SCHMOOZE & LOSE: Final week (June 21-27) {CLOSED}

Need extra help and support? Join me in the battle to lose those pounds! No goal weights for this group…just a determination to lose.Post your weigh-in on THURSDAY, FRIDAY or SATURDAY!!!YOU CHOOSE!!

GET INVOLVED!!!  Each Sunday we will be presenting a mini-challenge for all participants to take part in. You might have to post your favorite snack under 100 calories or tell everyone the nicest compliment you have recieved so far.  Message me with your ideas and recieve honorable mention as the week's BIGGEST SCHMOOZER!

This group is all about keeping that postitive attitude throughout your journey. It doesn't matter if you are just starting out or are maintaining, everyone needs someone to lean on now and then. So SCHMOOZE & LOSE with your friends and stay motivated!

WHAT TO EXPECT (GUIDELINES):

1. This is a 10 week motivational group. If you feel you cannot endure the full 10 weeks, message me and let me know so the rest of the team doesn't hound you.
2. You must post a Start and Finish weight. If you're not up to posting your weight on certain weeks, that's fine. This is all about staying motivated. 
3. Mini-challenges will be posted on Sunday. Every participant is required to complete the weekly challenge. If you do not, the rest of the team will be notified and we will message you friendly reminders until you take part.
4. Feel free to use this group as a place to express yourself -  fears, frustrations, worries, goals, triumphs, successes. We are here to support and motivate one another, whether you're doing great or stuggling.

START     April 16-18:
Week 1.   April 23-25:
Week 2.   Ap30/May2:
Week 3.   May   7 - 9:
Week 4.   May 14-16:
Week 5.   May 21-23:
Week 6.   May 28-30:     SIGN UPS ARE NOW CLOSED
Week 7.   June  4 - 6:
Week 8.   June 11-13:
Week 9.   June 18-20:
FINISH.   June 25-27:

NAME..................START....CURRENT...LOSS
agdotto63...........140.2........136.2....... 4.0
anastase.............196.0........180.0...... .16.0 - GOLD STAR
augette...............249.5........242.5..... ...7.0 - GOLD STAR
bubbles556.........193.5........190.5........ 3.0 - GOLD STAR
cbussiere ............145.0.......139.0. ........6.0 - SILVER STAR
ccali1234.............158.0........157.0..... ..1.0
debramatthews...183.6.......176.5........7.1 - GOLD STAR
dovelette.............169.4.......166.0...... ..3.4
girlfighting27........148.8.......155.0...... . --- - GOLD STAR
hot_fudge............130.8.......129.8....... .1.0
jigglethehandle....277.0.......260.5........1 6.5
kacka...................137.0.......138.4.... ....---- - SILVER STAR
lilygirl1970...........184.6.......175.4..... ...9.2 - GOLD STAR
mackenziewilms..185.4........186.6........--- -
ocean_girl88.......149.6........146.0........ 3.6 -  SILVER STAR
pochahontas.......246.5........224.5........2 2.0 - GOLD STAR
sos47..................126.6.........116.2... ....10.4 - SILVER STAR
trcyh....................271.0........265.0.. ......6.0 - GOLD STAR
wannabfitt...........157.0........155.0...... .2.0
windra06.............135.0.........134.4..... ..0.6
xcathyxx..............193.6.........182.0.... ...11.6 - GOLD STAR

TOTAL LOST: 130.4 pounds

* Haven't heard from these people in a while. Send them a message if they're on your friends list!!

WEEK 10: MEASUREMENTS, WATER UPDATE, SCHMOOZE II http://caloriecount.about.com/schmooze-lose-f inal-week-june-closed-ft135821-23#474

WEEK 9: SNACKS http://caloriecount.about.com/schmooze-lose-w eek-june-closed-ft135821-22#454
WEEK 8: SOUNDTRACK TO MY LIFE http://caloriecount.about.com/schmooze-lose-w eek-june-closed-ft135821-21#437
WEEK 7: YOU LOOK MARVELOUS!! http://caloriecount.about.com/schmooze-lose-w eek-may-june-closed-ft135821-20#403
WEEK 6: WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE  http://caloriecount.about.com/schmooze-lose-w eek-may-closed-ft135821-18#376
WEEK 5: LET'S GET PHYSICAL http://caloriecount.about.com/schmooze-lose-w eek-may-closed-ft135821-17#345
WEEK 4: CHANGE IS GOOD http://caloriecount.about.com/schmooze-lose-w eek-may-closed-ft135821-15#310
WEEK 3: DO WHAT YOU LOVE http://caloriecount.about.com/schmooze-lose-w eek-apr-may-closed-ft135821-12#246
WEEK 2: FIBER 101  http://caloriecount.about.com/schmooze-lose-w eek-apr-may-closed-ft135821-7#145
WEEK 1: MEASUREMENTS & MOTIVATION http://caloriecount.about.com/schmooze-lose-w eek-apr-may-closed-ft135821-2#46

"naked" green super food drink.

15 oz = < 280 calories. usually takes me a couple hours to drink one if im at work. yummy and nutritious! 

hello everybody!

ugh im glad 2 be back and 2 be able to count calories! iv put on weight when i was away absolutely devastated!but i am officially moving on don't want 2 get any post holiday depression or anything lol iv found lots of reasons 2 be happy 2 be home including my bed!!!!ugh how iv missed it!

im a bit behind on challenges so

week 8:soundtrack to my life wow this is a hard 1 im a little bit obsessed with my ipod..well alot obsessed actually haha iv recently had 2 get a new 1 so i dont have my normal songs on it just yet but iv been listening to a few new 1ns i like,like relient k-be my escape,3oh3!-dont trust me,taylor swift in general,katie perry-wakin up in vegas oh theres just 2 many to think of reli.

week 9:i love tesco orange chocolate cerial bars there 80kcals each and yum! for lunch i usually have a small salad with ham slices,lettus and coleslaw,i love smoothies too,jungle rumble-mango,honey,bannana,frozon pro biotic yogurt,and orange juice,one serving of 500ml is 255kcal....doesnt seem right to me tho hmm?

START April 16-18: 193.6lbs
Week 1. April 23-25:187.3
Week 2. Apr30/May2:184.8
Week 3. May 7 - 9:182.6
Week 4. May 14-16:182.6
Week 5. May 21-23:182.6
Week 6. May 28-30: 180.7
Week 7. June 4- 6:18182
Week 8. June 11-13:183.5..(.i guess)-had my 18th birthday!
Week 9. June 18-20:185.1 :(...holidays and totm
Week 10. June 25-27

START     April 16-18:137
Week 1.   April 23-25:139.6.....+2.6Lb
Week 2.   Ap30/May2:139.2
Week 3.   May   7 - 9:139.2 bloated, I'm glad
Week 4.   May 14-16:138.8
Week 5.   May 21-23:137..... I'm back where I started!!!!
Week 6.   May 28-30:137.4
Week 7.   June  4 - 6:138.2 TTOM again
Week 8.   June 11-13:137.8
Week 9.   June 18-20:
FINISH.   June 25-27:

My soundtrack has a lot of foreign music from my youth, classical Beethoven on the more dramatic days and Vivaldi on the light and sunny. But really I like everything new I can shout and has more "bounce". AFI the older tracks are more like me. On the quieter me is best Ron Pope - Fireflies and any of the crazy Damien Rice tracks.

Snacks: I like the sesame honey roasted sticks, almond butter on the spoon, watermelon, carrot juice, Odwalla Superfood, Veggie Crunchers, different nut clusters.

On weight loss note..... I'm maintaining and Zumba does miracle for my butt. I'm happy with the way I look right now. And another sort of a compliment happened to me. Kid in front of my kid's high school gave me a dirty look a few times now. First it creeped me out but now I think it is funny and a little flattering. Now I do not get out of car though... haha.

Snacks:

Lots of good suggestions so far.  It's hard to find one that hasn't been mentioned yet.

How about a simple hard boiled egg or two....not every day, but once or twice a week would be ok.

1 large hard boiled egg = 78 cal., 6.3 grams of protein

1 Mission Life Balance Plus Tortilla = 110 cal., 4.0 grams of protein + some lowfat cheese or lunch meat of your choice.

Any low cal. tortilla would work, but those Mission Life Balance Plus are great.

These tortillas are great for snacking....i just put a little turkey meat in it and roll it up....don't really need any sauce or spread or anything....but you could put low fat or non fat cream cheese in there with a little low fat turkey lunch meat....YUMMY and not too full of calories for a good snack.  Easy to eat to.

Hi everyone. One of my most favortie snacks is 'ants on a log' ...celery with peanut butter sprinkled with raisins. I can't take it to work as the peanut butter gets runny and it's a real mess...but on the weekends it's the best. Something about the sweet raisins and the peanut butter makes me crazy! Drooool!!

Work snacks right now are single serving probiotic cottage cheese and carrot sticks, a lite Babybel with celery, or a Source yogurt cup and fruit (usually strawberries). I also make these awesome breakfast bars with oats, bran, dried apricots and pecans that I love. They are made with Splenda  and have about 165 calories each.

I guess I am on the same track as everyone else when it comes to snacks, though I'd much prefer a Snickers bar. Ha ha ha

Luckily, I'm not a big snacker under normal situations. When stressed or at my mom's I tend to snack - reverting to childhood days of grazing all day?!LOL.

Anyway my usual snacks are:

fruit/yogurt smoothies - 4 oz lite vanilla yogurt with frozen strawberries (or whatever I have on hand) and usually a peach or a little orange juice.  Toss it all in a blender until smooth.  By using the frozen berries it makes it nice and cold and resembles a milk shake

whole wheat crackers (or whole wheat toast) w/ Laughing Cow cheese wedge

And to combat the chocolate craving: a small piece of quality extra dark (70 - 85%) chocolate. I like the Lindt brand it has about 55 cal per small square and is delicious.

Lilygirl: I'd be interested in your recipe for the breakfast bars. Is it in the CC recipes?

Lilygirl: I'd be interested in your recipe for the breakfast bars. Is it in the CC recipes? 

 Here's the link...http://caloriecount.about.com/big-bad-breakfa st-cookies-recipe-r212665

They look like cookies but taste more like an oatmeal bar..not very sweet, but chewy and filling. Perhaps an acquired taste??

SCHMOOZE & LOSE II is now accepting sign ups.

Starts June 25 and runs until Sept 3.

Hope to see you all there!

http://caloriecount.about.com/schmooze-lose-i i-weeks-motivation-starts-ft142539

START     April 16: 184.6
Week 1.   April 23: 185.0 (+0.4)
Week 2.   April 30: 185.0 (-0.0)
Week 3.   May 07: 182.0 (-3.0)
Week 4.   May 14: 180.6 (-1.4)
Week 5.   May 21: 181.0 (+0.4)
Week 6.   May 28: 181.4 (+0.4)
Week 7.   Jun  04: 178.6 (-2.8)
Week 8.   Jun  11: 175.8 (-2.8)
Week 9.   Jun  18: 175.4 (-0.4)
FINISH.   Jun  25:

UGH! 175.0 will be 50 pounds lost for me and I just can't seem to get there! I'm stuck at 49.6lbs lost!! I just had a minor binge too....frozen mini pizza, 1/2 cup peanuts and a blueberry bagel toasted with margerine. Not my usual binge, but I was just sooooo hungry all day.

I haven't been counting calories, just watching what goes in my mouth, but today when I got home from work I logged everything I ate and it was about 1300 cals...which explains why I am so hungry this week. (I take the exact same lunch every day).  I thought I was eating more. My fat was at 10% too! Thus the pizza and peanuts. The bagel was just something I had bought last shopping day and had it as my weigh-in treat. So now I am at about 2800 for the day and FINALLY the gnawing hunger in my belly has gone away! Hooray!

SW: 277  - Sept 13, 2007 - It's been a long slow journey.

GW: 160 - I'll finally be at a "healthy" BMI

 START     April 16-18: 249.5
Week 1.   April 23-25: 249.5
Week 2.   Ap30/May2: 246.5
Week 3.   May   7 - 9:  246.5
Week 4.   May 14-16:  247.5
Week 5.   May 21-23: 249
Week 6.   May 28-30: 246
Week 7.   June  4 - 6: 247
Week 8.   June 11-13: 244
Week 9.   June 18-20: 247
FINISH.   June 25-27:

I'm not surprised by the gain this week but I think it's only temporary.  We went out for Chinese last night for dinner which means sodium overload. Hopefully with lots of water this week I can get the weight back down. We'll see....

START     April 16-18:  193.5
Week 1.   April 23-25:   193.5
Week 2.   4/30-May2:   191.5
Week 3.   May   7 - 9:   192.0
Week 4.   May 14-16:   190.5
Week 5.   May 21-23:   190.5 !!!! Yeah! 
Week 6.   May 28-30:   191.5 (tardy, needed to bring it down a bit before posting)
Week 7.   June  4 - 6:   189.5 !!!
Week 8.   June 11-13:  191.0 ~ day one ttom
Week 9.   June 18-20:  191.5 
FINISH.  June 25-27:

i was 190 yesterday, so sorry thats not the number today! oh well. i would find three pounds lost in 10 weeks much more heartening than 2, but its all weight lost, right? and its all movement in the correct direction. at least its still disappearing. slow and steady wins the race they say. . . . we'll see what the final week brings.

i'm off to my silent meditation retreat in a few. see you all next week! 

Lily - you have done great....you have lost weight the last three weeks...don't get hung up on .6 of a pound.  I am doing the same thing...getting hung up numbers....most of the time less than a pound.  It's starting to sound silly to me that I do that...so maybe I will change and lighten up on myself.

And now my stupid scale is all whacked again.  I need to find a good digital scale that doesn't cost a fortune and works on a regular basis..lol

It's a journey with no solid time limit for me.  I have to keep telling myself that. That keeps me calm so I don't start to panic ... lol.

Good luck to all of you on your journeys.

START April 16-18: 183.60
Week 1. April 23-25:184.80
Week 2. Apr30/May2:182.60
Week 3. May 7 - 9:178.20
Week 4. May 14-16:177.60
Week 5. May 21-23:178.20 ( TOTM) ugh !!
Week 6. May 28-30: 178.20
Week 7. June 4- 6:   177.90
Week 8. June 11-13: 176.00
Week 9. June 18-20: 174.90
Week 10. June 25-27:

I am pretty happy with this weeks numbers. Might be because I didn't snack last night. Haven't really had anything since supper. I've noticed that I don't always feel hungry like i used to. My water seems to keep me full.

Well had a hard time with exercising this week as it has rained every day. I have been doing workouts in the basement with my treadmill and universal and even started up those dumbells again, which I haven't been using in a long time. I have to get rid of this stomach and it doesn't seem to want to leave me.

Just noticed wouldn't you know it, MTOTM is the last week of this challenge and I usually go up a lb. or two. Figures !!!

Have a good week everyone!

Wow...only 4 weigh-ins this week. Where is everybody? I've messaged everyone who didn't weigh-in to let them know that this week is our last week and that I'll post our final numbers on the 28th.

WEEK 10:

A. Measurements - Dig out those measurements from Week 1 and do some comparisons. If you lost them, just find your original post in this forum!! Tell us of any changes you've seen.

B. Water, water, water - How are you doing with the water? Be honest...we're not ALL perfect!

C. S&L II - if you haven't already, be sure to join Schmooze II to help get you through the summer.

Week : #10

Measurements:

Chest:  42 - 40 =  - 2"

Waist:  38.75 - 37.25=  - 1.5

Hips:     40.75 - 39 =  - 1.75

Upper Arm:  14 - 13=   - 1"

Thigh:  22.5 - 21.50 =   -1"

Neck:  14.25 - 14 =   - .25 "

Water:  Well not as good as I should be. I seem to drink most of my water from the time I get home from work until bed. Usually that is when I am doing most of my exercising. I drink tea at work (2 cups a day) and to think the water cooler is just down the hall from me, so I guess I failed in that respect.

I am happy with the way things have turned out with the challenge. I have lost a total of 8.7 lbs. and have one more week to go. Would love to make 10 lbs. on the nose, but my body just DOES NOT loose weight that fast. It's usually a very slow process, but for some reason this challenge made me pick up my feet and looks like that's what I need all the time "more motivation".

I have already joined the next Schmooze and Loose ( Thanks to Lily) as I know that's what will get me through the summer. It's obvious I don't do that good on my own, I need motiviation and some great people to help me along the way.

Good Luck this week to everyone!

START     April 16-18: 149.6
Week 1.   April 23-25: 150.2
Week 2.   Ap30/May2: 150.4
Week 3.   May   7 - 9: 148.4
Week 4.   May 14-16: 148.4
Week 5.   May 21-23: 148.6
Week 6.   May 28-30:  147.0  
Week 7.   June  4 - 6: 147.0
Week 8.   June 11-13:146.5
Week 9.   June 18-20: 146.0
FINISH.   June 25-27:

Sorry I've been MIA...this internship is taking up so much of my time!  But I love it so I don't really mind.

Ok so to catch up  on the challenges.  Soundtrack: I love jamming out to really any upbeat song by Rascal Flatts.  I just love them.  Their version of Life Is A Highways is so damn catchy.  My fav snack is 2-3 wasa crackers and a wedge of laughing cow cheese!  So amazing for so few cals.

START     April 16-18:  145 lbs
Week 1.   April 23-25:  145 lbs
Week 2.   Ap30/May2:  141 lbs
Week 3.   May  7 - 9  :  142 lbs
Week 4.   May 14-16 :  140 lbs
Week 5.   May 21-23 :  142 lbs
Week 6.   May 28-30 :  145 lbs
Week 7.   June 4 - 6  :  145 lbs
Week 8.  June 11-13 :  141 lbs
Week 9.  June 18-20 :  139 lbs

Wow.. I'm in the thirties!  I'm so not surprised... since I've been working like crazy again this week.  Sorry if I haven't been much of a Schmoozer lately!  I worked a lot this week (82 hours to be exact) and had some personal problems with my family and boyfriend about the amount of time I spend at work.  Everybody seems concerned but I feel just fine.  Can't get much sleep though, but that'll be over in about a week or so.

Mini-Challenge no 9 : Snacks

I'm trying to remember what were my snacks when I was fully committed to this process.  A lot of the snacks I used to eat have been mentioned already (hummus, peanut butter, low cal granola bars, apple) so it's hard to come up with something else.  I loved to snack on cereals (without milk) because they feel like chips to me.  I also love Fiber One peanut butter bars because they stop my craving for something sweet.  I also like to eat tomatoes with pepper. 

I don't have quite the time to complete today's challenge just yet because.. guess what?... I have to go to work, but I'll try to complete it as soon as I have some time, which won't be before thursday. 

April 16-18: 246,5 lb
Week 1.   April 23-25: 242 lb
Week 2.   Ap30/May2: 239.8 lb
Week 3.   May   7 - 9:238 lb
Week 4.   May 14-16:235 lb
Week 5.   May 21-23: 231 lb
Week 6.   May 28-30: 234 lb
Week 7.   June  4 - 6: 231 lb
Week 8.   June 11-13:231 lb
Week 9.   June 18-20: 229 lb
FINISH.   June 25-

Hi everyone, sorry for not posting this week- had a big exam and I passed!!!! Bloody linguistics and I have passed! At times like this it's good to be me

About snacks- Im terrible at snacking, I prefer not to do it otherwise it gets out of control, and I end up having two lunches or three dinners. When I feel peckish I eat fruit. Or fruit. Thats it really.

I am signing up for the other challenge, this one has been great and helpful. Thanks everyone for sharing your stories.

START     April 16-18:  271.0
Week 1.   April 23-25:  271.0
Week 2.   Apr30/May2: 269.4
Week 3.   May 7 - 9:  269.0
Week 4.   May 14-16: 266.0
Week 5.   May 21-23: 264.6
Week 6.   May 28-30: 266.6
Week 7.   June 4- 6: 266.0
Week 8.   June 11-13:  266.0

Week 9.   June 18-20: 265.4
Week 10. June 25-27:

***weigh-ins updated***