Lose 5% by New Year's!!! -- a motivational group

It's that time again. 

Statistically, people gain between 7 -10 lbs over the holidays from Halloween until New Year's.  Not me. 

My start weight being 155, losing 5% is 7.75 lbs = 147.25 = less than my original start goal so long ago of 150.  I have been within 5-7 lbs of my goal for a while now....  I want to break through the 150 barrier and stay there.

Looking for a group of sassy, chatty, healthy ladies who work out, eat right, and have the motivation to keep up our hard work all the way through into 2009!!!

A little about me.....   31, recently single after a long relationship, exploring all my possibilities.  I run or ride a bike almost every single day.   I am broke as a joke right now without the bf's help, and I have no kids except furry ones.  I teach high school. I need some new/real life friends, and I am finding myself.....  I feel good in my own skin again finally after 4.5 years of self-doubt, so this is as good a time as any to get that back! 

JOIN ME????   

I'd love to join you. I'm at exactly the same place in my life... only 10 years younger. Just got out of a 4.5 year relationship and trying to find myself as well as some close friends. I seem to have grown apart from all my friends from high school and it's hard to find friends since I work in an office building with a bunch of 30+ people who want nothing to do with my lovely 20 y/o self. I run almost every day, every chance I get. Nothing makes me happier than getting in my 4 miles a day. I've been on CC for 2 weeks and lost 5.6 lbs. So I'm at 184.4. 5% is about 9 lbs. My goal weight will be 175 by Jan.1st. My goal weight over all is 120 by Nov 2009.

hi jac--

good goals, girl!     ( :     we have so much in common.     welcome!   Another of my best cc girls is from MD.   what kind of office do you work in? 

: D  

any other takers?     : D       I sure hope so! 

count me in ... 31, single professional... bit of a workaholic and trying desperately to find that balance... always up for finding new friends and having a few that have the same goals as me would be nice.

hi teccleston!

welcome.  pretty much the same stats as me.  I see you are new to cc.    ( :   I love looking back on my journey....... cc is the MAIN reason I have been successful and will be able to stay successful.  it provided the piece that was always missing before......

so -- I told you girls about me.  your turn!   ( :

no other takers??? 

I was really hoping to have a super awesome group of motivated chicks to help me keep going though al these dang holidays.....

come on, chicas!      ( :

I'd like to join too! I'm 30, a teacher, married, with a dog! I am weighing too much! I am weighing 208lbs tonight and would like that 5% gone!

So 10lbs... good bye for good!

I'm in!

I'm in!!  I just started going to the gym again today after a month off - I'm getting back on track and would love some other people to chat with and get motivated!

I'm 29, 5'7, 200lbs - goal is to be 150lbs

having all the tasty holiday food is so tempting, it's going to be rough! but with the help of people around here I should be able to do ok :)

Hello all :) I'd like to join!

I'm a tall amazon--5'11" and currently popping between 175-177. I will go 5% off 177 as I like to lose veerrrrryyyy sloooowly for some reason! I've lost 10lbs since August but now I'm just stuck around this weight because I'm unmotivated and hungry! Believe me, i eat a lot--this week i've had two days around 3000, 1 day at 1300 (VERY low for me), 1 day at 1700, and 2 days at 2300 ish. i need to get this under control! My goal is 2000 for weight days, 1800 for cardio days, and 1500 for off days. It's painful for me to stop at 1500 so i've been going sky high lately but i need to reign it back in. 

SO, my goal is to lose 8.9lbs to get to 168lbs by Jan 1. *deep breaths* I'm scared! I haven't been that low since i was 15  (27 now).

Anyway, i plan on chowing down on t-day for sure...no calorie counting, multiple pieces of pie and helpings upon helpings of stuffing and potatoes. and then i'll be back to being good!

thanks for startign the thread janay!

HUR --  freaking -- RAY!!!!!! 

is it weird to ask people's real names?   I am Olivia........  my snoopy, nosy ex necessitated a new, more private profile since he read EVERYTHING I ever said on cc on my old profile......  anywho WELCOME

do we want to have a weigh in day?   I already weigh in on Fridays and Wednesdays this month.   Maybe MONDAYS??   makes me behave better over the weekends  (my sometimes downfall). 

I am recently single   (7 weeks).    I work out almost every day.   I drink right, eat right, do all I can to keep on keeping on.    It is such a shift, but I had to go whole heart to make it work and now it is a lifestyle, and it will never have to be so hard again.   I am fit and healhty now.     ( :     it's good stuff.

lol  --inittowinit.    I am glad my mom usually just does a nice meal vs. the turkey and trimmings.   too hard to resist. 

Are you girls that like to be challenged?    =P    

Hi Olivia Its not nosey to ask people's names! I'd prefer init though if that's okay with everyone. sorry about your ex-what a loser :(.

I typically weigh in most days and make the lowest one the one that counts for that week! ha! I can post weight whenever you all would like. And i for one LOVE CHALLENGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm one of those hyper-competitive types and being challenged tends to keep me on track. what do you have in mind?

Well, I guess i can share a bit more about me--I'm married and have been for 5 years in December (yay!). Yes, i was young and honestly its been the best thing to ever happen to me! my husband is wonderful and i'm madly in love...too bad he just moved :(. he got his dream job in another state and moved away while i currently have a job i love. so we see each other on the weekends although it still is sucking, majorly. i've been trying to find new jobs but its such a tight market *sigh*. I did have one interview so far and i really hope they liked me (they said so but I'm in HR so i know how the game works!).

Since I posted here last time I've done well in my calorie counting and am back down to 176 from 177.4 the other day. I'm doing well so i can actually enjoy myself on thanksgiving and not have to worry about 'making up' for a binge or overeating. I think I might actually make it to my 168! how exciting! If anyone is curious i have before and middle pics in my gallery...i used to be very into bodybuilding so please don't mind the bikini and bicep shot! ha! I'm just comfortable with my body and i know its not perfect or as small as i'd like to be, i'm just not shy about it I guess?!

How's everyone else doing?

Hi Olivia!  My real name is Gwendolyn (people call me Gwennie).  I would like to join your group of women who are motivated to keep on track over the holiday season.  I have been fretting over the holidays since I decided to commit myself to dropping the weight and with my history, I can use a group of sassy chicas to help me hold myself accountable.

I am 37 years old, I am not quite 5 feet tall and I currently weigh in at 164 lbs and I am so ashamed of how I let myself go!  Since starting CC, 13 days ago, I have lost 7 lbs and I feel that weightloss (in a healthy way) is really a possibility!

I am not single, I am in a long term relationship for the past 3.5 years and I have two children (17 year old daughter and a 12 year old black lab).  I work in the social work field (in multiple schools and with the Dept. of Children and Families) and I am finishing my graduate degree (completion date Dec. 12!).  I keep myself busy and that is often not conducive for getting in a lot of time for exercise but I have been really trying hard to maintain that exercise routine and it is paying off!

As far as a weigh in ... I am weighing in on Fridays, too ... but I pretty much weigh myself everyday so... whatever you come up with will work for me! I guess that 5% for me would be around 8.2 lbs by January 1st!  That sounds so daunting ... but I am motivated and up for the challenge!  Thanks so much for starting this thread!!

hi girls. 

thanks for joining us!  ( : 

things I did well on: I just had my family's Thanksgiving early today, so my worries are all over on that one.    I survived.   I ate my cals and stopped.   All she wrote.   I jogged and rode the bike today ---  just a little insurance, but mostly, I am thankful the aforethought to put on my sleep mask when I woke up at 6AM -- managed to sleep until 10!   nice. 

things not so hot I did:   I saw my ex tonight.  Dropped some of the last little bits of his I found.   He makes it so hard to leave.  

Have a well bahaved week.    How about Mon weigh in?   I weigh every day too.    No big deal, but I already have one Wed, Fri and Sat this month.....   

Here's a form.   ( :    I will probably take measurements too and post those as well.   I find that more motivational at times.  the scale can be so fickle.  

Name:
GW  :
CW  :

11-24
12-1
12-8
12-15
12-22
12-29

Peace out  -- happy losing! 

Name: Crystal

GW: 170

CW: 208

11-24:

Let's see those #s drop!

I had Thanksgiving yesterday with the fam, so despite being good -- I am actually posting my first weight from yesterday pre-eating vs. this morning.   =P   forgive me.  I also plan to take measurements tonight and post those because seriously, being so close to my original goal, I am lucky to be losing at a slow snail pace it seems like.   ( : 

Name: Olivia
GW  : 147.25 
CW  : 154 today

11-24 154
12-1
12-8
12-15
12-22
12-29

Hi all. I ate up my cals yesterday by 4PM so it was a long time until bed yesterday! Oh well, i stuck to my guns. I was weighing off of my home scale and the gym scale in what i thought was a 6 lb discrepancy....turns out its 7. i know, 1 measley pound, it was harder to take this morning than i thought after i weighed in at both places! ANYway...I use the higher weighted scale as my for real measure. i'd already be at goal if i used the other one!

Name: Init
GW  : 168
CW  : 176.4

11-24: 176.4    8.4lbs to go!
12-1
12-8
12-15
12-22
12-29

Hey guys, can I join? :-D I've been fighting these last few pounds for MONTHS, and I need a final push to try and get there! I leave for Ireland for a study abroad session on February 1st, so I'd love to be at goal by Jan. 1st, or at least within reach!

I'm Ashley, 20 years old, a junior in undergraduate college, sharing an off-campus house with four friends. I'm 5'2, starting weight back in September 2007 (yup, last year) was 151lbs. Today I weighed in at 122.0--up a little bit because of TTotM, plus we had a Thanksgiving potluck at my house on Friday that I'm STILL recovering from, food-wise!

5% of 122 is six pounds, which would put me at 116. My goal is actually 117/118, so I'm going to go with five pounds. :-)

Name: Ashley
SW: 151.0
CW: 122.0
GW: 117.0

11/24: 122.0

Name:  Gwennie

SW:  171 lbs (11/10/2008) 

--------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- ----------------

Starting Measurements: 

Neck:  14.5

Shoulders:  46

Chest:  43

Biceps: 13 (L) 13.5 (R)

Waist: 43.5

Forearms:  11(L) 11 (R)

Hips:  45

Thighs:  24 (L) 25 (R)

Calves:  16.5 (L) 17 (R)

--------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- ---------------

GW:  100 - 120 (for healthy BMI)

CW:  165 lbs (I'm PMSing ... I sure hope that is water because I gained a lb since yesterday and yesterday I did SO good!)

--------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- ---------------

11/24 -- 165 lb (- 6 lbs/8 lbs to go!!) 

**(measurements added:  11/26)

Neck:  14 (-.5 in)

Shoulders:  42 (-1 in)

Chest:  42.75 (-.25 in)

Biceps: 11.25 (L) (-17.5) 11.5 (R) (-2.25 in)

Waist:  39 (-4 in)

Forearms:  10.75 (L) (-.25 in) 10.75 (R) (-.25 in)

Hips:  42 (-3 in)

Thighs:  23.75 (L) (-.25 in) 24.25 (R) (-.75 in)

Calves:  16 (L) (-.5 in) 16 (R) (-1 in)

--------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- ---------------

12/1-- 164.5 (-6.5lbs/7.5 lbs to go)

I did so good ... and all I got to show for it is .5 lbs!! I am frustrated because even yesterday ... I weighed in at 163.5! I keep bouncing back and forth between 163.5 & 164.5 ... I am seriously frustrated!  Thank goodness someone decided to add the measurements in too ... that is the only thing that is keeping me motivated at this moment!

Neck: 13.25 (- .75 in)

Shoulders: 41 (- 1 in)

Chest: 41.5 (- 1.25 in)

Biceps: 11.75 (L)  (+.5 in) 11.75 (R) (+.25 in)

Waist: 37 (- 2 in)

Forearms: 10 (L) (-.75 in) 10.25 (R) (-.5 in)

Hips:  41 (- 1 in)

Thighs: 23.75 (L) (- 0 in)  25 (R) (+.75 in)

Calves:  16.5 (L) (+ .5 in)  16.5 (R)  (+.5 in)

--------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- ----------------

12/8 -- 162 lbs (-9 lbs-5lbs to go)

Don't ask me how ... but I managed to lose weight and gain inches ... maybe it's all the sodium I ate?  I don't know but I am feeling frustrated this morning .  I feel like my weight and measurements are a gosh darn yo-yo!  For instance, on Saturday, I weighed in at 158.5.  Sunday, I weighed in at 160.5 and this morning ... up to 162!  I did really well this weekend with both exercise and eating.  I maintained a 710 calorie deficit everyday except on Sunday which was only a 500 cal deficit.  I feel frustrated this morning ... makes me want to break down and have a mocha!  Hope you all are doing well!

Neck: 13.25 (+.25")

Shoulders: 41.75 (+.75")

Chest: 41 (-.5")

Biceps:  11.25 (-.5") (L)  12.25 (+.5) (R)

Waist: 37.25 (+.25)

Forearms: 9.75 (-.25) (L) 10 (-.25) (R)

Hips:  40.5 (-.5)

Thighs: 23.5 (-.25) (L) 24.5 (-.75) (R)

Calves:  16 (-.5) (L) 16.25 (-.25) (R)

--------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- -------------------

12/15 --  159 (-12 lbs -- 2 to go!!)

This has been a good week.  I picked up some variation in my exercise routine and have met my caloric minimum EVERYDAY!  I feel good and I am happy to see the weight and measurements cooperating with all the hard work I have done this week!  YaY!  Hopefully ... the 160's and 170's are gone FOREVER!!

Neck: 13 (- .25) 

Shoulders: 41.25 (-.5)

Chest: 39.75 ( -1.25)

Biceps:  12.75  (+1.5) (L) 12.25 (-0) (R)

Waist: 36.5 (.75)

Forearms: 10 (+.25) (L) 10.25 (+.25) (R)

Hips: 39.5 (-1)

Thighs: 22.75 (-.75) (L) 23.25 (-1.25) (R)

Calves: 16 (-0)  (L) 16 (-.25) (R)

--------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- ---------------

12/22-- 155.5 (-15.5 lbs - GOAL)!!!!!

I met my goal and said goodbye to the 160's and 170's FOREVER! WOO HOO!  So I will set a new goal to reach 153.5 by next week.  Hopefully I will be able to keep that goal because (while I feel good about losing the weight and meeting my goal) that success can be a dangerous excuse to go rogue on Christmas and New Years!  I don't want that!!  I just need to stay focused and keep with the plan!  I am very surprised that I was able to reach my goal this week b/c it is TTOTM ... and the water weight can be H-E-Double-Hockey Sticks!

This was the BEST Christmas present I could have hoped for (besides being at my final goal weight) I have lost 5% of me!! WOO HOO!!  I hope all of you are doing  well too!  Keep it up!! Only one more weigh in before New Years -- YIKES ... **keeping fingers crossed that I will stay strong**

Neck: 13 (-0) total of 1.5 inches lost!

Shoulders:  40.25 ( - 1) total of 5.75 inches lost!

Chest: 39.5 (- .25) total of 3.5 inches lost!

Biceps:  11.5 (-1.25) (L)  11.75 (-.5) (R) total of 1.5 inches lost (L) and 1.75 inches lost (R)!

Waist: 35.5 (-1) total of 8 inches lost!!

Forearms:  9.75 (-.25) (L)  10 (-.25) (R) total of 1.25inches lost (L) and 1inch  lost (R)!

Hips: 38.75 (-.75) total of 6.25 inches lost!

Thighs:  22 (-.75) (L)  22.5 (-.75)(R) total of 2 inches lost (L) and 2.5 inches lost (R)!

Calves:  15.5 (-.5) (L)  15.5 (-.5) (R) total of 1 inch lost (L) and 1.5 inches lost (R)!

Overall inches lost = 29.5 inches over entire body!!

--------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- -------------------

12/29 --  154.5 lbs (passed goal by 1 lb)! 

Well, I didn't reach 153.5 ... but I did come close and met my original goal!  I have lost 9% of my body weight since I started CC on November 10th!  Thanks so much for starting this holiday challenge -- I don't think I would have made it through the holidays without it! 

More than the 16.5 lbs total weight loss ... it's the 38.75 inches I have lost from my overall body!  I am amazed at how much of a difference I have made in such a short time (relatively ... because it feels longer than it has been LOL).  Thanks again for this challenge ... it has kept me going ... even when the going has been tough!

Neck: 13 (-0 in)  Total loss of 1.5 inches

Shoulders:  39.75 (-.5 in) Total loss of 6.25 inche

Chest: 38.5 (-1 in) Total loss of 4.5 inche

Biceps: 11 (-.5 in) Total loss of 2 inches (L)  11 (-.75) Total loss of 2.75 inches (R)

Waist: 33 (-2.5 in) Total loss of 10.5 inche

Forearms:  9.5 (-.25 in) Total loss of 1.5 inches (L)  9.75 (-.25) Total loss of 1 inch (R)

Hips: 37.25 (-1.5 in) Total loss of 7.75 inche

Thighs:  21.5 (-.5 in) Total loss of 2.5 inches (L)  22 (-.5) Total of loss of 3 inches (R)

Calves:  15 (-.5 in) Total loss of 1.5 inches (L)  15.25 (-.25 in) Total loss of 1.75 inches (R)

Overall inches lost =  38.75 inches over entire body!!    Hip-hip-HOORAY!!  Slowly but surely I am melting away the fat!  Woot!! Woot!!

--------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- -------------------

Are we all still here??? How'd everyone do for t-day? I did alright, lots of food on thursday, maintenance on friday, and prob 500 over maintenance on sat. yesterday i pulled 1.5 hrs of cardio though so i feel better! ha!

well...my weigh in is below...and i am shocked!!!!!!!! I definitely thought i had at least 3500 cals extra this weekend, if not more...and yet I LOST! maybe the marathon cardio session yesterday dehydrated me or something (that was marathon for me...anything more than 30 min is pushing it usually!). anyway, hope to see 174 soon, as in by friday or monday. hope you all did well!

GW  : 168
CW  : 175.8

11-24: 176.4    8.4lbs to go!
12-1: 175.8      7.8l bs to go!
12-8
12-15
12-22
12-29

I measured last week as well:

11-24:
W 29
Belly Button 32.5
Hip Bones 36.75
Butt 42
Thigh 24

Will measure next week on Monday.

high five and pats on the back, init!!  ( :   that's awesome on the loss. 

I have been sick, so not eating much, but also not exercising and still saw a small drop to 154.2 today.  not bad.  will try to hold onto it instead of celebrating it away! 

how is everyone?

and welcome minerva moon --  most def, join us! 

AND I just maintained, I guess from last week, BUT sodium and stress had me all the way up to 162 mid-week last week, so I will take it .

Name: Janay O
GW  : 147.25 
CW  : 154 today

11-24 154 / 162
12-1   154.2
12-8
12-15
12-22
12-29