Take off 15 lbs by Valentine's Day Challenge (Edited to say 15 lbs from 20)

This is a challenge for those of us wanting to get rid of the last 20 lbs by Valentine's Day.

I'll keep it open unless there gets to be too many to keep up with.  I'm just asking you EDIT YOUR FIRST POST WITH YOUR UPDATES so it's easier to keep track of everyone. 

Thanks and good luck!!!

Also, feel free to post a comment at the end of the weight loss posts.  If you have a question, suggestion, frustration, idea, whatever!  I'm open to hear it all!!! And it will keep the challenge bumped too!

You can copy and paste this to post your stats and weekly weight if you want.

Here are my stats:

SW (when you first started losing weight): 

SW (this challenge): 

GW: 

CW:

12/29/08 -
01/05/09 -
01/12/09 -
01/19/09 -
01/26/09 -
02/02/09 -
02/09/09 -
02/13/09 -

Okay, here's my Monday weigh-in stats. 

SW 175

GW 160

I'm getting so close that I've started to weigh everything I eat.  Does anyone else do that or am I obsessing?  Anyone out there have any thing special they do when they get close to goal?

12/29/08 -175
01/05/09 -
01/12/09 -
01/19/09 -
01/26/09 -
02/02/09 -
02/09/09 -
02/13/09 -

hmmm... Ribbon, I'm close but not as close to my goal as you are! I still have about 15lbs more to lose and I weigh everything that goes into my mouth....

I now feel like a nut job.

Monday weigh in...

CW: 144!

Yay, I lost a pound. >w< This is exciting since I've only been gaining for the past month or so, haha.

 ribbon - I would weigh my food if I had a food scale, but my opinion probably doesn't count much seeing as I have a history of being obsessive. XD; Though, in general I do bump up my exercise intensity and get more strict  when I get closer to a goal.

Ribbon-I weigh or measure almost everything I eat otherwise I tend to over do it.  It really helps me to stay on target for calories.

OK, weight gain was not too bad over the Christmas, only one pound.  So...my first weigh-in ever in my entire life (aah!, scary).

CW 136 (this is the high end of normal for my height, 5'2")

GW 115 (ultimately, may not make it this challenge but I will do my best)

Buggyhair, thanks for the prod! You will probably have to keep sending them my way.

eknutsen, do not get discouraged, it's a brand new day and you can start it in a positive way.  You can do this!  I have a weak spot for sweets, too.  I usually carry a couple packs of different flavors of sugarless gum with me and then I can pop a piece in my mouth instead of a brownie or cheesecake or whatever is tempting me.  Sometimes, having coffee or cappuccino with a little splenda in it helps end a meal on a sweet note with few calories and no sugar.  60-90 cals of milk in cappuccino is better than 150-250 or more cals of dessert.  Hope that helps.

I'm not giving up, not now, not ever.  Stay strong everyone.

Before I go here is a question, what if you have eaten your daily alloted calories by the end of lunch?  What do you do?  Do you eat dinner?  If so, what do you eat, something like a cup of broccoli and a few oz of tuna fish?  Just wondering in case I mess up one breakfast or lunch then I can have a plan.

Take good care of yourselves this week and thanks for starting this momof2.

I edited my first post with my weigh in.. =) good luck everyone!

Hello!! this sounds fun! I can always use a good kick in the pants!

CW: 149.8

GW: 135

12/29/08 - 149.8
01/05/09 -
01/12/09 -
01/19/09 -
01/26/09 -
02/02/09 -
02/09/09 -
02/13/09 -

Remember to edit your first post with your weigh in.  I'm keeping track of your weights here at home.

kaybug - you lost 1 pounds from your original weigh in!  Good job!

eskimo_em - you lost 4 pounds!  What's your secret???  LOL

laniemox - it's ok, you gained a pound but that can be water. Right?  I know you're eating things like chocolate! lol

I lost 1.6 lbs!!!!  I'm trying real hard to watch what I eat and I've cut back on the carbs.  And no eating at night!  That's my downfall.  When I watch tv at night I want to eat too!  YIKES!

There are now 16 of us!  I hope you all stay no matter what happens!  We have to commit to this and stick to it!!!  WE CAN DO THIS!!!!! 

laniemox - Defiantly eat dinner normally.. if you have the option to make something  filling and low cal, defiantly do that instead. If I go over my cal-plan and I can pass on what my parent's make, I'll make LOTS of beans and some sort of veggie. Oatmeal and lentils is pretty good for filling up without too much calories.

Btw, great job on your 1.6 lb weight loss momof2funykds. :3

So.. once y'all get to your goal weight, whatcha' going to do to celebrate? :3

OMGosh......What am I gonna do????  Hmmmmm  I have no clue!  Probably go buy some much needed clothes! lol  I jsut buy enough now to get by! lol

laniemox - I eat tons of veggies after I get my calories for the day.  I don't like beans, so veggies are my thing! lol  And protein shakes since I don't care too much for meat either.  I'm a picky eater!  :)

kaybug - What are you gonna do to celebrate?

SW (when you first started losing weight): 234

SW (this challenge): 201

GW: 153

GW: (this challenge) 182

CW: 197

12/29/08 -197
01/05/09 -
01/12/09 -
01/19/09 -
01/26/09 -
02/02/09 -
02/09/09 -
02/13/09 - Come on 182!!!!

lol, I don't even know. I was asking for some ideas. Hmm. I think I'll go out and buy something that makes me feel really pretty like a new dress, a bathing suit, or my first pair of high heels. >w< I'd love to do something more exciting then that, but I can't think of anything!

Things I have done when I met a mini goal was get a manicure, a completely different haircut, clothes, facial, bought a new purse once, just things I usually don't do often for myself.

When I meet goal maybe I'll take a whole day at the spa and get a facial, massage and relax!  THAT sounds fabulous to me!

And away we go!

SW (when you first started losing weight): 185 

SW (this challenge): 146.5

GW: 135

CW:146.5

12/29/08 - 146.5
01/05/09 - 143.5
01/12/09 - 142.5
01/19/09 - 144
01/26/09 - 144
02/02/09 - 142
02/09/09 -
02/16/09 -

SW (when you first started losing weight): 170 lb

SW (this challenge): 133.2

GW: 115

CW: 132.0

12/29/08 - 133.2
01/05/09 - 132.8 (-0.4)
01/12/09 - 133.2 (-0.0) -- darn period week :( but now I'm back! :)
01/19/09 - 133.8 (Sunday) -- I'm still staying motivated!!! WE CAN DO THIS!!
01/26/09 - 130.8 -- for real? (-2.4)
02/02/09 -
02/09/09 -
02/13/09 -

Edit: Sent to original post

When I reach my goal I am going to enroll in a dance class at the local university. (Yes, this is a treat for me. It has been a long time since I took any classes.)

For now, I exercise at home. What type of exercise does everyone like?

I can't say that I have a reward system set up, but I guess when I reach my goal I will go clothes shopping.

As for exercise I have a stationary bike that I love. I pop in a movie and ride away. I also have some free weights. The funnest thing I do to exercise though is Dance Dance Revolution - it is so fun!

I use to have a stationary bike, but I broke it! lol  So for exercise I walk outside when it's not too cold and my back allows it.  And I have Jillian Michaels dvd, 30 day shred, that I do.  She works you to death! hehe

I did go to the gym over the summer but haven't gone lately because I wasn't allowed by my dr to go.  :(  Someday I'll get to go again.

Everyone have a nice New Year's Eve and BE SAFE if you're going out! 

Hi all!  I just wanted to check in and see how everyone is doing.

Monday was a good day, I followed my meal plan and worked out for an hour.  I did 30 minutes of running (my favorite cardio/calorie burner) and 30 of push-ups, sit-ups and stretching.  I always feel like cardio is not enough.  I have to strength train to help my body look better, tone up, that sort of thing.  I have worked up to 3 sets of 15 push-ups on my toes.  When I worked with a trainer she really worked my shoulders hard and now I have a little visible muscle there that I don't want to lose.

Yesterday I did good following my meal plan all day and worked out again for about 45 min.  I did squats, good mornings, walking lunges with weight, military press, lat raises and side raises.  I also walked-ran for 20 min. 

However, I had to bake a cake for my son's birthday and ended up eating about 400 cals of cake!  ARG!  Why is sugar so darn tempting?  So, that led to the -ohwell-I-already-messed-up-so-go-for-broke attitude and I ended up eating a bunch of cereal out of the box.  Who even knows how many calories THAT was.  Crud.

So, today I am going to do extra well to make up for it.  I am staying away from sugar and refined carbs.  I'm going to succeed at losing some weight before my husband comes home. 

I'm not giving up, never, never, never.  Now, I have to remember that next time I see cake, right? 

laniemox - First: you are working SO hard fitness-wise, I wouldn't worry about your 400 calorie indulgence. So I give you a tip of the hat for working hard. I think what helps me remember "ehhh, cake no good right now" is focus on nutrients (honestly, how many cakes have that many vitamins in them?), and how great I've started to look since I've stopped eating said bad food for awhile. Maybe it'd help if you remember how hard your trainer is pushing you, and how awesome you're doing athletically? :D

sheltonmath - oooh dancing! That sounds exciting. Hmm.. My favorite exercise is anything with jumping and bopping around. Plyometrics and variety of cardio routines make my day.  I'm particularly fond of boxing-esque videos too. Right now my favorite videos are P90x's plyometrics, and Les Mills Body Combat videos. :3 I also love running on a treadmill (as weird as that sounds..)

Jillian Michaels 30 day shred is pretty awesome, but I just wish it would last longer!

So.. I'm going vegetarian in '09. Is anyone else a vegetarian? :3