TBL "Just Beachy" Challenge FAQ
 

Ok Ladies! I have some new stuff sprinkled in here so you returning ladies need to read this over again! I'm sure I forgot a few things but its ok cause I know some of you are gonna be asking ??'s anyway!

Most of these are coming from the previous challenges I've run so feel free to add new questions. I'll try to post answer them as soon as possible :D

Q: When does the challenge start and when does it end?
A: The challenge starts officially on April 27th and ends on August 9th. I'll start collecting starting weights on April 19th and collect them until April 26th.

Q: Do I have to follow the Biggest Loser Diet plan?
A: No, you can be on whatever diet and exercise plan you are currently practicing or you can start a new one. I can testify that I've been on about 4 different diet plans since I've joined the boards, you try what works and you stick with it.

Q: When will I know what team I'm on? Where will my team post to each other?
A: The teams will be announced on April 26th in the late evening.

Q: Do I have to participate in team discussion and chats?
A: We obviously can not force you to participate. But being on a team means communication and that is key for moving towards a common goal in this challenge. We really are looking for individuals who will check in with their team and participate so we know how you are doing. It's also important to note that in order to be named Biggest Loser, you must participate. Please see Biggest Loser Title Information for a better clarification.

Q: I heard a rumor that there may be a merger of team threads this round. Is that true?
A: Yes, the rumors are true! Because of the spring and summer months being so slow for the challenge, and the sheer amount of drop outs we have over the course of the challenge, eventually all the team chat threads will be merged into one thread. This will help with team morale and keeping people participating.


Q: Where do I weigh in? When do I weigh in? How do I weigh in?
A: Three threads will be created, one for each team for their weigh ins. You can weigh in any day of the week just as long as it's before the cut off day and time. You can keep any preexisting weigh in days that you may have already in place. For instance I tend to weigh in on Thursdays or Fridays. For others it may be different. There's a specific format that we use to weigh in (see below) and I ask that once you weigh in that you please do not change your weights. You'll simply be editing the same post in your team's weigh in thread every week so it's all based on the honor system.

Q: What is the format? How do I edit the same post?
A: This is the format for this challenge:

Week 1 (4/27 - 5/3):
Week 2 (5/4 - 5/10):
Week 3 (5/11 - 5/17):
Week 4 (5/18 - 5/24):
Week 5 (5/25 - 5/31):
Week 6 (6/1 - 6/7):
Week 7 (6/8 - 6/14):
Week 8 (6/15 - 6/21):
Week 9 (6/22 - 6/28):
Week 10 (6/29 - 7/5):
Week 11 (7/6 - 7/12):
Week 12 (7/13 - 7/19):
Week 13 (7/20 - 7/26):
Week 14 (7/27 - 8/2):
Week 15 (8/3 - 8/9):

Some people also find it helpful to add the weigh in deadlines to their format to help remind them when the last day to weigh in is.

Week 1 (4/27 - 5/3): (Monday 5/5)
Week 2 (5/4 - 5/10): (Monday 5/12)
Week 3 (5/11 - 5/17): (Monday 5/19)
Week 4 (5/18 - 5/24): (Monday 5/26)
Week 5 (5/25 - 5/31): (Monday 6/2)
Week 6 (6/1 - 6/7): (Monday 6/9)
Week 7 (6/8 - 6/14): (Monday 6/16)
Week 8 (6/15 - 6/21): (Monday 6/23)
Week 9 (6/22 - 6/28): (Monday 6/30)
Week 10 (6/29 - 7/5): (Monday 7/7)
Week 11 (7/6 - 7/12): (Monday 7/14)
Week 12 (7/13 - 7/19): (Monday 7/21)
Week 13 (7/20 - 7/26): (Monday 7/28)
Week 14 (7/27 - 8/2): (Monday 8/4)
Week 15 (8/3 - 8/9): (Monday 8/11)

You can copy these formats from here and post it in your teams weigh in thread. You edit your post each week by clicking the edit button on the lower right hand corner of your post and then add your weight for that week then press save.

Q: What is the cutoff time to weigh in?
A: The cutoff time is every Monday following the week of the weigh in and all weights must be recorded on your weigh in post by 11:59 pm EST. After 11:59 pm the team leaders will review the weights and attempt to contact you for a final time. If we don't hear from you we'll have to take action. This does not apply to the week of April 19th to April 26th.

Q: What holidays are going to be occurring during this challenge?
A: Passover - April 20th to April 27th
Mother's Day - May 11th
Memorial Day - May 26th (This holiday is not an excuse not to weigh in!)
Father's Day - June 15th
Independence Day - July 4th (This holiday is not an excuse not to weigh in!)

Q: I notice we are playing during sometime that I'm taking vacation. What can I do to keep from being removed?
A: If for some reason you are taking vacation and are unable to weigh in, you need to let your team leader know ASAP. You have the option to either weigh in early, or you can use a freebie week.

Q: What's a "freebie week"?
A: Freebie weeks are weeks were you either you can't get to the computer or something has come up that you can't weigh in. You have 2 of these for the entire 15 weeks of the challenge. So for instance if you can't weigh in, the leaders use your last weigh in as your weight for the week you miss. Once you use both freebie weeks, and you don't weigh in, you'll be removed from the team.

Q: Is there a way to earn freebie weeks?
A: For this challenge only, since we are in the summer vacation months, you have an oppurtunity to earn a "Vacation Freebie Week". In order to earn this additional freebie week, you must participate in the team chats weekly. These Vacation Freebie Weeks only apply to the Memorial Day Weekend and 4th of July Weekend weigh ins.

Q: How will I know if I've earned a Vacation Freebie Week?
A: If you need to use one, contact a team leader and they should be able to let you know via PM that you've earned a Vacation Freebie Week.

Q: I noticed there are a lot of side challenges to participate in. Is it required?
A: None of the side challenges are required, but it's encouraged that you participate to help out your team.

Q: How do you determine a winner / winning team?
A: We base everything off of percentage of weight loss just like the show.

Q: Will there be a Black Team this challenge?
A: Yes, there will be a black team in this challenge.

Q: Will there be a team for people that can't make the April 19th deadline?
A: No, while we tried this before with the black team, it is difficult to organize late comers into a challenge and have everyone feel the hearty welcome they deserve.

Q: How do you chose who is on what team?
A: Returning members from previous challenges that meet certain requirements have the opportunity to request the team they want to be on. Anyone that doesn't meet those requirements or is new to the challenge is placed on the 3 teams at random to make sure all teams have a similar starting weight.

Q: What's the theme of this challenge?
A: Just Beachy.... all things summer and sun and Hawaiian! :p

Again feel free to post any questions that come along and I'll be happy to add them to this list.

:D

Okie doke! This finally got posted today so ask away!

I think that each player should set a goal. I am going to set 2 goals, one for weight loss/%, and the other for minimum amount of exercise each week. Just a suggestions. I believe in what missingmy said in her post in the Blue team thread. If you write it down you make it more real.

Just a thought ... BTW ... notice my sigpic below:D

are you using the starting weight we weigh on the 19th, or on the 27th?

Hmmmm....I'm Canadian....can we use earned freebie weeks for our equivalent holidays, being Victoria Day(Dollard Holiday in Quebec), and Canada Day? They are actually each one week before the US Memorial and July 4th weekends.

so we weigh in after that week? instead of at the end or beginning of that week?? just trying to understand the rules. thanks.

We use the starting weights that are collected between the 20th and the 26th.

Of course! Just make sure that you designate that to your team leader via pm so they can make note of it on their files or charts. Someone was nice enough last round or the round before to post the Canadian Holidays for me. :p

I'm assuming your concern is about the weekly weigh ins.

You can weigh in anytime from Monday to Monday. The deadline is the Monday before the results are posted

You'll get a chance to post your starting weight starting on the 20th and you'll have until the 26th. That's the only week that you wont have until Monday to weigh in because we have to get teams ready for the 27th.

From what I understand (I'm sorry if I'm wrong, this is my first time with the challenge) :) We'll be contacted by our team leaders on the 26th, we follow our own diet plan (whatever that may be), weigh in weekly and participate regularly in chats?

Chellez, I don't remember seeing an answer to this question in the previous challenges. If I reach my goal weight during the challenge, am I then removed from the team's calculations for the remainder of the challenge?

This is theoretically possible for me and I don't want to hurt my team by not continuing to lose weight. I would anticipate continuing on the chat thread, but not having my weight "count" for the weigh ins.

You'll need to weigh in on the starting weights thread that I'll put up late in the evening on the 19th.

On the 26th, the team chats and lists will be posted and you can start chatting regularly in those threads. You may or may not be contacted by your team leader. This is normal, just post in the chat thread and you'll be ok. :D

You aren't removed from the challenge unless you asked to be or you have no freebie weeks left.

If you do meet your goal weight and chose to be removed from the challenge know these few things:

* Once you're removed you can't join back in later
* After being removed you can't compete for the Biggest Loser title

Just a few things to keep in mind ;)

So will someone put up a list of the dates we will have to do our weigh in's for the challenge?? so they can be put on our calendars?? thanks.

ok, so the weeks run from sunday to saturday? so could we list our weigh in from the saturday ending that particular week?? so like week one is 4/27 to 5/3 - we do our weigh in on sat 5/3 and post it? it confuses me less if we have our weight listed for that week we're doing than the following week? can we do it that way??? thanks.

This is the weigh in schedule, the date in parentheses is the deadline. Your weight MUST be posted on that date by 11:59 pm EST.
Week 1 (4/27 - 5/3): (Monday 5/5)
Week 2 (5/4 - 5/10): (Monday 5/12)
Week 3 (5/11 - 5/17): (Monday 5/19)
Week 4 (5/18 - 5/24): (Monday 5/26)
Week 5 (5/25 - 5/31): (Monday 6/2)
Week 6 (6/1 - 6/7): (Monday 6/9)
Week 7 (6/8 - 6/14): (Monday 6/16)
Week 8 (6/15 - 6/21): (Monday 6/23)
Week 9 (6/22 - 6/28): (Monday 6/30)
Week 10 (6/29 - 7/5): (Monday 7/7)
Week 11 (7/6 - 7/12): (Monday 7/14)
Week 12 (7/13 - 7/19): (Monday 7/21)
Week 13 (7/20 - 7/26): (Monday 7/28)
Week 14 (7/27 - 8/2): (Monday 8/4)
Week 15 (8/3 - 8/9): (Monday 8/11)

Its up to you which day you actually do your weigh in. For instance Week 1 runs from 4/27 - 5/3...you can weigh in on any of those days, you can even weigh in on 5/4 or 5/5, you set your own weigh in date. The thing is that you have to have your weight for that week posted on 5/5. My weigh in days are Saturdays (I do WW) So every saturday I go in and post my weight so I dont forget. So for instance week 1 on 5/2 I would post my weight, On saturday 5/9 I'd post my Week 2 weight. Alot of people just weigh in on the day the weight is due. Some people weigh in a week early so they are sure not to forget. Its all up to you and what fits your schedule. Just remember the deadline, and that once you post a weight for the week you cant go in and change it.

Make sense now? I hope that cleared up some confusion for you, if not let us know!

Ok got it.....i just wasnt sure if we had a special day we all did it or just the deadline for us to post it....ok cool. i'll do saturday then, so i dont get confused. works for me....i think i'll be doing my initial weigh in closer to the challenge starting so maybe it'll be a more accurate starting weight for me (TOM has begun so it'll throw my numbers off for a feew days)....

thanks for being patient with me and helping me understand everything. looking forward to starting this challenge.

Thats what we are here for!!

I was looking around this section to get a clearer idea of what happens as I intend to join this challenge. I saw a thread with starting photos and measurements, is this something you do at the beginning of every challenge? Do you do it again at the end of a challange? Are photos sufficient or are measurements required also (I will have to harrass the person who borrowed my tape measure a month ago!)

i must have missed that thread about measurements and pics...i took some before pics a while back before hubby got home in january...but nothing's changed since then....will have to remember to take some new ones. i've been meaning to update my measurements too. thanks for the reminder. i use my cloth measuring tape from my sewing box ;) lol

We did a thread with pictures and measurements last challenge because it coincided with the "Watch Me Bloom" theme. We won't have one this round.

oh well...i think i will still do before/after pics and measurements just to see how far i have come since the start of the challenge....mabe do measurements every two weeks or so during the challenge to see some small changes that could help keep me motivated ;)

Can I still get in on the challenge?
Vicki

Thanks
 

Thanks. My goal is to lose 60 lbs so I need a lot of pushing to help keep me on track.
Vicki:carrot:

yes i need to update my blog...i have my april goals on there and my daily workouts...and once i finish my walk (which i'm about to do) then i'll update my 20-something april challenge log and then my 3fc blog too.....and once i do my initial TBL weigh in - will do the measurements too...and make a new blog post for TBL weigh-ins and measurements and such....so i'm more accountable ;)

Is it a requirement that we have to post before/after pics? I'm not really comfortable with that idea yet but, will if I have to.

Nellagirl--That was done for the previous challenge. It won't be needed for this one. Besides it was a choice then too.

Last season a bunch of us did it for the 'Watch Me Bloom' challenge. I don't think they are doing it this time around.

.

I have an idea, when we start our team chats, maybe we can cut out the signatures for a while?!?!? I know that is horrible, but sometimes we get short or multiple responses and the page is full of 2 inch signatures. I have already set my settings to view the maximum posts per thread, that does help also. I know you can cut out images, but I don't want to do that completely. Just a thought.

I have signatures turned off (but show avatars and show images turned on) so I don't even see signatures -- maybe you can try that? :) Even my own signature bothers me!

I love the sigs!

I don't know if this question has been answered, but...how and when do we know what team we are on?

You'll find the list in the very beginning of the team chat threads on the 26th or the 27th ;)

So will these threads all be made on the 26th or 27th.....or do you add them to the team thread I already see?

Just wondering.

There will be NEW team chat threads. :)

I can't wait to find out my team and my teammates! :)

where will the teams be posted? on a notice by them selves or in the individual team chat?or will we be sent a message.. sorry havent done this b4 :)