Never Give Up in 2009 Challenge

[alykat06]

So here it is guys, the new challenge for 2009. This is the first weight loss challenge I am starting so bear with me :). This challenge is for anyone and everyone! The thing about this challenge is that it will last for quite some time, at least the summer, if not til 2010 rings in. There will be mini goals in between, our first goals will be set for Valentines day and the next will be Easter/Spring...and so on. Who ever wants to join may do so, just tell us a little about yourself and what your first goal for valentines will be, and what your long term weight loss goal is. We will be weighing in every week on Wednesday, seems that is a great weigh in day because it might keep some of us on track on the weekends. Also if there is a calorie limit/max you are eating please let us know about those as well. That way you can check in and make sure our sticking to those. I would like to come up with ideas for motivational goals in the weeks and months leading up to the mini goals, such as certain exercise goals etc. Everyone can chip in and bring forth any ideas they may have. As the challenge progresses others may always join, considering this is going to be a long challenge. I figure the longer this challenge is the less likely it will be that members will drop off the board and/or fall off the wagon. So please let me know if you have any weekly/monthly motivational ideas.

My name is Alyssia but everyone on here calls me Aly, which I like :). I am 20 years old and I live in Maryland with my boyfriend and cat. I am currently a data collector for a contractor that is through the army. I am also going to College in order to get my associates degree in business. I weighed in at 195 lbs this morning and my goal will be 185lbs by Valentines day. My bigger goal is to be in the 160's by May when i go to Germany, hopefully by my birthday in October I will be happy and healthy :). I stick to at least 1000 and always try to reach 1200 calories a day. i stick to low carbs because my body just cant process carbs very well and it doesn't seem to like sugar either. I try and get in 100 oz of water a day and at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. I am probably going to increase my exercise to 45 minutes a day because that was what was recommended for an insulin resistant regimen, but I will be asking my doctor first of course.

Lets get the challenge started!

[sweettart]

Yay ! Ok my name is julie I am 28yrs old wow did I say 28 I don't feel that old but I guess I am.n e ways I live in a very small town in ks. I have been married for 10yrs but we have just been back together for a year. I have 3 boys 13,8,7 and one baby girl she will be a year old jan 23. She is my everything !! I started phen nov 7th at 203lbs and now I am 185lbs I would love to be 175lbs b4 2-14-09 and over all I would love to be 130lbs b4 july 09. My dr has me on 1200 cals aday and I do 30m work out 6 days aweek. I would like to find the time to workout longer. I also teach asl to songs 2 to 3 times aweek and that's a BIG work out and its no stoping for 3 hours. If anyone wants to see what I do u can find me on utube by looking under signing4thedivine/forgiveme. Any how good luck to u all !!

[tazgirl31]

WoW I am so excited about this challange!!! My name is Mary, which I go by Taz!!! I am 32 and have been married for almost 10 years!!!! I was also blessed with 2 beautiful stepdaughters!!!! My other kids are my frienchbulldog Luki and my little girl Roxie....shes a long hair chawahuaw...ugh...I no I spelled it wrong!!! Anyways when I first started here on phen I weighed 272 pounds! And after 2 months when I stopped phen I was weighing 236 pounds! So, Now this morning after being off phen for over a month I am weighing 228!!!! Lost 8 pounds on my own with just eating right and exercising!!!!! 6 pounds to go to the 50 pound mark!!! YEAAA!!!! so my goal is to lose that 6 pounds by Valentines day!!! 2/14/09!!! I have set bigger goals in the past and just felt overwhelmed and discouraged so I will be happy with the 6 pounds!!! and of course even more happy if I lose more!!!!! I No this challange is going to give me that xtra little push I need!!! And Aly by OCTOBER we are both gonna look beautiful and skinny!!!!!!!!!!! So lets get buzzzzzy!!!!!!! Good luck to EVERYONE!!!!!!

[scatanafas]

I'm Scat and I"m here to offer support and guidance to Alykat as she leads her first challenge. I'm so happy that she agreed to do it and I'll try and be here as much as I can. Just for the record I am no longer on phen. Phen helped me lose ten lbs out of the thirty that I lost altogether, but I realized that I need to go the distance without phen.

I'm forty something (somewhere after forty its all a blur...LOL), a mom of two kids and a research assistant/study coordinator at a nursing school. I also was a jazzercise instructor for years up until May 2008 when I gave up my business to take care of my father who had a long and complicated illness. A result of this was me coming to know Jesus and some other personal epiphanies which i refuse to share on here...I also made some of the best friends I've ever had in my life from this board.... So out of the hardship came some good things. I am now ready to get back into the saddle and look forward to becoming a gym rat again and paying closer attention to my diet. My goals for this challenge:

Get to my goal of 130 by Valentines Day
Start a healthy low carb lifestyle again. no pasta, no rice and very little bread.

I am joining a gym near me that has a special 8 week program where they monitor you closely and offer alot of guidance and support. I figure that is a good place to start. I'm also taking zumba classes and hope to be teaching zumba by March 2009. I'm a busy lady but always make time for the people and things that I love an I have learned to ignore drama and venom, no time for the negativity, I'm much too busy and happy for that! I hope this thread helps others on their journey and you all support one another.

Lets get this party started. Aly, do you want us to log in our weights one day a week? Which day should that be? I vote for Fridays.

[alykat06]

I had posted we weigh in on wednesdays but its really up to you guys, I weigh less on the weekends for some reason lol. Probably because we stay on track during the week :D
Wohoo Im looking forward to it!

[scatanafas]

I had posted we weigh in on wednesdays but its really up to you guys, I weigh less on the weekends for some reason lol. Probably because we stay on track during the week :D
Wohoo Im looking forward to it!

Okay, wednesdays it is then.

[sweetpurple]

Hi my name is gerina am 32 and have four kids 2 boys, 2 girls ages 14,12,10, and 8. and a fiance.I started phen in september my starting weight was 278 know 264, i had lost almost almost 20 lbs. But i fell off so yes i need this challenge so glad alykat started this one. My mini for 2/14/09 10lbs. over all 78 lbs. I will push myself to eat better and exercise much more. My problem is i cant bring myself to eat breakfast so i have to find away. But am going to loose this weight trust and believe that. Good luck to everone.

[elemteach5]

Hi. My name is Tammy. I go by elemteach5. As you can guess, I'm a fifth grade teacher. I live in a tiny town in West Tennessee. I am 41. I've been married 22 1/2 years. I have 3 sons 22, 18, & 14, plus I have a 5 month old grandson which is the apple of my eyes. Due to a lot of extra stress over the past few months I've managed to pack on 22 pounds. My out of whack thyroid, low iron and low vitamin D didn't help much. Now that I have all that under control, I'm looking forward to the challenge. I've been trying to get pumped up and motivated so maybe this will help.
I just started back on phen yesterday so I'm sure I'll be going through sugar withdrawal for the next week. Thank goodness for my students I'll be on break for another week.

My goal by Valentines day is to loose the 22 pounds I gained, then work on the rest.

Aly--- you look fantastic in your picture. You look so skinny. Do you really weigh 196??? Girl, you carry it well!!! You are a beautiful young lady!!!!:)

Oh yeah, will we just post our successes on here every Wednesday, or do we go somewhere else to post???

[Glenna M]

I am Glenna, I guess I might as well say I am 50, since tomorrow is my birthday. I have 2 sons, one 30 and one 15, a daughter-in-law and a grandson due in 2 months. I have been married for 17 years this coming May.

I am not taking Phen and haven't since about 6 to 8 weeks in. Like Scat, I figured on my own was the way to do it. This morning I weighed in at 150. My goal for 2/14/09 is to be 143 and by 6/1/09 I want to be at my goal of 135. My goal may change though since I now fit into all of the clothes I had in the back of the closet! I want to firm up and see how I feel after that. I don't feel at 50 that being a certain weight is what matters, it is being healthy. Right now I can fit into clothes anywhere from a 10 to a 6, depending on the store and brand. I just want to be less jiggly! I bought myself a new scale for my birthday (from hubby LOL) that tells me my BMI and if I am hydrated enough, I can't wait to use it!

[MICHMICH805]

OK! MY NAME IS MICHELL, I LIVE IN PHILLY WITH TWO GROWN SONS. BUT FOR THE HOLIDAYS I FEEL LIKE I OVER DID IT. IF YOU WILL HAVE A CHUNKY SORT OF MIDDLE AGE WOMAN, I WOULD LOVE TO JOIN THIS CHALLENGE. BY VALENTINE'S DAY I WOULD LIKE TO DROP AT LEAST 10LBS. I BELIEVE THIS IS A REALISTIC WEIGHT TO LOSE. I AM GOING TO ATLANTA FOR MY B-DAY IN APRIL AND WOULD LIKE TO LOSE AN ADDITIONAL 10LBS POUND BY THIS DATE. I BELIEVE THE CHALLENGES ARE GOOD BECAUSE THIS KEEP US AWARE OF OUR PERSONAL GOAL AND THOSE AS A GROUP.:p

[KittyVentura]

Yay Aly!

I'm Kitty (aka Jem) and I'm from England. I'm 24 and I just got engaged on Christmas day to my beautiful Danny! I live with my Fiance and our two hamsters. I work in finance compliance!

I'm a bit obsesed with the fifties, I like pretty dressed and skirts. I'm a complete hourglass. As of yesterday I measured bust 42", waist 31" and hips 43". I love to sew on my sewing machine and I love to sing (badly) and dance (better). I love to cook, go to gigs and do peoples hair and makeup. I'm a little vain and I LOVVVVE my camera. Lol!

I am not on phen, I lost my first 10-14lbs on phen, the rest has been just me. I want to partake in this challenge up until I catch the baby bug which Danny and I are trying to catch. I'd love to get to 165 by valentines, I am 183 today.

[donnamex]

Hi my name is donna, im 45 years old, been married for 26 yrs and i have two grown sons and each has given me one grandbaby , boy and girl. My husband and I are missionaries 650 miles down inside old Mexico for the past 18 yrs, and we love it... My husband is also on Phen with me, He dont watch what he eats he just eats it hahha.
I try very hard to watch what i eat and when i eat it.. I dont do any exercise and that is what my goal will be is to start it... i look at all you guys and see your pic and wish i would have started when i started losing BUT HEY i didnt so at least i want to start now...
last weeks weigh in i was 186 and TOM was here, BUT hey HE IS GONE NOWWWWWWW ...
IM so lookin for this new year and the new me... THANKS YOU ALL

[donnamex]

oh yes my goal for feb 14 is 175 ... thats it haha

[HeatherKhemraj]

Hello, my name is Heather, I am 24 years old, I have two sons 5 & 2, I have been seperated from my husband for two years now, I want to divorce, but every time I make a court date, something comes up! Since I left him, I have moved in with my mom, she has been a great help, I love her!! She is super supportive of my weight loss, even so she will be starting Phen in January!! Go MOM!! Anyway this is my second time on phen, the first time I was on I lost alot of weight, but I used Phen as a crutch, and just didn't eat. This time I have learned to use it as a tool, to help me learn a better lifestyle. One year ago I weighed 240lbs, currently i weigh 173.5lbs. I would like to be 160lbs by 2/14/2009.

[Makeithappen]

Hi everyone I'm Christi! I have been awol from the boards for about a mth. I haven't been on phen since the end of Nov and as of yesterday weighed in at 265. I am a 911 dispatcher, which means for 12hrs a day I sit on my butt in front of 6 computer screens. I eat when I am bored and to stay awake (I'm working the midnight shift now), I am going to shoot for 255 by 2/14. I wont have phen to help as my dr will only give a 3 mth script every 9 mths. I am also going to try the whole exercise thing again, for the few mths when I was losing I was running an obstacle course everyday for a job I was hoping to get (which didnt happen which kinda got me down which kinda caused me to backslide!) BUT I know how much better I felt and how much more energy I had so I know I need to get back into it.

ALY!! I am so proud of you...I know from the things you have posted that you have been working your butt off to get to onederland.....CONGRATS!!!!!!!!

Everyone else GOOD LUCK!

[alykat06]

Yeah welcome everyone :D, I am very happy to see so many challengers already..heres to hoping for many more!

sweetpurple- have you tried drinking a protein shake for breakfast? I used to refuse to eat breakfast, which is a very big no no, considering it sets your whole day up to burn calories. I usually dont get hungry in the morning and I dont like the thought of eating something at 6am, but drinking a protein shake seems to work fine for me..plus low carb content and lots of protein sets my day up for a lot of fat burning.

kitty we are so alike, i measured 2 days ago and my bust is a 39, waist is a 31, and hips are a 41. I hate having such big hips..I look horrible in every shirt i try on.

Nice to see you back makeithappen!

Thanks for the comments as well, I know from the waist up I look like I am 160, but once you hit the hips I sort of balloon out lol, I carry that extra 40 lbs in the butt, hips, and thighs :D...I am also 5'7 so i have the advantage of being taller.

Just go ahead and weigh in here every wednesday, if you hit a goal early or just want to tell us your weight on any given day dont hesitate to announce it :). try and check in every day or every few days, this will keep you on track and i often find that those who drop off for a few days are ashamed of some bad eating habits or not exercising so they just dont come on...(or they are just very busy :p) Were all human so just state if you have overendulged or whatever the case may be and well motivate you to make better choices or help you through the rough spots.

[srdmom]

Hi my name is Staci and Im 35 years old. (36 in January) I have 3 children (14,12, &10)and have been married for almost 15 years. I teach Autistic Children during the day and at night I am a manager of a dance studio.

I weighed in at 192 at my last weigh in. Weds. are good for me because that was the day I usually weigh in!! My mini goal is to be 180 by Valentines day. Long term I would like to get down to 135. I am only 5'0 tall, so weigh shows easily on me!!

A challenge group is just the thing I need to staay motivated!! Good luck to you all!!

[Laurachip1]

I'm so excited. My name is Laura, and I love to eat. now I am trying to eat healthier. I am married with two children. I have my own company, and hope to be expanding soon... lots of stress there. I have yoyoed for so many years, it's hard to remember where the journey started. About 6 years ago I got down from 222 to 155 with Phen. I went off Phen and over a couple of years and a few medical procedeures it came back on and then some. In July of 2007 i saw a picture of me in a bathing suit and said OMG is that me?? I weighed in and weighed 252. I went to the Dr and got Phen and started over again. I have been on and off Phen for the last couple of years, just not sticking to it like I should. Seems like something always happens, I get sick, someone dies ect... and really those are excuses. So here we go.

I will exercise 5 days a week.

I will think about every bite that goes in my mouth and consider what the effects will be.

I will take my Phen

I will weigh in every Wed.

I will support my fellow members of this challenge.

I will weigh 205 by Valentines Day.

Did I miss anything? Good luck to you all.

[tinkerbellt15]

My name is Trisha. I'm 23 and in my first year of teaching. I currently teach middle school in a small town in Iowa. I have been big all my life - I lost some weight in high school, but while in college i managed to gain that back and then some. When I started Phen on 12/2 I weighed 244. On 12/22 I went back in and I was at 225. My first three weeks were hard, but losing 19lbs was very exciting! However this week has been awful for me! So many holiday things to go to. The doctor I go to has me on a 400 calorie diet- yeah I said 400. Which is CRAZY. I stuck to it pretty well the first 3 weeks, but this week I have NOT! Even though I ate more I still know I was eating less then I would have before I started Phen. So I'm still pretty proud of myself. My goal for 2/14 would be to be under 200. I'm not picky - 199 would work for me!!!

[ethanangel]

YAY Aly...so excited about this challenge. I'm Angel I am 32 but still act all of 12 at times :) I have been with the love of my life Ethan for 2.5yrs and he finally proposed on Christmas day- the 3rd greatest day of my life so far. I have a son 7 & daughter 8. I live in WA State(yes seattle is in WA and yes it rains a ton). I am a Commercial Insurance Underwriter for a large corporation- A hint is Red Umbrella! My weight today is 142.5 . My 1st goal is to be at 130 by V-DAY. To get there i will keep cals under 1100 , get in atleast 100oz. of water and lay off the salt and do cardio 4x wk and WIIfit yoga every other day

[lilredz326]

Hey my name is Kristy and Im 23 years old. I live in South Carolina with my boyfriend of 6 years and our Chihuahua. I don't know what I weight today, but last week i weighed 196 so I am gonna say that for 2/14 my goal will be 180. I did terrible this week with Christmas and all. But im looking forward to getting on track again!! I will be student teaching starting in January, so hopefully that will give me a steady daily routine. I have been on Phen since Dec. 2 2008 and I am combining it with weight watchers so I don't lose as much weight as most people. But thats ok cuz its doctors orders...as long as the weight comes off!!!

[scatanafas]

I'm LOVING the positivity of this challenge so far and we just got started! We are all different shapes, sizes, races, from different parts of the country (I'm an obnoxious New Yorker by the way.....;) but what we all have in common at this very moment is the desire to improve ourselves. Whether it be by losing lbs, toning up, changing our diets.....

Aly are you going to keep a chart? LZ will show you how to do that, I think she used to do it on other challenges. Sometimes when we see our progress laid out for us it really gets you more motivated!!!

Tinkerbell: Good luck on your journey. Getting to 199 is a big deal on this board..we call it getting to ONEDERLAND and it is cause for a celebration! You'll get there girl, I just feel it.

Laura: Nice to see you again. Yes, life really sends us some roadblocks, doesn't it? A woman that lost over 100 lbs told me that she had to stop and start over many times...it is part of being human,,,but finally she got that weight off and kept it off.....it took two years but she got there...I found alot of inspiration from her and when she talked about "starting over"..well I think we've all been there.

STaci: how I wish I had your night job! Being around dancers is so exciting....then again alot of them are TINY so It hink that would give me a complex...LOL....anyhoo you're going to do great. I can relate when you say weight shows up on your more, I have a small frame so I don't carry weight well AT ALL. This is why I really am trying to stay at this weight or smaller......I am also trying to avoid breast reduction surgery but if I don't get my self smaller I may have no choice since the weight of my hooters causes neck and shoulder pain.

Kitty: I wish you could do my makeup. I need to meet up with you if i'm in England this summer.....I wish that I could sew..you really impress me.

Gerina, I hear you on the breakfast thing girl. I totally have to force myself to eat in the mornng. I'm simply not hungry. try and get something down...the protein shake is a good idea, and in my case I will have a fiber one bar on the way to work and then eat an apple when I get to my desk. On the days that I don't go to work I try and have a hard boiled egg or some oatmeal. Once you get in the habit of having breakfast then it will come more natural to you.

Heather, divorce HAS to be one of the most stressful things to deal with next to a death of a loved one.....so trying to lose weight during it is somethiing I totally commend you for doing. How great that your mom is going to be doing it with you..good luck to both of you.

Donnamex...Missionaries are COOL.....good for you for losing weight and maybe your husband will follow suit and do the same.

MichMich: yes you can lose ten lbs by valentines day, it is very possible....you will have to work hard at it but the reward is so great.

Glenna: Girl I talk to you every dang day, I have nothing to say to you...bahahahah...seriously girl HAPPY BIRTHDAY a day early! FIFTY never looked so dang good...for real. You and my boss are two of the most beautiful fifty year olds I have ever seen..and you hit it on the mark when you say its about being HEALTHY...I spent enough time in a hospital the past year to know about that. You are an inspiration to others.

Tammy: a out of whack thyroid makes things difficult but weight loss will improve your condition....take care of yourself !!

Tazmatazz: Keep on keepin' on.

Well I hope I did'nt leave anyone out.....Just wanted to greet you all proper....Alykat do your thang girl.......

[alykat06]

Oh yeah I am planning on keeping a chart of everyone who has joined and of everyones weigh in's each week, no big deal if you dont do it on time, but I will relay the weigh in progress each mini goal we get to so you can see where you were when you started :)

[scatanafas]

Oh yeah I am planning on keeping a chart of everyone who has joined and of everyones weigh in's each week, no big deal if you dont do it on time, but I will relay the weigh in progress each mini goal we get to so you can see where you were when you started :)

Ay ay Captain....;)

[calicofrog]

Hi everyone, i'm ready for a little push in the right direction. I live in Florida and am 36 with two teenage sons. I try to take in 1200 calories a day. I recently went to a medically managed weight loss center, I am considering starting it again. I am 170 pounds at 5'3". Busty and curvy. And not in all the right places. :( Look forwrd to meeting everyone. Happy Holidays

[Phoenix19]

Hi, my name is Phoenix, and I will have been on phen for two weeks as of this coming Tuesday. My last weigh in was Friday 12/26/08 and I weighed 258. When I started on 12/16/08 I weighed 265 so I have lost 7 pounds so far. Yippee!

My goal for Valentines Day is to be in the 240's. My overall goal is to be 155, which is my fighting weight. I know it is over what the charts say but I have a very muscular build. I love this sight and all the support that everyone gives.

My plan to achieve my goal is to continue to work out 6 days a week and stay between 1000-1200 calories per day but I plan to increase my cardio from 1 hour which I currently do to 1.5 hours everyday.

Good luck to everyone!

[tazgirl31]

Okay one question lol? So we start this today and this wednesday is our weigh in day? and we post here right? oops....sorry more then one ? I no hahah.....just making sure im doing it right!!!!! thanx......

[scatanafas]

TAZMATAZ: Our first weigh in day will be this wednesday. That will be your starting weight for the challenge, then you post your weight every Wednesday until valentines day...Valentines day is on a friday I think so i guess we'll do our final weigh in that day.....Alykat will keep a chart but you may want to keep your weigh ins in your signature for your own incentive......its pretty easy....you cant mess this up and if you do then I have permission to smack you, okay? just kidding tazzie....

Phoenix: what kind of cardio are you going to do for one and a half hours????

[hmhuntr]

Thank you Aly for taking on such a task!!!! Here we go.......My name is Heather, I am now 33 (eewww) and have 3 kids 8.5, 7, 4. I have been everywhere from 250+ down to 150 in the last 6 years...I'm a yo-yo and am trying to learn healthy habits this time around. I passed my national boards for Occupational Therapy in October and am now working in Early Intervention; Birth to Three. I started phen in September and was a ball of fire....then my flame went out. I am here to get back on the wagon and yell FULL STEAM AHEAD!! I am 176 lbs and my goal for VD (haha) is 164 lbs. This will be the hardest twelve pounds I have ever lost. Thank you in advance for the support you beautiful women will offer.:D

[scatanafas]

Hop on board hmhunter...so nice to see so many people joining this challenge and it is nice to see the board going back to the purpose it was intended. ;)

[tazgirl31]

TAZMATAZ: Our first weigh in day will be this wednesday. That will be your starting weight for the challenge, then you post your weight every Wednesday until valentines day...Valentines day is on a friday I think so i guess we'll do our final weigh in that day.....Alykat will keep a chart but you may want to keep your weigh ins in your signature for your own incentive......its pretty easy....you cant mess this up and if you do then I have permission to smack you, okay? just kidding tazzie....

Phoenix: what kind of cardio are you going to do for one and a half hours????

Thank you Scat!!!
That was funny lol ok, so I promise not to mess this up!!!! I am so lookin forward to losing this next 28 pounds scat!!! wow The day I hit the 200 pound will be so exciting for me....I cant even imagine...I am so mad at myself for getting in this shape...I will never let this happen again once I get it all off....So Im gonna try to work my butt off on this challange....Its been hard to walk on my treadmill cause we just moved and theres no room now in my bedroom for it so its in the cold garage...But guess I will just have to put some warm clothes on and go and walk and make myself warm lol..cause walking helps me alot......

[scatanafas]

well walking in a cold garage is no different than if you were walking outside so just think of it that way...and you'll work up a sweat as you walk. Our treadmill AND elliptical are in pieces since we moved and i'm in no hurry to put them together again, i'd rather work out at the gym...I always preferred that for some reason. Stop beating yourself up for putting on weight. Focus on today and the future...yesterday doesn't matter.

[tazgirl31]

well walking in a cold garage is no different than if you were walking outside so just think of it that way...and you'll work up a sweat as you walk. Our treadmill AND elliptical are in pieces since we moved and i'm in no hurry to put them together again, i'd rather work out at the gym...I always preferred that for some reason. Stop beating yourself up for putting on weight. Focus on today and the future...yesterday doesn't matter.

Yep!! No excuses Im gona do it!!!!! Oh I would love to join a gym!! I am going to check on this one not far from my house its called anytime fitness!! open 24 hours a day..think this would be cool....this way I can work my entire body...I used to go to curves for women and LOVED it but then they closed it down and moved to far away....But IT always made me feel good going out and working out there!!! It made me go cause I knew if I didnt I was wasting money haha....I never thought I would be so excited about working out!!!!! I could work out free at the hospital I work at in there fitness room but I just hate to be there more then I have to be.....well see ya wednesday!!!!!!! Im off to bed i think!!!

[anipsed]

WOW--I had no idea my original post would have such a huge response! Im glad I wasnt the only one out there looking for a challenge :D

My name is Dessie and I am 28 years old. I am a psycholo gist and in my spare time Ive been enjoying the heck out of my new Nikon D60 in my spare time...LOVE taking photos---especially of kids and nature.

I will be attempting to lose some weight without the use of Phen---took phen back in 2004 and lost about 30 pounds. Those same 30 are back now and Im ready to tackle them using my own willpower.

My starting weight is around 169 (will weigh in on Wednesday with a final starting point).

My goal for Valentine's day (6 weeks) will be 10 pounds off---pushing me into the one fifties! That will be achieved by calorie counting - striving for 1200-1500 per day, drinking 64oz of water, and doing cardio for 45 minutes 4x per week.

My long term goal is to be 139 by late July---(my 29th birthday). I will achieve this by making necessary changes to my caloric intake (maybe more like 1200-1300 per day) and increasing my water intake and cardio---also adding weight lifting after V-Day


And my long long term goal is to look hottier at 30 than I did at 26-28 (body looked pretty good before that).

And my long long long term goal is to develop a healthy lifestyle that includes making the right choices and PORTION CONTROL!

Look forward to getting to know each of you over the next few months! :)

[ethansmommy23]

i am danielle. i live in western ky with my husband and two beautiful babies. ethan is 3 going on 20 and kaylee is 5 months. i've always kept my weight under a pretty close watch b/c most of the women n my family r overweight with several even falling into the morbidly obese category and at a young age i vowed i would never let that happen to me. i got pregnant with ethan at 20 years old and 136 lbs and gained about 80 lbs with him. i busted my butt and got down to 160 and was going full steam ahead toward my pre-pregnancy weight when i got baby fever again and got pregnant with kaylee. i did better this pregnancy and came out of the hospital weighing 185. with an almost 3 year old and a new baby and all the stress that came along with just having a c-section and all this responsibility i gained another 10 lbs. in sept at my six week check up i saw that number approaching 200 and got the go ahead to start light exercise and that's when i knew it was time to get rid of all the weight. the first 35 came off so easy but now it's going slower. i'm eating better and i'm working out like crazy and even though the scale isn't showing much i feel fantastic.

my goals for 2009:
v-day- 145
easter- 135 <goal>
my b-day <6/24> toned up enough to b comfortable in a two piece swim suit.
MAINTENANCE

i'm so excited about this challenge.

[kj654321]

My name is Kelly . I am 33 years old and I live in Minnesota with my hubby & dog.
I teach 4th & 5th Grade ESL students. I weighed in at 288 lbs at the beginning and I am now at 257, 6 months later.

250 lbs by Valentine's day.
My big goal is to be around 220 by the end of the school year (mid-June '09).
My ultimate goal is to get healthier and pregnant (and my body finally started cooperating - so that might be an option in the near future :))

I am suppose to be eating 1700 calories or less, but I don't really count them.
No set amount of exercise - just trying to increase my activity level from one day to the next.

I'll try to do the weigh-ins weekly, but then I get obsessed with numbers, so I might be bi-monthly instead... BUT I NEED the inspiration!!

[KittyVentura]

Woop! Aly don't you just love having a teeny waist though? I love it!

Scat, I'd love you to visit if you do come to England and I will happily do your hair and make up for you! You say you're impressed by the sewing... but you've not seen me sew. I'm not very good yet... but I did just get my machine on Christmas day. Lol!

[mmitch27]

Hello I am Lynn and I am 36, will be 37 in August 09. I am approximately 215, I am going to doublecheck this evening as I have no scales on the house PURPOSELY. I have a husband and 2 kids, one 19 months, and 7 years old, and I fell is time for me to finally lose this baby weight and any other weight as it keeps me depressed and tired. I am going to try to use the phen once I get extra money to spend, but in the mean time I am going to try it with diet and exercise. Of course phen helps you with a boost but by Valentines I would like to loose at least 20 lbs. DOnt knw if that is realistic but.... I'm gonna try :o

[scatanafas]

Woop! Aly don't you just love having a teeny waist though? I love it!

Scat, I'd love you to visit if you do come to England and I will happily do your hair and make up for you! You say you're impressed by the sewing... but you've not seen me sew. I'm not very good yet... but I did just get my machine on Christmas day. Lol!

My mother was a seamstress so I was always turned off by sewing...she worked in a sweatshop and to me sewing symbolized oppression...that's all fine and good but now I pay a tailor a small fortune to hem pants! LOL.........one of my new year's resolutions was to learn to either sew or crochet....things my generation of woman was turned off by because we were going to become career women and control the world...HA!

My cousin is moving to Oxford and if she has her wedding there I'll be there next summer....is that near you?

[albobaby]

Yeah, a new challenge!!! Thanks Aly for starting this up! Great idea to get everyone reved up for the New Year!!

Hi everyone my name is Albobaby and I am 31 years young, lol. I have two beautiful boys ages 5 and almost 4 and a really big boy age 28 who sometimes acts like he is 1! :D LOL My husband and I have been together for almost 10 years and have been married for 8 of those years. Yes, do the math, he is 2 years younger than me and keeps me on my toes! ;) I have been a practicing attorney for the last 7 years and am always sitting at my desk in front of the computer which has obviously helped widen my already wide behind!! :mad:

I have always struggled with my weight and have been morbidly obese for the last 7 years or so. I started Phen-d in July and have had amazing results. I am currently down 80.6 pounds and weigh in at a slightly obese 214.8 from a high of 295.4 this past July. My first goal for this challenge is a range of 195-200 by Valentine's Day. I like doing ranges as opposed to specific number goals since there is less chance of me being disappointed and falling off the wagon so to say. My overall goal is to hit anywhere from 165-170 by beginning of June.

My youngest sister is getting married on June 6th and I refuse to have to buy a mother of the bride dress again because all the cute special occasion dresses for young women are usually to small for me. I actually just went to a wedding this weekend and was able to wear a dress size of 12!! Granted it was a big 12 but heck I will take it! LOL :D

I'm looking forward to getting to know all you lovely ladies!!!

[alykat06]

Welcome everyone! I am really looking forward to this challenge. Hope ppl continue to join :)

[Mary-Mary]

HELLO MY NAME IS MARY I AM 22 YEARS OLD (23 IN JANUARY 28TH) I HAVE 2 KIDS ONE IS 4 AND THE OTHER ONE IS 2 (I KNOW TO YOUNG TO HAVE 2 KIDS LOL!!) RIGHT NOW MY WEIGHT IS 220 AND BY VALENTINES DAY I WANT TO LOSE 20 POUNDS I AM ONLY TRYING TO DO 1200 CALORIES AND I DO CARDIO IN THE MORNINGS AND USE MY TREDMILL AFTER WORK AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS CHALLANGE!!!

ONE ? I HAVENT DONE ANY OF THIS BEFORE SO WERE DO I PUT MY PROGRESS IN THIS SAME THREAD ???

[NoMercy1981]

This is exactly what i needed for the new year....Am i the only male so far that has joined this challenge???
Well my name is Eddie i work at a recycle center, im 27 yrs old...im looking to lose about 15-25 pounds by valentines.....main reason im doing this is to join the us border patrol....and become healthy....the first diet i ever really kept has been the one im on now...i started in june 11 2008 started weighing 256-257 lbs right now im at 196 lbs...so far ive lost a total of 60-61lbs....but i know i can do better than that......so hopefully by valentines ill reach a 15-25 lbs loss.......my original goal when i started was 180 lbs....but now that its around the corner im looking to be around 170.....well good luck to all and let s get it on

[Mommy2Belle]

How could i not join a challange of yours Aly? We started around the same time and iam sooooo very proud of your progress. Iam going to join this challange even though iam almost at my goal weight it doesnt mean that my journey here is over. Maintaining is going to be the hardest part for me.
Well my name is Victoria or Tori as most people on here call me. Iam 25 years old i have a 2 1/2 year old daughter named Belle and a husband named Mitchell and we have been together for 8 years now. I started my weight loss journey on my 25th birthday July 8th at 210lbs and today i weighed in at 136.2. My goal weight is 130 iam almost there but sadly the closer i get the less i try and its killing me. I need to get back into the same mindset i had months ago where i wouldnt touch ice cream or cookie dough ( hopefully since the holidays are almost over my mom wont make it anymore lol ) Iam also getting my reduction surgery Jan 27th so i think i will need help getting back on the exercise trail since i wont be able to do it for atleast a month. Anyway good luck everyone challanges are fun and they keep us on track. Have a happy new year :)

[150plz]

This sounds wonderful. Just what I need to get started!! I would love to be a part of this challenge. I really need the accountability for myself. I am 22. I live with my wonderfull husband and beautiful baby boy. I am starting at a horrifying 212 pounds and would like to be 192 by Valentines Day. My longterm goal is 150 pounds.

[4kidz4me]

Hi everyone! My name is Dawn and I am a stay at home mommy to 4 kids. Kaitlin is 10, twins Morgan and Mylie are 3 1/2 and Landyn is 18 months. I have almost completed my 2nd month of Phen and know I have at least one more month. With the holidays I have been losing but have not been eating the best or doing any exercise. I need to get this all back in order. I am 5 foot 0, so any extra weight shows. I am halfway to my goal, so hopefully I'll keep going strong!

My goal is to be 135 by Valentines Day. I also need to up my water intake and lower the carbs.

[CDCreations]

I need to join desperately! My name is Val (also known as CD), a 53 year old mom of two grown daughters, and the proud grandma of a 6 1/2 year old grandson! I work in Washington, DC as a legal secretary, and due to knee problems, use the stationary bike as my main source of exercise (although I am planning to join Curves in the very near future!) - I started phen around this time last year, and did very well with it. The pounds crept back, so I'm ready to get serious about losing this weight again!! My daughter is getting married in Jamaica in June 2009, so I've gotta get in shape for that very special event as mother of the bride!!

I am currently at 243 pounds, and would like to be at 230 pounds by Valentine's Day - I'm gonna dust off my bike and start putting some miles on it!! Along with drinking more water, taking my phen faithfully and getting strong support from this challenge, I know that I will be able to lose weight, improve my health, and have an overall improvement on the quality of my life!! Some of you already know me from past challenges -- had to leave the forum briefly to work on a major project, but now I'm back and am looking forward to getting to know you all, so let's get that water down, get moving with our choice of exercise, and lose this weight!! :D

[MstVivian]

Can I weigh in on the 7th each month? Thats when I weigh in at my docs and don't have a scale at home. The ones at the YMCA are unreliable.
Here is a little about me:
My real name is Tonya, I'm 33, and I live in Jefferson City Missouri. I work for the phone company as an inbound sales rep. Meaning I take calls from people who want to cripe about their bill! LOL! Basically customer service for an inbound call center. I left a job in corrections to come here after I got stabbed in the knee by an inmate while doing a cell extraction. I have been married for almost 10years. Wow, as I type that I realize it's been 10 years! We have an 8yr old gorgeous red headed little girl, no more to come I have been "fixed" due to cervical cancer. But trust me one curly little red head is enough for me!
My current weight is: 254- I think. It's tough because every scale I use is differant. I want to weigh 140.
1st Mini goal: 250 by 1-7 weigh in
2nd mini goal: Run 1 mile straight without stopping by 2-14
Big goal: lose 70 pounds- which is 194 pounds- by July 18- my hubby's brothers wedding
I will have to think on a few more

[alykat06]

We already have 32 members including me, welcome everyone! We weigh in every wedsday right here on this thread, try checking in every few days as well by writing how your doing and what your progress is right here on this thread. MstVivian, it is fine if you want to weigh in on the 7th of each month. I understand not everyone has a scale etc. I will just log your weight on the closest date on my chart. We welcome you Nomercy! We know there are men lurking around but I dont think they write as much because us "women" like to whine alot :D lol jk. Its nice to see men around and hopefully we wont scare you away :D

[GracieMe78]

I'm in..My name is Jamie and I am 30..yes I said it the big 30!! I am from Nashville, TN and I work as a project manager for a hollow metal door, frame and hardware company. I have National accounts such as Petco and Kroger. I have been with my husband Chris for almost 9 years and been married almost 3 years. My anniversary is Feb 18th so a Valentines day goal is great. My first mini goal is to get back on my diet, I have not taken phen in 2 months. Valentines day goal is 226 which is 12 pounds. Long term goal is to weigh 150 pounds. I will stick to my calorie allowance of 1500 and go from there I will need to see how it works, may need to decrease. I will workout at least 3 times a week, and will get atleast 70 oz of water a day. I will not get discouraged, failure is not an option!

[scatanafas]

I need to join desperately! My name is Val (also known as CD), a 53 year old mom of two grown daughters, and the proud grandma of a 6 1/2 year old grandson! I work in Washington, DC as a legal secretary, and due to knee problems, use the stationary bike as my main source of exercise (although I am planning to join Curves in the very near future!) - I started phen around this time last year, and did very well with it. The pounds crept back, so I'm ready to get serious about losing this weight again!! My daughter is getting married in Jamaica in June 2009, so I've gotta get in shape for that very special event as mother of the bride!!

I am currently at 243 pounds, and would like to be at 230 pounds by Valentine's Day - I'm gonna dust off my bike and start putting some miles on it!! Along with drinking more water, taking my phen faithfully and getting strong support from this challenge, I know that I will be able to lose weight, improve my health, and have an overall improvement on the quality of my life!! Some of you already know me from past challenges -- had to leave the forum briefly to work on a major project, but now I'm back and am looking forward to getting to know you all, so let's get that water down, get moving with our choice of exercise, and lose this weight!! :D

Nice to see you CD..I was thinking about you today.......i rmeember our Valentine's challenge last year, that was by far the most successful one yet that I have done.....hope to get that kind of motivation again!

[luvinmybabies]

So after going back and forth all day on whether or not I was going to join in....I'M IN!!
I am 29 yrs old, have been married for 4 yrs and have 2 kids. A 3yr old girl (yep-honeymoon baby!) and a 8 month old son (goes by way too fast!) I'm an ultrasonographer at an OB/GYN office, and love my job.
My goal for Valentine's day is 165, and long term is 150. The weight has been coming off slowly, so I am trying to be patient. Not a certain diet, just smart choices and smaller portions (most realistic for long term for me). Between my work schedule and the kids (hubby works 2nd/3rd shift 6 days/week), I am having a hard time setting aside time for exercise before 11pm, but am vowing to stay active.
Good luck to everyone...see you at weigh in on Wednesday!!!:p

[scatanafas]

Can I weigh in on the 7th each month? Thats when I weigh in at my docs and don't have a scale at home. The ones at the YMCA are unreliable.
Here is a little about me:
My real name is Tonya, I'm 33, and I live in Jefferson City Missouri. I work for the phone company as an inbound sales rep. Meaning I take calls from people who want to cripe about their bill! LOL! Basically customer service for an inbound call center. I left a job in corrections to come here after I got stabbed in the knee by an inmate while doing a cell extraction. I have been married for almost 10years. Wow, as I type that I realize it's been 10 years! We have an 8yr old gorgeous red headed little girl, no more to come I have been "fixed" due to cervical cancer. But trust me one curly little red head is enough for me!
My current weight is: 254- I think. It's tough because every scale I use is differant. I want to weigh 140.
1st Mini goal: 250 by 1-7 weigh in
2nd mini goal: Run 1 mile straight without stopping by 2-14
Big goal: lose 70 pounds- which is 194 pounds- by July 18- my hubby's brothers wedding
I will have to think on a few more

You can weigh in on the seventh...weigh in when you want, we aren't strict here.....it sounds like you have been through alot in your life, bless you for coming through a winner!! Exercise will help you work off that stress from being in the call center, I did that kind of work and it really wore me out......I think there is a special place in heaven for customer service reps!

[Phoenix19]

Okay one question lol? So we start this today and this wednesday is our weigh in day? and we post here right? oops....sorry more then one ? I no hahah.....just making sure im doing it right!!!!! thanx......
Hi there Scantanafas,

Um I do 1 hour on the treadmill and 30 minutes on the elliptical. But just so you know I have been working out for years and I had to build up to this. I always joke that I am the fattest, fit person you'll ever meet. I just could never lose weight just inches until now. So because my body is used to 1 hour, I need to up it just a little. Today was my first day it was just fine. Good Luck to you

[scatanafas]

Hi there Scantanafas,

Um I do 1 hour on the treadmill and 30 minutes on the elliptical. But just so you know I have been working out for years and I had to build up to this. I always joke that I am the fattest, fit person you'll ever meet. I just could never lose weight just inches until now. So because my body is used to 1 hour, I need to up it just a little. Today was my first day it was just fine. Good Luck to you


Well I just want to tell how you i'm impressed. As a group fitness instructor even at the top of my game I think an hour and a half would be more than I could handle. And you're right, fit does not mean skinny.....some of my bigger students had the most stamina and endurance.....

[MiaDolceBella]

Hi everyone, i'm ready for a little push in the right direction. I live in Florida and am 36 with two teenage sons. I try to take in 1200 calories a day. I recently went to a medically managed weight loss center, I am considering starting it again. I am 170 pounds at 5'3". Busty and curvy. And not in all the right places. :( Look forwrd to meeting everyone. Happy Holidays

Hi Calicofrog!!!!...and Hello everyone!

I live in Florida too, and I'm also 36 years old, with one stepson (20) and my little boy, Aidan (4)...happily married to a handsome and wonderful argentinian man. Well, I have been on and off Phen for the last couple of years, just not sticking to it like I should. I will have my prescription (phen) by the second week of January...so hopefuly...I will stick to it. I'm also 5' 3" tall. Busty, but not curvy :p

I need your support and encouragement...my family supports me...but I know when you have friends, you can share your goals...so I consider you my friends!:D

And remember...keep praying to reach my first goal of 153 lbs. and then my final goal of 130 lbs. for 2009.

Happy New Year....Best Wishes!!! :)
http://www.3fatchicks.net/img/bar-blue3/slider-hearts/lb/188 /130/172.0/.png (http://www.3fatchicks.com/)

[MARIEVANS]

Hello all. I have been reading all the posts on this thread and I am so lucky to be able to have friends and hopefully new friends on here.
Well to start off my name is Shirley I am 40 ( turning 41 on 2-8) I am the mother of 2 beautiful girls 10 & 13 and wife of 15 years to a wonderful man( we have been together for 20)....dang thats a long time.We live in southeast Tennessee. I am an LPN at a nursing home and I love it. It is the best job I have ever had. My weight has been up and down since I had my first child. I have never been able to stay an a diet. I would always start good then within 1 month I was done. So I have been on Phen since the 3rd of September and I am proud of myself for doing this. My family is very supportive also the few friends I have told are. My start weight was 289 I am down 36 pounds. My last DR. visit was12-4-08...253. I would love to be around 240 by V-DAY. This month has not been good for me. I can honestly say that I have done some cheatin....But thats over now I've had my fun and now I am getting back on track.My over all goal is to be170. I havent set a date for that weight I just know that I will get there. I would like to wish everyone GOODLUCK on this journey and my we all have a wonderful NEW YEAR !!!!!!! No drinking and driving...if you must drink stay home....lord knows I will.

[hmhuntr]

I want to go on the record and say that in addition to the weight I want to lose, I am also aiming to lose 2 inches from my waist and hips. I know I can't truely target a specific area but it can't hurt!!!!!

[LindsayBo]

Hi! I'm Lindsay, I have 2 kids. My son is 3 1/2 & my little girl just turned 1. I have a very supportive husband who just returned from a 15 month deployment in Iraq. When he first left, i was pregnant with our daughter but swore to myself that after she was born i would lose it all & be smokin hot by the time daddy came home = ) wellll..Things just havent gone that way. I think i was just stressed & depressed. So now i am ready to buckle down & shed this weight! Started Phen 12/14 weighing 233. Today i am weighing in at 220. By Vday i would like to be 205. And overall im going to say 150..But we'll see as i get closer. I just want to have energy to run & play with my children! Afterall, i am only 22, i should be able to!!

Drink 100oz of water/day.
Exercise at LEAST 30 min/day.
Keep it under 1100 cal.
MAKE myself eat breakfast!

Yay! Cant wait to get started! Good luck to everyone!!

:D

[allylynn]

How fun, I've started reading all the posts on this thread and am so tired about to fall asleep at the computer. Aly, I will participate in this challenge. I will finish reading and post my info tomorrow. Woot!

[KARENinFWB]

I'm in, definitely!!! I can't write much tonight. But, I'll post tomorrow, and give all my info. I'm definitely IN!

[kiresha07]

Hello all.... I am a newbie to the site and too the meds... I will pick them up today and start tomorrow...wednesday...so my starting weight will be 190! No fun! Well a little about myself. My name is Sandy. I am 30 years old, been married for the last 8 years, and have three girls ages 7,4 and 1. We went to try sometime next year....one more time for a boy BUT I don't want to add weight on top of weight, if that makes sense. I would LOVE to be 150lbs by July, and it sounds like it can be done around here but my short term goal in Feb..humm I will have to say is to lose 20lbs. So that will put me at 170lb....ahhhh I can already see the pants fitting a bit better :) . Well I really look forward to getting to know you all a little better and am very excited to be a part of this challenge. No diet plans yet, I saw some of you are doing low cal. I will see today what type of diet plan I am put on....also I have the hardest time drinking water but I know I have to drink more....yesterday my first day I drank 50ozs...thought my head was going to explode! and I will try doing the same again today, if not drink about 64ozs a day as I keep reading water is our friend!! Well I can't wait to weight in next Wednesday and see what I weight will be. Thanks for the support ladies.

[albobaby]

Morning all you lovely ladies!! One more day left in the work week. I am so excited to have 4 days off. I had to come into the office the day after Christmas so that ****ed but thankfully I am taking off this Friday. Than a new year begins which hopefully will bring us all a lot of weight loss success!!!

Although I keep promising myself I won't weight until tomorrow, of course, I weighed myself this morning and I am down another 1.4 pounds since last Wednesday!! Yeah! That brings me too 213.4. That will probably be my starting weight tomorrow unless by some miracle I happen to loss a couple of additional ounces before my morning weigh-in.

I am the closest I have been to Onderland in years!!! I would be over the moon if I could get there by Valentine's Day but I am not going to count my chickens before their hatched. Any loss is a good loss so no complaints from me. :)

Hope everyone has a great day!!! :D

[alykat06]

Thats great albo! You have done an amazing job so far! I hope I weigh less tomorrow as well but I doubt it, I have had a steady loss for a week or two and I know I will be platoueing eventually..I always seem to when things are going steady :D but oh well I will still be working out every day and eating low carb. I see my doctor next week hopefully I will get phen and she will run tests to see if I am insulin resistant, I believe I am because I cant lose weight without phen and I am always exausted and tired without phen as well. Not to mention as soon as I stop eating pasta and bread that I lose a whole bunch of weight out of no where..that tells me that my body cant handle the sugars and spike in insulin. I guess I am hoping this would solve my problems and I could get medication so I can just be a regular person and if I came off phen I could do this on my own, im afraid if not then I would gain it right back doing the same things I am doing now. I am doing well with calories and I exercised 45 mins on my stationary bike last night, I think I am going to drag my bf out of the house for a walk tonight lol. If not then I will either jog on my wii fit or on my treadmill.

[firemama3]

I'm in......
My name is Kristen, I am married and have three boys. I never had a problem getting the pregnancy weight off within a few months of giving birth, but some how I managed to start putting on weight when my youngest was about 3. Every 5lbs that I put on, I would tell myself "thats it" I need to stop this madness. However I kept gaining until my weight was higher than when I gave birth to my last son. So, here I am after starting this wonderful "way of life" change and have lost about 27lbs. I went off Phen for about 4-6 weeks, but am now back on since 12/15. As a dear friend told me (Scat) I should be happy that I actually made it through the holidays without gaining and in fact lost weight while in Cali for Christmas. I am always very hard on myself but my new years resolution will be to go easy on myself and be proud of what I have accomplished.
So, my goal for V-day is 130. If I can get to that goal, GREAT, if not I will keep pushing for it. I will start my work outs again, as I have been off the wagon for over 2 weeks now. I will aim for 4xs a week at 30-45minutes. I will make sure that I write down everything in my food journal that I consume in the day (I have been forgetting lately) and I WILL come on here at least once a week and post my "success".

Here's to a big loss for all of us in 2009!
:)

[albobaby]

Thats great albo! You have done an amazing job so far! I hope I weigh less tomorrow as well but I doubt it, I have had a steady loss for a week or two and I know I will be platoueing eventually..I always seem to when things are going steady :D but oh well I will still be working out every day and eating low carb. I see my doctor next week hopefully I will get phen and she will run tests to see if I am insulin resistant, I believe I am because I cant lose weight without phen and I am always exausted and tired without phen as well. Not to mention as soon as I stop eating pasta and bread that I lose a whole bunch of weight out of no where..that tells me that my body cant handle the sugars and spike in insulin. I guess I am hoping this would solve my problems and I could get medication so I can just be a regular person and if I came off phen I could do this on my own, im afraid if not then I would gain it right back doing the same things I am doing now. I am doing well with calories and I exercised 45 mins on my stationary bike last night, I think I am going to drag my bf out of the house for a walk tonight lol. If not then I will either jog on my wii fit or on my treadmill.

Thanks Aly!! You have been doing so well too!! How awesome that you are down to 195! You must be so happy! :D Yes, plateaus are never far away unfortunately :mad:, but hopefully it will be a while before you hit one. As you know I was struggling for the last month or so and than within the last week or two the weight has been coming off pretty steadily again. The obvious answer has been that I have been very active these last two weeks. Between shopping, house cleaning, weddings, parties, etc., I have been on my feet and moving none stop so for me the answer is that I need to start exercising again. I fell off the exercise bandwagon at the end of October and never got back on and my weight showed it, so my New Years resolution is to regularly incorporate 5 hours of exercise a week into my schedule. 3 hours of cardio and 2 weight training and hopefully this will help me conquer the last 1/3 of my weight loss journey. Sometimes I still have to pinch myself when I realize that I am 2/3 of the way to my goal. Amazing. If someone had told me 6 months ago that I would be 82 pounds lighter by the end of the year I would have told them to stop smoking the w**d! LOL

[alykat06]

Welcome Firemama! Glad to see your here as well! You can do it! I believe in you and you should believe it yourelf!

[Nikki24]

Hi my name is Nikki and I am 28 years old and I will be 29 on Jan 27. I have been married for 3 years and have two little girl dogs names Abby and Sophie. lol. I am a senior in college and will graduate May 9th.

today is my second day on phen and so far so good except I am tired. weird. My goal for Feb is to be 175 or less. I will drink my water and protein shake everyday and exercise at least 3 times per week for 30 minutes.

[miswoo]

Okay, I'm 35, married for almost 9 years and we have two girls 13 and 8. I've always been a little overweight and have had trouble with portion control. A couple of years ago I wanted the lap band, but my BMI wasn't 40 - so I purposely started to pack on the pounds to make it 40 (I know crazy right - but I thought it was the only way) After I went from the 220's to 260 I knew I had to stop. I also decided that surgery was not the right route for me and dropped 35 pounds on my own. Then did some yo-yoing, but my lowest was 210. When I started phen 12/3/08 I weighed 226.5 on Drs scale.

I try to stay between 800 - 1200 cals per day. I vary them and eat more on the nights that I work (7pm - 7am)

I also want to increase my water intake to 100 oz. Right now I'm getting between 64-80 oz. I also do not drink as much when I'm at home, which is a big no no.

My 1st goal for Valentines Day is 199 - I weighed in this morning at 211. My 2nd goal is for me to be able to comfortably wear my wedding band - it's been 3-4 years. I can now get it on, but it's still a little tight.

Long term goals:
Weigh 140's (size 8 - 10)
I have set this goal for March 2010 - I never had a wedding so hubby agreed to renew vows on our 10th anniversery and I want to look hotter than when he first met me - I was 180 then, although he doesn't believe me, lol

[scatanafas]

I'm in......
My name is Kristen, I am married and have three boys. I never had a problem getting the pregnancy weight off within a few months of giving birth, but some how I managed to start putting on weight when my youngest was about 3. Every 5lbs that I put on, I would tell myself "thats it" I need to stop this madness. However I kept gaining until my weight was higher than when I gave birth to my last son. So, here I am after starting this wonderful "way of life" change and have lost about 27lbs. I went off Phen for about 4-6 weeks, but am now back on since 12/15. As a dear friend told me (Scat) I should be happy that I actually made it through the holidays without gaining and in fact lost weight while in Cali for Christmas. I am always very hard on myself but my new years resolution will be to go easy on myself and be proud of what I have accomplished.
So, my goal for V-day is 130. If I can get to that goal, GREAT, if not I will keep pushing for it. I will start my work outs again, as I have been off the wagon for over 2 weeks now. I will aim for 4xs a week at 30-45minutes. I will make sure that I write down everything in my food journal that I consume in the day (I have been forgetting lately) and I WILL come on here at least once a week and post my "success".

Here's to a big loss for all of us in 2009!
:)


Yay, we have the same goal weight for V-day...you're alot closer to it than I am girl...:mad: You're lucky I love you as much as I do.......

[allylynn]

Ok, Here I go. I have read thru the first page of posts and will have to finish reading more tomorrow. Really need to get off my big booty (smaller and smaller all the time)

My name is Amy. I was such a small thin child in high school and such. I graduated high school at 133 pounds being 5ft. 10 inches. So I was THIN! Of course I have my underlying family issue that helped pack on the pounds. My mother and sister would call me watermelon butt all the time and my mother would only show love and affection to me when we would sit down together and eat an entire loaf of white bread. Ugh, if she had only thought of how this would affect me long term. Of course, I'm a grown woman and make my own choices. Trying to make better ones now, lol.

I gained tremendous weight with my first pregnancy. I started being 160 ish and ended my pregnancy 215ish. UGGHH. Two more kids later and other factors playing into weight gain, I ballooned up to 252. Once I reached the 250 mark, that was the turning point. I had reached the point that I felt that if I didn't do something, I would wake up a few days later encroaching 300.

I lost 18 pounds on my own and started the moving process again. (I've moved way too many times) When I moved out here to Montana from Tennessee I have had nothing to do except settle in and look around saying...What am I doing here? It's beautiful here, just everyone I know feels that I have moved off the continent!

Decided to participate in the Breast Cancer 3 Day walk. I figured I'd be raising money for a good cause and focusing to lose weight. When I was walking 30+ miles a week and ony had lost 3 pounds, my back decided to give out. I aggravated 2 bulging herniated discs in my back and my doc put me on PHEN. So I started my journey on Phen without the ability to workout. Lost alot of weight and took a job that required physical activity while I was shrinking.

I've done well while losing weight until a few weeks ago. Came down with a kidney infection and got to 190. As I healed, a few pounds returned. I got off Phen for the remainder of December since I was having such a hard time staying on the calorie track while I was losing my job. My last day on my job was the 28th. Everyone felt bad for us and would bring in oodles of junk the last month or more. Figured between losing my job, the holidays, getting better and being on Phen for awhile...now was a good time for a break.

The new year is my Favorite holiday. A new fresh start.

I start this challenge up a few pounds. I'm currently 198 and will be going back on Phen the day the kids go back to school. Which I think is Jan. 5th. My three boys are ages 14, 12, and 10. Will be excited to start the year back on track and with the idea that a bathing suit is looming on the horizon!

I will be eating 1200 calories starting next week and starting some type of fitness regimine for 30 min. a day. My VD goal will be 180 pounds!

Thanks for reading, I promise that all my posts won't be this long!

[firemama3]

Yay, we have the same goal weight for V-day...you're alot closer to it than I am girl...:mad: You're lucky I love you as much as I do.......

I AM lucky you love me so much !!! Back at ya sista from another motha !!!!! :D

[alykat06]

The official weigh in day is tomorrow..is everyone ready?

[Glenna M]

Ready as I can be after my birthday indulgence! I am so excited about how many have joined, this is going to be great.

[alykat06]

yes I am excited too :D we have over 40 challengers right now!

[CDCreations]

Nice to see you CD..I was thinking about you today.......i rmeember our Valentine's challenge last year, that was by far the most successful one yet that I have done.....hope to get that kind of motivation again!

Hey Scat, great to see you too!!!! Yep, I remember the Valentine's challenge very well, and I think we will get that motivation going again in this challenge -- lots of folks with lots of great energy to get us headed in the right direction again - I'm ready for this, so let's lose this weight!!!! :D

[CDCreations]

The official weigh in day is tomorrow..is everyone ready?

Yes, I am so ready to do this thang!!! Alykat, thanks so much for starting this challenge (by the way, I had an aunt who used to live in Havre de Grace many years ago, and when I was younger and still lived at home, we used to go visit her!). Okay, just got a huge wake-up call a few minutes ago. Going out tomorrow night to celebrate the New Year coming in, so I try on this tight panty thang I bought that is supposed to hold me in so that I will look somewhat sleek and normal in the gorgeous dress I plan to wear. My goodness, I pulled and stretched and finally got that thing on - the smart thing that I did was that I put it on in front of my mirror, good grief! Talk about a huge wake-up call - I don't want to spend the rest of my life squeezing into a tight panty thing; I lost this weight before, and I'm gonna lose it again!!! So I'm about to do my exercise bike, gonna put in about 40 minutes' worth right now!!!

[scatanafas]

Yeah CD, been there done that...I had this body slimmer thing that I used to wear to slim me down and it was the ugliest thing ever, I always said that if i were in an accident the EMT's would need to use the jaws of life to get me out of this thing....at night when I took it off you could see the indentations on my body of the seams....the things we do! I want to be able to wear a form fitting dress and NOT NEED something like that, right now that isn't possible. yes, I'm grateful for spanx but its no fun wearing them to a barbeque party in july....if I get heatstroke let it not be because of my knickers for God's sake!

:p

[mendogirl]

I never thought I would be joining a challenge (don't like pressure) but I could use some motivation so this just might be the thing to get me going again.

My name is Rachael, I'm 33, I've been married to my hunny from the Big Eazy for 8 years. We have 2 awesome boys 7 and 3, and a little kitty "lollipop". I'm a massage therapist and I absolutely love it.

Most of my life weight was not a problem, I'm 5'5 and I stayed around 125 lbs without even giving it a thought. My weight issues began about 5 years ago after the death of my little brother. I turned to food for comfort to help deal with the sadness I felt.

After losing a little weight and then gaining it back plus some more than once my self-esteem was in the toilet. I decided enough was enough, no more excuses! I needed to get tough with myself and shed this weight once and for all. Reclaim myself! I started phen on June 23rd at 189.6 lbs. by the time I took a break from it on Oct 10th I was down to 157.1. I started the Master Cleanse right after I stopped phen and lasted on it for 9 days. I lost 9 lbs, 7 of which have stayed off. (the other 2 came back within the first day just from the weight of food itself inside my body).

I started phen again on Nov 21st at 148.1 lbs. Today I weighed 138.something.
My goal 130 lbs by Feb 14th, I just want to get it off and be done with it!!! I now know that I will never be able to go back to how I used to be - not having issues with food, and sometimes I'm afraid that I might gain it all back one day. I try to remind myself that the key for me is daily awareness, better choices, and not considering exercise to be "optional". Let's get to our goals, we can do it!!!!!

[tarheelgirl50]

My name is Courtney. This is my first post I am 19, and from Charlotte, NC. I am currently in nursing school, and enjoying it alot.I am definatly a yo-yo dieter, but this time I want to lose the weight for good and forever. I picked my phen up yesterday, and I started using it today for the first time ever. I feel a little fatigued, but for the first time I wasn't overly hungry like I usually am which is definatly great. Currently, I am180 lbs. Last year at this time I was about 200lbs. Some how college helped me lose 20lbs. My ultimate goal is to be 125lbs. by my birthday June 18th. My small goal for Valentines Day is to be 15lbs less (165lbs) In order to meet this goal, I will be
exercising at least 30 minutes or more a day at my schools gym (treadmill, stairstepper, and also using the weight machines.), drinking water and not soft drinks, but I am not excluding any foods I am just going to avoid/limit sweets
and not eat too many carbs. I will be trying to fill up on fruits, veggies, and soups. My weigh in day will be Wednesday like Aly suggested. I am excited to get to know you all! I hope we will all be an encouragement to one another
and I wish everyone a very Happy New Year!!

[Laurachip1]

Wed Dec 31st
weight 220
goal for next week 216
2/14 goal 200

Today is my 15th Anniversary!! I love my Tommy. I am one lucky woman to have found a man like him.

[luvinmybabies]

Ok, so my first official challenge weigh in just happened.
Drumroll please.....................................NOTHING !!!:mad: Hello plateau #2. I took a week break, and restarted last week. Only 1 lb down from attempting a "kick start". Oh well, I lb less that I was, right???? And I didn't gain over Thanksgiving and Christmas (I'm trying to stay positive here)
Hope all of you have better results today.

[hmhuntr]

Weight 178.4 (eek...up a few pounds) waist 40.5, hips 46.
Good luck guys

[alykat06]

Alrighty Ladies and Gents, Weigh in day is officially today, if you don't weigh in today I will be putting your start weight as what you stated in your introduction post. I just want to make sure everyone understands that wednesdays are weigh in day, but if you cannot weigh in every wednesday like some others that is alright. Weighing every wednesday will keep you accountable and for me it keeps me on track..I know I wont want to eat bad because my weigh in will show it etc.

Today I weighed in at 195, I have been doing well with my exercise but I could be doing better with my snacking. I baught some postacios and shouldnt eat the darn things before bed lol. I am drinking more water today, I have been out on the job and wasnt near a water refill bottle or a port a pot so, I wasnt trying to want to go to the bathroom :D.
I hope everyone will have a happy new years, I will be celebrating with family tonight, everyone will be drinking but I will be drinking low carb light beer. Were having low carb munchies for dinner which is awesome, were snacking all night on chicken wings, deviled eggs, esparagus rolled in ham, and veggies with dip. hehe my parents dont even realize that these are low carb things they are making. Tomorrow after getting up we are going to Pa to Jack frost and going skiing, thats my work out for tomorrow.
Looking forward to hearing from everyone.

[alykat06]

Ok, so my first official challenge weigh in just happened.
Drumroll please.....................................NOTHING !!!:mad: Hello plateau #2. I took a week break, and restarted last week. Only 1 lb down from attempting a "kick start". Oh well, I lb less that I was, right???? And I didn't gain over Thanksgiving and Christmas (I'm trying to stay positive here)
Hope all of you have better results today.

Is 173 your starting weight? I want to make sure that your info on the right is correct before I put down your start weight.

[luvinmybabies]

Is 173 your starting weight? I want to make sure that your info on the right is correct before I put down your start weight.

yeah, we'll go with that. I was hoping to be lower, but hey...that just means that I'll lose more, right???:o

[albobaby]

Morning Ladies!

So I weighed in this morning at 213. Down another 4 ounces from yesterday. My goal for next week is to lose 2 pounds but my boobs are sore and my fingers are swollen so TOM is on the way. How funny is that? NOT. lol

Anyway, I hope everyone has a safe, happy and healthy NEW YEAR!!! :D

[srdmom]

Ok my first weigh in for the 2009 Challenge.... 189. Not too bad!! Im happy to be bringing in 2009 in the 180's and not 200's anymore!!

I wasn't too good about my water intake yesterday, but I plan on increasing it today. Part of me was afraid yesterday because I developed a nasty UTI and I didn't want to go to the bathroom anymore thatn I had too!! When I woke up this morning it seems as though the medicine has kicked ina nd Im feeling much better...so no excuses today!!!

I'm off to make dance costumes for an upcomming competition. Good luck to all of you!!

Staci:D

[scatanafas]

I woke up to some nice morning snow.....then I smelled blueberry muffins. My husband decided to bake. Oy , on my first day of our challenge no less! So I had the bloody muffin but I"m not sweating it, just working it into my "program". ;) It was a small muffin anyway and he used whole wheat flour.

My weigh in today was 138.6...I have not had any real weight loss for months. I just keep losing and gaining back the same couple of lbs. I guess that is good for when you're maintaining but I want to get to goal so I need to pull out the big guns. This is not going to be easy without phen, but noone said it was impossible.

Have a great day everybody.

Alykat, what is going to be our task for this week? Our mini challenge?

[4kidz4me]

I am weighing in today at 150. I have been 150 since Saturday, but that's OK! I am just so excited that over Christmas I managed not to gain.

[alykat06]

The challenge for this week is :
- everyone chose an exercise they don't really like to do, or don't do often enough but would help them lose weight.
-Then try and do it at least 3 times in the next week.

Mine will be getting on my treadmill 3 times this week. I usually cant get myself on the treadmill because I get bored and I would rather get on my bike..but I cant ride my bike everyday and expect to body not to get used to it :).

[scatanafas]

Correction!! My weight today is 138.4......i was off by two ounces, and every ounce counts! Sorry to make you correct your chart Aly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[alykat06]

hehe no problem Scat, took a whole 3 seconds out of my boring day :D. Man I wish I could lose a few oz each hour :p

[scatanafas]

hehe no problem Scat, took a whole 3 seconds out of my boring day :D. Man I wish I could lose a few oz each hour :p

Bahahaahaha....thats what happens after you take a big dump....sorry to be so graphic but I figured you would appreciate the honesty, especially after going in great detail yesterday about your boyfriends F A R T S ! LOL

[alykat06]

haha of course, dosent everyone weigh themselves after they use the bathroom...I guess my compulsive weighing is a bit much huh :D....oh and I know you loved my rant about my bf farts hahaha

[firemama3]

and I haven't even taken a "dump" as Scat put it......

134.0
My goal for the week is ANYTHING lost !!!!! ANYTHING..... an ounce... ANYTHING !!!
:o

[Lisa33167]

Thanks Aly for the challenge; this might be what I need to motivate me to get back to where I was a year ago.

My name is Lisa; I'm a 40 something mother of 4. I got married the first time very young, stayed married 10+ years and then single for a year or so and met my current husband after I swore off relationships lol. We've been together since 1998 and married 10 years.

I've had severe female problems since I was 13 and been through numerous surgeries over the years. My last surgery was in March 2005 when I found out I had Severe Endometriosis (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/endometriosis/DS00289); Adenomyosis (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/Adenomyosis/DS00636); Fibroids (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/uterine-fibroids/DS00078), Ovarian Cysts (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ovarian-cysts/DS00129) and a separated pelvis from a car accident in 1998 where the middle section of my pelvis chipped the right side.

My husband had never been married and didn't have children, so he wanted both, which scared me to death. The year before I had been pregnant and at 26 weeks developed GBS; lost my son and developed blood sepis from a blood infection and almost died myself.

We tried for awhile and I couldn't get pregnant, so I went to a specialist and got pregnant after some procedures to remove blockages etc. With my age & history I went to a high risk OB and was seen by specialists at the university in Tampa. That's when my severe female problems started and have just gotten worse over the years. I was an officer manager at a real estate firm and worked 70+ hours and with 2 teenagers, it was rough being pregnant at my age.

I was put on full bed rest due to Placenta Previa 3 months later and went crazy being confined to bed, then was hospitalized 6 or 7 times during the rest of my pregnancy. I had a very complicated; long delivery which should have been c-section but they said the placenta had moved enough and it hadn't. After delivery our son was put on oxygen and I almost bled to death. I refused a transfusion and had to go back to the hospital weekly for treatment for my blood iron levels (my normal was 13 and i was at 7 when I delivered)

After birth, our son was sick; developed asthma and breathing difficulties and had RSV a few times. At 17 mths when he was hospitalized with rotovirus he picked up at Disney; and I found out I was 5 1/2 mths pregnant! Being heavier, I didn't gain much weight luckily but didn't catch on until then lol I had a normal pregnancy and delivery and after our daughter was born, my wonderfully aggravating hubby had a vasectomy.

In Jan 2006, I decided to change my life and went to a lap band seminar. Weight loss surgery was the way to go for my dr decided. After a few attempts at finding the right dr, financing and making sure my husband could take off work for me to go, I gave that option up and just totally changed everything. I was 289 lbs then, and I had lost 17 lbs from surgery and 10 lbs since the seminar, I'm too ashamed to put the total weight down lol you can do the math.

I researched Phen for months before taking the plunge. I tried it and for once had no appetite. I was 264.5 August 2006 lost down to 189 lbs, when we had to sell our house and I went through 8-10 months of extreme stress and family problems.

On 12/31/08 I'm starting this challenge at 222.4
My goals for Valentine's Day are these:
1. Make good decisions about food & portions
2. Exercise at least 3 times per week for at least 30 min
3. Drink at least 100 oz of water (I need a daily water calculator)
4. Do one good thing for myself daily
5. Set realistic goals such as 1-2 lbs per week weight loss (6 wks = 6+lbs)

[alykat06]

Welcome Lisa! I know you have had a rough time but I bet those two wonderful children made it all worth it in the end :). Your goals are very realistic and I believe you will get to them in no time!

[GracieMe78]

231.4 down from last week!!
Valentine's Day goal 219

[150plz]

I am really excited! I just started the Phen on Friday. I went to the clinic today to weigh in for this challenge and I have lost 4.5 pounds. I didn't expect that, at all. I have been drinkin plenty of water, and watchin my protion sizes and makin the "healthy choices" in my food. I have not started exercising, but I know I need to. I used to love it, it is just the point of getting around to it. The terrible thing is I have a gym membership at Anytime Fitness and have been payin for it the last several months and not using it! Pretty pathetic, I know. The whole point of me signing up for it was that I knew if I was paying I wouldn't let my money go to waste....NOT! LOL! Between work, church, and my 1 year old, I feel like I don't ever have time. Oh well. This challenge will hopefully help me get back to what I should be doing.

12-26-08 212
12-31-08 207.5

Mini goal: 02-14-08 190
Goal weight: 09-01-08 150

[kiresha07]

Well I went to the clinic yesterday and my weight is 190 .......ugghhh, took the pill this morning, so far feeling ok BUT how can I motivate myself to drink water?? only drank like 10oz so far and feel so BLAAHHH!!! Help ladies, iI really want to weigh in next week and see my scale digits go DOWN!

[alykat06]

Here is a water motivator..every 8 oz of cold water you drink burns 35 calories! I drink approx 100 oz a day (half my weight in oz of water) and that means I burn 437 calories on just drinking cold water alone in my day! Your body has to burn calories in order to warm up the water..have you ever peed cold? I havent :D

[elemteach5]

Okay, I think this is where I weigh in. I weighed 173.8 this morning.
I have got to drink more water, but it almost gags me. I have to take small sips just to get a glass down. I've heard the more you drink, the more you want, so I'll see. I'm trying to come up with an exercise I can do at home while keeping my grandson. I don't have a treadmill. This will be easier when I go back to work next week and have more time for me.

[alykat06]

You can always try jogging in place while watching tv, doing an exercise dvd, or just doing some regular sit ups/push ups/jackknives etc.

[lilredz326]

Ok so I lost 2 pounds from technically 2 weeks ago since i didn't weigh myself last week due to sugar cookies and gingerbread house making!! Not bad, but it still only puts my weight loss at 10 pounds since Dec. 2...so Im kinda bummed..I wasn't going to go to the gym today...but guess who changed their mind!? ME!! If I wanna lose this weight I have to work at it....Glad I got on the scale and wasn't a scardy cat!! I was 196 last week and im 194 today :) 2 pounds is 2 pounds i guess!

[kiresha07]

thanks for the motivating tip.... I will do my best to drink more water! I have to log out now...(at work) but I will be back next week, if not friday to give you all an update but I will stick to this and I can't wait to weigh in next week and see what I weigh.... :) Wish me luck ladies.....:p

[scatanafas]

and I haven't even taken a "dump" as Scat put it......

134.0
My goal for the week is ANYTHING lost !!!!! ANYTHING..... an ounce... ANYTHING !!!
:o

If you took a dump you'd probably be at goal. Do me a favor and eat a sandwich, you are starting to annoy me.

[tinkerbellt15]

Alright- I went to a friends house to use their scale. I'm at my parents and they can't seem to find their scale... I have been here for over a week and had NO clue how I was doing! I was scared that I had gained after a couple x-mas get togethers. So my starting weight for this will be 221. I lost 4 lbs while I've been home. I was VERY happy. Being around my mom, dad, and brother who eat whenever has been hard! Not to mention they don't have the foods I usually eat here!!!

As for exercise for the week - I'm going to start doing my Turbo Jams videos. I left them at my parents house so I haven't had them- but they are going back with me!!!

Good luck everyone!

[luvinmybabies]

Bahahaahaha....thats what happens after you take a big dump....sorry to be so graphic but I figured you would appreciate the honesty, especially after going in great detail yesterday about your boyfriends F A R T S ! LOL

Well even after all the f*a*r*t*-ing we were talking about, I STILL didn't lose anything, so there goes that theory!!!:mad:

[Glenna M]

I weighed in at 150.4 on my new scales today. For the weekley challenge I am going to do more leg lifts and those fire hydrant things! I HATE working on my legs, well anything I have to be on the floor for LOL. I am not on Phen so I am hoping to lose at least a pound this week, if not to at least not gain one!

Happy Anniversary Laurachip1!

elemteach5 use that baby as a free weight! Lay on your back and do presses, put the baby on your chest and do sit ups, on your legs to do leg lifts. Baby will enjoy the "play time" LOL.

Aly your bf's farts cannot be as bad as living with a soon to be 16 year old and his dad who have eaten beans all day and have fed them to the dog! My house reeked when I got home yesterday and did not get better through the night! Oh and the boy announced that he farted while he was on the scales and lost 3 lbs! TMI I know but just had to share LOL.

[CDCreations]

Good morning everyone! Okay, with a small, low voice, I am starting with a weight of 240, but on the positive, I am about to change that number to go low, and show that I can do anything that I truly set my mind to, gonna do everything I can to keep my thoughts positive in this weight loss journey!!! Regarding the challenge for this week, I think I'll try those pushups - used to do them long time ago, and your upper body strength grows very quickly when you do them - I promise to do a series of them for at least 3 days in the coming week!

In this New Year, I pray that we all reach our goals, and that we strive to keep our thoughts positive, and do all we can in 2009 to be the best that we can be!! Luv you all, Happy New Year!! :D

[tarheelgirl50]

I wasnt sure if I should post since I have only been on phen for two days and dieting only a couple of days but this morning the scale said 176.5!!! I'm down 3.5lbs. But I am kinda slow to rejoice because I always lose about 10lbs really fast and then the rest of the weight takes forever!

[tazgirl31]

Yeaa first weigh in for challange!!!! Im so excited!!! Ok so hears my stats....

Started at 272 on phen (2 months on it)
Weight was 236 when I stopped phen
Been off phen for 2 months DRUM ROLL ......loL


NOW WEIGH IN THIS MORNING 12/31/08 AT 226......!!!!!!!! Im so freaking excited!!! I have lost 10 pounds on my own with no phen!!!! So trust me it can be done!!! 4 more pounds to go and I have LOST 50 pounds!!!!!!


My goal this week is to be in that Gym everyday!!!!! with maybe a day break!!!! And also to drink lots and lots of water......this is my weakess thing...Good luck to everyone!!!!!! TaZ!

[firemama3]

If you took a dump you'd probably be at goal. Do me a favor and eat a sandwich, you are starting to annoy me.


Hey chica...where's the love ???????
:(

[Mommy2Belle]

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! PLEASE BE SAFE OUT THERE PEOPLE ARE CRAZY TONIGHT! I weighed in this morning at 138.0 which iam happy with saying for the xmas week i got up to 142.6. Iam no longer with phen and its not so much harder for me to lose weight its more me not eating the right things sometimes. My goal wasnt hit either. i wanted to be at my goal weight by today 130 but iam ok with not being there it is my fault 100% so i kind of expected not to hit it. Iam very proud of my accomplishments and my goal for this week is to stay on track and work out ( i got new running shoes for xmas and an arm band for my ipod for the gym) i want to be at my goal weight by my surgery date Jan 27th or as close to it as possible saying as for a whole month i cant exercise and wont be doing much at all. Thank you again Aly for making this challange. Challanges have helped me get where iam i like to be competitive espically since losing this weight is the hardest thing ive had to do EVER!!!! Good luck everyone on weigh in day.

[nnwalker]

Hello Im Tasha, Im 30 years old, mother of 2, but feel like im still 18. LOL. In 1997 I decided to join the military. But when I went to MEPs I weighed 155 which for my height I should only weigh between 118 and 133 (for the military). The enrollment counselor gave me a choice to join and go to fat camp or try to loose myself. I tried to loose it myself and got down to 128 pounds. Then before I had to chance to try to join again I got pregnant with my son. My 6 weeks doctor apointment I weighed 143 pounds. By the end of the pregnancy I weighed 206 (he only weighed 4.13). From then on I continued to gain the weight. even through my second pregnancy. I was an emotional wreck, eating satified everything I felt i was missing. My highest non pregnant weight was 218. March 2007 I got sciatica (my sciaticic nerve was pinched by a bulging disk in my back). I was in pain and very limited mobility for 2 months. The steroids that the doctor gave me helped me gain nearly 20 pounds. So today I weigh 235. Yesterday the doctor gave me my first perscription after my ekg came back good. I took my first pill yesterday. I am excited to begin this challenge with you and do so with open eyes and full support to all who walk with me. Let the challenge begin!

[mendogirl]

My weight as of this morning is 137.8lbs.

Goals for the week:
Challenge myself more during my workouts.
Eat protien based snacks more regularly.
Drink at least 2 extra glasses of water daily.(I totally slack on my water intake somedays I only drink 1 glass).

[ethanangel]

Today's weight 143.

Goal for the week break a sweat during every workout.
Stay away from the Diet rootbeer-it's like crack i tell ya:)
And to journal EVERYTHING i eat

[scatanafas]

Well even after all the f*a*r*t*-ing we were talking about, I STILL didn't lose anything, so there goes that theory!!!:mad:

LOLOL....Yes but you must feel better though? LOL

[scatanafas]

Today's weight 143.

Goal for the week break a sweat during every workout.
Stay away from the Diet rootbeer-it's like crack i tell ya:)
And to journal EVERYTHING i eat

Had to laugh about the soda, it is such an addiction, isn't it? My friend is in the army and in Sinai, she's taking this wicked long ride to Cairo so she could buy diet mountain dew...I'm like girl, you're going to endanger your life for some dang diet soda! I mean we were laughing about it but its sad what an addiction soda can be. There were nights I had no diet pepsi and I went through the drive through dairy mart in my pajamas to get some, hoping that my car would not break down...

[scatanafas]

Hey chica...where's the love ???????
:(

Sorry mami....you know I love you....just want to weigh what you do.....LOL

[scatanafas]

I weighed in at 150.4 on my new scales today. For the weekley challenge I am going to do more leg lifts and those fire hydrant things! I HATE working on my legs, well anything I have to be on the floor for LOL. I am not on Phen so I am hoping to lose at least a pound this week, if not to at least not gain one!

Happy Anniversary Laurachip1!

elemteach5 use that baby as a free weight! Lay on your back and do presses, put the baby on your chest and do sit ups, on your legs to do leg lifts. Baby will enjoy the "play time" LOL.

Aly your bf's farts cannot be as bad as living with a soon to be 16 year old and his dad who have eaten beans all day and have fed them to the dog! My house reeked when I got home yesterday and did not get better through the night! Oh and the boy announced that he farted while he was on the scales and lost 3 lbs! TMI I know but just had to share LOL.


Glenna this post made me laugh out loud....who feeds their dog beans?! LOL..as if youd idn't have it bad enough......if somebody went to your house and lit up a cigarette we'd be seeing the explosion here on the east coast...you are so funny...

[LindsayBo]

Starting weight for the challenge.. 220

*Keep up with the AbL
*100w oz/day
and the exercise i hate the most, those things where u lay on your back & the other person throws your legs at you..what are those called anyway? Hope i dont knock myself out with these thunder thighs. = )

[alykat06]

Almost everyone has weighed in, that is fantastic! I dont know if I will be logging in the rest of today and tomorrow, going to my moms tonight and going skiing tomorrow. Have a happy new year! try and stick to the light beer :p!

[Lisa33167]

Ok ok I give, I am laughing so hard again I am splitting my sides and I can't do that; I won't be able to do any horrible situps (weekly challenge) or ab work I abhor.


Oh and the boy announced that he farted while he was on the scales and lost 3 lbs! I am going to find some beans to eat..pronto! if he ate a cup, does that means if I eat 3 cups will I lose 9 lbs? :P

That sounds like what my oldest son would say - what's worse is my oldest daughter puts grown men to shame when she belches...how embarassing! You would never expect it out of her; she's this dainty, blonde haired blue eyed imp that looks so innocent, give the girl a soda and watch out across the country.

I just don't want to give up again....my motto has been Never give up - it's on my avatar I think and on my website. I read a great article on MSN (another post in the regular section) about success - so I'll treat the lbs I gained in the past week as a blip in the road (hormones; stress & pms) and go past it.

I could just kick myself for giving up last year; I was so close to 175 - my first major goal in 12 years. When I get between 150-170 I'll be satisfied, I was ok at that weight, and that was before adding all the female problems and extra lbs from that.

I could cheat and have another surgery and lose 20 lbs and have my insides scooped out again, but the thought of another surgery is worse than waiting for menopause lol Plus my hubby says he would divorce me if I got "skinny" and no curves - but it sure as heck would be nice to be told I'm too skinny LOL

[Mary-Mary]

okay so i went to ther doctors today and i have droped 2 pounds but the thing is that i thought that my started weight was 231 but it is 233 (sorry for the confusions) i already fixed it on my signature thing so that means that right now i weight 218 (2 pounds less than last week) yay. This is what i am going to do to meet my goal of -20 pounds by febuary 14

-i am going to try to run on my tredmill at least 5x a day and do cardio 3x a week too
-drink 1 1/2 liters of water every day
-write everything i eat

220 when i started the challenge
218 first weight in
145 goal weight

[MARIEVANS]

I had to wait till I got home to get on-line. So my morning weigh in was 249.6....yeah me I did go down some even after I cheated. So my goal for next week is to drink lots more water and exercise again...I have been slacking on that. Everyone else is doing great......HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[miswoo]

:D Happy New Year!!!:D

Okay so went to the Dr. today and I was down 17.4 pounds for my first month weigh in. That puts me at 209.2!!! I haven't been this small for almost 9 years :) I'm really excited because everyday the scale kept saying 211, 211, 211 - so to see that weight was great!

Also got my waist, hips and chest measured: Start Today
Chest 41.5 41
Waist 39.5 36.5 wow
Thighs 50.5 49

5 inches lost total!!! Also BMI went from 37.8 to 34.8, Body fat 42.5% to 42 (not sure it's was accurate - home scale says 40.5%

[ethansmommy23]

151.4 so close to the 140's. thats my goal for next week 149. i'm gonna continue to do the 30 day shred.

[sweettart]

Hello ladys sorry I'm just now checking in I just now got home and it 2:45 am I left the house at 8am and I am sooo sleepy !! Went shopping for hubbys bday gift all day then had to go sign the rest of the night. I am sure I got more of a workout today then doing my dvd workout. My weight right now is 186.0 I really hope to start taking off more then I have been ! I am wanting to drop 2 or 3 lbs by next week ! Ok gals I'm off to bed.

[kj654321]

So, I haven't used the scale in our house forever.. but excuses aside, I know I have been quite naughty since Christmas. TOO much candy in the house.

So, my starting weight for the challenge is 262. yuck.
my goal for the week is to get the candy out of the house. (school back in session will definitely help that :o)

Best wishes to all for the upcoming week!!

[KARENinFWB]

Okay, I did weigh in yesterday, it was just such a H E L L day, I couldn't get on here to log it in.... I'm at 136.6 right now (or I should say, as of yesterday). I'm hoping by next week, I'll be down to 135. I've had too much to drink tonight to write more... Happy New Year everybody!!! gonna go sleeeeeeep now!

[mallorysmom]

Hello! I hope i am not to late to start this challenge with you guys. My starting weight will be 175.
Ok, my name is Tara and i am 28 years old. I have been married to my wonderful husband for 9 years and we have 2 beautiful children, Mallory (5) and Jacob (1). I started Phen a few months ago and made great progress, then ended up in the hospital with pneumonia and have just now gotten my blood pressure down so that i could go back on it. I am really excited to start again as i have gained back all that i lost and a couple more pounds. I am a personal banker so i am on my butt most of the day which doesn't help the waistline. I never had trouble with my weight until after having my kids. My biggest problem is portion control as i was not allowed to leave the table as a kid until my plate was clean so i have that mentality ingrained. I am not totally sure if i am going to follow a diet plan or just try to make better choices but i will be starting on Monday and starting the phen today. My first minigoal for myself is to cut out cokes completely as even diet cokes slow my weightloss. My goal for valentines day is 158.

[scatanafas]

Happy New Year Everybody!

Mallory you are not too late, you are right on time ;)

i'm looking forward to an active day. Had Japanese food yesterday and am afraid to get on the scale since that kind of food makes me bloated...but I have until Wednesday for our next weigh in...:rolleyes:

[tarheelgirl50]

This doesnt really have much to do with the challenge.. but I thought I would get your guys opinion. Yesterday, I wasn't hungry at all, but I forced myself to eat some cereal for breakfast and lunch for dinner.. but even that was a challenge.. Even if I'm not hungry should I make myself eat??

[kellyxmarie]

Hi everyone! My name is Kelly and I just started Phen today. I am 24, I live in Margate, NJ in a small apartment with a roomate and my cat, Serendipity. I have a loving boyfriend, Jared, who unfortunately works on the road, I see him about once a month (if I'm lucky!)

I have tried diets time and again, but I've never had the motivation to carry them out. I would go on them for about 2 weeks and give up. Weight watchers, South Beach, and just generally trying to eat healthier. My heaviest has been 250lbs, but I've been fluctuating (sp?) between 240 and 250 within the past year.

I am currently (weighed myself this morning) and am 243lbs. My goal weight is 150lbs. My mini goal for myself is 232lbs by my birthday (1/21) which is 3 weeks from now. I am giving myself a mini goal for the 2009 challenge of 225lbs by 2/14.

Wish me luck!

[LZ]

Hi folks! I would like to join this challenge too.

My name is LZ and I am a 43 y/o Mom to an 18 y/o daughter and a 11 y/o son. I live in Texas. I know many of you from past challenges and am looking forward to getting to know many new folks.

My start weight is 145.6:mad:and I will get to 137 by Valentines day! I will accomplish this goal by working out at least four times a week and ideally 5-6. Sunday will be my day off of exercise. Also, I am to limit my calories to no more than 1200 on any given day and make a point to drink at least 5-16 ounce bottles of water per day.

This morning I am already challenging myself. Hubby wanted to go to IHOP and I did pretty well w/o taking phen; although I am 1/2 way to my calories for the day already. So I came home and did an intense FIRM Bootcamp workout.

I am so glad the holidays are over, but Hubby is off work until the 12th and that is another challenge all by itself.:p

[LZ]

This doesnt really have much to do with the challenge.. but I thought I would get your guys opinion. Yesterday, I wasn't hungry at all, but I forced myself to eat some cereal for breakfast and lunch for dinner.. but even that was a challenge.. Even if I'm not hungry should I make myself eat??

Hi,

You do need to eat some. Make wise choices. I wouldn't worry about it too much because this wonderful feeling doesn't last too long.LOL

[LZ]

Hi Scat Happy New Year.

Welcome Kelly! Your goals sound reasonable.

Does anyone know what happened to the option to edit your profile? It's been changed around some and maybe it is just missing temporarily...or could be me.

[mallorysmom]

I finally figured it out earlier after some searching, lol. Ok, Click on your avatar and then click on about me and it will list your stats. You can click on the pencil beside which ever one you need to change and it will allow you too there. I hope that helps.

[allylynn]

I still weigh my 198 that I weighed on Wed. I'm eager for kids to go back to school on Monday and get back on track with weight loss and Phen. Woot Woot

[scatanafas]

Hi Scat Happy New Year.

Welcome Kelly! Your goals sound reasonable.

Does anyone know what happened to the option to edit your profile? It's been changed around some and maybe it is just missing temporarily...or could be me.

HI LZ.....

Happy New year to you too girlfriend! Good for you for avoiding the IHOP scene....I love IHOP but know that I can't behave in there so we just don't go anymore. Did you figure out how to edit your profile? :rolleyes:

[scatanafas]

I still weigh my 198 that I weighed on Wed. I'm eager for kids to go back to school on Monday and get back on track with weight loss and Phen. Woot Woot

I hear you on that....routine is so important.....as much as I love having the kids home and not having to go anywhere it is time to get back to the business at hand.

[donnamex]

ok a day late for check in but im here ...
i have started workin out and i weighed yesterday but it say i have gained two pounds so what ever i have not done anything diff. but next week will be here and i can do it again hahha. thnaks
188

[shirl1]

<a href="http://www.TickerFactory.com/weight-loss/wKPFFbM/">
<img border="0" src="http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/wKPFFbM/weight.png"></a>


12/05 sw 220.00
01/01/08 cw 170.00
gw 150.00


next weigh in 01/08/08

[Makeithappen]

Aly...put me down for 265...no change! GRRRRR! Oh well thats better than a gain I guess! (sorry I'm late couldnt get to a scale until this morning). Ok...I am going to try and get my exercise and water in!

[LZ]

HI LZ.....

Happy New year to you too girlfriend! Good for you for avoiding the IHOP scene....I love IHOP but know that I can't behave in there so we just don't go anymore. Did you figure out how to edit your profile? :rolleyes:

No, I don't have the option listed on my quick links like I used to. I may go sign in the other computer and check to make sure I can't see it there either.:confused:

Im at 1100 calories for the day. I'm praying to hold on and eat no more!

[scatanafas]

No, I don't have the option listed on my quick links like I used to. I may go sign in the other computer and check to make sure I can't see it there either.:confused:

Im at 1100 calories for the day. I'm praying to hold on and eat no more!

LZ click on your name in any post....bring up your profile...click where it says in tiny letters About Me....then you'll see your stats listed with little pencils next to them...clik on the pencil and you can edit your numbers.....

[LZ]

Thanks Scat! That must not have changed too long ago.....Can you still set your password to be automatically signed in? I used to be set up that way and it changed a few months back. Now I can't find a place to do tat either. I'm not very good about keeping up with the changes.

[alykat06]

Hey guys, just checking in real quick, I have a movie and bf waiting for me. I went easy on the beer last night, had some light beer when playing beer pong and shutbox. I went skiing today and I know I burned major calories, even though my water intake and calories werent that great..ughh I feel bloated..guess whos visiting..TOM! I guess I am not looking at the scales moving this week :)

[scatanafas]

Thanks Scat! That must not have changed too long ago.....Can you still set your password to be automatically signed in? I used to be set up that way and it changed a few months back. Now I can't find a place to do tat either. I'm not very good about keeping up with the changes.

I never set my password like that so I don't know how to do that...but look under options....you should be able to find it.....things haven't changed THAT much :gulp:

[scatanafas]

Hey guys, just checking in real quick, I have a movie and bf waiting for me. I went easy on the beer last night, had some light beer when playing beer pong and shutbox. I went skiing today and I know I burned major calories, even though my water intake and calories werent that great..ughh I feel bloated..guess whos visiting..TOM! I guess I am not looking at the scales moving this week :)

Aly i have done alot of different activities in my life and nothing burns calories like skiing!!! You probably burned MAJOR calories ....so don't be surprised if that scale moves......TOM and all....

[LZ]

Aly, I want to go skiing.

Scat, you know in my mind things change every moment....

[KittyVentura]

Hiya ladies,

I haven't posted my start weight yet or any updates as I've been mad busy. Anyway I'm at 182lbs which is where I was on Weds so that'll be my starting weight. As stated initially I'd love to get to 165 by valentines although i like to overset my goals so I would actually be happy with 170lbs.

I also will keep tabs of my measurements on my weigh ins also.
As of today - Bust 40"
- Waist 30"
- Hips 40"
Lol, I couldn't be more typical an hourglass if I tried.

Hope you all had a great new years eve. Happy New Year to you all my dears xxx

[Laurachip1]

I only go out and drink and party maybe twice a year, so I was not about to miss new Years eve. It was my anniversary. I had a blast, I ate too much I drank too much, I dancecd way tooooo much. About 6 hours.... I had so much fun and I was so sore yesterday that I was really pathetic. I just about cried coming down the stairs yesterday moning. My knees hurt so bad. I was bad yesterday cause I was still drunk when I woke up and then felt really shi tty the rest of the day. But I have to say it was worth it, Now I have the rest of the week to work on my weight. I havnen'y had fun like that since last year, and I'm sure i won't again until the end of this year, but I will be a skinnier, sexier me New Years Eve 2009!!!

Buy the way, I'm already down 2 lbs since Wed.

[alykat06]

Yeah I sure hope it moves this week :), my body is a bit sore today and Im sure I am retaining water at this point so im not stepping on the scale yet :D. I think today might be a lazy day, dont feel so great.

Kitty me and you are neck in neck with measurements, but I think the difference between us is that you like it, where all i want to do is get rid of the damn hips..I cried the other day because I looked so stupid in all my new shirts because of the difference between my upper body and lower body..ughhh

Laura- thats great that you have lost 2 lbs already! keep it up!

[pugglemommy]

Hi! My name is Sarah I live in Ohio with my husband David, my 6 month old son David and my puppy Allie. I have done phentermine in the past and had great results. But after a divorce, getting remarried and 2 pregnancies I have gained ALOT of weight. So I started phentermine on Monday and im also following weight watchers and working out on my elliptical.

My goals are: Aim for 2.5lbs per week, I know some weeks will be more some less.
Feb Goal:Down 10lbs(195)
May Goal:Down 33lbs(162)
July Goal:Down 23lbs(139)

Those are my main goals! I look forward to going through this with you all!

Sarah

[KittyVentura]

I do love it. But thing is my hips dont look big... at all... so I have absolutely no issue with them. As I wear a lot of tea dresses and high waist skirts etc from the 50s I couldn't pull them off if I wasn't curvy like I am. The way I see it is that Kelly Brook is an hourglass and men LOVE her, she's undeniably sexy... so I'm happy to be one too. Lol! xx

[alykat06]

yeah my hips are fairly large, they sort of receeded themselves from my sides. plus I have a huge butt n thighs as well so it doesnt help the way my lower body looks, but hey Im skinny from the belly button up :).

[LZ]

Good morning all.

I am giving myself 3 stars for yesterday. Exercise, water and 1246 estimated calories. I really want to decrease the calories to under 1200 but considering I started the day off at IHOP and I was starving before I went to bed and only had sugar free pudding I am happy. I have a hard time not eating at night!

I am working on my garage today. i am going to paint the inside. Has anyone ever done that? I painted the inside of the house last year except for the bathrooms. This year the garage is my first project. It will help us so much to get it organized. Also, the sheetrock is starting to deteriorate and the patching and painting will slow that down.

Have a skinny day all. TTYL

[Laurachip1]

I guess I'm going to get off my lazy ***** and take my pills and see what happens. I NEED to get moving, but after having a lazy day yesterday, it's really hard to get motivated. BUT I WILL!!! I just need to get off this darn website for a while!!

[alykat06]

lol, I know the feeling laura..I feel so cramped and bloated today..all I feel like doing is sitting here and do nothing..but I need to exercise and get a shower lol

[creolediva]

Okay, I'm all for it. I'm just getting started on phen today (1/2/08) so the sky is the limit.

Let's be fine in 2009!

[alykat06]

Welcome creolediva, please let us know a little about yourself, your start weigh and goal weight for valentines day and your long term goal.

For those who haven't posted what your mini challenge is, please do so. Remember it is an exercise that you don't like to do, but would help you lose weight. Then do it 3 times/days this week. I don't like exercising on my treadmill because its in my cold sun room, but I am trying to put the treadmill in my routine..I have already incorporated it once this week, 2 more days to go.

[Songbirdie01]

Hi guys,

My name is Sarah, I'm 26 and am a full time student. My husband and I have been together for 5 years and married for 18months. We don't have any kids, but I do have 2 dogs and a cat :) My husband and I eat out wayyyyy tooo much! My mini goal is to stop eating out and to drink more water. I just started Phen on Sunday. So far, I haven't really had much of an appetite but have been trying to eat lowcarb/highprotein. I don't have a scale at home, but my Dr.'s scale said 203 on Saturday. I might try to use the scale at the gym to weigh in.

Goals:
Valentines Day: 179
July: 145-50

[miswoo]

Hey Aly,

I have always had to buy smaller sizes for my top than bottom - so I know what you mean and to make it worse I'm a small B cup...so it can really look ridiculus at times since there is nothing on top to balance, lol But seriously, I hope your feeling better soon and maybe the crying was more from TOM visiting.

My activity this week is my treadmill. I get so distracted with the kids that I'm not using it like I should. I did get on it last night but was only 20 minutes before both of them needed help with something and I got off.

My goal this week is 3 hours on my treadmill...going to the gym this afternoon to get on the elyptical (it's been a while).

[alykat06]

Those goals are great Miswoo! yeah i was a bit emotional new years eve so it didnt help any lol, I have D cups but it still doesnt seem to matter, it acctually makes things worse, because it is hard to find clothes that go over my hips, the boobs just makes shirts shorter lol. I look at shirts and am like geez this will be a belly shirt if I wear it lol..boobs are overrated lmao, I will be eating or cooking and not see that i accidentally placed the bottom of my boobs in food etc..and since I cannot see underneath my bust I will walk around that way for a while before anyone says anything :D

[luvinmybabies]

I am going to try to make it on my elliptical 3x this week. Finding it hard to find time to do that before 11pm...after I get off work, get the kids, do dinner, bath and bedtime routine, and housework...it's time for bed! I hate to sound like I am just making excuses...if anyone has any ideas that might be in my same situation...I am open to hearing anything!! My husband is working a late 2nd shift job, so he is not home at night to help with the kids...and they are too young to just let roam around. I need suggestions!!!:confused:

[alykat06]

Do you walk around work at all or get the chance to walk at work? Or maybe get the chance to exercise with the kids?If they are young play simon says where you are simon..then do jumping jacks, all sort of movements that would help burn some calories.

[luvinmybabies]

Yeah, I am constantly up and down at work , back and forth getting patients...I will definitely try to incorporate the kiddos some how. Maybe even just dance around silly a little bit. The 3 y/o loves to dance...the 8 month old will probably just like to watch us be silly. So maybe I will make that my challenge instead of the elliptical this week???

[alykat06]

That is completely up to you, this challenge is to find ways to motivate yourself, for some (like me) forcing an exercise on me makes me keep it in rutine and I end up liking it more and more. but it doesnt work for everyone, just find something you can incorperate into your life like dancing and being goofy with the kids :D. You already walk a lot at work, why not carry something heavy so you have more resistance? Maybe find an exercise dvd that you can do with the kids, lol.

[CDCreations]

Greetings to LZ and Scat and to all my new phrends in this challenge -- I hope everyone had a great time bringing in the New Year; I know I did!! Wore my new dress, along with that dreaded control panty, but by this time next year, I will not be wearing anything even similar to that, because there will be no fat rolls and bulges to hold in! :) I also have been taking it easy today, not really doing too much, just catching up on some much-needed rest ... So my daughter has a time share and tells me today that she wants to treat hubby and me to a mini-vacation around the end of March, so I need to really get serious and lose some weight in the next several months before going. I have been drinking water today, and plan to do my stationary bike in about an hour, along with a few sets of push-ups, for a good total-body workout. Have a great evening everyone, and I'll TTYL!!

[GlamaGirl]

Hi Aly, and the rest of the thread. I know I've been off the sight for a little while but I'm back again. I love this challenge Aly so here I am. My name is Chawna (Shawna), but everyone calls me Glam or Glama. I am 24, 2 kids Justin 7, Sarai 2 (check my page for pics). Been on Phen now for a month, down 13. Could of done better but I haven't really been working out like I should be. But it's a new year and now my neice is here so she can watch the kids while I work out. So my V-day goal,besides looking good in something sheer and red, is 220. I really want to aim for 215, but I don't want to be disappointed. I didn't take phen for 2 days because I think my body is getting too used to it, so I figure a couple of days off a month should help my body get a little reset. But even though I'm not on my appetite is still surpressed. I also need to increase my water because I know that could be better too. But like High School Musical, We're all in this together!!! LOL

*Oh yea if anyone's in Charlotte, NC send me a PM. My apartment has an onsite gym so maybe we can work for an hour together 3x a week (a buddy is always a good thing)

[hmhuntr]

Well the eating could be better but I have done an excellent job drinking more water! (wasn't drinking much at all for a while) I've got a wonderful smelling crock pot of veggie soup getting ready for tomorrow. Think I may try to eat on that for the weekend; very low in carbs. Stress is a constant, but hey, what 'cha gonna do?

[tarheelgirl50]

Alright, my mini goal this week is to do my Jillian Michaels workout DVD.. If any of you know of her you know she is really really tough.. but I know it will be good for me.. I've already done it once..

[alykat06]

Welcome all the new challengers and hello current challengers. You guys are doign excellent so far, I am very pleased with the motivation and support! Glam I think a buddy is a great thing to have and I hope you find someone in your area, it def. helps keep you motivated when your not alone on such a big journey :). tarheel, lemme know how you like the dvd, i think I may need to buy it :D.
Hmhunter I would just make sure that soup doesnt have too much sodium, I get all puffy from salt lol. The last thing you want to do is retain water lol.

[LZ]

For those who haven't posted what your mini challenge is, please do so. Remember it is an exercise that you don't like to do, but would help you lose weight. Then do it 3 times/days this week. I don't like exercising on my treadmill because its in my cold sun room, but I am trying to put the treadmill in my routine..I have already incorporated it once this week, 2 more days to go.

I will do THE FIRM Bootcamp or Total Body this week. They are tough and a great workout for the whole body.

[LZ]

Greetings to LZ and Scat and to all my new phrends in this challenge -- I hope everyone had a great time bringing in the New Year; I know I did!! Wore my new dress, along with that dreaded control panty, but by this time next year, I will not be wearing anything even similar to that, because there will be no fat rolls and bulges to hold in! :) I also have been taking it easy today, not really doing too much, just catching up on some much-needed rest ... So my daughter has a time share and tells me today that she wants to treat hubby and me to a mini-vacation around the end of March, so I need to really get serious and lose some weight in the next several months before going. I have been drinking water today, and plan to do my stationary bike in about an hour, along with a few sets of push-ups, for a good total-body workout. Have a great evening everyone, and I'll TTYL!!

So glad your back!

I am so tired. I spent over 10 hours working on painting my garage. I hope I'll be able to move tomorrow so I can finish the other 1/2.:p
You missed me finally finishing the inside of my house and getting my carpet. I thought it would never happen.

[sweettart]

Hello ladys ! How is everyone doing ? Hey aly how often do we need to check in ? Well hope everyone is doing well good luck to everyone !

[slimmersuzi]

I'm Suzi, joining now. Better late than never I guess. I have 4 daughters and just found out that I'm going to be a grandma in August assuming all goes well. I'm totally freaking out! I've been married 23 years. It will be 24 years in May. We will have known each other 25 years in August and become grandparents in the same month!

I weighed in at 206 last night. But my stupid scales seem to have a 4 pound variation depending on where in the room I weigh. So either I get new scales or make a mark on the floor to use the same place each time!

My mini goal is only going to be 2 pounds. I want to hit 204 by Valentines day. I'm doing this really slow because all my fast weight losses in the past always sprung back. So I'm on sparkpeople too and they have my weight loss calorie range to be between 1400 at the lowest and 1750 at the highest. But I decided to start over with my goals with them and do a healthy goal instead. So now they change my maintaining calorie range each week depending on how much I exercise. So I'm doing that to motivate myself since I HATE exercise. They just changed my maintenance range to 1900-2300 calories! So anything under 1900 per day should create a deficit.

Long term I need to learn to accept myself at whatever weight I am and want to be healthy instead. I always hated my face and my smile even when I was skinny. In fact, I think I hated my face more when I was skinny. So I have some work to do mentally while I'm going through all this. So I'm going to post a somewhat random goal of getting some pictures on here by Valentines day. I'm gonna do some sort of montage that includes me over the last 25 years. One thing about being married this long is that my childhood seems a million years ago and since I had a baby and got married at age 18, this last 25 years is pretty much it for me. In one year and 5 months we will have our 25th anniversary. Our marriage absolutely stinks. I don't know of that will change or not. But I want to at least give it a shot. What I look like and what I weigh matters a great deal to my husband. I always hated that he loves me only conditionally. I think I might have gotten this fat in some sort of protest against him!

[LZ]

Good morning.

Suzy, we are close to the same age. I am 43. I have been married 22 years. Welcome, we will help each other through this journey!

I didn't sleep weel last night. Really stiff so I got up at 3am after about 3 hours of restless sleep and took two benadryl. At 5:30 I gave up and did my FIRM workout. I did well yesterday with right at 1000 calories and over 100 ounces of water. I am going to the store. When I get back I will decide---bed or straight to the garage.

Have a productive and skinny day!

[slimmersuzi]

LZ, I didn't sleep well either. Well, I slept for about 4 hours straight at first which is wonderful. But I woke up feeling rested and stayed up from 1:30 am. Now I'm sleepy and would love to go back to bed.

It's nice to have others to talk to that understand. We should start a middle of the night chat group and just check on each other to see if we are in the room. I always check but no one is ever in there.

Suzi

[alykat06]

Good morning everyone, just checking in before I go grocery shopping. Need food :D! Welcome Suzi, I know what you mean about needing to fix those thoughts about yourself whether your skinny or not. I love myself on the inside but not on the outside, I acctually feel more insecure now after losing 35 lbs than when I weighed more..I guess because I truley see how big I was then and dont want to be that way agin.Idk, but I agree, there is more to it than just lbs and inches, we will get through this together. I would buy a new scale, if the scale ever changes than its wrong! I used to have one that had variations, but then I bought a Weight watchers glass scale and it never changes no matter where it is placed.

Julie you can check in as often as you wish, I know the more I log on the more I keep on track. Just make sure youweigh in on Wednesdays.

I am doing well with my calorie and water intake. I did 25 minutes on my treadmill yesterday and did a few aerobics on my wii fit. I did weigh in at 194 this morning but it might be too good to be true, but I guess skiing really helped that one. of course scat is always right :p. hows everyone else?

[hmhuntr]

Yeah, I'm a little freaky about salt. I don't salt anything. I got used to not using it when my grandfather was diagnosed with high BP when I was 11. I may throw a sprinkle here or there but my thought is, people can season their own to taste. The soup is a take off of the cabbage soup. I had left over cabbage from New Year's and thought what the heck, it sounds pretty good! So I threw in some green peppers, onion, celery, no sodium added diced tomatoes and tomato paste, and some low sodium beef broth. Prob doesn't sound good to most but it's pretty tasty, especially on a cold day! Still pushing the water and I think my weight is down a pound from Wed. so that is pretty exciting. I am expecting Tom at the end of next week so it will be here in time to ruin it all!:o

[CDCreations]

So glad your back!

I am so tired. I spent over 10 hours working on painting my garage. I hope I'll be able to move tomorrow so I can finish the other 1/2.:p
You missed me finally finishing the inside of my house and getting my carpet. I thought it would never happen.

Hey LZ!! Yep, couldn't stay away too long from my buddies!!! :D Congrats on finishing your home; I know it took a while to complete, and you put a lot of hours into getting it done; proud of you!! And think of all the calories you burned and the great workout you gave your muscles, so you got a double bonus!!

Suzi, soon you will be a member of the grandmother club; it's the greatest club in the world!!! And I'll tell you, there's nothing like holding and loving a precious baby that came from your baby ...

Hello phen family!! So I did about 45 minutes on my stationary bike last night, burned about 275 calories! I hadn't done it in a while, so I'm pleased that I got through it without wearing myself out, and I worked up a great sweat, whew!! Did some pushups as well, and I plan to do it all over again today. Hubby and I are invited to a fish fry party today, so I plan to have just a small piece of the fish to taste, and then I'll munch on the low-cal, low carb stuff, like veggie trays, etc. Have a great day today, and remember to drink your water!! :)

[tarheelgirl50]

Aly, I would definatly recommend the 30 day shred... this workout is SO tough but if you stick with it you will have some amazing results.. even in a few days I could see a huge difference in my endurance and my arms were already starting to firm up.. the only thing is she doesnt really focus on toning triceps and inner thighs which are my problem areas.. so after the workout I take a little time and work on them.. Also, Jillian is so scary and pushes you so hard that your almost scared to stop or skip reps.. lol.. Its also fairly inexpensive..

[spayne70]

I'm Stacy and I'm 38, a mom of two girls 19 & 14..married 15 years and live in Kentucky and I owe my own daycare with 4,2,newborn..I started Phen in Nov 08.i get up every morning at 5:00 have my coffee watch the morning news then I walk 1/2 a mile each morning at 6:00am get back get my daughter up and ready for school at 6:30 am and get my daycare kids at 7:00am..i exercise at night for 15-30 minutes 4 days a week.im on a 1100 calorie a day although i dont always get that many but i try..
I started out at weighing 257 pounds i know weigh in at 223 pounds and im going down to 150 pounds by my birthday/vacation June 16,2009.I use to wear size 26/28 in pants and now i wear a size 18/20 so that is exciting for me...It seems like i might of been getting a little lazy with the holidays so this challenge will get me back on track...Thanks Aly


My goals for this the Valentines day challenge is :
200 pounds (hopefully ill be under that ) :D

[LZ]

LZ, I didn't sleep well either. Well, I slept for about 4 hours straight at first which is wonderful. But I woke up feeling rested and stayed up from 1:30 am. Now I'm sleepy and would love to go back to bed.

It's nice to have others to talk to that understand. We should start a middle of the night chat group and just check on each other to see if we are in the room. I always check but no one is ever in there.

Suzi

Suzi,

Next time I am up in the middle of the night I will check the chat room!:) I'm hoping it won't be tonight but you never know. I tried to take a nap this afternoon, but could not get to sleep.:(

[LZ]

CD, enjoy your fish fry-but not too much.

Alykat, WTG on the 194. I checked my weight this morning and I was down .2. I can gain 5 pounds in two days and then take two months trying to get it back off. I need to go skiing!

Welcome Stacy, you are off to a great start.

I'm doing really good today so faer on menu, water and exercise. I hope I can finish out the day strong.

[KaraATL]

I hope I can still join the challenge..a little late.

My name is Kara and I'm a 28 yr old with a 7 month old son and am married living in Atlanta, Ga. I just started on Phentermine about 6 days ago. I have been overweight along time...Suddenly gained weight and then diagnosed with PCOS..it was crazy I was so active but I was still gaining. Anyways...I want to lose weight so I can be a healthy active mommie and not be embarassed. I haven't even ever visited my husband at his fire station because I don't want them to see he has a fat wife. :( But I have a very loving supportive husband..shoot he married me weighing 260lbs!

I would love to lose 20 lbs by Valentines! My goal will be 250lbs! Seems I weigh much more than a lot of yall on here though...oh well..I won't forever


SW 270lbs 12/28/08
Valentines Goal 250lbs!

[slimmersuzi]

Kara,
All it would take for me to be with you would be one family tragedy. My highest weight was 232 and I felt like I would die! I keep getting so close to 200 and then bounce back again. It sounds like you have been working hard and it's time you get some relief! I know exactly how you feel. There have been so many times I've ate right and exercised for months and months with little to no results.

For me, I realize that it's a MUST for me to weigh and measure everything and not even take a bite that is not accounted for.

Suzi

[Glenna M]

Today I did good, even with my sister, brother, SIL, mom and dad taking me out for lunch! I did indulge in the Native New Yorker's home made potato chips though, BUT I only ate 1/2 of my italian beef sandwich. I walked on the treadmill for 2 miles this morning, 1 mile at full incline at 3 MPH. I also did lunges, squats, standing crunches and worked with my weights for my arms. So about an hour and a half work out.

When I got home I watched my birthday present from my SIL. She is a sonogram/ultrasound tech and did an ultrasound 2 weeks ago on my DIL, so I got to watch a slide show of my grandson! I am already so in love with him.

[scatanafas]

Glenna: I never heard of Native NY chips and I'm a Native New Yorker! Bet they were good and after that workout you probably worked them off and then some!

Suzi: I hear you on the months of no change...I went through that last year. Do you have a tanika scale by any chance? I had one and the number would never change, I changed the battery and everything. There should be SOME fluctuation even by an ounce....I bought another one that I like so much better.

Kara: Don't worry about what you weigh here compared to others. There's over forty of us and we call in different shapes and sizes, bottom line is we all are in this together, we all want the same things......welcome and you're going to do great...

CD: You kick butt on that bike girl! Remember, we both gotta get our groove back...No more spanx for us!

LZ: I'm always impressed by your workouts!



Well I went out last night and ate somewhat badly but have not gained by it...I ate light the whole day in preparation for it. Now that that is over I'm ready to buckle down and really make some progress this week. I"m going back to WW on Tuesday....I decided I really need to be accountable to someone....I hate paying them every week so maybe that will be incentive to get back to my Lifetime goal weight.....I ran over my keychain by accident and busted all the charms so getting another WW keychain is good incentive.....

I'm going to join a new gym, they have a special 8 week challenge thingy. I also am going to be doing alot of zumba training to get ready for my workshop in Feb.

I think this combination of things may help me get back to where I used to be, or atleast get to a better place than I am now. 2008 really was a wash as far as diet and exercise goes......and it shows! I'm so ready to do this and without phen.....

[LZ]

I"m going back to WW on Tuesday....I decided I really need to be accountable to someone....I hate paying them every week so maybe that will be incentive to get back to my Lifetime goal weight.....I ran over my keychain by accident and busted all the charms so getting another WW keychain is good incentive.....



Good moning!

Scat, you may want to see if there is a TOPS chapeter in your area. Look at TOPS dot org. It is so much cheaper and so much more about support; yet we weigh weekly on the scale for the accountability.

I lost my two Christmas pounds.:)I really want another one gone before Wednesday. If I can contibue to be good--make that I WILL contibue to be good!:D

[LZ]

Glenna, you are such an inspiration. Great job on compensating for those chips!

Scat, I know I have told you this before, I sure wish we lived close. I think we would be great motivational partners at the gym.

Kara, I agree. We are all different and some have been in your shoes. This is a great place for support! Welcome.

[scatanafas]

Good moning!

Scat, you may want to see if there is a TOPS chapeter in your area. Look at TOPS dot org. It is so much cheaper and so much more about support; yet we weigh weekly on the scale for the accountability.

I lost my two Christmas pounds.:)I really want another one gone before Wednesday. If I can contibue to be good--make that I WILL contibue to be good!:D

I will look up TOPS today. I once did a program called New You years ago, it was much cheaper than WW and basically the same thing, the leader was a former WW leader and she was awesome..but they are no longer in this area.....:(
The nice thing about being a Lifetime member at WW is that I don't have to go every week and get charged....but at the same time I really do need to go for the support. I'm thinking about doing that pass that they offer, then it is nine dollars and change a week instead of 12 or 13.


I gained less than a lb since Christmas Eve which for me is nothing short of a miracle......I usually gain six or seven lbs during the holidays.....

Good for you for losing two lbs....way to go! I would be happy to lose one lb before Wednesday myself, I have a feeling I won't show much of a loss. I also know that if I start working out hard core I will have a few weeks of a gain nevermind a loss due to the inflammation that occurs in the muscles once you start a workout program....I can't let that mess with my head though. I know eventually my efforts will start to show on the scale and more importantly in INCHES. :rolleyes:

[Laurachip1]

I did it. I worked out for a bit. I"m just getting back in the swing of things. It's been months since I did any exercise that wasn't fun... ya know like skating, riding horses, bowling. I didn't do those often enough to really count them. I have been back on Phen for 8 days. Ya all know how hard it is to get back to it when we've been off for a while. I only exercised for about 15 min, I'll try to get in another 20 later today. I know 15 isn't much, but it's more than I did yesterday. That counts for something, right??

[scatanafas]

I did it. I worked out for a bit. I"m just getting back in the swing of things. It's been months since I did any exercise that wasn't fun... ya know like skating, riding horses, bowling. I didn't do those often enough to really count them. I have been back on Phen for 8 days. Ya all know how hard it is to get back to it when we've been off for a while. I only exercised for about 15 min, I'll try to get in another 20 later today. I know 15 isn't much, but it's more than I did yesterday. That counts for something, right??

Yeah that counts for something! That counts for alot of thing! It is SO hard to get back to working out but once you start making it a habit it gets easier and easier. Years ago I could't do more than five minutes on the treadmill, it is frustrating but any bit that you do puts you on the road to doing more....:)

Now I am starting over too and I dread it.....starting is the hardest part...:rolleyes:

[alykat06]

Hey guys hows it going? Well yesterday could have gone better but i prepared for it in advance and so far so good. I had a bite of a protein bar in the morning and pretty much went shopping for hours looking at all the labels and searching for low carb foods. I had a headache by the time I came out! Not to mention my small store doesnt have any of the good flour I was looking for..I went to my moms after unpacking and we had one of my favorite dinners, pork loin with gravy and german noodles (spaetzle)..I only had about a cup of noodles and stacked up on meat and salad. The exercise i got was running around the grocery store. I plan on getting on my treadmill today, Ill be bored anyways since the bf is going to watch football..joy..Congrats on the exercise and lbs lost everyone. You guys are doing fantastic!
Its never too late to join the challenge, welcome new challengers!

[slimmersuzi]

Hey everyone. It sounds like everyone is working hard, planning for their food and exercising and at least starting :) I'm in the at least starting category. I'm doing only 10-20 minutes at a time 1 or 2 times per day. I am making certain I do it everyday. Days off don't work for me. I'm an all or nothing gal.

Yesterday I went to spend some time with my daughter. I actually believe she's getting a bit depressed no matter how brave she is trying to act. When I left she looked like she would cry. She HATES showing weakness to anyone. We looked and looked for some clothes that would grow with her or at least be forgiving. But her job is hard core about her tucking her shirt into normal jeans for as long as she can. She's already out of her jeans and almost out of her sisters jeans. So I bought jeans that were a 13 at walmart. She's usually a 9 in the miss stores. She tried a 13 on in one of her clothing stores and there was no way, no give or room. She's only 6 weeks a long! She is so scared she'll have twins and the clinic will be doing an ultrasound to rule out twins as soon as she is far enough a long for a normal one and not a vaginal one.

Today I got up and had a huge salad again. I really don't feel satisfied with the salads. But, I do feel good knowing they are healthy. I'm determined to have at least one, but preferably 2 per day.

Suzi

[CDCreations]

Good afternoon phen family! Kara, I hear you on how you were saying that you had not visited hubby's fire station, because you were concerned about your weight; I've been there too ... I felt that if my hubby's co-workers saw me, fat and out of breath, being there with my man, who is tall, not overweight and handsome, that they would think, what an odd couple ... But I have visited, and although no one said anything, I still felt awkward and out of place because of my weight -- I did lose a good amount of weight last year, then lost sight of my goal and gained a lot of it back, now it's time to shed this mess and keep it off - just wanted to share that I can so identify with you on that ... But the most important thing is that you are a member of our phen family, and we are here to support each other and lose our weight together; we luv you, and are so happy to have you here with us!!!! :)

Glenna, you're gonna be a member of the grandmother's club soon as well, congrats to you!!! I could hear the joy in your message about seeing the ultrasound, just wait until you hold your precious grandson and look into his angel eyes -- gurl, you got me tearing in happiness for you; my grandson is 6 1/2, and I remember that wonderful moment when I held him for the first time -- such a thrill and a wonder, and even now, as he has grown into a big boy, he's my whole life, and I have such joy within every time I see him - to me, grandchildren truly complete your life, and I'm so happy for you!!

LZ, gurl, you are working out big-time; proud of you, keep up the excellent work!! I did go to the fish fry party, and had a great time!! I am pleased to report that I only had a little taste of the fish (which was, of course, delicious!), and then concentrated on the tossed salad, fruits and other low-cal items - gonna concentrate big time on water today; I want my weigh-in on Wednesday to show a loss!!

Scat, hey gurl! I like the idea of you joining WW, and also checking into TOPS as LZ suggests, it helps being accountable to someone; that's the same reason why I want to join Curves -- be accountable, have to report to someone, have them record my measurements, weight loss, all that. And yep, I'm back on my bike, gonna pedal these rolls right off of me -- just call us Stellas, getting our grooves back!!

Luving this challenge, and enjoying meeting and getting to know you all through your posts -- let's do this thang; although it's wintertime and cold right now, this season will pass right by, and spring is right around the corner, and I wanna get me a few cute spring outfits in a smaller size than what I'm wearing now, so let's--get--bus-ay!!!! :D

[anipsed]

hi all--im still here...been off the radar for a few days (been on vacation). I will begin the challenge tomorrow (1-5-09)---going out of town from 1-10 until 1-15 but will make good food choices while im gone!

my starting weight (as of this morning) is 170---

My goal for Valentine's will be 159--11 pounds!

I planned out my meals for this week and am heading to the grocery store now!

Good luck!

[brittsmile]

Better late than never!!

Alright, after talking to a few ladies I'm joining this challenge...Yay me!

My name is Brittany, from South Florida & I'm 22 years old. Been on phentermine since November 22nd so, about 6 weeks now. Sofar I've lost 25lbs, which is awesome - but no where close to the amount I want to be! No one but 4 people know that I'm taking phen so, I can't really talk about it with people, so that's why I joined the forum and I am SOO glad I did! I eat between 600-800 calories a day, and do at least 30 minutes of some kind of exercise a day. I'm a recent graduate from FAU, but decided to go back for some grad courses, so I start tuesday! I also work full time, so it's very hard to make "good" food choices, but I have changed my lifestyle for this. My ultimate goal is to be between 120-130 lbs, hopefully by christmas of this year. So thats another 90-100lbs I want to eventually lose. My mini goal for valentines day will be to weigh in at 210, meaning I need to loose 11lbs. Alrighty loves, off to do some wii fit games & then run to walgreens to spend money ( i love that store!)

Happy Sunday...& for those football fans...BOO DOLPHINS!!!!

[sweettart]

Hello all u strong pretty ladys ! How are u all doing ? I have doing good just very very busy my mom and dad had a house fire so I have been working hard helping them remodel the house. I haven't been eating 1200 cals aday I haven't really had time to eat much of anything but I have been drinking lots of water. hope u all have been doing good stay strong we can do this !!

[sweetpurple]

Hi Phen family been absent due to my computer messing up last week, my screen started tripping lines was running up and down and i couldnt see anything, I was so mad i only had this computer 3yrs. So today my daughter turned it on and its working, Am so happy now. Am glad to read that everbody is doing great well me i have increased my water intake and i execrise for 45mins today. and am learining how to eat healthier and i think am going to join curves tuesday to make sure am losing and accountable for plus my birthday is march 8th and am going to vegas so i must look even sexier and smaller. good luck ladies.

[hmhuntr]

I'm gettin there. Between the soup with cabbage and all of the broccoli and cauliflower I ate today I am really hoping whom ever said you could **** and lose weight was just messing with me!!!:D I feel like my eyes are going to pop out of my head....where's the Beano?????
TMI?????

[Makeithappen]

Ok...just tried to catch up on some of the post. Its awesome to see how many people are here!!!! Aly, I know it was a few post back for you, but I understand the "feel more insecure" thing. One...I dont want to go back there and think about how I am still not happy with where I am ...and that was all that weight ago. Two...I still dont like the way I look, at least when I was bigger my fat rolls werent as jiggly (i know...maybe to much TMI....but I know someone here has to understand that!)
SOOO..I came in to try and talk myself out of eating yet again tonight...Its only my second night of night shift (and TOM is here) and I feel like I have eaten everything around me...and I still want more...I am scared to weigh in on Wed. I haven't done any exercises because I am so tired...cant sleep during the day yet...I FEEL SO OUTTA WACK!!!!
Hope everyone is doing good (and better than me)!!

[allylynn]

Yeah CD, been there done that...I had this body slimmer thing that I used to wear to slim me down and it was the ugliest thing ever, I always said that if i were in an accident the EMT's would need to use the jaws of life to get me out of this thing....at night when I took it off you could see the indentations on my body of the seams....the things we do! I want to be able to wear a form fitting dress and NOT NEED something like that, right now that isn't possible. yes, I'm grateful for spanx but its no fun wearing them to a barbeque party in july....if I get heatstroke let it not be because of my knickers for God's sake!

:p

Scat, you are too funny! Almost everyone is asleep and I'm trying my hardest to contain my laughter!! loved the entire post. My fav was a tie between the jaws of life and please God not because of my knickers,lol.

[Glenna M]

Today was my grandniece's 16th birthday party. I did okay, just a small piece of cake. THEN we went with my son and DIL to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner OH OH! I did well on the entrée, had Herb Crusted Salmon. The thing is it comes with these out of this world mashed potatos and a creamy lemon sauce to die for! Both made with real cream of course! It had asparagus with it also, I ate all of that LOL. I brought home the leftover salmon and fed it to the dogs. I ordered the lunch size portion (boy am I glad I did!) and I used portion control and halved my food, then halved it again. I even brought home leftover cheesecake. I admit to eating the fresh made whipped cream though. All in all I didn't do great, but I didn't over do it either. I will have to do extra time on the treadmill tomorrow though, I go to the Dr. on Tuesday!

OH I have to add that my mother told me I was getting super tiny again! I felt elated, sometimes she is my worse critic so I know she is being honest with me. Oh and she is in TOPS, she was the Queen of TOPS for her area a few years ago. She was the President of her chapter for awhile also. She still belongs but can no longer walk the 5 miles a day she was because of toe surgery that put a post in her toe. No more long walks or closed toed shoes for her. At 60 she was a size 6! Used to tick me right the heck off because I was a size 8 LOL.

[gitten150]

hello, my name is paula, I have been reading phen blogs for about 1 yeaar now, I am now about to start phen 30mg after loosing 30lbs 1 year ago and gained all back, cheated terribly during the holidays...I am very interested in the challenge and will be logging on nightly to chat

[allylynn]

Wow, trying to keep up with all these posts is a lot of work! This is great.

I'm excited about the next weigh in. I am gonna try to walk three times this week. I'm feeling my bulging disc again and don't want to aggravate it too much. My shot in my back to help it didn't last nearly as long as I had hoped. Every pound off helps my back though.

Things have gone well my first couple days back on Phen. Today was my husband's birthday which translates to too much food. I think I was able to keep it under an amount that would cause weight gain. On Sunday's I have such a hard time with my eating. The schedule doesn't follow what works best for my Phen schedule. I have to eat on this weird schedule or not eat till 1 in the afternoon. Which that won't work, lol.

Back on track with Phen eating schedule tomorrow. And taking my big booty out to the mall to walk. It's like 5 degrees outside, lol.

[simplychell31]

Hi everyone i'm Chelle from Baton Rouge, La just moved here from Houston two months ago. I have four children three girls and a little man. I started taking phen and xenical on December 3, 2008 my weight was 293lbs. At my follow up visit on December 17, 2008 my weight was 278lbs so I have lost 15lbs so far. My next appointment is Jan. 17, 2009 and I won't weigh myself until then. I know I have lost more because I can fit into my size 18 pants. I exercise 30 mins. everyday and I have eliminated candy and snacking. I am low carbing and it's working for me. My V-Day goal it to be at 258 if i'm not there already. I will update if necessary after my weigh in on the 17th. Good luck everyone.:)

[ethansmommy23]

today was not a great day. i had a few more calories than usual i think i hit close to 1100. i don't think it'll make me gain but i did the 30 day shred as well as the ab lounge so hopefully i lose a little bit.

[alykat06]

Hey everyone! Well its back to work for me which is a good thing, I tend not to eat well on the weekend. Its not that I overeat but I dont eat much at all. Its mainly because like allylynn said, the fact that my phen schedule is out of whack. I get up at like 930, take phen, dont eat bfast til 1130, then dont eat again until dinner. At least at work I have a specific eating schedule, get up at 6, take phen, eat bfast at 8, have a snack around 10, eat lunch at 12, have a snack at 2, then come home and have dinner.

I am happy my bf is finally going to be taking initiative and will be losing weight as well. His problem is that he doesnt eat enough and when he does he eats junk. With the way his work schedule is it throws him off too. He will work night shift for 2 or 3 days 7-7, hell eat before he goes to work, eat bairly anything at work, come home and go to bed, hes pretty stationary at work as a machine operator. On the days hes off he sleeps a regular schedule and tends to eat when I do, but doesnt tend to eat much. So I am trying to get a good food plan going for him since hes picky ughh! He is going to start walking with me on the days he is off of work and he wants to exercise at home on the days he does work. We will see how it goes, I had to bribe him with a birthday party playing paintball in order to get him motivated lmao..Hes starting off at 245 and man I know as long as he tries he will be -30 lbs in 2 months, man he ****s :D!

I will be happy when TOM is out of here, getting to be a real pain lol. I have my doct. appt on Friday so I hope to be getting phen again. I am out of phen and I am super tired again, but with Tom being here I am not hungry anyways, thats a good thing. Some TOMs Ill be raiding the cuboards while others I just cant stand the sight of food. I did 40 mins on my DDR yesterday, I know I said I was going to do the treadmill but I wanted to dance instead..The workout mode on DDR said I burned 300 Kcal. Man Ive only done the treadmill 1 time this week..I better get a move on huh? well I guess I will be doing it today and tomorrow then :D. I started school again after a 2 week break, I hope it wont be too hectic, school stresses me out and then I don't lose..

Hows the phen family? I counted how many challengers we have in total and our count is..drumroll please...60 challengers! Thats amazing! I am so happy to have that many and continually have more joining. Hopefully everyone will be sticking to the challenge on we wont see anyone dropping from the challenge or forum.

[tinkerbellt15]

Well after almost 2 weeks at my parents house (full of bad food) I'm back to my place and getting back on track! I said I would to my Turbo Jam workouts 3 times this week. I did it last night- so 1 down 3 to go! I've also been using my bun and thigh roller. I should be able to get a good work out in today. I was supposed to go back to school today but we got canceled! Yes teachers really do love no school days as much as the kids! Guess I'll have to wait another day to see my wonderful 7th and 8th graders!!!

Hope everyone is doing well!!!

If anyone has myspace feel free to add me
www.myspace.com/trishae03

[albobaby]

Good morning -

Hope everyone had a great New Years! Ours was fun but tiring. We were out until 6am on NYE!! I am way to old for that, lol. We also went out on NYD and the day after NYD so basically we partied for 3 nights straight. By the end of the 3rd night I was done for. lol

I haven't stepped on the scale. I am a little afraid too between my bloating from TOM (bloating starts anywhere from 7-10 days before TOM arrives) and my 3 night of general mayhem.

I guess we will see on Wednesday morning how much damage I have done! :o

[scatanafas]

Well its back to the grind for me which means less time to be on the forum and the puter in general but I am going to stick with this challenge. My weight is down today so I must have done something right this past weekend although i'm not sure what. Last night I had the munchies so bad, I was practically in PAIN. I had this strange craving for cake, probably because MOMTO8 was telling me she was eating her daughter's leftover wedding cake! Of course I had no cake in the house and even if I did I shouldn't be eating it so I just suffered. I read somewehre to wait twenty minutes and the craving should pass..well thats a load of bulldinky because I was just hungrier after 20 minutes. I ate some walnuts thinking protein would fill me up and drank water. It really is a psychological game at times, isn't it? Was I really hungry? I had a big enough dinner so I should not have been....I'm hoping it is just PMS and I won't go through that again tonight.....

I'm going back to WW tomorrow..decided to bite the bullet and go back. I'm ten lbs above my goal when i became lifetime which was in 2006 :eek: I can't believe that I was that small.

I hope everyone here has a great Monday.

Alykat, great great job on keeping track of 60 people here! Its alot of work and I'm sure we all appreciate it!:heartpump:

[basketballbelly]

I so need this. Well where do I start. I'm old...a young old but old none-the-less. I'm 43 years young! My goal for Valentines day will be 240. My calories daily will be kept between 800-900. I am the mom of two and the wife of one. I am working on a graduate degree and a second undergraduate degree all at the same time...I know crazy. It took me the better part of this year to get phentermine but I have finally found a doctor in our area not afraid of the meds. I've been on them for one month and have seen my weight go up and down, I am hoping for a steady downward movement from this point on. This is by the the most difficult thing I've ever done...losing weight that is. I've been at it for about 10 years now...before that I was always a perfect size 5...where did I go wrong.

bbb

[sweettart]

Hello phen family ! I am sooo happy everything is back on track for me. My kids r back at school my hubby is back to work and I am back to my freedom ! YAY !! So I got up at 8 am and did my workout and cleaned my house and now I have time to check in with my phen family :-D hope u all are havin a great day so far !

[CDCreations]

Hello phen family, just dropping in to say hi!! I am so on track today, drinking my water, took my phen, and eating small portions throughout the day. I was talking to a co-worker this morning about a diet that she is starting to do, a grapefruit diet, where she eats either 1/2 a grapefruit or drinks a small glass of grapefruit juice before her regular meal. Sounds like a lot acid to me, something I don't think is good for you, so I'm just gonna do what I did before that had me lose a lot of weight - I drank a lot of water, cut my portions, especially carbs, and did my stationary bike 4-5 times a week. I hear you on wanting some cake Scat (by the way, pls. tell Momto8 that CD says hi!) -- they are celebrating a birthday party here in the office today around 4, and I'm not eating none of that cake, no way!! Those times are hard when you pull yourself through without cheating; kudos to you!!

Truly luving this challenge; thanks alykat!! :D

[joliefan]

im gonna try this... i weigh 216 now but i've taken this for about a week and really havent lost much at all.. but im taking some great advice from one of you and will start to drink water,,, even though i hate water.. yuk.. im gonna add some flavor packets and drink drink drink it. and then start exercising too. sooooo here i go, i wanna be 200 by feb 14th, is that fair?

[ethanangel]

Hey peeps...sorry i have been slacking on checking in but i have had a house full of sicklies. You would think with no time to eat and running between 3 rooms that i would have shed a lb or two so we will see on wed.That is if the few inbetween bites of everyones leftover food and whatever happened to be laying around at the ready haven't went to my thighs. Kids still at home schools closed again due to weather, ughhhhhhhhh i used 3 wks of my vaca last year because of this and it looks like it might happen again. I NEED TO GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE BEFORE I EAT IT

[slimmersuzi]

Wow, I'm gonna have to check in here more often. It took awhile to read all the new posts :)

It's nice to see everyone excited. So we are weighing in on Wednessday. I sure hope I can show a loss by then. I can't afford to buy new scales and prefer to go ahead and just deal with these instead of putting more on a credit card.

My stress level is really high right now as I try and deal with all this stuff with my daughter. Turns out the boy she is having a baby with is a pothead. My 2 daughters together make too much for medicaid. My husbands company is threatning to stop the insurance for all of us, not just her. So she'll either need to move home to take part in the Cobra insurance we'll likely be buying or move in with the guy and hope he doesn't make too much. He sells cars. Some months he makes nothing. Other months he makes a lot. It's not enough income to be able to afford the cobra insurance and too much to automatically get medicaid. I think it's ridiculous that my older daughters income should be counted. She rents from her sister. She pays 300 per month and my daughter still acts like it's not enough. Well, my older daughter makes almost enough to keep her sister from getting medicaid. It's not her responsibility to pay for her sisters baby! So why does the state think it's ok to count her sisters income?! She should be considered independent and just take the rent she pays into consideration.

So on top of not being sure how any of this is going to workout, my daughter in California is upset. She doesn't want her sister to move in with a druggy. Well it's not like I DO! But parenthood changes a lot of people and he seemed like a nice guy the first time I met him. My husband did pot once after we were married and I'm death on it. He's never done it again that I know of or that the kids would know.

My husband keeps saying really rude things so we've fought like cats and dogs! I've only known for like 3 days and it feels like longer! I'm sure my daughter won't come home because her father is a jerk and she's told me she does not want to live alone.

It's all so CRAZY! I never thought we'd be here.

Suzi

[luvinmybabies]

So I feel like I did well over the weekend. Forgot to take my pill on Saturday, realized it when it was too late in the day to take it. Somehow I still managed to cut way back on portions and only eat a small sliver of cheese pizza at a b-day party for a 4 yr old. I had a protein shake for a snack and dinner was steamed brocolli and a half of a grilled cheese sandwich. Sundays are usually the worst for me. We always go to lunch after church...and sometimes out to dinner after the evening service. I had grilled chicken and shrimp, no sauce...and a couple little pieces of sushi for lunch. Dinner was at a Mexican restaurant (could eat that every day!!)...again grilled chicken with vegetables over rice. I only ate about a third of that and hubby took the rest to work today. Hopefully I will have something (or something less) to show on Wednesday <crossing fingers>.
The 8 mo old is pulling up on furniture and has figured out how to climb stairs and open cabinets...so I feel like I never sat down the entire weekend! A lot of baby-proofing had to be done!

Suzi-speaking of babies...I am so sorry that your situations is so stressful right now. I know the sales world isn't very profitable right now, and definitely isn't stable (my hubby just got out of it). I think it may be time for your grandbaby's daddy to step up to the plate and try to find something more suitable. I think that will tell you a lot about him, whether he decides to do that or not. The whole medicaid issue ****s!!! I see it every day. People who need it can't get it, and people who get it abuse it (just my experience). I pray that something will work out for your daughter, and that your husband will come to accept the situation. He is probably hurting inside too. Keep your head up...things will work out.

[LindsayBo]

Hey everybody! Im still here.. Ive been much more active these past couple of days. However, the scale isnt moving. Im having trouble trying to figure out how much to eat. Journaling my cals have shown that i only get between 7-800/day!! Sometimes less :( I had no idea it was that low & apparently that works for some people, but not me. So, Im upping them to at least 1000. We'll see how that goes. Any suggestions?I plan on playing with it for a bit til i find the right combo. But..seems like that could take a while. But hey, i have a while. :D Hope everyone is doing great!

[KARENinFWB]

Wow! I can't believe all the posts on this thread! I've been away from the computer for almost a week, and I missed pages and pages of postings! Anyway, I'm still here. I was just trying to take advantage of the last few days of Christmas break, and get out with my kids, and DO SOMETHING! Oh, and I just bought the Jillan Michaels 30 Day Shred today at Walmart. It was only $11.00, I couldn't believe it!. I plan to try it in the morning. I haven't worked out regularly for almost 3 weeks. LAZY! I've gotta get my butt outta bed in the morning, and start back to my Monday thru Friday routine!

[scatanafas]

Let us know how you like the shred Karen....

I joined the foofy gym today! I'm so excited......they took my measurements and weighed me and i'm in their 8 week challenge....

[slimmersuzi]

Luvin :) Thanks. I know it will work out. I just have to keep telling myself that. I also know about the baby proofing. Because of the 20 years of daycare I've learned to really cut back on the types of things they can get hurt on. We don't even own coffee tables, end tables lamps etc. BUT, I do have things like my bill buckets, drawers full of stuff that I teach them to stay out of. I'm diligent to be in the same room with them all the time. I sometimes feel that baby proofing can be a crutch and make people over confident. Babies learn to get into things locks and all! I'm so grateful to the Lord. I've not had a serious accident in all these years. I've had a couple of choking scares that turned out ok. But it's made death on putting up money, not allowing paper clips and a multitude of things to be anywhere near the floor!

Suzi

[LindsayBo]

Wow! I can't believe all the posts on this thread! I've been away from the computer for almost a week, and I missed pages and pages of postings! Anyway, I'm still here. I was just trying to take advantage of the last few days of Christmas break, and get out with my kids, and DO SOMETHING! Oh, and I just bought the Jillan Michaels 30 Day Shred today at Walmart. It was only $11.00, I couldn't believe it!. I plan to try it in the morning. I haven't worked out regularly for almost 3 weeks. LAZY! I've gotta get my butt outta bed in the morning, and start back to my Monday thru Friday routine!

Hey! I looked for it at my walmart but didnt see it. Is it with the fitness stuff or regular movies? Im clueless..

[LZ]

Aly, I would definatly recommend the 30 day shred... this workout is SO tough but if you stick with it you will have some amazing results.. even in a few days I could see a huge difference in my endurance and my arms were already starting to firm up.. the only thing is she doesnt really focus on toning triceps and inner thighs which are my problem areas.. so after the workout I take a little time and work on them.. Also, Jillian is so scary and pushes you so hard that your almost scared to stop or skip reps.. lol.. Its also fairly inexpensive..

I would also recommend The Firm-Bootcamp and also Total Body Time Crunch (also The Firm). Great workouts. The time crunch one has a 25 & 45 minute workout. They run about $15 at Target. I am going to check into the 30 day shred too.:)

[LZ]

Hey all. Wow a lot of posts. I'm doing good today. Did the Bootcamp video after lazing around all morning. Hubby is on vacation and he inspired me--to be lazy, not workout!

Got a lot done in my garage yesterdeay. I still have one wall to put a second coat on and more organization to do. i had to stop and bring everything in because the forcast was freezing rain. We have gotten some rain today; but so far the ice is on the trees and cars. calories were a bit much at 1374; but I'm sure I burned quite a few in the garage.

[Glenna M]

Today I am home sick! I promise I have learned my lesson about eating rich foods. I guess all that fresh made whipped cream and lemon cream sauce didn't agree with me. I have been drinking lots of water today, but I have not been able to hold food down. I am gonna try dome grilled chicken and grilled veggies for dinner so we will see. One benefit is that I didn't gain and maybe I will lose a pound before I have to go to the Dr. in the morning!

[alykat06]

I think I saw better dvd's at target when it came to working out, the walmart here doesnt have any specifics..where target has biggest loser etc.

[tarheelgirl50]

Today was my first " going out to eat" since I started phen 7 days ago.. and I was remarkably victorious! My family and I went to eat at a local Mexican Resturant. I was very scared. My weigh in is in 2 days. How can I possibly eat healthy? But I ordered the parrilla salad minus the shell and sour cream and half the cheese. The meal was divine loaded with grilled veggies and pico de gallo! Very yummy! And get this I only ate 1 chip with salsa. =] That was my splurge for the evening. I have never been able to do this in the past!! I am sooo excited! *dances*

[Glenna M]

Way to go! Mexican food is the hardest to eat healthy too.

[KathyJ]

Hi! I'm Kathy. I used to be a very active and healthy person....BUT...I moved across the country, started a new career, and started working on my Master's degree all at once. This robbed me of time. I started eating lots of fast food and not exercising. There was just no time. I'd work all day and have 30 minutes to drive to a four hour night class. I'd eat fast food in the car on the way on those 12 hour days! Ugg!

I'm almost done with my degree now. I finished the actual classes and only have to complete a thesis...no more night classes for me!!

I now have time to start eating healthy and exercising. My goal is to exercise at least 4 times a week.

My starting weight as of New Years was 224. I'd like to reach 212 by Valentine's Day. My long term goal is 167 by October 31.
:heart:, Kathy

[KaraATL]

Thank you for all the welcomes and words of encouragment. IT is so wonderful to be around others that know what I feel and have felt. (getting emotional) Taken me a day or so to reply..when my husband is at his 24 hour fire shift..the baby doesn't let me get any computer time...and if so he takes over the keyboard. :)

Welcome back gitten...restarting is a smart move and aren't you glad the holidays are over now?!?

[LZ]

Hello phen family ! I am sooo happy everything is back on track for me. My kids r back at school my hubby is back to work and I am back to my freedom ! YAY !! So I got up at 8 am and did my workout and cleaned my house and now I have time to check in with my phen family :-D hope u all are havin a great day so far !


Let us know how you like the shred Karen....

I joined the foofy gym today! I'm so excited......they took my measurements and weighed me and i'm in their 8 week challenge....

Glad you got signed up at the gym! What are the requirements of their challenge?

[hmhuntr]

I have done EXCELLENT the last few days and tonight I made homemade cookies with my 4 year old for everyone to have as a treat. We used mini M&M's which I care nothing about. Anyway, she looked so cute in her princess apron and chef hat...we didn't have enough M&M's to make a whole batch so I seperated it out and chopped up white chocolate bark and threw that in. Now I know deep down in my soul that I absolutely LOVE white chocolate. Stupid me!!!! They scarfed down the M&M cookies and guess who played hoover with the others?????:mad: I know TOM is due on Friday but dang...I wasn't even hungry......very disapointed in myself. Now I am also chaperoning a fieldtrip to the movies tomorrow for the 4 year old's class (It's all day pre-k in the school system) and we get popcorn. Think I'll pass after tonight, the last thing I need is to add salt, I'll look like Ms. Puff. Better luck to all!!!http://i470.photobucket.com/albums/rr68/hmhuntr12/Christmas068-1.jpghttp://i470.photobucket.com/albums/rr68/hmhuntr12/Christmas066-2.jpg

[scatanafas]

Glad you got signed up at the gym! What are the requirements of their challenge?

Once a week you get weighed and measured, they measure your body fat. Every Monday night they have a presentation on different subjects relating to weight loss...they do hikes through a local park, they have group training once a week....you are supposed to log your activity and what you eat. Every week they have a different challenge....like how many minutes can you log in on the elliptical.....I think it would be fun to try it out and weigh in once a week like in the biggest loser...they don't put any pressure on you, its all voluntary and comes part of my membership. I look forward to taking different classes.....I can quit after a month if I want to....its not a contract. They even said that they would hire me to teach if they need zumba instructors...I really hope I get back into the habit of working out. I was fooling myself this past year thinking that I can get to my goals taking phen, eating less and working out sporadically. I need to take out the big guns and be really focused.

[Glenna M]

Hmhunter it looks like she had a blast! Don't worry about a few cookies, just bet right back on track.

[allylynn]

Haven't kept track of calories today too much. Had two salads and some small pieces of steak. I've been busy all day. trying to stay away from emotional eating. Found out my husband got passed up for a promotion. So I've been on edge trying to keep hubby's spirits up. I'm gonna go to bed and hope that tomorrow he determines that this is a good opportunity to shine.

I got on the scales tonight (yes I'm obsessed) and I weighed the same as I did this morning. So that probably means that weigh in the morning will show a loss. :)

Have a lunch planned with a friend. Hoping that I can find some things to eat that are healthier with little calories.

[slimmersuzi]

I wish you the best with husband and his job woes. I'm going through something similar with mine. My husband has been complaining for months that he does the workd of 2-3 people and that he should be getting a raise. But now his company is in serious financial hardship and he's worried he'll even have a job. I tried to tell him he was being self serving and not seeing the big picture. That doesn't sound to supportive does it? I'm just so tired of hearing people complain about jobs when they are so lucky to have one!

Suzi

[slimmersuzi]

Awww....don't feel bad about eating some cookies. God created food for pleasure sometimes too. We just have to counter that with the lower calorie days and plenty of healthy activities. You'll do better.

Suzi

[spayne70]

Good Morning everyone just thought i would check in its been a couple days since i did....Hope everyone is doing good...congrads to all...off to do my house work..have a good day

[luvinmybabies]

Luvin :) Thanks. I know it will work out. I just have to keep telling myself that. I also know about the baby proofing. Because of the 20 years of daycare I've learned to really cut back on the types of things they can get hurt on. We don't even own coffee tables, end tables lamps etc. BUT, I do have things like my bill buckets, drawers full of stuff that I teach them to stay out of. I'm diligent to be in the same room with them all the time. I sometimes feel that baby proofing can be a crutch and make people over confident. Babies learn to get into things locks and all! I'm so grateful to the Lord. I've not had a serious accident in all these years. I've had a couple of choking scares that turned out ok. But it's made death on putting up money, not allowing paper clips and a multitude of things to be anywhere near the floor!

Suzi

I'm with ya on the whole people getting too confident with baby proofing supplies!! I know that they are no substitute for my supervision. I am a nut when it comes to safety, and I definitely don't let him roam the house...but I also want my child to learn the idea of "open and close" and climbing...it's a learning experience for them. So we allow some cabinets to be unlocked, and those just have tupperware or his toys inside them. It is so funny that you mentioned the coffee table thing...we just took ours out of the room last night! Here's my next dilema...the crib. We had to lower the mattress all the way down, and take the bumper padding off because he was trying to climb on it. But now when he pulls up to stand, he loses his balance and falls against the rails/sides, which has caused many face bruises and crying spells. It has taken me at least an hour to get him to sleep the past two nights. This is a baby that you used to be able to set him in there awake, and he would curl up in the corner and go to sleep no problem. Our daughter wasn't doing all this standing/climbing yet at this age...so this is a whole new experience for us.:confused:

[alykat06]

Hey guys just checking in for now, I am super busy at work and have no internet connection probably the rest of the day. it is an icky day and along with TOM and no phen I just want to sleep! I have finals too and I havent sarted on either paper yet..damn procrastonating..I ill be getting started on those tonight :). I did ok with food yesterday, had my normal protein breakfast, a sandwhich with low carb bread for lunch, and me n the bf went out for dinner and I had a salad and a burger with no bun. I exercised on my treadmill yesterday and my legs are hurting today..I hope to get a good workout tonight too. I hope everyone is doing well!

[slimmersuzi]

They definitely keep us guessing and always trying to do something differently. Even with the hundreds of children I've cared for and easily 50+ babies I've had from 6-12 weeks forward, I am always trying to figure out something new.

My parents are on different shifts. One set I have works together in a factory/warehouse setting. They get off between 11 and Midnight and arrive at my house sometimes as late as 12:30 or as early as 11:15. The baby is now 10 months old. They taught him to stay up with them til 2-3 in the morning from birth. The mom came in here and quite smuggly commented many times on how it ****ed for me that he stays up so late. She said this even knowing that I answer the door 2-3 times at night to let kids in and out and I'm up to stay up around 5-6am. So I told her from the start baby would go in the bed with a handful of safe toys and one little night-light in the room. He'll be expected to play after 10pm PERIOD. Only the joke was on me because they fill him so full of bottles that he pees 4 times between 10 and midnight. So I go and change him, go back to sleep and do that 3-4 times. He'll scream bloody murder when wet. Some nights he cries only for attention. But most nights he plays happily.

So now fast forward and last week I had enough. I decided I was changing that boys schedule. No more miss nice gal. Mom and dad are gonna start getting up a little earlier in the morning. I did not allow him to take a nap in my house and I made him stay awake until 8pm. For 3 nights he cried almost 2.5-3 hours straight because he wanted to take a nap at my busiest time of day when of course I could not lay down and nap with him. It was a long 3 days and then the holiday. I didn't see him for 4 days and I expected to have to start the process again. It didn't happen! This kid stayed awake all evening long and never batted an eyelash. He was happy and ready for bed at a decent hour. Mom didn't say one word about him getting up earlier or wondering how or why his schedule changed. But when I did tell her that he didn't take a nap last night and was happy the whole time, she told me the Aunt said the same thing LOL! The Aunt cares for him 2 nights per week to save on daycare money.

Sorry...long story shorter now...Experiment with your grandson. His sleep patterns are changing and he doesn't know what to do with himself. He could be more tired or less tired and needing either an earlier or later nap time or earlier or later bedtime. If a child is over tired they won't sleep. If they are not tired enough they won't sleep. Also, someone told me that my insomnia would improve if I ate bananas right before bed. I do believe it helps! Turkey too. So, let him have a bedtime snack of bananas and make sure he has turkey at his evening meal. That might make him more restful.

Suzi

[Nunziata]

Hello All! and thank you Aly for starting this challenge. I am new to the site and I am hoping that it will help me in my journey to losing this weight!

I am Nancy and I a 35 y/o mom of 2. My daughter is 15 and my boyfriends son is 23. I have been struggling with my weight for years now. I worked as a NYC Paramedic and I had suffered a few injuries here and there while on the job. My first injury was a lower back injury which spiked my weight up to 250lbs between that and my steriods for my asthma. I had then slowly started to lose the weight and had gotten down to 168 over the course of a couple of years. I then had another injury... my shoulder which required 2 surgeries, along with stress and a few other small issues I am now back up to 230. I would like to lose 10lbs by Valentines day. More if I can (of course while doing it correctly) and my goal is to be 150. I havent seen 150 since highschool! But I would like to be in a size 10 or better for my wedding dress in 2010!

Thanks for the challenge and I wish everyone all the best!

[luvinmybabies]

So I have to give myself a little pat on the back ( I can do that, right?)...
I actually did 25 minutes on my elliptical last night. I had to do it in 2 spurts, but hey...25 minutes is 25 minutes.
Our daughter had a sleep over at Nana's, so that helped. After I put the baby down (drama...read previous post)...I decided that the laundry can wait another day, and my husband can do the dishes in the morning (I'm sure he'll thank me for that). Of course I had to stop a couple of times to tend to the banged up baby (previous post)...but whatever the case, I got on it. Yay me!!