Hello. My name is Sephy and I am sorta at a plateau so I decided that I would try a new way to drop the pounds and stumbled across this website. I have lost 22lbs already and just kind of stopped there. I'm looking to shake up my routine and meet some new people. I have just been calorie counting and working out. I LOVE LOVE LOVE bag boxing class! So if anyone wants to be a buddy or just teach me the ropes around here I'd be greatful. How do you get on those challenges because I tried the challenge forum and saw that they all started two to three months ago? Can one just jump in and be like, "Hi I'm new and want to start your challenge in the middle?" I guess it just seems kind of rude to me, but if that's what one must do alas I shall do it..

SEPHY ~ Yes, you can just jump into any thread and post when you want to; remember that you can count the 22 lbs you have already lost (I think; just ask someone there). Plateaus are something I do know about; you do have to change things up a bit; maybe increase exercise and/or decrease or increase you food intake.

Yes, I did say increase; because sometimes the body will stop losing if it feels that you are not getting enough to eat. You may have to try a few different tactics to see which works best. Look around and read a lot; soon you will find lots of ideas and tips to help you out.

ROSEBUD

Hey Sephy!

First off, "plateau" is a very overused word in the weight loss world. If you haven't lost lbs or inches in 4 weeks or more, that's a plateau. If you're losing either, or it has been less time, your body just might need time to catch up. So patience is the name of the game to start.

As for the challenges, most can just be jumped into. Some challenges have hard and fast signups, like the Biggest Loser challenge, but most in the "Chicks up for a Challenge" area you can just jump into.

Stick around and keep posting - can't wait to hear more from you soon!