theox, we will be sad to see you go but we know you will reach your goals even without this challenge! The competition aspect is just to keep ladies motivated =] i know it sure helps me when it comes to losing the weight.

Just got home from the gym, felt like i got a pretty good workout in. I'm within my calorie budget and i feel my body is totally changing! i have the teeniest waist now!! but my legs are still giant tree trunks, along with my HUGE DONK! those are the next to go! =]

Good job! It's always nice to be able to feel your hard work paying off!

Losing weight is going to be tough for me for the rest of December. Last night we went to Hooter's for a friend's birthday, my work had a holiday luncheon today, my friend wants me to go out to a bar tonight, and this Friday is my stepsister's birthday and we're going to a yummy steakhouse. It seems like even when I make the healthiest choices possible at a restaurant, it always puts me over my calorie limit for the day because everything is sooo high-calorie. Oh, then on Tuesday my friend invited me to go out to lunch with her, then Christmas!! Ughhhh. I'm going to stay on plan the best I can and hopefully not gain any weight. As soon as Christmas is over, I have no birthdays or special occasions or anything, so I'm hoping to have a big loss in January =)

It's finals week for me... i'm pretty stressed, but not really overeating...just having trouble getting motivated to work out! After exams and long study sessions, i just want to take a nap. haha However, tommorrow morning i have my last exam... and then a month off of school (plenty of time and energy to work out!)

I just went out and ate fish...but even the fish at the resturant makes me feel bloated. I'm going to go to the gym in an hour but im nervous. why isnt the weight coming off anymore!?

GO PURPLE! I hope I can be some help, but I have been sick the past week (and not the sheding weight kind of sick...unfortunately). So hoping for a miracle by Monday of any weight loss...sorry team. I'll try to do better next time or see what happens by Monday.
STILL GO PURPLE-PEOPLE-EATERS!

I helped arrange the christmas paty at my university last night and failed horribly at keeping focused. But hopefully 13 hours of carrying tables and chairs, standing behind the bar, dancing like crazy and stuff like that will even things out a bit

Finals week over here as well. I keep trying to avoid snacking while I'm studying (bad, bad, bad...)

Our finals week was last week and i ended up eating less because i was so nervous. I'm so glad that its over. I didnt do as well as i wanted this quarter, but next quarter will be 4.0s!!!

How many calories are you guys eating a day? and how much exercise?

I have set a 1500 calorie low carb diet.... this includes no sugars whatsoever, no juices, jams, jellys etc.... everything is whole wheat and whole grain... pastas, rices, breads etc but i try not to eat too much of those... I eat 1 cup of frosted mini wheats in the morn with a half cup milk this gives me tons of iron and fiber for the day... then i have a salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, sometimes peppers) with a little bit of low fat ranch and for dinner.... i try to catch any vitamins and such that are low up... so if vit C is low i drink Orange juice at dinner if vitamin A is down I try to get some carrots and broccoli in my dinner....etc.

With all that said I usually only end up eating 1000 or 1100 calories a day sometimes less... i do snack once in awhile.. sometimes its a banana or nuts or I grab a granola bar on the way out....

As for exercise.... I have been going for 2km walks everyday with my son... I do 45minutes of hip hop abs everday (diff video everyday) and lately a lot of shopping and running around trying to get things done for xmas... and a 6month old can be quite the handfull too... so running after him and cleaning the house... by the end of the day im ready to collapse and had plenty of exercise.

I started out counting calories... (1200-1500 per day). i was pretty strict but now i kind of have an idea of how much i'm eating. I try to just go by eating only when i'm hungry, and stopping when i'm full. Basically, i nibble all day with one or two larger meals. In past attempts to lose weight, I always seemed to get obsessed about calories, binge, and then give up.
If i feel like i've had a pretty high calorie day, i try to work out a little longer, and if my pants feel tight, i'll go back through my food log and come up with a rough calorie count to see if i've been eating too much that week. I basically eat what i want, but i find that on days that i exercise, i crave healthier meals/snacks.
I generally try to work out 5 days a week (30-90 mins per workout). I do a mix of walking and running outside, jillian michaels dvds, yoga dvds, and classes or the eliptical and bike at the gym.

I don't really count calories. I just eat intuitively, when im hungry and healthy foods. My exercise has not been what i need it to be lately, but ive been running around at the pharmacy (where i work) all day for the past few weeks and im wiped by the time i get home, and then i have to study. i'm hoping things will settle down a bit though and i will start roller skating and running for cardio with my weights 3x a week like i should be.

I ususally end up eating around 1000-1200 calories a day. I exercise everyday for an hour (30 min elliptical, 20 min sprint/jog on the tredmill, and then 10-25 minutes of weights. I finally lost one pound on the scale this week, usually i am losing much more, like 3 or 4 a week. idk whats happening. I better not be platuing when im still in the 200s. i was hoping to not platue until i was in onederland.

it happens unfortunately mine was 220..... now that im done a bit i expect to prob do it again at 210...

Claire, try changing up your workout and maybe shock your body into losing more? I've heard that sometimes helps.

I have a limit of 1500 cals a day but I've been eating anywhere from 1200-1500. I've been trying to do the 30DS workout but with my exams coming up I've just been doing horribly. I'm stressed, not sleeping well, not eating well. Can't wait for my last exam on Tuesday.