hey everyone, my son has been sick the last couple days so just a quick post, as for me I'm going way down hill and I'm slowly gaining back the weight I've lost, I've been sort of watching what I eat and no exercise at all. So I feel likeI've just about given up. Well g2g, sounds like everyone is doing fabulous. Have a great day ladies.

Hello fellow chickies! I hope you are all having a great day! I am very excited that I am down 2 pounds so far this week. My eating has really been on track, and I'm trying to stay busy, so I can burn some calories too. I'm really hoping to reach my first goal, and be 163 by halloween. I definitely think I can do it. It feels good to finally see a change in the ticker-LOL! How will I avoid all of the Halloween candy, and pumpkin pies, and breads that will be coming my way soon.......do any of you have low-cal recipes for fall that actually taste good?? I would be very interested to hear if you do. Good luck girls, Chat Soon!

alcysmom -- Great idea to alternate between flex and core. As for the running, you'll get used to being airborne for longer and longer periods of time -- the key is to go at a REALLY easy, slow pace in the beginning, a pace that you can keep up for a long time. Many people try to go too fast when they do their jogging intervals, and then it's too difficult to sustain for any period of time and they lose interest in trying. When I started, my jog was barely above a walk. Speed doesn't matter AT ALL in the beginning -- or ever, really, unless you want it to. I'll always be fairly slow, but I care more about distance now anyway. I just want to keep running!

lumifan - That dirt road is definitely better on your knees, but don't let your fear of what people think stop you from running wherever you want. Life is WAY too short to worry about what random strangers think! Besides, you're gorgeous! You'll probably just get whistles from those random strangers!

Shyshy - I hope you don't give up. It sounds like you're still mostly on track with eating, so that's great! Have you found a form of exercise that you like? It's all about finding something that doesn't feel like WORK. Something you have fun with, and so you want to fit it in your schedule. Until you start loving it, sometimes you have to just call it another thing on your to-do list, or a necessity like brushing your teeth.

staffingchick - Congratulations on the 2-pound loss! I don't have any fall recipes (I don't cook very much), but I'm little worried about Halloween candy too! I've had a few students tell me they're going to bring me all their leftover Halloween candy....um, no thanks!

I'll be out of town for the weekend. Hope it's a good one for everyone!

Lisamarie...that sounds like great advice you gave to Alcysmom. I'll try to use it too in my jog. Thanks for the compliment!! That is very sweet. You are such an inspiration. Looking at your ticker....WOW! What an awesome job you have done!!! I'll definately try any advice you have!!!

Hope everyone is having a great day. I am taking the day off from my jog. I am going to a concert tonight...and besides, i think i slightly pulled a muscle behind my knee last night...so it needs a break. But i did do 2 1/2 miles jogging/walking last night, so i am proud of that.

good afternoon everyone, hope everyones week was succesful. Well I'm getting back on the horse. I gained some weight back and so far I've really done a crumby job at this weight loss thing but I can see now that if I just give up I WILL gain all the weight back and the work I did do would have been for nothing. I probably won't be meeting the Christmas goal but oh well at this I'll be smaller and healthier than if I never would have done anything.
Good luck to everyone for the weekend.

Hey ladies,
Is it waaay too late to join in your xmas challenge? I could really use a boost to get me revved up again. For the past few weeks I've been really complacent about everything and only going to the gym about 2x a week, and it is starting to show. Not only am I back up to about 136 lbs (at least) I also am feeling awfully flabby and sorta weak, since I guess I got really used to exercising 5x a week.
so if I could check in with you gals that would be fabulous! I've enjoyed reading the thread so far!
I'd like to get below 130 before xmas (also my anniversary is dec 23, my fiance's b-day is the 24th, and mine is the 29th, so we have a lot to celebrate that time of year and lots of reasons to look nice!)
But more importantly, I'd like to feel healthier and have more energy and stamina when walking around/doing everyday things, so that means more cardio...

ShyShy,
I mostly lurk on this thread and have been following your progress particularly because we are about the same height and roughly were the same starting weight. I just wanted to pop in and say, DO NOT GIVE UP!! Keep at it...even if the weight comes off slowwwwwwwly....do it, do it because you want to be a healthier mother for your son if doing it for yourself is not enough incentive.

I can say with total confidence that getting that exercise in is the best way you can attain any sort of permanent goal weight wise....do not give up.

Only if you persevere will you suceed.

Hello ladies

Had a pretty bad weekend. I am up a pound but I am not really worried about it. My son, Alcy, fell off his bed this morning at 4 am. It was only his 2nd night on the "big boy bed". Pretty stressful weekend.

I was 1/2 and 1/2 OP this weekend. I didn't run at all this weekend. I did play soccer for an hour and a half yesterday with a bunch of kids. That should count for alot of running! Plus I rearranged the living room and Alcy's room this weekend!

Oh well, I am off to a good start this morning. Let's hope for a better week!

Hello All,

I would like to join your challenge. I know it's really late, but I think it would help me.

I would like to lose 15 pounds by Christmas. I am really trying to get most of that off by Thanksgiving so I am really pushing myself hard right now. I am exercising 3-4 times a week now, and am determined to keep that up until Thanksgiving. I figure, that might be more difficult in December with all the extra things I will need to do to prepare for the Holiday.

I have been doing pretty well with the food over the last month. I commit my food plan every morning to a friend and do my best to stick to it. Continuing to do this will be part of my Christmas goal as well.

It looks like many of you are really workin' it. Congratulations!

Emily

Welcome maria rose and eeg, its never too late to join.

Thank you lekhika for the kind and encouraging words. I'm doing a little better. I'm maintaining at 153. Its like the motivation and drive went right out the window. Hope I can find it again soon.
Hope everyone is doing well!!!

hey id like to join your wonderfull challenge, think there is about 8 weeks to go, so i would like to loose 10lbs by then id love to loose 14 but i will say 10 and see how i go. ill add a ticker now....yay challenges are always so much more fun, and help me focus

Good Morning.
I am very excited...it seems as though I have reached my halloween goal. I weighed in this morning at 164! I kept moving the scale around b/c I was so shocked. I am going to try to lose two more pounds before halloween - a very mini goal-LOL! I hope you are all doing well. Keep up the hard work!
Chat Soon.

Welcome to the new folks, congrats to the ones who are hitting goals and doing well, and here's a hug for anyone who's struggling!

I've had a little setback! I had a death in the family, so I went out of town and did a LOT of comfort eating for four days. I put on eleven pounds in four days. Yes, my body LOVES to cling to anything it can get, and though it seems biologically impossible...it's true. 11 in 4 days. Wow! I've already rid myself of 3 of the pounds, but stil -- I'm at 171, and I was down to 163 last week. Soooo annoying. I can still hit my Christmas goal of 159, but it will be tough. The weight comes off MUCH more slowly now that my body is at a lower weight and is more comfortable. I just have to really stick to my plan!

Good morning ladies. Welcome to those who just joined. Congrats staffingchick on making your goal!!!

Nothing different on this end. I'm still maintaining. But how I've been eating and with the lack of exercise I'm just happy not to be gaining. Talk to you all soon.

Good Morning Ladies,

LisaMarie: So Sorry for your loss.

ShyShy: Hang in there, you'll get motivated again.

StaffingChick: Congrats on the Halloween Goal. I'm sure you can lose another 2 before Halloween.

Welcome to all the newcomers-its never to late to lose a few pounds.

As for me, last week was a rough one. I derailed a bit, only tracking calories ocassionally and exercising sporadically. I did surprisingly lose 2lbs for the wk. Today was measurement day and was very ecstatic to see a loss of 4.75 in the last two weeks. Since I started tracking measurements about 2 months ago, I haven't lost a thing in the arms. I thought doing sculpting videos would help, but so far nothing. Anybody have any suggestions?


Keep up the good work!