Hello Ladies

Hey, my name is Kia....on self I'm StageFright2.  I love doing the Self Challenge.  I have been doing it for the last 4 years or so, with different levels of success.  I just wanted to post a link for you guys to check out.  I mentioned it on the forum it's called upoc.com.  It's linked to cell phones. so if you have texting service on your cell then it's a great way for us to keep in touch on the go.  Anyway, I have started a group on there called Self Challenge 2008. http://www.upoc.com/group.jsp?group=selfchalleng

If you are so inclined sign up for the group and send a message or two.

A little about me. I'm from Brooklyn, New York and I'm 26 yrs old. I just weighted myself and the devastating number

is around 190. That's the heaviest I've ever been and I don't like it. I have been playing around with different versions

of low carb/ and low glycemic dieting because that's what works best for me. I don't eat any sugar in all forms, this means

not only sweets, but starchy foods and flour based foods as well. No corn, which I love, unless it's a RARE treat.

Anyway, I workout almost everyday, I take a rest day when my body feels a little tired. Maybe once a week or so. I always

try to do something toward my goal. I weighted about 138 before I began putting on weight, the only thing I can say

that changed and triggered this probably was my use of the depo provera injectiion which I read up on after the fact

and am now convinced that it played a major role in my rapid weight gain. I've been off it for about 4 years now and

I still can't shake all the weight. But my goal is to be about 138 or 140 again. I'm willing to take small steps. Ten

pounds first, then another 15 or so...you know. Anyway....sorry so much to read. Good luck to you all and I hope that we

all reach our goals in the near future.

Kia.

Monday - Dawn's weigh in

This week 218
Last week 216
Goal 175
Yet to Lose - 43 lbs

Well, I went from 216 to 218 - grrrrr... However, know that I am doing the right things and that I'm making the right choices. I had a big get together on Saturday and I had a plan for low calorie cocktails - but, I did not follow it. Instead, I drank lite beer - which caused me to retain all sorts of water. (I've done that before!!!)

I am still calm and patient and know that I am doing the right things. I can't be perfect all at once!!!! I had a great Sunday. Excercise, low cal, satisfying food and 70+ oz of water. Could have starved and dehydrated myself, but decided that it is about how I FEEL as much as it is about the number on the scale. My measurements haven't changed, but I can FEEL a difference (I call them "thin moments")

I am so glad to have the support of all of you!

Mhray - i am celebrating for you - raising a toast (it's water w/ lemon) in your honor!!

I got nowhere to go but down!!

Dawn
thecic

My First Post - Erin here!

Hi ladies, I was reading the thread on self.com and thought I'd come check out the blog. You guys are so awesome! I would love to join in if y'all will have me!! I have been changing my way of eating/living since January 30 of this year, and so far am down from 185 to 158. I am now down to like 30 or 35 pounds left to lose, (I'm only 5'3) and I know that is a little less left than a lot of y'all, but I really feel like I fit in here and would love the accountability and support that you all seem to have to offer. I mean, it's like some of us are living parallel lives; I've been ordering workouts from on demand tv, I'm addicted to fit tv, and I am finally seriously committed to looking and feeling good. I've been mildly overweight my whole life, (though looking back on a lot of old pics, I was nowhere near as big as I thought I was, I would kill to look like I did when I was 18, and I thought I was so big.) I have never been athletic or active, always a bit on the lazy side, definitely never really healthy at all, I guess the only reason I wasn't bigger sooner was I also didn't overeat all that much, I just ate the wrong stuff. Well, life catches up. I had my son when I was 21, I'm now 29, and when my now-husband and I got together, I pretty much started eating what he did, when he did. BAD NEWS. His metabolism is appallingly fast of course, and long story short, I gained about 50 pounds over the last 6 years. On January 30, I just had an epiphany: I will do this, I will be healthy, I will work out... I can do this!! The results came fast and furious for me, I think because I changed everything all at once, completely changed the way I ate, I write it all down; (calorieking.com is my bible), I started exercising, cut out most simple sugars all the way (I'm at risk for type 2 diabetes). I feel better, I have energy, I actually like eating and living this way, and most importantly, I have hope. I know I can look the way I want to, and feel better about me. I've never ever ever liked or been satisfied with me. Due to that, I've never really put any value into taking care of me. That changed on 1/30/08. :)
Hope I can join y'all and I look forward to the fun times ahead!!

-Erin

Monday Weigh In---Lins

Hi ladies,

Current: 228
Pounds lost: 9 (I am hoping to hit 10 this week!!)
Goal: 140

Yes, Mhray, I know that the reason I've been MIA this weekend was just because it WAS the weekend :) I try not to get on the computer too much on the weekends because it feels too much like being at work. I am so excited because since my last post (Thursday I believe) I have lost 2 pounds and am FINALLY beyond the 230 mark. I was stuck there for about 2 weeks and I was getting frustrated!

I am really hoping to reach the 10 pound weight-loss mark this week...and I know i can! I am trying to do a mixture of tae bo, walking, weights and yoga/tai chi. I just went to my first yoga class yesterday afternoon and it was SO incredible. It was relaxing, uplifting and altogether great. I felt so relaxed and rejuvenated. Does anyone else have trouble 'completely' relaxing? I feel like even when I am sleeping, i can't fully relax. I definitely want to make this yoga class a priority so that I can give myself that time each week to just be in touch with my body and relax from all of the other stresses.

Anyway, usually the weekends are my biggest downfall as far as eating...but I was surprisingly good! I went to Quiznos to try those Sammies that were featured on the Celebrity Apprentice...and both of them are about 300 cals (you can check on the quiznos website), but just 1 is quite filling and very tasty! If you all have to grab something quick to eat, I suggest trying some of them...I will probably be going there more frequently because it's portion control and taste! They have a list of the calorie content and healthy suggestions at the counter where you order.

It is very inspiring to hear about all of your successes and I can honestly say this blog is helping me! I am glad we all aren't so much obsessing about the numbers on the scale, but rather how our clothes are fitting and how we are feeling about ourselves. I definitely have noticed a major difference in how my clothes are fitting, and I love being in control of what I eat so I don't feel disgusting and bloated after a meal. Keep up the good work...can't wait to see how everyone else did!

--Lins

Monday Weigh-in ~ Mhray

Goal: 160
Current: 230
Lost so far: 15!!
Still to go: 70

I didn't believe my eyes at first when I looked at the scale this morning ( I shouldn't have weighed myself wearing my pjs the other day). I had my boyfriend come in and verify it. Granted, it could always be off, but I've lost 15 pounds since Feb 25! I'm so excited and I can feel the difference. My clothes are fitting better and I'm hoping that I'll be able to get into some of my old stuff that I've been saving for just such an occasion.

I'm going to go resume dancing around my apartment now (and burn off some extra calories while I'm at it)

Mhray

Layla is here

Hi Ladies!!!
This is the first chance I've had to get on the blog. I went out of town last Wednesday for a mini vacay with the fam and have had no access to internet. I can't wait to catch up on all the posts and get back on track. So far I've maintained my weight loss of 10 pounds, but I'm ready for the rest to fall off! I've been in and out of airports all day so I've had no real exercise. Tomorrow I will start again. We walked a lot over the weekend and I even rode a horse. Maybe that counts! Well, I'm off to get some much needed rest before heading back to work in the morning. I hope everyone is off to a great stsart! I'll check back in tomorrow.

It's Xi Again~

Today was a good day. I was able to sleep in and operate at my own pace today. I went to the gym and killed it. Rather, it killed me. That Stair Master is no joke. I did an hour of cardio then a few weights. I've been focused and staying on my exercise plan (six days with one day of rest) and it's working for me. I stood at the mirror and looked at myself naked and I can honestly say, I look good! I've noticed a definite change in my shape. I'm getting my hour glass back (I'm bringing sexy back!). It was at that point that I knew I was doing something right and I'm motivated to continue. It is for this reason I tend to stay away from scales. I've lost a total of 20lbs in two and 1/2 months. Now normally this would upset me because I feel the loss (number wise)is rather slow. But there's so much more to this experience than a number. My pants are sagging off of me. For the first time in years I find myself wearing a belt. I guess I'm saying this as a reminder to those who choose to weigh themselves on a regular basis. Although it is a helpful tool, don't put too much stock into your scales. A lot of times we get too dependent on a number and we forget about the other wonderful changes that are occurring as well. Much success to you all! ~ Xi

Amber is in!

Starting weight: 216 (ahhhh!)
Current weight: 204
Goal weight: 170 ish?



Hello girls..I've spent the last hour catching up on all the posts, and trying to figure out this whole blog thing...I'm pretty good on the computer, but still get frustrated when I have to do something new. I think I can get used to it, though, because I really need some people to help keep me accountable, and share in this part of my life I'm so focused on right now.

I've been living my 'new' lifestyle since March 4, and I've been doing really well. I feel like something just clicked, and I'm not the same person anymore...it's just not okay for me to eat like a pig and be lazy. Seems strange that it ever was okay. I'm not doing anything drastic, just keeping my house full of healthy foods, and working out about 3-4 times a week. I've been dropping about a pound every other day, which is awesome, but I know that won't last much longer with out more effort.

I love Tae Bo...Billy is not the most skilled tv personality, but I love that about him...he's a real person! And I feel like that Tae Bo really does produce results. Even though I've only lost 12 pounds, people are really noticing....I love that feeling!! When someone asks "Are you losing weight?" I live for that right now...it's like wow...yes...I sure am!

I really like the idea of a weekly weigh in...Monday sounds good to me.

So nice to meet you ladies...stay in touch!
Amber

Where'd you go?

I'm hoping everyone is just quiet because of the weekend. I've been doing alright, although I skimped on other calories yesterday so I could have some fried chicken that I was craving. Not the way I need to go, I know, but I found that as I was eating it that I was thinking about all the better (and tastier) ways that I could have prepared it. I figure that has to be progress, right?

Aside from that I've been eating really well. The biggest thing that I've noticed is that when I go out to eat now I'm much more aware of how things are prepared and what a real serving size is.

I'm not sure what eating plans everyone else is sticking to, but I've been using the SELF challenge one. The first few days were tricky because I am not a little girl, and should have about 2400 calories to maintain my body weight. With this plan I'm eating about 1700/day, which means that if I do nothing but eat better I'm losing a pound every 4-5 days. (I'm a math geek - give me numbers and away I go)

I even started to work out a little bit this weekend. I have a ballet conditioning video that I did which is fun. I've also been riding my stationary bike in 5-10 minute bursts which while it isn't a lot, at least I'm moving, right?

How has everyone else been doing? Ready for the weigh in tomorrow morning?

Mhray

Patience

Happy Saturday all!

Mhray - all very good points about weigh-ins. I weigh myself every morning. The "experts" say you should, but, I find that it helps to keep me accountable. When I see an upward blip I recognize it is a daily flux (water weight, etc) and that if I will just have patience and stay focused, it will be corrected.

The good news is that I am seeing the scale go down - 2.6 lbs this week. But, that loss needs to be there on Monday for me to consider it progress!

What I'm not good at is having patience and focus over the long haul. That is why I never maintained my Weight Watcher's goal. I hit the magic number and took my focus off of it and then the number slowly went back up. This time around, I have to take a different approach in the maintenance stage - and stay their for life!!

Dawn
thecic
On the way to 175

Gaining weight when you've been good

Current Stats
GW: 160
Lost: 12 - up from 10 last week :)
Yet to lose: 73

If you've been good (eating healthy and working out) you very well may gain a couple pounds. Why? Muscle weighs more than fat. But by putting muscle on, which will initially cause your weight to go up, you create more fat burning potential, because the muscles need more fuel than fat.

Other reasons you may have gained weight when you've been good?

• You're wearing clothes (can add up to 6 lbs)
• You just drank a lot of water (add up to 2)
• You just drank alcohol in the past day or had extra coffee (lose 2-4 lbs dehydration)
• You just did a hard work-out (down up to 5 - sweat and burning food)
• You ate really salty foods (adds up to 5 lbs - water retaining)

This isn't to say not to do these things, but I find that if I weight myself every Friday morning as soon as I get up (hypothetically the same situation every week) that it works for me. I'm all for a Monday weigh in though - it scares me because I know that if I'm bad it's on the weekends, but what better way to hold myself to a little higher standard?

Mhray

PS - I added links to SELF, calorie counter and calorie king on the left

Do we need a common weigh-in day?

I want to throw out the idea of all of us having a common weigh-in date as a means of keeping us accountable. Knowing that I'm goinig to have to 'fess my number on a particular date is key to holding me accountable. Thoughts??? I'm proposing Monday as the day.....are you all in?

I had a good day - controlled the eating. I didn't get any excercise, but I've had a good week (3x to the gym....) so taking a night off actually feels good. I'm approaching a weekend of social events (think cocktails...) and that has me worried that I won't be able to maintain control and make good decisions.

I got a bit frustrated when I checked the scale this morning and it had gone up - after 3 solid days of good behavior. Had to calm myself and remind me to excercise patience.....uggghhh - it's something I'm not good at....

Post #2 LosetheLard

It's difficult staying on track when you live in a city where people socialize over drinks and extended meals as a course of daily life. This either means you put your social life on extended hiatus or you try to maintain your lifestyle while enforcing a little discipline into your life. It's so incredibly hard to suck on a soda with lime while forgoing your favorite happy hour cocktail--your friends surround you, indulging. I love the booze. Beer, hard liquor, wine, you name it, I'll drink it. But is it worth the empty calories? Is it worth digging yourself a hole that will take you five times as long to dig yourself out of? No, dammit. It's not.

So when I go out for sushi, it's no to the Sapporo, no to the sake, and yes to a large house salad while everyone else is partaking of a pitcher. I am deep in a moment by moment battle with myself sitting at the table, focusing on chewing my salad while my friends down the cold hoppy goodness. Chowing on the greens, I'm conscious of how tight my jeans are, how good it feels to be free from back pain and how much more confident I am when I am not this size. It's a thinner, more confident, pain free person I want to show up for my best friend's wedding. I do NOT want to shop for a dress that's frumpy, hides my folds of lard and my jiggly wings. I do NOT want my next shopping experience to depress the hell out of me.

Just like small bad decisions have a cumulative effect, so do the small good ones. Every little battle I win with myself is money in the bank, is another set of calories I won't have to burn off later. Food is fuel, not comfort.

The useful things for me to keep in mind are:
1. It will continue to be a moment to moment challenge. I am no longer able to indulge freely with abandon and I have to accept it and really learn to live within those boundaries.
2. We put ourselves in a losing position when we don't believe that our eating habits are within our control. We make decisions and choices and can fully control what we put into our bodies. After we lose the weight will we be able to indulge a little once in a while? Absolutely, but it's going to take a little sacrifice before I get to that point.
3. Right now, with a firm, unmovable deadline ahead of me, I don't have room to wiggle.

Next the exercise. I haven't gotten to the gym the last few days but have been doing workouts at home. I really need to take the cardio seriously. Without that, it's going to be a losing battle. The circuit training has been great, I love that my muscles are sore, but it's time to get back on the effing treadmill.

I'm about to cue up jillian michaels on demand (i think i may get her new dvd) but tomorrow it's back to the gym.

Hope everyone keeps up with posting. Lins, thanks for the links. I have a few I'll post later too. Please remember to sign your posts and comments since we all show up as group member. The common weigh in day is a great idea--How about Mondays, the start of the work and school week?

Kick fat's ass!!
LosetheLard

Helpful Websites

Hi Ladies,

In my boredom at work, I thought I would pass along two helpful websites that I frequently use, since Self's site isn't always as comprehensive as we'd like it to be!

Calorie King--has every food imaginable, as opposed to the site that Self uses for calorie counting
www.calorieking.com

Calorie Counter---allows you to accurately count burned calories for exercise, even ones not on the Self site, like Tae Bo :)
Calorie Counter

Enjoy!
Lins

Back on the Wagon

Hi ladies...

So yesterday I wrote about how I had fallen off of the wagon. Even though I wrote those words, I still met up with Mom and ate a burrito, then went to a pizza hut fundraiser for my high-school reunion and ate 4 slices of pizza and breadsticks!!!! Ugh, I was paying for it later...when my horrible acid reflux kicked in. Since I had started working out, I was having no reflux whatsoever. I can always tell when I've had a bad day, because I will start feeling really disgusting and the reflux shows up.

Determined to still do something productive yesterday, I put in old faithful Tae Bo. I just started with the advanced workout because I wanted a 60 minute workout as opposed to the 30 minute beginners workout. Anyway, I just find Billy Blanks to be SO INSPIRATIONAL that it almost brought tears to my eyes. Things like "If you believe in yourself you can overcome anything..." and "reach up to your higher power and ask for the strength to get through this workout..." It is just a really fresh take on working out and so helpful when I'm trying to get through such a tough workout.

Today has been good so far...been doing well with eating. i'm about to go to lunch where I'm definitely planning on getting a salad with chicken. I am just determined to get back on track!! I have a personal training session later tonight at the gym, and then I definitely want to do more Tae Bo before or after that. I have to squeeze it in before the 2-hour finale of Celebrity Apprentice though!!

How many of you have gotten caught up in couch-potato mode with all of the good TV that has been on lately??? American Idol, Apprentice, Moment of Truth, Dancing with the Stars...I think during these shows, I 'm going to try and do some ab work or leg lifts (like losethelard was telling us about). Anyway, I'll check in later...have a good day and keep working hard!!!

--Lins

Need to Lose the Lard!

LosetheLard

Location: NYC
Height: 5'7"
GW: 145
Lost: 0
Need to lose:50

Thanks to mhray for setting up this blog. I'm hoping it will be an invaluable tool for us and a welcome alternative to self's cumbersome forum format.

I've struggled with my weight since freshman year of college. The freshman 15 turned into the freshman 30. After graduation, I lost it all and then some, started a new job a year later, and gained it all back (and them some). After a few years of feeling like crap about myself for having let it happen again, I found myself living in New York City, desperately needing a serious lifestyle change. I hired a personal trainer at Crunch (bleeech), saw him once a week, and over the course of about 14-16 weeks lost 30 lbs in combination with some disciplined eating habits, cutting out alcohol, sleeping regularly. I felt great, vowed to myself NEVER to put myself in the position where I would have to lose 30+ lbs ever again.

Flash forward to 2 and a half years later and triumph has turned to defeat. I found my boyfriend had cheated on me the entire time we'd been together (what a mistake he turned out to be), I switched jobs, and overall found myself in the deepest depression I'd ever experienced in my life. The weight I'd lost came back with a vengeance and brought friends. And relatives. And I find myself in the place I'd promised myself I'd never be--having yet again to lose a serious amount of weight. Nearly 25% of my current body weight.

Over the past few months I've beaten myself up, fixated on how much time I'd wasted on a boyfriend I had mistaken for a partner, pitied myself for having been a victim of his lies, and fed my insecurities about being heavy in an industry that glorifies the thinnest of the thin, no doubt it's affected my performance in a career which has up til now been impeccable. In short, I needed to make some serious changes. So time for the proverbial picking myself up, dusting myself off and starting all over again.

The one thing I feel guilty about is having waited til now to do something about it all. I wish I'd started my new years resolutions immediately after new years. Instead, I wallowed about in self pity for an additional 2 and a half months before getting up off my fat depressed ass. The consequence--I need not to look like a hot mess for my best friend's wedding. That's the LEAST I can do for my best friend in the whole world. The one person who's supported me through the most precarious 6 months of my life. I just will not allow myself to show up at the BFF's wedding looking like I just inhaled a 3 tier wedding cake. D-Day is Memorial Day so I have until then to really turn things around, get motivated, back into discipline mode, and drill into my brain that this is lifestyle change and THAT is the challenge.

My Goals:
1. 50 lbs weight loss
2. Increased cardiovascular health
3. Increased flexibility
4. Better endurance
5. Strengthen core (weak back, *chronic* back pain)
6. Overall better fitness
7. Lifestyle change--this is never happening again.

Like a couple of you have mentioned, I've also been taking advantage of Fit TV and ExerciseTV on demand. So far I'm loving All Star Workouts-Jennifer Galardi's Ballet workout and Aubre's Belly Dance workouts have been fantastic. (Sadly, I'm so unfit that it doesn't take much movement to shoot my heart rate up into target fat burning range.) Gilad has some great workouts but I find him *incredibly irritating.* Off of Exercise TV OD, I've been doing Jillian Michaels 30 day shred level 1 and her biggest loser circuit training in addition to a few of the ab workouts in the abs section. I've also vowed that if I sit down to watch an hour of TV, I'll get up off my butt and march in place, or ab work, or leg lifts--any kind of movement so that I'm not vegetating on the couch like a caged veal.

A few notes about future posts: I like to swear. A lot. Since at this point we're all still strangers, I'll try to tone it down. But if a few curses slip out, don't be offended. (ie. 'that f*cking treadmill!!) Also, I'm not a fan of the shift button. Introductory post n all, I've tried my best, but after this, it's no caps!

Well, Good Luck ladies! (I'm assuming we're all ladies, but if that's a mistake, please speak up.) I look forward to spending the next several months with you and sharing our successes and challenges with one another!

My biggest help so far

Mhray
GW: 160
Lost: 10
Need to lose:75

Losing weight is tough. For months I've been thinking "oh, I really should work out more, eat better, etc." but I just didn't get around to it. There was always something to do and something tasty to be baked. One day I started thinking about it and realized how sad I was about my weight. In high school I ran cross country and was a beautiful, curvy size 12 (I'm 5'9" with a medium body build). I'd put on about 100 pounds since then and was afraid to see anyone from high school aside from a very few friends for fear of what other people would think. So I finally decided to do something about it.

I got support.

I told my boyfriend what I wanted to do and we started talking about how we could eat better. We stopped going out for dinner as much, limiting it to twice a month. As an added incentive we came up with a rewards system. For every 10 pounds I lose he is buying me a book or a DVD that I want as a reward. That was a big thing, not rewarding myself by making cookies. It's great having someone at home that knows that I'm trying to lose weight and is supportive.

Now, having this blog, where everyone has similar goals, I think will help a lot. I'm really excited that I'm not the only one trying to take off a bunch of weight. I read cnn.com a lot and they have these stories of people who lost 90lbs or so - and I'm determined to be one of them!

As for my personal progress in the past day, I've been eating well, but not working out like I should. I would love to go running or biking outside but the weather isn't cooperating. I have a gym membership, but I can never get out of work early enough to get there. Any suggestions on easy ways that people squeeze in workouts?

Mhray

Count Me In!

Name:Xiobe (Xi)
Age: 32
Weight: 237
Goal: 180

Well, for me it's simple. No excuses here. I love food. All kinds of food. My problem mainly lies in the balance of eating healthy and exercising (I usually do one without the other). I've always been athletic but sometime within the past five years I got lazy and gained a massive 70lbs. I stopped going to the gym but continued to eat the kinds of food that packs weight. However, in the the past 2 and 1/2 months I have been eating much better and going to the gym religiously. So far I have lost 15lbs. It's been slow moving but progressive all the same. I think the added motivation will serve me well. So, hi everyone! I hope I can inspire you as I turn to you for inspiration as well!

Dawn has arrived!

Hello - I love the idea of a blog! Great idea!

My story: I grew up in a "meat and potatoes" family and at 246 lbs, I was the smallest of my siblings. I was 29 years old, raising a 2 year old son and knew that I didn't want to spend my 30's overweight and unhappy in my own skin. A friend had joined Weight Watchers and was having some success and asked me to join. I thought "why not"what could it hurt? Besides, I didn't have anyone to go to lunch with so I decided to sign up.

It was a great experience - almost addicting! I made good progress and lost 70 lbs in about 11 months. I looked great, felt great and improved my health tremendously. Dare I say, I was "hot"!!

Sadly, I realized that part of my being unhappy in my own skin had a lot to do with my marriage. My husband didn't want me to lose weight and tried to get me to stop but that only pushed me harder. Losing weight gave me the confidence to make changes and so I got divorced. My son was 4 years old and I can honestly say that even though it was hard, it was a good decision all the way around.

Fast forward 6 years. I've gained 40 lbs, graduated from college and married a wonderful man. I have had great career success and moved to a beautiful new home all while I slowly gained back what I had worked so hard to lose. I've started and stopped WW so many times in the past 6 years that I have lost count.

I finally hit my breaking point on Easter Sunday as I sat in church wearing a size 16 that felt too small. Maybe it was a slap from God, but I knew at that very moment that I had it within me to get to my goal weight of 175 and maintain it. I resolved to be back in that pew in one year at my goal weight of 175 lbs - a mere 41 lbs from where I am right this minute.

Funny thing is, I've managed to get to the gym on a pretty regular basis for the last 9 months or so. Now, I need to focus on my food intake so I'm using all my old WW tricks to get me back to my goal.

That's why I'm here. I know that support is a huge part of weight loss. WW's taught me that and I am going to need a lot of support to break my bad habits and develop new ones.

Let's get this journey started!!

Dawn
thecic

Located in Minnesota
36 years old
5'11"
Goal weight of 175 by Easter 2009
Currently at 216.8

Sid's first post

Age: 22
Weight: 245
Goal: 150

Hey girls, I am a mother of two. 5 and 7 mos. After my first child I lost a whopping 70 lbs looked and felt GREAT! Then they took stackers with ephedra off the market and I gained it ALL back. After my second child I vowed to lose 100 pounds by her first birthday. 7 months later I have only managed 30 lbs and have been stuck at 245 since 2008 started. This year has been VERY stressful. My husband lost two jobs and we decided to move away from the small no future town we are in and move to the coast of MS he went down there to find a job and had lots of offers but came home for the weekend and had a wreck that totaled his car. that was 2 months ago and he is still without a settlement and a car to go back and take the jobs, so we have been living off my paycheck and all the stress has made it hard for me to stay motivated. But I got to thinking lately that what goes up must come down and eventually it will get better right? This can't last forever, so when its over and we are living near the beach do I really wanna put on a swimsuit that makes me look like a beached whale and go to the beach with my husband and 200 skinny B*&^%$# in bikinis? Well of course not I am ready for him to be drooling over me. I am so frustrated with how hard it is to lose weight and how unhappy it makes me that I am overweight. I am ready to make a MAJOR change and start losing weight!

Hello!!

Hi everyone! My name is Lindsay and I just happened upon the thread on the Self forums...and here I am! I am really looking to work with a small group of women who have the same weight-loss goals that I have. Here are my stats:

Age: 22
Location: MD
Current Weight: 230
Long-term goal: 140
Mini-goal: 200

I know that losing like, 90 pounds in a short amount of time is really unachievable...so I want to try and set myself some mini-goals. I am going to the beach in May with my boyfriend of a year, and then I have my high-school reunion AND a wedding--both events in October. I really want to try and look and feel my best by October since I am a bridesmaid in the wedding and a member of the steering committee for the reunion. I definitely look forward to checking in with you all once or twice a day to help keep us all on track!

Currently, I have been working out at a gym for about 2 months. I have been trying to do about 4-5 times a week of cardio, plus I have been working out with a personal trainer about twice a week. I have lost about 7 pounds, but LOTS of inches (which I think counts more than anything). For about 2 weeks, though..I have kind of fallen off the wagon as far as eating and going to the gym. Why is it that when you start seeing results, you think to yourself "well, this one piece of cake won't hurt..." and then that is your mentality for 2 weeks?? Argh. I don't want to lose all of what I have gained so far.

Anyway, looking forward to working with you all!

Lins

1st post

Goal weight: 160 lbs
Weight lost: 10 lbs
Yet to lose: 75 lbs

I'm a graduate student who has, sadly, put on a lot of weight in college and I really need to start losing some of it. There is a family wedding coming up I'd like to look better for, but the truth is, I need to lose the weight to be healthier. I've been eating better for about a month now, drastically reducing my random snacking and have lost 10 pounds. I'm starting to work out more, which I'm hoping will help with losing more weight.

Mhray

Welcome!

A hearty welcome to a new blog designed to allow anyone to post their stories and suggestions in the weight loss journey! While this blog was originally set up for a group of SELF magazine readers anyone is welcome to post.

Through eating healthy, working out and staying positive (sometimes the biggest challenge of all!) we're going to lose weight and hopefully keep it off.

Good luck!