Like the announcements stated, this is created for all members to come in a chat about progress, life and things in general that are not team specific.

If you have any questions you need to ask me directly, please private message me as I may or may not check the chat threads daily.

Only rule is play nice and keep it clean!

Well Chickadoodles, it's two days after Christmas and I feel like I need to take a huge long nap. Thankfully I got all of my gift giving (and receiving ) done for the year and now the only thing I have to battle is returns. I got a Crock Pot from my mom I need to take back and some Victoria Secret underwear I bought that was a size or two too small . I keep forgetting that I have a huge bubble butt and can't fit into mediums anymore! Alas.... that day will come again!

I got my $330 KitchenAid mixer I asked for this year and I'm so excited! I recently took a liking to cooking and baking (desserts are my specialty according to my fiance's family ) so that's all I asked for present wise was stuff for the kitchen. I got a really nice Krups espresso maker too so I can be cracked out o caffiene in the morning I need to trying to keep up with work, this challenge and school!

By the way, in case you haven't noticed by now I love to write super long novels of stories. (IE my profile and an almost daily basis in the south beach forum) I work in an office by myself so I have no one to really talk to other than this forum. So bear with me if I get a bit long winded.

Well challenge posting calls... I feel like such a posting hog since I've made like 50 posts just in this forum. Guess it comes with the territory!

I'm so glad the holidays are over. Oy oy oy. My 3 year old was SOOOO funny though. My 1 year old didn't have a clue though...just liked the wrapping paper. On Christmas day morning at about 2:30 am I am sleeping and am woke up by some wrustling, so I wander into the living room and I look under the tree and my 3 year old is sitting in the middle of all of the presents. I said "what are you doing??" he says "Oh mom, just looking". Haha. He got up another 3 times until DH finally said to him "Santa won't come if you don't go to sleep!". He was just so excited.

Of course I overindulged in lots of goodies and candies. I specifically asked MIL NOT to give me any sort of candies or anything for Christmas....well I ended up with a grocery bag full of chocolate and candies. So DH bagged ALL of the household candy up and it's gone. YAY DH . I am scared though because I am going to have to go through the sugar and caffeine withdrawls again. I need to do it though because I get horribly bad canker sores in my mouth and it seems I don't get them when I am completely off sugar. I suffer so bad when I have a mouth full of canker sores, but the sugar is so good.

I love to type novels too especially when it comes to my children and sugar

Looking forward to getting to know everyone and being biggest losers together!!!

I have one of those kitchen aides and love mine. I got a bunch of attachments for Christmas and I think I am going to start grnding my meats.

I did good for Christmas, didn't over induldge and actually lost 1.8 lbs.

Hope everyone has a great day

Sugar = Canker Sores. Wow, that might be the best tip I've gotten here. I generally get 3-4 a year and so does one of my dd's. But I have not had one in a long time. Hmmm.............

I also used to have that bumpy skin on the backs of my upper arms. That is gone too now that I'm eating healthy and taking a multivite every day. Very interesting...............

I get canker sores if I eat too much sugar, OR if I eat peanut butter. Isn't that weird? The bumpy skin thing, I found out, is keratosis pilaris (I think)...I have it too, and it's essentially due to your skin producing more keratin and not sloughing it off as quickly as it should. Keeping myself lotioned up after a shower seems to help me the most with that. (LOVE the new Dove lotion!)

I added an addition to the FAQ section about how to post weigh ins since I had so many people asking about it.

You can find it here!

I'm just curious, what happens if some people drop out before the challenge even starts? Will the teams be adjusted?

It really depends on how many drop out from each team

If it's only a few then no the teams wont be moved around

If its alot then there may be some movement

Oh, I hope I don't get moved- I like my red team members already! They are going to be great motivators. There is so much inspiring weight loss already.

Hey Ladies!

It's been a very busy holiday and now I'm finally back to work! It's been crazy in the office with getting ready for tax time and end of the year books.

I hope that I got to all of your private messages. I know there's lots of questions about weighing in and why we are now using the weights from before Christmas. I answered as many as I could, if I missed you I'm sorry.

I plan on making a detailed post after I get back from lunch in about an hour.

Toodles!

Ok Ladies! I threw a twist in the game!

Actually I made a HUGE correction to FAQ about starting weights because it was raising so many brows.

Please turn your attention here for the new setup and corrections.

Thanks!

Yay!!! This is much better, IMO. Thanks Chellez!

Hi, Losers!

I wanted to mention a book I'm in the middle of, and an associated website. Maybe you know about it already, it's Frances Kuffel's Passing for Thin: Losing Half My Weight and Finding My Self (Broadway Books, 2004).

You can find Frances' posts at the angryfatgirlz blog, a shared effort among four thoughtful bloggers. I'd recommend starting here, with a post by Frances (posting as daisyk) http://angryfatgirlz.blogspot.com/20...o-changin.html where she comments on relationships between heavy friends.

I'm finding the book to be extremely honest, scary, and revealing of my own moments. It reminds me of that tiny scene in "America's Sweethearts" where Julia Roberts flashes back to her fat-self, and we see her stuffing her face (and anguish) with cookies during one of her slim sister's tirades. It was the first time I saw what I must look like from the outside because I've felt it from the inside.

Anyway, take a look; see what you think.

Hugs,

choosie.