Pink - it's all about the everything bagel for me... sometimes a breakfast sandwich (if I'm up in time haha). You're right, they aren't horrible. I think what it is is after a few days of settling for Tim Horton's for lunch, I realize I've eaten like 1 vegetable all week. Their soups tend to be very low cal though, but our school only ever has cream soups and I'm not a fan!

That's a great goal btw! 5 lbs in 2 weeks will require hard work but I'm sure you can do it, don't give up!

Oh gosh, I'm so worried about keeping up my diet when the school year starts. I'll have to be super attentive. My goal is to keep on losing weight at a healthy, steady rate, and to keep going into the school year. Good luck, ladies!

Ok ladies, I am about to go "off plan" and I'm going to skip a weigh-in on Monday but all for a great reason! For my senior capstone (like a senior project) I am working as a camp counselor at a week long camp through CAP- Cascades AIDS Project. The camp is for kids 5-12 years old who are affected by HIV/AIDS whether it's through being infected themselves or through having an immediate family member infected with the virus. I leave Saturday morning and get back the following Friday and I have to say- I am SOO excited for the experience. I will be off plan only in that I will have to eat camp food but they tend to have pretty healthy options from what I have heard, but my diet is NOT going to be my main focus, but rather the kids and making sure they are having fun and I'm creating bonds with them and the fellow adults and getting the most out of the experience.

I do have an idea though as this is the last week for some girls I think. I was wondering since this thread was such a hit and hugely helpful to me- if possibly continuing on with it but setting our goal for "first term challenge" or "pre-winter break challenge" since some school are trimesters, some are semesters, but I'm pretty sure all get a break prior to Christmas. I just think it's great to have a place specific to college life where we can talk about homework and exams and our futures

Ashleigh - that sounds like really wonderful, meaningful work that you will be doing for the next week! We will forgive you for missing Monday I think a school year thread is a great idea. Someone else mentioned it too so I'm sure more people will be on board. I think winter break is a good time frame... some of us will be going back home and seeing relatives and friends for the first time in a while...would be good motivation to "WOW" them when we get back! For those of us not going away it is still motivation to look fab for all the pictures that are taken around that time! (Oh and of course we do it to make ourselves happier and healthier too haha)

The work you're doing sounds amazing, Ashleigh! I love kids, and I hope you have a great week.. we'll let you off the hook for your weigh-in, but just this once.

I'm down for the school thread/challenge, too! I haven't gotten any positive weight-related comments yet (which is annoying) but since I'm away from most of my friends/family for the school year, so it'll be nice to have motivation to make sure people actually notice.. and to talk about school things. Should we make it in the 20-somethings board?

I'm shocked to hear you haven't had any comments, pink. 30 lbs is no small feat. Did you take before pics? I think I'll post mine when I hit 20 - the halfway mark. I try and revisit them any time I feel like this is pointless.

I'd say either the 20-somethings or the Chicks Up For a Challenge board. Wherever we post it, we'll need to make it clear that it's a winter break challenge and not just any old Christmas challenge!

This sounds awful.. but I really didn't think I'd be successful at this. I figured I would just try and see what I could do, but I never thought I would be so committed.. and alas, no before pictures. Intentional ones, anyway.. there are plenty of me not looking how I'd like to.

That brings up another point.. *I* can see a difference, but feeling like no one else can is discouraging. I'm chalking it up to people not wanting to offend me by talking about weight issues, but they have no idea that I'd love just one person to say one thing so I know I've made a noticeable change. I guess I'm not as independent with this as I thought.

I think it's pretty normal to want encouragement from others. Part of it is feeling like people pay attention to you in general and notice changes in you. Part of it is also wanting that encouragement that your efforts are worth it. You're right - I think a lot of people don't want to say anything. I think I'll have to be at goal before most people notice/say something. I also think many people won't say it to you...I know that if I saw someone who looked like they'd lost weight, I'd be more likely to comment on that to a friend than directly to the person. Depends who it is I guess.

I think a lot of people do notice and want to comment but like you said- are afraid to say anything- I know I feel like that to people who I notice a difference but not sure if it's my place to say anything.

I think this board or the challenge one is good but like you girls mentioned, it is not a Christmas goal but rather a get-thru-first-term goal where our focus is on weightloss while going to school.

Unrelated: has anyone ever bleached their hair? I am doing a test strand as I type this. I did once but it was in high school and I was going from deep auburn and today I am medium goldeny (err more like brassy) blonde. I'm so scared my hair will be fried because it's pretty healthy now and feels so niceeeeeeeeee. Ah hair colour... I will never be fully satisfied!

You guys are probably right.. I know I'd be super offended if anyone commented on me gaining weight, so I should probably be happy that I can see a difference.

and I've only ever streaked my hair with blonde, sophie. I have super dark brown hair though, and I remember the very first time I streaked it, I decided to use one of those awful drugstore hair-through-the-cap kits.. I didn't know how to do it and it ended up looking terrible. :P

I got a purple streak put in my hair in a salon a few years ago and they bleached it a few times first.. still turned orangey and my hair never felt the same in that spot until it finally grew out. I have heard that using a purple-toned shampoo takes the brassy yellowness out of your hair, but I'm not sure if it's a sometimes thing, or a product you'd need everyday.

Those caps are terrible!!! They make it so streaky. Purple streak sounds fun - too bad about the hair going weird. I do use a purple shampoo about twice a week, I think I need to start using it more often though.

I took the plunge and bleached at home. I still have to put a toner over it which will add colour back into it since right now it's just pale yellow. You'll see the results in a few weeks with the first day of school pics Hopefully it turns out.

Aug 5 - 183
Aug 13 - 182
Aug 19 - 183
Aug 23 - 179
Sept 2 -

As you see, slow-going until Aug 23. I have no idea where those three pounds went over the weekend. I used my stationary bike Saturday and Sunday, but the three pounds were gone by Monday. Two days three pounds? Not good. I don't even know. Water retention weirdness maybe. The thing is, I'd been losing weight steadily through July until my period, at which point I hit a full stop. Here's hoping that doesn't happen again this month.

Quite nervous about returning to college and deciding on classes. I hope I can keep some semblance of my recent exercise routine. But I sweat like CRAZY on the stationary bike. It's going to be so embarrassing when I go to the school gym.

hey Polli, I just commented on your last thread before checking this one here lol. Glad you joined us! slow going is still going so that's good!

GUYS!! I weighed in today as a part of a Halloween challenge I'm in, and I've hit my not-obese-anymore goal! 214.5 this morning for a BMI of 29.9!! I'll weigh-in again on Monday for our thread, but I just had to share my excitement


.. but now I need a new goal for school. 210 is too far away still.. hmm..