I do jigsaw puzzles, mostly.

1. What do you prefer we call you? Anna, Anna B or Tee/Onthetee

2. What weightloss plan are you using? calorie counting

3. What is your favorite exercise? elliptical or running

4. What is one area that you struggle? 3-5 in the afternoon. Kids' downtime; I tend to graze.

5. What is one area of your weightloss journey that you excel at? I exercise regularly.

6. What is your short term goal? Get the heck under 150, geez.

7. What will you reward yourself with when you reach that goal? getting to 140

8. Best weight loss tip? stop late-night eating; keep moving

9. Bob or Jillian? Jillian

10. Tell us about yourself!
I homeschool two kids. DH and I are starting a new business. I am a sometimes-employed writer. I have the most wonderful family and the best friends in the whole world. I could not be more lucky.

Hoosier Heather, are you near Indy?

I try and keep both hands busy typing on the computer.

Yaaayyyy! I just won another WATP dvd. Walk and Jog and Express 2 pack w/1 & 2 mile walks. Hopefully they will be here soon.

This was a good idea as I am brain dead to write anything clever about me--but I think I can manage a few questions, lol.

1. What do you prefer we call you?
Maggie or Maggs

2. What weightloss plan are you using?
My own--mostly counting calories and keeping away from processed foods.

3. What is your favorite exercise?
Dancing

4. What is one area that you struggle?
Acceptance that is has to be a lifestyle change not a temporary weightloss plan.

5. What is one area of your weightloss journey that you excel at?
If at first I don't succeed--I try and try and try and try again.

6. What is your short term goal?
I like to drop another 20.

7. What will you reward yourself with when you reach that goal?
A pair of low-rise jeans minus the muffin tops, lol.

8. Best weight loss tip?
Eat and move for you life.

9. Bob or Jillian?
I prefer Bob's gentler way. If I were a fitness trainer (hmmm--that's a thought), my motivating style would be more like Bob's--you feel guilty if you don't give him your all.

10. Tell us about yourself!
42 married, working mom of a 16 year old. Have gained and lost the same 30 lbs for more than 25 years. I'm real good at losing--it's just maintaining that's a b@#%h!!

Won? Were do you win these?

Wow, I can't believe other guys haven't joined in on these challenges. My friend and I love the show and when I saw this sub-forum, I knew I had to try! I'm hoping the thought of Jillian screaming at me will help push me when I want to quit.

I know her talk of interval training really got me through a tough 60 minutes on the bike today. I'm even thinking about doing another 30 and maybe some Walk Away The Pounds.

Take care all!

John

When my fingers are not busy on the keyboard they are knitting. I attribute some of my first 20 lb loss to the completion of 4 scarfs, 3 pairs of socks, 1 hat, 1 knitted backpack and 1 sweater. I am working on the next 20 with a blanket and will be trying to knit a pair a gloves next .

Wow, I am loving all the intro posts. We're an interesting bunch! John - welcome to the challenge, hope we're not too much of an estro-fest for you!

Well ladies+John, I think I'll be popping in and out tonight to say hello. We're having CRAZY wind right now (65kmh with gusts of 80+kmh!) and DBF just left for work, so I'm a litttle nervous being home alone!

Thanks to everyone who is sharing their anti-munching strategies - there are some great new ones that I'll have to try!

John, are you by any chance the same John that was on one of the TBL finales? And you have a pic with Bob that I think chelle posted? And you were on ellen?

Sportmom, eBay auctions.

Maggie: I don't think I've heard of anyone whose weight loss has been so productive! I really need to take up knitting...

Purple: My best tactic for night eating in the past was having someone around who you can't wait to jump into bed with! But when that is not an option, I like to have a scheduled snack at maybe 8 or 8:30 (I try for 2-3 hours before bed) and then mentally declare the kitchen closed, lights off and everything. Mostly it works, sometimes it is tough. Drinking tea also seems to help sometimes, or just going to bed.

John: Welcome! Now imagine your teammates are 60 Jillians yelling at you at once! I know we're all really rooting for you to succeed and boost us to a victory, even though in a week we'll all be rolling our eyes at how much faster guys usually lose than women... In any case, good for you that you're here and I wish you willpower and success.

Chelle: I appreciate you understanding my stressful, boozy lifestyle but I'm doing my best to overcome... Thanks so much for all your hard work putting this together, and I can't believe I didn't realize you were so young. I'm 25 and I couldn't imagine buying a house for at least 4 or 5 years. Big congrats, and good luck with the painting. Definitely a good workout!

Selina: I have got to say, your photo in your sig is gorgeous, and seeing that and hearing about all your little ones running around, I am in awe. A girl I hung out with when I was a little kid always had foster kids in her house, along with 5 bio and adopted kids, and it was such a fun, warm, wonderful place to be. Really admirable that you're willing and able to open up your home like that.

Nadalie: NYC is awesome but living here definitely isn't for everyone. I think I'll probably move to a slightly less huge, hectic city when I'm done with school, probably either Boston or San Francisco. I spent a weekend in Minneapolis once and loved it - the people were just so sweet and lovely, I couldn't believe it.

Marianne: I have learned that you need to tread lightly when it comes to Bob. I don't HAAATE him or anything, I'm just saying - you guys can have him. I don't get to watch the show as much as I wish I did, since I always end up having stuff going on Tuesday nights. I say "pretending to train for a marathon" because it's 8 months away and if I commit now to running 4x per week for all of that time I'm going to end up not doing it and I'll just be disappointed. So, for now, I'm reveling in how far I can run, and while I do it I picture that I'm running my Iceland Marathon in August. (And that right afterwards I put on a bikini and look gorgeous while I recover on the beach in Scandinavia.)



PFEW! OMG you guys. First off, this is fun. There are a million and a half of us. I only did personals to the people who wrote me and a couple of others because otherwise I'll never make it to bed tonight, but I read everyone's posts and everyone is so interesting and determined. I am definitely feeling inspired.

The last few days have been a paper-writing blur, and I can tell you it hasn't been pretty, but it's done and now I'm starting my regular spring classes, which is going to be busy but good. (I am a total geek and I really like law school.) I haven't bought groceries in a very long time and I've pretty much been living on toast with soy margarine, along with occasional delivery. I'm thinking tomorrow I will get up super early and go shopping in the morning so I can be all stocked up and get off the Toast Diet and onto the regular human eating plan.

I've been in a rut during winter break, stressing and stress eating just feeling crappy, but I am happy to have a fresh start. So, plan for tomorrow - eat real food, drink loads of water, and make up for today's 3-mile training run that I missed. If it's nice out I will probably go for 4 since that's how long my favorite route is and I am behind on my miles for the month.

Hope everyone had a great day, and I'm really glad we're all in this together!

1. What do you prefer we call you? Karen

2. What weightloss plan are you using? Calorie counting.

3. What is your favorite exercise? All I can get my knees to do right now is WATP. But I'm going to a gym to try it out with a friend.

4. What is one area that you struggle? I eat too much preprocessed food. So too much sodium.

5. What is one area of your weightloss journey that you excel at? I tend to lose fast when I am staying on track.

6. What is your short term goal? 20 pounds. Already down 2.

7. What will you reward yourself with when you reach that goal?I don't know yet.

8. Best weight loss tip? Drink lots of water.

9. Bob or Jillian? Bob

10. Tell us about yourself! I'm 29. Going to be 30 next month sighhh. I have a toddler who is turning 2 this weekend and I don't know how I am going to survive. I have been big for as long as I can remember. Luckily I'm tall. I live in New Hampshire. 2 days ago it was 50's and today we have a blizzard. You gotta love it.

It's my time now.

1. What do you prefer we call you?
Bev

2. What weightloss plan are you using?
just counting calories and watching what I eat. I have a hard time sticking to just one type of eatting plan.

3. What is your favorite exercise?
Workouts that combine cardio with weights

4. What is one area that you struggle?
Sticking to an eatting plan

5. What is one area of your weightloss journey that you excel at?
exercising- that part of it comes easy to me.

6. What is your short term goal?
I seem to lose weight really slow so I think 10% would be good. That means I would need to lose 17lbs.

7. What will you reward yourself with when you reach that goal?
new jeans and sexy top.

8. Best weight loss tip?
Keeping trying and don't quit.

9. Bob or Jillian?
I prefer Bob. Jillian seems to harsh to me. If I had a personal trainer I would do better with someone like Bob. Please he is such a cutie.

10. Tell us about yourself!
I am 40 years old, and have been married for 18 years ( with my husband 21 years). Boy, I don't feel that old. I can't believe I have been with him for so long. I have two children 14 and 10. I have been battling my weight my whole life. I have been trying to lose the same 30 lbs for 10 years now.

hmmm, yeah I can't believe it either - you SURE it was Minneapolis???

just kidding - MN ain't so bad though I do miss my Georgia and Southern life (and weather! )