Hi Koshi. Melissa started the challenge, so I guess it's at her discretion whether or not you can join, but I can't imagine it would be a problem. Besides, we need more voices around here. The dialogue seems to have dwindled to only Diana and me (and sometimes Terapet). Welcome and good luck!

@Diana - Another thing I thunk of. I know you've had several stuck weeks, but have you ever calculated your average? If I remember correctly, you and I started about the same time (mid-April) so if you've lost 22 pounds in 12 weeks that's an average of 1.8 pounds per week! That's not bad at all! In fact, it's pretty stupendous!

Hey and thanks,

even if i dont join in properly i can still have a chat with u ladies and pick up some hints its been a while for me

Sounds like you guys are having some great losses so far, 22lbs in 12 weeks thats awsome, averaging it out is the best long term way to look at it in my opinion, that way when you get to the inevitable plateau if you look back at what you lost so far and what u have to go to your target, its less worrying, if you are shedding the odd 1/2 lb rather than 2-3. if that made sense lol

sometimes i get lost in what im saying

Rochester, pretty much all of what you said were very good points. I have been doing measurements, once every 2-3 weeks... I think it's coming up again for me to do them, so that should be interesting. Last time I had lost a little more than 8 inches in about 3 weeks, so that didn't suck!

And I never considered figuring out my average! I started April 21st, which puts me at about 10 weeks right now, which is an average of 2.2 pounds a week. And that calculation right there just made me feel a lot better about all this.

Time to get my butt back in gear for real. As dumb as it is, sticking at 244 has just made me fall into some not so great habits over the last few days, because I was frustrated. Throw the holiday weekend on top of that, and clearly my next statement is that I *Still* weigh 244 today! Imagine that. I'm happy that I managed to not gain, though. So that part at least doesn't suck! Hanging out at 22 pounds lost is certainly better than gaining some of it back. Yes yes yes.

Have you guys heard of Skinnyr? It's my most recently discovered tool in my weight loss. It creats a graph for you as you enter in your weight daily/weekly/however often you feel like doing it. The kind of thing where it's nice to see the mostly downward trend of everything. My line has gone very flat the past nine days...

So I haven't been on in a long time. I am currently sitting around 180. So four pounds lost. But I have been stuck in a rut. My weight has fluctuated the same 2 pounds. 179 to in the 181 area for like two weeks now I think. I need a push!!!

Ninepaw: 2.2 pounds a week average is AWESOME! Especially looking over a relatively ling term. Losing that much a week or even a bit more is much easier in the first few weeks on a new plan. But with time usually you hear that weightloss slows and plateus. So to maintain that average is doing incredible well.

Hey guys! Sorry I've been absent. I've been posting in short spurts and haven't time to catch up.

I wanted to come and update how I'm doing in this challenge. I am 1/3 of my way to where I want to be by labor day, but I am only about 1/2 a dress size from where I wanted to be!!

I have lost 10 pounds since the start from 184.6 down to today, 174.4. I was a 14 at the start of the challenge and now I am finding my 12's are quite comfy, but 10's are still too tight. I really want to be comfortably in 10's by the start of school. And I think I will be!

How are you all doing?

Welcome back ma26 and Eliana! Ma26, around here we're very good at pushing and poking and prodding (aka encouraging) so you're in the right place! Just remember that there are a lot of factors that contribute to stuckedness, so don't overfret it. (Wow, 2 made-up words in 1 sentence! )

Diana, 2.2 pounds per week average and 8 inches is certainly an accomplishment! You're on the right track.

"Stuckedness" My new favorite word.

My world in our new home is now complete! I grew up in a town where at the age of 8 I could walk anywhere...ANYWHERE. School, the library, the park, the river, the post office, a diner, a candy store, a shoe store...you get the idea. I've dreamed of living in such a reality again ever since, but so far it's been a pipe dream. In our last home, because we lived on such a busy road, the only place we could walk to was the fire station and I walked there to vote just because I could!

Since moving, it's a bit dangerous for the kids, but with me we do ok. We can walk to two grocery stores and an O'Charlies (restaurant) and Lowes. Now today, I got brave enough to try to walk to an ice cream place and we did it!! You'd have to understand where we live to get why this is such a big accomplishment. We have to be creative as the "beaten path" is really too dangerous to walk and the intersections we have to cross are intimidating. But we did it! We walked three miles round trip for an ice cream cone.

My world is complete! My only wish is that we could walk to a park or a library but alas, we can not. There's a whole world of shops, stores and restaurants just across the street...but that "street" is an interstate. So that's out of the question.

Hi everyone! I've been out of town a little and then yesterday I had the stomach flu!! Still not feeling 100%. Good news is I lost 2 pounds yesterday. Think I should publish my new stomach flu instant diet success book???

Glad to see this thread is still kicking!

Hi Everybody,

I am back from the Midwest. I brought an extra pound back with me! I thought it would be much worse. I ate a lot of goodies! It was just all too delicious to let get by. The trick now is to get back to a controlled eating plan. Eating whatever I want whenever it is offered is not going to cut it. I thought I would be able to post while on vacation but I lost the connecting piece to the battery for the laptop. I ended up having to replace the entire battery unit. Anyway, glad to be back and catch up with all of you.

fc-sorry to hear you had a stomach virus. I will gladly skip the details of that plan. Thanks anyway!

Eliana-That was a nice way to earn your ice cream! Too bad about all the traffic. I enjoy a good walk also.

Rochester-Lucky you to have all that muscle! That proves the number on the scale is just one way to look at things.

ninepaw-Hang in there girl. I have been hovering around the same number for ages. It still beats hovering at the weight I was at two months ago! Just keep working at it.

Koshi-Welcome. Sounds like you are ready and willing to lose some pounds again. Go for it!

ma26-Congrats on the four pounds lost!

Goodness, I've missed a few posts! I was off elsewhere all day yesterday, so I was unable to check in here. Anywho, I'm here to report that my weight has gone back up to 245 yeasterday and today. Unfortunate? Yep. End of the world? Absolutely not. At least I know my scale is still capable of change...

I'm not surprised or startled or shocked that it went up. I can only cheat out of frustration for so long before it goes up! So today I'm going to get back on track and all that... Woo hoo!

This heat is absolutely amazing for weight loss. When its 100 plus for several days straight, you simply have no real appetite. Or at least I certainly dont. Its a chore to eat even things I love. Anyway..the workout, since I do all my working out outside, has been virtually nil the last 2 days. Even at 6 am, it was hideous outside, and I just dont deal with that kind of heat well. However, I weighed in this morning at an even 156. I simply cant wait to see that second digit be a 4. I hit non obese at 142, so just seeing the 4 will give me a huge smile, even when its 149. It seems crazy to be excited about being JUST overweight..but it is a big difference I think.

Hope you are all holding up under the heat, and having great days.

Good Morning Girls,

I went to my Y body sculpting class this morning. I used very light weights while I get back in the swing of things. I am having the worst cravings today. I am sure it has to do with all the goodies I ate on vacation. It is like the saying "the more you cave, the more you crave". I hope I can get past this. Before vacation I was really into losing weight but since I got back I am kinda blah about it. Not a good attitude for losing, although perfect for gaining. I am just in a crazy place with being out of work and not a whole lot going on. It was really fun hanging out with the family everyday on vacation but now it is back to the old routine. The plus side is routine is helps me to stay on plan.

Tornado-I am anxious to see 149 also. It has been a loooong time. Thanks for reminding me. I think I might post that number around my house where I will see it often and just go for it.

Tornadosiren - Hang in there! I'm sure you'll see 149 in no time.

Terapet - Ah, yes... I just got over a short bout of lacksidasical diet mindset myself... Being stuck at 244 for 9 or 10 days bugged the crap out of me... WHich is silly, because I know that plateaus are just bound to happen, and there's no way around it! But it was irritating and discouraging anyway, and I fell into a couple of old habits that involved pizza and italian food and some other things all in the span of a few days... And surprise surprise, I gained a pound! I think you just need to find something that'll jump start you again - Something you can push yourself to do that you don't know if you can, so that when you DO manage to do it, you feel empowered and awesome and like you really CAN do this! That's how I got out of my rut - Running W5D2 of C25K yesterday made me feel so good, and so proud of the progress I've made... It reminded me that if I keep working on it, I'll get back down to and pass 244, no problem. You say you don't have a lot going on... That's the best time to focus on all of this, I think. That's how I'm doing it, anyway. Keep on movin' along, we'll make it where we want to be eventually!

And I did get back to 244 today, after two days of 245. Life is good... Now it's time to see 243!

Hi girls!
I didn't drop off the face of the planet! I'm still here... a little bit of enjoying a short summer, a little bit of self pity... a binge, but I'm here. I'm not up any weight, so I've been pretty much maintaining the past month.

I weighed in today and I was down .6... I'd say that's better than a slap in the belly with a wet fish. I've been to the gym Tues and Weds, plan on going today and Friday...weekend off from there since I work all weekend.

I'm totally ready to keep going... I'm glad (hoping?) my speed bump was minor!

Now...off to read your posts!
((hugs))

PS: I think I can still reach my goal of getting to 240 for Sept 1.