I'm with ya Emileigh. Keeping a cap is a perfectly healthy goal!

Speaking of, I will not be counting calories for yesterday or today. My students bring me too many wonderful treats. I'm thinking next week will be easier. I can feel the weight creeping on!!! Aaggghh!!!

Hopefully you all are better self controlled than I!

Waving my hand....

I am another who is stuck or flexing up and down in weight. It can be a little frustrating, no matter how positive I try to be.

I really wanted to make my goal by next week. We will have to see. This morning I am back up to 212.5. I think the new exercise routine is doing it, so I need to atlease give it a week to kick in and I need to increase my food. Believe it or not 3 out of 7 days this week I was under my recommended cal count. I have to get that up. Especially with the increased strength training, I have to try and get to the mid or higher point of my range. But I am just not hungry.

Jen/Lori thanks for the vote of confidence. Hopefully things will level out for all of us and the last week's weigh in will be GREAT!

Hey to all I missed. Wishing you strenght in however you choose to get through the holidays.

So Lori, after Christmas, what is the next challenge holiday?

today i am going to avoid thinking about weight loss...today only!!!! hows everyone doing...they had a bbq at work yesterday....i never complain about free food but it was bad....i won a sf giants polo though

ok, since when I made my Christmas Challenge goal I was avg. 175 lbs for the week. I have to get down to 171 lbs. to make my goal. So that is 1.8 lbs. Surely I can do that?

Back in the 172s. Today's weight 172.8 lbs.

Jae I agree only because not only did i not lose weight when I dropped my calories more than 600 below my AMR, I started to gain weight!

Now, I'm going back down again, with my calories at least 250 cs above my BMR.

David, i hope the food was yummy. The very wise sunnigummi suggested my higher calorie day/splurges should be looked on as a metabolism booster.

Tanna, I would get back to that calorie counting. But it is ok to have a free day every once in a while.

Lori did you temporarily raise your calories? i think you should do a 2 days at 1800cs, do like this 1800, 1800, 1600, 1400, 2000. you don't have to be exact on the 0s, just in the range of them

blueridgegirl~WOOOOHOOO WAY TO GO!

emileigh~thanks so much~yes It is very diffcult to have anxiety attacks~good job On your weigh in~Good luck with the last pound


Tanna Banana~I feel guilty I sent candy in to my kids teachers ! Never really thought of how much they proboly get...I will remember that next year

Jae165~Hopefully we see some results soon!!! We should just hang in there

david ~holidays times are tough so just hang in there...Never give up. Congrads on winning the polo I never win anything~LOL

jendiet~I am trying too but sometimes forget and still end up aorund 1400 a day...Yesterday I ate 1700 So I am trying...Will let ya know how it goes.

HUGS TO EVERYONE!!!!! HAVE A SUPER WEEKEND!

Were gettting a big snow storm here in Ohio over the weeend so If the electric goes out I will be online as soon as it is back on.

Hello everybody, its been a while since ive had a chance to check in. The kids and I caught a real nasty stomach virus monday and it has taken us all week to finally get over it,it was awful!I can't remember the last time i was that sick

So,anyways...looks like everyone is doing good...trying to hang in there. I haven't lost a single lb yet this month. Ive been keeping my eye on everything that goes in my mouth so all is good. As soon as all the holiday's are over with i will start losing. Right now im just happy to maintian.

Hugs to everyone, High fives to everyone losing..awesome job!

I have lost weight by not eating as much as i used to. I have a high metabolism and get hungry a lot. Small protein snacks till lunch and dinner gets me through.

Snacks are a great idea! Are you going to join the Christmas Challenge?


Whoops! Forgot to finish my post before I submitted!

Lori- Don't worry about sending the teachers candy. We really do appreciate the thought. Usually I'll eat a piece or two (when I'm being good) and put the rest in the teacher's lounge. It gets eaten. Trust me!

jendiet- You're so right. I'm getting back to counting TODAY! I took off Thursday and Friday, and while I know it's likely temporary, I'm up a couple of pounds. It will come off really quick though- especially if I get back to counting and exercising. I can't be too upset because I did it to myself. haha

Stay strong ladies! It is so hard for me not to cave to social pressure! I'm really glad that I am done with work for the holidays, and we only have one more party to go to. It can be done!!!

still 172.8...if I get at least a 171.? I will have made goal. I'm going to work out today, and slightly drop my calories...

good to see you are sticking with it tanna.

Howz it going Lori...I use the same method I used to STOP eating at a consistent point, to keep eating until a certain pt...food journal.

hey sci, that is a good idea. I am trying to eat more protein from other sources such as nuts and beans, and cottage cheese.

misspriss..i am glad you and the kids are better!

Wow Christmas is next week! So...my Christmas goal is going to be... TO STOP EATING SWEETS and to clear my entire house of sugary items by Christmas. And no matter how many boxes of chocolates and candy I receive over the holidays, they will all be re-gifted!

I usually allowed myself sugar once a week, but I recently gained a little and need to make some changes. Therefore I'm cutting out sugar altogether except agave nectar and maple syrup. That's my challenge

Good luck to everyone!

Just a super quick post ~I am as busy as can be. I am cleaning The whole house~I always clean out closets & ect. before the kids open there Gifts on Christmas~that way they can find them for at least a few weeks after~LOL!

Anyways Jendiet~I upped my calories for the last 3 days(counting today) and Finally got some results~I refigured everything and here is what i came up with...day 1 Approx 1800 calories....day 2 Approx 1700 calories...Day 3 ~Which is today 1590 calories...I am done for today. I finally saw results On the scale ~167.4~I have been 168 to 169 ish for going on 2 weeks....Even had some days it said 170 ~So I am gonna continue with this and see how it goes...I am so glad to have seen you post your had a 2 pound loss after adjusting....My fingers are still crossed that the adjustment of our calories is what we both needed !!! Oh~Also I actually have more energy & do more whit a little more calories a day In my body...So I am hoping this continues to work.


Tanna,Misspriss, sci,RienQueNny ,& EVERYONE ELSE HUGS~TO ALL!!!! WORK HARD ~STAY STRONG JUST 6 more days til Christmas.


OH nearly forgot to add My goal was to lose 5 pounds (which would be to get to 167.2 ~I was 167.4 today So I am just .2 away~LOL~My luck I am so dang close

Hi all! I joined the challenge back at the beginning but have had trouble keeping up w/ all the various threads on the site lol...just discovered the "subscribe" option though so hopefully that will help!

I'm with those of ya'll who've been going up and down and had to experiment w/ the calorie counts. I made it to 123.0 on Dec 3, but have been back up as much as 126.0 since then. Not horrible but definitely the wrong direction! I took a couple days off from counting when I was sick. It sucks when it feels like a couple days undoes a couple weeks! I know it doesn't really, but it sure feels like it when you see the higher numbers on the scale again. Back to 123.2 as of today and really hoping to see 122 for the first time soon! That is all that is keeping me away from the peanut butter cookies right now, lol...I was supposed to go to a party tonight, but got snowed in (over a foot of snow!) and trapped in the house w/ the batch of PB cookies I had already baked to take with (figuring I could enjoy one or two at the party and not have the leftovers in the house). Aaah lol! I've been good and only had 3 over the course of the entire day, and still kept to my allotted calories...but I really want another one right now lol. Keep telling myself I can have it tomorrow...after hopefully seeing a lower number on the scale first!

well, my scale has been up all week...i thought going home last weekend and dining out alot hadn't affected me THAT much...but since wed. I've fallen back into the 190's...its soooo depressing! it kinda has put a big 'ol rut in my motivation! i've only exercised 2x this week AND haven't been tracking my calories...but reading through all the threads has "kinda" gotten me back into the mood again...i'm definitely not going to meet my goal of 5lbs...sucks, but it's my fault, no1 elses...

So after a week off, I'm back on track as of RIGHT NOW! lol if i could see 188.2 (lowest point met 12/7/09) by Jan 1st, I'll be happy...that will make a loss of 27lbs for the year....not too bad, better than a gain for the yera

Keep up the good work everyone!! Thanks for posting & motivating me to not fall off the wagon for too long!!! Hope everyone on the east coast is doing OK in all the snow!!! Wish we had some here in TN!!! I miss WV!

Well I got on the scale and it told me 193.5. I started at 199. I wanted to lose 6 pounds. I have half a pound to go. I may just make it

wow! Aislene, that is great! You are speeding along.
KDM, you can do 188.2--I just bet you will do better by New Year's.
untamed, way to go on self control with the pb cookies. I have a love affair with gingerbread myself.
yay, yay, yay Lori...Of course some will say you just naturally got through the plateau, but I think the calorie increase was the catalyst.
AFM: 172.4 this morning. I am going to continue with the higher calories staggering..hopefully, I will see a good decrease by a lb! by Christmas. I really really want to see 16?.? by New Years.