planned. Exercise is scheduled. Now I just need to get my butt in gear and get the family the rest of the way on the new school schedule. School starts in one week and while I have the kids on a good routine mine still stinks. I have to get with it soon.

I wish everyone a POP day.

Hi everyone. I am a classical pianist living in Southern Ontario, married with one daughter (6). I have been overweight basically since puberty. I've been able to exercise effectively, even running a half-marathon once, but dieting is my downfall, mostly due to emotional eating. I think I have the tools to conquer this now, though, and I hope this challenge will help. Looking forward to getting to know you all.
cheers
Erika

Hi All! My name is Mel. I'm 41, married with 3 kids ages 9,7 & 5.
I started my lifestyle change in January of this year , then started C25K running program in Feb & ran a 5k on Mother's Day.

I participated in the Summer Challenge (my first) & am looking forward to the fall challenge to help keep me accountable & motivated.

My running slacked off for Aug- so I'm starting to get back into that which will hopefully help the scale move in a downward trend.
Looking forward to getting to know everyone & share this journey together!

Hi my name is Candice. I am a 30 yo married, photographer work-a-holic. I signed up for this challenge (and a couple others) because I need to focus on me and not feel bad for it. This time of year is my busiest and I easily work 70-80 hours a week and then feel guilty for not working longer. It doesn't help that we live in a fast food society where everyone wants everything now.

I am also a recent runner. I run intervals with the C25K but I've gone backwards to week 3 and I am running much faster. I can't move to longer intervals as much but I seemed to have fixed a hip flexor problem.

I am losing VERY slow (especially since running) and I struggle with this mentally because I thought running was supposed to make the lbs fly off??? I am also fairly competitive and since I am losing slow I worry that this challenge will actually make me more frustrated...but why not try right?

Ok and my favorite trainer is Jillian and I don't care that she sells supplements because 1. Business people sell things and being rich or even making money doesn't make them bad. 2. She has ALWAYS endorsed supplements as well as every other trainer I have ever known. 3. I try not to judge on personal decisions. I don't eat all organic and stuff but i don't mind that she does.

:)

Hi! My name is Mary. I am a 43 yo mom of three ( ds-26, dd-19, dd-17) and grandmother to Olivia (2).I have been married for 22 years. I have been overweight most of my life. Morbid Obesity runs in my family. So needless to say dieting has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I was a skinny teenager thanks to diet pills but as I got older my system could no longer take the side effects and I started gaining weight. Three years ago I hit 199 and said enough is enough. I would not let myself get over 200. I started seriously in January counting cals and working out, I was doing pretty good and my dh got sick. He started treatments in March and it totally changed his personality. I had a rough couple of months adjusting to it so needless to say my eating went to the wayside but thankfully i kept working out so the damage is only a few lbs. but sadly no new lbs lost since April. I am ready to start over again and look forward to the beginning of this challenge. I am a elementary school guidance counselor and go back to work on Thursday. I find it easier to stick with a plan when I am working so this Thursday is my official start date.

I am looking forward to getting to know all of you.

Ok and my favorite trainer is Jillian and I don't care that she sells supplements because 1. Business people sell things and being rich or even making money doesn't make them bad. 2. She has ALWAYS endorsed supplements as well as every other trainer I have ever known. 3. I try not to judge on personal decisions. I don't eat all organic and stuff but i don't mind that she does.
:)

Candice- I so agree with you. I wouldn't follow anyone blindly anyway. I believe it is up to the consumer to decide what is good for them. Jillian does give a lot of good advice but I find that I don't like all of her exercises either. But for the most part her advice is spot on, so I take what I like and leave the rest.

Hi, My name is Jacky and have struggled with weight my whole life. I wish now I would have just maintained instead of yo-yo dieting which has really messed with my ability to lose as I get older. I will most likely be doing the WW plan on my own. I am really looking forward to this challange and am hoping that this will keep me in check as I will now be accountable to a whole team and not just myself. I wish everyone lots of success on this journey.

Hi Friends.

I'm Rhonda. I'm 45 years old and menopausal.:D I lose slooooowly. This is my....hmmm....6th BL Challenge? In 2006, I lost 30+ pounds. I managed to mantain that loss until this past May. I've gained 20 pounds back and I'm so unhappy.

I'm looking forward to another challenge and making some new friends. This weight loss stuff is tough! Lets do this and make it just a tad bit easier for each of us!

Hi everyone, My name is Louise. I'm 31 and a stay at home Mother of 1, a 7 year old boy, who just started 2nd grade. I love The Biggest Loser. I've been waiting all month for this Challenge to start. I don't have a regular exercise plan, but I'm trying to change that a little bit. As far as eating, I'm not on any kind of diet or plan, I've just been eating less fat and calories and trying to eat less food. I can't wait to get started!

Glad to see some others in the education field. I'm super jealous of those of you just going back to school this week and next. In Georgia school starts in early August. Anyone else go back that early?

Okay...after 2 1/2 years on here, I'm giving the kitty avatar a rest--for the time being anyway, lol--and using an honest-to-goodness photo of me. I'm getting brave, I even posted it to my Facebook profile...I was using my Pogo Games mini there. :p You don't know how many shots I took with the webcam...I *really* don't like how I come out in pictures. :snooty: I usually look like either death warmed over or drugged out in addition to the weight. :p That's actually what helped seal the deal for me back in 2006 as far as getting serious about losing weight--I'd been thinking about it and then <snap>, somebody took a picture of me at Christmas on their digital cam, which I then had to proceed to download (along with everything else on their camera) in front of them on my computer. So there I was, looking and feeling pretty bad and joking about it to them. Self perception is such a tricky thing, though. I mean, one day I can think hey, I'm reasonably cute, and the next day I just wanna deflate my hips and butt. (The boobs can stay!) :p

Okay...after 2 1/2 years on here, I'm giving the kitty avatar a rest--for the time being anyway, lol--and using an honest-to-goodness photo of me. I'm getting brave, I even posted it to my Facebook profile...I was using my Pogo Games mini there. :p You don't know how many shots I took with the webcam...I *really* don't like how I come out in pictures. :snooty: I usually look like either death warmed over or drugged out in addition to the weight. :p That's actually what helped seal the deal for me back in 2006 as far as getting serious about losing weight--I'd been thinking about it and then <snap>, somebody took a picture of me at Christmas on their digital cam, which I then had to proceed to download (along with everything else on their camera) in front of them on my computer. So there I was, looking and feeling pretty bad and joking about it to them. Self perception is such a tricky thing, though. I mean, one day I can think hey, I'm reasonably cute, and the next day I just wanna deflate my hips and butt. (The boobs can stay!) :p

HA! I use my pogo mini pic sometimes too! :D

Hi Everyone - I am a WAHM and have been doing WW and using my Sensewear since April. I am down 30 pounds so far but haven't been able to break the 200 mark. So excited to be a part of this challenge!!

Trekkie - it's a great picture. I wish I were as brave. I LOOOOOOOVE to take pictures, I want to be a professional photographer, but god forbid someone turn their camera towards me. ;) I keep promising myself I'll post them as soon as I have an after. ;)

Aclai - I'm not a teacher but my kid's schools started the first week of August, which seemed really early to me.

Hi!
Just noticed the super awesome thread started by Dix. This will be my 3rd challenge even though I had to drop out of the last one since I just couldn't get my act together.
I am in the midst of changing WL strategies and just starting to become a calorie counter. I am still working on getting used to writing down what I eat LOL.
Oh, a little bit about me I guess: I'm 34, married, currently not working but that will have to change really soon since now DH and I have a mortgage to pay, no kids and no pets. Been on my weight loss adventure for about a year now, the first 20 lbs. came off relatively easy, the next 10 not so much, and now I've been stuck in the 170's for what seems forever, and that's why I am changing strategies.
Looking forward to meeting all the new people and re-connecting with the ones I already know.

Hi Ladies. I am ashlan, ash for short. I turned 26 two days ago. I started my WL journey in Aug 08 and have lost 49 pounds to date. My hope is to lose about 15-20 more. I am engaged and hope to be married by May. I am so excited to actually catch this thread before the challenge started this time. I have a love/hate relationship with The Biggest Loser, but I am addicted to it and can't stop watching it.

I can't wait to get a team and begin meeting and getting to know everyone. I already see some familiar faces and that is plus! See ya around. I will go back and edit my starting weight in the next day or so!

Good morning all! For some reason my scale has been way up this week. It was up last week 'cause of TOM but was sure it would be back down this week but instead it went the other way. I weighed in at 179 this morning. ugh!! Starting back counting calories and journaling tomorrow. Unfortunately working out is out right now as my sciatic nerve is bothering me. Going to the dr. today.

Keep up the hard work!:)

Hi Friends.I'm Rhonda. I'm looking forward to another challenge and making some new friends. This weight loss stuff is tough! Lets do this and make it just a tad bit easier for each of us!

Rhonda-So glad to have you back. Hope you are on the blue team!

Glad to see some others in the education field. I'm super jealous of those of you just going back to school this week and next. In Georgia school starts in early August. Anyone else go back that early?

My sil used to teach in Texas and they start in mid August. What grade do you teach?

Okay...after 2 1/2 years on here, I'm giving the kitty avatar a rest--for the time being anyway, lol--and using an honest-to-goodness photo of me. :p

Love the pic. You look great! Congrats for stepping out of your comfort zone. I really think that is what change is all about.


Hi Everyone - I am a WAHM and have been doing WW and using my Sensewear since April. I am down 30 pounds so far but haven't been able to break the 200 mark. So excited to be a part of this challenge!!

Great job. I bought a sensewear in March and used it for awhile but just can't get into the habit of wearing it all the time. What do you think of the site? I plan on starting to use it again once I can wear 3/4 sleeves or a sweater. I feel self conscious wearing it at work.

Hi!
now I've been stuck in the 170's for what seems forever, and that's why I am changing strategies.
Looking forward to meeting all the new people and re-connecting with the ones I already know.

I hear ya. I have been stuck hear since February. Now the scale is moving up. What are your new strategies? Maybe they can help me...lol!

Hi! I'm Antonia and I'm pretty sure this is my fourth challenge. I had to drop out of the Summer one due to an unfortunate sequence of events, but I'm raring to go for the Fall!

I hear ya. I have been stuck hear since February. Now the scale is moving up. What are your new strategies? Maybe they can help me...lol!

Mary: LOL! I think you and I have been stuck in the same weight range for about the same amount of time. When I started I was doing Nutrisystem since I figured it was the simplest thing for me to do. Problem was, I had no clue as to what my real caloric intake was and whether I was having either too much or too little. For now all I am doing is going back to basics with good old fashioned calorie counting. I hope to have it all figured out by the time the challenge starts though.

Great job. I bought a sensewear in March and used it for awhile but just can't get into the habit of wearing it all the time. What do you think of the site? I plan on starting to use it again once I can wear 3/4 sleeves or a sweater. I feel self conscious wearing it at work.

I love my Sensewear as I can truly keep track of what I am doing and when I need to get moving more. The SW site isn't the best but I am motivated to get this done so I put up with it. I was self conscious at first but now when I get questioned I tell them it is a type of pedometer that tracks calorie burn.

Hey all :)

<--- I'm Liz, as it says hee hee

I've been up and down the scale twice so this will be my last trip down. I was a ballet dancer all through HS & part of college. Then I started gaining the college 15, then the newly married 15 and tacked on the "unhappy about weight gain" 15.

Finally I'd had enough so I decided to make a huge change... I moved us from Minnesota to Colorado, got a new job and a personal trainer. I dropped 47 pounds from March to June that year. I actually ended up weighing less than I did when I graduated high school!!

That weigh-in day was the day I found out I was pregnant with my first daughter. I kept my personal trainer all through my pregnancy and came through it with flying colors in terms of muscle tone, and weight loss after baby. My struggles with going back up the scale came a few months after. I don't know why, but I just stopped. Stopped working out, stopped watching what I put in my mouth. I steadily gained 67 pounds over the course of the next 2 years. And had my second daughter.

These past two years I've been "attempting" to shed the weight. I put it in quotes because my heart really wasn't in it. All I was able to do was to keep from gaining. Just a bit ago I came to one of those "THIS IS ENOUGH" points that got me on track all those years ago. And I found 3FC :) This is the here, this is the now.

Kris here (Hey Bluesers out there) - this is my 4th challenge too. I have yet to complete one but this is my time. Have been on 3fatchicks going on 2.5 years. Have lost, gained, quit smoking, been hurt a billion times, and lost my fire for exercise.

I am back in this challenge with a vengence and about 9 additional lbs since the beginning of the year. I want to lose 30lbs by the end of the challenge. I need to lose 60 overall.

Talk of marriage in June 2010 is the air, so this is super important for me.

Lets kick some butt, 1 lb at a time!

Hello! I am Krisitne, a 36 year old SAHM to three young boys (4,3, and 14 months). I had almost reached my goal about 5 years ago and then I got pregnant (and again and again) and have put back all of my weight and then some. I have been on here for a while but I have been having a hard time sticking to a diet. Due to some recent medical scares, I have decided that I need to lose the weight so that I can be healthy and enjoy life with my husband and my boys.

I am hoping that this challenge will help light a fire under me and I will be able to succeed!

I look forward to chatting with everyone!

Hey everyone. I just had to jump on here and share the news with somebody. As some of you know I'm living and teaching here in South Korea right now. I wasn't able to find a scale until today. Last time I weighed in about 2 months ago and I was 379lbs. Today I weighed in at.....353lbs. And I wasn't even on my diet those two months!!! So I am super excited because now I have a real starting weight, and I know with motivation and determination I might actually reach my goals this year! So looking forward to our challenge starting!

Wow Shan! That's awesome! Way to go!!!! :) :carrot::carrot::carrot:

Hi all! My name is Kimberly and I'm pretty new to 3FC. I'm 39, married with no kids, but I have one dog and one cat who are my babies. I am an American living in Sweden. I work from home as a creative editor, running my own company.

I have been overweight since I was around 17 or 18.

I have been on tons of different diets and done several different exercise plans throughout the last 20 years, but for some reason my weight doesn't really fluctuate all that much most of the time. When I am consistent with my workouts my measurements will of course change, but my weight has always pretty much stayed the same no matter what sort of eating and exercise plan I've been on.

When I moved to Sweden I weighed 237 lbs, and I despite any workout/diet plans or binges and careless eating, I remained 237 for 5 years. However, in the last 2 years, my weight suddenly shot up to 270! I didn't even notice it was happening because I stopped weighing myself due to always seeing the same response from the scale. lol :)

However, in July of this year, I went to spend time with my best friend in the States and she had been on a new fitness kick that was totally contagious for me. She was so excited about it and doing so well with her new outlook on being healthy that I couldn't help but want to do the same thing! So, now I've joined 3FC and even though I have no idea if I'll actually be able to shed any pounds, I figured I'd give this challenge a try! At any rate, I'm just excited to be making some changes in my lifestyle.

I've started tracking my food, and setting exercise goals and stuff, and I'm loving the activity of it. :)

Anyway, I'm looking forward to starting this and really hoping that I'll be able to help my team win the challenge!

Hi everyone, my name is Cat, and I have done a few challenges but completely fell off the face of the earth last year. I had major success with eating right and exercising and a few things in life came up and I just stopped it all. So unfortunate. Anyways, instead of feeling bad for myself I decided to join this challenge as part of pushing myself. I am a complete SAHM now, and both of my boys will be in school this year (although one is only 1/2 day). Good news is we are in the walk zone so I have to walk with them in a total of 4 times. A little extra exericse squeezed into each day!

I am also in school (online) full time starting at the end of the month. I am about a year away from getting my AA and then transferring to get my BA in Education.

I have a (minor) surgery coming up next week - getting my tonsils out - but I am going to keep weighing in despite it because I don't want to give myself permission to drink milkshakes and sit on the couch doing nothing afterward. I will find a way to make healthy choices even on a soft/liquid diet that I have to do afterward. Homemade chicken broth and smoothies here I come.

Well that is about it for me. I am excited to get going and meet the team I get on!

Hello!

I am Lisa and previously participated in the Challenges as a member of the Red Team. The support from team members (and the Blue Team!) was fantastic so I am really looking forward to this new challenge. I had to come out the last challenge after sustaining a nasty knee injury due to a fall. After 3 months wallowing in self-pity and putting on 16 pounds, I am ready to get back to the healthy ways that saw me lose over 70pounds.

I love exercise and prior to my injury, did a lot of group fitness classes, swimming, cycling, gym and jogging. Now my knee is on the mend, I am hoping to get back to it but am aware I need to build my strength and fitness back up gradually. What I can do right away (I hope!) is stop feeling sorry for myself and get my eating back on track!!!

I work in HR in the public sector in Scotland and live a very hectic life despite being single and not having children! I have a large extended family and a great group of friends who keep me busy.

I'm looking forward to getting started with this and am sure we can all help each other over the inevitable highs and lows to achieve success!

Ack, thought I posted in here, but guess not.

Hi all! I'll be leading Team Red this season/round. I've now participated in the Biggest Loser Challenge for two rounds and have loved it. There really is a great group of people here.

Briefly about me, I've now lost 70lbs since the end of September 2008 (almost a year ago!) and feel great! I am so happy that I went on this journey to not only lose weight but to get healthy and learn to love myself. For the first time, I love me for me. I went from a size 20 to a size 6 now! Never thought I'd be shopping for such a small pant size. My goals presently are to lose another 5 or so pounds and tone up at this point. So ladies, it CAN be done. You CAN do it, you just have to believe in yourself and work hard.

Anyway, please feel free to message me or ask any questions. I am busy, so I will be popping in and out a lot. But, I promise to respond and of course be here to support everyone during their journey.

Hi All -

I'm a SAHM with no children at home. Both of my children went off to college two weeks ago today. I have spent the last 18 years of my life taking care of my husband, children, and two dogs.

I've decided that instead of sitting around crying about missing my children I'm going to do "all those things" that I've never gotten around to.

1) Losing weight - I want to lose a total of 38 pounds. At least that is how much I think I want to lose. I'll see once I get closer to my goal.

2) Decorating / organizing my house. You know all the closets, drawers, etc. I have let go so I could bake that favorite cake for the boys or whatever was their priority at the time.

3) I plan to volunteer more. Not sure what I am going to do but there is something I'm sure I could help do.

I know this forum is only about goal #1 but thought I might share where I am with this stage of my life.

My confession - Every episode of BL I have ever watched I've always had a bag of chips and diet coke. Something about the show makes me want to eat. I'm going to change that this season.

Amber

Hey all! My name is Kim and I think this is my 3rd challenge. I have 3 grown kids and 1 granddaughter. This has been a challenging year for me. My DD got married in May and my oldest DS gave me my first grand child. I am a manager of accounting and collect most of my weight in my buttocks area. LOL!!!! I usually work an average of 50 hours a week.....sometimes more. I have recently been diagnoised with hypothyroid, insulin resistant and hypo glycemic. I have been following a rigid diet for the past 5 weeks and incorporating a plan similiar to Jillian 'Mastering your Metabolism' and I have lost 13 pounds. I usually lose very slow.....hence the discouragement and not completeing the last challenge. I have a doc's appointment on the 21st of September to talk about what to do with the hypothyroid thingy. I am post menopausal.....another strike against me but oh well. I used to work out daily but haven't done a lick since last September when we moved. Oh.....my DH lost his job in November and is still unemployed. Last October I was down to 223 and I am mad at letting the weight get a hold on me. Can't change the past but I can change my future.

This challenge will
1) get me back to the gym
2) hold me accountable to others and myself
3) hopefully I will be in the 2teens by the end of challenge or very close

Thanks for reading.......

My confession - Every episode of BL I have ever watched I've always had a bag of chips and diet coke. Something about the show makes me want to eat. I'm going to change that this season.


Do you have a gym membership or some sort of equipment at home? I like to watch it while I do my cardio!

Hi everyone!

I'm another Cat. I'm 25 and when I exercise well I tend to lose weight quickly, which would be great if I exercised. Now that I've started a PhD program I'm going to need to learn to love exercise as a stress reliever...and what better way to do so than to join a challenge related to the ONLY reality show that I make a point to watch each week.

So I wanted to say hi and that I look forward to this challenge.

Hello all! I'm Marianne. I'm 24, and I live in Vancouver, BC with my fiance. When I'm not at work, I'm volunteering with my Brownie group and spending more and more time at the gym! My FH and I are getting married in 5 weeks, and I can't wait to get on with the next great adventure.

My goal for this challenge is to get to GOAL, which is another 13-18lbs. It's ambitious for me (I'm a sloowwww loser), but I'm eager to get there!

Hi all !! My name is Leslie and I live just east of Seattle. I've been married to my amazing husband for 12 years. I'm 43 and we have no kids. We do have quite a few animals, however. 2 dogs, 4 cats, 1 hamster and bunches of fish. I am happily unemployed right now and have been doing a lot of different arts and crafts. Currently I'm really enjoying candle and soapmaking. I've previously been a dog trainer and will likely get back involved in the dog world in the near future in some capacity. I'm looking forward to joining in this challenge for the first time and very much looking forward to meeting all of you as well.

Leslie

Just a quick shout out to a few familiar faces.

MissV- Speaking of faces......I love the avatar pic. I now have a face to go with the name and person I've come to know. It is a very pretty pic. Good luck this challenge.

Cakses- So glad to see you back. I also noticed you posted on the bologna thread. Hope you get back into the swing quickly. You did so well before, I'm sure you will again. Have fun in school.

Shannon- Thanks again for being our fearless leader. I'm certain you will do a good. Listen to me. Assuming I'll be RED again. You know my blood bleeds RED!!!

Still need to post my start weight. I'm waiting till the last minute.

Hi mtiger! It's good to be back and it's lovely to be in touch once again with those who have supported me throughout this journey so far - hopefully we will be back on the Red Team!!! It was hard to get my butt back in gear and get back on the site after my injury but what a wonderful welcome I have had from you and others like Cakses and Bette K. Makes me know I have done the right thing and come back to the right place. And thank you for the compliments on the avatar - it did my confidence the world of good!

Looking forward to resuming our chats over the next few weeks and to getting to know everyone else xxx

woohoo!! tommorow is the deadline!! cant wait for the teams to be annonced! I'm a Jillian fan ! She's my trainer in my mind hehe

So ladies.....

A wee question for you all!

Are you doing anything particular to prepare for this Challenge kicking off?

I'm renewing my acquaintance with exercise, lol. I've worked out a plan to gradually build my strength and fitness back up after injury. I have dusted off my food diary and am starting to plan my eating for the week ahead and shop accordingly! Trying to get at least 5 portions of fruit and veg each day and plenty water.

Going to set myself some mini goals to work towards throughout the challenge and plan some non-food rewards which make me feel good about myself.

Over to you.........!

Good question MissVitality.

I am renewing my commitment to following my eating and exercise plans. Non-food rewards are definitely part of the plan: every 5 lbs lost there will be a massage or a new book or CD ... something just for me.

So ladies.....

A wee question for you all!

Are you doing anything particular to prepare for this Challenge kicking off?

I'm renewing my acquaintance with exercise, lol. I've worked out a plan to gradually build my strength and fitness back up after injury. I have dusted off my food diary and am starting to plan my eating for the week ahead and shop accordingly! Trying to get at least 5 portions of fruit and veg each day and plenty water.

Going to set myself some mini goals to work towards throughout the challenge and plan some non-food rewards which make me feel good about myself.

Over to you.........!

That's an excellent question! :D

in preparing for this challenge - I'm pushing myself harder at exercise, I have Jillian's voice in my head, to push it as hard as i can! I did it today. and felt great afterwards. I really want to see a loss of weight each week!!

Feel the fear - do it anyway!

ps awesome idea about non food rewards, i love that! :smug: I will have to think of some too hehe i've always fancied getting a massage, never had one. i think when i've reached the 150s i will treat myself :) like the above poster also suggested.

Not preparing any different then what I've been doing. However, we just got back from Vegas and I managed to gain 7 lbs. on the trip. Had a great time and now ready to get back into it ! The timing for this challenge is perfect !!

Are you doing anything particular to prepare for this Challenge kicking off?

Great question!

I'm sticking with business at usual at the gym, and thinking about adding in a bit of yoga every morning when I wake up.

Nutrition-wise, we're in the midst of a shift to eating even better right now. We've made a LOT of changes in the last year, but we definitely have room for improvement. My main goal right now is for us to switch some of the remaining convenience foods in our lives for less processed, more "whole" versions - e.g. switching from instant oatmeal to steel cut oats.

Mmm speaking of food - we just had this honey-soy salmon recipe (http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/honey_soy_broiled_salmon.html) for dinner with brown rice and roasted broccoli.

SO yummy!

So ladies.....

A wee question for you all!

Are you doing anything particular to prepare for this Challenge kicking off?


It's just business as usual here as well. But I am getting really excited! it's been so long since I've done one of these and I really want to do well and not let my team down, whatever team that may be. ;)

Exercise: I will continue with my 5 to 6 days of 30 to 60 minutes of cardio. Plus 3 days week of Strength Training and I will do more stretching.

Food: This is the hard part for me as I am an emotional and boredom eater. This is the area in which I need help, but we are slowly shifting into a Mediterranean Style of eating around here. I've read really good things about it.

My main concern is getting healthy and hopefully getting off meds for the Diabetes. it's my main focus and motivation. Losing weight, getting prettier and wearing smaller, cuter clothes will be the icing on my cake.

Are you doing anything particular to prepare for this Challenge kicking off?
I am trying to get back on track and being more consistant in my exercising. I let myself get away from my eating plan and have had a few too many cookies in my life lately, they are all out of my life and I'm getting the sugar out of my system.

It's good to see so many people back for the new challenge, I love following everyone's progress.

Miss vitality, great picture!.
Bette K

I am finally getting back on track, which means I am in junk food withdrawl. I am getting headaches, feeling tired, just not real good...but I remember last time I felt this way an dit only lasted about a couple weeks then I started feeling really good and the good food kicked in and I was better...can't wait for that to get here :( I feel a bit better today than yesterday, just a raging headache this morning.

I'm glad to see so many of you are "business as usual" because I need to hear from others who are not off track.

Are you doing anything particular to prepare for this Challenge kicking off?

Yes, this is the first time that I've had a job so now I have to plan out when to fit in my exercise. So my focus in on my food intake, making sure the stress doesn't get to me and make me want to overeat. Also trying to get in 1 hour of exercise and all my water.

Are you doing anything particular to prepare for this Challenge kicking off?

I'm going to a nutritionist on Friday, which is something I have never done so I'm hoping that will give me new perspective on the whole food thing. I plan on renewing my eating healthy and making exercise a permanent part of my day. :D

So ladies.....

Are you doing anything particular to prepare for this Challenge kicking off?

...!

I'm doing everything new. I haven't really exercised since high school. I use to do Jane Fonda workout everyday with a few girls after school. I weighed 89 pounds at the time. LOL

My main things are to exercise and change what I eat. I have all of The Firm DVD's which I WILL start today. I'm going to walk (try to get up to 5 miles per day). As far as eating, I am cutting out everything with corn syrup, chips (my favorite), and soft drinks. I am going to use fresh vegetables as my snack, drink water, and eat less -PERIOD.

I have plenty of time to devote to this for the next 13 weeks so I plan to give it everything I have.

Hi Diva! Glad to see you are here!

Wow....so many other old friends are around too, and new friends to meet! We can kick each others a$$ into shape!

After 2 years of maintaining, and even dropping more weight, I started a new job and *poof!* slowly added some poundage. I know when I need to come crawling home to this site :)

Hey CeeGee!! Good to see you back. I also am crawling back to work on myself too. Hopefully we can get on the same team. There are many here that I remember from challenges past.

Whatever team I get on - I can't wait to meet you all and renew old friendships.

good morning ev1:) i just joined this forum a few days ago, and im so glad i made it in time for this challenge. i think it will help me and keep me accountable:)

as for me, im 45 (today in fact lol), have two grown kids, and right now i take care of my mother (she is on hospice). i cant believe i have gotten so huge.. i lived out of the country for the last few years and just got bigger and bigger.. it's way past time to do something about it.
im married but he isnt over here yet .. he stayed behind to sell our house for us.. it looks like the sale will be final sometime this mo, so he should be over here soon.

i am calorie counting, walking, and using slim in 6 dvd's.. well, i say using the dvd;s.. lol.. i work out for 5 mins atm, and then im pooped lol.. itll get better im sure..
i look forward to getting on a team and getting to know all my teammates.. :hug:

good morning ev1:) i just joined this forum a few days ago, and im so glad i made it in time for this challenge. i think it will help me and keep me accountable:)

as for me, im 45 (today in fact lol), have two grown kids, and right now i take care of my mother (she is on hospice). i cant believe i have gotten so huge.. i lived out of the country for the last few years and just got bigger and bigger.. it's way past time to do something about it.
im married but he isnt over here yet .. he stayed behind to sell our house for us.. it looks like the sale will be final sometime this mo, so he should be over here soon.

i am calorie counting, walking, and using slim in 6 dvd's.. well, i say using the dvd;s.. lol.. i work out for 5 mins atm, and then im pooped lol.. itll get better im sure..
i look forward to getting on a team and getting to know all my teammates.. :hug:

:welcome: and Happy Birthday :bday2you::bday2:~Twilightwing!
sorry to hear about your mother :hug:

and yes it will get better with regarding to exercise. i have 3 mottos.

one- is that i dont kill myself when i work out so i hate it, and dont want to do it again! lol i think any movement of the body is exercise, its the accumulation of everyday that adds up.

two- but at the same time i try to push myself a little bit, push myself out of my comfort zone. its abit scary sometimes. but it feels good afterwards!
I always hear Jillian's voice in my head

Feel the Fear- do it Anyway

three - i take mini breaks during my workout. you can always hit the pause button and then once you've catched your breath resume the workout, or during any type of exercise take mini breaks when and as you need them.

Are you doing anything particular to prepare for this Challenge kicking off?

Not so much because of the challenge but I am going back to running. My kids started kindy this morning so I have 8+ hours a day to myself. I might as well devote an hour of it to running. I'm also working on getting my food back on track. I've been stress eating something horrible for the last 3.5 months and have allowed way to many animal products back into my life. I'm going to give them the boot back out.

Happy Birthday Twilight!

Are you doing anything particular to prepare for this Challenge kicking off?

I am not really doing anything special other than watching my portion sizes, counting calories and making a commitment to myself to exercise 3 - 5 times a week.

My name is Laurie and I've done these challenges before. I've finished a couple and the others - well life just got in the way. But I've decided that I am going to make this commitment to myself to eat healthier and exercise so I feel better. I think we're all worth it. So to heck with FH for an hour or so several times a week. That's going to be my "me" time.

I was down to 173 in March and then we went on vacation. I gave myself permission to eat whatever I wanted and I haven't stopped since then. I've gained back 16 pounds and am determined to get them off again. For the last time.

I'm 53 and have 2 kids and 5 grandkids. I work full time for a labor organization and live with FH. We're talking about making it "official" in 2010 so I'd really like that to be part of my motivation for getting healthier.

I think that's about it for me in a nutshell. I'll check back later to see which team I'm on. Can't wait to chat with you all more.

:bday2you: Twilightwing!!!! and

:welcome3: to 3FC!

it's so cool to see so many familiar faces here and I am excited to meet some new peeps too! I'm sooo ready for this!

how do you know if you are in the group just joined and wondering if i made it in time...new here..help

Hey Diva - good to see you!!! I was in your neck of the woods in May. It was cold and wet while I was there. But still beautiful country. Hopefully we can be on the same team too. But if not - good healthy competition is always fun!!

Happy Birthday Twilight!!!

how do you know if you are in the group just joined and wondering if i made it in time...new here..help

If you posted your weight in the sign up thread by today, you are in.

oh i am so glad....do they notify you?

Hey Diva - good to see you!!! I was in your neck of the woods in May. It was cold and wet while I was there. But still beautiful country. Hopefully we can be on the same team too. But if not - good healthy competition is always fun!!

Happy Birthday Twilight!!!

Hey Laurie! good to see you too! I hope we are on the same team too. There's quite a few here I hope to be teamies with! :D

oh i am so glad....do they notify you?

Keep coming back and checking. :) I'm sure Dixied will be posting the teams soon. Welcome to the Challenge!!!

ECHO and DIVA and chiquita- thank you so much for the 'happy bdays', and the welcome... it means a lot to me:)


this challenge is going to be so fun, i can tell already:)... and more importantly... productive:)

Great post Dee!

I totally agree with:
"1) These BL Challenges. Sticking around here (and posting regularlly) had kept me on track and accountible. If I disappear for more than 3 days, you can bet I'm on the counch with some ice cream. "

I've been really busy here the last few weeks, and haven't been able to even visit and read, but while my son is writitng a paper for school, I thought I'd pop in and say "Hi!"
Without the list chatter I've really slipped here the last couple of weeks and have slipped off of my plan of counting calories and working out, so I'm ready to get back on plan and starting the next challenge.

I was in the summer challenge and didn't quite do as well as I would have liked, but I did lose some and that's OK...I'll do better this round! :)

Quick wave to the Blue Team! :wave:

I can't wait until the next Season starts too! It's very inspirational to me.

~Suzie

:cheer3: :goodluck: everyone! :cheer3:

http://www.3fatchicks.net/img/bar-day/cartoonapple01/lb/212/140/198/.png (http://www.3fatchicks.com/)

oh i am so glad....do they notify you?

You need to check back here. The teams will be posted soon.

Combined teams - I am insanely busy today (and the past week) and I will try my absolute best to get the team rosters finalized and posted tonight.

Along with that note...where did my results post from last week go? I know I typed it out. With my luck I hit the "X" to close the screen rather than the "Submit Reply" button. It's been that kind of month. :o

Are you doing anything particular to prepare for this Challenge kicking off?
I am trying to get back on track and am starting calorie counting.

your welcome twilight.

woohoo cant wait for the teams to be announced. but i understand you all must be swamped!
good luck everyone!!! :cheer3:

hiya guys :) dont know if you guys remember me from a few challemges ago.. but im back.. its coming up to summer over here so i wanna give the old weight loss a boot... in the right direction.. :) been very slow loss this year.... very slow.. so im hoping.. the added motivation will help me to behave... lol

It feels so good to be back to work. I love having the summers off but I do miss working and having a schedule. I am dangerous with too much time on my hands...lol!

Did really well today. Ate clean, worked out, and drank 70 oz of water. :D


as for me, im 45 (today in fact lol),

:celebrate::gift: Happy Birthday!!

Are you doing anything particular to prepare for this Challenge kicking off?

I am renewing my commitment to journal all of my food and workout sessions. Eating between 1300-1500 cals a day. Working out at least 5 times per week for 30 mins., and drinking at least 60 oz of water a day.

Hey guys n gals! I'm back! I have yet to finish a challenge, but this time I am all in. I need this badly. I lost 50 lbs in 2007, then got pregnant in 2008 and gained it all back. Baby is almost a year old, so it is time to get this weight back off! Plus I just started my clinicals at school so I know I would do much better if I were in shape!

Would someone suggest an awesomely motivating BL workout dvd. I have TBL 2 workout but I want something new! I thought about doing the 30 day shred. Any ideas?

Are you doing anything particular to prepare for this Challenge kicking off?

I'm back to logging every morsel that goes in my mouth on my Lose it Application. I'm also listening to Paul McKenna's I Can Make You Thin hypnosis cd once a day

[B] I'm also listening to Paul McKenna's I Can Make You Thin hypnosis cd once a day

way hey! me too! i'm following paul mckenna's 4 golden rules
i try to listen to the cd most of the time at night.

Lose It is the best application !! Can't beat that it's free too !!

Lose It is the best application !! Can't beat that it's free too !!

Is this a website or something, please share! :)

Are you doing anything particular to prepare for this Challenge kicking off?

I am scheduling exercise into my super busy September schedule (back to school for every member of my house!) Plus, I'm getting back into weight training. :)

Is this a website or something, please share! :)

Lose It! is an app for your iPhone/iPod. It's one of those free ones and I just started using it myself. I have to say it's pretty good.

Oh, grr! LOL I want an iPhone so bad, but cant afford the service. BOO!

Anybody have any online sites that are great for tracking food/accountability...

Are you doing anything particular to prepare for this Challenge kicking off?

I bought myself a new pair of tennies yesterday. I have decided on a workout for the first 2 to 3 weeks, and I am counting calories while TRYING to follow my 6week body make over food list. I am more determined than ever!

Happy B-Day Twighlight!

Bradley's Mom, I use fitday.com, it is free and also allows you to track your nutricion and activity as well as set goals.

Canada Mel: Does the hypnosis work? Can you tell a diference I've been thinking about trying it.

Everyone have a great week
Bette K

Oh, grr! LOL I want an iPhone so bad, but cant afford the service. BOO!

Anybody have any online sites that are great for tracking food/accountability...

I use dailyburn.com. It's free, easier than fitday, and offers a forum.

Oh wow! I forgot how many people posts until we get more under way.

To prepare for this challenge......get my butt back into the gym. I definitely want to do my team proud and I am excitied to see if I am red or blue.....

Bradley'sMom.....I use Sparks People.....it is free and can be downloaded into Excel. I am lazy when it comes to journaling.

Thanks! I will check those sites out after I get the kids into bed!

Bette: I've never done hypnosis before. I've read the book first- and it's filled with lots of common sense ideas- very similar in nature to the inside out weight loss podcasts I've listened to throughout the year.
But the scale has started moving after spending most of August stuck at 174, and I think it's a combination of the hypnosis & logging close to 20,000 steps a day ;)

Bradleys Mom... I use SparkPeople as well.. and I absolutely LOVE it.. has been a huge help for me ..especially with keeping track of calories...

i got forgotten on the team lists .... i weighed in on page 3 at the bottom of the weigh in thread so which team am i in dix?

Bette: I've never done hypnosis before. I've read the book first- and it's filled with lots of common sense ideas- very similar in nature to the inside out weight loss podcasts I've listened to throughout the year.
But the scale has started moving after spending most of August stuck at 174, and I think it's a combination of the hypnosis & logging close to 20,000 steps a day ;)

wow 20,000 steps is very impressive.

what podcast are you referring to?

woohoo just checked out the teams annoncement! i'm on blue team!!! good luck everyone!!!!!!!

Echo- the podcast is called inside out weight loss by renee stephens.

Echo- the podcast is called inside out weight loss by renee stephens.

thank you!! I will check it out. love podcasts about weight loss.
i'm currently listening to Jillians podcast radio show hehe

oh- didn't know about that one- I'll have to check it out too! Thanks!

oh- didn't know about that one- I'll have to check it out too! Thanks!

you're welcome! but she stopped doing the radio show :(

but the podcasts are still available to download.

I use dailyburn.com. It's free, easier than fitday, and offers a forum.

Thanks! Fitday always confused me! :dizzy:

Kimberly - I use livestrong.com (formerly The Daily Plate). I really like it and they have loads of foods in their logs so I don't have to go too far to find out calorie counts. Like you I used to to LAWL until they closed. Since then I've been struggling to get things back under control. I've got the right attitude now so I'm hoping this challenge is just what I need to get started again.