Easter and April Fools day are so close this year that we are naming the challenge after both. This challenge is about 7 weeks and will run from Today Feb 15 through April 5.

For any newbies, the traditional copy and paste:

Women on... WHAT??

Okay, let me explain that "Women on WEED" is not what you might be thinking. During previous challenges, a group of us formed a great bond, and we've been challenge buddies ever since. We use the word "WEED" as a mnemonic device to set daily goals, an easy and very specific way to remind yourself during your day to take care of your body, and to nurture your Mind, Mouth and Muscles... it really does help. After all, we are all taking this a day at a time, right?

If you join this challenge, you will see it often - and you are encouraged to give it a try. Here's what it stands for:

W - Water intake. Set a daily goal for how much water you're going to drink. Although there is conflicting research as to how much to actually consume in a day, we all agree it is important to drink lots to stay healthy. So make it a goal!

E - Exercise. Efficient, healthy weight loss isn't going to happen unless you incorporate some kind of physical activity in your life. Everyone does it differently; some go to the gym, some work out at home, and some find ways to sneak in little bits of exercise all throughout the day. Set yourself a goal, even if it's small. Little bits done often WILL add up over time!

E - Eats. Being that we all have different eating plans and weight loss philosophies, this is sort of a wild card. Whatever plan you're on, set yourself a plan-appropriate daily eating goal for the day. Don't forget to make it specific!

D - Daily goal/Daily affirmation. This is another wild card. It doesn't even have to be weight-loss related! This is the spot where you list something you want to get accomplished. Or, you can use "D" for a a daily affirmation - it's an opportunity to say something good and positive about yourself. Sometimes, when we fall short - and we ALL do sometime - we are tempted to berate ourselves. Although it's good to recognize when we don't reach our goals, it's also good to remind ourselves of the awesome parts of ourselves. So go ahead and remind yourself of that in the "D" part of WEED.


Well here it is! Jump right in, tell us about yourselves, your goals, your home lives, your healthy plan, etc. We LOVE newbies! And we LOVE our regulars! Welcome back!

I'm Jeni. I've been a WEEDer since the challenges began about 3 years ago (maybe longer) Ive had my good challenges and bad ones, but it always comes down to WEED. I don't lose weight very fast, but the scale is only one judge of how healthy I am.
I usually post my official w/i's with the weeks new thread. Every monday We start a new thread.


Week 1: 138

I have 2 kids and a hubby who are great. I work a crazy schedule, 12 hour days 4am-4pm. But the way my schedule works I have a four day weekend every other weekend. (I also only have to work 15-16 days a month)

W~I usually drink 64-100 oz of water in a day. It depends on my workout and how much sodium I eat.

E~I am a runner. I run anywhere from 2-3.75 miles per workout day. I am pretty vigorous with my workouts. Right now I workout most days. After work I do 35 minutes of cardio. Days off I workout anywhere from 1-2.5 hours.

E~ I am a calorie counter. Depending on the day and the intensity of my workout I eat anywhere from 1200-1500 calories. I dont eat carbs or starches in the evening for dinner. I always make sure I get some carbs and protein in after my workouts.

D Usually surrounds housework or to keep motivated at work. I remind myself that the scale shouldn't determine How I feel about myself or what I eat for the day.

Hey im gonna post my weight 2mo.. Between my bday and valentines day im afraid to see what the scale has to say..I will check in and say my intro 2mo .. see you then

Jeni- Looks like you didn't do as bad as you thought. Starting at 138, huh??

this is the start of my 3rd year here on this thread. Starting losing slowly but steadily. I have been stuck for several months now, like 5. I am 49, pre-menopause, Yuck!! I think that messes me up more than anything. I eat between 1200-1660 calories, workout almost everyday and still remain stuck.

Week 1- 177.8 Pretty good for me.

I'm pretty new to this site and would love to join you girls... I really need some accountability!!!!

A little bit about me... I'm Dawn. I'm 33 yo, married w/ no kids... just one goofy dog. I'm a teacher, so if I ever mention "my kids" I really mean my students I have pcos, which makes weight loss very slow and difficult for me... but I keep on pushing. I've been working on losing weight for about 2 years and have managed to eke out 20 lbs... I'm ready to keep working towards my goal!

I'm starting the challenge at 175. I'd love to be in the 160s by the end of the challenge

Water: I aim for 96 oz per day. One of my goals is the limit my coffee to 3 days per week or less.

Exercise: I'm currently doing a 6 day per week plan that alternates cardio and pilates. My goal is to continue with this, at least for the first half of the challenge.

Eating: This is the area that I'm going to need the most encouragement. I try to eat clean (unprocessed, whole foods), but I've been very stressed lately and this hasn't been happening. My goal will to be on track with this at least 80% of the time.

Daily: With the stress I'm feeling lately, this will probably revolve around just taking a few minutes each day to relax, and to acknowledge any successes that I do have.

I look forward to getting to know each of you!!

Hey Ladies -

Well I'm starting off this challenge at 165.4 - we did eat very heavy last night for Vday but it was my weight this morning. My goal is to be in the 150s at the end of this challenge (155 would be nice). For any newcomers my name is Emily, I'm 30, married with two boys (3 & 1). I work full time outside of the house and am really trying to strike balance between all the demands in my life. We're debating (and debating) on having a 3rd child so I'd really like to get back to a healthy weight before we possibly try for another.

Tiara - Happy belated birthday, amazing weight loss during the last challenge!

Jeni - thanks for starting the new thread!

Dab - Welcome!

Week 1: 165.4

W - 64+
E - I try and do what I can, gym isn't an option for me right now so just trying to up my general activity level
E - I fluctuate between WW points and counting calories (I should really pick one huh)
D - striving for balance, I don't know that I'll ever achieve anything close to it but I'm always trying

Jumping right in! I'm don't have an "ideal" number that I want the scale to show for easter, but know that i'm planning to do my best between now and then. so far since joining this site 1/24, i have lost 9 lbs.

Hi everyone! I'm new and NEED TO STAY ACCOUNTABLE TO SOMETHING. My name is Rachel, I'm 25 and live in Mesa, AZ with my husband, no kids. I work for a pain clinic and really enjoy my work.

My highest weight was around Thanksgiving 2009, I weighed 245. Since then, I was down to 210 on this past Friday, and then this morning, I'm up to 216. What in the world...so obviously, I need some help. So I'm asking you all to help me! I did great with the first ~30 pounds, and now I've been stuck and getting motivated is hard.

W - It's sporadic! I usually drink between 30 and 96 oz a day. I know - big range. So I'm going to start shooting for the 96 oz a day.

E - Staying motivated to exercise is hard for me. I lost the first 30 or so pounds by going to Zumba and I LOVE it. However, my work schedule has picked up and it's I've been giving myself the excuse that it's difficult to work a hard, full day of work, drive an hour in traffic, and then go to class. So my goal is going to be getting in at least 8 hours of exercise per week. Don't ask me how I came up with that number, but I like it!

Eating - I generally do okay, except on the weekends. I count calories and depending on if I work out, eat between 1200 - 1500 per day. Weekends are, in a word, BAD. I need to get a lot better on the weekends.

Daily goal/affirmation - I think I need to be nicer to myself, as funny as that sounds. I rag on myself constantly and if asked, could name any numbers of flaws with myself. I also am trying hard to be more organized, and so I think I will rotate between liking something, anything about myself, and a daily organizational/housework type goal.

My main goal in all of this is to be in the low 190s by Easter. Can you girls help me?! I want to be helpful to all of you too!!! Here's to the great friendships I hope to make!!!

Hey girls! Sorry I fizzled out on the last week or so of the V-day challenge. Lots in my head, lots in my life is going bonkers. I have had to make some changes and cut myself some slack. I have opted out of the bootcamp I was doing 1/2 way through this 6 week session. They are crediting me for 3weeks of the next one (starting March 8th). It has been too hard and mentally draining (even as an obligation JEN) to pull myself together to get there. Not to mention, I force myself to go then undo any progress with stress eating because I am trying to cram my life around it. So for me, a 3 week hiatus there.

I am going to gracefully bow out of all threads but this one too. I cant keep up, and love you girls here, so I'll be here more.

Hello to the newbies! I say it everytime, you will grow to love these chicks! We work hard to keep our minds right, and enjoy each others successes.... and pull each other out of the pits from time to time too!

I am 38, recently married, have 4 kids/step kids (20,10,8,5). Work full time and own 2 businesses with my hubby that are absolutely out of control at the moment (property cleanups on foreclosures and air conditioning service/repair). It takes money to make money and we are trying to grow our businesses on a shoestring. Also, trying to get out of debt this year, tax time will be a like a "pick a door" gameshow.. not sure what we win/lose. I am battling quitting smoking, battling my weight, and trying to cuss less . So far, I have dropped and regained the same fricken weight for the last 2 months. I am taking the 3 weeks mentioned above to focus on eating right and quitting the nictine frenzy.

So I am glad to see so many people back! Tiara happy belated birthday! Mindy - nice loss!!! Hello everyone else! Cant wait to catch up again!

I'm off to do paperwork for the rest of the day and will check in with you all later!

Hi all! I'm pretty new too, only been on this site for about two weeks since I started my new diet or I mean lifestyle change! My name is Ashley and I live in Minnesota. I'm 23 and I am a full time student and also work full time retail sales. Have been heavy my entire life, I think I was unfortunately given a very slow metabolism! excuses right? I would love to join this competition! I have a feeling it's going to help make losing weight fun and I know i need that extra help!

My goal is to lose about 40 pounds by Easter. Changed to 20 pounds. 40 would be crazy! That would put me at about 237, a low I haven't seen in a very long time. I have never seen the WEED thing before but it sounds great and seems like it would be a perfect fit for me.
W: I am trying to do the 8x8 thing, around 64-70 ounces a day
E: I am currently trying to exercise at least 45 minutes every day or at least 5-6 days out of the week. Sometimes we need a break
E: I am currently a Calorie Counter! I am staying on a 1500 calorie a day plan. It ranges from 1300 to 1500, but no more than 1500. I plan on staying on this ALL week.
D: remind myself that I am a person worthy of happiness and to take the time to do the little things for myself to improve my quality of life for myself.

Good luck everybody and thank you for allowing me to be a part of this competition!
~Ashley

Hello everyone.. Well today i weighed n at 243 omg i gain 10 pounds in 2 dayz lol/tear... Well now that i got that out of my system Im commited again..By the end of this challenge i want to be at 224....

Im 22 years old and single and loving it..lol sorry stole that from mcdonalds..haha. I live in hawaii no kids.
w I try to get at least 64oz of h2o a day somedays are easier than others...
e I absolutly love my wii fit plus and have been very good at working out with that.. ive banked 50 so far.. I will also be shooting to accomplish 40 hours of exercising by the end of this challenge..
e I am a calorie counter.. i stick to 1200 a day.. also today starts day one of No pork and beef for me..
d I usually write down all the things i must do in this area.. youll see that usually i am cleaing as i always put it off to the last min..lol well its nice to see some new people in here.. but i must go i got laundry screaming my name...........

Mindy~177 is close to your low right?

Dawn! I understand about slow weight loss, so do most of us actually!

Emily~Did you and DH get any time alone?

Timoba I don't set a specific weight target either, I rarely make them I lose so slow. Congrats on your weight loss so far!

Rachel Welcome. I tried Zumba for the first time last Wed. Wow it was a tough workout. If I new the moves and wasn't feeling like an idiot it would have been better. Congrats on your weight loss so far. I love your D.

Kris~ I'm glad you are doing what is right for yourself. That is number one in my book. I hope things simmer down for you soon.

Ashley Hi, welcome to our crew. I don't miss the days of full time work and full time school but you will make it through them and be all the better for it. 40 pounds in 7 weeks is really a high weightloss goal. you need to be very careful and pay close attention to your body.

Tiara~ Seriously I doubt you actually gained 10 pounds in 2 days. Get in your water and exercise and watch your carbs for a couple of days and it will come back off quickly.

I made it though my day okay. It was pretty rough for the most part, but I made it. I went to the gym and accidentally ran 3 miles. I was only going to go for 2.5 I wanted a slow steady soft run. I must have had my pace set higher than I did the other day. ok how many people accidentally run 3 miles. I'm crazy. I'm ready for a day off. I'm going to bed now. More in the morning.

Jeni- I actually completely agree with what you said. 40 pounds in 7 weeks is almost borderline ridiculous. I am going to switch it to 20 pounds. This goal I know will be obtainable and I won't get discouraged. I know I would get discouraged if I didn't make my goal. Thank you for pointing that out! And yes, burning the candle at both ends with school and work is never fun! haha but unfortunately necessary!

Thanks for the warm welcome girls

Ashley... I agree with Jen and with your decision to adjust your goal. 20 lbs is very achieveable. I'll be cheering for you!!!

I got the results of my blood work from my doctor tonight.... things weren't too bad, but my cholestrol did go up a bit from the last time I was checked. I know that I've been letting unhealthy foods creep back into my diet, so now I have another reason to tighten up my eats!

Have a good night

Welcome everyone! This is a great challenge - I lost 12 lbs. on the Valentine's Day version of it the past 6 weeks. Setting daily water, exercise, eating, and daily personal goals/affirmations really helps to keep one focused on the key parts of loosing weight. A little about me - I have a blended family of 6 (5 boys, 1 girl), survived divorce, remarried 2.5 years ago , work full-time and have a tendency to stress eat - a tendency which has caused me to gain almost 25 lbs. in last two years. In fact I've gained and lost that 25 lbs. a lot in my life - seems like every couple years. Now, I'm finding better ways to deal with stress so I can break that cycle! Kids are home again today due to snow so I need to get a jump start on my work day (I work from a home office). Will post more later tonight.

W: 64 oz.
E: 30 minutes elliptical
E: 1200 calories
D: Get back on track today with my program!