Sorry 'bout the wait, you all ready?!

Team Leader: DivineFidelity

Members:
Candi44 - Unable to PM her, I hope she finds us again
FassGal
mhill0823
Lambiechop
cheerios
princessdi86
ForeverLove
mya
nest
jayohwhy
princessgina00
Riestrella
Princess of the KING
Matilda08
chubbyhipster
PinkSnowDays

thanks for fixing it, divine!!

I'm ready to go! Thanks zan and divine!

Hey everyone!

Looks like I'm you're team leader! I'll get to making a team banner in a little bit for everyone to put in their signature if you want it, but first I want to introduce myself =D

I'm a 21 year old college kid. I work full time teaching Pre-K at a church run day school, and go to school part time (mostly online because I can fit it around my work schedule). I'll be finishing my associate's degree in Spring of 2012, and then in the fall I'll be going back to Sam Houston State University to get my bachelors in Education.

I've been overweight my entire life. It may look like I'm just starting out, but I'm not. I lost 70 pounds a little over a year ago, and got down to my lowest adult weight of 180 pounds. Then I started dating my best friend of 7 years at the time, and we've been dating for a year and 7 months now....and I've put those 70 pounds back on PLUS 4 more pounds. I'm currently my highest adult weight ever, and I'm not okay with it. I am just finding it really difficult to stay on track because I'm so happy right now. I've got an amazing guy, and an amazing job...and I've never been one of those girls who is super self conscious or anything, so my size doesn't really BOTHER me. I know it's unhealthy and I need to change it, but that was a lot easier when I wasn't happy with anything that was going on in my life then it is now. It's still something I need to do though, and I'm helping that this challenge will help kick my butt back into gear!

I'm really looking forward to getting to know all of you. I'm definitely a 3FC addict, so I check the site like 20 times a day or something ridiculous...and so I really hope that you guys are chatty! I would like to challenge everyone to respond to other people's posts AS WELL as just posting about what's going on in their own life, because I feel like the best way to be a team is to be there and support each other. I feel like that is something that the last challenge was really lacking...communication between the members of the teams. I understand if you're super busy or have a serious time crunch not responding to everything all the time, but please try and find the time to support your team members!

I think that in the weigh in thread Zan might have mixed up the dates for the weigh ins. I've already messaged her and brought it to her attention, and I've posted what I feel the dates should be as well. As soon as I get a response from her I'll let you guys know what's going on. Oh and guys, don't worry about trying to work out the percentages yourself. I'll go ahead and figure them all out. It will be helpful to me though if you post your weight each week and then the amount you lost next to it in parenthesis though (ex: if my weight last week was 255 and this week it was 252 then I would put 11/12: 252 (-3) for the weigh in). Obviously you won't have anything lost this week because it's the starting week, but if you could start doing that next week I'd appreciate it!

I'm really looking forward to this challenge, and I hope you are too! =D

Alright, the dates in the weigh in thread are now correct! Awesome!

Here's what I came up with for a banner. I don't have Photoshop or anything anymore...all I have is Microsoft Paint...so I did the best I could. If anyone thinks they can do better, feel free!



All you have to do is take this link >> http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v285/MysticismMode/ArcticFox-1.png << and go to your User CP, Edit your signature, click the yellow icon that has mountains on it (to add pictures) and paste the link in the box and press okay. Then you'll have the banner in your signature! =D

jayohwhy, just FYI....I shrunk the banner a little bit (it was too big) so you the link is different. You might want to go put the new one in your signature...it's smaller and I think it looks better. =D

wow, divine, thanks for the nice banner. I can already tell that you're going to be an awesome team leader!
it's funny because I have part of the same story as you. I started my journey at 222 lbs, lost 60 with a medical weight loss program, and started dating my best friend (now husband). In the happiness, my weight has taken a back burner. I am also a teacher (third grade this year) and I love it, but its hard work and it's easy to emotionally eat in this field.

but for me, I am coming up on 30 and there are some things that I've always wanted to do-- i've always wanted to be a runner and be at my ideal weight. This time, though, I've created a "slow and steady" plan versus my past experience of crash dieting. I needed that initial plan to reteach me good eating habits, but since then it's been a yo-yo. I restarted at the end of sept and gave myself a year to lose the last 53. It keeps me from wanting to give up/ set unrealistic-unhealthy expectation...

Hey team!!! I certainly hope this challenge goes a Lot more smoothly than the last one
It's already coming together nicely!!

Little about me... I've always been on the bigger side and never could seem to lose the weight. April of this year it was like a lightbuld finally went off and I just wanted to change. It's been a long process and will continue to be but I know that I have it in me and will be smaller and more healthy before I know it!
I'm 22, part time student, full time banker! I recently got a promotion and am working longer more stressful hours so I've slacked off a lot lately while adjusting! I'm ready to get back on track and get this weight off!

Wow Jay, we do have a lot in common. I've always had dreams of being a runner, but it's completely unrealistic for me. I've now had 3 foot surgeries and have to wear custom orthotic insoles in my shoes at all times (and they don't fit in anything but sneakers, so I'm basically banned from cute shoes for the rest of my life). I've been told I'll never wear heels again, never be able to run, and that I shouldn't even walk around my HOUSE barefoot unless I want to have more surgeries. The bones in my feet grow funny, and walking without the right support makes it worse. I just got a new pair of shoes that are the most comfortable things I have ever owned though (like it actually doesn't hurt me to walk at all!) and so I've been CONSIDERING trying to get back on a treadmill (that was one of my favorite things before the surgeries)...

I'm really am having trouble getting back on track. With a goal of 150, I have to lose 105 pounds. That is just suck a big, scary, ominous number....and I feel like I'll never be able to get there. I feel like I've already tried and messed up, and that I'm just going to mess up again, so why should I bother? It's really hard to push myself to stay on plan and fight the cravings when I feel like it will never happen anyways. I'm so happy right now, and so it's hard to tell myself that I want to change...because change could lead to unhappiness.

That's another thing. My real battle is with fast food. It's not really soda...or candy....or cake or cookies....it's the cheeseburgers and french fries. I'm addicted to the stuff...like to the point where I will go buy it and eat it in my car instead of going in because i want to hide it from people....or I'll scarf it down before I get home so that my family doesn't know that I'm eating it. It's really bad...and I'm ashamed of it....and I don't even know why I do it. I KNOW the stuff is bad for me, I KNOW it makes me feel sick...but it's like the cravings control me and I just haven't been able to find a way to say no (except when i have no money, because then obviously I cannot afford it). Idk, it's just really difficult for me. That's another thing I'm hoping this challenge will tackle. If anyone else is as active on here as I am, then maybe when I'm craving it and I post on here, someone will respond and tell me NO DON'T DO IT!!! lol. >.<

mhill, congrats on the promotion! Those are always good. Even with the added stress I know that you can do this. Everyone is capable of living a healthier life. Personally, i think it's normal to slack off a little bit while you're transitioning in your life like that. Whenever something big happens, I generally just try and maintain for a bit until I get a handle on things. There is nothing wrong with that at all! If I can get back on track, so can you. We can do it together! By the end of this challenge we'll all be Foxy Ladies! hahaha. wow...that was corny. Sorry guys. lol

Oh, I also want to suggest to everyone...go check out Fitocracy!

I know that there was a promo code SARGE that you could join with, and if it's not working I still have some invites so let me know and I'll invite you guys. My name on there is DivineFidelity. I don't use it much (I forget to track stuff most of the time), but I think if you guys all started using it we could make a team arctic fox group and we could always see what our teammates were up to when it came to exercise, and maybe get some new ideas. =D

Divine, May I please have an invite?

Hi guys! I'm 23 yrs old and joined this challenge to lose the weight I gained since I been with my bf and our one year anniversary will be on thanksgiving. In that one year I gained about 30lbs back which is insane cause I always said I wouldn't be one to gain back the lbs I have lost, but look at me now I took 2 semesters off of college so I'm always at home doing nothing which is bad because i dont get to be real active so I been applying for jobs and applied for papa johns and that's only one place that ever contact me back and my interview is next week and I really hope they hire me I wander what questions they will ask me hmmm anyways the pizza might just make me fatter if I get hired so maybe good if I don't get hired. That's a lil about me and I wish everyone the best as we ride this challenge out together!!! Woo hoo! Oh and Ty divinefidelity for being team leader and I think we been in a challenge together before a long while back I think....