Help, I need to get into my jeans - anyone want to join me for a September challenge?

[thatsnotmyfruitshoot]

Just put all my loose linen summer numbers in the loft and realised I'm bulging out of all the lovely jeans I planned to wear this autumn. Going away for half term so it would be great to be a size smaller by then.

I'm 5ft 7 and need to lose about 20lbs to be at my most comfortable, so not drastic, but enough that I'm feeling really lardy, and need to do something before I gain any more.

My plan is to eat healthily (using food focus website to keep me on straight and narrow..) - boiled egg and slice of toast with grilled mushrooms for breakfast (totally fills me up), then soup for lunch and something with veg for dinner. One treat meal at the weekend. 30 mins exercise a day (either running or exercise dvd)

Please come and join me, I'm hopeless when left to my own devices..!!

I'll join.
I did an Agust challenge but I don't think I really did that well!

I'm sure September will be better and easier.

I'd like to lose 20lbs too, ideally and am following a similar plan to yours. Exercising about 5 times a week and sticking to a cal controlled diet.

I am going to do the Harcombe plan for this week for a kick start. I've already started it. My adaptation of it is porridge with water for breakfast then protein and salad or veg for the rest of the day.
Snacks are plain yoghurt and crudites.

Hooray! I think it will be easier to get back into some kind of routine once school starts. I just haven't had any time to myself to do any running, and when the dc's ask for biscuits it takes super human willpower not to join them. Roll on Thursday..

hello, I'll join too :o I have to lose a lot more than 20lbs though... more like 70

but in the short term I am also going on holiday at half term and basically I would just like to be a bit fitter and less flabby! In the past before children I once lost 3 dress sizes but lost no weight - so I'm going by how my clothes fit.

I have deleted all unhealthy stuff from my favourites list on Asda online. In fairness we eat mostly very healthy, home cooked food, but over the last couple of months all the extra snacks and convenience foods had found their way in... it's just too easy to click on what I fancy and then it magically appears the next day!

I have decided on:

• no chocolate, crisps etc during the week
• regular snacks of veggie sticks etc
• only drink water during the week (not much change there TBH)
• plan meals especially lunches
• walk to and from DD's preschool instead of bus
• do wii fit/dancing type exercise DVDs with DD.
• do more housework!!!

That sounds like a good plan Algebra. I can't believe you went down 3 dress sizes but didn't lose weight! Wow.

Planning meals is really important for me. If I haven't planned anything and end up hungry, I just eat whatever I can lay my hands on!
I've decided that if I get into that situation again then I'm going to have a bowl of cereal.

I find weekends really difficult so I'm going to stay strict at weekends too.
I just relax too much and undo all the good work from the week.

Are we having a weigh in tomorrow? I'm going to do all my measurements too.

HI All, just jumped here from Shaxx's August Challenge thread.

I have a significant amount to lose and found that having a thread to come to helped focus my mind and efforts this past two/three weeks.

Been talking to Shaxx, LemonBiscuit and Titsalinabumsquash - really really helped.

I have been power walking and watching what I eat. Planning to 'up my game' this month and really start to make in-roads into this extra weight.

Good luck to us all. Will be back tomorrow to give my weight and measurements - it was only through Shaxx that I faced up and weighed!!

I'll weigh in tomorrow but am stupidly scared, have avoided the scales for weeks now but am guessing I'm around the 11st 10 mark (heaviest I've ever been without being pregnant, am usually about 10st 3!)

Good idea to measure too. That's incredible, losing 3 dress sizes without changing weight - it must have all converted into muscle, just goes to show that the scales aren't everything.

Had a good day today, one sneaky Oreo cookie just now but otherwise I managed to resist all day. I think I need to cut down on caffeine too, but maybe one vice at a time!

Welcome everyone, btw!! (and hope I haven't trodden on the toes of the Aug thread)

can I join too? I have put on loads of flab over the last 3 months but have found it really hard to do anything about it over the school holidays. I look awful in my clothes & need to get trim. I'm hoping that the structure of the school routine starting tomorrow will make it easier.So....
no wine on work nights (nightmare!)
no choc on work nights (double nightmare)
reduce bread - no more toast or pain au chocolat for breakfast
much healthier lunches - lentils, raw vg, salads, homemade soup

my big weakness is cheese and as a vegetarian I do find myself using cheese in my cooking a lot. Will have to ret harder.

Am starting a new job & am really worried how I'm going to find time to do any exercise but will try to fit in DVD & a swim.

fruit - like Shaxx said to me: you gotta embrace the scales and face the reality . I am a prime example of someone who can totally avoid reality and live in the realms of fantasy for yeeeeaaaaaarrrrrrssssss!

I had to get weighed at a hospital appointment and their scales are super accurate, so peeked at my paperwork and saw my weight. Big surprise (but less than I thought), big wake-up call.

I am at that age where things just don't heal so quickly, I don't recover so quickly and things are beginning to hurt. I know this is a direct result of being unfit and unhealthy and being bigger than I should be. I don't want to be older before my time, and anyway, I don't want to be unhealthy and fat even when I'm older!

I have read so many conflicting reports on caffeine it's untrue. My Dr, however, said that 1-2 cups a day is ok, it's just when you get through 1-2 pots that it becomes an issue

Hi chocolateshoes, nice to have you onboard.

I'm lucky timba, I hate tea and coffee! and don't like alcohol (lucky as I'm still BFing) or most fizzy drinks.

I feel pretty old right now, but I'm not quite 24... I feel and look so frumpy :( here's hoping that getting on top of it young will help. this holiday will be a good kickstart I think.

ooh am dreading the weigh in, I have a wii fit and my mii is really fat

Right. I have changed my name and status (to something even more geeky ) in celebration of this challenge... and to remind me not to fall off the wagon!

Hey there algebra, nice to have you here. I may just call you 'bra

Don't dread the weigh-in. Think of it this way: this should be the last time you see those numbers again , ok? It does seem a terrible effort sometimes but it does help to keep you straight and also to chart your progress.

P.S. Do you really like algebra?

Hi Timba! Nice to see you here

Love the new name Algebra
Are you geeky in rl?

I love coffee. A good cappuccino can really cheer me up. Thankfully, I only really need 1 a day. I don't drink either.

I have just come back from a 25min run AND a 1/2 hr Abs class! What a killer. I'm very pleased as I've had a good day. I just need to keep it up.

Well done shaxx - a run and an abs class!! You are fab!!!

Keep up the good work.

I luuurrrvvvveeeee my coffee. Don't drink alcohol much though - maybe three units a year!! Seriously!!!

yep I'm pretty geeky... about halfway through my OU maths degree :)

actually got an exam in 6 weeks and the holiday will be a great way to unwind, but obviously I have to balance out my need to exercise with the need to cram revise!

timba I have previously pondered having the nickame AlgieBra :o

A maths exam in 6 weeks. That sounds like one of my recurring nightmares.
Good luck with it.

I'm dreading my stomach muscles tomorrow. I think they're really going to hurt. The instructor worked us so hard.

Ooooohhhhh - like Algiebra

You shall forever be Bra though

I must admit to being awful at maths. I have actually just sat my GCSE (did it at school but got an awful result) so, after , find maths many years, re-sat it ... got a B . Chuffed to bits as I am more an arts person - my brains doesn't seem to be wired to understand maths.

Aw well done Timba! I think thats brill. Congrats on that B.
I was goood at maths at school and went on to study Statistics at Uni, but pure maths did my head in.

'm watching the last ever episode of the Bill atm. I'm not a huge fan but I think its a shame they've had to finish it. I always think its entertaining whenever I catch it.

Yay, loads of us on here now. I am going to brave the scales first thing tomorrow and measure too. Will report back.

I'm vegetarian too, chocolate, and cheese is probably my downfall too, along with bread.

Well done on your B, timba - that's brilliant!! And of shaxx's exercise - my running starts again on Thursday.

Hello All, can I jump over from the August thread to join you?

Good to see Shaxx, Timbachick and TBSquash are already here.

I've been trying to lose 34lbs since the start of June and I've managed to get rid of 18lbs so far. MN threads have been brilliant and I'm sure I wouldn't have got anywhere near this without the support.

So, I've got 16lbs to go. The only thing about September is I'm going on The Holiday this month and that's going to mean the last two weeks I'm going to be by the beach and mentally/emotionally/physically a very long way from my scales. On the other hand, I am going to try to lose 4lbs in the next fortnight before we fly.

Thank you guys. Maths just isn't my 'thing' but I tried hard. Feel quite proud. Now, give me Eng Lit or History and I'm your gal

Good luck with the running on thursday fruity - ease in slowly

I'm not a veggie - do eat meat but not a lot of it. However, I absolutely love cheese and can eat my own weight in it if given the chance. I have to stay away from it as one small sliver is enough to send me into a cheese frenzy

yay well done timba! on the maths, not the cheese frenzy that is :o

well, I'm up late doing my nearly overdue assignment - will be exhausted tomorrow but I've got a lovely Asda delivery (including watermelon!!!) and 3 lots of walking to the village centre and back (preschool and a storytime session) - only 15-20mins each way but on the way home it's uphill.

so far it seems I'm the heaviest of you guys. please be nice to me tomorrow...

Morning all, I've done the dreaded weigh in.. drum roll please...

165.2 lbs so 11st 11 !! Ouch. Have never been heavier than 11st 7 before. No wonder my size 12's are feeling very tight now. I refuse to buy 14's.

Strange that my guess was almost spot on too. I need to lose 20lbs and am aiming for 3 months to do this in, with a Sep weight loss of at least 10lbs. Will measure later.

Got a Tesco delivery later on including a cheese board which was part of their posh meal for £9 deal (why do I do it????????) I think I may need to palm it off on the IL's before I munch the lot.

Looking forward to hearing everyone else's news. And Algebra, it doesn't matter where you start off, we're all going in the same direction (hopefully!)

Just loaded my details on to Food Focus. Apparently 3rd December is when I should hit my target. I have 1616 calories a day as my allowance (before exercise) which doesn't sound too bad at all

I've just weighed in - 10st 9lbs!
I'm going to be 10st 0lbs or under by the end of Sept!

Thatsnotmyfruitshoot my 12s are getting a bit tight but I threw out all my 14s earlier this year! I'm hoping to throw out my 12s by the end of this year.
Def get rid of that cheese. I love cheese too and would find it impossible not to eat if it was there. I was shocked when I plugged in details of cheese into foodfocus.
Can you freeze cheese?

I'm going to stick to the Harcombe principles today and go to a spin class this evening.