Wow! I can't believe how many people responded. How is everyone doing? Well It's got to be better than me! Last week started off really good but on Wednesday we had a HUGE ice storm in my town and basically the whole city was out of power. I had to stay at my in-laws for three days, we went out to eat every day. We finally got our power back on but I had to throw away about $150 of food (almost all healthy). Anyway... I'm doing a weigh in tomorrow so I'll post if I have any results. I'm going to have to push really hard if I'm going to make my goal so I need lots of encouragement. Let me know how you're all doing and good luck!

thats awful, I can't imagine having no power for three days (or staying at my inlaws either for that matter lol) I'm glad you survived it . I'm not doing too badly at the moment, I've lost 4 of my 10 pounds so I'm nearly halfway there . I've hit a few bumps along the way (in the form of the uncontrollable urge for late night snacking ) but nothing too drastic and I'm still on track Good luck with your weigh in tomorrow, I'm positive you'll meeet your goal

I've been doing ok myself.. Have lost 6 of the 15 aimed for VD.. It seems to be going really slow (losing weight).. I've been "somewhat" on track.. Have been exercising alot more to find out that I lost a whopping 1 lb last week! Argh!

Well good luck.

6 lbs! That's awesome! I weighed myself today and I'm only down 1 lb. so I'm going to have to work really hard until V-Day to lose my 15 pounds, but... I'm even more determined. I went out this past weekend and ran into some people I used to work with back when I was 30 pounds lighter. It felt really aweful! So now I'm really going to put my mind to it! Good Luck!

I've been cheating too often and not working out enough , so I don't have high expectations about a big loss this week. But I do feel good. My muscles feel a lot more toned just from walking more, and I haven't pigged out in weeks, so I hope that I will have lost at least another pound or two by Sunday. Muscle weighs more than fat, so maybe you're getting smaller, Shalyn, and more compact! I'll ask the folks at the doctor's office to take my measurements again at the end of the month. My clothes are fitting better, and that feels great. If I want the pounds to disappear in a big whoosh, I gotta stick with the program better. Which will be my mini-mini goal for the next week, I guess.

Bye!

Valentines day challenge going well so far - 1/2 kilo (1 lb) lost since starting yesterday. On target to get to that 15lb mark!

I haven't been doing great. I've been trying to eat healthier which has been going ok but haven't exercised once this week . When I get in from work I am just too tired and all I want to do is relax. So, next week I am going to try get up an hour earlier in the morning and do 45 mins of exercise before work. I need to try harder to get exercise in. It will mean getting up at 4.30 am but if that's what it takes then I am determined to do it.

I pledged to lose 10 lbs by Valentin's Day, I have my work cut out for me if I am going to do this.

Thanks Sarah_Lee! And good luck to you!

You're absolutely right Judy.. This morning I weighed myself and I lost yet another lb.. woo hoo! I'll just have to up my game now, since we've got about a whole month to go..

Good luck, oh and welcome Pook & Blissful!

I have to say that work has definitely had a negative impact on my progress so far. Long hours and stressed all the way out....I have just committed to an aerobics class two evenings a week, which starts next Wednesday. That will force me to leave at a more reasonable time, as well as sweat off a few pounds.

We have exactly one month to reach our goals, ladies! We can do it

My goal is to lose 12 lbs by V-day, and I have lost 3 lbs so far! Yay!

wow everyone is doing so great.

pook74 - Welcome - it sounds like you've got a good plan happening. Just tell yourself its only 45 minutes out of 24 hours and you can do it, I know you can.

Judy - yeah we can do it, there is so much positive energy happening here how can we lose (or should I say not lose lol). I hope work gets less stressful for you soon.

Shalynn - yay, thats great good for you!

Hi Blissful, Hi Chixyb - welcome aboard.

Hi to everyone else I missed. I hope your all having/had a great weekend.

Hi All,

Blissful- I'm not on any particular diet just keeping the portion sizes down and making sure I exercise every day, I counted calories for a couple of weeks just to give me an idea of how much I should be eating in a day. I also make sure to eat plenty of fruit and vegs. I know it sounds pretty vague but it seems to be working. I could not do any of the low carb diets, it's just not me I love my carbs too much. I tried weight watchers and Jenny Craig as well as a couple of others but usually gave up for 3 reasons

1) I wasn't accountable to me - just the group, so inevitably if I wasn't going to the meetings that week I would just eat what I wanted telling myself that it didn't matter because no-one would know.
2) With 4 children and a husband on 12 hr shifts it was just too difficult to get to meetings/appointments every week.
3) It got to the point where I kept thinking of where the money could be better spent.

As for cravings (and just having been through my PMS phase since starting my diet) I can vouch for keeping a bottle full of water and some sugar free chewing gum next to you at all times. If you want to head to the fridge pop some gum in your mouth and drink that water. Then get busy. go for a walk, do an exercise tape, get onto 3FC and post, clean out a cupboard whatever it takes to keep your mind off the cravings. I found that the gum fought the sugar cravings pretty well and keeping busy keeps them at bay longer. Good luck with it and keep posting

"We must come to see that human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability. It comes through...tireless efforts and...persistent work...We must use time creatively, and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right."

Martin Luther King, Letter from a Birmingham Jail