I just don't know how many disclaimers I need to be putting in my posts. Maybe I should just put one in my sig line!

I love all of you here on 3FC and in TBL challenges. It is a competition, a challenge and I am glad to be part of it. We all contribute something to the process, regardless of what the scale says. WE ARE ALL SPECIAL, WORTHY OF LOVE AND ARE LOVELY!!!!!




No loss of focus, as I see it. Here's what Chellez posted, and all the comments after that are related to what she posted:

Mugsy is right about not focusing on who wins or loses. Guess I'm pretty sensitive this week cuz I'm struggling, and I had decided last night to try to focus on my emotional and spiritual side and not worry so much about losing the actual pounds. I know that if I fix the inside, the outside is going to follow. So I had this big brick lifted off my shoulders and felt like I can take my time to lose weight and do it little by little. It was like this spiritual awakening and learning to be happy with myself the way I am and take it step by step. But then I got on here and feel this pressure again to try to lose quickly. I just want to get myself out of that cycle and lose permanently this time, even if it means 1 pounds per week or heck, even a pound a month. I want to be happy with every step I take toward health.

Mugsy - Hugs! Thank you so much for your kind words!

Tina, I know how you feel. Food is an addiction that we have to deal with EVERY day. I would much rather be an alcoholic! You are doing GREAT though, and you should be very proud of yourself!

SoulBliss - Thanks for the post. Gonna have to print that one!!!

Rainlips- I had been walking a lot, and able to easily do 2-3 miles then when I first started traing for the marathon I overdid it and hurt my foot. I'm back in training now, but it's only my second week of training, the first week i walked 4 miles. I'm working on distance instead of speed right now so I did it in 1 hour 50 min.


QOTD: If you could change one thing about the TBL challenge, what would it be? Also, how do you think we should deal with no participating chat members?

I'm also a newbie, and while I can see where people would want to stay with the friends they have made in the last challenge, I'll play devil's advocate here and say then the new people would have a hard time getting any support. It is really easy to get into the habit of just reading and replying to people you are comfortable with, and not seeing those who you don't know. For a new person to come into that environment and not get very much support while others are getting tons of it would lead to not posting and dropping out.
As for the nonparticipating members, I know for me it is sometimes very hard to post, I try to post several times a week, but sometimes life gets in the way. Has anyone sent a nice pm to some of the non participants telling them we miss them and would like to get to know them a little better? sometimes you really want to be asked. Now I'll climb off my soap box.

As for gains and losing and staying OP, speaking for me I'm still working out the kinks in my diet. What I am working toward is a lifestyle change that will help me get healthy and be maintainable. I've done diets over the years and I can't mmaintain a weight loss from a specialized diet. I have some times stumbled and fell doing this and had some weight fluctuations. I am also training for an endurance event and as such need to eat enough to keep healthy, so I won't lose as fast as I could.

okay, I feel better. I was so agitated before that had to workout to get it out of my system - and ran my fastest 4.5 miles yet! yay!!! I just might be ready for a spring 10K!!! Can somebody get under my skin on race day? lololol!

I feel better that I am not the only newbie here, and that it seems people are committed to the Black team. Woot!

Tatiana - oh, I am so glad I helped! I was so hoping I didn't make you mad! Letting him know it is okay to remind you and stop you from sabotaging and making unhealthy choices will make you BOTH feel better. But you need to agree on it BEFORE the next burger attack strikes, lol!!! Also, btw, if you can't avoid fast food, ie. DH is dying for it, maybe eat something healthier? I love Wendy's grilled cx sandwhich, and get the mandarin oranges instead of fries. Or McDonalds grilled cx (hold the mayo) and NO fries, or the grilled oriental cx salad is awesome too! For breakfast the ham egg mcmuffin isn't terrible, and if you want to get really crazy, order it w/o the cheese. I can't believe I am going to admit this, but if I have it, I also pop out the egg yolk. DH can't stand when I "mutilate" my sandwhich, but he respects my diligence, lololol!!! Oh, the yogurt is also good too.

TODAY'S POSITIVE THING ABOUT ME: When I am good, I am very very good....last night DH wanted pizza and wings, but didn't want order something I couldn't have, but I told him go ahead. He had that, I had an awesome big salad and I was very satisfied and happy with my dinner. As was he, lolololol!

Also, my co-worker just brought in a huge cookie for me and I turned it down. Woo hoo!!!!

I think that is a beautiful place to be in. I know others who were in past challenges but have decided not to participate in the challenge this time due to being in that space. I may find myself not participating in the next challenge due to focusing more on lifestyle and not so much on pounds.

If this is to be a lifestyle, a lifetime commitment to excellence in health and wellness, it makes so much more sense to be in the moment with where we are in all ways, not just as reflected by the numbers on a scale, right?

I don't even OWN a scale...that shows you how I truly feel about it!

I am seeing that a different challenge for the future may be in order for such of us who are like minded.

Soulbliss and Tatiana - very nice posts!!

CeeGee, SoulBliss, Tatiana....AMEN.
As you can see by my previous weight loss total and my current weight loss posts, I am at a point where I am not "pulling large numbers". I am here because I am at the "working out" stage.

It took many years for me to get my head around the fact that I really needed to lose the weight, and I had to do it for me. After I figured that out, it took me another year to reel in most of my bad eating habits...some people don't like the WW point’s thing, and that is ok, but it worked for me. What I eat today is the exact opposite of what I had been eating in the past....but it was so hard for me to get that part, I never got started on the exercise part. Well, now I have started that part. I have been to the gym and worked out more in the 4 weeks of this challenge than I have in the past 20 years. I am remembering how much I used to love riding my bike, and lifting weights...I am so excited about this becoming a part of my life again.

I see my next phase as being the point where I replace the remaining bad eating habits (give up diet coke, cut out the remaining processed foods, choose more organically grown, etc., etc.).

This is a process, and I had to break the process into pieces or risk being overwhelmed and quit again. I'm not sure where the emotional and spiritual pieces of the process fall for me, but I am finally in a place where I am not daunted by the prospect of this journey.

Watch the show challenge for this week!:

1) workout of your choice during the show

and/or

2) 1-commercial break holding chair pose as long as you can. Rest and hold it again! do it as many times as you can for a whole commercial break! AND 1-commerical break holding plank pose for as long as you can. Rest and hold it again! Try to do that for a whole commercial break! AND (thought you were done huh?) 1-commercial break, shoulder press either with a light weight or without. (hold your arms out to your sides either holding a weight or pretending to, press your arms up over your head and back down. slow up-breathe out, slow down-breathe in)

Good luck!! and dont forget to come and tell your team how great you did!

Wow...Uhm, let me see. I just read the last 3 pages.

What I would change: I wouldn't mind the returning people to be on the previous teams and newbies spread out. That doesn't bother me and I'm a newbie.

As far as the posting requirements go, I see the need to be involved, but I'm not sure there should be a minimum requirement. One of the problems I had in the beginning was that there were so many posts that even when I read them all I couldn't remember what everybody said.

I think that maybe there could be more teams, like this TV season. Make a pink, purple, and green team when we have that many participants. If you have limited computer time and you have to read 4 pages to catch up, then you don't have time to respond. That has happened to me more than once.

I think that freebie weeks should only be used if we can't get to the computer. You don't see anybody on the show taking a pass if they thought they didn't do well. The challenge is to see who lost the most weight by the end, not who strategically eliminated their bad weeks.

I think I also viewed this challenge as a support group and not a hard core, shoot the weakest link competition. This has really jump started my weight loss personally and I think helped others keep trying who are struggling and would have given up without this thread to come to daily. I may be that person tomorrow, next week, or next month. I was that person for a year and a half before this challenge.

For years I chose food over everything: my health, my looks, my friends, and family, and especially my mental well-being. We all have or we wouldn't be posting on a site called 3 FAT CHICKS. Just because some of us have a grip on it right now doesn't mean, in my opinion, that they are the only ones who get to participate in this challenge or accurately report their gains or losses.

Having said that, I am very grateful for this challenge and all the support I've gotten here.

Wow.... to say that the boards have been hoppin today is an understatement! We had a funeral to attend this morning and I got home, posted the results and then had to take care of the kiddos until now (nap time...whew!)

So, here's my 2 cents:

QOTD: If you could change one thing about the TBL challenge, what would it be? Also, how do you think we should deal with no participating chat members?

As far as the teams remaining the same when a new challenge starts, I was all about that after the end of the last challenge. It was my first time ON the challenge, our team had its own adversities to get through within the team and I, quite frankly felt really connected to my old team mates because of it. I was one of the ones last challenge who said to keep the teams the same and re-distribute the newbies throughout the teams. However - I'm on the other side of it now and, though I miss my old team mates, I can see why Chellez re-did the teams. Had the Black Team been the same this time around, I think it would have REALLY made the newbies (I use that term with the utmost love and respect ) feel out of place to come into a team where really strong bonds had already been formed. So in a sense, by breaking the teams up the way Chellez did, we all are starting on the same page. Ya know? It is hard to get to know people and jump into a team when you're used to other people. The leaders in each team "lead" differently I'm sure, so it's hard to get adjusted to a new leader as well.
As far as the people on teams not posting to a chat, but just weighing in, I do take issue with that. I know that not everyone can post every day (look at my record) and that people also have things come up. But to sign up to be on a team and then never post on the chat, it's really like you're not on the team at all, therefore you shouldn't be considered as one of the teammembers. Everyone surely has 10 minutes in a week that they can stop in on here and say "hey everyone - I struggled with ______, I lost _____ you all are doing great.....". They make the time to post their weigh-ins, they can jump over here and post a message to the rest of us. Therefore, I am in favor of the idea that the Biggest Loser every week and for the entire thing should not be someone who was not active in the team chat. So that way people can still use the weigh-in posts to be accountable, but you can't claim the title. Otherwise everyone will look around in confusion and say "who is that? I don't remember them ever posting?"
And for the Freebie weeks, I do agree with previous posters that I have more respect for someone who will post a gain in a week. I do prefer to save mine for emergencies throughout the challenge. I will have TOM more than twice in a challenge and can't use my freebies anytime I have a gain. So, I don't really have a preference as a "team leader" as for what you do. If you feel better to take a Freebie week - that's your own perogative. Just know it won't make me upset or disappointed if you do post a gain.

I was not offended by anything that people wrote in previous posts. I do realize that we are all entitled to our own opinions as to how these things are ran. I have nothing by resepect for Chellez. I could not lead an entire challenge! I know how we women are

With that, I must go. The kids are waking up! yay!!!

Well, we've had a lot to talk about since this morning! I guess it won't hurt for me to put my two cents in. First off, this is my second challenge and I'm not on the same team as before. I think this works out better in the long run, as other people have said you get few close members chatting together and others may feel like they've been left out and we don't want that. I know I don't like to feel left out and I'm sure there are others that feel the same way. As for a participation requirement, I think there should be a minimum post criteria. I'd say once a week is fair and not too much to ask. It doesn't have to be tons of personals just a hi how ya doing, let us know you're doing ok would be sufficient. Its a team challenge and we need to be supportive and we do that by posting! Now as for use of freebies, we each are given two freebies to use at our descretion. I don't feel its right for someone to tell me just cuz I gained a couple pounds I should have to use it. What happens if you post a gain in week two and week four, then you gain again in week 9, you're out of freebies do you drop out of the challenge? I realize it is a competition, but life has ups and downs and weightloss is a learning experience for all of us. Are we going to always make the right choices prolly not, but what we learn from that experience is the most important. So I say they're your freebies use them when you want.

Good evening everyone. I was stopping back bye to see the results and the QUSTION. We got the chats flowing now! I was not hurt bye what was said...but I agree with dream. Us new people dont like to feel left out. I want everyone to know that I am back to my 149. I had to post 150 this last week. So next week i should be own again. I know that some find that being below 150 is cant be that hard of work but...I have been trying for 4 months now and I have finely done it!!! I want to thank all of you for the nice words and support. I try hard to make shure that I give it back. So thank you.

Rainlips-WAY TO GO! I'm proud of you! Whether it be 150 or 149 you are doing great! Losing weight IS hard work, no matter what you weigh. It may have taken four months to get there but to me that shows your strength and determination to lose the weight! Keep up the good work!

Ceegee-are you still looking for an exercise buddy? I sure could use one.

Yesterday was another op day

B-2 cups all bran with yogurt clusters
1 cup 1% milk
s-crackers with peanut butter
L-Turkey burger on 1 slice of sara lee delightful 100% multigrain bread
1 cup of red grapes
s-1 bag of M&M's
S-1 slice of multigrain bread with chicken breast lunch meat
1/2 cup ff cottage cheese

Calories:1472
Exercise: 40 minutes bowling
Water:96 oz

days on plan:

I measured today and I'm down 3 inches from two weeks ago. It's always nice to see results even though I posted a 2lb gain last week. I'm doing good so far this week, I weighed in and I'm down a lb.

I am not as active as some, but as someone said earlier, if you don't have access to the boards for the majority of the day, it's overwhelming to try and get thru all the posts and reply meaningfully to your team mates. Just too long to get thru it all. Perhaps there could be few more options. That being said, I may feel differently at the end of March, seeing how many folks have already quit posting their weights and thus dropped.

I used a freebie for my bad week, but have stepped up my cardio this week hoping to help my team, This one pound a week, for me, has to stop!

OK, everybody .

I was late getting on and reading all the posts- this is my clinical week at school so it is pretty hectic. I agree with everything Julz said, even though I am a newbie I think it'd be really hard to come into a team where relationships are already formed. It is hard being the newcomer, and I think it is really easy for the new person to feel ignored or left out.