This is a challenge to " Challenge Yourself" I made a promise to keep these challenges going once I reach my goal weight. These challenges meant so much to me and I know it means a lot to many others. PLEASE,Please,please dont think you need special will power to make this happen for you. You dont need to be a "strong willed " person bla bla bla. I read an article that made so much sense. This 700lb morbidly obese young man asked him self always " Why do I keep eating so much" One day he asked himself " When? when will I do something about this instead of asking why?" There are too many reasons why we overeat and most are the excuses we use and we quit. You've probably said or heard these before : I cant do this,I wish I could just exercise,Well my whole family is fat, I'm too old and my metabolism is too slow now,I was meant to be fat so why fight it,I wish I was just thinner, I dont have the time .... YOU ARE ONLY LIEING TO YOURSELF AND NO ONE ELSE! Personally I hate exercise,lifting weights,jogging,aerobics. But without some kind of aerobic activity our weightloss will NOT work. You might lose a few pounds and thats it. IF you are very heavy like 100 lbs overweight you might lose a lot beforeyour body just slows down and you cant lose anymore.You dont have to starve yourself.
Take a piece of paper and write down all the favorite meals you have all the time,write down all your favorite fattening goodies. Then head to the grocery store and find lowfat orfatfree replacements. You can have lasagna but buy lean ground turkey,lowfat cheese mixed in with fatfree cheese.The sauce isnt the enemy here! ITs the cheese and greasy ground beef.If you love fries then slice up a medium potato and spray a pan and bake the homemade fries until they are crispy.
Anyway, sorry for babbling on and on. I started challenging myself on Feb 2002 with a starting weight of 194 lbs. I cringe at the thought of my 5'2" body weighing that much.I've lost 64 lbs and now weigh 130 lbs. I know you've heard this before but I feel like another person now totally.There's no way to describe it.There is no magic pill or a special diet that I promote lol. This is just you and yourself
TODAY 10/24/02 I START A 4 WEEK CHALLENGE. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED Just SEND ME A MESSAGE AND LET ME KNOW HOW MANY POUNDS YOU'D LIKE TO LOSE IN 4 WEEKS.BE REALISTIC AND DONT EXPECT TO LOSE 15-20 IN A MONTH! i KEEP THE CHALLENGES SMALL .EVERY SATURDAY WE WEIGH OURSELVES AND POST IF WE LOST,GAINED OR MAINTAINED. FOR THIS CHALLENGE MY GOAL IS TO MAINTAIN MY CURRENT WEIGHT.AS MANY OF YOU KNOW THE HARDEST PART IS MAINTAINING. LOSING IS THE EASIEST PART. YOU MIGHT NOT THINK SO ,BUT YOU WILL UNDERSTAND ONCE YOU REACH YOUR GOAL.

Gen.Goal (maintain current weight)

Kempyd ..Goal 2.5 lbs

Wykyd..Goal 7 lbs

laney1733...Goal 6 lbs

Grizzlyschick..Goal 6 lbs

AngieME..Goal 8 lbs

Kina ..Goal 6 lbs

Dipsntwists..Goal 8 lbs

SarahBella..Goal 10 lbs

RustyRusty..Goal 8 lbs


Sahvara.Goal 4 lbs





Gen
194/130/130 at goal!!!

Hi Gennel,

I'd love to take up the challenge. I am currently 227, and will aim for 220 in four weeks. Lets do it!

Please sign me up for 6 pounds again. I missed that mark last month by one pound so I'm going to shoot for success this time. Gennel, I found your letter very uplifting and supportive. But the "maintaining is the hardest part" about gave me a stroke. I keep thinking this will get easier! Hoping anyhow! But it is getting harder. I've lost 21 pounds now and I swear, each one is more stubborn than the one before it!!! Today has been pretty good though. Last week was awful. But I'm not giving up!! I'll keep plugging away until I get there. Good luck to everyone on this months challenge!!

Gennel- Put me down for another 10lbs. Sorry I didn't post yesterday. I had 1 more pound lost so Gennel you can either add it to the last challenge or this one. I got on the elliptical machine this morning. It seems like the more weight I lose the easier it gets. So I'm trying to build up time on it. This morning after my regular treadmill routine, I did 15 minutes on the elliptical machine. It'll take some getting used to, but I'm hoping to eventually swith between that and the bike on my cardio days with the treadmill as my main cardio thing. Anyway sorry for rambling. Just patting myself on the back for managing 15 minutes on that monster. See ya Saturday- Di

Hi. Put me down for 8 pounds this month. I am probably aiming high but I might as well go for the gusto. Your letter was the gods honest truth. Maintaining is the hardest part of weight loss. I know I lost 135 pounds and gained 75 pounds back because I couldn't figure out how to maintain and not lose or gain.It isn't made any easier because your appetite stays the same as it was when you are heavy.

But on the plus side we can ALL do this and when we all hit our goals we can than support each other to maintain.

So put me down for 8 pounds and I will bust my butt to get rid of it.

Hey Laney ! Dont freak out on me lol. The part about maintaing is that you cant go back to the same old eating habits. You cant quit exercise totally. You dont have to be as strict to maintain your weight loss .I'mstill eating ice cream,I'll dip my hand into a chip bag but I dont take the whole bag with me lol. To me its harder because you are no longer working toward a goal but a lifetime commitment. So I hope you find some comfort in that. Trust me its much better to be at your goal weight and maintain it.
So ladies I will add all your names and goals to the list!
Welcome Wykyd! Remember there is always someone here to read and reply to any situation tha tmay come up.

Gen




194/130/130at goal!

Gennel, put me down for 6 lbs. I am going to do it!

I also wanted to share something else. You may have heard it the news. If you have seen the news it may have mentioned a tornado creating chaos in Texas. Actually it hit right outside the office that I work at on the College campus. I had heard the weather was getting bad so I figured I would call it a day and go pick up the kids and get home. Just as i was walking out at about 2:35pm I saw some other college workers standing outside looking up to the sky. The rain had started in really hard and the winds had picked up strongly. As I looked up I could see the image of Twister happening right before my eyes. The wind was moving in a circular motion with some debree. All of a sudden I hear a voice yell ''Every one inside head to the back of the building away from the windows!'' So as we were running in the door did not just close immediatley because the winds gushed through the breezeway pulling on the door. As we were watching our ears popped in such a way that caused us to clencth at them. The lights went out and the alarms started to go off. The wildness had passed. We went out to see the devestation cars that had been directly in the path of the tornado had all their windows busted out. An 18 wheeler that is used for the truck driving students had been pushed over on their sides. The library wall had been directly hit and was bashed in where a class was in session the debree fell on a teacher, that later died. A few students from that class had some injuries. Sever portable classrooms were demolished...luckily the students had left early for a field trip otherwise there would have been about 45 students in those classrooms. The student center across from our office had many windows shattered to peices. On the campus I work we have student training for firefighters, police, paramedics, Physical therapy, Occupational therapy, mechanics, welding, cosmetology and a few others I didn't mention. All in all I think we were in good hands and unfortunately all that with just one fatality...a Math instructor Mr. Gillis.

I know this has nothing to do with our weight loss and support but I wanted to give you an insight to the chaos here. I wanted to give you as much info as possible. A friend took some pics. I'll see if I can get some scanned to share.

Kina

Ciao Laides,

I will go for 8 pounds as well because I'm bound to put on a few on Turkey Day I jsu finished a very difficult run on MT. Berico in Italy. Imagine a continuous uphill stretch covered with rocks. It feels great...once it's over! We can do it girls! We're unstoppable.

I'm jumping in too!

I'm currently 174.
I'd like to get to 164.
So let's say 10 lbs in 4 weeks.

I gained 9.25 lbs **gulp** at my last weigh in.
So to get back to where I was would be wonderful for me!

Let's get this done!

OMG! I swear you were talking about a movie ! Thank God you were nearby and able to run back in the building. I'm glad you and your co workers are safe. I'm sorry to hear about the teacher


I added the newbies to the challenge . Remember to try and keep focused on this. Each time you slip or are about to slip remind yourself that you're only going backwards. If you can be truly happy at a heavy weight then I say " More power to ya!"
But if you have found your way to this thread chances are that you are not comfortable. Personally I felt awful at my highest weight.Physically I had a few problems starting because of my weight. Fatigue,over sleeping,back,knee and heel pains.

I'm having some problems with my computer. I have about 8 files infected with a "Worm virus" my instant messanger was deleted. I had no internet late lastnight because of this. If I dont reply right away it may be due to this problem.


Gen

Hello Gennel!

My first challenge - I'd like to buy a vowel. Oops, wrong game.

Hmmm - we finish just before Thanksgiving - sounds safe enough.

I'd like to see the 150s by then. (I'd like to see my feet by then! LOL)

I started at 180 on 9_14 and I'm stuck at 164. Looking to see 130 around Valentine's Day.

Let's say 8 pounds in four weeks.

Wykyd, we can do it!

Kina,
Are you at Texa A&M? My hubby went to fire training school there. Pretty cool looking place.

No, I am not at Texas A&M. I attend the community college here, Del Mar.

Thanks Gennel. We were supposed to have the Halloween Carnival today on the East campus but due to the circumstances they canceled all events. In the wake of the fatality they don't feel a celebration would be create the right mood. The East campus wasn't affected by the tornado as far as it being hit or anything but they closed the campus anyway.

Thanks again.
Kina

Kina I am so glad to hear you made it out safe and sound. It is too bad about the teacher passing though.I cn not imagine seeing a tornado in person. You must have been so petrified.

Hi Rusty! I just entered you in the challenge. You can do it!!


THERE IS NO WEIGH IN TODAY. SINCE IT HASNT BEEN A WEEK SINCE WE STARTED . SO OUR WEIGH IN WILL BE NEXT SATURDAY .


ENJOY THE WEEKEND!



GEN
194/130/130 at goal!