[Snowbrocade]

Okay--it is our last week--it has been wonderful getting to know all of you and tho I am embarassed I have not lost that much, I feel it helped me get motivated so that I can eventually lose the weight.

In addition my knee is much better and I am back to walking 25 minutes, and I do leg and back exercises along with stretches and that takes about an hour and 15 minutes. So I am moving a lot more and feel much stronger.

The other thing I have achieved is getting my hubby to go on a diet plan with me which has really helped. So all in all, it has been a productive time for me even if it wont show up that much on the scale--and I could have gained during this time!!

Thanks again for all of your support, all of you. And I want to echo Luxor--I hope some of you who got out of the habit of posting will come back and join us for the labor day challenge.


Congrats, Luxor--it is so awesome that you are getting the results you deserve after you hard work!

I will continue to post until the challenge closes and we have our final weigh in.

sno

[40 before 40]

Hey Girls,

Lux awesome about the further loss!!! With all that's on your plate you still manage to be a constant positive on this forum and I look forward to doing the next challenge with you.
Sno I just want to thank you for setting up these support challenges. They have helped me tremendously acheive my goals and I know you can never give up on anything that's worth accomplishing. You've never given up and you'll get there it's just getting the ball rolling so to speak. It's your turn this time.
I'll post my final weight for this challenge on Monday. I think I'll get a pound or 2 more out of this one and I really want to make my personal goal of 40 before40 so my motivation is high.

Cheers,

Nina

[dollypie]

Okay I finished the last week great! I exercised every morning this week! That was my goal...now I have to continue it next week. Also my eating hasn't really been that bad this week. I did cook 3 meals at dinner so that is helping. I look forward to chatting with you ladies in the Labor Day Challenge!

[Snowbrocade]

Hi Ladies:

great to hear from you-I feel the same way Nina--I want to see how many lbs I can squeeze out of this challenge before I go to the next one. I am down 2lbs from the beginning and am hoping I can make it 4.

Good point too Nina about not giving up--I felt like I had to keep trying even if I was not achieving my goals--I had read somewhere that it took on an average of 12 times of trying to quit smoking and I figured that it must be like twice that for losing weight. So I just kept setting goals and working on my motivation. I know I could have gained a bunch of weight in 18 weeks so being less than I started is far better than gaining! And you are right--I feel like it is my turn now.

Great job, Dolly--it is wonderful how you are converting these challenges into support for a fit pregnancy--it is a very positive and intelligent move. After all the work you have done it only makes sense.

Have a great weekend everyone!

[Luxorbea]

I just had the greatest day! And I am just so excited

Ok, so the new Spiderman movie just came out, and my hubby & I wanted to see it, so we invited a bunch of our friends. Anyway, it was awesome! AND, I was totally prepared. Since it's a new movie, we knew there would be a line, so we planned the day around it. Got the kids to my FIL in the morning, then we met up with our friends for lunch, got in line and waited for the movie- saving places for the friends who couldn't make it to lunch. After the movie, we went to dinner, then I went out for coffee with one of the couples. I left the house this morning just after 11am and I just got home at like 11:30pm! What a full day!

And here is the part that just made the whole day even better... I planned. I planned, and I stuck to the plan! I found out where we were going for lunch and dinner and checked on-line for the menu & calorie counts. Decided what I wanted, and then just stuck with it. My only deviation was that I actually only ate half my lunch and had much less popcorn than I had planned, and the mocha, which I hadn't planned on. And since I was looking at the menu for dinner, I printed it out, so while we were in line everyone was looking over the menu LOL By the time we sat down, we all knew what we wanted!

I was so nervous about the day. Would I be able to stick to my plan? Would I be able to pass up all the candy at the movie? (I usually get red vines, I love red vines) But you know what- it was easy. I was with people, and we were all laughing and talking and having such a great time that eating would have been a hindrance to the fun!

Oh, at dinner, a couple of my friends were saying how their food wasn't all that great. And I was saying how my food was absolutely delicious. (We went to Macaroni Grill & I got what they call the "Skinny Chicken") Anyway, I gave a bite of the chicken to the 2 who weren't happy with their food, and both said mine was much better, and that next time they were going to get it too!

I am so excited! There are so many good movies coming out, I hope to repeat this day several more times this summer!

Anyway, sorry this is so long, it's just that I am so happy right now and I needed to share! Maybe it's the caffeine from my mocha LOL Oh, and I found out that one couple we are friends with are pregnant! Unfortunately, her parents weren't so thrilled, but the two of them seem to be handling it, and I am just so thrilled for them...I love babies! They aren't really telling people yet, but he was showing me some pics on his phone, and there was the ultrasound!

And, BTW, Spiderman 3 is an awesome movie. I laughed. I cried. I jumped. I yelled.

Hope you all had an equally wonderful day

[Snowbrocade]

Hi all:

feeling really good about how I am doing--yesterday I had a moment where I just wanted to eat more than I needed and I just got myself out of the kitchen and thought about how I really just didnt want to and that it was a momentary craving that would pass. And it did. I have been 100% on plan for almost two weeks and have lost 11 lbs! I know the weight loss will slow down but I am just thrilled at how I am doing. The hubby is also amazing--his stomach is way smaller--I couldnt believe how he looked yesterday. His weight is all in one place and so losing a few pounds for him makes a huge difference. Nevertheless the waist of my pants is loose and I am getting ready to try the next size down again.

Looking forward to the weigh in tomorrow and starting the new challenge with you all.

Luxor--you are doing amazing. Planning ahead on eating makes such a difference! And it is so great that we can just go on line and look at the menu in advance for a lot of places. That really helps. You did awesome!! And with all the pressure from your dad and everything you have still stayed on plan. Cant wait to do the next challenge with you--we will be losing lots of weigh together!

[40 before 40]

Good Morning Ladies,
Congratulations to everyone who lost on this challenge!!!!
Lux I can't wait to see Spiderman 3. We'll do a family thing and go see it together sometime in the next couple of weeks. Sounds like you had a great day. What a great planning tool choosing your restaurant meal on line. Just goes to show the more healthy choice is better tasting.

Sno you sound like you've got the ball rolling. Congrats on the 11 pounds. Walking away from cravings is something I need to learn to do. Once I give in once the day just spirals down. It's all about changing habits or patterns.

Well I squeaked out another 2 pounds from this May 6 challenge and am weighing in at 154 today. Last week was awesome, lots of gardening, exercise and healthy food. See you all in the Labour Day thread.

Cheers,

Nina

[Luxorbea]

WTG Sno, Sno's hubby & Nina!!!!

Recognizing that you want rather than need more food is HUGE, Sno!!!! Congrats on staying on plan! Hopefully it is becoming a normal routine again and will be that much easier (I'm still trying to get the gym back in my normal routine, it's a battle right now...for the kids AND for me)

See you on the labor day thread!!!

[Snowbrocade]

Hi all:

great to hear from you and Bravo on all the pounds lost! You guys are awesome.

Well my total on this challenge is 3 lbs--cant complain it could be more.

Anyway-see you on the labor day challenge!

Sno

[aimin4thin]

It's our last week? I am so sad! Thank you so much Snow, Nina, Dollypie, Luxor... for everything. Where are you Sumisan???? I am so happy now after losing 21 pounds on this challenge. Of course I still have my pesky 15 to go... but am kicking it in hard because in 17 days, I will put on my first bikini in 17 years!!! Best of luck to you all and I guess I will join ya on the Labor day forum! Labor day seems awfully far away, doesn't it?