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!

Weighed in 141.5 this morning- 1 lb down from last week...it doesn't feel like I really lost a pound though, probably just water or something- I had a rough week. But tomorrow is my friends wedding, so I'm pumped! Hope everyone is doing well!!

Hi everyone!.  After recovering from pink eye and a cold, I am doing much better.  I worked everyday except today.  I am at 133.  Down one pound.  Hey, that's fine by me.

Hey everyone sorry I wasnt able to post like...this entire week. 5 of my teamates and I had the most horrible week of our lives. We got cut from our team not because of skill, but because we didnt suck up to our coach enough. All of our parents went up to school and spoke with the director of sports and our Principal, however all their efforts proved futile. Our ex-coach is a PSYCHO.

Anyway my weigh in is at 143.8. Personally I think this is like a miracle. My 5 teamates and I for this entire week, came over my hosue and ordered in. We bonded through our struggles and ate loads of pizza, vietnamese, spagetti, and chinese. Seriosuly, I dont know how i lost weight this week, I didnt watch my calorie intake at all.

I think my scale is sabotaging me for Friday weigh-ins. I weighed myself this morning and was down to 115, a 2.2 lb drop since Friday morning. But I fear that somehow, the pounds will be back with a vengeance by Friday and I have no idea why!

I know it will be up for me this friday, with the trip and all. I am kind of looking forward to starting a new exercise program with our new treadmill. I have already done the couch to 5k, so I might start the Learn to Run program. Maybe this time I'll get there and stay there!

Ok.... So I feel like crap. I have been eating badly for the past week, and I feel like I've undone all the good things I did for the three weeks before. I'm feeling guilty and depressed but I am continuously failing. I was working out with my trainer today, who was very disappointed in me for going back into the old habits and not logging my food for the past 4 days. I got so upset at myself that I almost cried half way through the workout, it was really hard to hold it back. I hope that I'm feeling better tomorrow, I'm going to try and start fresh. I went grocery shopping today and bought all of the healthy foods that I need for the next few days. I've given myself the tools to succeed, I just have to do it and stop being so hard on myself. One of my friends told me that maybe I have raised the bar to high for myself, sub-consciencely setting myself up to fail. I guess I have to realize that I can't be perfect.

Happy Halloween everyone!!

I'm finally down to 136 after weeks of struggling to get past 138-140. I have been really good for the past couple of weeks, but I'm gonna cheat a little today for my birthday (what's a birthday without a good margarita??), but will definitely get back on the wagon after that. Haven't been to the gym for a week and a half, but I'll probably start again next week.

Cbell- don't be so hard on yourself. Sometimes it's best if you do one thing at a time instead of trying to change everything at once. There were a few days in the past week when I felt like you do now, but my husband convinced me to stay on track. Keep on going to the gym and trying to eat healthy, but allow yourself a break every now and then. Hopefully that will help.

Hi guys! How is everyone? Any plans for halloween? Weighed my self just a min ago, holding at 132. This makes me glad that I haven't gained. I only worked out once this week and not very hard. I kno I lost a lot of muscle which is why my weight went down. I haven't been logging calories too much either, but have been watching my food.

Cbell- I totally understand your frustration. I feel like I am in the same boat. I've hopped off the weight loss wagon like 2 weeks ago and can't seem to get back on. I feel discouraged. I just don't have the motivation anymore!

I am in the same boat! We had our trip and I managed to gain three pounds. So I am up to 173.  Could be worse. I think we all have bad habits and issues, or else we wouldn't be here! I know its tough, but we just can't give up. I know it is possible to lose weight, to change bad habits and to live a healthy lifestyle without feeling like you are giving up all the good stuff. We just need to hang in there! 

A buddy on this site asked me what emotional issues were holding me back from losing weight. I said that that was a great question......because something is holding me back. I need to do some soul searching and find out why I am having trouble getting on track with my weight. I am glad that she asked though, because I feel like maybe I can finally move forward once I realize what is holding me back.

Forgot to weigh-in Friday until after I'd eaten... And as you all know, you just can't weigh after eating! But I'm at 213.6, which is great because I've been really stressed and I thought you were supposed to gain weight in times of stress!

I'm almost under the BMI scale for obese, which is good, because I'm so sick of being obese!

Hey everyone!

I am a day late, sorry! I weighed myself yesterday and came in at 141.5 which I think is what I was last week- today I was 139.5 ... And I never weigh myself more than once a week, but I was glad I did this morning.

CBell-  and Everyone else, heh- I have been so bad the last week and a half too! I didn't lift until yesterday- I have been such a bum on my couch after work, blaming everything around me but myself. We haven't had heat in the apt. so I kept saying it was too cold to get out from under the covers to work out. Finally yesterday I did workout and I felt great during and after.  so, Lulu, I totally understand when you say you have something holding you back, because I think that I do too.

I don't know what though, I am so sick of trying on my clothes and hating how they look on me- I remember when I was thinner how it didn't matter what I put on, it looked good! So...I guess we just have to push through the voice in our heads, no one said it would be easy.

Novi, congrats, thats awesome!!! Keep it up!

Hi everyone, thanks for all of your responses. I was able to get back on track Friday with eating healthy...but it was Halloween and their was quite a bit of drinking. Luckily I didn't eat anything in my drunken state, which probably made my hangover a lot worse today. But I did go to the gym today even with the hang over, I was so close to cancelling my appointment too, but after it was done I felt soooo much better mentally.

LuLu and treenut I know exactly what you are talking about. I definitely have something holding me back, like theirs a part of me that wants to sabotage everything. I heard somewhere that putting on the weight is very emotional, and you have to expect that taking it off is going to even worse. I have a lot of emotional issues, mainly dealing with my past, lately I have been seriously thinking about going to see a therapist. Getting some help in resolving my issues can't make things worse, so I might as well give it a try.

Melika, it is very hard to stay motivated, especially since it's a slow process that you have to put a lot of extra effort into. I have found that I am surrounded by a lot of anti-motivating things, like all of my friends wanting to drink a lot on the weekends, and work people asking me to bring in homemade baked goods like I use to. Everyday I see my roommate reminds me of how the world isn't fair, she is naturally thin...doesn't have to watch what she eats and doesn't really go to the gym (even when she goes she just does like 15 minutes on a machine). She tries to be supportive but every time she asks me about the weight loss I just feel like its a slap in the face. I am just taking it one day at a time, and remind myself that even though I don't want to go to the gym after work, I will feel so much better afterwards, I never regret working out, but I will regret not even attempting.

For the next few weeks I don't have any travel plans, which will help me to keep to a schedule of working out, and planning my meals for the week. I am just going to focus on the ultimate goal and hope that it's enough to keep me on track. Oh and my weight this morning was 194.5lbs.

Take care everyone.

Treenut - thanks! I know its hard to work out when its cold... Even if you layer on some warm clothes, you still get colder when you sweat. Plus, a restricted range of movement, from the extra clothes, and possibly some joint pain from the cold! (Any if you who were adventurous as children know this one - the more bones you've broken/fractured/twisted, the more places hurt when it gets cold!)

Christina - Its hard to say that someone's "naturally" skinny. I know a few people with very small bone structure, but also big bellies because they eat too much and aren't active. Its possible that she has an active life?

The "naturally skinny" issue has always been hard for me too. Because I'm naturally big- boned (if I wrap my fingers around my wrist, they don't touch. ie, big bones). Nobody is natrually fat, so I know I can get rid of that. But even if I get down to my goal weight, I still won't be SKINNY. I'll still have big shoulders, big knees... The best look I can go for is like, "athletic" build. Never slender.

Good morning.  I was not able to weigh in on Friday...way too many activities for Halloween.  Unfortunately, with all the treats and gatherings, I did gain a pound.  I am at 135.  Hopefully, I can get on track for Friday.  I was not able to work out on Friday and Saturday.  I did manage to do an hour of cardio on Sunday.  So back to my regular routine!!!  Hope everyone is doing great!

hey i wasnt able to weigh on on friday because of halloween. Unfortunantly I ate tons of candy and weighed in at 144.4 the next day which i think is more than my previous weigh in. However i vowed not to cheat this week!

So here's the skinny: My kids are sick AGAIN. This time with the throw up nuclear poop thing. Lets cross our finger that the baby doesn't get that. She had her shots on Friday so she is feverish and fussy...but showing signs of improvement. Needless to say, the stress here is incredible, and I am having a rough time with all that halloween candy around. I wanted to plan all my meals this week yesterday, but I was dealing with cleaning up after sick kids. So, I am trying my hardest not to eat ALL of the candy and am going to try to plan meals for the weekend and next week. The baptism that we had to cancel in October is rescheduled for this weekend, so cross your fingers that everybody is done being sick this week. I am so sick of the germs!  And with the three kids in preschool, two of them are thumbsuckers so they pick up everything, and just pass it along between them. I am going to try to eat healthy portions at dinner and lunch, so at least I am making some progress.

I need some motivation here because I feel so ready to just give up and eat whatever the hell I feel like. A few days ago at work, I was injured (nothing life-threatening, but kind of painful). And while its healing well, I lost some skin and I know I'll have a figure-eight shaped scar on me forever. And if my skin's marked up and ugly anyway, why lose weight? Why work that hard to get a good figure if its going to be disfigured anyway?

I am so sory to hear about this Novi. I hope you heal soon and the pain goes away.

Why work that hard to get a good figure if its going to be disfigured anyway?

Well, I think a good reason would be so that you can be healthy and feel good on the inside. If you feel happy and beautiful and strong on the inside you will look that way on the outside. Maybe it sounds corny, but would you ever tell a seriously scarred person that they should just give up and be fat because no one wants to look at them anyway? I sure hope not!  Or maybe tell someone in a wheelchair whose legs are wasting away that they should just lay in bed and not have lives. I don't thinks so. We admire them for being strong and living life, no matter what they look like. There is a man I see often training on his bike on the roads here in the summertime. He has no legs. And he is more fit and stronger than I will probably ever be. That is why you keep going. Because you can and you want to. Its that inner strength that keeps you going and that makes you beautiful! Hang in there Novi. I hope you feel better soon.

Hi Novi, I am sorry to hear about your injury, that it's causing you pain and causing you to lose motivation. Getting hurt was something you couldn't control, but getting health is completely in your control. It's a way for you to feel good about yourself, to feel accomplished when you had a good workout or resisted stopping at the drive threw. I definitely think that you should stay the course, you will feel good about yourself and eventually not even think about your scar. One thing that encourages me to keep going is my mother, who has diabetes. She has been overweight her entire life and makes bad food choices. She now has to give herself insulin injections, it's quite possible that someday she could lose her eyesight or her feet. That's why I keep going, so I don't have to ever be in that situation. I have a long history of diabetes in my family, and if I don't take care of my health, I could be diagnosed in a couple of years. I really hope that you choose to continue and realize that YOU deserve this. Take care of yourself.

I weigh in at 172 today. I knew that few pounds I lost before was just an illusion. I'm a funny one. Guess it takes me a super long time to actually be ready to put in the committment to get started. I think about it all the time, a talk about it all the time, I just don't actually do it. However, I am starting the couch to 5k running program again on Monday. Hopefully that will be the kick in the pants I need to get everything together. HOpe you all have a great weekend.