Hi all!

I've recently re-joined this forum. I loved posting here last year when I was in the swing of things, but life happened and here I am back on the up side of the scale. But I always found the challenges helped to keep me accountable and were a great way to make friends with the same goals.

Anyway, I didn't see a Halloween challenge thread, so I thought I'd start one since it's one of my favorite holidays. Come on...let's scare off some of those unwanted pounds. The thinner we are by Halloween, the easier it will be to pass up all that fattening candy.

My sister and I have just started a weight loss blog (have never blogged before, and it's so much fun). It has really motivated me to stick to my diet and exercise routines. I'm down 11 pounds in 4 week, with my weigh in day on Mondays. But tomorrow will be exactly one month since we started, so we'll be weighing in and measuring again AND taking some more pictures. I'm very excited to see some major changes in those pictures because I've been working my ever-shrinking butt off this past month.

My goal for this challenge is to lose at least 15 pounds so that I'll be able to say that I'm in onederland! I'm dreaming of that day.


So who wants to join up? The more the scarier....ahem...I mean merrier.

ETA: Weight at the start of this challenge: 214

I love Halloween too, count me in. It would be frightful...I mean delightful if I weighed 149 for Halloween. I am currently 165 so that is a 16 lb. loss.

ETA I have changed my overall weight loss goal to 157, so that is my goal for Halloween.

Welcome, envelope!

I'm so glad you're going to join me. And we have similar Halloween weight loss goals, too. Congratulations on the 72 pounds you've lost so far. Very inspiring to me!

May I ask which diet and exercise plan you are following?

I calorie count and I jog. I am training for a 1/2 marathon on Sept 10....although I am very slow! As I approach my final training weeks before the race, I have bumped up my cals from an average of 1500 cals a day to an average of 1850. I have been losing weight for 2 years, although I gained some over this past winter. I am not going to gain this winter though, I am determined to lose this weight and then maintain!!!

Sounds great! When I first joined here last fall, I was doing calories counting and doing quite well with it. Then I had some minor surgery which prevented me from exercising and lifting anything heavier than 5 pounds for a couple months. I loved to exercise, so it made me depressed that I couldn't. Depression for me leads to overeating. I couldn't get my eating under control until just recently, but I had already put on almost all I had lost from April 2010 to November 2010. I was down to 169 with my goal weight in site. Ugh!

Oh well. No use crying about it, right?

I'm happy to hear that you are training for a 1/2 marathon. Good for you! I'd like to do a walk-a-thon when I lose about 50 pounds or so. My feet still ache something awful at this weight to even consider doing it until then. Something to look forward to.

I'm lovin' your determination!

Sure Im up for it! Really wanted to see how much I can take off before my grad in November so this will be really good way to keep me on track

That's great, shakaboo! What are you majoring in? How much are you striving to lose for this challenge. Which diet plan are you following?

I'm down a half pound this morning from Monday's weigh in. I don't normally weigh myself on any days but Mondays, but with the challenge my sister and I are doing, we weigh in and measure on the 25th of each month. I was happy with my inch loss this month. I lost 3 inches on my waist alone. That is my problem area, so I was thilled I lost the most from there.

Now, I'm more determined than ever to do just as well this next month.

Hope to hear form you ladies soon!

Hey girls! How are you two doing?

Today is my 11-year wedding anniversary. I was a little bummed because my husband had to be out of town for business most of this week and he was going to miss our special day. But he called me an hour ago and said that he'd be home at 4:00 p.m. and we'd still be able to celebrate.

Don't worry, though, I firmly intend to stay on my plan. I am committed to get to goal and stay there like never before, and no anniversary, birthday or holiday is going to derail all my efforts and motivation.

I hope both of you ladies are doing well. Please post when you get the chance.

Just checking in really quick. I did well yesterday at The Olive Garden and only had the salad, steak and some overcooked asparagus. lol And only water to drink.

Auntie Flo came for her monthly visit, so I'm feeling a little bloated. My jeans that were feeling loose just 2 days ago are a bit snug. I hate that, but at least it's only temporary.

Shakaboo - what are you graduating from?

Sandy - I use to over eat from stress...now I am working on finding other ways to deal with stress.

I have a few pairs of pants in 1 size larger than I normally wear for when I am bloated like that.

My Halloween goal is 212lbs- that's another 28lbs to go. I use a bodybugg, so I'm aiming for maintaining an average deficit of 1500cals/day, which should put me right at 212 for Halloween! I'm about to start grad school in a few weeks, so here's hoping the busy schedule helps me keep my deficit up!

Good morning all! I hope everyones weekend is going well.

Kelly, welcome to the challenge. I've always wanted to get a bodybugg. Maybe I'll get one when I reach one of my goals. Good luck with your Halloween goal. What type of exercise do you do?

Envelope, yeah, I should just live in sweats during my time of the month. It's funny...my weight doesn't really go up during that time, but my inches are like a 1/2" bigger everywhere on my heavy days. Surprisingly, last night those same pants were loose again.

One thing I find that helps me with stress eating is coming on these boards and chatting with you lovely ladies. It really helps me through any tough times and re-affirms my motivation to eat right and exercise.

I'm off to my mom's house today for brunch. I hope she's got some protein and veggies I can eat. On weekends I only have protein, veggies and healthy fats to shake up my metabolism from the other plan I follow Monday through Wednesday, which is 1500-1600 calories worth of fruit, veggies, whole grains, lean protein, greek yogurt and healthy fat.

Right now I'm really into coconut oil. If you do a seach on Google, it is good for so many things...inside and out. I love it!

Tomorrow is my offical wieigh-in day, so I'm hoping I can change that number under my profile picture to at least 212. Wish me luck!

Me I'm in! I have a really hard time losing weight.... I have Thyroiditis but I will not allow it to be a FAT SENTENCE!) I have decided to start being GF and counting calories while I am at it.... I am a Loser with obsticales but I am tired ( play on words) of letting it run my life! I'm DONE! I am TIRED of being TIRED!

My Goal is 163 which is 8 lbs which works out to 4 lbs a month! I think I can TOTALLY do that!

Halloweenie is my favorite time of year also - I LOVE LOVE LOVE the shorter cooler days (sort of) and the smells of fall.... I LOVE pumkin anything!(it will be a challege doing it GF - but I will DO IT)

Hi Kim,

With the weather being in the 90s recently here in So. CA, I certainly can't wait until the fall as well. I love bundling up in sweaters and cozy clothes. Fall is such a beautiful season.

Now, when you say GF, are you referring to gluten free? My oldest daughter (20) is gluten intolerant and since figuring this out (she's also lactose intolerant, too, but about a year or so ago, she started to experience terrible digestive cramping after certain meals. After researching, I decided to eliminate gluten from her diet and she finally has relief). She has been eating GF since late spring and has unintentionally lost about 15 pounds. I would never tell her she was overweight, but before going GF, she did need to lose about 10-15 pounds, so she looks great now.

So, I wish you the best of luck with your plan! Are you also exercising along the way?

Yes GF is Gluten Free.... I have Hashimoto's disease which is a Autoimmune Disease.... Like Celiac... Gluten makes matters worse..or so they say so in hopes of feeling a little better and losing some weight I have decided to try it out - I really have nothing to lose... I know it can be a little more expensive, but I don't plan on spending a fortune of pre-package items. The only PrePackaged will be things like Bagels, bread and maybe the occasional cake mix.. I have a local HFS that I know the owner so when the companies donate samples they end up in my kitchen today I made crinkle cookies out a cake box mix that was GF - They will be as a quick snack - since when I deprive I over eat. I can't eat past 4 or I get severe heart burn -Acid Reflux so I eat only 2 meals a day - Breakfast and late lunch - which I REALLY need to stick to - I plan on adding a snack in around noonish and keeping my calories around 1200. I am not looking at this is a "Obsticle" but more as of an adventure. They other thing that will go over the next month or so will be my coffee... I drink 1/2 caff but I limit it to 2 cups a day since it can also bring on heartburn...

Sorry this is so long, I didn't intend it to start out that way