Alternachicks Samhain Challenge!
 

My personal goal for the Samhain Challenge is to drop 16# by October 31st. Thats 1.46 lbs a week which I feel should be totally attainable. My "plan of attack" is to eat between 1100 and 1200 calories a day (I'm super short, anything more and I don't lose), cardio 4 times a week for 60 minutes and I need to employ the use of my very expensive (*snark*, I got it for free as a door prize) excercise ball and resistence band set. Oh, and I also plan to start doing 100 crunches through the day and 100 wall or desk push ups throughout the day. So, 174 lbs...HERE I COME!

i'm down for celebrating samhain by completing this challenge! this is my first "challenge" i suppose i need a new ticker?

october is beer drinking month though so i need some support :o

i'm not too good at determining how much weight to lose in any given time, so if i see the 130s by samhain i'll be thinking that i am a pretty rad alternachick.

Sweet! Its my first official challenge too! Now as far as beer goes, word on the 20-something street is guiness is good for you. I count calories so in my "diet" beer it totally permissable, you just have to make room for it in your daily calorie range. Of course, my best bet is to avoid alcohol in all forms because I lose my ability to turn down food when I drink *eek*!

Hey, great idea for a challenge! I have a Christmas (or Yule ;)) goal in my ticker already, but here's my goal for Halloween:

I want to be in ONEderland!!! I'd actually planned to have this goal done by my birthday which is in early November, so moving it up to Oct. 31 should still be do-able :D

Good luck to everyone!

Welcome to the challenge Meowkat! Making it to one-derland was the best thing I ever did for myself, I still remember the day I got on the scale pre-set for 201 lbs and tick tick ticked it down to 198...I was jumping and screaming and all my co-workers were jumping and screaming along with me (I work in a clinic, our scale is in the main hallway...lol). And you can so totally do it, that is a very attainable goal.

Alright I'm in! I'll join you in your quest to drop 16lbs by Samhain... What an awesome way to ring in the New Year!!! That'll put me at 173 lbs

I'm definitely in.

I'd love to be 15-20 pounds lighter by then.

well, seeing how there is only 16 pounds left on this ticker i already have i'm it would be silly not to be down with the 16 challenge with ghost and skullarix. i'm in like flint and i'll change me ticker thing-a-ma-bob.

I think I'd like to do an "inches" goal rather than pounds -- I've really gotta work on my waist and belly -- but I'm not sure how much would be reasonable. I've lost 6 1/2 inches overall since (I think) end of June. Maybe another 6 inches? What do you guys think? (It occurs to me _all the time_ that there's so much I don't know about how losing weight works!!)
anita

We have almost the same goal!

When I think about things in the more long term aspect they seem so much more doable.

Ya, it would be silly! why go it alone when you can have us as your cheerleaders...and your bootcamp drill sergents.

When it comes to inches I'm always leary with the measuring tape. I lost 40 lbs and only lost one inch on my chest (damn huge boobies). But if your doing some serious toning up I bet you can do 6 or better allover in 11 weeks.
Wooohooo! I'm totally doing a happy dance! Six, six people, muahahahaha! I feel like the count on sesame street, lmao!


Well, I started the day out really really fabulously. I was UP six lbs from last friday...can you say freaking out? Cause thats what I was doing. But, today I am back at my coveted 188.5 lbs. Oh it feels so good! So, considering that loss I'll make my 16# goal 172.5 instead. That would be my lowest weight in 7 years. OMG, if I make it I'll cry for joy!

You can do it ghost!

Okay, I"m in for 6 inches. I am doing a lot of weights & toning along with eating right, so I think that's do-able.

Muahahahaha -- man, that's fun to say AND to type! : )
anita

muahahahahahaaa, yup, just as fun to type as to say!

I am starving! I had a big salad for lunch and was planning to have a piece of pita with it...it was moldy. Ew. So I only had salad and I"m at work. There is fudge on someones desk but I am NOT even going to walk in that office. I can do it, I can perservere and go home and eat something good there. Afterall, I'm doing so well. Who else can say they gained and lost 6 lbs this week besides me...ouch, thats like a 12 lbs yoyo!

That's big yoyo! Quick, drink some water!!

well, i for one think it would be pretty evil to have our weigh in day to be the day after the weekend so howsabout fridays?

i weighed in at 149.9 again this morning and so i think i am going to go ahead and move mine down a pound. i weigh everyday, but i usually don't change my ticker til i see the same number a few days in a row.

i can already tell this is going to help. i think it's the whole "challenge" aspect. like someone is saying nananabooboo betcha can't do this and i'm like - yo, just watch me. muahahahaha (yeah. that's fun).

Oh man....I've had a terrible couple of weeks. Long story short, I've been going off-plan more than I should >_< And now it's my TOM, so while I haven't gained this week, I haven't lost either...and it's WAY TOO HOT! here in Washington right now, so I've been drinking light beer instead of water to cool off......I'm getting really discouraged with myself! I don't understand why I can't control myself the way I usually can :( I know I won't keep up these bad habits forever, but I'm worried that I won't even come close to my goal for this challenge. I wanted to lose 8 lbs this month........so much for that. *sad*

Meowkat, don't worry, I think it has something to do with TOM... because I have had the worst cravings this TOM. I even broke down and had cookies yesterday because I couldn't take it any longer! Then the chocolate truffles in the fridge were calling to me all night... even when I was on the tread mill...

Just think it could be worse, you could live in Arizona, it was 107 (F) yesterday! I find I don't want to drink beer when it's hot... maybe because I like the dark beers like Guinness and Optimator, and it's more like eating than drinking

my normal weigh day is Saturday morining, but since I'm doing inches I will have to have the person at Curves do it, I think, for consistency.

I've been OP today too; I think it's grief that summer is over and school is starting! ; )
anita

Yes! Will this work for a Halloween goal? I want to be Snow White. (Ok, honestly, Im having a hard time remembering how to spell Samhain) I guess, if I'd have to say... 22 pounds? (2 lbs a week) AND sewing up the costume.
I was seriously laughing my ash off when I read the Count reference, having little ones at home and occasionaly getting to hear the number of the day still. :lol3:
Im with ya Meowcat, up here it was 87 for the second day in a row, just not used to hot around here.

heya chicas!

awesome idea....8,5 kilos by halloween. need to buy scale, tho.

guynna- hear you on the back to school blues. ugh.
skullarix-where are you from in az? i'm a former tucsonian and actually miss the heat . sun is fickle in middle-europe. bleargh
meowkat-also find myself deviating, just quit the pill and i honestly (not just lame excuse) think it's hormonal. maybe lunar cycle????don't give urself too much of a hard time

hiya ollie, ghost and missyg!!!!

I'm in! I'm also in the Featherweights 2-lb challenges, but that is more short term. I do want something to shoot for that's long-term, and since I'm going on vacation in October I think it's important to have a goal--so that I remember that I want to maintain or even lose while I'm vacationing.

Goal: 120 lbs by Samhain.

This may be a little lofty, especially considering I would have to continue to lose 1.2 pounds or so a week, and considering that the closer you are to goal the harder it often becomes to lose.

The 120 goal is based on body fat percentages, and what my mom--who has a very similar body frame and the same height--said was her best "low" weight, so I think it's right. However, if I get to 125 pounds and realize that losing 5 more would make me a stick insect, I will modify my goal. I reserve the right to do so. :carrot:

i miss the heat as well, but if i was back in the deep south, i'd be complaining about it. grass is always greener...

yeah, school starts back next week and my brain has completely turned to mush this summer. what am i studying again? ugh.

meowkat - don't be so hard on yourself. everyone has bad weeks, but it's totally doable to do this thang. bad week, schmad week. don't let a few days bust ya in the chops like that chica. i feel ya on the beer thang. just drink both, not beer instead of water.

jandaman - hey, dude! quit the pill last summer and have felt so much better because. body has to readjust, but it'll thank ya in the end. that's a beautiful view in your avatar btw.

so did we decide on a weigh in day? friday? saturday?

postscriptum re: beer beer...meowkat, donno if this is helpful, but over here the most popular drink in beer-gardens is "radler" which is basically equal parts beer and 7up. sounds weird but utterly refreshing and you could use the sugar-free variety. plus germans drink beer as an isotonic drink instead of gatorade. so it must be healthy enough, right?? :)

ollie-yeah, feel like i'm on 24/7 pms....bizarre-o. bf is taking it in stride so far...already feel more ALIVE. view is from mt.conero in italy, eet ees gorgeous there! re: weigh-in- do we really gotta (whine whine) no, seriously. saturday would be best for me but waddevah majority decides

jandaman... I am indeed from Arizona, Phoenix, not Tucson though. I'm told Tucson is cooler than Phx!

Heya folks. Thanks for all the reassurance...this is why I love this place :) I guess it was frustrating me mostly because I've never really had to deal with much change in appetite/mood/physical comfort etc. during TOM before, I think my body is re-adjusting itself (they say that happens every so many years...damn). I've finally started getting all the good stuff that comes with being a woman, lol. I think it's that combined with the heat that was getting me down mostly...I just have to keep reminding myself how nice it will be to get under 200! It's been 5 years since I was in Onederland :(

As for a weigh-in day, mine is usually Thursday so Fri. or Sat. is no biggie for me :D


missygith: I'm near Tacoma...we're almost neighbors :p It finally cooled off to the 80's today, but Friday and Saturday it was close to 95!!! Ahhhhhh!

hey skullarix.....yeah we used to think tucson was way cooler, too *evilgrin* but seriously, i loved tucson because it seemed to be a freak magnet, and everyone is soooo laid-back and relaxed. it has a very spiritual/punkrock feel to it. are you a native phoenician?

Cool in the spiritual but not thermal sense, right? When I went to conferences in Tucson a bunch of us would get up and walk at 5 -- which is totally not like me! -- b/c it was too hot later. Many many cool folk there though.

Classes start Wednesday, grumble grumble. But they won't keep paying me unless I keep teaching, so....

Had a fab whitewater rafting outing yesterday at the Nat'l Whitewater Training Center; at one point or another everyone in our party went flying out of the boat. I banged up one knee while whirling downstream, so I'm icing it as I type. The kinda good thing is, what really irritated me about it was thinking "this will throw off my workout schedule"!
anita

weigh in day - saturday 'tis

meowkat - midol works wonders;)

jandaman - i think goin off the pill helped me lose a couple pounds as well. not to mention that taking horse hormones to trick your body into thinking it's preg's gotta do some kinda damage, so recovery is yeah...bizarre to say the least. ride it out dude. ride it on out. gotta admit i am a tad envious of your expat status. totally want to blow this joint.

guynna - whitewater rafting. friggin awesome. bummer about your knee but some wounds are worth it, eh? i'm sort of an adrenaline junkie and love **** like that.


nakedmango - welcome chica! and yes, reserve any right to do whatever you feel.

Good monday morning all!
first, I think Saturday is a good day to weigh in too, gives us forgiveness for whatever might transpire on saturday night...or sunday morning for that matter. I was OP all weekend, so proud of myself, I even did cardio sat & sun, to make five days in a row. Today is so totally my rest day. But the best news was getting on the scale and seeing the number 185! Three lbs since last week! now, I KNOW its a big loss but its leading up to my TOM so if I manage to maintain next week I'll still be happy. But WOOOHOOO! thats four lbs towards my Samhain Challenge goal!
I was mostly surprised by the number on the scale because on saturday night I went out with my girlfriends and we had a few drinks then on sunday morning I had Pho which has a **it ton of sodium. I thought for sure I'd gain water weight at least. And I indulged in two different desserts this weekend, a salmonberry upside down cupcake thing and a piece of vietnamese cake. And still a loss, I'm proud. Sombody is going to have to knock me off my pedistal today or I might get too big a head.

You all in the warmer regions should suck it up while you can. I don't think it broke over 45 here all weekend. I had to turn my heat on in my house on saturday. Its been a cold drab summer here in Alaska and I am not looking forward to winter.

CONGRATS!!!! ghost and......oooooooooo!*excited squeal* alaska.....

anywho: way to go anita! white water rafting.awesome. sorry bout the knee but-actually getting annoyed cuz banged up knee is disrupting ur workout schedule !!?? double awesome. and yeah, summers and lotsa other "seasons" hot hot in da desert :)

howdy ollie, come on over! soooo, where are you now? you bein' displaced an' all.

i live in the boston area. when i said i want to blow this joint i meant the US not so much boston. i had these grand plans to go to scotland, until i researched what it would take to get the animals over there. decided to move to boston instead even tho i'd love to pack a knapsack and hop around the world. it ain't over yet tho. and i shan't be here long. already planning the next move....bum bum bum bum should i stay or should i go.

ghost - kick arse on the on point weekend! i had a friend come in from NY which usually means throwing caution to the wind, but i did swell with only a few guinness and a mildly caloric thai dish but tons of walking evened it out. also, i saw in another post you wrote that you were very moon-oriented. me too! the moon was beautiful and full saturday night and looked gorgeous from these neck of the woods. bummer we couldn't see the partial eclipse though. i think you had to be like in india or something. but yeah, the moon....she kicks :cool:

scale is being good to me lately, too, but i recently went from vegetarian to vegan and i think this is why. another couple of days of this 149 business and i shall move me ticker:)

off to do a workout video...later dudes.

Oooh, Scotland would be wonderful. Actually, Unalaska/Dutch Harbor looks a lot like scotland only we don't have trees.
I sat for a time under the full moon on Saturday, but I had some wine before and it started to go to my head and I'm still missing my man hardcore so I got all weepy...decided it was time to call it a night and go to sleep. I always have mad weird dreams when the moon is full. I remember my dream on saturday night/sunday morning was intense and made me feel like I didn't get a blink of sleep.

ghost - i have mad weird dreams every night regardless of the moon. jung would have a field day.

so where's your dude if ya don't mind me askin'?

He's stationed in San Francisco right now, just moved down in the beginning of july. I miss him so much. I will join him eventually but I've got a good job up here, just bought a house not to long ago. We will struggle through the LD thang till I can't stand it anymore (which is probably going to be soon). I'll be visiting him for Samhain and our anniversary (hence the challenge).

sorry to be butting in uninvited , but i got excited and hadda concur with y'all on moon-madness.*wolflikehowl*
i am also very much in tune w/lunar cycles and share the propensity for bizarre vivid dreams with you guyses.also get caught up in a manic-like frenzy 3 days before the moon is full.

ghost- am sorry ur man is so far away. LD sucks, but you already know that :)
ollie- scotland rocks! cold as all ?&%$ tho.how many furbabies you got? you probably mentioned it somewhere..i should catch up and read past posts. sigh. so little time. ah..and the partial eclipse was awesome )for lack of a better term).

top o the mornin to ya.


jan - dude, you're invited. hope it doesn't seem like i have a monopoly on this thread cuz i post so much, but when i get my mind set on something i tend to be a tad bit obsessive hence lots a posts. you da man.

i have three cats, also an obsession.

ghost - And ever has it been known that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation ~Khalil Gibran

moon - *howlsback* yep. i don't admit this to a ton of folks, but apparently i am about to. i even talk to the moon. out loud. it's the closest thing i have ever done to what religious folk call "praying". call her diana. see her face and everything. also i can tell when my period is coming (sorry but i refuse to call my cycle a dorky dude's name) when the new moon is approaching. moon freak i am. mmmm yes.

dreams - vivid is a great word to describe 'em. i recently got a post card from a friend with a crazy edvard munch looking drawing on it and all she wrote was "this picture reminds me of the vivid dreams you had every night you slept over when we were wee lads" it's like another dimension. i used to write em down. i should start again.

i call 'er "luna". and i -no scoffing puh-leeze- dance for her/with her? golly gee gosh all mighty sure does look kooky all written down.....

ahhh, don't think your that kooky, I like to skinny dip under her fullness, although this summer was waaaaay too cold for that! Dance, talk, sing, yoddel, cry...I do it all under the moon. Well, considering she's always there...we all do.
So yesterday sucked. It was my rest day. I really really really WANTED to go and work out but didn't to let my body rest. Thats the first time, probably in my entire adult life that I would have rather worked out then sit on the couch and watch tv...lmao! But, I made up for it this morning because as soon as I got to work we had an unresponsive patient who was very large and we had to tranfer him from the ambulance to the ER and then to radiology and then back to the ER, which was so much work that I actually broke a sweat and at one point was out of breath.

jan - luna. nice. cool that you got to glimpse the eclipse. having just moved to the city, i miss the clear night sky. this was the first year in a long time i missed the persied meteor shower that happened last week.

ghost - how could a rest day suck, chica? especially for someone that works in er?

the fit's about to hit the shan around these parts. i'm actually trying to soak up a little rest before classes start back.