PLEASE CHECK THE BLOGROLL FOR YOUR BLOG, CHALLENGERS!

I've updated the blogroll (to the right) with the names of those who are included in the challenge--and yes, I've added all who were on the waiting list.

I count 30 challengers--after adding Betty, whom I had erroneously left off, sorry B!
 

If you asked to join and your blog is not listed in the blogroll, please leave a comment under this post for me to check on that. I will make goofs, but I try to swiftly correct them. :) (MEGAN: Your blog didn't have a post, so I couldn't leave a welcome comment. But you're in.)

Sunday is the kick-off.

Please reread the rules--yeah, my long-winded rules, try to get through them one more time, eh?--so you can be all set for the start. Your book(s). Your dress (or image). Your exercise type. Your caloric level. Your fluid level. Etc.  Map it out. Be specific. Specificity is measurable and will let you know if you are on track daily/weekly/monthly. IT WILL HELP. I promise. That first post with starting weight and all particular pertinent goal information/images needs to be up by end of day SUNDAY EASTERN TIME. Ok? Feel free to do it earlier. Even tomorrow. Just not later.

Let's go in believing in the possibility for healthful changes and slenderer goals. :D Let's get leaner, stronger, more flexible, and happier about our decisions regarding food and activity and life in general.

I find the fitter I get, the more energy and better I feel overall. I hope by this Christmas, we can all be fit and happy bundles of holiday cheer in smaller packages. Yes? YES!

I found a dress on ebay I've ordered, but won't be here until next week sometime. I think it should be one to two sizes smaller. Won't know till it comes. If it's not suitable, I'll get another dress meantime. But it's a black lace number. I wanted red, and will likely keep my eyes open for a red one, but for now, this one was really nice and a good "dressy dress" staple for my holiday closet/New Years/etc.

We can do this. Women supporting women is mighty stuff. Believe in our ability. I am gonna believe in mine and yours.

Off we go!

What You Need To Do In This Challenge --and here's where you leave a request to join, if the rules don't scare you and you understand I'm limiting the number...and it's not first come, first admitted. :D

NOTE: If your blog is on my blogroll to the right, you are IN the challenge.

IMPORTANT: READ THE RULES CAREFULLY. There's lots of stuff YOU will be responsible for to increase the chances YOU succeed. Read the DO-ITS with good attention. Understand what you need to do. K? :D

The challenge is shaping up this way:

Time Frame:  Sept 11 through Dec 18--that makes 14 weeks.
Three months. Will require an informative and target-specific initial post on day one (September 11, a Sunday). Will require weekly updates on Sundays.

Leader: Me, and the lovely Angela Pea to assist and be rah-rah right hand cheerleader.

Sign up period: now until I say done, but definitely no later than Sept. 7. Decide promptly.

Rules: Yeah, we've got rules. Behold:

~~~~~Challenge Do-Its~~~~~~

PRIORITY #1 "Do-It" : Get a smaller sized dress.
You could buy the dress or just find a pic of a dress you want--in a smaller size (the size you're aiming for) and use that as your daily motivation. Post a pic of the dress (if possible) in a before and after. At least a pic of the dress alone. Just for kicks.  Fit into it by December 18, in time for Christmas festivities.

DO-IT: Select a caloric daily limit on which you (and I) can lose weight weekly.
You choose your caloric level. Just choose one that gives adequate room for nutrients while burning off fat. It doesn't have to be a LOT of loss a week, but it will add up. It just has to be enough loss to get you to your dress size goal.
Note: My approval of your participation is not an endorsement of your eating plan. I figure you're a grown-up, you know you need nutrition and minimum amount of calories to get through a busy day, and you can choose something sound for yourself. If at any time it looks like you're doing something odd/E.D./dangerous/insane, I  might well ask you politely to bow out of the challenge and consult a doc. And I'll remove your name from the blogroll.

DO-IT: Exercise a minimum of 3x a week.
Do whatever exercise you like best and will help you reach your body goals. Lift weights, walk, do Pilates, Yoga, Zumba, anything. You pick it, but do it faithfully.

DO-IT: Strive to be consistent with healthy challenge habits.
Let's place a high value on consistency--no wild scale yo-yoing in 3 monts. Do day in and day out those positive things that lead to weight loss, improved fitness, and a smaller dress size. This in contrast to eating like mad for three days, then trying to make up for it before weigh-in. That is not a healthy habit. Not for 3 months & not for life.

DO-IT: Hydrate sufficiently.
If you're big and not drinking  A LOT of fluids daily, you're probably not adequately hydrated. Trust me. Thirst can seem like hunger.

DO-IT: Choose 1 (or more) books and work on your main obstacle-to-losing issue(s)
Whether what keeps you from losing weight/being consistent/getting to that dress size won is emotional, stress-related, financial, psychological, and/or spiritual, find a helpful book(s) and address it. Blog at the level you are comfortable about it, even if it's minimal. But you might help someone else, as we often share issues.. Your choice of read. Three months to work on it. Let's do the work.

DO-It: One initial post on September 11, 2011 with pertinent challenge goals/info INCLUDING STARTING WEIGHT (the number, yes.)
This will be the first challenge post and one that includes 1. your starting weight, 2. the size of the dress you're aiming for (can be a guess, adjusted later, if you haven't bought it), 3. the name(s) of the book/workbook you'll be using to work in your particular issue(s), 4. the caloric limit you've set for yourself, 5. the type of exercise(s) you plan to do (at least 3x a week), 6. an (optional) photo/pic of the dress/clothing item  (one already bought or ad image or whatever), 7.  and how many glasses of water/fluids you plan to consume daily (even if it's just a starting guess and can be adjusted later). Ditto with calories: You may start off at a number that doesn't let you lose or is too low and can adjust later. Just need initial stats to serve as YOUR GOALS/TARGETS!

DO-IT: One update post a week--ideally on Sunday, but Saturday's fine-- with weigh-in plus one other post any other day you wish.
Challengers should blog at least twice a week on weight progress or issues or setbacks or epiphanies on the journey to fit into that dress. One of those posts on your blog is to be the official challenge update which will include the actual weigh-in result (as in the actual WEIGHT NUMBER, no fudging, no excuses). Feel free to take pics of the scale number, do progress pics. That's up to you. But ONE number ONCE a week: required.  I think posting more often than just 1 challenge update can help you focus on your goals. Maybe one mid-week to keep your mojo going would be helpful. Let's try 2x a week minimum.

DO -IT: Link up to your weekly updates. I'll figure out how to do a linky here ON THIS BLOG, or I'll ask you to add the link to the comments section TO THE WEEKLY CHALLENGE CHECK IN post. Either way. Link up. HERE. Once a week. With the link of your weekly update's url (Not your blog "home" url. Your update url.)

DO-IT:  Be supportive.
Support other challengers as your schedule makes possible, but every week, maybe visit at least 3 challenger blogs and leave comments, especially if someone is struggling. Make email chums with those really simpatico with you, even. It's up to you how much you do, but do some back-patting and support and cheering.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST DO-IT: Do not quit.

Other suggested, but not required, goals:

Use your online gift.
~Whatever your BLOGGING PERSONALITY GIFT is, if it's doing Quick-n-Easy recipes for healthful whole foods, if it's reviewing products, if it's tips on staying at lower calories, if it's cheering people on, if it's making people laugh, if it's spiritual exhortation, if it's hunting down studies/research to share, if it's motivating people, if it's trying out new forms of exercise and writing about it, if it's making artful badges to share with bloggers, whatever your gift is, USE IT IN THIS CHALLENGE when you blog/comment. Help the other person with what you have in your arsenal.

Become a Quick Bounce-Back-er
~Accept setbacks and make them just momentary; brush ourselves off, pick ourselves up, and start all over again, without self-loathing and self-retaliation; to forgive ourselves and MOVE ON towards the prize of a smaller dress size and better health.

Use the weeks from now until September 11 for prepping
~Clear the house of junk foods and temptations. Get your "obstacle-busting" book(s). Prepare your exercise schedule/equipment/DVDs/workout wear, etc. Find a dress/outfit or pics thereof. Buy the groceries you need the days before the challenge begins. Make a meal plan, if you're of that sort of organizational bent. Decide how you'll track your calories (online, in a notebook, in your head, on your blog with pictures, on a digital recorder). Figure out how to get your adequate fluids (have a system or you'll forget). Get family support. Join WW. Join the gym. Buy walking shoes. Just do your prep-work.

Don't Forget Your Leader Is A Frail Human
~I screw up just like everyone. I don't know everything. I get tired. I want to not blog many days. I have a hard time with caloric limits like most folks. Some days, I'm really cranky and don't wanna exercise. I need support, too. I have to use tools to overcome my issues, too. And when I fall, I'll feel even worse than YOU, cause I'm trying to rah-rah and be a good example. Don't judge me harshly. Don't be mean. Help me, too, make progress. :)

Check With Your Doctor and Pros as needed
~Some folks out there have medical issues or have never dieted and exercised--or haven't in ages. If you haven't done any exercise in ages and are overweight, might wanna visit your M.D. and get checked out. If you plan to radically change how you eat and have meds/medical conditions: See your doc. Any doubts about your health: see your doc. I see mine every 3 months, and I keep her informed of my dietary/movement/supplement changes. When I needed exercise help, I hired a trainer. When I needed a diet tweak, I saw a dietitian. I believe in going to the pros if you get to a point where you, alone, can't handle it. See a pro if you need it. Just saying...

Work On Having Faith In Yourself
~Believe it. We will be able to make progress toward that smaller Christmas dress. All of us. Believe it. If you doubt your ability to lose fat and gain strength and increase fitness, you will fail. HAVE FAITH IN YOUR ABILITY TO CHANGE habits and slim down.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

More long-winded stuff, cause that's how I roll:

Focus on new habits and consistency OVER quick-drop, crash dieting. Habit change is the only way to KEEP that smaller dress size you'll have by Christmas.

If you're starting at 300 pounds, you should be able to lose a lot weekly if you stick to a proper eating and exercise plan. If you weigh 160, you may lose much slower, but you will make gains with consistency. It's all about keeping at it FOR LIFE.

If you stick the challenge out and work on food and movement and issues with consistency, you can do something like one of these below:

~Lose 1/2 pound a week, and you lose 7 pounds. Go model perfectly that "almost fits" dress
~Lose 1 pound a week, and you  lose 14 pounds. Fit into a new dress size.
~Lose 1.5 lbs a week, and you lose 21 pounds  Fit into a new dress size, or even 2 down.
~Lose 2 pounds a week, and you lose 28 pounds. Fit into a dress two sizes smaller.
~Lose 2.5 pounds a week, and you lose 35 pounds. Two sizes plus down, you say?
~Lose 3 pounds a week, and you lose 42 pounds. Wow, what the heck size is that you got on? You are a different person!

Challenge weigh-ins will be officially on the Sundays of the challenge period. You can post on Saturday, you can post on Friday. But NOT Monday.

If you know life will be busy, post SOONER than Sunday your weight and update and insights and tips and anything else. But you MUST WEIGH IN BY END OF SUNDAY Eastern time, as that's my time and I want to see the group progress). 

If this is a problem for you (ie, EST Sunday), or Eastern time confuses you, then post Friday or Saturday on the hour of your choosing. :) Just NOT after Sundays. (Well, with rare exceptions, cause life will interrupt with surprises.)

Okay, between the last post and this one, you have an idea of what I'm planning:

1. weekly weigh-ins, with a number, no exceptions
2. developing consistency habits for a lifetime of stable lower weight
3. looking hot for a particular dress (hence, get a dress or plan to get a dress) If you prefer pantsuits, slacks and tops, whatever. It's a Christmas outfit of your choosing--dress, slacks, suit, sarong, grass skirt, coat, Ren Faire costume, Mrs. Santa disguise, anime cosplay outfit, whatever. Smaller size is key.

I think this has covered plenty and gives you a good idea of what you need to do.

If your name is in the blogroll to the RIGHT, you're in the challenge. (If I added your name by mistake, let me know to remove it.) These are folks who were already in previous challenges with me this year and completed phases/challenges. I know they can do the "no quit" thing, so they get priority.


Please leave your name under this blog post if you're interested in joining this challenge. If I know you from when you were in DDDY and completed at least one phase, or you completed the StS challenge, consider yourself in. Just let me know which challenge I know you from and put your blog url (the blog you'll use for the challenge.)

If you weren't in DDDY or Slimmer This Summer, then feel free to ask to be added to the other list. Leave your blog url.

And as a final word/disclaimer: We're all adults in this. No one underaged allowed. And you accept responsibility for your choices (food, activity, books, programs followed, etc). What you do is what you choose to do and you join freely and absolve me of any distress that might arise. I only mention this cause, well, there are weirdos everywhere. This challenge is for motivation and support. I am not your guru or doctor or best friend forever. :) This is just a blog challenge and you take full and due responsibility for all outcomes if you join. Not on me. Okay?

Later.

My initial ideas for the challenge--taken from my other blog's post, just for reference here...

...
Now, for my next challenge:

I had pondered hosting a Christmas Dress Countdown challenge. I still think I'd like to do something along those lines. However, I really think what I want to do is something a bit different than what I originally discussed via email with THURSDAY'S CHILD. I do think I want an email component, which means it will have to be a smaller challenge (so it's a not a crazy long email list).

I was looking back at the things that helped or motivated me most in past challenges, and maybe include things like that. But also include something I've never seen addressed in other challenges I dabbled in or competed over the years: the spiritual and/or the "change techniques" component.

I have no idea right now how that would be set-up. I had this brilliant flash of a notion in the midst of falling asleep two days ago, and I remember going, "Oh, geesh, that would be it. That would be amazing." And I fell asleep--and forgot the brilliant idea. Dang. That's frustrating.

But I do think that many of us already know the nutritional tips, the tracking tips, know we ought to exercise and drink fluids. How many know the actual helpful techniques for behavioral CHANGE? The spiritual aspect that can help one overcome vices/bad habits?

I'd also want the time between StS and when the new challenge starts to be prep time: get rid of junk or trigger foods from your home, prepare the books and exercise stuff (DVDs, equipment, clothes) ready, shop for fresh plan-friendly groceries, figure out your water needs and schedule to workout, get family and friends on board to support you through the temptations of the holidays before the challenge ends (no Halloween crap, healthful options at Thanksgiving). Whatever needs to be done to be all set and IN the mindset. And that can--and maybe SHOULD--include the purchase of a smaller size dress, one that doesn't fit yet, to motivate one to fit into it by Christmas. Or at minimum a photo of the desired dress and the desired size. Yep.  Prep work.

Maybe that's too ambitious for ONE challenge. Maybe I'm full of crap.

And if you think whatever challenge I come up with is too demanding or weird or whatever, remember, there are always many challenges going on. You can find one that suits you, for sure! You can start one...and should, if you have the energy and ideas or just the time! Nothing suits everyone. Be a challenge starter or co-starter!

But, anyway, all that's what I've been pondering, and especially this: components that are about changing more than what we choose for breakfast or how much water we drink. Probably including a book of the challenger's choice (I might offer a list for suggestions) to use and read and apply during the course of the challenge. Perhaps one food book and one change book and one spiritual book. Well, that would be CHALLENGING, except for folks who love to read.

But one thing I know for sure, I want a challenge that is very supportive, positive in outlook, hopeful--like Slimmer This Challenge has been, hooray!-- and one where scale accountability is a given. One number, once a week, no excuses. Allan had that rule, and trust me, it motivated me. I knew if I didn't give that number by that day of the week, I was OUT of the challenge, unless I had a darn good reason and let him know (ie, hospitalized, no internet access on Fiji vacation, computer crash, etc).

I remember how more than once, when I was tempted to hit a cookie or an extra serving of this or that during DDDY, the knowledge that I'd have to send a number to Allan come Sunday made me NOT hit the chips and salsa or blue cheese dressing. Seriously, knowing there would be a reckoning of the numerical sort can be the thing that stops the nighttime extra snack.

Well, Allan would holler sometimes.

I won't holler, but I think knowing you'd have to publish your numerical feedback for the week, rain or shine, was a sort of rein. And to encourage each other NOT to think of the number as the determinant of mood/feeling/motivation, but just something to guide us, help us tweak, help us regroup, or help us celebrate milestones.

As far as other parameters, perhaps a more flexible caloric level than StS, as long as it's one where folks can lose something a week to reach the Dress Size goal....not everyone needs to be 1200, but some people do. Not everyone can lose at 1600, but some people can. Livability--food plans and exercise plans that reasonably fit into your life/family life/work life/day-to-day, but is challenging enough to actually cause weight loss and increase in muscle. Just not TBL level hard. ; ) Since it's another long challenge--3 months or so--one can lose a nice amount to fit into a lovely Christmas dress without having to live at the gym or starve.

So, those are my thoughts on a "next challenge", encapsulated here:

1. Weigh-in number must be posted on the blog once a week, on the given day(s) without fail or excuses.

2. A caloric limit chosen by each participant to encourage steady weekly loss and a healthful diet plan of their choice that includes real, wholesome foods and adequate fluids. Participants will need to decide how to track--any method, I don't care--but you should have some method to know when you hit your limit.

3. An exercise type/variety/intensity chosen by the participant to be at least 3x a week.

4. A book(s) to be studied, blogged about, that helps the participant with change/procrastination/spiritual/vice/bad habit issues that will help overcome overeating.

5. A very supportive atmosphere and positive support structure, which should include commenting on each others' blogs to cheer each other on.

6. Email motivational support from leader(s)

7. A goal dress size stated (or guess at) or, better yet, pic of dress bought for motivation or wanted as a dream-dress, and ideally, but not required, a pic of challenger WEARING the dress in the after when challenge concludes. (Faces can be blocked out for privacy, but we wanna see you fit into the goal dress.)
8. A commitment NOT TO QUIT. To stay in the challenge and work on issues and post weight, even if one is doing poorly. To hang in. Hang in and not disappear. A COMMITMENT to fellow challengers to go the distance, no matter the obstacles.

I'm thinking that if it's a limited, manageable number, I'd give priority to those who finished Slimmer this Summer who want in. If you stuck with the StS 12 weeks, you can stick to a similar number for the Christmas Dress Countdown.

Anyone have suggestions on what a challenge should have based on what motivated you the most to LOSE the most in the past? Comment away...