Hi all!

I am setting up a summer challenge starting with a weigh in on May 7th and going until September 3 Labor day! That is 17 weeks!

This is for any and all comers who want to join so dont be shy!

It would be great if we all set our goals and describe our story a bit. I am 48 years old, 253 lbs and have had a life-long struggle with weight. I have tried all the diets and have succeeded but eventually gained all the weight back plus more. I am determined to kick this problem before my 50th birthday and establish life-long behaviors I can stick with. My left knee has been having problems and I am just starting to be able to exercise again due to physical therapy.

Right now I am nutrisystem and it seems to be working well.

Here are my goals:

1. Stay on my diet plan.
2. exercise 5x a week and stretch
3. Work on behaviors that make me want to eat
4. work on eating mindfully
5. Check in on this forum once a day to keep me on track!
6. Lose 2lbs a week for a total of 34.

I hope you will join me!

Sno

Me Me Me Me!
I just missed the biggest loser challenge and was searching for just this very thing!
I have been on and off 3FC for years, need some glue to stay put this time. I am 38 now and dont want to still be up and down by 40. I too have tried all the diets, WW, Nutrisystem, Dexatrim, Atkins. Each time, losing well in the beginning and losing my motivation. My 14 year old daughter is starting down the same path, and I really need to be a better role model for better eating for her sake too. My highest weight a few years ago was 194. My usual weight without dieting is around 177. I would like to get down to at least 140. At 5'4" that isn't skinny by any means, but realistic for me.
Here are my goals:
1-Journal everyday using old WW points program (best fit for me)
2-Wear my pedometer every day, goal 10,000 steps/day.
3-Check in here everyday.
4-Keep going with the challenge even if I get stuck - stick with it
5-Lose 32lbs,,, 140lb goal!!!

Woot! I am so excited about the Labor Day Challenge!!! That will take me right up before my 31st birthday, so I'll have that added motivation. Plus, I'd really like to do well over the summer so all the other parents at school take notice LOL

I am 30 years old, married with 4 kids. I am lucky enough to be able to stay at home with the kiddos (2 are in school, 2 still at home) This past fall, I realized I was 30 and had failed at losing weight for so long that I was 299 pounds. I told myself that I would give it one more try. That's it. One more. I decied that I was going to get serious about my health, and do something about my weight, but I only had one more chance. I started by just getting more active, because I was basically not doing anything. So, I went to the gym a couple times a week.

On January 1, 2007, I decided to find something on this site, a group of people to hold me accountable. And I did. I found the 18 week till May challenge, and I signed up. And I slowly got my eating habits reigned in to where I am eating less and more healthy, to go along with the exercise. Since the beginning of the year, I have lost 37 pounds!

My goal for Labor Day is to lose 34 pounds

Here's how:
1. Schedule my food with FitDay BEFORE I eat it.
2. WATER! At least 8 bottles a day
3. Get back to the gym....3 days a week

Please add me I really need a CHALLENGE to keep me motivated My GW by WW'ers is 141 but I want to be 130 by January 2008 that's 36 pounds I need to lose. Here are my Goals:
Drink my Water
Exercise
Go to the Meetings.

I want to strive for 40 pounds of loss by Labor Day.
I want to keep up my excercise atleast 5 times/ week.

Hey girls! I want to join in, like many of you I have tried countless diets and had success, and then ended up gaining all my weight back. So now here I am, and I have been stuck in a rut for sometime and need some motivation to loose about 45lbs...sounds scary and sounds like alot! But needless to say labour day is 4 months away, and I think it is possible to loose 35lbs. so that is my goal! I am graduating next week from nursing, and I am moving across the country mid June, I dont want to start my life unhappy and unhealthy! So I am going to eat healthier, and exercise more.

First off I want to say thanks Sno for setting this challenge up! You were such a motivator with New Year's and May Challenge! With both of these challenges I lost 36 pounds and gained a new love for exercise. Although this time my goal isn't to lose weight, but to gain a healthy amount of baby weight. I really love all the support and motivation you receive in these challenges. Look forward to getting to know all of you!

Just a little background on me. I am 28 years old, 5'3", and currently weight 152. DH and I are expecting our first baby in mid-November and are so excited. My goal is to only get to 175 by the time the baby comes. I exercise regularly in the morning before work at the gym. Over the 6 months I have started running and my plan is to keep it up for as long as possible. My downfall seems to be the food right know.

My goals:
1. Keep exercising 5x a week and keep running.
2. Eat healthy meals and limit junk food.
3. Get 7-9 fruits and veggies a day.
4. Only gain 25 pounds during my pregnancy.

Count me in too!

Here are my goals:
1. Walk, bike, or other exercise at least 4 times weekly.
2. Pay attention to my eating..concentrate on limiting amounts and only eating when hungry and stopping when satisfied-this means I have to SLOW down!
3. Work up to at least 10,000 steps daily
4. Get my kids involved too.

These are great goals, but I wanted to share my experience..I've had 10 babies, and numerous misscarriages. With my 7th and 8th babies, I had really healthy pregnancies, but did not gain more than 15-20 lbs with either child. With 7th, I was under the care of my favorite obgyn,and he assured me that as long as the baby was gaining, it really didn't matter if I didn't gain a lot..and she was just under 7 lbs at birth, my smallest..and that after delivering a whopping 10 pounder with #6~(We'd moved,and didn't eat out or let the Schwann man have our new addy!) Then with #8, I had a midwife and a homebirth..and again, I ate normally..no dieting whatsoever, but only gained about 15b lbs total. And she was a very healthy 7 pounder. My midwife assured me all along that as long as the baby was growing well, I did not HAVE to gain the 25+ I normally did.
You're right to focus on eating WELL..but you may or may not gain the 25 pounds..as long as the baby is growing well, and you are well...be at ease!

Hi everyone,

Sno thanks so much for setting up this challenge . I've tried it all and don't want to think about the number of pounds I've lost over the years and regained. I'm 39 turning 40 in just over 3 weeks and have found that in the last couple of years weight gain has become a real issue. In the fall I tore the ACL and MCL of my right knee and have had many exercise callenges due to this injury. The only good thing about the injury is it gave me some extra down time with my laptop and I discovered this support forum. I've been with 3FC since Oct of last year and gone through 2 challenges so far. I've lost 30 lbs so far and want to take it down another 20 by labour day. The closer I get to goal weight the slower the weight comes off so 20 lbs in 4 months will be doable for me. Being part of a group like this helps keep me on track and I love to here about how everyone is doing. The words of encouragement seem to go along and there are all sort of good ideas out there. I'm not following any specific plan but try hard to avoid high glycemic carbs and include protein in at least 3 meals a day. I workout with weights quite aggresssively and try and get in 3-5 45min cardio sessions a week. to all and I looked forward to a sucessful challenge.

Cheers,

Nina

HI all!

Great to hear from all the new people and to have some of the old crew join us! We are going to lose tons of weight on this challenge--and have lotsa support too.



If everyone is okay with this I would like to make Mondays the official check in day re: weight and how you are doing with your goals. Of course checking in more often is welcome and beneficial!!

As some of you noted I have had some challenges in the past that were very successful--Luxor, Dolly and Nina have all done fantastic! We have had some other big losers too who I hope will join us!

Thanks so much for sharing your stories--I know all of us have had similar experiences and it helps so much learning about you and hearing your struggles. My experience tells me that we have to keep trying and keep checking in even when things arent going so great--ultimately the motivation will kick in.

I am going to list all of us so far below and our goal weight loss:

Nina: will lose 20 lbs by Labor Day
Abe: will exericise and eat slowly till Labor day
Dolly: will gain a max of 25lbs during pregnancy
Jenn: will lose 35 lbs by Labor Day
Sock: will lose 40 lbs by Labor Day
Marty: will lose 36 lbs by Labor Day
Luxor: will lose 34 lbs by Labor Day
Barb: will lose 32 lbs by Labor Day
Sno: will lose 34 lbs by Labor Day

With all of these awesome goals we will great the fall with slimmer, stronger healthier bodies. We will have better healthier habits that we can keep up with for the rest of our lives.

I would like to join. I will make my goal 20 lbs. by Labor Day. Our first weigh-in is Monday, right?

dustcatcher

So far, so good. Practicing for Monday. Have walked over 10,000 steps every day this week, journaled everything, kept up with whats going on here, and not cheated yet. All goals met. Cant wait for Monday to see if its working!

Looks like we will have a good group challenge. Thanks again Sno for putting this together.

Hi all:

getting geared up for Monday! Cant weight to lose weight with all you great people!

Welcome Dust--yes the first weigh in is on monday--if you want let us know what your goals are!

Barb--you are welcome--I get back more than put in by getting to know wonderful people who are struggling with the same stuff I am--I get a lot of help and healing from these challenges--glad you could join us.

Let us know your goals and/or story everyone and get ready to lose!

Sno

Okay I am going to start Monday off great by hitting the treadmill!