"The Thanksgiving Ten" - losing those last annoying pounds challenge & support group

I have realized that as we get within about 10lbs of our goal weight, the challenges and struggles that we have to deal with are a bit different than for those earlier pounds.  I want this thread to serve as a sort of "kick in the pants" to get those last pounds off.  I also want this to serve as a "support group" where we can share struggles and successes or just to vent frustrations.  I chose Thanksgiving as the goal date because many people will be seeing their families and want to look their best!  I also think Thanksgiving in 8.5 weeks is a long enough time to get those last roughly 10lbs off.  Someone had mentioned having the goal be the Monday after Thanksgiving and everyone is free to chose their own goal date, but for me personally, I want to do it before the holiday.  We can then help each other develop strategies as to how to avoid the Thanksgiving overeating while still being able to enjoy our favorite seasonal foods and the decreased motivation to keep exercising and eating well between Thanksgiving and Christmas that seems to always happen.  We will also share tips and ideas about starting a maintenance plan and keeping those pounds off!  

Please post your stats: age, sex, height, current weight and goal weight for Thanksgiving (November 22nd, 2007).

We will start on Monday October 1st.  Feel free to weigh in and post at any time.  I won't impose and official weigh in day, but I was thinking that Saturdays might work well as a motivation not to over do it during the weekend.  I will keep a running tally of where everyone is.

For weigh-ins, please send me a private message, I think it will be easier this way.  I will then update this post.  You can weigh in at any time, but I suggested Saturday as a good day.

WEEK 7 UPDATES: 

PLEASE CHECK YOUR NUMBERS!!!

I have only included those that have sent me their stats.  Feel free to keep sending.  Good job everyone!!!

142by42 SW 169 CW 163 GW 155 PL 6.0

daniellew79 SW 150 CW 142.5 GW 140 PL 7.5

hbbroadbent SW 140.8 CW 130 GW 130 PL 10.8

iridescent_identity SW 135 CW 124.4 GW 125 PL 10.6

mamamunoz SW 172 CW 166 GW 162 PL 6.0

mctami SW 143.2 CW 135.8 GW 135 PL 7.4

smader SW 147 CW 139.5 GW 137 PL 7.5

southcarolinaguy SW 190 CW 182.3 GW 180 PL 7.7

caniche SW 147 CW 143.5 GW 137 PL 3.5

roc07 SW 117.6 CW 116.6 GW 110 PL 1.0

tabathar SW 133 CW 122 GW 120 PL 11.0

x17star17x SW 152 CW 139 GW 142 PL 13.0


Good job everyone!!! 

OK, I need some input.  Weight is not coming off -- what am I doing wrong?  Here are my stats:  I'm 42, I have a desk job, I lift (heavy) weights 3x a week, do challenging 30 minute intervals on the elliptical at least 5X a week.  A couple of days a week I do a second workout at night, like a 1-hour walk.  I'm eating between 1200-1400 cals a day.  I have one cheat meal on the weekends, usually includes a couple of glasses of wine.  My cals for that day are usually around 1800-2000.   I usually have 3 meals a day and (2) 100 calorie protein heavy snacks like cottage cheese or beef jerkey.   My eating is clean and healthy.  I started this challenge @ 132 and have lost only 1 3/4 pounds.  Ideas?

Original Post by eskima:

My cals for that day are usually around 1800-2000. I usually have 3 meals a day and (2) 100 calorie protein heavy snacks like cottage cheese or beef jerkey. My eating is clean and healthy. I started this challenge @ 132 and have lost only 1 3/4 pounds. Ideas?

 When did you start? For me, nothing happened for the first couple of weeks. 

Other possibilities are that with your workouts, you're gaining muscle and losing fat. Do you feel different? Look different?

One other thing is that sometimes our estimates of our caloric intake and outgo are simply too far off. If we  burn more calories than we consume, over time we WILL lose weight. It's a 100% certainty.

Thanks everyone for the replies.  Bad week for me this week.  I am returning back to my old habits and its really scaring me.  I don't think I was really 120 on Sunday, I think it might have been something to do with water levels etc.  Then I over did it on Sunday, Tuesday and yesterday.  Yesterday was a pretty bad one.  I don't know why I keep doing this.  I skip the gym and go home and eat junk.  I am OK with where I am in the weight department, I would like to make up for this week, but I don't want this to happen anymore.  My main thing was to have my clothes fit, and they do, for now!  More of this and they won't fit and I'll be back to where I started.  I have a busy weekend and I don't want it to turn into 2 more binges.  I just feel all bloated and fat today.  I want to keep the calories low today and tomorrow and make it to the gym both days.  I need to make up for the last two days - I know part of my "feeling fat" today is due to water retention etc, but I hate it.

Nope, I'm in great shape.  I've been a workout fanatic for 20 years.  I'm not cheating on calories either.  The problem is, I'm 5'6 and 130 pounds give or take.  So, I'm really just whittling away that last 10 or so to get me to the bottom of my weight range for my small frame.  I look good in clothes but not as good as I would like in a bathing suit.  It is more of a challenge then a necessity at this point.  My clothes fit slightly better; but my clothes always fit slightly better at the beginning of a diet.  I am not gaining any muscle as I have been working out forever.  When I do the math I should easily be loosing at least a pound a week.  I was at the very same place about 3 months ago and after six weeks and 2 pounds I gave up.  I don't want to give up again but I am really at a loss as to how to get the scale to move.   I guess I will try maybe doing a different workout and for slightly longer periods of time to see if that might help.  Arghhh.

OK, I think the check in date was actually Saturday, and if so my weight that dat was 130.4!  TODAY however, I was 128.6 :D....so I can't wait till this coming saturday to tell you where I am by then...yesssss! (took me ages to break into the 120's!) Btw, this means I've officially lost 60 pounds since the beginning of my weight loss journey in March of 2006! *does a dance*.....maybe I can make it and even 70 and then be done?!

Hey Kate, hang in there, I totally understand how you feel. I tend to binge when I don't go to the gym, hence I always try and go everyday as it really does stop me from unnecessary eating. I also hate the bloated feeling you get, I've been eating quite well this week but I have been bloated all week, my stomach looks like I'm 9mths pregnant so have been feeling really feeling fat! fat! fat!  Some days I look in the mirror and think I'm quite slim and other days I just look fat!

I've also come down with the flu, hence can't concentrate much on losing weight. I hate being sick! I'm one of those people that still want to eat when they're sick.

Stephany, wow! You are amazing! I just looked at your before/ after pics! Nice job.
Naija, I hope you feel better. :(
Unfortunatly, I am going in the wrong direction. Since the beginning of this challenge, I have gained 2.5 lbs. because I can't seem to go a single day without binging. I tried the tea thing, but it only helped for a couple of hour, and then I binged. I just need to regain control, but I don't know how.
Today, I tried eliminating all carbs because that supposedly eliminates cravings, but I just ended up starving and moody by 2:30... so I binged yet again.

shorelover.. i hear ya.. my weight has been fluctuating since we started 2 weeks ago and now i'm actually up 1 lb.. i feel like the closer i get to my goal the less strict i am with what i'm eating.. its so hard to get back on track!!

Shorelover, you don't have to cut out all carbs! Trust me, I eat at least 50% of carbs everyday! I wondered at first if this was such a good thing, but I guess my body doesn't mind it as long as I eat a healthy breakfast and then have a snack btw breakfast & lunch, and then one btw lunch and dinner. Thanks for the kudos, I'm still working really hard to get to 120, but if I just keep doing what I'm doing, I'm sure I'll get there! Anyways, just make sure you eat regularly ..and they don't have to be ginormous meals either, something to hold you over till your next sensible meal!

 Amazingly, I had like an entire 8 oz strip steak yesterday and like a giant (and I mean a 3 ounce) chocolate chip cookie along with a salad w/ Italian dressing, first time I've been ''bad'' in the 3 1/2 weeks since I started calorie counting...and I actually lost 1/2 a pound over night?!  

So, I guess it's something you have to learn to not starve yourself with. You can eat anything in moderation, as long as you track the calories and try not to go over...*oh and try not to eat all your calories in one meal...then u will be cranky!* 

Anyways..here's my official posting for this Saturday Oct. 20th

CW: 128.4

GW: 125.0 (by turkey day)

TPL:  7.6

I don't know how I pulled it off, but here are my stats for this week:

CW: 170.4
GW: 164
TPL: 4.4

Thanks again, Kate!

Hey! Sorry that I'm a bit late- only a matter of hours, but still

CW: 109.5 (yaaay!)

GW: 104

SW: 111.5

Thanks so much, Kate! This thread is great!

SW: 152 

CW: 144.2

GW: 142 

PL: 7.8

YAY! I don't know how I've been Ioing it, but I'm glad it's happening :) 

SW: 190

CW: 185.8

GW: 180

PL: 4.2

I still feel ill! Just want to shake off this cold.

I have also :( managed to infect my whole office as everyone seems to be coughing and sneezing now.

I seem to have also gained a lb (back at 123lbs) but I have been so bloated I don't know if it's water retention, I still look 9mths pregnant, if only I could get a pin to deflat my stomach I may lose 2lbs.

So I'm feeling really down because I'm ill and I'm not losing any weight or exercising. :(

I forgot to message you yesterday w/my update, Kate.. and I'm too lazy to go into a new window to do it now, so I'm just going to post it.

Start Weight: 134 lbs.

Goal Weight: 124 lbs.

Goal Weight 2: 120 lbs.

Current Weight: 125.5 lbs.

Pounds Lost: 8.5

I am finally losing the weight! I really appreciate you Kate for this thread. Here are my stats:

SW: 148.8

CW: 144.8

GW: 138

PL: 3.6

weighed in at 129 yesterday so a 4 pound loss total for october...i feel like I'm doing great!  it feels realistic to get down to 120 by thanksgiving

wow congrats everyone on all your weight lost so far!! i on the other hand have fallen off the wagon, i'm probably up 2 lbs or so.. definitely going to "start over" tomorrow, only 4 more weeks til thanksgiving!

Hi All,

Just posted everyone's stats. If you haven't yet sent me your weigh in, feel free to do so at any time. I did not weigh in this Saturday - I had an off week and I didn't want to see a disappointing number on the scale that might throw me off into a tailspin. I am going to see how this week goes. My clothes fit relatively the same, so that's a good sign. I am going to focus this week on getting my food in line and doing all my workouts.

Hello Naija: please don't feel bad. Just take your time. Rest and eat well so you will be able to be on track. That is what I have been doing these days. feel better soon and it is ok to  take some days off because you need it.