Glad to hear i can still find ya Mercy! miss ya too babes!

yeh TOM has finally finished. lost the 1lb i had gained due to TOM this week , so i'm back at the weight i was at week 9. i just put in my weigh in, for this week, which is no change.

this challenge has been such awesome motivation for me!!

what are we gonna do when it finishes i'm really gonna miss it and you guys is there going to be another one? hehe im hooked lol

love you guys!!!

Thanks Mary! means alot to know i'm not the only one!! thank you so much for your kind and supportive message.

and im glad to hear your back in the game. sorry about your back pain though

That's me too Mary! i'm great with the exercise, and then i wipe out all the hard work by binging!
awesome, glad to have you with me on the clean eating! we've got similar goals ie date-wise, so we can be partners in crime hehe and it coincides with the final weigh in for the challenge!!

Isabella, losing 14lbs on this challenge, is awesome!!

hope everyone has a kick *** week this week!

anyone have any ideas what the challenge for this week could be?

I have been wondering about this as well. I love having the challenges, I don't know if I would have gotten this far as quickly without them (and I may not have made it at all. I am willing to continue leading the Red Team, but Blue Team seems to have lost dixied for now, so maybe you guys should get together and discuss who you want (or is willing ) to lead your team in the next challenge. Then we can work out the details for the Spring challenge. I'm also going to try and find out about becoming a moderator for this board, as it would make things a bit smoother if the team leaders were moderators.

Hi everyone,

Haven't been feeling well lately, just a bout of the tummy flu I think. I was surprised I gained.. but TOM just hit and I've been feeling kind of bloated ugh. We're off to spend the week with DH's family -- hope everyone that celebrates Thanksgiving has a great one!

Yeah I do agree that there needs to be some changes as far as Team Leaders go & Moderation of these challenges. I know peeps have real lives but it's disappointing when your Team leader abandons the team. I think a promise is a promise but whatever. I know I've lost all motivation for this. I think I'll still post my WI's through until the end but as far as committing to any more BL Challenges...I dunno...

The good news is despite poor eating habits as of late and virtually NO exercise other than packing, painting, carrying heavy vinyl, lifting, carrying and lots of raking, I am still managing to lose slowly. I was actually shocked this morning. I was expecting to see myself back into the 190's and I lost 4 ounces. It ain't much, but so long as that bad boy is moving downward. I'll take it!

Good afternoon Blue Team. Seems as if it was a couple of weeks ago when this challenge started but here we are with just a few weeks left and then it's Christmas. That's the next big eating challenge for me and most Canadians but I know what's coming up this Thursday for my American friends. THANKSGIVING! Now, I'd like to take a minute to remind you all that it is a time to give thanks for what you have, including good food and not a time to eat everything in the house. How tempting to have all that luscious food in front of you. But you can restrain yourselves and eat "real" food instead of the fat-laden repast spread out. (You can have a taste though, but no binging.)

I've been noticing that most of the grocery store flyers have more and more "non food" items for sale as the holiday season is coming upon us. What I mean about non food is that instead of seeing lots of fruits, vegetables and meats on the front pages of the flyers, I'm now seeing party trays, chocolates, cookies, cakes and other tempting morsels that are not only fat and sugar laden but expensive as well. Food is supposed to nourish us but these dainties don't nourish anything but the fat we're trying to get rid of. How is it that we can't have a great time together at a party (be it just family and close friends) without the junk. Couldn't we have wonderful trays of fruit with a sensible yogurt dip instead of the dozens of varieties of cookies and pastries that usually crowd our tables? How about a big pot of vegetable soup and crusty rolls with great cheeses and slices of real meats or vegetables instead of the fat-laden entrees that we seem to think we have to serve. I'm no Scrooge and I do like the cookies, cakes and pies but I'm sick of eating myself under the table. As I get a bit older and possibly wiser, I'm doing less cooking and baking for the holidays and I'm certainly doing much less grocery shopping for junk. This year I'm making a few cookies and a few cakes but I'm also going to be making stuffed dates and pickled eggs and beets. Dates are so sweet by themselves but with a big fat pecan stuck in the middle with a dab of almond butter I think I'll survive the "non foods" quite well. I'm not serving potato chips and dip, either. People will eat well at my house if I have a party but they'll be eating real food that I've made myself and know what's in them.

(Steps down from soap box, straightens hair and clothing and melts into the crowd.)

I had a great walk today. It's sunny and cold but just great for walking. Hope everyone has a great day.

hey girls!! This week is increadibly busy for me. I'm working extra hours and preparing stuff for Turkey day in the evenings. So I apologize in advance for my absence this week, btu it is what it is.

Diva - WAHOO on the scale moving down still!!

Echo - Yay for TOM being gone!

Somni - Sorry about TOM. It sucks I know.

Retired - I agree. The cookies and cakes are unncessary. A nice fruit and nut tray are just as yummy. I love to bake, but now I don't eat all of it that is in sight. Glad you had a nice walk!

Not much on the weight loss front here. I had been down to 166.2, but weigh in this AM was 168.0. Not sure waht happened over the weekend, ate out some, so I'm guessing salt is the culprit. But when you're out of town, it' shard to not eat out, lol. Anyway, hoping the next few weigh ins are kinder to me. Goal of being at 160 by the end of the month seems very unlikely now, lol. I think I'm going to have to break down and join a gym next week. I don't want to, but the exercise has not been happening much around here.

I really hope someone is able to take over the reins for the Team Leader for us on the Blue Team.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week and for those that celebrate, a Wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with family and great memories. I do plan to enjoy myself, I will remember it's just one day, and a taste of a few select goodies are already planned for. {I only need 4lbs to make my goal!! that I set for myself on this challenge}

Got on the scale and was back down to 175 today. Thanks Echo for the idea of clean eating to get back on track. Two days down. I went to the mall last night and really wanted to share a Cinnabon with my sis but we both decided together we don't need that crap anymore! lol!!! Thankfully we made each other strong. Busy day at work today. Have club from 4-5 then a parent involvement night that runs from 6-7:30. Thankfully I live two minutes from work. So I can throw Chix in oven at lunch time come home at 5 eat and go back. We are serving healthy snacks at the parent involvement so I will be ok there send me strength for my club though. We are having a little thanksgiving celebration and I think I will go pick up a small fruit tray so I can nibble on that while the kids eat the junk.

Congrats on how well you have done in this challenge. You are an inspiration.

Thanks for the reminder. It is so easy to get caught up in the eating to enjoy the holiday mentality we have all grown up with. I was just thinking to myself last night how to get rid of the pies once Thursday is over. Thankfully I have company coming in from out of town so they will eat some but with hardly no one living home anymore I need to learn to pare down how much I make. As leftovers will mostly be consumed by me. I figured I would send some home with sis and my ds. Leave some for guests on Friday and what is left goes out to trash on Saturday.

You have done amazing in this challenge. Even if you don't meet your number goal you can certainly be proud of your accomplishment.

Have a great Tuesday! BL tonite Can't wait

Hey Blue Team,

I too was wondering if we will have another challenge after this one. I know I don't post as much as some of you but I do read all the posts and celebrate with all of our accomplishments. I would really like to have another one as I think I have been doing not to bad (except the last 2 weeks) and have been inspiried by all of you....so Thank you to all.

I finally lost that dreaded 1lb and now hope that I am back on my way down. I was hoping to make it to 210 by the end of the month but not looking good so far. I had not been able to exercise with having that stupid cough for 4.5 weeks, but I think it's on the way out and now exercise should be on the way in.

I forgot to post my congratulations to week 9's biggest losers so I am sorry and a big Congrats to all of you.

Congratulations to week 10's winners Happening, LeslieB, and Nixmom...WTG

Congratulations also to the red team that is quite the loss you team posted.

Well must go get ready for work now, everyone have a great day.

Wow I won?

That's crazy. I feel a bit disconnected from this challenge right now, and I don't know if that's 100% me or have a lot of people fallen off of the challenge? Probably me.

Congratulations!! Keep up the good work.

Hey team!

Congrats Happening on being the biggest loser.

Happening- In the beginning everyone is excited to be on the team and get started, then life happens and slowly the number of team members dwindle. Usually the team leader is involved, sets up challenges, basically keeps the team together. We really haven't had that this season. So you are not alone feeling disconnected. I think we should pick a team captain for the remainder of the time and, regroup. We have a lot of strong team members still around that we can still have fun and lose weight while doing it!

Bigmid- Sometimes they continue the chats between the official challenges, usually they combine the two teams to create one chat. Congrats on losing the dreaded lb.

Mary-congrats on eating clean! Sounds like you have a real plan set in place.
Only a few more days til black friday...wooohoooo!

Nella-I know what you mean about a busy week. It never seems like there's enough time in the day! I hope you finally get sit down and relax sometime this week.

Retire-Once again you're right on! Thanksgiving not only needs to be celebrated in feast but by the memories spent with your family! Ok you're "real food" has my mouth watering! I love pickled eggs and your dates sound yummy!

Diva-You sound so busy, you guys must be meeting yourselves coming and going. Only a few days left before the big move! I bet you guys are excited and anxious for it all to be over with so you can just sit and enjoy it. Has Matt decided what he's going to do school wise?

Somni-Hope you are feeling better!

Hi to everyone else!

Not much going on in my neck of the woods. I'm working 12 hours days this week counting down til Black Friday.


Does anyone have a favorite thing to do on Thanksgiving or a favorite memory? Mine would be sitting around the table with the family plotting our moves for the biggest shopping day of the year!

Does anyone have any suggestions on a new team leader for the remainder of the season?

Hope everyone has a great week.

Got up early and put my brisket in the oven for party tonite. Pie making/sis b-day party. I have a plan on what I will eat 'cause I am not screwing this up. I will have one brisket sandwich and a big salad and a sliver of cold stone creamery cake ( my dd works there and we got 50% off the price) So they have become the favorite cakes for b-day's. Then nothing else for me. I saw 174.6 this morning on the scale and it has really motivated me seeing the number go a little lower each day. Can't wait to get back to working out. I need to go see my dr. cause now the pain has moved to my hip. Never should have went to chiro but was trying to take the easy shortcut way but it didn't work. Suppose I will have to do physical therapy now.

I agree we need a team leader. In Dix's defense, at the end of the last challenge she shared that there is a lot going on in her life (ie: major changes) That would send most of us for a loop. She has been a strong encouraging leader for the other two challenges I was a part of. My prayers are with her thru her difficult time.

We usually do just combined a chat thread for both teams until the next challenge starts to coincide with the next BL season (sometime in Jan). Or we could just continue this one until then we have added weeks in the past. Either way is fine with me. Monte was right though the leader needs to have moderator privileges or it won't work.

I got a cute email today with this poem in it.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my teammates in the US:

MAY YOUR STUFFING BE TASTY,
MAY YOUR TURKEY BE PLUMP.
MAY YOUR POTATOES 'N GRAVY HAVE NARY A LUMP.
MAY YOUR YAMS BE DELICIOUS.
MAY YOUR PIES TAKE THE PRIZE,
MAY YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNER STAY OFF OF YOUR THIGHS!!

Have a great POP Wednesday!!