A bright and shiny new year means new opportunities to make the most of our lives - let's make 2012 a year of health by shedding some of those unwanted pounds!

The rules of our challenge are simple. We are here to provide each other some accountability along the path to weight loss, so just set a weight loss related goal(s) and I'll add it to our goal list for the month of January. When you reach your goal for the month it will be turned RED in our goal list!

We have a sister thread for exercise goals, http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/chic...challenge.html, and all your exercise-related goals can be posted there; this thread is for weight loss goals specifically.

We love to hear about your success as well as your challenges throughout the month, so please share them with us. We're here to support and encourage each other to be our best.

I look forward to seeing all of you reach your January goals!

I'd like to share a little about my weight loss here for any new people who may be reading this forum as we begin the new year.

On January 18 of last year I began my weight loss journey. It wasn't a New Year's resolution, but in response to my doctor telling me that my weight was the reason I wasn't getting pregnant. I was 280 lbs at the time, I had no idea how to lose weight, and I was sure I would fail - but I had to try. Now, nearly a year later, I have lost more than 120 lbs and am less than 10 lbs from my original goal of being a healthy/normal weight! Despite some traumatic events this year I feel stronger physically, mentally and emotionally than I did a year ago, and I credit all of that to the changes I've made in my life that have enabled me to lose the weight. I feel more in control of my life, and losing the weight is far and away the best and most empowering thing I have ever done for myself.

If you are thinking that you'd like to lose weight but are unsure where or how to start, or even whether you'll be able to do it at all - join 3FC, join us here, speak up in a thread anywhere on this forum, or just get to reading. You will find tons of support and advice, and, perhaps most inspirational, stories from so many people who have lost weight and changed their lives. You CAN do it, and this forum is a great place to help you get started and support you along the way.


As for my goal this month - I'd like to get into the 140s. That seems like an unbelievably low number to me (I know I say that every month - but it's true every month!), and it may not be obtainable as I'll be on hormones again this month, but I am going to try for it regardless!

Good luck to everyone who joins the challenge this month!

Welcome, Kim! I'll be cheering for you this month!

I will be on vacation for 2 weeks this month so I will go for a goal of 6 lbs. We're planning on being active on vacation but I'm not going to be in weight loss mode so don't plan on losing those 2 weeks.

I'd like to lose 8.6 lbs. this month. I was doing pretty well about a year and a half ago, then I switched jobs. I went from the physically demanding job of a zookeeper, to a teacher. I ended up gaining about 30 lbs in the past 1.5 years. This has led to me having more back problems than before, so I need to lose this weight to help my joints.

SW: 221.6
GW: 213

I'm in!

I will shoot for 10 pounds in the month of January!

I will post my starting weight on Monday =] yay!

Yay for the New Year!
I am going to lose at least 12 lbs in January!
So looking forward to a great OP month!!
Chickadee-Hope the hormone treatments go well I am actually trying to lose 120 lbs myself so that my hubby and I can conceive and safely have a home delivery as the risk of an obese homebirth is too much. I'm so inspired by your story and can't WAIT to see the 140s myself. You've come this far, you can do it!!



Remember Everybody: A pound of pluck is worth a TON of luck!

Hi everyone! I host the monthly Exercise Challenge, but have never been on this half of the challenge. I've been bouncing into maintenance for several months and could use some support to turn that into more of an easy glide in 2012. My goal is to weigh 168 or lower at the end of January. (I weighed 169.2 this morning)

Whelp, as of this a.m. I'm still up one lb. from Christmas nomming so I want that off plus another 5 for a total of 6, which will put me at an even 160. Mr. Monk would approve of that number.

Hi chickadee32 and everybody. I'm back in for January. My goal is to be 154.9 pounds or less. Starting out at 162.9. While minimal, I did have a weight loss in December, so that has to be a good thing. I will escape the 160's this month!

My goal is to hit onederland by the end of jan! That's about 8 lbs!

RoadtoFifty: Thank you, and nice job avoiding a big gain over the holidays! I hope this is the year when you're able to break the loss/re-gain cycle and get where you really want to be. Taking control can be such a relief.

miniDoodles: I have switched to using kosher or sea salt exclusively as well! I LOVE salt and so probably still add way too much to my food, but hopefully the switch has mitigated a bit of the damage!

tavvy: Thank you, and I think that's an awesome and very motivating goal to shoot for! 2012 is going to be YOUR YEAR - I hope that by the end of it we'll be hearing about your pregnancy!!

gardenerjoy: Nice to see you here! It seems like you're doing really well at maintenance so far... you've been there for several months now, correct? Are you finding it tougher than losing, in general? I still have a ways to go, but am starting to think a bit about how to handle it... it seems like a buffer zone could be a good thing.

KimL: Yay for the New Year's whoosh! Of course, no problem at all changing your goal.

loose seal, Goldfrost, Live Laugh Love and LeslieB, welcome back! And ClaireBear and LIL'JJ, welcome to the group! I'm looking forward to seeing all of you reach your goals this month!!


OK, the goal list so far is below - put away the holiday leftovers and let's get going! Can't wait to see who we'll turn RED first.


January Weight Loss Goal List

KimL1214: Lose 8 lbs
RoadtoFifty: Lose 8 lbs
LeslieB: Lose 6 lbs
Live Laugh Love: Lose 8.6 lbs
ClaireBear: Lose 10 lbs
miniDoodles: Get to and maintain at 148 lbs
tavvy: Lose 12 lbs
gardenerjoy: Get to 168 lbs or less
loose seal: Get to 160 lbs
GoldfrostDazzlefluff: Get to 154.9 lbs
LIL'JJ: Get to ONEDERLAND
chickadee32: Get into the 140s

Let me know if I've made an errors on the list or left anyone off!