LabMonkeyGirl, are you sure people aren't appreciating your arms when they check them out? I use 35-pound dumbbells for biceps and can do 15 pull-ups and even more chin-ups in one set, so my muscles are pretty developed, and I get compliments all the time on my arms. And they are slender, as I'm sure yours are. But friends and strangers still refer to my "guns," and they mean it in a good way.

I understand that not everyone likes an athletic physique, though, and that's fine. If it isn't for you, it isn't for you. But I just love that look: not "bulky" (women don't bulk), just sleek and strong. I love being the strong woman at the gym. I love when the male trainers who work at the gym call me "hard core." I love that my male friends tell me they're pretty sure I could kick their butts. All this and I'm still slender—as, again, I'm sure are you.

I had someone at the gym tell me the other day that I am the most physically fit person she has ever seen, and she watches me and steals my exercises all the time and adds them to her routine. Now that's just nuts, because I'm not a professional athlete or bodybuilder, but I'll take the compliment all the same, and try to remember it when I'm being overly critical of my physique. It was, I think, the single biggest compliment of my life. I'll take it any day over someone noticing that I lost weight—especially since it motivates me to keep the weight off and my muscle on display.

LabMonkeyGirl, I will take strong, defined arms over skinny arms any day! And most people agree - look what a fuss everyone made over Michelle Obama's arms, and all the women who interview her always ask what she does to get them to look like that. Be proud!

glad to see everyone is doing well. Just a check in: I was really good everyday with the exception of Wednesday. I have been good about my work outs the past few days and am feeling good! I even finished alot of my little projects around the house in the past few days so i feel super good abut myself!

still sticking at 121, but i feel like i LOOK slimmer!

Good week for me. I changed up my exercise a bit...walking a lot less, running more. I never feel like I exercise hard enough, but I think I'm too hard on myself. I do 45 minutes of running 3-4 times a week. And I walk maybe an hour a day on average. Plus I'm biking a bit now, maybe 20 minutes at a time.

Lost 3 pounds this week. I don't really understand why my weight loss hasn't slowed down yet. But I feel perfectly fine with my eating & exercising.

I tried to check my body fat with the online calculators. I keep most of my fat in my belly so the estimates were probably high. The lowest calculator said I was 29%.

Great week, chickie! And awesome job on your exercise!!

I was down 2.9 for the week. Very, very happy with this. Hoping to be under 130 by next Friday - can't wait to be one twenty something! anything!

natamars. congrats on your weight loss!

I lost 1/2 lb. this week, which is really good for me.

Tyla

everyone is doing so great! I'm so happy for you!

I am honestly to the point of giving up and joining the maintainers thread....this sucks. I feel like i am being so good, but the scale won't move. I just stay between 120-121 everyday. I am going to try to make it through this weekend (Wed/Thurs/Fri is my weekend) without a sip of alcohol and see if that helps. I find that every Friday or Saturday i gain a pound or two that goes away within a day, but i am sure that is alcohol related, right? My goal is NO alcohol and see if that changes thing.

I did, however, go shopping again today and bought a really cute size small poka-dot dress. I'm going to get all dressed up for work tomorrow...

Maenad - I don't know what your body type is, but 5' 4" and 120 pounds is what used to be considered ideal. Before the BMI, I remember 125 pounds was considered the target weight for people who are 5'5". At the moment, that is my dream weight, but at this point I am really happy with where I am now.

Maybe if you focus on your fitness goals, your body will shrink even if your weight doesn't go down considerably.

I've found that alcohol has made no difference in my weight loss. I drink 1-3 beers a week and have been steadily losing weight. However, I usually drink a couple of beers and go dancing for a few hours so I think I burn off the calories. But if you want to give up alcohol to see if you helps your weight loss, definitely go ahead. Alcohol is empty calories and can mess up your metabolism.

As for this challenge, I am on target to make goal, but my weight loss program is so different now. It's about small losses at the scale & bigger gains in fitness and health.

This month has been a lot of taking steps in the wrong direction with off plan eating on my trip at the beginning of the month that I'm still not recovered from. That being said, I feel terrific having eaten OP since then with the exception of Mother's day which was breakfast in bed from the kids and a brunch (lunch) buffet with the IL's.
I'm still totally on target to hit goal well before July, but if you take into account my 10 day June vacation, I'm sure there will be a bit more fluctuation here and there.

Up 1.7 this week. Partly my period, partly eating off plan, partly my oven needing a part so I can't cook my rice...will get the part this weekend and be strict again tomorrow. Had to but some frozen meals to get me through until then, but have also been very hungry and craving the wrong stuff...and partly giving into it.

Only made it to the gym twice this week due to lots of family obligations at night. Next week will be easier.

Maenad, you are trying to get very small--maybe your body is just happy where you are now? I agree with Motivated--increasing your workout routine might give you the tone you are looking for without any additional weight loss.

Natamars, good luck getting back on track--you can do it--no problem!

Ms Perception, you're soooooo close! I'm sure you already look fabulous, and you'll get those last four lbs. off.

I haven't posted in a while--I got a promotion at work last week and had two huge celebration dinners. Amazingly, those two days at about 2500 and 2300 each didn't hurt me, and today I just had a HUGE 2 lb. WHOOSH! I'm so scared the scale will go back up tomorrow, but if it stays down, I'm actually back on track to hit goal weight by the 4th. To celebrate, I'm planning on buying a new grill and some patio furniture (we live in a ground floor condo and our little patio looks so bare with nothing on it, lol), and having the boyfriend's family over for the 4th.

Motivated Chick: Thank you so much, i really have been doing alot of thinking and researching and basically came to the same conclusion: 120 is a perfectly healthy weight for my size. I guess i have always wanted to be the skinny girl I was in university! but i can't really get to that size again with healthy eating habits. I am also starting to realize just how unhealthy i was when i was thinner. I need to start focusing on inches and not weight.

I'm still at 137.5 this week. I've been eating right and exercising. I guess it's a bit of a plateau.

Have a great weekend!

Tyla

Back down to 130.3 today. I want to break 130 so much! So why did I have a slice of pizza and ice cream for dinner? Total calories for the day were probably 1500 or so, but I should have had a much healthier dinner...

This week was not better at home, it was much, much worse. Stepdaughter was in a bad car accident right in front of our house. She is OK now, thank goodness, after over 100 stitches in her head and tons of doctor appointments...

Anyway, proud that I didn't eat or drink too much despite what happened. Only made it to the gym 3 times, but I was also sick.

Can this week please go better???

May has SUCKED for me. I've been on and off with eating, I got sick and that threw off my exercise, now I'm clawing my way back to "normal" and struggling! I need an OP week in a major way.