Unwrap the fat..lose 20+ pounds by Christmas

I think there is another group but it is closed...so I thought I'd start a new one. It really helps me to have some sort of accountability to a group when I want to lose weight. Even if its not really a competition, having others in the same boat helps me to keep going. Hey, I don't want to be the only one in the group who doesn't lose weight! This helps motivate me. Here is what I am thinking:

1. Weekly weigh in on Fridays.
2. Exercise at least 3 times a week. Post to let us know what you do, how long you do it, how you'd like to improve etc...
3. Keep track of your calories whichever way is best for you.
4. Have a reward picked out for your success at the end of the Challenge
5. BEGIN:Friday October 10, END: December Friday December 19th (10 weeks)

I'd like to keep the group not too large, that way we can really get to know each other and motivate each other. So, I will close it at around fifteen people or so. I know some people tend to drop out, so if we keep the group small enough, maybe we can help everyone make it to the end and reach our goal!

Together, I hope we can make it thru the Holidays. This can be such a challenging time to lose weight. With some support, and some structure, and some motivation.....I think that we can do this!

If you are interested....Post your introduction. Please include your current weight and your calorie target. Also, please post a little about yourself. I'll make a new post and go first!

Hey I'd like to join in too! My name's Victoria and my starting weight on this website is 166. My heaviest weight was 183, and now im down to 148. My greatest hardship is sometimes the motivation, I know how to lose weight and that it works but sometimes i get discouraged. I hope to be 128 pounds by christmas and STAY there instead of ballooning up. I'll try my best to become more active (as I'm known to hibernate during the winter) and tone my body.

My calorie target is around 1200-1450

Hi, I'd like to join and lose 15-20 lbs by the end of December. I'm 5'5' and currently 140. I started at 156 earlier in the summer and got down to 140, but got sidetracked when my friends came to visit and gained 10lbs. 

My calorie target is 1200-1500/day, but my problem is not so much the food, I just need to exercise more. I work full-time (sit at a desk all day), then I go to school in the evenings (almost full-time) so it VERY hard to find the time and energy at the end of the day to work out.

My prize would be a new pair of knee-high boots and some skinny jeans

Hello, I would love to join the group. My name is Christina I am 23, 5 feet tall, and currently weight 197, my starting weight was 207. It felt like I was stuck at the 200 mark forever, but for the last two weeks I have been eating super healthy and working out like a crazy person. I feel motivated right now, but  I know that it might go away soon like it usually does, so a group like this will be perfect for me. I am going to shoot for under 180 by the end of 10 weeks, it's been about 3 years since my weight has been that low. I would like my weight to get down to 115, that should take me about a year if I do it right, I just have to stay the course. I have always been overweight, I think my down fall is emotional eating. I can go hard core at the gym for hours but it doesn't mean a lot if I'm eating crap all day. Right now I'm seeing a personal training about 3 days a week and doing cardio on my own 3 days a week as well. I actually bought a heart rate monitor so I can accurately track the calories I burn, this was a great investment. I have found that the machines at the gym lie to me, they usually say I burn about 200 calories more than what I really did.

My gift to myself will be a new pair of jeans. I can't wait to drop sizes so I think the new pair of jeans will add to the motivation.

Christina... I'm excited that you're here! I cannot be the only person over like, 150 pounds here. Emotional eating is the worst, because its REALLY hard to counteract it! Just make sure you don't burn yourself out with the diet and exercise... If you're working yourself too hard, you're not as likely to stick with it.

Christina, Novi......I am 174.5 pounds, and probably more because we had Chinese food AND wine last night. I was super stuffed so all that sodium probably added a few pounds! We'll find out tomorrow! Also, I am only 5' 1".

I'll leave the group open for a little longer, in case we get a few more late joiners, then I'll need to close it. We don't want it to be too big, because I feel that we can't offer the support that everyone needs, when there are just too many people.  I want to do a spreadsheet with everyones names and tomorrow when we log in I'll add our starting weights. That way I can keep track of our percentage lost and pounds lost. I tried to do this for my other group, but ran out of time. However, that was not a weight loss group like this one is, so I think it is important to keep track of everyone. Maybe we'll all stay a little more motivated knowing that I'm keeping track!

Good luck everyone and REMEMBER WE START FIRDAY!

Hi, Frances here.  I had buffet lunch today at work, always eat way too much.  counted and after dinner tonight I have clocked up 2100 cals.  Oops.  This makes my calories after exercise as 1750.  A little too much but I'll try an resist tomorrow as there is another meeting with buffet lunch.

Yeah, I think being kept track of by someone outside yourself helps... it sort of holds you accountable for your gains and losses, in a way that you may not be able to yourself.

I think I might not be too well off tomorrow either... But what better time for our first weigh-in than my ToM?  Next week I'll lose like five pounds of water weight and I'll already be closer to my goal! Fair warning though, if I get under 200 lbs by our deadline I might cry on yall, just a little.

Frances - a buffet? Oh, that sounds horrible/wonderful. What kinds of food do they have? If you fill up your plate very full with veggies, and only take a small portion of the cal-heavy food, you might fare better?

Novi.....Thanks for your concern, I'm actually starting to feel a little burned out already. The food isn't really bothering me I haven't had a lot of cravings. At lunch today my office had free pizza for a meeting, it was staring right at me, and it was free, but I resisted the temptation. I even resisted the brownies that my roommate made last night. She never cooks anything and now that I'm serious about not eating bad things she decides to bring home cake and brownie mixes...go figure. I think I have been working out too much. I did 6 days last week and burned 3500 calories, took a day off on Sunday, then burned 655 on Mon. 1210 on Tues, and 1200 yesterday. Today I think I'm just going to do a half hour of cardio, just to keep in the rhythm of going. I think lack of sleep is adding into this equation as well, so I'm blocking off about 9 hours of sleep time. Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be feeling better.  

OK Guys! Here is the Group:

Lulufit (lulu)

mr_tibbs (Frances)

novileigh (novi)

melika08 (melika)

treenut18 (tami)

sorayazada (soraya)

kdgurl04 (katie)

bettyboop71

waleska18

smokeysondrugs (victoria)

icequeen83

cbell23 (christina)

Remember to post your weight for tomorrow! We will weight in every Friday, and post our exercise and diet progress during the week. We have committed to ourselves and each other to do our best to exercise, eat healthy, eat correct portion sizes, and LOSE WEIGHT! I think with the support of this group and our desire and committment to lose weight, it will happen. I am looking forward to getting to know each of you during this ten weeks! Good luck to us all.

Christina - About how much time do you spend per day working out? I've seen many people get so gung-ho about starting an exercize program that they get in over their heads. If your exercize program isn't practical for your daily life, or you're spending a significant amount of time every day working out (I'm not talking an hour, I'm talking two or more), it may not work. It might actually de-motivate you, if you don't lose what you think you should, because you're so devoted to working out!

Well i was up late studying for an exam and now i'm up early doing the same again. This morning at 6:30 I was 135, but that was after a few cups of coffee.  I didn't have time for exercise yesterday, as I really sat in the library from noon to 5pm and then sat on my couch til 1 am. It was very discouraging, but I had to do it. I ate crappy food, but today won't be the same story!

Since it's weigh-in, Im going to change my eating habits and get back onto a healthy plan. Food is my biggest problem. I want to keep a high protein-low fat diet. Any ideas about protein sources? For exercise today, I will go running. I'm going to have to kick it up a notch today because I haven't lifted weights in a week or so. Definitely will run. My goal is 3 miles and I want to do intervals because my heart rate gets up to a very high level.  I get bored with exercise very fast and once I do I stop trying so hard. I want to try more classes at my gym because I had fun at step and my calves were sooo sore the next day.

Good luck everyone!

(if i don't make sense, sorry. Sleep deprivation and too much studying turned my brain into mush! I found my spelling gets worse and worse, the longer I stay up and the more I study!)

Ok, up to 175. It is probably because of the Chinese food from the day before, the huge burgers we had last night, and the beer I had with it. Also, I had Ice cream. I always have some kind of last hoorah before I start to work on my diet. I don't know why, maybe its panic! 

Anyway, I won't get exercise in today because I have so many run around things to do to get ready for my daughter's baptism on sunday. Everyone is coming over here for dinner on Sunday so I have to cook and clean! 

I am going to log in my healthy breakfast this morning to help me stay on track, and I plan to do some family exercise tomorrow.

Good luck with your exams meika!

Hey thanks!! Im nervous!

Whenever I start a diet, I always start to crave foods I never even really cared for. Maybe a last "supper" would help curb those cravings.

Lulu, Congratulations on your sons baptism! That is wonderful, but don't get too stressed! Just relax and enjoy it! Get plenty of exercise before the dinner so you can enjoy yourself and not worry about calories.

Weigh-in: 220.6. And I'm shocked! I must've done REALLY good this week with working out, because I'm holding so much water that I had to dig out my size 22 jeans!

Melika - The low fat part throws it off for me! I eat a lot of nut butters for protein, and though they're all good fats, its still fat. Try part-skim mozzarella cheese and lowfat cottage cheese. And make sure you're still getting SOME fats in your diet, because they help your body process vitamins.

Lulu - There's nothing wrong with having treats! But having them all in one day doesn't work for me. I need to have the chance to burn them all off, and if I had em all at once, there would just be no way.

Hi all, Happy Friday:) This morning I was 140, up 2lbs from yesterday, but I suspect it's water weight from all the salt I had yesterday. Will try to drink more water today, and spend at least 30-45mins on the treadmill. Good luck everyone

Good morning everyone!.  It's 7:29 a.m. here in Honolulu, HI.  I am at 133.  I managed to workout every day this week.  I did a circuit class on Monday.  I ran on Tues and Thurs (3.5 mi), and Wed did some cardio and weights.  I plan to hit the gym afterwork and do a little cardio and more weights.  I try to do a quick full body workout that I learned from a trainer a few years ago.  My gym is about a block from my office.  I finish work at 4pm, head on over to the gym by 4:10.   Work out until 5 to 5:10 then rush on over to my daughter's preschool (5 minutes away) and pick her up by 5:30 p.m.  I've got no time to to fool around or else I have no workout time at all. 

Have a good day!!!!!

Hey everyone! sorry I haven't answered anyone in awhile, I've been a space case lately! So I don't own a scale (for good reason, I think I'd obsess)...But, I will buy one. the last time I weighed myself (last weekend) I was about 146, so I'm going to start at that weight for now...and I will buy a scale on my next day off...

Melika- I was logging my waitressing as Serving Food for a while, but I just decided to up my activity level to Moderate-- I feel like i am getting a good workout waiting table too, lifting all those trays, plates and coffee urns. I sweat too and then my hair frizzes!!

Novi- that's amazing, plus I think you're on to something cause I am always starving when I get home, and days like today (which are more often now) I work nine hours and its almost impossible for me to eat on a regular schedule; plus I don't eat anything they have except their yogurt and bananas, i usually bring a Luna bar too. Hey, if you're looking for a good barley risotto, I have a barley pilaf recipe that's very much like risotto on my recipes, If you search for Barley Pilaf with veggies, it should come up. Doesn't take too long to make either, with quick-cooking barley.

Lulu- I love your attitude and I totally agree. It took me how long to put this weight on? It willl take just as much time, and a lot more effort to take it off, and any loss will be a win.

 It's nice to have a support group! My boyfriend looks at me like I'm crazy!! Good luck everyone!!

Hi folks, I weighed in at 154 today, bring on 134 come December 31st!!

Hi guys

I'm starting this challenge with my official weigh in of 147 ... but it's TOM so I know I'm holding water weight... it's usually at about 144-42... Holding on to too much water... but I'm going to start this challenge with a clean slate... My other challenge that I was on is coming a to a close and I managed to not lose any weight :( ... I have been working out and I guess I'm just frustrated...

My goal weight by xmas is 120! I am deciding and owning it!

All summer long I've been working out, watching what I eat and I don't know why my body doesn't want to let go of the extra weight I'm holding onto? it's unhealthy, my waist inches are at 37inches and I am in serious trouble with health risks especially my heart so it's not a matter of just wanting to look good and feel good it's a matter of life for me.... I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with my daughter and diabetes has taken so many people in my family ... so it's really scary... uh! ok. sorry for the rant but I really gotta get some motivation --- I know it's because I stepped on the scale today and when I step on the scale and it doesn't say what I want -- it deters my mood, my day, my everything! I cannot be a slave to the scale but really it's hard ... okay I'm gonna go work out my bum and get some of this frustration and fat off of me!

Ok guys! We're waiting to hear from four more people and then I'll start the spreadsheet that will show us total weight loss and percentage lost. Hopefully we will soon  have a big percentage lost and a smaller number weight!

We still need starting weights for:

kdgurl, waleska18, smokeysondrugs, and cbell23......if one of you posted and I missed it, please message me your starting weight. Thanks!