10% by Christmas Challenge (CLOSED)

HELLO!!

This Challenge is only for COMMITTED CC users that are determined to achieve their weight loss goals!

Weigh ins will be on Mondays, we will start Monday October 13th with our starting weight and go 10 weeks through Monday December 22nd to work towards losing 10% of our current body weight. There will also be 2 bonus weigh ins one after Christmas (Dec. 29th) and one after the New Year (Jan. 5th)! To help keep our Holiday dieting in check!

Weekly weigh ins should be posted in this format:

This Week:

Last Week:

Loss:

Challenge rules:

1. If you miss the FIRST weigh in you will be taken out of the challenge and your spot will be offered to someone else! If you miss 2 consecutive weigh ins with out reporting anything you will be taken out of the challenge!

2. Add all other challenge members to your friends list! This way you can see all journal posts and I also encourage to comment on journal posts for extra motivation and to keep YOU on track!

3. You must report your weight no matter what... If you have a bad week I would still like you to post your weight! If you have a bad week It is fine but in order for you to keep on track you should be accountable for your stumbles here and there!

4.I encourage everyone to check this thread everyday and to post anything and everything that you want! Weight loss, fun facts, interesting stories, anything to help us get to know each other better!

Each participant that reaches their 10% goals will receive a badge to put up in their gallery for the achievement!

Results will be tracked here:

http://www.editgrid.com/user/djchicky11/10_Pe rcent_by_Christmas

Name:Carlyn

Age:26
Height:5'3"
Current Weight:136
Heaviest Weight:160
Goal Weight:120

Why you are losing weight? I am trying to lose weight because all my life I have been thin and I am just not used to this. I want to healthy and thin and look good for my b/f. He worked so hard to lose so much weight and now has a perfect body. I would really like to be that way for him, too. I also want to set a good example for my children. Have them eat right and exercise.

How you got to your weight now? Well, I had a baby two years ago. While I was pregnant I went from 97 pounds (way underweight) to almost 180 pounds. I also quit smoking which is another reason I gained so much weight. Then after I had him I breastfed for over a year and didn't really work at losing the weight. Now, I just want it gone. I have really been trying for a few months now. I jog, jump rope, and walk with a weighted vest. I workout a lot but just now about a week and a half ago started watching what I ate.

Your dieting history? I never really watched what I ate; just ate what I wanted basically. Then about two weeks ago I did a test run on what I ate in a day and wasn't very happy. Figured that was why I was stuck at 140. Now, since I have been watching what I ate I have lost 4 pounds. 10 percent would put me right about at my goal. So, I am really looking forward to this.

And anything else you would like us to know! I am a stay at home mom. One of the hardest jobs I have ever had. I love to cook. Which is sometimes a downfall. I really don't have very many friends other than my family. I love this site and am really glad I stumbled upon it. I look forward to talking with everyone over the next few months!

Name: Lindsey

Age: 24
Height: 5'1
Current Weight: 165
Heaviest Weight: 175
Goal Weight: 116

Then tell us about your self: Why you are losing weight? How you got to your weight now? Your dieting history? and anything else you would like us to know!

This is my first official challenge! (I'm in another to lose 10 lbs by Halloween but it's not this organized) so I'm very excited. I'm losing the weight because I just had my second baby and I want my old body back! I'm so excited to be a part of this. =]

Glad to see my Halloween challenge peeps!

alexanderrob~ I would do that but I don't like the group set ups on here as much as just the regular forums. It is hard to figure them out or I am just dumb lol!

horsinaround23~Technically 12.8 lbs. is your 10% but 10 lbs is close enough! good luck to you in this challenge and see you on monday for the first weigh in!

sillyflowa~Goodluck in the challenge, I can't see anyone that weighs 109lbs. looking hideous in anything lol! :) but I do hope we all look good in our bikinis by Christmas!

merylwhite1~I am glad to hear you are doing it the healthy way this time around! I am also a student and I like quick and easy... I am glad my BF isn't a chef I would be 700 lbs.! lol oh and I am from Utah, US!

kary619~ Welcome to the challenge! I also just had a baby, my daughter 5 months ago! Congrats to you and good luck on lsing that baby weight!

sirkk1~ Welcome to the challenge and good luck!

v_avila~ Congrats on losing 18 lbs.so far! I also have about 20 lbs. to lose it would be awesome to los it by Christmas! Good LUCK!

eerominn~I have also dieted on and off and this is the first time I have ever really changed my "lifestyle" this time it should be for good! Good luck to you and we will help you stick with it!

rebeccalamvocals~It sounds like you have some great goals! Good Luck in the challenge!

nkkny1~I am glad you are in this challenge you seem very motivated and I am sure you will meet your goal!

carlynj21~Congrats on the weight you have lost so far! Can't wait to see your transformation!

digitalkitt~I am glad you joined! I like having other moms in the challenge! Good Luck!

Good Luck to everyone in the challenge so far I will see you Monday for the first official weigh in!

Hey everyone!  This sounds awesome!  I've never actually done a challenge before so...here goes!

Name: Emily

Age: 20
Height: 5'4"
Current Weight: 153
Heaviest Weight: 172
Goal Weight: 120

Then tell us about your self:

Why you are losing weight? Basically, for myself.  I've been wanting to do this for the longest time and I think I'm finally at the stage where I can do it.

How you got to your weight now? I'm currently studying abroad in Australia and I brought lots of pictures of me and my friends.  Once picture was of a recent trip my best friends and I made to NYC a few weeks before I left.  I did not like what I saw and decided enough was enough.  I can't eat very healthy while I'm here (the most horrible dining hall food I've ever had...and 1-2 horrible options every night), so all I've been doing is counting calories (for now) and walking 4 miles a day (it's too hot to run anymore).

Your dieting history? This is my first honest attempt.

and anything else you would like us to know!  Let's see.  I'm a junior at Connecticut College and a Biology major (currently studying abroad at James Cook University in Townsville, QLD).  I ultimately want to study marine mammal cognition and behavior, and to get experience I volunteer at the nearby aquarium with the seals, sea lions, and beluga whales.  Carbs are my downfall, I have too many tv shows that I currently watch, and when I walk into doors/door jams (which is often), I apologize.

Name: Liz118

Age: 19
Height: 5'8"
Current Weight: 155
Heaviest Weight: 185
Goal Weight:130

Why?: Im loosing this weight to feel better about myself. I have my good weeks and bad weeks, but by mid-october, its all downhill. The pre-halloween parties to the post-new years are my "dark days". I need this support group

How?:  I was that chunk trying to trade you for your snack pack in elementary school. But i never grew out of this "baby fat" like everyone said i would and so I joined CC and I'm so close i can taste it (bad choice of words). I need buddies to get my through this.

History?: Lots of failing attempts and giving up. But over the past months I've had a break through and I'm in it for real this time.

Honestly, this group is a great idea. Holidays are not to be spent alone, and neither is holiday dieting :)

ocean_girl88~ I think you will love tyhe challenge it makes you accountable for what you are putting in your mouth! And the weekly weigh ins really help! Let's hope your first attempt will be your only attempt! Its thin and healthy from here on out! :)

liz118~ I agree on the holiday dieting! and I love your "how?" section lol! Good luck in this challenge1

Name: rbaldwin

Age:37
Height:5'21/2"   gotta have that half!
Current Weight:200
Heaviest Weight:242
Goal Weight:115

My reason for losing weight.....want to live long and healthy! Seriously though, I have six beautiful children, partially the reason for weight gain (6 in 81/2 years, no twins), and a loving husband.  I am tired of the way I feel, look and I know underneath the fat layers I AM SEXY!! The reason for the weight gain other than babies...stressful life situations (but who doesn't have them, right?) and bad choices on my part. I've been in a slump recently due to non-stop company over the summer and have just really started again on my continued weight-loss journey. No gain or loss since May, ready for the pounds to roll!!!!

Hi everyone! Hi old friends! Hi new friends!

Name: Cordie

Age: 25
Height: 5'7"
Current Weight:  Last Monday it was 138
Heaviest Weight: 160
Goal Weight: 125-127

Why you are losing weight? I think I was only technically overweight for about three days, but my mom was very thin when she was my age, and then she became not thin after my sister and I came along and had to struggle with changing her habits later in life when they were strongly ingrained. I need to make good habits now, to make things easier on myself down the road. My weight started creeping up while I was writing my senior thesis, and then a little bit more and a little bit more each year. My clothes didn't fit well anymore, so I bought new ones, and then they didn't fit anymore either, and then last fall our program secretary asked me if I was pregnant. Actually, she didn't ask, she gasped and ran over to me and put her hand on my definitely-not-pregnant belly, in front of my lab mates. Yep. Awkward (!!!), and a wake-up call.

How you got to your weight now? I started on CC in June, when I was 155 and I've lost about 17 pounds total. The biggest key for me is not pushing it too hard, ignoring the bumps in the road, and getting right back on plan (and not beyond) after I mess up. And also messing up on purpose sometimes so I don't forget what my favorite things (like cheeseburgers, thai noodles, and delicous delicious beer) taste like. The Halloween challenge has been amazing and I'm excited to be able to keep up with some of the people I've met there and meet new people here too!

Your dieting history? When I was in college I was totally unhealthy. I would eat whatever I wanted, and then freak out about how much I weighed. I would crash diet, I guess, and not eat anything except a power bar until 8 at night, when I'd finish the day with fried campus food when I couldn't take it any longer. Brilliant. Anyway, I came here and found out what I should be doing and it's been surprisingly easy. Well, not easy. But easier than torturing my body until I was forced to fail was! As long as I am chill about it. I need to keep this in the background of my life, not consuming my thoughts but not being forgotten either, because that's how it will have to be if this is a real, lifelong change. It's a tough balance but I think I'm really getting it this time.

I don't have another full 10% to lose so I'm going for 7 (thanks for letting me cheat!). I'm pretty happy with the progress I've made, and motivated to keep at it!

Name: Saara

Age: 30
Height: 5'6
Current Weight: 180
Heaviest Weight: 210
Goal Weight: 155 for now

Hi! This sounds like fun!

How you got to your weight now? I had a baby 3 months ago and I am friggin GAINING weight not losing, I weighed less when I was 9 months pregnant! :) After stopping breastfeeding I have gained 14 pounds. And it's getting higher by the day!

Why you are losing weight? I had just lost 30 pounds before I got pregnant so I know I don't want to go back all the where I started, so I really need to start watching what I eat. And I hate the way I look now. When my baby goes to bed I feel like I have to enjoy my "alone time" as much as possible and that usually involves chocolate bars, crackers.. but not anymore!!!

Your dieting history? I have always been slightly overweight.

and anything else you would like us to know! I joined CC a week ago and love it! I have lost 3 pounds in a week. I had no Idea how much I overate. I am also doing circuit training for 30 mins every night as well as aquafit couple times a week. And try to go for walks with my baby as much as I can before the winter comes (it snowed here today!)

I know I can do this, I've done it before! And I know all of you can do it too!

Name: Denalou18

Age: 38

Height 5'6"

Current Weight 134

Goal Weight 125

Heaviest Weight 145

Hi all.  I have been a member of CC for about a year now with my forte being stopping and starting LOL.  I am currently finishing a 10% by Halloween Challenge with several of you and this has really been the ticket for me.  It has really helped to be accountable to other people.  I depend on your feedback as I hope you will come to depend on mine.

My reasons to lose weight have changed a lot over the years.  It seems like my entire adult life has been spent on a "diet".  I've never had a lot to lose, but I've never been happy with my body either - just never comfortable in my own skin.  My main reason to lose weight is that I want the person I feel like I am inside to match the person everyone sees outside.  I also want to learn how to live a healthier life to be a good example for my son and family.

Good luck everyone!

rbaldwin~ 6 kids in 8 1/2 years is crazy! You will be one sexy mama soon enough! and I think I am sexy under my fat layers too lol!

cordie and denalou18~ welcome to the new challenge!

saarap~ congrats on the new baby! I have a 5 month old and I know how busy things can get with a little baby! I wish I could still go on walks here it started to snow lightly today!

Save a spot for me, please :)

Age: 25

Height: 5'2

Current Weight: 107

Heaviest Weight: 124

Goal Weight: 101

I'm trying to reach my goal weight mostly just to be toned, fit, and healthy. When I started this 'journey' so to speak, my ultimate aim was to have a complete nutritional/foodie overhaul. I knew that losing weight would mean nothing if it didn't address all the bad food habits that had built up over the years.

I started off with a semi-restrictive diet, then gradually added in cardio, exercise, weight training, and finally pilates. My cooking has actually gotten better as a result, now that I prepare a lot of my meals at home (to take with me to work etc).

The process has also had the added bonus of getting me to appreciate fitness and working out. After I'm done with my GRE exam at the end of this month, I plan to take up two new sports on the weekend and that has me really excited :) I never used to be enthusiastic about sports before!

Alright ladies, hope everyone has a good week. :)

Name: Melissa

Age: 28

Height: 5'5

Current Weight: 188

Heaviest weight: 200

Goal Weight: 150 for now

Hey I would love to be a part of your group! To be completely honest I was very active in high school, after I graduated (um, 10 years ago) I didn't maintain that activity level and I've been steadily gaining ever since.

Why you are losing weight?I just recently went through a messy divorce and I really need a confidence boost.  I'm a newly single mom who is ready to get back in the game, but I know for my health and self-esteem I must lose weight.

My dieting history:  A couple of years ago I lost 60 lbs. and pretty quickly gained it all back.  I know where I went wrong and I'm determind not to do it again.

and anything else you would like us to know! I am sooo ready to start over in every area of my life!  I am new to CC and I think it's awesome, I'm also beginning the BFL program and I think this would compliment it beautifully!

I need the support of like-minded women, and I'm so glad I found this group! 

Thank You!!

Name: Nireda

Age: 21
Height: 5'3"
Current Weight: 120
Heaviest Weight: 127
Goal Weight: 108

Why you are losing weight? I was foxy at 103 in high school, but I know it's not a great weight to try to reach again so I'm aiming a little higher. I'm just really out of shape and want to look trim in my 3s again, and get there healthily. :)

How you got to your weight now? I basically ate less and used CC off and on, I have a terrible time sticking with it though. I've stay pretty sedentary though.

Your dieting history? I quit my favorite sport around age 16, and kept eating like I was active all the time. At my highest weight I noticed and became self-conscious about it, and teetered into ED-esque behavior. I kept reading up on it and finally came across CC, such a  great resource/tool. I'm starting to get active again now, and I'm determined to get to my goal weight by Christmas, as a present to me - which incidentally requires a loss of exactly 10% of my body weight! I therefore totally belong in this group. :)

Name: Sarah

Age: 22

Height:5'7"

Current Weight: 150
Heaviest Weight: 160
Goal Weight: 132 (135 for this challenge)

Why I'm losing weight - to fit in my clothes again! I want to look fit like I did in March, and I'm abroad right now, with no ability to get clothes that will fit me. So, for practical reasons, I need to lose, and also for vanity ;)

How did I get to my weight now? I gained to 160 freshman year, and immediately started researching how to lose, and healthily lost over the next few years. End of Jnior year, I was 130 woo hoo! Then I tried to overcome emotional eating, and went down to 120 not even trying. i went back to school for senior year, and became active again, dropping down to a grotesque 110! Recovery was me, overeating again until I'm where I am now - overweight again. So here's for the second time arond!

Dieting history - I've never really dieted. THe first time, I jst cleaned up my eating and started working out. It works, so I'm here to do it again. THe only fear I have - how do I actually maintain without getting underweight again? i don't wanna keep repeating htis cycle - I want to stick to a healthy weight once I get tehre. Sorry, off-topic and an aside. Thanks for this group!

To sign up please post:

Name:

Age:51
Height: 5ft 6 in
Current Weight:163.6 lbs
Heaviest Weight:86 kgs
Goal Weight:154 lb

I am a late blooming mum. My two children are 12 yrs and 8 yrs. Yes that is true.

I have always been slightly overweight but in the last few years I have piled on the weight to an unhealthy level.

I started to diet the beginning of this year. Was doing well until last month. Then I found every reason to go and get takeouts. very bad takeouts too.

so I found this and have taken some advise and applied it to my life.

I feel alot better about my life eating plan, and just need the support this group and site gives.

Is there still room left in the challenge?

Name:  Al

Age:  21
Height:  5'2"
Current Weight:  155
Heaviest Weight:  164
Goal Weight:  140 by Christmas (10% goal); ultimately 120ish

My ultimate goal in losing weight is to regain my health... total health... that is, not only a healthy weight/body, but also a healthy level of fitness and a healthy mentality (the biggest struggle)!  My struggles with weight began shortly before I started college, but I realize now that I've always had an unhealthy relationship with food.  I was a healthy 120 lbs and athletic in high school, but my habit of emotional eating brought me up to 145 by the time I started college.  I've never had a positive body image.  My first semester of college I gained and by the time I returned for second semester I was at my highest weight of 164 lbs.  I was disgusted with myself, so almost overnight I became very regimented, began cutting calories and exercising excessively.  I lost 15 lbs in less than one month.  However, soon I burnt myself out, and even though I still wasn't happy with my body I was too tired to keep losing weight this way.  I was still regimental about counting calories but I stopped losing weight because my "emotional eating" habit from high school crept up on me again and escalated into a very bad bingeing problem which continued for the next year.  My weight fluctuated like mad during this time, but I was more or less maintaining at 150 because I would have weeks of constant bingeing followed by weeks of over-exercising and/or cutting calories.  I finally sought support for my eating issues last spring, and with the help of a therapist got much of the problem under control.  I still want to lose weight (& return to a healthy BMI), but because I know now what my tendencies are, I'm here to help myself lose SLOWLY and healthily so as not to spiral back into disordered eating patterns.  I'm working hard to reshape my mentality as well as my body.

*edit:  Also, I forgot to mention that I've never really dieted per se-- my ups and downs were a result of my disordered tendencies, and I never considered myself on a diet.  I'm here because I don't want to yo-yo my entire life, diet or no diet.  I want to reach my goal slowly and healthily so that it will stick.  That and, well, it needs to be a slow process because I won't be able to change my mindset overnight-- I've learned that the hard way.  I've come a long way, but I've still a long way to go!!  Thanks!

katya~ looks like you are also under the 10% but thats okay! congrats on your weight loss so far, see you tomorrow for the weigh in!

mlj83081~ welcome to the group, I am also a single mom! so good for us! :) good luckin this challenge and I like your up beat attitude!

nireda~Welcome tothe challenge!

gettinghealthy123~ good luck in the challenge and getting healthy the right way!

kiwi_dee~ Welcome to the group and wow congrats on having the little ones... a little late lol... thats awesome!

ajw~ ya we went a little over but that is okay! congrat, lifestyle change is what this is all about!

OKAY the challenge is officailly closed! Welcome to the group everyone and I will see you tomorrow for the weigh in! Also heads up for a mini challenge (thanks rob) make sure to check back in to the thread after you report your weight (if you can) or check on Tuesday! **Good Night**

Oh and for everyone that has a goal that is less then 10% please remind me of your goal weight when you post your weight.

**Reminder: add everyone in this challenge as a friend!

Ok, first weigh in... (I have never done a challenge before so I'm not sure if I just post it here, sorry if it's supposed to be posted somewhere else!)

Also, where I am it's already 8pm on Monday, apologies if it's still Sunday in other places.

This week: 143 lbs (64.9kg).