~*New Year, New You Challenge 2016*~
 

Have you decided enough is enough and it's time to change your life to become a healthier, happier person? Did you kick all sorts of a$$ in 2015 and want to continue your reign of epicness into 2016? Did you do well leading up to Christmas, let yourself go a bit and want to lose some regain weight? Look no further, this challenge is for you! Let's start the new year the right way, by being mindful and treating our bodies with the respect they deserve. We can make 2016 the year that we reach our goals!

Here’s the aim of the game…lose the most percentage of body weight by the end of the challenge and feel healthier and happier than ever. If you come in 1st, 2nd or 3rd place, you win a shiny badge to put in your signature. You can also win a badge if you stay accountable and weigh in every week. Check out the badges:

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Before Joining, Please Read ALL the Rules! Trust me you really need to!

• You can join this challenge at any time up until the final 2 weeks of the challenge!!
• -->Click here to access the spreadsheet used to document your weigh ins!<--
• READ THIS. This is important. If you've skipped ahead and gone into the spreadsheet and tried to enter your information, you're probably thinking "huh, why is there an error message popping up?" That's because most of the sheet is locked. You need to post in the thread to say you want to join the challenge and I will input the data for you.
• When posting in the thread to say you wish to join: provide the starting weight you are at now, your current weight and your goal weight. I will input your information into the spreadsheet. Optional: if you know the weight you were at in previous weeks then tell me what those weights were and I will input that information for you too - the more info the better!
• This is also important! Week by week I will post a link to a submission form for you to enter your weight. I will update my signature with the link since I'm a regular poster across the threads just to make it easier for you to find. Please submit your weight on ANY DAY between Monday - Sunday. See below for more info on this.
• Have a G-mail account and want to have access to the entire sheet without messing around with the form? Then PM me your g-mail email address and I will invite you to the spreadsheet so you have complete access. Please note I will only invite members who have been on 3FC for a while or who I can see post regularly.
• Be sure to have your weekly weigh in on the spreadsheet by Sunday, because I make the charts on Monday. In the spreadsheet when the column is labelled "WK 1 8/31", that means the week BEGINS on the 31st August NOT the particular day you have to weigh in!
• Check back in to the thread and I'll publish a weekly chart to show who's dominating over us all. Charts are Top 15 biggest losers only!
• If you want to take a break from weighing in then right click the cell for that week and select "Insert Note" (definitely not a "comment" because these won't move with your username if new members join the spreadsheet!) and add your reason for not weighing in. If you have a week that you know you won't weigh in ahead of time - let me know and I'll insert the note for you.
• If you don't weigh in for more than 2 weeks without a noted reason you will be moved to Standby. Come to the thread and opt back in if you want to re-enter the challenge.
  

Optional before and after measurements challenge! Read below:

• I've included a tab on the spreadsheet to enter your measurements! Measure yourself at the beginning of the challenge and at the end to see how much you shrink!
• -->Click here to access the measurements sheet!<--

That's it!* A huge part of this challenge is the community support, so please use this thread to talk to each other and update us on your progress. It’s less about just saying “today I weigh ___” and more about actually communicating with fellow sexy candy panda’s and talking about your life and all its ups and downs. Think of this thread more like a chat thread rather than just a place to post weights. We're here for you on your road to awesomeness!!

*FAQ

• Can I change my Goal Weight once the challenge has begun? ~ Yes!
• There's a - mark in my cell for a week, but I know what I weighed! Can I change it? ~ Yes! The more information you can put in the better. Let me know your missing weights and I'll input them myself.
• My weight changed during the week but I already entered my weight, can I change it? ~ OF COURSE! Just submit your weight again using the same form, no problems.
• The chat thread for my forum is dead...can I talk in a different thread? ~ Absolutely! The 20-something thread is the most active in these challenges, please feel free to drop by no matter how old you are. We honestly wouldn't know the difference even if you're not in your 20's!

Hi Riestrella! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and are enjoying the holidays. I was wondering what you had up your sleeve to kick off the new year. Thanks for getting us started. This new challenge couldn't have happened at a better time. I signed up for half-marathon training that begins January 9 so whether you're prayerful or a thinker of good thoughts, send them my way. This former, currently out of shape runner needs all the positive thoughts I can get!

Joining if that's OK! I am way older than 20-something. Actually, my kids are 20-somethings.

Curvy, I just signed up for a half at the end of April! Good luck with your training!

Riestrella, looking forward to the challenge!

Heya all, hope everyone had a fab christmas and pcoming new year! looking forward to getting back to it! So far no weight gain over christmas but will update the board on the first so I know my true starting weight for this challenge. Good luck everyone!

:wave: mothermavis! I turned 47 in November but my spirit is still in its 20s That counts, right? RIGHT??!! :rofl:

:bravo: on committing to a 1/2 marathon! What a great way to begin the New Year :hat:. If you don't mind I will consider you my virtual partner in crime ;). This will be a new experience for me as I've never trained with a group. Just a few short years ago I was running 3-4 times per week and had completed several 5 an 10ks. Lots of life has happened since then. Still, I'm excited by the challenge. While this is 1/2 marathon training I've registered for the Portland 15K (10 miles) Shamrock Run.

Here's to strong legs and productive runs!

curvy - Why, of course! I pretty much have the next years worth of challenges already planned!! I had a wonderful Christmas, thank you for asking :). I hope you had a lovely holiday also. Wow, well done for signing up for a half marathon! I've only ever run 10K's, the last one really took it out of me and I actually became a bit disenchanted with running afterwards. I wanted to do a half, but on my first run of training I injured my right knee badly and struggled to run the 10K so took a hiatus from running because of it. But having a race lined up really helped with my weight loss in the past, I'm sure it'll do the same for you. You can do it!

mothermavis - The challenge is spread out over 3 forums, Chicks up for a Challenge, 20-somethings and 100 lb club. So there's absolutely no issue with you not being a 20-something in this forum, not that there would be in the 20-something thread - there's a couple of people who aren't in their 20's who like to post there! Welcome, welcome :). Congrats on signing up for a half, what brilliant motivation for you!

Koshinogi - Welcome back, great to see you! I had a wonderful Christmas, my first away from home, was expecting to be a bit sad but actually had a brilliant time. Hope you have a great New Year!

Badges have been added, hope you like them!

Thanks Riestrella ....... I have decided enough is enough - determined to keep trying and to weigh in each week ........ -:)

If I read the instructions correctly, the challenge starts Jan 4 or does it end Jan 4th?

Starting Weights are inputted this week, then the challenge begins January 4th :)

How can I join, I'm "new" again to 3FC and I was going to participate in a challenge on FB, but it came with strings attached and the creator basically told me today that unless I bought the specific products included , they'd have to squeeze me in.. Anyway, all I was looking for was support and people in the same boat as me.. I just want to get healthier. I'm not going to sugarcoat it anymore, I'm not overweight, Honestly I am just fat. Today was my absolute highest weight ever, I'm frustrated and ready to stop making excuses. Anyway I just wanted to see how to join your challenge group.. Thanks in advance!

Curvy, I'd love to partner up! I actually ran a 15k in July and a half in September, but my time was crap, so I am working on getting stronger and faster. I had to have my knee fixed last winter, so am trying to strengthen that. I've trained with a group and find it to be awesome, It's hard to blow it off if someone is waiting for you!

I'm in thankyou,I really want to hit my 20lb goal this year.I have been at this uncomfortable weight for 3 yrs now

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I'm in and I've entered my stats on the spreadsheet. I'm not quite ready to face measurements yet.

Thanks Riestrella for coordinating this challenge.

Welcome all newcomers! Glad to see you!

Mom2three - All the rules are in the first post of the thread, read them carefully and you'll be up to speed!

I Joined Again
 

Riestrella, Thank you so much for doing this again. It means a lot to me right now to have encouragement and support in continuing to lose. Not just for my Mom's memory, but my health as well.

I'm in again. Thanks Riestrella for another great 10 week challenge. Looks like a good crew is aboard for the challenge. :carrot:

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Thought I'd share this interesting article. The strategy might come in handy for some New Years Celebrations. It is something I have put in my weight-loss tool box.
Munchey

THE SPLURGE: Written by: Greg Hottinger, MPH, RD,

Framing Your Splurge: The Pickle Jar Analogy
"The first step is to gain some perspective on holidays by considering the big picture. Imagine two large pickle jars, one that is empty and one that contains 365 pennies. Now imagine that you are told to remove a penny from the one pickle jar and put into the empty pickle jar for every time that you knew you’d blow your diet during the calendar year.

You might start with the obvious holidays, like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. Plink, plink, plink, you put three pennies into the empty pickle jar. Then another penny for New Year’s day, your birthday, Valentine’s day, Mother’s day, Father’s Day, the 4th of July, and seven pennies for the week at the beach in August,. When you’ve come up with the obvious ones and you’re considering Arbor Day, stop and take a moment to take a look at your two jars.

In one jar you have 30 or so pennies and in the other, the remaining 335 pennies. The 30 or so pennies are the times each year that you KNOW that you’re going to splurge and “blow your diet”. The jar with 335 pennies, however, represents your healthy program, the one that has helped you lose weight, regain your health, look better, and feel great!

You can see that what you do on the 335 days of the year that you follow your program closely is much more important than what happens on those 30 splurge days. But as you know, it’s not that easy. The problem is that when we “fall off the wagon”, it may take us days and days to get back to our program. Our 30 splurge days turn in to 90 splurge day. Why does this happen? Use the following five strategies to help you enjoy your upcoming splurge and still keep your program intact.

Strategy #1: Give Yourself Permission
If ______ (fill in the blank) is a special time for you, plan to enjoy it. Make an agreement with yourself that it’s OK to not have a weight-loss day. You’ve worked hard thus far and your enjoying a special day is not going to ruin anything.

Strategy #2: Frame Your ______ (fill in the blank) Splurge
Keep your indulgences to just the day, not the entire weekend. A key to weight-loss success is learning how to keep your exercise program and eating structure healthy the day before and the day after your special day. This is called “framing” your splurge.

Strategy #3: Have a Plan
To make strategy #2 work, you’ll need to plan out the details so that you can stay on track. Where will you exercise? What will you be eating on the days before and after your______ (fill in the blank) splurge? Do you need to bring food or snacks to be able to stick with your diet? Do you need to explain to friends or family members that you’re on a healthy diet?

Strategy #4: The Splurge
Remember that ______ (fill in the blank) isn’t your last day of eating on planet Earth. How can you maximize your pleasure, fully enjoy the food that day, but still feel like you made good decisions? One strategy is to not come into the meal famished. Being too hungry will set you up for gorging yourself. The goal here is to have a great time and enjoy your company. Be selective with your choices. Focus on those foods that you love, eat slowly, and give yourself permission to savor them.

Strategy #5: Take Pride in Your Recovery
Now it’s time to get back on track. If you overate, don’t “beat yourself up” about it. If you did well with your choices, then congratulate yourself. Your overall success is in how quickly you recover. Tomorrow you’re back to the pickle jar that represents your healthy program."

I love that, munchey, thanks for sharing!

mothermavis, hello - good to see you in this challenge. Sounds like your workout group will be a good influence to keep on track of goals.

Curvey, I live 2 hours East of Porland. Are you an Oregonian too?

Jesslen, Good to see you back.


HI to all. Wishing everyone success on the upcoming challenge. :cheer:

Love the Badges!

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1/23-
1/30-
2/6-
2/13-
2/20-
2/27-
3/5-
3/12-
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Welcome, welcome everyone! Glad to see lots of people signing up. I hope you'll stick with us until the end of the challenge :)

I'm currently feeling under the weather, nothing terrible but still feeling run down. Not a great way to end the year!

Thanks Riestrella, I did sign up on the spreadsheet. Looking forward to starting b/c I hit my highest today and that is the most depressing thing I've done, especially when I've been trying so hard to be good...

Weight loss is all about planning and fulfilling those plans. There might be something you're not aware of that's making you gain. If you let us know what your diet is like and also what exercise you may be doing then we can help!

I took a diet break this month just b/c with everything else going on, I didn't have time to focus completely on planning and dieting and everything that goes with it. I'm recovering from 3 different injuries which took me completely out of the exercise game for a couple of months there, so Now that I'm healed ( finally) lol I'm ready to get back to it. Right now, I'm planning on starting back fully on the 21 day fix meal plan and exercise regime, but I know me and even if I can't fully incorporate the exercises included with that, I'm going to make sure I get a walk in or something. My biggest thing has been feeling 100% on Monday, ready to go follow the guidelines do the work and whatnot, by Friday I've given up. Consistency is not my strong suit, I'm trying to do better, and I think hitting 200 today might have just sealed the deal on the getting back to what I know I can be again pathway. I just have to remind myself that Fast food isn't the answer for quick eating and soda may taste good, but sucks for fitting into your jeans..

Thank you for sharing that, Munchy. Wow, that was great advice. :) I will have to copy and paste so I don't lose it.

Thank you, WorkingLikeADog! The same to you! :)

Love the new badges, Riestrella!

I don't know if it's me, but I just clicked on the spreadsheet and it's blank. Everyone's information is gone. The information for measurements is still there. Someone else look and see!

I signed into the spread sheet where all the starting weights and names were listed. Now it appears blank? What am I missing?

Not sure what happened guys, but this isn't the first time it's happened. I'll fix it shortly! Should be able to see previous edits and restore all the information.

Edit: All fixed. Someone just went in, highlighted everything and deleted it for whatever reason. If it was on purpose then joke's on them since Google keeps a history ;)

Great to hear, but I love the jokes on them part! can't wait to start next week!:carrot:

Hi working! Nah, not an Oregonian; I'm from Northern California by way of Nebraska (my true home ;)). You'll have to fill me in on the weather conditions as I move closer to the race. With El Nino predicted I'm anticipating :running: in :rain::rain::rain:

Being not to tech savvy I can understand how someone can make a mistake like that, but I swear, this one wasn't me! LOL

Thanks Riestrella! We really keep you jumping.

I was in the December contest. I actually joined the last few weeks of challenge. Happy to be doing this one too. Happy to say skinnier this nye than thanksgiving and for me that's a first!!! My goal is 15 lbs this round.

I sure hope it wasn't me who deleted everything, Riestrella! Went I went in last night all looked good. I've added my info in. Left, went back in to check and all looked ok. Then, I can't remember if it was later the night, or in the mornings, I went in to look again, this time through my phone, and all was gone. I thought it was just not showing up properly on the phone... and came on the laptop now to check if everything is ok, and see y'all post about things gone. I was told that I am too wordy... So. In short. I hope it wasn't me. And if it was, I sorry.

Anyways, here I am. Done this Riestrella's Challenge once before. Was in good place (my own weight wise), but life was too good I guess, (or was it too bad??) that I gain a bunch back. So now, I'm hope with this challenge's help, I can get back to my 'good habits', and get back where I was happier with myself. Hi everyone!!! And Happy Healthy New Year!

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I'm gathering my tools for 2016. I'm famous for buying things, stashing them somewhere and then rediscovering them years later, lol.

I found an exercise ball - in a capsule shape - that I'm in the process of pumping up with a hand pump. This is a slow process, but I'll inflate it over the course of the day (unless I discover a tire inflater in the garage). Hopefully, I'll have a new exercise option with it. Just hoping my German Shepherd dog doesn't decide to herd it, like she does with her basketball.

Hope everyone has a safe and wonderful New Year's Eve and New Year's day!

Munchey

Munchy, I love pigs, and yours is high on my list! LOL

Good luck with the exercise ball. I still have a Thigh Master around here somewhere. Remember Suzanne Summers?

Riestrella, HELP - the spead sheet has been rudely graffittied. Please fix.

I think it's time for a new private link to the spread sheet via private message.


Thank YOU

Can't believe someone would try to ruin it :(. Thats a great idea Workinglikeadog! If you do happen to do something like that add me to the PM list :D.

Many thanks to Riestrella for creating this challenge! Just the motivation I need after a very indulgent christmas :o

Rie, the spreadsheet is messed up again. I went to input my data, but was afraid to. Please let me know when it's safe to. Thanks!