Chicks up for a Challenge - Even Sexier by Thanksgiving Challenge!

blueridge - have you tried calorie cycling? Can't remember if we've discussed it in this thread but I think it helped bounce me out of a few ruts this summer. Google for more info but basically you have a few days a week at 1500 (for example), a few at 1700 and a few at 1300 - the theory is that your body doesn't get used to any one level and that may help a bit.

angee - way to go! 4lbs is awesome!

Blueridge - keep on trucking - all your hard work will pay off eventually!

As for me, I'm excited because this morning I weighed in at 130.4 - not long now to the 120's!!! I cannot tell you how long it's been since I've weighed in the 120's... maybe 10 years? I ended up eating some crap today, but I also walked around pushing a stroller for about two hours today too so hopefully once I get my workout in tonight I will have worked off the junk I ate!

amy - wowza! That's awesome! Good for you!

angee- woohoo for your continued losing streak! You are doing wonderful!

xohmimix3 - great news!

Doing well here - looks like 2.5lbs down this week after being in a holding pattern for a few weeks due to vacation travel. I'm psyched to be back on the losing train and am still hopeful of hitting my thanksgiving goal of 155 which would bring me back to what I weighed in 2000 if I remember correctly.

Hope you all are enjoying a lazy Sunday!

Hi all,

just check in with my progress so far.

SW 178
CW 171
mini thanks giving GW 168.

Oh I cant wait to be there.

:)

sweetooth - you've lost 7lbs since 10/22? I had to go back to the other page to see your starting weight in our challenge so I'd know how big of a happy dance to do for you :carrot: - that is a lot of weight in an incredibly short time - wow! 3 more pounds by thanksgiving should be no problem for you ;)

sweetooth - you've lost 7lbs since 10/22? I had to go back to the other page to see your starting weight in our challenge so I'd know how big of a happy dance to do for you :carrot: - that is a lot of weight in an incredibly short time - wow! 3 more pounds by thanksgiving should be no problem for you ;)

I know its sounds pretty crazy. I am wondering if when I weighed my self that day -- it was mostly water weight or what?. But still I tell myself even f it was water weight i couldnt have been less than 175. SO its still a loss. I am happy. I am just telling myself that it may get harder now coz the first few (5-6) pounds come off easier.

I am thinking I may increase my thanks giving goal to 165. IF I DONT SHOOT BACK UP lol!

blueridge -

I have a couple of suggestions. First, I think weighing daily may be stressing you out, thus affecting your weight. Watching the numbers going and back and forth throughout the week can be heart-wrenching, and stress can definitely affect how much weight you lose. Maybe just for a couple of weeks, you can try to only weigh once or twice a week - and see if that makes a difference.

Secondly, in reference to being hungry, are you making sure you're getting enough "filling" foods with protein and fiber? And drinking enough water? Eating a serving of nuts in the afternoon or downing as much water in a day as you possibly can will usually make a big dent in hunger pangs. You might also consider going to the doctor and asking for an appetite suppressant...just to get your body used to less calories.

Hope some of this helps. You're really doing a great job - just hang in there!

Howdy girls! I've missed a couple of official monday weigh-ins due to travel but I'm close to my scheduled goal for the week - just half a pound over.

Sept 12: 170: 170
Sep 21: 169: 169
Sep 28: 168: 168
Oct 5: 166: 166
Oct 12: 164: ?
Oct 19: 163: ?
Oct 26: 162: 162.5

Hope others have good news to report today!

awesome work dancer!

I don't know what has happened... two days ago I was weighing in at 130.4 then this morning it said 131.8??? Maybe the 130.4 was a glitch in my scale... I didn't do any major binging or anything... who knows! My body is looking SOOOO much better and I'm fitting in to so many of my "skinny clothes", but I'm kinda irritated that the scale isn't moving. I work out 6 days a week and eat pretty well.... hmmmm. My work outs are running C25k 3 days a week and doing video exercises with light weights (3 & 5 lb wieghts) 6 days a week - total of about an hour a day... so it's not like I'm growing all this muscle mass to account for not losing weight.... I've got 10 days before leaving for Grand Cayman so maybe for these last 10 days I can up the ante and do 1.5-2hrs a day - take my DD on walks through the neighborhood and such too. My goal is 129.9... is that too much to ask?

Amy - sorry the scale's not cooperating but keep in mind what some of the long-time maintainers around here always say - we use the scale because it's convenient, not because it's the best possible measure of body fat. You are doing all the right things and your body fat is definitely decreasing - you may be seeing a blip in the scale due to all kinds of other factors. Enjoy how your clothes are fitting and know that the scale will sort itself out quickly!

Hi all,

Super busy yesterday and didn't get a chance to post, and on the run today, too. Thanks, all, for your encouraging words - I will look at calorie cycling and try to up the fiber and protein.

I do have some very modest good news: I am down half a pound, at 207.5. Not much, but hey a loss is a loss and I'll take it.

This past week I worked out almost every day including two really intense gym workouts on cardio/elliptical followed by strength, and did the 30 day shred yesterday (and boy can I feel it today in quads and hamstrings!) I went out to eat with my bf and though I wanted pasta and a glass of wine I had water to drink with grilled chicken on top of spinach. So even though the scale isn't showing much, I know I am getting stronger and I am proud of my healthy choices.

congrats to all on your losses! Dancer, your ability to hit your goals every week consistently for the most part really impresses me.

Amy, you're so close!

sweettooth - congrats!

angee - you're doing great, my fellow onederland seeker. Thanks for your advice.

Gotta run, off to a meeting! Have a great week everybody!

blueridge - woohoo on the scale moving! And what nice food choices in the restaurant!

Hey blueridge, any downward movement is great, even just half a pound! Great job!

Dancer, sorry to hear about your knee issues in the Runner's thread. I found that cross training really helped with my ITB recovery...hope the elliptical does the same for you! Have you guys got much snow up there yet? We aren't supposed to get hit too bad down here... anywhere from 2-5 inches (knock on wood).

Well the scale is being pretty kind to me so far...hopefully even moreso by my Friday weigh in!

Well, I'm trying something new this week and I'm not going to weigh daily. It's getting to be TOM, so I think now more than ever I don't want to subject myself to the daily ups and down. So I am not going to weigh until Sunday (the day before my official weigh-in day) and Monday. I'll keep plugging away with healthy choices but hopefully save myself the frustration of seeing daily fluctuations.

One NSV that I didn't note yesterday - I was looking through my 'clothes I will wear when I am skinnier' drawer the other night and found a skirt that I had gotten a second-hand shop when I was at about 230. It was just a bit too tight then, and I put it on and it was literally falling off of me. Like I couldn't wear it without safety pinning it because it was too big. I don't measure inches, but that skirt shows me I have lost inches significantly in my waist. YAY!

Fatpants - great photo on your avatar. You look like such an athelete! You ARE such an athelete!

fatpants - I'm hoping the specific exercises I read about online will help!

blueridge - woohoo for the too-loose skirt!

Hi everyone! I haven't posted in a while, but I have been reading all of the new posts on my email every morning, and I just wanted to say thanks for continuing to inspire me. I've been up and down over the past few weeks, but I'm hoping to make a final push to lose 4 more pounds and reach my Thanksgiving goal. Congrats to all of you who have been doing so well!

I'm ALL in...joined Curves today, bought ALLI and ready to get on track I need to change my tracker though :( i was 231 erggg UNACCEPTABLE but by Thanksgiving I will be 211...I promise

Congrats turning 30! And welcome readytobeme!

I'm enjoying this not weighing daily thing. Not sure if it will translate to success this week or not but at least it makes the day-to-day less stressful. Had a GREAT work out at the gym again last night. 35 minutes on the ellilptical, changing up front/back and intensity level, followed by a mile on the treadmill. New PR: I ran a mile in 10 minutes, 30 seconds! I was probably pushing myself too hard because my side hurt for a few minutes afterwards, but it was exciting to be that close to a 10 minute mile.

Have a great day everybody! Stay away from that halloween candy!

Hi ladies, haven't posted for a while. I hope everyone is doing good with their goals. As for me, I have another 5lbs to lose in order to meet my Thanksgiving goal of 235.6. I was kicking butt for a few weeks following South Beach to a T, but then I started making small exceptions here and there for candy (BAD I know) and all the visitors we have been hosting all month. So once Halloween is over, I really need to concentrate because Thanksgiving will be here before we know it.

turning30 - woohoo! You can nail those extra 4lbs by Thanksgiving, I just know it!

ready - welcome! Do you have a great outfit picked out to wear to Thanksgiving to celebrate your new skinnier self?

blueridge - sweetie, you rock! That's a great time!!! Sideaches are a pain but according to a doctor friend they're not actually a sign that you're injuring yourself which was a relief to me. I'm so impressed by your running success - speed is so one of my personal issues. I'm sure fatpants and TC will be blown away too! You're going to have to come over and join us on the runners' thread if you keep up like that!! Ok, you've got me all inspired now - after I finish shoveling my way out of the craziness of this snow storm, I'm going to hit the elliptical so I'll be ready to run again when this all melts.

Have a great day all!

Good morning/ afternoon (I have no sense of time today...)

So my original plan has been thrown out, and I've stepped things up a bit more. I'm now aiming for 390 minutes of exercise a week ( I may not start reaching this until next week - as I'm waiting for things to arrive in the mail).

I'm also now a Monday weigh in chicka. I figured I'd weight in today anyway, and then I can start Mondays this coming Monday.

Today: 210.2 (another :df: in the profile, yay!)
Left until Thanksgiving goal: 5.2lbs (I hope to surpass this... but we shall see!)

Good job on all of the hard work chickas :D

marbear - woohoo for the extra dragonfly!

Thanks for the encouragement dancer - where's the runners' thread? I would like to stop in - I don't really have a plan or strategy I'm following, just hopping on the treadmill and doing whatever so I should probably look to create more structure.

I have to say my motivation yesterday was working out at the gym with my best guy friend - who is a 20 year old hard core athlete with 8% body fat (I'm NOT exaggerating!). So watching him whip out 5 minute miles with a big old incline is pretty inspiring. The great thing is that he is encouraging to me even though I'm totally in a different level and he is genuinely kind about my weightlifting and aerobic even though he is way stronger and faster. That's the kind of work out partner to have!

blueridge - wow! that's quite a workout partner! holy cow! The runner's thread is in the exercise section and is called October runners or something like that and was started by mkroyer. And the way you're going, doing so well, you don't need to follow someone else's plan if you don't want to - just do what you feel comfortable doing.

I am in!! I am new to this forum and I only just started. My current weight is 219. I hpe to weigh in at 199 at Thanksgiving. Good luck everyone!!:carrot::carrot:

jillsusan - welcome! Glad you're joining us. That's an ambitious goal for 4 weeks or so - what's your eating and exercise plan?

Checking in for the week - down 2 lbs. 5 more lbs to go for my Thanksgiving/Onderland goal.

SW: 215
CW: 204
GW: 199

10/10 (GW 213): 213
10/17 (GW 211): 210
10/24: (GW 209): 206
10/30: (GW 207): 204
11/7: (GW 205):
11/14: (GW 203):
11/21: (GW 201):
11/26: (GW 199):

way to go, angee! You are a rock star!

Welcome jillsusan!

Well, some of you who are on the runners' thread might have read my news already, but I want to share it here, too: I ran/walked 5k on the treadmill last night! My time was 35:40, which isn't too fast, but I am just pleased that I was able to complete it since I'd never tried for more than a mile.

Another success is that I baked a ton of chocolate cupcakes for a halloween party and didn't eat any of them...and when I went to said party, didn't eat any candy or sweets.

Haven't been weighing all week and finding it pretty liberating and definitely better for my mental health than being a scale-hopper. I don't know what the scale will say come Monday morning, but no matter what number I get I'm pretty pumped with my recent running achievement. I feel like I can't necessarily control the number on the scale, but I can control portion size, workouts, etc so that's where I'm trying to focus my energy...and just hope that the numbers come in time.

Have a great weekend and happy halloween!

blueridge - :bravo: woohoo - girl, you are a RUNNER! And way to go on the cupcake resistance!

angee - nicely done - keep up the good work!!

Hi ladies, just checking in with my weigh in...

SW: 165
CW: 157
GW: 150

Been pretty successful at staying away from the Halloween candy so far... but the trick or treaters need to start arriving so I can get it out of here! :D

jillsusan - welcome! Glad you're joining us. That's an ambitious goal for 4 weeks or so - what's your eating and exercise plan?

thanks! I am on dr siegel's cookie diet, and although it is early days yet, it is really quite managable, I'm down 5lbs so far. As for exercise I do the eliptacle 3-4 x aweek at 35 min a pop. Take care and Thanks for the warm welcome!

I'm very glad halloween is over and there won't be so much candy around - it's been a test for my will power for weeks. I've been lazy about working out this week, using the snow as an excuse since my usual run is outside in the park but this week I'm going to try to pick up the pace a bit.

What's everyone else doing this week to make sure they meet there thanksgiving goals?

I'm very glad halloween is over and there won't be so much candy around - it's been a test for my will power for weeks. I've been lazy about working out this week, using the snow as an excuse since my usual run is outside in the park but this week I'm going to try to pick up the pace a bit.

What's everyone else doing this week to make sure they meet there thanksgiving goals?

Me too..we got rid of most of the candy but there's still some lingering. Off to work it goes tomorrow so everyone else can eat it!

I've really got to step up my running for the nex four weeks.. lately I've only been running twice a week and adding in a lot of strength training... the weights are so great for losing inches but the cardio is what makes the scale move for me. I went on a 5k run tonight as the sun was setting (isn't the weather lovely lately, dancer??) and it was really just what I needed to start the week off right!

Hi all,

I started at 178 hoping to lose 10 lbs by thanks giving. I am now at 170.2 lbs and really close to my goal.

I hope though, now, that I reach 163lbs by thanks giving

well, Monday morning weigh-in after my experiment of not daily weighing this week and no weight loss to report. But it's TOM so I can't say that it's a surprise - I'm going to weigh tomorrow to see if my water retention goes down at all and maybe have it count as a loss even though it would be a day late. Still, I'm just pleased with my exercise achievements of the week (thanks for the bravo, dancer!) and my avoidance of all halloween treats with the exception of one, 100 calorie popcorn ball.

So, can I pull this off by Thanksgiving? Maybe, maybe not. I guess I'm less focused on the scale and more focused on staying on plan. My goal this week is to get to the gym four times for good, hard workouts each time and to keep up with my food log - ideally, writing things down right after I eat them instead of waiting til the end of the day and trying to remember. And I'm conscious of trying to increase my water intake, too. So that's the plan from me! Have a great day, everybody!

blueridge - you can do this!! Do you track your food online or in a journal? If you're doing it on paper now, I'd really recommend switching to thedailyplate.com or one of the other online options. Much less math that way!! If you fit in a few runs a week and stay on plan with your eating, you will be at onederland in no time!

fatpants - good for you for the evening run - I'm still waiting for the ground to clear in the areas I run maybe tomorrow I'll be able to get out and get in a good one.

On target with my weigh-in this week - 160. Am still shooting for 4 more by Thanksgiving. Let's do this, girls!

Ok i'm in on this one....was looking for a Thanksgiving goal thread :)

Mine is to be 210 by Thanksgiving....I will do what it takes...what I am doing now is working great and works for me...

I go to curves 4xms a week, eat 12-1400 calories a day spread out over 6 times, very healthy foods I LOVE NO depravation here :)

That's about it for now but I'm with you guys......

ready - welcome! looking forward to celebrating your reaching 210!

readytobeme - welcome!

Dancer - I was doing the fitday to track but I'm not on my computer all the time and there are days when I don't really get on it at all so I found that doing it on paper worked better. Hopefully now that I have TOM behind me I will get a loss this week - I really don't know what more I can do. I had a great workout at the gym Monday (nia class and yoga class back-to-back) and had a lighter workout yesterday on treadmill/elliptical and am looking to do a longer run/walk (3.5 miles) on the treadmill today. Sitting at my desk and swilling lots of water today.

Have a great one everybody.

So week 1 is complete and I am 8lbs down!!! I am feeling great and more determined than ever!! Don't know If I will make it to 199 bt thanksgiving but I will be thrilled with another 5lbs!

Start weight: 219
Current weight: 211
thanksgiving goal :199

SW 178
CW 169
GW 168

I was super excited to be so close to my goal weight for thanks giving. If I make it to 168 within this week or next week then I will definitely try to see if I could make it to 165-166 by thanks giving. yayy

249.2!!!! :) Can ya'll hear me screaming? I haven't been below 250 for years and years and years and well, you get the point. Happy Day!

Congrats CharlieJune!!!! Woohoo! You're closer to 200 and 300 - big milestone!!!

Sweettooth and JillSusan - congrats on your losses! This is a powerful group of women on this thread!

I'm just checking in, than off to the gym for elliptical and weights. I ran 5k yesterday, so it's a non-running day, but still want to get a good workout in!

Happy Friday, girls! Love hearing all the good news!

blueridge - sounds like you have a good workout planned. I'm so proud of your running success - way to go!

charlie - :woohoo: Looks like you're on the express train to Onederland!

sweettooth - wow! That's such great progress!

I'm a bit stuck and had to cut back on running this week to give my knee a break. Will hit it hard again next week!

Dancer - sorry to hear about your knee. I can certainly see how this running stuff would do that to a person. Can you do some lower impact stuff like swimming or yoga?

Have a great weekend everybody!

I am really bummed today. Weight went up

SW 178
CW 170.4 -- I was around 169
GW 168

Hang in there, sweettooth!! Sticking on plan, the scale has no choice but to go down eventually!

How is everyone's week shaping up? I will definitely not meet my Thanksgiving goal, but I'm hoping to eek out another 3 lbs to hit my 60 lbs lost mark. I have two races in the next two weeks so I have to taper a little on my running but I'll be hitting the gym to keep up the cardio.

morning, girls! Haven't been posting much this week as I'm traveling for business again.

fatpants - 60lbs would definitely be something to give thanks for! we're rooting for you!! Good luck in your upcoming races!

sweetooth - that's not gain, that's a teeny tiny fluctuation. Keep doing the right stuff and it will disappear!

blueridge - you're absolutely right about doing low impact - unfortunately, I just don't like it the same amount. I've decided to only run every other day (making sure there's always a day in between) at the most. It's going to be interesting to see if I can make myself do other stuff on the in between days. A walk at least is what I'm shooting for now.

I'm late checking in this week - Monday was crazy busy and then yesterday I was in DC all day for a meeting and not at a computer.

Dancer - how is the knee?

Sweettooth - don't let it get you down, fluctuations are part of the journey. especially if they are small (1-2 pounds) they really aren't cause for concern.

Fatpants - you are making great progress! You are so close to goal!

So some very minor good news - I am down another half pound, so I'm at 207 pounds. On one hand, I can be frustrated that I'm losing at the rate of half a pound a week, but hey, it definitely beats gaining half a pound a week, right!?!? And I'm not trying to break any records for speedy weight loss. So I won't make my Thanksgiving goal - that would require losing 7.5 pounds in two weeks - but (like fatpants) I am hoping I can pull off at least a few more pounds lost. Getting to 205 would feel great!

Some great NSVs - my resting heart rate has decreased (which means my heart is stronger and in better shape) and I'm still enjoying my developing biceps (I am definitely building muscle). Yesterday I stopped on the way back from DC for dinner at a Chili's and was tempted to just order whatever from the menu - a big pasta dish, or a hamburger. But I asked the waitress for nutritional info and they brought me over the calorie, fat, fiber, etc count for everything. Wow, amazing how so many dishes are well over 1,000 calories! I picked a salad with grilled shrimp which was super flavorful and satisfying and was about 530 calories. Can't complain about that!

I wasn't able to work out Monday or Tuesday and I actually missed it and am pretty excited to get to the gym today for a long run and weight-lifting.

Have a great day, all!

Dancer - TOTALLY get the frustration/boredom from cutting back on running. Ugh, I still struggle even though I've added in weight training on my non run days. I always feel like I'm not getting a good workout unless I go running! And I get easily bored on the elliptical, too. Hope the knee feels better!

Blue - You are absolutely right, a half pound loss is WAY better than a half pound gain! You can totally pull off 205 by thanksgiving.. that's just 2 lbs in 2 weeks! I say that, though, knowing that sometimes it is easier said than done. It's a real struggle to get off any pounds these days. We can do it!!!!

OK, week two of my diet is complete and I am down to 207 - 8 pounds to go by Thanksgiving to try and reach my goal of 199. If I could lose anther 5 I would be THRILLED!!

SW:219
CW:207

Fatpants - great photo! You look hot!!!

With my running I am starting to notice my quads feeling fierce, too!

Fatpants - great photo! You look hot!!!

With my running I am starting to notice my quads feeling fierce, too!

Thank you! It's the dress I picked out to wear to all the company holiday parties this year. I am pretty excited about it... now on to the great shoe hunt. ;)

Anyway! Aren't the feeling of quads awesome!! My thighs are problem areas... they have always been pretty jiggly but running has definitely developed them! I hope to have runner's legs one day...

Fatpants - that dress is stunning on you!

blueridge - .5lbs a week will definitely add up over time - totally understand your 'need for speed' though! My knee is okay today and am looking forward to getting in some miles with a walk/elliptical day tomorrow.

Happy Friday, everyone! That means Thanksgiving is less than 2 weeks away!! I think I'm still stuck in September or something...it doesn't feel like the holidays just yet! :dizzy:

Here is my WI for the week:

SW: 165
CW: 154
GW: 150

Really happy with my loss this week (2+ lbs). At this rate I'll probably miss my goal by 1-2 lbs, but I'm just happy to be moving in the right direction!

Oh, everyone is doing so well!! Congrats. I weighed in at the same 249 that I weighed in last week BUT I am not upset or discouraged. In fact, I'm relieved. I ate fruitcake this week. A lot of fruitcake, in fact. You see, I've lost both of my parents in the past two years and am, in fact, coming up on the one year anniversary of my father's passing. They loved fruitcake. So, while wallowing in my misery, I bought a fruitcake and for the past four nights have had a piece for Mom AND a piece for Dad. Gotta get a grip before it does, indeed, catch up with me! So, on to next week!

CharlieJune - I am sorry for your loss. It seems like you are aware that you are an emotional eater, and that the fruitcake consumption is coming from your grief. Good for you - knowing that there is a connection between your emotions and your eating habits is the first step. Are there other ways that you could respond to your grief and process it?

Fatpants - congrats on your loss!

I wanted to share two non-scale pieces of good news:
1) I just measured my waist with a measuring tape and it's at 39 inches. I can't remember the last time my waist was under 40 inches! Wowza!
2) Also, last night I went to the gym with the goal of running a sub-ten minute mile and I ran a mile on the treadmill in 9:30! Thirty whole seconds faster than ten minutes. This has been a goal for me for a while so I'm excited to have met it.

Been pretty well on track this week - hoping I'll have good scale news to report on Sunday! Crossing my fingers this is the week I hit the '30 pounds lost' mark!

blueridge - a sub-10mm is FANTASTIC!! You are FAST! I'm still running an 11:30mm :lol: Wow, you are meant to be a runner!! Keep up the good work!

How is everyone else doing? Just over a week until T-day! I will definitely not make my goal (still 4 lbs out at this point) but hoping to be down to 152 by Thanksgiving.

What are your game plans for Thanksgiving? I am thinking the "one scoop of things I like" might work... that way I won't feel deprived by having a little of the foods that I love.

Fatpants/skinny jeans - Thanks...still, it was a 9:30 mile on a treadmill. I don't think I could go that fast just running on a road or the track. In fact, I tried my first outside running on Monday and found it more challenging than the treadmill (hills!) plus not as gentle on my knees. So I think I'll stick to the treadmill for the most part, at least for now.

Dancer - drop us a line!

No loss for me this week, so I won't be in onederland by Tgiving for sure, but I am feeling good about sticking to my plan and know that I'm getting healthier. AND I had a great NSV this week: I went to get a massage on Monday afternoon, and my massage therapist (the only person besides my bf whoever sees and touches me with no clothes on) said, "wow, have you been doing a lot of hiking or something? I can tell you have really been working your lower body muscles." This is someone who I see every month so her noticing a difference means a lot. The scale isn't too kind to me but it seems like I have had a pretty stream of NSVs which keeps me going.

Have a great week, all! Only 8 more days til Thanksgiving.

blue, a 9:30 on the treadmill is still VERY impressive! Running outside, on the plus side - at least around here - we have hills, so I usually crank up the speed when I'm going down hill and generally end up with a faster mile time-wise than on the treadmill. Of course the flip side of that is that to go down a hill, you have to go up the hill! :lol: I agree it is harder to run outside. I began running on the TM and was getting pretty good when I switched to jogging outside...it was like starting to run all over again. Little nuances in elevation that our naked eye can't see are definitely felt by our legs! And yes it is definitely harder on the joints.. whenever my knee acts up I switch to the TM for a run or two just to give it a break from the harder surface.

Congrats on the compliments from your therapist! She is probably pretty intimate with the muscular system so for her to notice is quite a compliment. What kind of massages do you get? I have always wanted to get one, but I always worry that I will be uncomfortable being naked or at least topless.

Howdy, girls! Sorry to have been a bit MIA - I was traveling last week and with the whole outage thing, got a bit out of the posting habit.

blueridge - you are one speedy gonzales - that's awesome! Can't believe you're zooming like that - I'm a bit more like fatpants - 12ish miles are great for me. That's a great compliment from your massage person - woohoo!


fatpants - the distraction factor of running outside makes the perceived difficulty so much less for me - isn't it interesting how we all see things a little differently? I'm loving the running tights still although with my shorter slower runs lately to let my knee heal up, I hardly feel like I deserve them. I bought a couple l/s drifit tops to layer with last week and I'm loving them! And btw, deep tissue sports massage is the best. I always go to a woman as I figure if I'm tense and self-conscious it will hardly be a relaxing experience but they are always super considerate and do lots of draping so it's not like you're just lying around naked on table with everything hanging out in open view. You will love it, I'm sure!

Okay, it's a few days late, but I did pull off my standard 1/2 pound loss for the week and weighed in today at 206.5. YAY! Just half a pound from the 30 pound mark - I'm being diligent about keeping my calories under 1500 a day so should be able to be there by my Monday weigh in.

And re the running outside - oh yes, being the foothills of the blue ridge mountains means that there are some serious hills around here. I'm going to see where I can find some trails to avoid the road running - seeking both a softer surface and a space away from vehicle traffic.

Oh, my goodness - I love massage and I am a total believer in it. I am a huge cheapskate and tend to try to save on everything, but massages are one place where I feel fine splurging. I feel like it does so much for my physical, mental and emotional health to get an aromatherapy massage once a month. I've gone to the same therapist (a woman) for years and feel comfortable with her. She's overweight herself which maybe helps. The first time I went I felt self-conscious, but the therapist just said, "I'm used to all manner of bodies" in a way that helped me to just let go and enjoy it. And, yeah, only the part of the body she is working on is uncovered and the rest is draped with a sheet so it feels fairly private. Once I get more advanced in my running I definitely want to get into sports massages - maybe as a treat after my first races.

Took a break yesterday cause I was feeling tired and had a headache, but planning to get a good long run 3.5-4 miles plus lifting in today. Still, it seems like what I eat has way more to do with my weight loss than exercise, so right now my primary focus has to be keeping calories under 1500 each day as that appears to be the magic number for me.

week 3 complete and I am down to 203!! I AM THRILLED!! 4 more punds to my thanksgiving goal of 199 - WOO freakin HOO!!!!

Good news - down a pound! I'm at 205.5! Hopefully I can shave off that .5 at be at 205 by my official weigh in day on Monday. Onederland is getting closer!

Congrats, Blueridgegirl and Jillsusan! I didn't do my weigh in this Friday because it is my TOM and I refuse to see that needle go back to the 250 mark even though I know it has a cause other than diet! LOL I doubt I will make my weight loss goal, but I am still exhilarated to have seen the 40s for the first time in years. Hope everyone has an awesome Thanksgiving. I'll 'see' ya'll Friday!


Have a beautiful day!

Good morning ladies. I've totally sucked at posting to this thread regularly - sorry! But despite going off the plan I set for myself, I reached my goal weight a few days early! I weighed in at 205 this morning! I ws 205.4 for a day or two - I was getting frustrated about not making it.

Hope everyone is doing well...

blueridge - that's great! You are doing SOOO well!!

fatpants - love the new pic - you are looking incredibly slim!

marbear - that's great news - congrats!

My old scale is being wonky but according to my new(er) digital scale I've lost a few pounds in the last two weeks. Unfortunately the new scale is still above ticker so I'm just going to leave it there until the new scale and the ticker agree - ah, the games we play! Hope you girls are doing great!

Hi everyone!! just wanted to check in today with my weigh in... it became apparent I wouldn't hit my original goall of 150, so I readjusted to 153 which would give me 60 lbs total loss. Got that number today - 2 days before Thanksgiving...now i'm notivated to keep myself from pigging out on T-day! :lol:

SW: 165
CW: 153
GW: 153

How is everyone else doing??

fat pants - you rock, girl! Sixty pounds is a phenomenal achievement - I'm so proud of you - woohoo! And to become an amazing althlete all at the same time - wow! Hugs and congratulations!!!

A small nsv for me - I've lost an inch off my waist since 11/1 - so nice to have your clothes fitting better and better! Getting dressed no longer sucks :)

Hi all,

This site was so busy yesterday I wasn't able to get on, but wanted to drop a line to say that I'm at 205.5, which means I lost 6.5 pounds on this challenge and am closer than ever to onederland!

Fatpants - congrats on meeting your modified goal! Wow - 60 pounds. That is TWICE what I have lost almost exactly! You are such an inspiration.

Marbear - we're in the same spot! Onederland is close! Congrats on your progress.

Dancer - losing an inch on the waist is awesome - I just saw a DVD by Dr. Oz about the importance of the waistline size, and how its actually more important indicator of health than BMI, so that is great for you!

Congrats, everyone!

Marbear- way to go on making your Thanksgiving goal!

Dancer - an inch is FANTASTIC! I think taking measurements is so important... every time I get discouraged on the scale, the measurements remind me that things are still going the way they are supposed to! How was your Thanksgiving? We had such fantastic weather!

Blueridge - CONGRATS on losing 6.5 lbs! You and marbear are so close to onederland! Think you can make it by January?? ;)

I REALLY need a challenge to stay on track during December... anyone else up for one?

YES! I want to loose at least 7 by Christmas...

YES! I want to loose at least 7 by Christmas...

ok! I will start a December/Christmas challenge :D

All ~ I created a Sexy for Santa challenge here: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/chicks-up-challenge/187266-sexy-santa-december-challenge.html

Hope to see you all over there!