Wow, we've got a lot of people joining us. How is everyone doing?

I'm down 1.6 pounds this week. Slow and steady wins the race!

202.4 Only 3.4 more to go

Patti

Hello wonderful loosers!

Welcome Dustcatcher!

RycherBabe - Congrats on the awsome loss!

Jusdoit - I'd *kill* to be able to do my exercise during lunch! It's great that you just made the decision and did it (hey, that's your name!)

Byrd - I figure any exercise is better than no exercise. You will eventually become addicted to it like the rest of us crazy folks and your 10 min. will become 30 or 50.... It's getting on the bike the *first* time that's hard! Good for you!

Sarah - Ok, you and me. I need to start taking my vitamins again too... Now, how to remember to TAKE them!

Amarantha - Dearest Empress Amarantha... is the spa still open? It's been so long...
Your walk around the lake sounds wonderful. My walk right now is just down the road to one of our bearing trees and back (a tree used 60 years+ ago when where I lived was a working ranch and they used certain trees to get their bearings). That's my little 1 mile walk...

New decision besides not weighing myself (which I did this morning, bad me! ). I will also quit reading the grocery store ads. WHY??? I know what I need to buy, if it's on sale I'll find out when I get to the store - seeing all the food in the ads just gives me fantasies about binging (ooooh, I could get one of those, and one of those....). Not a good thing.
I also think I've learned something valuable about me - I may be late coming to this realization but I've discovered the binging is NOT about the food - but the behavior! The food is all great and fine, but how many times have I inhaled something I didn't even like?!? It's the behavior! I need to change my relationship with food now - IT'S NOT THE ENEMY, my behavior around it IS.

Whew, that felt good....

Terri

Everyone is doing wonderfully; I will post the list separately. Firstly, Amarantha is happy to report the NEWS O' FIVE ... and it's all GOOD NEWS!!!

Speaking of "losers," RYCHERBABE HATH LOST AN ADMIRABLE 1.6 OF HER FIVE POUND CHALLENGE!!!! WTG, RYCHERBABE!!! Plus Point Six!!!

Q. Punkinseed o' Friday hath searcheth her soul and cometh to some awesome conclusions ... involving the realization that (are you listening, Amarantha plus the guy suing the fast food company?) to paraphrase Shakespeare, "The fault dear Brutus lies not in the food but in ourselves!" or as Ray Bradbury put it once, "The Martians are us!" or as Pogo once put it, "The enemy is us!" Q. Punkinseed, thanks for your post. I'm joining you in daily rededication to personal responsibility and good fitness behavior because "IF IT'S TO BE, IT'S UP TO ME!

P.S. Since Emp. A and Elbertine Pep went walkabout the lazy staff back at the spa hath refuseth to do much. It's open for anyone who wants to drop in but Emp. A and Elbertine Pep are selfishly pursuing their journey and are likewise too lazy to post there. So management is kind of open to anyone who wants to revive it. The towel boy is still there. We don't know WHAT he's doing with his days.

More news: Byrd hath revived her exercise habit!!! Go Byrd!!! Every exercise minute counts! I have that on the authority of Elbertine Pep, personal trainer to Empress Amarantha of the Walking Poles! If thou accumulateth exercise minutes during the day, it increaseth fitness as much as a long workout, IMO (and the opinion of lots of scientific types). Keep going! You are doing great!!!

Sarahbella is starting to take her vitamins again!!!Sarahbella, I need to remember these also; thankee kindly for the reminder! Definetely, I feel I am more in control of food and exercise when I remember.

Amarantha's Daily Challenge is to eateth within the range of 1700-1999 calories (or less if that should occur, which it probably won't). Her challenge yesterday was met with 1985 calories and she hopeth to bring that down by the end of the week! She hath already pole-walked outside at a good intensity and variety of desert and neighborhood surfaces for 60 minutes. She must stop typing here and write stories for newspaper employer!

TO ALL POWER OF FIVERS: HAVE A GREAT DAY!!! LIST FOLLOWETH!!!

AMARANTHA, FIVE DOWN BY SEPT. 1, UP .5

ANAGRAM, FIVE DOWN BY SEPT. 11, DOWN 1.8

BABETTE, FIVE DOWN BY SEPT. 15

BYRD, FIVE DOWN BY AUG. 19, DOWN 1

BOBSGAL, FIVE DOWN BY SEPT. 1

DUSTCATCHER, FIVE DOWN BY SEPT. 13

GTERA, FIVE DOWN BY AUG. 30, DOWN 3.2

JUSDOIT, FIVE DOWN BY SEPT. 9, DOWN 1

KARENA, FIVE DOWN BY AUG. 26, DOWN 1

MARUSHA, FIVE DOWN BY AUG. 27

PUNKINSEED, FIVE-PNT-FIVE DOWN BY SEPT. 9, DOWN 1

RYCHERBABE, FIVE DOWN BY SEPT. 2, DOWN 1.6

SARAHBELLA, FIVE DOWN BY AUG. 28

UPANDAWAY, FIVE DOWN BY SEPT. 11

POWER OF FIVE~ I, Anagram, am so delighted. I weighed in - and I am down 1.8 lbs and am overwhelmed.

Terri - when I started the current lap of this journey, I was scaleless and thought I'd just stay that way and only count weigh ins at dr. office and just feel better about looser clothing, etc.

I did this because of previous obsession with scale numbers that led to me only weighing naked and over and over and over again.

Needless to say, I weakened and bought a new scale. I put it in my basement to make it really awkward to weigh in naked and while I'm weighing in more than I should, it has not yet reached compulsive status. I think I'll join you and make me "weight" till next Wed. to weigh again. Can I do it? Am I strong? Doubt it but will try before the tyranny of the scale takes over again.

Anyway, happy today!

Well girls, I'll tell you what....I'm a compulsive weigher too I know it's a no-no, but I do it anyway & I don't really plan on changing it!!!!

I didn't do the additional 10 minutes of exercise last night (just pure laziness), but I did do 20 minutes this morning!!!!!! You girls are giving me the extra encouragement that I have been needing all summer.

March-May I was leading a group of ladies following the WW program "on our own", but no one wanted to struggle w/their weight through the summer, so I've had no real encouragement since May. I just started back & decided to get back on the boards & do it on my own & now one of my friends thinks we might get everyone back together & renew the group. Maybe I can double-up on the support soon!!!!!!

I'm keeping my points in range better this week, but the scales aren't moving so I guess last week is catching up........I will probably have to change my target date, but I'm not going to do that until I weigh in on Monday.

Have a great day everyone.

Yo! ANAGRAM IS DOWN 1.8 OF HER FIVE POUND CHALLENGE!!!

Anagram: I'm editing the list above to add your loss ... picturing you sneaking down to basement naked to hop on scale! Good luck on your no-scale days! I have had somewhat the same experience in the past of hopping on, hopping off any old time. Used to go out and buy new scales all the time because I thought they weren't correct! Then the new one would always say exactly the same and I'd go nuts. Now it's my prime directive to only weigh-in on Sundays (no clothes). Seems pretty accurate and is the same as the doctor's scale give or take a few pounds of clothes.

Byrd! You are doing wonderfully ... 10 minutes yesterday, 20 today, figure 4-7 calories per minute of that extra exercise and its an extra 120-210 calories off of a 3500-calorie ... good luck getting your group going!

Count me in! I just found these message boards after a month on fitday.com (a great free site) with no support. I lost 10 pounds, but I always wanted some kind of human touch to keep it interesting. So my 5 pound goal is for the day I leave to go back to school - Aug. 31st. I can totally make it!

Guinever
5'9'' 185/175/160

It's so good to see all the posts and all the great inspiration bursting out from them. This group ROCKS!

Sarah, good for you for listening to your body and knowing when it needs rest. Get those vitamins on board and you'll be out there walking in no time.

Byrd, 10 mins. yesterday and 20 mins. today is fantastic! One of my biggest weaknesses is the "all or nothing" attitude, i.e., if I don't have a full hour or more to devote to exercise, then It's not woth doing anything. That's SO WRONG! Every minute of exercise counts. 10 mins. here - 20 mins. there all adds up to better health and fitness (and, of course, weight loss ). So keep on keepin on .

Patti, 1.6 is AWESOME, congrats!!

Terri, thanks for sharing some great insight re food and behavior. I definitely can relate. Food for thought .

Amarantha, yippee on another successful daily challenge!!! AND 60 mins of exercise already today - I need some of your energy vibes today .

Anagram, major congrats on the 1.8 outta here!

Guinever, welcome to you and congrats on the 10 lb loss. The next 5 will be a breeze!

I must admit that I'm feeling a little less motivated today. I don't think I'm gonna get a workout in. Correction, I know I'm not. However, I will designate this day my rest day and I will complete the week with at least 5 workout days. I've already got 2 under my belt (my exercise log begins the week on Monday). So I just need 3 more by Sunday. NO PROBLEM !!!

Time for lunch...hmmmm....what'll it be?????

Count me in too!! - I am a very slow loser so I think I'll pick your date Punkinseed- Sept 9-- that's almost a month- I think we can do it!!

this is a great idea! BABYSTEPS --


Everyone sounds so motivated!!

This is a terffic idea Aramantha! Good going!

Hi ladies well I would like to join your challenge. I have been with WW since Mid Feb 2002 and have lost 56.4lbs I would like to hit my 60 soon so I will take your challenge. 5lbs by Aug 27 I weigh in on Tues so I will let you know.

Hi ladies me again, my daughter would also like to join the challenge. she has been going to WW with me and has lost 30lbs to date. She would like to lose 5 lbs by Sept 3. that is the start to school for her, her 2nd year of college and she will be going back with a whole new image.

Hi there!
I went to weigh in tonight and lost 2.25! A big accomplishment for me!
So I'm almost 1/2 way there.
I actually would love to be in the 50's club before my anniversary...it doesn't hurt to dream

I haven't been able to sit and read your posts yet...it's so hot here right now... it hit 100 today...a record temp!
And I'm melting...no a/c where the computer is!

I just had to share my great news with you all! I'm thrilled!
Thank you once again for inspiring me to reach my goals and dreams!

Sarah
175.75/164(Yippee!!)/135 - Now I'm finally going in the RIGHT direction!