yep... it's the new "improved" 12 WEEK CHALLENGE... anybody game?

The eating frenzy over the holidays has slowed considerably, but alas it's not completely out of my system yet. How about you?

In my dim recollection I seem to remember for Week One we each put out there what we believe are reasonable goals to achieve by the end of 12 weeks... and what we think could help us get there.

For anyone who's reading this for the first time... all are invited to join in and share in motivating, humoring, and driving each other to lose wieght, or maintain, etc. We "Challenge" ourselves and our buddies - over the next three months - with inspiration, reward ideas, exercise bouts...recipie suggestions, etc. How about it? We'd love to have you add some new blood (not literally)

Patch

Thanks for starting this again.

Here's one thing that I would like to instill in myself --drinking water. If I could habitually drink 56-64 oz. of water each day without bring out the hairshirt, I would consider the challenge successful.

Maybe another would be to journal the end of the day more consistently and perhaps writing down this e journal will help.

Patch, you are doing great. You are down 5# from 12 weeks ago. Give yourself a bit of a break and a pat on the back.

lala

edited for stupid spelling mistakes

I really need a challenge. I have been struggling big time. Hopefully this is the push I need.

I'm ready for the challenge!

I think most of my holiday eating is out of my system...at least that's my hope! I've hidden the Chex mix (out of sight, out of mind) so hopefully that'll help. I'm also back to working a couple of evenings for WW and that's a good motivator to stay on track as well.

Goal for this challenge: To get to my ultimate, personal goal of 135 and to get moving more.

To get there I need to make sure I journal everything (BLT's), drink my water, and remember to walk as much as I can! I'm going to start wearing my pedometer to see how many steps I'm getting each day. My goal will be to get the 10,000.

Patch: Thanks so much for keeping us going! I know this challenge has helped me as well as everyone else who takes part.

I'm heading to my regular meeting today at noon and am anxious to get back into my regular routine. I'll post my "starting" weight after my WI.

UPDATE: Went to my meeting and much to my surprise I'm down 2.4#...on another note, at the beginning of the last challenge my starting weight was 137.2 and for this challenge my starting weight is: 139 At least I can say I know how to maintain

I'd love to join this challenge. I'm new to this forum, so bare with me until I figure this thing out.

My goals for the next twelve weeks will be mainly related to exercising, but I also need to drink more water!

Who am I? I've been lifetime member for 1 1/2 years and haven't paid once yet! But I can always need the motivation!

Exercise. I need to do more. I have many reasons to become more fit, but I need a kick in the butt. I might take my measurements as a way to measure my success, as weight is not enough.

Muffin Mich (yes, I eat muffins, it's my usual breakfast)

Hey there all! and a special welcome to Muffin Mich

I'm a bagel fiend myself - but find that by having one in the morning it "feeds" my soul.

Lala - Water is a biggie for me as well... I'd be happy though to have even 32oz per day. So that will be my goal for the rest of this week -- to have 3 large glasses of H2O during the day.

I also want to commit to exercising a bit more strenuously and really help retone my body.

Yo Myra and Melissa!!!

And... where are the rest of youse guys?

Patch

Patch and Mich, power to you being able to eat all those carbs for breakfast. I can't do it. If I don't have a protein based breakfast then it is all downhill from there.

Welcome Muffin Mich! This is a great place to get some extra motivation and help to keep on track.

I'm with Myra, I have to have protein in the morning in order to feel like I've eaten otherwise I'm feeling empty and it just starts a downward spiral. A bagel just doesn't cut it for me.

I've been doing good with getting my water in and keeping my points in the area where I can lose my December weight.

Patch: I was wondering the same thing...where is everyone???

Greetings ladies,
Count me in on the challenge - my goal to maintain now that I'm back in my comfort zone. Have to keep up the exercise and cut back on the night time eating - my Achilles' heel.

I'll probably use my weigh in on Saturday and post it on Mondays. I am leading a new WW meeting starting on Jan 18 and will probably have that be my "official" weigh in day. I still weigh myself at home very regularly.

Official weigh in on January 3rd at WW: 145.6
Weigh in at home since then: averages about 142.0

Later,

I'm here.

Hello Muffin Mich - are you from Mich?

So far this week my biggest challenge has been the after work/before dinner munchies. I pretty much use up all my points before DP gets home and I have to resort to no dinner.

Its irritating and really bothers her.

Oh well, maybe she should get home earlier. I really don't want to change my schedule around. I like going to the gym in the morning and I work until 5 or 6 most nights anyways and with obligations, dog putterings and other gack, I don't have lots of spare time at night that isn't structured.

Its amazing how much damage you can do in 15 minutes with some bread, cheese and fruit.

lala

I can do lots of damage with cheese too, that's my soft point.

As for the carbs for breakfast, during the weekend, I have high protein breakfast, but I have to leave too early for work, so I keep frozen muffins at work. I need to make some more, though, I'm all out. So this morning, I had a bowl of oatmeal instead. I drank water and it kept me going all morning. That's not always the case, but it usually works.

Oh, and I'm not from Mich, just short for Michelle.

Muffin Mich

Did someone say cheese??? That's one of my biggest challenges! I have to steer clear of the cheese trays because it's soooo easy to pop the little buggers in my mouth without even batting an eyelash! I love the Laughing Cow Wedges (1 point per wedge) and they've helped me a lot. Lala, I can totally relate to not realizing how much you've eaten when it comes to cheese, fruit & bread.

So, does anyone have anything going on this weekend that will present a challenge? Any dinners out, etc.?

I actually have kind of a quiet weekend--Saturday the boys go bowling in the morning and Sunday I'm working at WW for the morning meeting. Other than that just the usualy household stuff (laundry, dusting, etc.) and most likely snow shoveling since the weather forecast is calling for snow all weekend long. On the bright side I'll get some nice AP's in!

Katie: Welcome back!!! My official weigh in day is Wednesday so that's when I post my figures for the week. Night time eating has always been a challenge for me, especially after dinner and things quiet down. It's a hard habit to get out of but I've found that if I plan points for a snack and only use what I have then I'm okay.

Hi Melissa and Michelle (glad you straightened that out),

No plans for the weekend. Working most of the weekend, trying to get data into the same world that my other data exists in and maybe installing some software on the server that can't be done during the week, some house straightening and the usual.

DP and I are leaving for Brussels and Antwerp on Thursday, so its definitely clean living me for. I am frightened that I will go off my marginally well planned and executed last 10 days, but I'm going to try and do my best. I'm going to beg off going to Paris because that seems to be my downfall. Repeat after me, "Macaroons will be there when I weigh 119 lbs. I will enjoy them more when my pants are loose".

Okay, I'm weighing in this evening. The scale says no change, but I feel way better - less poochy.

lala

I don't have big challenges this weekend. At last minute, we decided to go out tonight with the ILs tonight, but MIL is also on WW, so we chose a restaurant that is point friendly (hopefully). It's a place that serves fresh fish and seafood, so it shouldn't be difficult. I'll let you know after the event.

I decided that for this challenge, I will not keep track of points, but I'm going to keep track of my water, my veggies and my exercise. Yesterday was good, but I didn't have one glass of water yet today! I'm getting up right after this to get some. You see? This challenge is already working for me!

Muffin Mich
141/121/124

Hi guys. I'm here too - back to work after a three-week hiatus. Hadn't intended to be away so long, but as luck would have it, I pulled a muscle in my back while shovelling snow last Sunday and spent the past seven days either horizontal or hobbling around the house moaning about my horrendous luck. Anyway, that's behind me now. Back is still not normal, but I'm well enough to be out and about.

Happy to see the "old" gang back for the challenge, and at least one new face. Welcome Mich.

I will concentrate on two things - drinking enough water and cutting back significantly on the amount of high-calorie, low nutritional value foods that have crept back into my diet lately. My goal is to get under the 140 mark by the end of the 12 weeks. As always, I'll be happy with any loss that gets me closer to my personal goal of 138.