Fitness Challenge 2011

Put those New Year’s Resolutions right to work and join the Fitness Challenge 2011. This blog was started by a friend who wanted people over 200 pounds to have a place to discuss weight issues. I (Denise) have since hijacked it to become the meeting place for a fitness challenge in our quest to become healthier overall, including weight loss. Last challenge (fall 2010) we had lots of weight loss (I had 11 myself, but there was at least one contestant who lost more than 30 pounds!).

The winner of this challenge isn’t determined by who loses the most weight, but it’s sure a nice bonus. :) The winner is whoever gets the most points (explained below), and he/she wins 75% of the pot; second place takes 25% of the pot.

Here are the rules:

- You must have 15+ pounds to lose to enter the challenge

- You pay $20 to enter

- The challenge begins Jan. 3 and goes for 12 weeks

There are 10 possible points per day:

1 pt/day for keeping a food journal
1 pt/ day for exercising for 30+ minutes
1 pt/day for reading Book of Mormon 20+ minutes (spiritual health)*
1 pt/day for not eating after 8 p.m.
1 pt/day for eating 4+ servings of fruits and/or veggies (1 serving = 1 c. raw or ½ c. cooked)
1 pt/day for having no more than 1 treat of 100 calories or less
1 pt/day for drinking 8+ cups water (1 c = 8 oz.)
1 pt/day for taking a multi-vitamin and/or calcium
1 pt/day for not skipping any meals
1 pt/day for saying something positive to yourself in the mirror (I know this sounds a little cheesy, but we spend so much time looking for negative things in the mirror that I want us to break that habit and start looking for the positive when we look in the mirror. We are made up of so much more than our appearance, and I want that to be more of what we see when we look at our reflection.)

Also, there will be 1 bonus point every week that you lose weight (1 point for losing weight, not 1 point per pound); and there will be 1 bonus point every week that you post on the blog how you did (but you must post on Monday to get the bonus point). Five bonus points will be available for sending your money ($20) during the first two weeks of the challenge. (If you don't send your money by the end of week 4, you are no longer eligible for the pot at the end, so get your $ in soon!)

Winner takes 75 percent of the pot ($15 for each competitor). Second-place winner gets 25 percent of the pot ($5 for each competitor). Last winner earned more than $250 for getting healthier and losing more than 10 pounds. Awesome!!!

This challenge begins Jan. 3, 2011 – perfect timing to get off those holiday pounds and start the new year right. It will go for 12 weeks and end on March 28, 2011 (although you don’t get points for March 28, just for the final post for that day). Round up your friends and let's make this challenge bigger and better than ever!

If you're interested in joining, just post a comment with your e-mail (feel free to use at instead of @) and I'll add you to the list of people who can post comments.

* If you’re not LDS you can read in the Bible for 20+ minutes – or give the Book of Mormon a try. :) Every person I know who has lost major weight has had a spiritual transformation as well. In any case, since they seem to go hand in hand, I figured I’d add it to this challenge. Just in case you wanted to know how it fit in with fitness …

You really like details? Here are a few more details about how this works …

- Scores are kept Monday through Sunday. Every Monday (starting Jan. 10) you will report the number of points you have earned by doing a post on this blog. (You will all receive invites to be authors for the blog. Let me know if you don’t.)

- You get one extra point for posting on the blog every Monday.

- You get one extra point if you lost any weight (not a point per pound, but a point total for any weight loss.)

- These extra points should be added to the next week's score since points end on Sunday. (It doesn't really matter too much which week you add it to, as long as you only add it once. :)

- Treats are going to be personally defined.

- You're all on your honor -- it's the only way this challenge can work.

- Don't forget to send me your money in by the end of week 4 so you're eligible for the pot. (And if you get it in by the end of week 2 you get 5 bonus points.)

- You are responsible to keep track of your own points throughout the challenge. This is why posting on the blog is a good idea -- then at the end you can just go back to your posts and add up the total.

- Total points must be posted by March 29, 2011 so the definite winner can be determined by March 30, 2011.

- Any clarifications or changes in rules will be announced through the blog – it is my way to communicate with you and it is your responsibility to read the blog for updates.

Good luck!!!

Drumroll, please ...............

Time to announce the challenge winners:

Our third-place participant (834 points) is ............. Sylvia Palmer!!!

Our second-place participant (851 points) is ....... Claudia Kuntz!!!!!

And our crazy-dedicated-totally-awesome winner (854 points) is ......

Dawn Rokovitz!!!!!

Can you believe how close these ladies were in points?!? Congrats to everyone for sticking with this, whether you won or not. Claudia, e-mail me your address (or have Jen send it) and I'll get your check in the mail.

Hope to see you all in January!

Last Week Jennifer B

I have not been doing the best. Even though I tried to re commit myself to the challenge it did not totally work. I am glad I did the challenge, and I am down to 190lbs, which is what I wanted to be at. I am not sure if we are suppose to be giving points for today, or if we get a bonus point for blogging today. My total ending on Sunday is 798 pts.

Week 12

You all are so awesome! I can't believe how well everyone did on this challenge. I mean, you're like the people I watch on the Biggest Loser who have so much self-control and determination that it makes me wonder how you got overweight in the first place!!!

I have slacked with exercise and definitely didn't do my best the last few weeks. And I'm down 10 for the challenge. Not bad, eh? I plan to have a bowl of chocolate Dreyer's ice-cream (Edy's for those of you East of the Rockies), and it was on sale today, which is the only way I buy it. Then I hope to exercise my guts out so I don't gain as I snack over the holidays, and then it's back to the grind in January. Too bad with weight loss you really can't just take a break without negatively influencing your results.

I will post the top 3 scores tomorrow and get money out soon after. Congrats to everyone -- even if you didn't win, I think you all made positive life changes and therefore got your money's worth. :)

BTW, new challenge will begin Jan. 3. I thought about giving people more time to settle into the new year, but when we're talking about health, why wait? :) I hope you all have a WONDERFUL holiday season and remember that you can eat anything ... just do it in small quantities. :)

Kris & Holly final posts

Holly
Lost a total of 32 lbs. My total points are 739.

Kristine
I did LOUSY this week again. Between lack of sleep (two kids with earaches) and no husband (had to work a lot this week). I honetly didn't care I was in survival mode. So I gained a lb this week. :( I need to be careful over the holidays. I am already looking forward to the next challenge. 731 total and lost 13 lbs and 3 dress sizes.

My last post

Well, today is the end and I feel like this challenge was very successful. I have established some very good habits and I'm happy with where I am, down 3lbs from when I started and I feel good. Thanks Denise for getting me involved. My points for this last week were 67 but since I think this goes through today, I had 12 points for today. Let me know if I should give a spreadsheet total, I had one week that my calculator was not correct so I've revisited all my numbers and I believe I have the correct total. Happy Thanksgiving.

Jen's Final

So, I completely threw in the towel and came up with about 30 points this week . . . alas. I don't want to weigh myself today, so we're going to say that I didn't lose weight and that I lost a total of about 8 pounds this challenge. I will be back. I've learned that stress is a huge factor in how well I take care of myself. So, my next goal is to figure out how to take care of myself inspite of the stresses in my life . . . Thanks Denise. I'm in for 2012.

Lee's Final

Here it is, the final blog, and the end of this fitness challenge. I hope everyone has achieved at least some part of their goal. I have learned that I have more willpower than I thought I did and that I can drink a half a gallon of water in a day, something I'd never done before. I hope between now and the next challenge (which I'd like to get in on again, Denise) I will continue at least some of these things that have become a habit. It will be good for me if nothing else. I thank my dear friend Jen for introducing this challenge to me, it's the best thing I've ever done for myself on a fitness/food routine type thing. Thanks also to her for posting for me every week. We still live in the stone age with a dial-up computer and lack of some computer knowledge. She has made it much easier for me to do this. I didn't lose as much weight as I would have liked to, but I could have done more to make that happen. Plus I know more "keys" to success now too. So, I plan for more and better things for me the next time. For this last week my points are 53 (which include 1 point for the blog and 1 point for a 1 pound loss of weight).

Claudia's New Beginning

This was also a hard week for me, knowing it was the last one. It would have been easy to rationalize not exercising here and there (with the cold weather), but I stuck to it, used my treadmill and bike and lost back the pound I gained last week, plus another, for a total of 72 points and l6 pounds lost for the challenge. Even though this is the end of the challenge, I look at it as a beginning of my life change. I plan to keep going, and hit the beginning of the year with a renewed vigor. Exercising isn't such a chore anymore, and I've formed better eating habits. I will have a piece of pie on Thanksgiving, but will get right back on the plan and continue through the holidays. It feels so good to be 16 pounds lighter--what would 32 pounds lost feel like??? Thanks Jen, for motivating me to do this with you. It has been life-changing!

Leslie's last post...

Im a slacker and didnt even keep track of my points this week but I still tried to do almost everything. I lost 1.8 lbs this week and Im down 17.4 lbs for the challenge. Now...just to keep it off. I was about .7 away from my goal on this. So I dont think thats too bad. Hopefully I can still lose that this week.

Dawn week 12

No weight lost or gained this week. Exactly the same as last week. That's good for me going into this holiday week. So, 71 points this week with a total weight loss of 10.6 pounds and a total of 854 points. My goal was 12 pounds (a pound a week) so I came awfully close and am happy with what I lost. I plan to keep doing everything on the list except writing gratitude every day and I'm sure I'll have a treat here and there. Adding fruits and vegetables as a requirement next time will probably be my biggest challenge but then again, I thought no treats was going to kill me this time and it didn't. Congratulations to those who lost 20 pounds or close to it. That is awesome. I'm really looking forward to starting again in January. Thanks Denise. This has been great.

Last Post

No weight loss this week. I ended with 69 points for the week.
I am excited for the holidays. Thanksgiving should be fun. Hope not to stuff myself to much. I feel more in control of my eating so hopefully I won't put on weight over the holidays.
Thank you Denise for your work in putting this together. It has been fun.

Wendy's Final

Knowing that I wasn't going to win made the last week really hard to stay on track, which I paid for. I got 53 points for a total of 711. My total weight loss was 20 pounds. That I am proud of and going to try and continue to lose weight. See you all in January!

Kris' points

It was a very stressful week. But I did pretty good until Sunday. Usually when I am stressed I eat all the candy I can find and although I ate more calories than I should have I did not eat candy. So I figure that is a break through. I didn't gain or lose which means I need to work hard this week to reach my goal of losing 4 lbs before this ends. If I do I will have lost a total of 15 lbs. pts this week. 67

(Posted for Kris)

Dawn week 11

I thought for sure that I was a victim of the "day after Fast Sunday weigh in". I thought my weight loss last Monday was a little too much for my norm. Sure enough, Tuesday I went up a pound and maintained it all week. I knew I'd have to lose over a pound to beat last Monday's weight and just didn't think it was possible. Especially since I had the "hungries" yesterday...but I did do it and was down .6 over last week's weight getting me out of the 190's! Yay! Points this week are 72. I also increased the intensity of my workouts so maybe that helped.

Jen H. Week 11

Total points this week 50 (includes the blog point). I don't want to talk about it.

Lee's Week 11

My week has had a few setbacks and a few new increases, so it still balances out pretty similarly. Each new week brings the chance to start anew though. Unfortunately, I didn't lose any weight this week, but rather gained 2. Ugh!
So, my points for the week are 54 (53 + 1 for the blog).

Too Much Salt!

I was doing really well on Thursday--had lost a pound, but on Saturday and Sunday ate some salty snacks. Today, I'm back to last week's weight. So, I'm down 15 pounds for the challenge, and with only one week to go, may not make my 20 lb. goal. I'm still excited that I lost the 15, and will definitely keep going through the holidays, so as not to lose my momentum. My points this week are 71 total. I'm looking forward to the new year challenge already!

Lots of good things

I wanted to start by saying that this challenge has been very good for me. My family pooped out a few weeks ago but I have built it into the my everyday routine and lots of good things have come from me because of it. The reading challenge was great because our family is now working at finishing the Book of Mormon by the end of the year which will be the first time for the kids on their own. The thankful challenge turned into a huge blessing that has spread across family and friends. It has brightened our days, given us great ideas and turned November into a very special month. The exercising is wonderful and so good for all of us. I like to exercise but this challenge has made me think more of it and why I'm doing it each day. My eating is about the same but I am conscious of everything I eat and how good it is for me. I watch my vitamins every day and meal portions. All in all, I am very appreciative to those that got me involved with this challenge. My points for last week were 67. I can't believe we are almost done. This is so much a part of my everyday life now, maybe I will just have to continue it through January. :o)

Week 11

Okay, so I guess I kinda threw in the towel this week. I started the week with 9's, and then I stopped writing on my food journal, which is where I also keep track of my points. So, I wrote down here and there, and I don't even want to go try to find where I wrote everything down. I realize I'm not in the top 3, but I am still down 10 pounds. The goal is too keep that off during the holidays!!! (I think it will help if I do the 100-cal treat per day rule and no more!)

Remember to post your final week's points by next Tuesday. Also, please tell me your total weight loss so we can also kind of keep track of how much everyone loses on this challenge. Hopefully, then, it will also motivate people to join our challenge.

I'll post final rules in early December and start getting the word out so we can have a good-sized group. I liked the size of this group, so I'm hoping we get about the same numbers. I have decided on the final point ... but I guess you'll have to stay tuned to find out for yourself. :)

Happy last week!!!

Leslies Check in...

Another crappy points week. Sorry for such harsh language. ;) 56 points but I lost 2 lbs so Im proud of that! I think I exercised like 2 times. WHOOPS. Im up to 15.6 lbs!!

November15th Post

Honestly, I think your body protests when you are constantly fighting weight. I was down another 1/2 pound, but man is it slow. I guess the end result is worth it.
I keep telling myself it is worth it. Which it is. It feels so much better than overeating.
I got 71 points this week, so I did well with points.
Next week will be the hard one. It will be a fun week. Lots of company and noise at my house.
I wouldn't have it any other way though.

Wendy--Week 11

I'm down 3 more pounds! So excited! If I can lose 3 more I will be back at my pre-pregnancy weight which is not great, but an accomplishment nonetheless. I got 61 points this week. Still trying to give my mind a pep talk that I can continue the things I've been doing right through the holidays. I think all of the weight I am losing is definitely worth the 20 dollars. I know I can do even better if I got as many points each week that some of you are. So that will be my goal in January.

Late--but not her fault

I have had a rough week--and am now traveling for the next 2 weeks.  Still banned from exercise, but trying with all the other steps.  I got a pitiful 55 points this week.  Below is the post from Kristine, who sent it to me on time, but I was not able to be online at all yesterday.  So, don't hold it against her--
Jessica

This week was bad. My poor husband had to put in 80 hours at his first job and and still do 20 hours at the other job, which meant I was a single mom all week. Exercise was hard to get in and I did not eat healthly so I was surprised when I lost half a pound. Nice even if I did not deserve it. 70 points. I have set a goal to lose 4 lbs before this contest ends. So that will make me be better.

Kristine

Jennifer B Week 10

I forgot to post last week, or maybe I just did not want to admit how may treats I ate. This week is not much better, but I need the points. I have resigned myself to realizing that I will most likely not win unless some people just plain drop out. I think this is why I have had such an increase in my sweets. My husband reminded me that I have lost weight and that I am looking really good, so even if I don't win the $20 to enter was worth it. I read some of the other peoples post and I realize that I need to finish this thing out strong for myself, not for the money. I really wanted to be down at 190 by the time this challenge was over, but this week I gained weight, and overall I have not been able to get below 191. I know, just one pound, but it still ticks me off. I was doing so well at the beginning that I thought I might even get lower then 190lbs, but I will now be happy if I can just get there. Week 9 points was 62, and week 10 points was 64, for a total of 675 points.

Lee's Week 10

I had a little setback this week. I spent Friday night at the movies and going to dinner afterwards, hence losing several points because of it. I had a moment of weakness because I was feeling especially lonely. One bright spot of my week though was when I was on the phone with a nurse from my insurance company. She calls me every few months to check on my medical status (as a courtesy of the company). I was excited to share with her what I'd been doing the last 2 months. She was interested in hearing about it and was happy for me. She won't be able to call me in Feb., someone else will call me in stead. But I will hear from her in May. I look forward to telling her of further progress. She's been a good listening ear. For this past week, I earned 55 points, which includes 1 point for the blog, but no points for weigh loss, as I gained 3 pounds. Friday didn't help . . ..

Lee's Week 10

I had a little setback this week.  I spent Friday night at the movies and going to dinner afterwards, hence losing several points because of it.  I had a moment of weakness because I was feeling especially lonely.  One bright spot of my week though was when I was on the phone with a nurse from my insurance company.  She calls me every few months to check on my medical status (as a courtesy of the company).  I was excited to share with her what I'd been doing the last 2 months.  She was interested in hearing about it and was happy for me.  She won't be able to call me in Feb., someone else will call me instead.  But I will hear from her in May.  I look forward to telling her of further progress.  She's been a good listening ear.  For this past week, I earned 55 points, which includes 1 point for the blog, but no points for weight loss, as I gained 3 pounds.  Friday didn't help..........

Jen H. Week 10

I think I've mentally thrown in the towel. I managed a mere 56 points (includes bonus), but still lost 2 pounds, so something went right. Or it was yesterday's fast, idunno. I would really like to end this thing at 268 where I ended last challenge. So next challenge I can really lose weight. That means I have 5 pounds to go in two weeks. I can do that. Go me.

Claudia's Week 10

This week I'm visiting my son in Seattle with a new baby. I've been struggling this week with finding time and a place to exercise. It's rainy and cold here. There's no place to walk and no treadmill. I've been walking the halls, doing jumping jacks and situps, trying to get my 30 minutes in. I will have to continue to be creative this week. I think I lost 2 lbs, but can't be sure because it's a different scale. Next week will be the true test, when I get back on my schedule and on my own scale. If the scale is correct, I've lost 15 lbs. and I got 72 points this week! Only 5 lbs. more to go to my goal (under 2o0 lbs). This has been a great challenge and I've enjoyed getting healthier. I'm looking forward to continuing with the next challenge. Thanks Denise!

How low can you go?

With points that is. I did HORRIBLE with points this week. We are doing some remodeling in our kitchen so the oven was out of commission for a couple of days which meant microwave meals, eating out, or eating at SIL's house. I did horrible with water on those days. One night I even ran across the new tile that I wasn't supposed to be on for a vitamin. I couldn't lose that point!!! I also had my first treat since this began. I had some pumpkin roll at a Relief Society dinner we had. Ohhhh my my my...it was worth it. It was so good. I thought my weight gain would be horrible but Im only up .2. Points this week are 54.

Dawn week 10

I just have to keep being strict, it's what works for me. Even my own teammates are trying to sabotage me. This week, "evil" Denise sent her daughter over with a dessert for me at a church function...my son was thrilled when I brought it home and gave it to him :) Another challenge was a celebration with the Polynesian side of the family. If anyone has been to a Polynesian gathering you know it's all about the food. There were desserts everywhere and tons of food. I still wouldn't give in. My highlight this week was when my 12 year old came home from school and said, "Mom, did you get new jeans?" My answer was, "No, I just fit back into a pair I was too fat for", then he told me I looked nice. That's enough to keep me going. Weight loss was 1.8 pounds and points were 72. I'm not going to give up at all.

Week 10 points

Wow. Not a good week. I barely kept a food journal. I exercised only one day. And I caved and ate some treats. Yet my weight is exactly the same -- what's up with that?!? I got only 50 points. :( I'll try to do better so I can end this challenge more than 10 down from where I started. Even if I'm not going to win, I can still end strong! I had someone at church tell me that my face looked thinner. I felt guilty knowing I had a bad week, but I also realized I am seeing results and this is about results, not points! Off to a better week ...

How dumb is that

I did well on the diet, and even lost a half pound. The problem is yesterday I realized I had not written down a single thing I was thankful for the whole week. So I lost 6 points right there. I also don't exercise on Sunday. So I only ended up with 65 points. I won't forget those again. I wrote them all down yesterday so I can say I did them, but did not give myself the points.

Nov. 8 - Thanksgiving is coming

66 points for last week. This traveling is really tough on my goals for this program. I hope to do better this week and my family have been slacking so I think I will also focus on getting them all started again. I love my thankful list. It helps me be more appreciative and happy.

Wendy's weekly report

Checking in with 60 points for the week. I did terrible with the no treats thing this week. I don't even have leftover Halloween candy that I like, so I don't know what the problem was. I was pretty sure my weight loss was going to suffer because of it, but I actually lost .6 pounds. At least I didn't go up! Now I'm trying to figure out how I can keep this up through the holidays. I know that it's going to be a challenge.

Lee's Week 9

Wow, it’s winding down fast……only the last couple of weeks to go. Hope everyone is fulfilling their goals for this challenge. I know I have surpassed some big hurdles in my daily habits. I’m already looking forward to areas of improvement with the next challenge. When will that one be?? My birthday was this past week, so I lost a couple of points due to that, but I’m ready to jump back on the bandwagon for a new week. I had a great birthday and chose to go into the day with low expectations for any kind of recognitions so that I could appreciate even more the people in my life who made me feel special on my big day, including my dear friend and fellow competitor Jen. My points for this week were 54, including a point for this blog and 1 point for losing weight.

Dawn week 9

Not a bad week. Decent weight loss and points of 72. Past history has shown that I usually open the Halloween candy and have eaten a bag before the actual day has come and then need to buy more to replace my binge. This year, the candy didn't get opened until the actual night. I ate dinner at 7:30pm hoping that would keep me full and not wanting candy. When the kids finally came home, my stomach was growling so hard. It was like I had been fasting. They dumped out their candy...I looked at it - leaned over and smelled it - touched it - than told them to get it out of my sight and went to bed with my stomach still growling. The way my skirt zipped up the next morning was my reward for not giving in.

Week 9 points

Well, it was my worst week yet. Dumb cold weather. When I don't exercise first thing, I don't get it done. I was doing well until I got busy, and then I missed three days. I also gave in to making a pumpkin treat early in the week. However, I didn't eat any Halloween candy. I picked out one really good thing from each of my kids' bags, and then I told myself I didn't have to eat them at all. That was a fine moment. My points this week were 64. Amazingly, I was still down in weight (barely). I'll take it!

Halloween weekend - CANDY!

My points were 66 for last week. Not too bad but I felt like I ate horrible. The holidays are going to be a challenge. We seem to have lots of birthdays in my family and lots of food I would rather not be eating. So I should really be working on self control and will power, so far, not so good. This week I'm in Portland, hope we can find some restaurants that cook without so many calories. I am taking my own snacks though so that will help.

Claudia's Report - Week 9

Well, I didn't lose the two pounds I had hoped to this week, but still did alright. I lost 1 lb. and got 70 points total (including the w-l and blog point). So, I'm at 13 total pounds lost. Still better than gaining, which I would have been doing. I didn't have any Halloween candy or treats, even though they were in abundance all around me. I'm pretty proud of myself for that!

From Jessica & Kristine

Another bad week for me--I have been banned from all forms of activity for 3 weeks, and must wear my brace all day.  Good times.  It makes life a lot less fun--I realized in my post last week I didn't say my points, so last week I had 55 and this week 60.  Boo.

Jessica

I did it! I set a goal to have a perfect week and I did it. It wasn't easy with two parties and Halloween candy everywhere. But I feel great for accomplishing it. My weight is finally dropping. I lost 4 lbs this week instead of only 1. Now I hope I can keep up this week with bags of candy all over the house...72 pts.

 

Kristine

Leslies Check in

Not so good points wise (looking like thats a trend this week) 64 points. But I did get a 2.4 lb weightloss that I wasnt really expecting since I skipped three days in exercise. Im down 13.8 lbs for the challenege. Im glad about that!

Jen H. Week 9

Not so great points this week (55 + 2 bounus = 57). But I lost a pound, so no complaining. That's probably because we had a bit of a stomach bug going around the house and nobody felt much like eating anything, let alone exercising. But I did swim on Saturday and I'm going forward, though it looks like my chances of winning this thing are nil. But I need to get back down where I was at the end of the last challenge (6 pounds to go--I can do that in 3 weeks!), then make it through the Holidays and join again to really drop 20. And I'm so excited my mom is in the top 2! No, Denise, you can't have her address (I'll give it to you when you send her prize money) because if she wins, I'll get a nice birthday present!!! But seriously, that makes me happy that she's doing so well. That we're all doing well, prize money or no. Heck $20 is cheaper than weight watchers and this is more effective!

On to the Holidays

I have decided to try to do this during the holidays. It will help me stay away from all the junk that appears around Christmas.
I got 71 points this week, and have lost 11 pounds. I wish it was more, but it isn't easy to lose weight. It is amazing that even my grandkids watch what I eat. How can you mess up with everyone watching you?
Good luck to everyone.

Wendy's check-in

My points were really not that good this week--58. So once again I expected to stay at the same weight or maybe even go up a little. However, I was very pleasantly surprised to see that I had lot 4 more pounds! That makes me so happy. I have now lost a total of 20 pounds since the start! I walk my daughter to school every morning and another mom that I see there commented to me how much weight I had lost. She told me how good I was looking and that really made my day. If I can lose 20 pounds with my poor point scores, just think what I could do if I got perfect points or close to it like many of you do each week. I'll have to join in again in January and see if I can stay in the running for the prize for that one. Between now and then, however, I want to make sure I don't destroy all of this progress over the holidays!

Points Tally, New Rules (for 2011), Hot Chocolate Recipe

That's right, this is a loaded post: Tallies until now; proposed rules for 2011 challenge; and a yummy hot chocolate recipe that is healthier for you than hot chocolate mixes ...

First .... points to date (top half):

567 - Dawn
566 - Claudia
558 - Sylvia
555 - Denise
549 - Jennifer
536 - Leslie
526 - Jen H.
512 - Tania

I cannot believe how well everyone is doing! Even those who aren't in the top half are right in there and losing weight, besides. Dawn and Claudia need to be taken down ... ;) Jen, send me your mom's address so I can start delivering brownies, cookies, cake, etc. Neighbors, start doing the same to Dawn! ;) Just kidding ... but if Claudia still lived in Covington where I knew where she was I might have to do it as a joke ...

Fitness Challenge 2011
So, the Winter Fitness challenge will start either Jan. 3 or Jan. 10 -- I haven't decided yet. Here are how the points will go on that challenge:

1 pt/day for keeping a food journal
1 pt/ day for exercising for 30+ minutes
1 pt/day for reading Book of Mormon 20+ minutes
1 pt/day for not eating after 8 p.m.
1 pt/day for eating 4+ servings of fruits and/or veggies
1 pt/day for having no more than 1 treat (100 calories or less)
1 pt/day for drinking 8+ cups water
1 pt/day for taking a vitamin and/or calcium
1 pt/day for not skipping any meals
1 pt/day TBD ... additional suggestions? (maybe no pop? maybe meeting a personal goal?)

And now that it's cold, we definitely need healthier hot chocolate!

Deep Dark Hot Chocolate
1 T unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (I just use regular baking cocoa)
1 T and 2 t Splenda
2 T hot water
1 c. milk

Place cocoa powder and Splenda into microwavable mug. Add the hot water and stir until smooth. Pour in the milk and stir again. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes or until hot. (Do not boil.) Recipe makes one serving Deep Dark Hot Chocolate.

Nutrition information per 1-cup:
Calories: 120
Fat: 3g
Protein: 9g
Carbohydrate: 16g
Exchange: 1 low fat milk

Late--

Posting a little late, and I really needed that point yesterday. Last week was perhaps my worst week. I spent 4 of the 7 days sick, very sick, in bed.  So, no reading, exercise, writing of things to be grateful for, etc.  Points this week were DOA!  I didn't even lose weight, but didn't gain any either. My back is still a disaster, so for now I can't exercise.  Not until I get MD approval.  Grrrrrrrrrr. 

Jennifer B Week 8

It was a pretty good week. I made cookies, and I had to try some after I made them, so I lost a point there. But I was really proud of my self because I did not eat any cake a the baby shower I went to the next day. I love cake, so this took a lot of will power. Right now there is a cheese cake in the fridge that is totally calling my name. I want my husband to hurry up and eat it, but I really don't want him to eat the whole thing because it is not good for him either. This means that I should find people to give it a way to, and not help him out by eating some of it myself, but the second idea is much tastier. This week I got 68 points for a challenge total of 549.

Leslies Check in

Seems like I have a good week and then a bad week with the weight loss. This week I only lost .8. Oh well, thats more then a half a pound, right? My points also werent the best. We have been tearing up floors around here so I had a day with not enough water, skipped a meal, ate late. Im just glad Ive been losing and not gaining like I have for the last 12 years of my life. 66 pts

Dawn week 8

It looks like strictness is the only way to go for me. Being strict bought me a 2lb. weight loss this week with points in at 72. In Weight Watchers they would say, "If you sort of do the program, you will sort of lose weight". I agree with Sylvia, it's harder to drop the pounds the older you get. On Friday, my husband was desperate for homemade cookies. I wasn't going to make them! He told me he didn't like this diet because we never have junk food in the house anymore and finally resorted to making a batch himself. He and the kids indulged and I didn't have any...not even a taste of dough. Next morning he complained of a "cookie hangover". This morning was a struggle to want to do anything because of the loss of a pet, but I forced myself onto the treadmill and to eat breakfast even though I didn't feel like it. I am enjoying this program and enjoy hearing of the successes of each participant. Continue to do great and feel proud of your accomplishments.

Jen H. Week 8

Well, my points aren't fantastic (I had a bad point day yesterday in particular), but I made it to the pool a couple of times this week which makes a world of difference. I was down two pounds. So, yay! My points total is 60 (includes 1 post & 1 weight loss). I may be out of the running to win this thing, but I'm going to give it a last ditch effort.

Lee's Week 8

What a beautiful fall we have in here in Michigan. Clear blue skies, fall leaves/colors, sunny, comfortable temperatures. Michigan truly is a four-season state. I have lived here 44 of my 48 years. I have come to appreciate the idea of journaling daily the things I am grateful for. Sometimes it's just the little things that may happen in a day or something I might see. I went to see one of my doctors this week and he was impressed with the results of some testing that I had occurred recently and even commented that "something has happened". When I told him about the fitness challenge and that it had attributed to these changes, he actually jotted down some of the things we can receive points for. I thought that was cool. And, I lost 4 pounds!!

My points for this week are 59 (includes 1 for weight loss and 1 for posting).

Week 8 points

So I had a pretty good week. I got 68 points and am back down in weight (to where I was two weeks ago). Now to just push beyond that. I'm hoping to up my exercise intensity this week and eat more veggies. I have so many veggies in the house and I've just been terrible about eating them! It's amazing that even without treats you can not be eating a really healthy diet. Sigh ... But now it's easy to not eat after 8 p.m., and I can resist treats a lot easier. (My teenager made chocolate chip cookies last night and I wasn't even tempted ... mostly. :) Good work to everyone! Only one month left!

Great Week!

This week I was determined to lose the pound I gained, and I lost it plus one more for a total of 12 lbs for the challenge. It's great, because I'm losing my belly and all of my clothes are now feeling more comfortable, and some are even getting loose! I tried really hard this week to make my exercise more beneficial and I ate less at each meal. I ate more fruit and veggies, and less carbs. I was able to get 72 points this week (70 + 2 for blogging and weight loss).....wooohooo! I need to lose 8 more pounds by Thanksgiving--that's 2 pounds per week. I think I can do it!

Yeah

I finally lost more than a half pound. I lost 1 1/2 pounds this week for a total of 10 1/2. Every year it gets harder to loose.
I got 70 points this week. I have decided I want to keep doing this through the holidays to see if I can keep from gaining weight. We will see what happens.
This is sure a cheaper way to go than Jenny Craig or some of those other formal plans. Plus, it is fun to read everyone ups and downs. Thanks Denise for putting in the work to put this together.

Great week for me!

I had a really great week. I was home the whole week, which helps tremendously and no eating out. I had a plan each day of what foods and I was very strict with what I ate. I lost the amount of weight I wanted to and now feel like I've got a fresh start. My scripture reading is wonderful. The trip to Arizona gave me a jump start because I read half of it on the trip, now I'm motivated every day to keep up with my reading and finish before the end of the year. I love my thankful list and what a perfect month to really get everyone involved. My points were 71 for last week. Hope this will hold out for the holidays :o)

Wendy's check-in

I got 66 points this week. But I didn't lose any weight. The exercise was a lot better this week. I think I ate more in general, and not as many fruits and veggies as I should have. My suggestion for next time as far as a change would be to include a point for eating your daily serving of fruits and vegetables. I haven't been as good at that lately. I'm still hanging in there, though, and still trying to be good and make wise decisions. I'll keep at it again this coming week. Halloween, here we come!

Jennifer B Week 7

I forgot to post last week, and I almost forgot to post again this week. I have been super busy, and this last week was my worst for points so far. I really need to kick it up a notch and get myself back in this thing. I was really excited though because I went shopping for jeans and I was able to get a size 14, and I look super good in them. All this working out and not eating milkshakes is really doing something for me. My points for this week were 66, and my challenge total is 481.

From Jessica

Not a good week for me--I re-injured my back which sidelined me from all activity. This happens whenever i get close to a break through--or at least it feels that way.  I did miraculously lose weight though, just 1 pound. Only 63 points this week--no activity for the second half!

Week 7 points

Well, good and bad week. Good in that I'm only up one pound after an anniversary getaway (yes, folks, 10th anniversary is this year :). Bad in that I took my swimsuit to the hotel planning on my exercise being in the pool ... and the pool was closed for the season. What? Uh oh ... then I figured I could still workout in their weight room, but then I hadn't packed my exercise clothes. I would have done it in my jammies, but I forgot them, too! Yes, my brain seems to be going. But the good news is that I still got my water, I didn't eat after 8 p.m., I didn't overeat (that one surprised me!), and I'm only up one pound after two nights w/desserts (one of which was worth missing!). I got 66 points for the week. My goal this week is to up my veggies big time and see if that makes me feel better with more energy. I just don't like many veggies or the prep work involved and am horrible about eating them. My fridge is stocked with them, so I better get eating so they don't all go bad! :)

melissa here

Hi had a good week but needed some chocolate. Got 58 points with no weight loss of course. Story of my life. I think I am stuck at this weight. I did buy PX90 at a yard sale but need to get the book so I can start it. I think I'll just take it really easy. I am worried I won't be winning this challenge tho- who is the woman who gets perfect scores each week? We have got to take her out!:> Way to go.

Dawn week 7

So last week I was bummed because I had gained a pound by weigh ins Monday morning. The next day it went down almost three pounds (Thanks scale...a day late. Could have had that point). I maintained that all week...then the weekend came and I didn't do anything different than I had done all week, I had actually been very strict with myself, and that weight tried to slowly inch back up. So, it's down for a loss this week, but not as low as it was last Tuesday. Can't figure out why my body, for the last two years, wants to hang onto this fat so much. Points are 72 this week. Remember how in the beginning I was thinking 20 minutes of reading seemed long? Now that I'm loving the B of M, 20 minutes is just rushing by and I'm not wanting it to be over. I'm loving that book.

Leslies Check in...

It was a pretty good week!! I lost 3.8 lbs and got 69 pts (blogging/weightloss). My points that I lost this week were for eating after eight. I have a hard time with that. And its not eating snack after 8..its eating dinner after eight. Im trying tho! My weight loss is 10.6 lbs. Im excited for that. (Tho, I wish it were more...but Ill take what I can get)

Total points 471

Claudia's Week 7

After a 3 lb loss last week, I had high expectations for this week. I did pretty well on points--until Saturday. I didn't find time to exercise--does shopping all day count??--and, come to think of it, maybe it was the tub-o-buttered popcorn I ate at the movies Saturday night that did it--not to mention the refill (after 8:00) that I brought home and finished Sunday morning for breakfast...hum??? This week will be better. My goal is to lose back the pound I gained and two more. Anyway, I got a total of 68 points, including the blog point for last week.

Points

I forgot to post my points. I got 70

I Love This

I feel so good doing this diet. My weight loss is slow, I lost 1/2 pound this week, but I am down a total of 9 pounds.
I have not had a gooey treat the whole time. I am nervous for the holidays to come, but hope to make it through in good shape.
I am going to write a saying I kept on hand when I worked at Jenny Craig.
The greatest source of unhappiness come from giving up that which we want most, for that which we want at the moment.
I think the great thing about this is it can apply to all aspects of our lives.
Good luck to everyone.

From Kristine

This week was bad for points but awesome for weight. I lost 4 lbs, which is the most I have lost in one week. Now I have lost for three weeks in a row now! Although my weight has not been dropping I am losing about an inch a week and none of my clothes fit anymore. Which is a nice problem.  pts. 64

Points

Forgot to say that my points were 68.

Not so good of a week

My points don't reflect that it was that bad of a week but it really was. My exercise wasn't as intense so I didn't feel like I got a good work out while I was in Arizona. I was able to get out and walk and enjoy the beautiful scenery but I only ran one day. We ate out for every meal except breakfast and that is what did me in. We split most meals so it's not that we over ate but the food we ate had a lot more calories and fat in them then I am used to eating. So this week, I feel like we are starting over from scratch, as far as the weight goes. Spiritually though, this week was very high. Seeing the Grand Canyon and being a part of a little girl's small miracle were a huge blessing to Dave and I. We also spent a lot of time reading the Book of Mormon while we traveled. We had a lot of great conversations and we discovered some things we had not thought about before. We also had lots of time to listen to General Conference on CD. I guess we take the bad with the good. My spiritual well being is much better today than my physical!

Wendy's check-in

Well, I got 59 points this past week. I fell pretty hard in the eating no treats arena. I've been taking a cake decorating class and have had frosting and cake sitting around the whole time. I know my weakness when things are sitting around me that I shouldn't eat. I've got to find a way to deal with that, especially since the holidays are just around the corner! I am happy that I didn't gain any weight back. I lost almost a pound, but I was hoping for more than that. So, I've got to get back up and start afresh this week.

Lee's Week 7

A short blog this time---it's been a long week for me and the only thing I really have to comment on today is that I went to a monthly luncheon and enjoyed cheesecake that was brought for everyone in honor of my birthday this month. I enjoyed it while it lasted. No weight loss this week so my total for points this week are 55 (54 + one fore posting).

Lee (posted by Jen H.)

Jen H. Week 7

Same old. Reasonable points, no weight loss. I'm thinking if I double my exercise and half my food intake, I should start seeing something . . . I'll get right on that. 63 points for the week (includes 1 for posting last week).

Sylvia's points

No weight loss this week, but I got 69 points.

(Posted by Denise for Sylvia)

Jessica and Kristine

Finally--broke the plateau and lost some weight after weeks of barley a 1/2 pound loss I jumped to 5 pounds!  Now to keep it up-- I got 70 points this week.
jessica

This week was good. I almost had a perfect week,  I only missed by two points. One day my husband and I meet for dinner and it was after 8 before we could eat and another day it was my daughters birthday and I had cake and ice cream. I am really enjoying this challenge it has gotten me moving and into better habits. Pts: 69.

 Kristine

Melissa

Well I had a good week but no weight loss. I did enjoy a celbratory asphalt pie at wingers due to our tournament win! Woho. I am doing better then I hoped I would it is just those darn sweets. Reading the scriptures has probubly been the most rewarding thing out of all this. Life has been a little rough lattley at it is so comforting to open my scriptures at night and feel that peace. I tried all last week to post and was unable to so I commented on dawns as my post, I don't know what is up with my post.

Dawn week 6

Frustrated! I did everything right this week and my weight just sat there, staying the same. This morning I got on the scale and had gained a pound. WHAT? What the heck is that for? I feel like I'm trying so hard to do every little thing right and the weight is coming off so slow and so little. It sucks. On the brighter side, for the "spiritual" development, I was really "getting" it while reading the BofM this week and wanted to just keep reading. It's great that after reading that book so many times, I can still learn more. Points were 70 this week. Denise, sign me up for January!

Leslie's check in...

I feel like Im doing good...but the weight loss is just not showing it! ARG!! Down .6 this week. I had a couple eat after 8:00 this week. Maybe thats it. I dont know. My points for this week are 66. (402 total) I think most of the things I can continue to do. Im glad about that.

Claudia's Week 6

This week was the best one yet--except I forgot one day to keep my journal--but I lost 3 lbs, for a total of 11 lbs over the 6 week period. It's a miracle! Consistency is the key. I make sure I walk every day, don't eat sugar, and don't eat after 8:00 p.m. Those are the 3 things that are making the difference--oh, and the water. Drinking my 8 glases is not that difficult anymore. If I drink 2 glasses at breakfast, then carry a water bottle with me, sipping on it thoroughout the day, I can usually get 9 or 10 glasses. This challenge has been so good for me. Thanks, Denise (and Jen for encouraging me). I have a total of 71 points this week (69 + 1 for blogging and +1 for weight loss).

Jen H. Week 6

Ugg, and double-ugg. I eat when I get stressed. Did I mention that? I've over-eaten, oversnacked, and under-exerted this week (again, I need to do more than the 30, or do the 30 more intensely I think to see results). Which all adds up to a 2 pound weight gain. 66 points total including blog point.

Lee's Week 6

The halfway point is looming closer. I figure I'm almost to the top of the summit and that the way down should be easier than the harder climb. Which means it should be easier to achieve success with this challenge because I'm so used to it now. The rough patches on the decline will be when I stumble and fall on scoring perfectly each day. Given my history in this challenge, I can expect these pitfalls, but it's up to me to make sure I don't encounter them. I continue to be encouraged by the success I have, since some of these successes have been crutches for me for years. This weeks points are 56 (Including blog post, no weight loss).

Lee (by Jen H).

Week 6 points

Half-way there!!! Wow. :) I got 70 points and lost a little (.8) again. I'm down to 220.6, which is 11 pounds down from the beginning. I would like to see that number double in the second half ... which will require more veggies and a bit more exercise ...

I've gotta say it's exciting to hear of everyone's positive changes. Who knew we had self-control. ;) Okay, mine still isn't as strong as Leslie's (she ordered a Cold Stone -- her favorite -- and then couldn't bring herself to take a bite), but it's better every day. I've been realizing that the trick will be to not jump in and eat everything I've been "depriving" myself of during the holidays so I don't gain it back.

And, FYI, I will do another fitness challenge starting in January. I've got a few changes planned ... but let me know if you have other ideas of things to include as well. Thanks!

Oct. 11 and still hanging in there

This week was up one from last week - 67. I'm thankful to have a program that keeps me setting goals for myself and my family. We are all trying to eat healthier and stay fit. Having this program keeps me accountable for what I do and eat each day and I need that. We are traveling again this week which means a lot of eating out again. I am working to keep my score for next week above 65. Wish me luck.

Wendy's weekly report

I didn't lose any weight this week, but at least I didn't gain any. I've stayed right at the same number. I'm okay with that. It's still a total of 16 pounds. I got 60 points this week. My goal was to get more in the habit of exercise which I can still work on. I have a partner that I go walking with, but when she isn't able to go I have a really hard time convincing myself to do it alone. I still need to work on that. It's not hard at all anymore not to eat after 8 pm and I am happy about that. I don't have any real aspirations of winning this thing, but I'm grateful for some of the habits it is helping me establish.

Melissa sighning in

Had to try a color! Did ok this week. I finally lost 2 pounds. I guess I have to do something extreme to get this weight off so I am starting a six week body makeover. I bought it awhile back after I had my 5 and wanted to get the baby weight off. I lost 30 pounds in 7 weeks and didn't have to kill myself exercising which I hate but the food is pretty bland. No salt or sugar but hey it's only six weeks right! Worked before so it should work again. I was sick at the beginning of the week so I didn't get some exercise points and then had a treat on Friday, love those fat boys. But I scored 68 and feel good about that. Shout out to Leslie who has not had a treat since we started and sat in Cold Stone and didn't eat ANYTHING! So proud of her! Ok this is for last week-finnally got my computer working right.

Lee's Week 5

We're getting closer to the halfway point. Hope everyone is coming along well towards their goals for this challenge. I continue to be amazed at how well I'm doing with certain areas of this challenge and yet I know where my weaknesses lie also. I keep trying to work on those. I've never drank a half a gallon of water a day before this, but it's been working pretty well to do so. My points for this week are 50 (+ 1 for the blog and + 1 for losing weight) for a total of 52.

Lee

(posted by Jen H. for Lee)

Dawn week 5

Things are going good. Many things are starting to become a habit now. Weekends take planning so that I can stay with the program. I think if we had a challenge to eat a certain amount of fruits or vegetables a day, that might be more of a challenge for me. Went to Chuck-a-rama this weekend and convinced myself that I really just wanted a salad and fruit. It worked and I didn't even look at the dessert bar or go back for seconds. Chuck-a-rama really got their moneys worth out of me. Points this week are 69+1+1 for a total of 71.

Week 5 points

Well, I had several days of not feeling well (love my monthly "friend"), but I still ended the week .2 lower than I was last week. Not much, but I'll take it. I got 69 points. At the end of this week we will be half-way through. I love it and don't even feel deprived! I am happy, though, that I'll get a slice of pie on Thanksgiving. :) I'll probably need to crank up the intensity of my exercise to continue to lose. Here's to more weight loss so I'll be in the 2-teens.

Good Week

I went on vacation this week, and did not cheat. I forgot to do my thankful list, so missed those points for 2 days, but I was happy to come home a 1/2 pound lighter.
I missed scriptures one day (I read 10 minutes) but also on lost another point one day. So I ended with 68 points because I lost weight. I have lost 8 1/2 pounds total. I feel so much better.

Wendy's check-in

I'm kind of the opposite of many of you. My points are still low, but I'm really excited about my weight loss! I've now lost 16 pounds from the start date, and that makes it all worth it for me. I got 59 points this week. I started out strong with a few perfect days and then the flu wreaked havoc on the points for the rest of the week. I still need to work more on getting exercise in everyday. That will be my goal for this coming week. Right now I do it most days, but I don't feel like it is a habit quite yet. I've proud of my ability to resist treats, especially since my husband seems to bring sweet things home almost every day.

Leslie's check in...

BLAH on this week! No weight loss. :( I skipped exercise one time. That's the first time, I think in the whole competition. 65 pts plus one for blogging so 66. I haven't had a treat the whole time! So that's good! I'm gonna have to kick it up a notch in the exercising and probably cut portions more. (total 336)

Claudia - Week 5

Well, I'm still hanging in there. I missed exercise and reading one day, and I'm still eating pretty much the same as before, except for sugar--no treats in 5 weeks! Not eating after 8:00 p.m. is a huge deal for me, too. I'm still managing to lose a pound a week, but getting a little impatient with the slow weight loss. I decided this week I need to cut down on portions and try to lose another pound this week. Lost 8 lbs so far, but I'm only one binge away from gaining it all back! I've been walking on my lunch hour, but the weather is starting to turn colder and rainy, so it will be harder to get out. I have a total 70 points this week (68 + 1 weight loss + 1 for blogging).

A bit better

I got 67 points--just barely, only losing 1/2 a pound--but still a loss.  Overall doing great--and loving recording my food on line.

Oct. 4 - pretty successful week

Still working on getting my points up. I made a mistake in last week's points, they should have been 71, missed adding a day. This week is down a bit, 66 in total. I haven't lost any weight but I feel healthier and stronger. I am eating much better, exercising an hour every day and trying to get more sleep each night. I'm thinking more about what I should be eating and what is best for my family. After hearing President Monson's talk yesterday, I am very grateful that we started our daily grateful list. It really helps me focus on the good each day. My food log is great, since we started, I've only missed a couple days and that was on the weekends when I boycot the computer (which is where my log is :0)

Jen H. Week 5

Wow, are we 5 weeks in already? This week wasn't great, but I still managed to lose one of the pounds I gained last week (yo-yo-yo). So, my total points including weight loss and last week's post point are 62 (my lowest week yet, I think--I missed a day exercising for the first time this whole challenge . . . and then I did it again). My excuses are legion (Matt had surgery and I've been fighting a cold) . . . but on the good side, the pool is open and I swam once! My bike ride yesterday was a chilly one. Pretty soon I'll need to bundle up better and/or take it inside for the season. I'm sitting at 275 pounds. I feel like I've been sitting at 275 for the better part of 10 years. I really don't want to get any more comfortable here. I can still pull this off.

Jennifer B Week 5

I had a pretty good week. I am really happy with how well I am doing on my working out. I wish I could stay completely away from the sweets, but it always seems I need to eat some at least once a week. I forgot my daughter got out of school early on Friday. I was horrified when the school called and said that I had forgotten my daughter. I managed to run all the way to the school. I hate to run, and I was winded when I got there, but I was so excited that I could do it. I guess even if I am not seeing leaps and bounds with the weight loss at least I am in better shape. Point total for the week 69, for the competition 347.

Whats for Lunch?

Im in a lunch rut. Im sick of chicken salads or sandwiches. What are you guys doing for lunch???

I didn't even total my points this week they are so low. I will try harder next week. Gained two pounds. :(

Lisa's Check in...

She still hasnt found where her invites are going... Denise, will you send her another one?

Points this week 37. That is including her weight loss this week. She is trying to get her thyroid under control.

Hope to see ya on here soon Lisa!

Jen H. Week 4

AARRRRRGGGGHHH!!!!! I gained a couple of pounds. And I lost my not-overeating point like 5 days this week. Hmmmmm, I guess I know why I gained weight. My total for the week including last week's blog posting point is 63. And the pool didn't reopen last week. It's open now, but my husband's having surgery this week, so I go into full nurse-maid mode. I'm determined not to blow it this early on!!! I exercised all week, but the exerbike is just not cutting it right now (I did actually lap the lake once--it's starting to get chilly, I need to get all the outside biking in that I can!). I must get back to the pool. I overeat when I'm stressed. I suppose since I know that, I should stop doing it. Is it that easy?

Lee's Week 4

I was successful this past week in adding some points to days that I hadn’t before and yet I missed out on some points for not following the guidelines. In the end, it kind of balanced out with what I’ve been averaging. My points this week (including last week’s blog and my 5 pound weigh loss--yay!) are 59! It’s becoming easier to say no to certain things (some of this is all in our minds), yet I keep struggling with some of the same things. I’ll try to do better this week.

Lee
(posted for Lee by Jen H.)

Great Week

Yeah! I finally lost another pound. I am very excited. I hope I don't have problems because it was fast Sunday. I had lost it before, so hopefully I won't .

So total I have lost 7 pounds. I got a total of 70 points. I feel so much better, and haven't been too tempted to cheat. I hope everyone knows about the great 100 calorie snacks. They are great. There is a great variety also.

Good luck to everyone for the week coming up.

Dawn week 4

Good week plus weight loss. 70 points for this week. Not many temptations but had an angry/stressful day that almost led to a chocolate overdose but instead, I sat in the dark in my house, alone and quiet until I overcame the feeling. Eating crappy food is not a reward, it is a punishment.

Final participants

Okay, so now that it's been 4 weeks, I thought I'd post who is eligible for the pot (meaning who got me the money by the end of week 4):

-Dawn
-Tania
-Leslie
-Melissa
-Lisa
-Brandi
-Denise
-Sylvia
-Rachel
-Jen H.
-Claudia
-Jennifer B.
-Lee
-Wendy
-Jess
-Kris
-Holly

If I have missed anyone, please let me know, because I didn't get your money. :) This means the final winning pot is $255 and the second-place pot is $85. Good luck!

Jennifer B Week 4

This is my lowest point week so far. I really got sidetracked on Saturday, and lost a few points. Very disappointing, but I will move forward and do better next week. I had weight loss once again, but it was small. This weeks point total is 67 for a total of 278.

Week 4 points

Well, I'm down in weight again at 221.6, which is 10 pounds down from the beginning -- hooray! I won't be surprised if part of that was the "Fast Sunday curse" as Jen described before ... :) But I got 69 points this week, and I'm good with that. We generally go out to eat after the RS broadcast, but we went before this time and ate where there is a salad bar. Yummy and not too unhealthy (since I have to add croutons, cheese and dressing :). This week was the first I was tempted to eat treats during the afternoons and to eat after 8 p.m. But I resisted and was glad I did. Now to up the intensity so I can keep these pounds off ... and lose a few more!

Sick and frusterated!

I was so determined to get a perfect score this week but no I had to get sick! On friday I started to feel sick and by saturday I was feeling so sick I couldn't excercise if I wanted to. I wanted so badly to get a perfect score this week. I tried so hard last week and this week but got a 68. One of these weeks I am going to get a 72! One day. Anyone know how I can excersice while laying in bed?

Nama's Notes - September 27

After a fun week with the grandchildren and lots of wonderful meals cooked by my daughter-in-law, I only really overate once, and missed exercising one day. Even though some nights I left the house after dark, I managed to get my 30 minutes of walking and drank the last 2 or 3 glasses of water just before bed (had to get up in the night because of the water). I was able to get 68 points + 1 for blogging and I lost a pound, for a total of 70 points for the week. This is really fun and for the first time in years, I'm actually losing weight rather than gaining!

Leslies Check in

It was an okay week... We have been fixing up my grandmas house so I had a lot of bumps in the road with that. Late dinners and hard times with water. But I did lose 2.2 lbs so that feels good. (65 pts for the week)
4 week total 270

From Kris

had a great week as far as points. I was sick most of the week which made some things easier (like not over eating or eating treats) Some things harder (like exercise and drinking water). But I worked hard and had a perfect week so I got 70 points. That included a girls weekend in Park City. However I did not lose weight which makes me mad! I seem to be stuck at my current weight. I will have to figure that out.

For Jess and Holly

Okay week--a bit better then last week. I didn't lose any weight :( but didn't gain :) so i get 66 points this week. 

jessica

There ought to be a special award point when you go away for a weekend of scrap booking with your daughters (two of them) and still lose weight!  I keep trying for a perfect day but usually have problems with one point or another.  I like the feeling that even if you miss one point, you are still making 9 points - it helps you to feel successful instead of feeling like a failure because you ate one cookie (followed by a few more).

Holly

It was moving week for us and I fell short again. Only 60 points for last week. It was a little tough because we had our food boxed up and computers boxed up and my routine went out the window. This week I'm shooting for 70 points, no excuses. I wanted to mention that I am really enjoying the thank you list. I like looking back on my week and thinking about all the good things that happened. It's a nice reminder every night of how thankful I should be every day. Great idea!

Wendy's weekly report

Hi all,

I was in the middle of a family vacation/reunion last Monday without internet access or scales. But I'm back now and fairly proud of my past couple of weeks. I didn't get terribly high scores, but made great strides in my own personal willpower battles. We had tons of food and lots of desserts throughout the reunion and I was able to go through it without having the treats! Yesterday we had a family Sunday dinner with rich chocolate mousse that looked oh so yummy and I didn't have any of it and still enjoyed myself at the dinner. I am very excited that I was able to do that. I've been exercising consistently, except for the days that we were in the car literally from before sunrise to before sunset. I think there was only one of those travel days that I ate after 8 PM. I've lost a total of nine pounds since we started, and I'm happy about that. Last week's points were 64 and this week's points are 57, with a total of 237 so far.

One day late again!

Dang, I missed another point that I needed. This last week has gone very well for me. My points may not reflect that but the things I need the most work on worked last week so I'm excited. I had 63 points for last week which is up from the week before. My best improvement is that I have been able to cut out sweets and I don't even miss them. That is a good feeling. We have had lots more fruits and vegetables, which is easy because everything is in season right now. I will have to come up with another game plan when winter hits.

doing good

Ok I have stepped it up this week. I decided I want to win this challenge. I got perfect tens till this weekend when my brother got home from his mission and we all went up the mountain and played and spent time with each other. Lots of good food and no time for excersise. But you can't regret just start over and try to do better this weekend. No weight loss yet.....grrrrr. My scale is really crappy, I need to get one of thoese digital numbers!

Inspiration

I thought you would all like to see this--her book comes out this week.

http://www.fatwomanonthemountain.com/index.html

Another poor performance this week. Lost 2.2lb but only scored 56 pts. Just not have my whole heart into it. Exercised 5 days and was pleased with that, this week, work on eating veggies and not treats. I appreciate all your success, I love reading about it each week, it does get me motivated for a few days at least.

Jennifer B Week 3

I have had a really good week this week. I think all my working out has increased my sex drive, which my husband really likes, and I think it has helped me burn additional calories. I have a 3 lb weight loss this week, and my points for this week are 69.

Lee's Week 3

I got 54 points this week (includes a point for weight loss and a point for posting last week). It has now been 3 weeks and I’ve been noticing how many points other people are “scoring”. It’s somewhat discouraging to me that I’m not doing as well, but it makes me realize and drives the point home (that I already knew) that I’m not putting into this what I need to. Tomorrow is another week and another chance to start anew. I am still amazed at the willpower that I have had with areas that have been a challenge to me, most specifically the “not eating after 8 pm” one. I have done that for years---hence, one of the reasons I look the way I do. But it has actually turned out to be quite easy for me, so I’m very proud of myself for that.

My family is happy for me of the things I have disciplined myself to change. That makes me feel good.

Jessica and Kristine

I had a better week--but of course not as good as I would have liked. Only lost one pound, but that's better then none and I have another week to do better. :)  I love recording my calories on the website--its really helpful to see it over time, so even my bad days don't seem as bad b/c its all about the average intake over time. My average intake is only 50 calories above my goal of daily intake, which is great.  I got 62 points this week--that includes 1 point for losing one pound.
Jessica

Week Three

I had a great week. I had a really bad day on Monday that dragged me down in points but I did better the rest of the week. I lost 3 lbs this week which is keeping with my goal of weight loss. I plan to do better this whole week. Pts. 66.

Kristine

This week went well. I maintained my weight so that's better than a gain. Points are 69 (68+1 for blog). I lost a point due to chaos this week (and a treat-my fault). Had to run to Provo unexpectedly on Friday evening right as I was going to make dinner. Got home, was making dinner and suddenly realized it was 8:10pm. I was ticked because if I hadn't have had the unexpected trip, I wouldn't have lost the point. My first thought was to just not eat dinner, but then I would have lost a point for skipping a meal so I was trapped either way. It's great to be doing this with others and know that we are all working towards the same goals. Gook luck to everyone for the upcoming week.

Leslie week 3.

This week went pretty good. I lost 2.8 lbs My points are 67 +1 for wl and +1 for blogging. So 69 for the week.

I havent had sugar in three weeks either. CRAZY! (not saying I havent wanted it...yummo)

3 week total 205

Jen H. Week 3

It's a good week! I lost 3.5 pounds! I've lost 10 pounds so far in this challenge and am approaching the weight I was when I finished the last challenge! That will be the real "starting point"! I caved to a couple incidents of over-eating and had a run in with a brownie, for a total of 68 points (includes 1 weight loss and 1 for last week's posting), oh, and there was that night I put off reading the Book of Mormon until I fell asleep over it and conceded the point. Go Mom on the perfect week! I'll need to catch up now. Pool should be back open sometime this week--yay! I need it!

Nama Notes - Week 3

It's the end of a glorious week of the challenge, I finally got a perfect score...72! (70 + 1 weight loss and +1 for blogging last week.) I'm being grandma this week in California helping my son's family adjust to a new baby girl. It will be hard being out of my routine, but I'm committed to staying on the plan. So far, I've lost 6 lbs and haven't had sugar for 3 weeks! It's great. I'm feeling good and have more energy during the day.

Week 3

I had a rough week. I did well with the plan, but not with weight loss. I lost 1/2 pound of the weight I gained the week before. I think I'm too old to lose weight.

Anyway I feel better. I am still down 5 pounds in total and thats good. I will try to work on eating smaller portions this week and see if that helps. I am doing good on exercise, and on reading. Also, I love walking with Rachel. We have some good talks.

I earned 67 points this week. I am enjoying this challenge, and am looking forward to a better week.

Week 3 points

I had another good week -- and I lost weight! I'm at 224.4 and I got 68 points. I can't believe I forgot to write on my gratitude list one day ... what a dumb way to lose a point! I still don't think I'm eating nearly enough veggies and plan to work on that. It'll be much easier once soccer is over (next week) to have more veggies with dinner. Hope you all lost this week as well. I'm down 7 pounds in 3 weeks. I'll take it. I know it will get harder and harder to lose so I'll have to be better and better about my eating ...

Week 2 - better late than never

I missed posting yesterday and I really needed that extra point. I was down, actually way down this week, only 54 points. It was my birthday though and we celebrated the whole weekend with my family up North. I find it much harder to keep to my schedule when I am staying with someone else. This week will be better. We are getting in the habit of doing all the things on the list without having to look to see what's there. I did a personal wellness test through my insurance company and they said the one area I need to work on is 4-5 servings of vegetables per day. I think that would be a great thing to add to this challenge next time. Vegetables keep you full, are very healthy (if you don't put toppings on) and they are great for fighting diseases like cancer.

I didn't have another great week, only 57 points to record and a 2.8lb gain. Ugh. I am blaming it on Aunt Flo's visit this week. Hope next week isn't as discouraging. I didn't eat at the retreat, but then came home and ate cobbler. Should have just ate it there too but then that would have been another point for eating after 8. Here's to this week and a more optimistic outlook. Hiked to the cross for FHE. That was a difficult thing to do, I know I am not fit. I would like to say out of shape, but I have a shape, it is round. Have a wonderful week everyone!!!

Week 2

Much harder week--with a rough weekend. I didn't lose weight, but did okay otherwise.  57 points for the week.   But that's counting 5 points for paying :(

Week 2 points

I had two major successes this week, which I'm going to enjoy even though I ended the week .4 pounds higher than last week. What's up with that when I was so good? (Actually, I know it's because I didn't eat enough Saturday and Sunday -- I neglected my snacks and I think that makes a difference! I was down 1.6 pounds on Friday and then the weekend of neglect (not overeating) did me in ...)

Anyway, back to my successes. First success was that I had a Relief Society retreat (sleepover) where there are tons of goodies. They had a bunch of women bring cobbler (some with fresh berries from their gardens -- yummy!) and licorice and chocolate and I better stop there. I didn't eat one of 'em! (That was thanks to Leslie saying beforehand we weren't going to lose ANY points.) I felt powerful knowing I could go and NOT eat any of the goodies.

Success #2 came Saturday morning (which is why I didn't sleep at the retreat). I ran a 5k. Never done that before. Okay, I didn't run the whole thing, but I did it! It was hard for three reasons: 1) I'm totally out of shape; 2) It was really cold, so my lungs were burning pretty quickly (and I was coughing all day afterward); and 3) The wind was blowing really hard against me! But I did it!!! I completed it in 42 min 43 sec. (I also feel the need to say I stopped for a couple of minutes to get a downed flag off of the ground ... when I couldn't get it back into the ground to stand up I took it up and leaned it against a house. But it was worth it. Gotta honor the flag of freedom!)

Anyway, I also did well on the challenge and hope my body is just adjusting and will lose more this week. I still can't complain since I lost nearly 6 pounds last week. :) I got 76 points this week (since I put my money in this week and got the points for weight loss last week and posting last Monday). Hope it's an even better week (weight loss!) this week. :)

Check In Week Two....

A little discouraged this week! I thought I did pretty awesome but Im only down .2 lbs. :( So Im not going to count that as a loss this week. Ive exercised every day. Didnt read my scriptures at the retreat...but resisted treats there. WOOT WOOT! So Im proud of that. My points this week are 67+1 for posting today (Im just going to add it to this weeks so I can keep track of it. Hope thats ok)
Two week total is 136

Jennifer B Week 2

I am really proud of myself this week. I worked out every day. On Sunday I even managed to get the whole family involved with a good walk after dinner. It is finally sort of cool enough to start walking after dinner again. I lost two points this week, and they were on the same day. My wonderful, dear husband brought home cheesecake. I resisted for 2 days, and then it was still in the fridge and I had a bad day, and I just ate it. On top of that I did not drink my water for the day. That is what I get for starting out the day with cheesecake. Overall, I lost a pound, and ended the week with 75 points. I added my five for finally sending in my money on Thursday (I guess it was not that bad of a day I did remember to do some things). My week two total is 142 points.

Good and Bad

I had a good and bad week. I am more determined this week to win this challange so watch out! I have suffered with derpression for forever and have been on meds for years. I have been feeling worse then normal all summer and decided to go off the meds to try to change things or start over to know what to do with myself. I have felt better since being off the meds and have renewed energy and more motivation. I had blood work down a while back and found out my hormones, thyroid, iron and vitimin levels were off and maybe I don't need the depression meds anymore now that my whole system is back in balance. So overall I am feeling like I can really do this now and can kick some but so watch out! I did go to an overnight retreat with our ward and ended up eating after 8 and had some treats! I was up till 2 am for heaven sakes! But I didn't eat as much as I normally would and kept it under control! The next night a bunch of couples went out for dinner after 8 to my favorite resturant and what did I have WATER! That's right! The next night some one ofered me See's candies and I didn't have any! I am feeling very proud of myself. I have had no weight lose to speak of but am feeling better about myself.

post #2

I had a weird week. I did well food wise, but gained a pound and a half. I do feel better though.
I earned 70 points this week, because I am adding on for writing on the blog and weight loss for last week.
I feel so much better by eating more healthy and drinking the water. I hope to lose more weight this week. It will be fun to be down more by Christmas. My dream is to go to my closet and decide what I want to wear, and not what I can wear.
I am so proud of Denise and her 5k run. That is a great accomplishment. Way to go girl. I love you.

No chocolate cake!

I went to Magleby's this weekend with some friends. We were invited after a temple session, which ended after 8pm. My husband and I went along for the friendship. The other three couples ordered full dinners and then had the huge piece of four layer chocolate cake. My husband had a slice of pie. I watched everyone! No chocolate cake for me...and it paid off with a 2.2 pound weight loss today. I lost points this week on Labor day with a treat and some overeating, a late dinner after a football game and a night where I was just too tired to read scriptures. My total this week is 68 points with weight loss and blog posting last week. The water is really helping to keep me from munching during the day and I'm really surprised how well I'm doing without treats. My skirt fit better this week and that made it worth it. Looking forward to more of my clothes fitting comfortably.

Claudia's Addition

I forgot that we get a bonus point for posting last week, so I guess I got 70 points this week!

Claudia's Report

I got 69 points this week, including 68 + 1 for losing a pound. This is hard! I haven't had sugar for 2 weeks now. The hard part is getting the exercise. I end up doing it between 10 and 11 p.m. Gotta figure out a new plan. I sure sleep good, though!

Jen H. Week 2

This week I did well in points, but managed to gain half a pound. I'm convinced last Sunday's fasting threw me a curve ball and I really didn't loose 6.5 pounds last week, it just looked like it on Monday. Oh well, such is life. My points for the week are 70 (69 + 1 bonus for posting last week), giving me a two week total of 144. So, I'm pleased, but need to step it up some more on intensity. I've realized that I can go through the motions and get the points, and will generally lose weight (fasting curve ball aside), it's only when I step up the exercise and make better food choices, that I can really step up the weight loss. I only got in the pool once last week and that was with my kids and I just did some water aerobics next to them while they played, and didn't kick up the intensity like I usually do for water aerobics. And in the pool is where most of my weight loss happens, I'm convinced. This week the pool is closed for maintenance, so maybe I'll have to break out the exercise tapes to shake up the exerbike routine. I did get on my real bike this week and lapped the lake (6 miles) once in 30 minutes. I intend to be able to lap the lake twice in 40 minutes by the time this challenge is over!!! I almost had a perfect points week (despite celebrating my 10 year anniversary! - I had a yummy brownie my husband made! and it was worth it!). Here's the secret to not overdoing the treat when you give in and have a treat point: have the treat at 7:55 pm. Then you know if you have another, you'll lose a second point, so you stop. Worked with the brownies!

Lee's Week 2

After 1 week, I lost 4 pounds. Yea! Now that it has been 2 weeks, I gained 1 pound back this week. I knew that this past weekend was going to present some eating roadblocks, as I was going to be going to an annual event that I LOVE!! So, I felt the sacrifice was worth it to me. Plus I did some overeating over the weekend, that didn’t help. But this week I must be more diligent. I’ve struggled with getting the exercise thing going much, so this week I’ve got to improve. I’ve enjoyed this challenge and it has really surprised me how much willpower I do possess. Some things that would have been hard for me to do have actually been pretty easy and I don’t even think anything of it. That’s been great!

So, my points for the week are 58 (including one bonus point for last week's blog).

Published for Lee by Jen H.

Trying to keep up

I was determined to do better this week because I didn't have a great week to start out with. I got 57 points, which was certainly less than I wanted to. I didn't lose weight this week so that was down-heartening. I think it was Melissa that talked about eating the cinnamon rolls. I do the same thing with the points. If I lose the treat point then I try to eat as many treats during the day that I can and that kind of defeats the whole purpose. My exercise points were pitiful and that was a big reason I didn't lose any weight. But, I'm trying to stay positive and start this week out well without thinking of all of the things I did wrong. I've still been faithful to the "no eating after 8" rule which is a big step for me.

Wendy

SLOW, Busy, productive,

Ok thoes words descibed my week and it isn't done yet! I still have Activity days and a retreat to go on. This week has been ok. I have done alright except for Brandi's helping hands. I ate 3 cinnamon rolls in one day. I figured gee I lost my treat point so I had one for breakfast lunch and dinner and ended up being sick! I just don't seem to have much contol when something is staring me in the face all day. I also have a serios addiction to bread and would eat it for every meal if I could. I am going to try to do better. I also need to start reading the scriptures more often.So not the best week but I always start out slow and do better in the end.

Week 1 Fitness Challenge

Well, this was a tough week for us because we are on everyone's schedule but our own. Eating with friends, no kitchen to prepare our own meals so, I guess what I'm getting at is we didn't do as well as I had hoped on our Arizona vacation. I had 63 points for Aug. 30 - Sept. 5. Unfortunately, no weight was lost but we keep on trying. Next week will be better. I am glad we're doing the thankful list each day. It has really made me think about the good things of the day before I get into bed each night. Week 2 will be better.

Jennifer B Week 1

I had a pretty successful week. I only lost half a pound, but something is better then nothing. I am really determined to do well in this challenge. I was not happy with how well I did last time, and so I made a commitment to myself that I would try a lot harder to get all my points this time. I got 67 points this last week.

From Holly via Jessica

I did good--except having Bunco and my Anniversary trip this week.  I got 55 points and lost weight!  More next time.

Can't say it was bad or good week. I had a few treats and ate after 8 , only exercised 4 times this week. Positive changes but not quite strong enough to make good points. I have 60 points for the week that includes my $ bonus points. Weighed in with a 5 or so lb loss. I will have to step up my efforts to get into the game. Best wishes to you. Brandi:)

Leslies Check in

I got 59 pts this week (53+5+1). The one thing that was a killer was eating dinner after 8. And then yesterday was a killer too. I didnt drink all my water, I forgot about the vitamin and didnt exercise. But dang it ! Im goimg to do better!!! Im down 2.2 lbs. Had a few flucuations in the week but that is what Im down since starting.

REVISED!! Its a good thing I went and looked over my journal again. I had totally missed a day. I was wondering why I was so far behind on points when I didnt think I did THAT bad. So Im revising my points to add a day I missed. My points actually are 62+5+1 so a total of 68. Phew. Now I can sleep better tonight.

first week

First week went by fast, and was very easy for me. I just hope that it stays that way for me. I even had many temptations with my kids eating treats around me. Hopefully I can stay this strong throughout the remaining weeks. I got 68 points this week.

Feeling Better

Week one was easier than I thought it was going to be. I lost 6 pounds and feel better. It is amazing how much I was eating.
It is good to feel in control. I hope I can keep going.
Rachel and I tried to download pictures and my computer was too slow. The grateful list was a great idea. It makes you think.
I got 74 points this week (69 +5 bonus for paying $).
Good luck to everyone and remember "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels."

Good Week for Dawn

It's so good to be doing this as a challenge instead of me just trying to do it all by myself. I think a challenge is the best way for me to lose the weight. It makes me more responsible. So my points for this week are 75 ( 69 + 5 for $ + 1 for weight loss). I would have had a perfect point week if we hadn't have gotten back so late from boating on Saturday...I didn't get my exercise in. You would think I would have gotten some in while boating but I've decided my skiing days are over so I was the "flag holder". Not much exercise in that. I tried very hard this week. I was careful to put small portions on my plate and they looked so tiny sitting there on that big plate, but I was satisfied at the end of eating. I truly did not eat sweets! We're having a BBQ today so I will allow myself a small dessert, which of course, will veto the point for the day but I lost 3.8 pounds this week and proud of that. I think getting exercise in on the weekends will be hard. And like Denise, I'm worried that the closer to the end I get, the harder this will be. I guess we'll just have to see. I'm hoping to not have an "end" but keep on incorporating these things into my life. That's where the true success will come.

Week One Points for Lee

After week one I have earned 53 (47 + 5$ + 1 wl) . I lost 4 pounds!!! I have found that many requirements for points either came easily or with little motivation while others that I haven't even earned will be harder for me to achieve. But I feel that if I can be more diligent, to at least do each of these a couple of times a week, it will be easier for me to incorporate them. It's been interesting to see how well I have done so far. I am proud that I have begun on this path with some success. And I find myself being more conscientious of what I spend my time doing.

Lee
(posted by Jen on Lee's behalf)

Claudia's Points

My mom is having technical difficulties, so I'm posting for her today. By next week she should be able to do her own, but for today . . . drumroll please . . . she got 73 points this week (67 + 5$ + 1 wl) she lost 3 pounds (yay!) hasn't had sugar all week! And is feeling great. We were discussing how psychologically motivating this challenge is (I can eat dessert in the evening, but that would cost two points, and it's so not worth it . . .) and how good it makes us feel to take that control in our lives. Go MOM!!!

by Jen H. for Claudia K.

1 week down--

I didn't intro myself--Jessica. I live in VA and have no kids. I travel a lot for work, internationally, so jet lag and crazy eating is part of my life.  This week has shown me weekends are going to be the hardest--I was GREAT until the weekend. An invite to dinner on Friday just started it off--For me the hardest is getting exercise in with work and life. I am recording my foods on caloriecount.com. I like recording AND seeing how I'm doing on calories etc.  You can track your weight and exercise as well--and it lets you know your "deficit" calories for the day. Its awesome.

I'm excited to report I lost 5 pounds this week and earned 54 points.  The bulk of those Mon-Thursday, but there's always next week! Hope you all have a great healthy holiday!

Week one for Jen H.

I am so glad this challenge is back on. I had a great week. I got a total of 74 points (68 + 5 $ + 1 wl). Last time my biggest challenge was exercising every day. That is where I would lose the bulk of my points is only exercising 3 times a week or whatever. This time I challenged myself to exercise every day. And this week, I did it! I've realized that 30 minutes really isn't that much--despite the mental moaning and groaning I surround it with. Though I love to swim and to bike on a real bike (I made it to the pool just twice this week and on my real bike not at all), when that doesn't happen in a day, even when I get home late or whatever, if I quit putting it off and jump on my stationary bike with a good book, 30 minutes flies by. Seriously, I'd probably lay in bed and read for 30 anyway, why not exercise? I've also upped the resistance on my exer-bike, so I'm pushing myself--I'm really actually sweating on the stupid thing now. Last time part of my issue with the exer-bike is that it didn't feel like that much of a work out. It's all in the settings. And I've stepped up my lap swim too. Last time I really felt like I only got a true work out when I did water aerobics, as lapping and the exer-bike had become ho-hum. Well now I typically do 500 meters of laps as sort of a 20 minute warm up, then spend the next 20 minutes doing my own water aerobics. Yes, I look like an idiot hopping around by myself in the pool, but I've stopped caring. I'm a fat lady in a swim suit, I don't look great to begin with. Might as well make the best of it.

My biggest problem point this time? Overeating. I would have had a perfect score this week if it weren't for a couple of episodes of overeating. I really need to stop and wait, because both times I thought I was fine until about a half an hour later, I had to admit to myself I'd overdone it. But, having gone to two restaurants this week, I took half my meal home in a box, even though I didn't feel "full" at the table (I felt just fine 30 minutes later). That is a big step for me--I almost always finish my plate, and then some. I'm so glad to have motivation to not eat after 8. I once heard someone on tv say that what you eat or don't eat after dinner is your weight loss. It is sooooo true. I think if I did nothing else but not eat after 8, I would lose weight, if slowly. As it is, with working hard when I exercise, overeating soooo much less and not eating after 8 at all, I weighed in at 276.5--a whopping 7.5 pounds of loss this week!! Granted, some of that was probably water, as I really didn't think I'd gotten back up to 284, but I'll take water loss! My goal for this challenge, was a bit lofty--2.5 pounds a week, but week one put me 2 weeks ahead! Yay! Week 2 here I come!!