That horrible four letter word--snow! I'm glad that I now live where I seldom wake up to snow.

I tried my sz. 10 jeans on the other day, and they were fitting better, but still tighter than I like. I also tried on the pair of sz. 10 shorts I bought at the Gap for $6 and they're actually pretty comfortable right now. They're lime green, however, and very short, and I'd never wear them in public, ever--got 'em just for the size check. Anyway, if things go well (i.e., if I make the right choices), I will wear those jeans when I go to the airport to pick my DD and her DH up on Dec. 21.

Lime green short shorts?? I'd still say you spent about $5.99 too much, Sheila! :p Seriously though, great job so far on the size 10 jeans - I bet they'll be positively loose by the time you drive to the airport!

Good job everyone else too; we do seem to be a motivated bunch! I'm moving along nicely, as evidenced by my ticker (I love those things) and trying to think good thoughts about winter cold and snow - such as burning calories shovelling the driveway, all my wonderfully comforting veggie stew recipes, skating on frozen ponds, Carnation's Lite Hot Chocolate and ... its no use, winter can go to :devil:!!


P.S. - Sheila, the new pic of your granddaughter is lovely!

Hi everyone,

I'm 6 pounds down so far for the challenge!!! :cb: Woo Hoo!!

I'm glad this was brought back up. I'm a little late getting in. I'm looking for a 12 pound loss by Dec. 21. That is roughly 2 lbs per week. Easily attainable. Recently I went down to a size 16 jeans. I was overjoyed. I would say I was in a size 22 when I started this. I have a friend who has lost a great deal of weight also and I am a few pounds below her now and she is in a size 12-14 jean. Darn baby belly. The more weight I lose the flabbier it gets. I'm not sure that I can get that skin back to the way it was before I had babies. I know I should not dwell on that but it looks really gross and I hate it. Good luck you all with the challenge. Alot of you are well on your way to meeting your goals.

Welcome to the challenge, Tammy! Did I MENTION how happy I was that you're back?? Oh, I did? :lol:

Sheila, sorry, but I've got to say that I'm with Jill on the lime green shorts thing....although I'm sure they come as close as they possibly can to looking lovely on you. (How's that for a repair?) Honestly, congrat's on the size 10! :cp:

As for me, I'm down another 2 to 210. So with 11 pounds to lose in 5 1/2 weeks, I think I'll make it. 2 pounds/week is achievable as long as I don't overdo it over the Thanksgiving holiday. I'd say I'm right on track. :)

Hey! I'm new but is it ok if I join this? I love challenges! Let's see, in 6 weeks I want to lose 18 pounds. That's about 3 pounds per week, but I'm just starting so it should be doable. That will also put me about right to fit into this fabulous pantsuit I bought without trying on and can't quite wear. Well I could but someone would get hurt when the buttons popped off flying at the speed of sound. So my goal is to lose 18 pounds and fit into my fabulous pantsuit!
Carol

Here's to Carol losing 18 pounds and fitting into her fabulous new pantsuit! :cb:

So how are we doing?
 

Just wanted to pull this back up to the top as a reminder that December 21st will soon be upon us, and to see if anyone else wanted to check in on their progress towards goal.

I'm not sure if I'm going to make my goal of 199 (ahhhh, behold wondrous Onederland... :love: ) -- today, 12/6, I weigh 207, so 8 pounds in 15 days is pretty darned aggressive. But heck if I'm not going for it. The closer I get, the happier I'll be. I'm sure I'll be in Onederland going into the new year, but I REALLY want to make this Winter Solstice goal!!

I'll update you guys again in a week.......hopefully I'll have some good news!!

And how's everyone else doing?

Slowly but surely, I'm getting there (tomorrow is weigh-in and I've been pristine, so hopefully the scale will co-operate). I'm going to swallow my disappointment at not winning the November points challenge :lol: and shall anticipate instead savouring success at the Winter Solstice Challenge :smug:

Next?

With my loss this week, it puts me closer but unless I lose 4.25 pounds each of the next two weeks I won't make it. I'm not too discouraged though because I think I've finally found a plan that is doable for me and I'm seeing results. Next week will be the test to see if I gain or not. :)

Well, I have only lost 1 pound. Starting strength training has slowed my weight loss down to little of nothing. I set a goal of 12 pounds, so I am really doubting I will even come close. I won't be bummed, I won't be bummed, I won't be bummed....but darn it, it's hard.

Tammy, I understand completely what you're going through. I'm not weight-training currently as much as I was previously, but I know from personal experience that the resistance training initially slows your loss to a huge degree. Longterm, it's awesome, but there is definitely a period of transition. Are you doing any cardio at all? I'm reading consistently that a combination of the two is ideal, with the doing of one or the other exclusively not recommended for long-term weight loss. The cardio/resistance combo is by far the best for increasing your metabolism.

Why don't you change your goal now to one more related to inches? Or perhaps to something weight-training related? Like maybe rep's or weight lifted? Or consecutive number of weights workouts achieved? I really believe that you should make this goal something achievable and in keeping with your CURRENT goals....what do you think?? It sure can't feel very motivating to have a goal looming over you that you know you're not going to meet.....your goals have changed since making that last commitment to yourself, so I think the goal should change in response to your new focus and elected means to the same end.

Sending you love, you weight-lifting badass! :lol: :grouphug:

I'm not sure what my goal weight is I had added fluff from Halloween and from not being able to workout I was at 224 and now I'm anywhere from 217 - 215. depending on the day. It's so weird my scale won't make up it's mind. I'm going to say I'd like to be 210. I hope no one minds me doing this.

Well as off last week I was right on track. However after this weekend I will have to see what the scales say Friday. I have 7 lbs to go to meet my goal and 2 weeks to do it so it's not going good plus I may have a gain this week. I went off plan Friday which was not planed and then Saturday also which was planed.

Sarah, yep, I am doing cardio almost everyday. I have one of those body types that is very receptive to weight training. I'll have to watch it after awhile because I will start to bulk up and I really just want to have a bit of definition. I think I will give this at least another month and if I don't see any loss by the end of that I am going to tweak the weights some. For the moment I don't feel like I am overdoing it with the resistance training. I think only time will tell with that though. I've not been doing it long enough yet to make any projections. The trainer says that I need this. That weight training highers the metabolism for up to two days after the workout. He says that cardio is great but as for the metabolism nothing is better than a good weight day. I guess what it comes down to is this: I need to quit whining and be glad that I even have the opportunity to visit a gym, have a trainer, and have had success at this. The impatient me is peeking its ugly head. This is one of those time I really just need to kick myself in the @ss and let all the positive information sink in. So, as of today. I'm done whining. I am my own person. I don't need to compare my weight loss achievements to anyone elses or be jealous that others are losing and I am not. I need to trust myself. And anyways, who ever said this was a freaking race? For so long I have made myself think that if I don't have the weight gone by a certain time then I was a failure. Well, that is not true at all. As long as I am trying my hardest I am a winner. Weight training is good requardless of whether I am losing big numbers on the scale or not. I'm doing a wonderful thing for my body and in the end it will thank me three folds. I know this. I swear PMS makes me temporaily insane sometimes. Pass me the valium. :)

So, Sarah, I'm going to take your advice and set different goals that pertain to what I am doing at the moement to reflect my improvement in that particular area. Guess if I'm not a skinny babe at the moment I can be a buff one ;) Oh yeah, Sometimes I'm not the fattest chick in the gym anymore. That's what I get for going to a marine corps facility. :) Nothing more motivating than being the most over-weight person at the gym. Same motivation comes from also not being the fattest girl in the gym. Recognizing that I came from the point they are currently at is a big breakthrough for me. I am finally starting to realize that I have indeed lost weight and it does show. I force myself to look at myself in the mirrors at the gym when I am working out now. I am starting to get more and more comfortable with who I am. I can actually look at myself and not feel humiliation. Also, I don't constantly think people are looking at me and secretly laughing at the chubby girl doing weights. I think I have some confidence trying to make an appearance, and I like it!

Ok, I'm done now. I get a little long winded sometimes. You all have a fabulous day.

Less than a week to go! How is everyone doing?

I did awful this weekend and I did not have a chance to make goal even before that. So I know I won't make goal.

I probably won't make it (see ticker below) but I'll be pretty darn close and feel pretty smug about that :smug:

Hey everyone!

I was laughing at your post Sarah. Not laughing at YOU, but at the situation. It's funny how your situatuion seems to mirrior my own. Same starting weight, same goal, same current weight and same plateau! I'm also stuck at 207. I was really hoping for 199 by Christmas, but It's not a possibility at this point. SIGH! I guess everything happens for a reason. There's always next year!

I don't know if I'm going to make my 210 with TOM. I'm fairly close 3 lbs to go. I've also missed couple workouts. I am very happy someone started this tread it made me rethink how to eat healthy even on the holidays. I'm learning a wonderful life lesson. Thanks =)

While I've been exercising as much, if not more, than usual, my eating has been horrible. My pants are feeling tighter than I'd like so I'm not going to make my goal. But there's always the next one!

This time of year is so darn hard, that I think anyone who even gets close to their goal is a winner!!

Great job to everyone who is putting so much effort into this challenge. I think Sheila is right. As long as you are trying you are a winner for sure. This is a super hard time of the year to stay right on track. I only lost one of the twelve pounds I wanted to. But, that certainly is better than it could have been.

There is still a few more days. I'll be looking forward to hearing about those of you who met their challenges and their to support the rest of us who fell a bit short. :)

I did not make my goal..I'm still 7.5 pounds from it, but I'm not going to complain and give up. I've lost 37.5 pounds since March and I can do so much more now. Plus, we had a family dinner on Saturday and I couldn't tell you the number of compliments I got from family members on how well I look now. I can't wait until I see them all again on Easter when I'll be looking a lot better :) (This is the extended family on mom's side and there were over 50 people there. )

Aw shucks - I didn't quite make it either. However, I'm pleased with what I did lose and now the challenge is not to gain it all back by New Years!! :D

Okay, who's got the next challenge? I'm raring to go!!

P.S. Yesterday it was -38 with the windchill factor and today it'll be dark at 4pm - Winter Solstice can kiss my @$$!

I'm all for the next challenge. I think I need something new to give me a swift kick back into action! I've only made one challenge so far since I have been here. So, what's it gonna be? Any suggestions?

I wanted to be down to 210 I'm at 211. So close. I'm going to try not to be bummed out.

I'm afraid to even weigh after these last two weeks. I've been totally off plan. I'm going back at it for today and tommorrow and maybe even christmas. I'm sick of feeling so bloated and drained.

I missed by 4 pounds. UGHHH. I understand though. I have had a few cookies and my exercise has decreased greatly as the cold weather has settled in. I have a friend who is bringing me a Gazell next week. Im really excited. I can do my morning routine in heat and exercise different muscles. Bring on the next challange . . . Onederland, here I come!

Mez, you came so close!! What a great job especially with the time of the year it is. There is nothing for you to be bummed out about. Be proud!! :)

Shelley, same for you too!! Any weight loss during the challenge is an achievement. I'm in Southern California so the winter here is a piece of cake. I've lived in alot of cold climates before though and I know it is super tough to exercise in the winter. Those gazelles look really neat. Let us know how you like it.