Welcome to the monthly challenge. April shower bring May flowers so this months April Showers Challenge is a fun way to keep track of your monthly weight loss while gaining and giving support to other bandster's.

Copy and post the template below and fill in the information that you are comfortable sharing on Sunday April 1 the come back every Sunday on the 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 30th and post your updated weight. I will keep track of the weights and try to get a table listing everyone's results on the following weekend.

Good luck to everyone and remember this isn't a contest it's a challenge and you are a winner no matter how much you loose.

The first three items are required all others are recommended. If you are new to our monthly challenger please leave a short introduction.

Name, real or screen~

Goal weight for April 29th~

Weight on April 1st~

Age~

Dietary goal for April~

Exercise goal for April~

Personal goal for April~

Date banded~

Total weight loss since banding/pre op diet~

What is your favorite part about spring~

Sunday weigh in: uhhhh. I already blew past my goal. I had another fill and it's really working for me; I'm at 318, 8 pounds in a week!

Congrats to everyone! I sure wish I had known about this sooner. I would've definitely taken on the challenge. But, hey, there's always next month, right?!

You can join now if you want. Copy the template from the first message and enter the data. I will add you to the table next weekend.

Something was wrong with the forum over the weekend and wouldn't let me post links. Here is a link to the updated April Showers Challenge Results.

This months essay question is "What do you listen to when you exercise". Music, the radio, watch TV, or just silence. What is currently playing on your MP3 player?

I love essay questions!

I have several iPod playlists that just have great beats- everything from 80's hits to today's rock and roll, LOL. But usually I just watch the things I have dvr'ed. I am the only one in my house that loves Antiques Roadshow (I know, crazy right??). I also watch Person of Interest- sigh, Jim Caviezel......all the things my DH and/or kids don't like! It makes it easier to go longer on my elliptical- if I want to watch the whole show I"m motivated!!!!

172.8 moving in the wrong direction.

Something was wrong with the forum over the weekend and wouldn't let me post links. Here is a link to the updated April Showers Challenge Results.

This months essay question is "What do you listen to when you exercise". Music, the radio, watch TV, or just silence. What is currently playing on your MP3 player?

I walk 3 days a week with either my best friend or one of my teenage children......so on these days its a great time to talk. I have had some real meaningful conversations with my oldest daughter that will be headed off to college in the fall....its been very special.

The other 3 days I tend to do the same thing as -justdoit- does....I like to watch TV while I do the elliptical. My first goal was to make it through a 30 min show and now I'm working to make it through a 60 min show.

1 day a week i end up doing some of the yard work.....its there I enjoy listening to the big hair bands of the 80's

You can join now if you want. Copy the template from the first message and enter the data. I will add you to the table next weekend.

Larry I posted my weight Sunday but didn't see it on the chart.217 down one lb.ty

Sorry Larry that I am late! I have been swamped and forgot. Sunday's weigh in was 209.

My Sunday weight was 137, down one lb. thanks so much for doing this! Love the picture on the chart!

Oh, and I have 67 songs on my iPod running mix. Mostly dance and hip-hop, which is funny because it was not at all what I would listen to in the past. But I LOVE some Flo-Rida and Pitbull to get me pumped to do my runs! Great topic.

Larry I posted my weight Sunday but didn't see it on the chart.217 down one lb.ty

I updated the chart on Sunday morning, the only time I had to get to this week, you probably posted after I uploaded the chart. I will add any postings next week. Since I tend to work on the chart on the weekends if the weigh in day is on Saturday or Sunday it tends to be a week behind.

I just relized that I didn't answer the essay question I asked. I almost always listen to music when I exercise at the gym or go bike riding. When I exercise at home I usally watch TV. My musical tastes have been slowly moving backwards in time. I grew up on Frank Zappa, Alice Cooper and Black Sabbath, and slowly devolved to country music, Waylan Jennings, Willie Nelson, then went even further with Hank Williams, Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. Now my tastes mostly lie in contemporay and traditional folk music but lately, mostly due to learning to play ukulele I found a new appreciation of tinpan alley songs from the 20's. Artists like Ruth Etting, George Formby, Rudy Vallee and even the crooner's like Bing Crosby and Frank Sanatra.

My android has a 32 gig chip in that I use just for music. I load a buch of random albums on it then listen to all of them in order, yea I know compulsive behavior. This takes about 9 months. Here is what is comming up.

Old Dogs - Jerry Reed, Mel Tillis, Waylon Jennings and Bobby Bare sing Shel Silverstein songs.

Brush Arbor - 1970's Christian Country Rock

The Carpenters - The singles - Okay, I will admit I like listening to Karen Carpenter

Carrie Newcomer - My Fathers Only Son - She lives in Indiana records on Rounder Records

Cat Stevens - Mona Bone Jakon - Not his best album but has a few good tracks

Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler - Neck and Neck - Chet is by far the best at what he does and was Mark Knopfler's influence.

The Chiefains - Santiago - I like the Chierftains but much better live than on recordings

Chris Smither - Live as I'll Ever Be - He is one of my favorite singer/songwriters. Has a style all his own.

I am down 5 lbs this week. Goal for month is 10. Sorry not sure how this challenge works

I am down 5 lbs this week. Goal for month is 10. Sorry not sure how this challenge works

The challenge is for you and no one else. I just keep track of the results. We post our weights on the 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, and last day of every month. I will compose a table each week, unless I forget to do it, and upload the link. Don't worry about posting late or early like I said the challenge is for you. Try to post your actual weight, not just gain or loss, and the name you used when you signed up if it was different then your LBT handle.

Oh, one other thing you are required to keep me entertained, so be sure to post something about yourself and try to get to know the other challengers, plus you have to answer my stupid questions and laugh at my jokes.

Oh now I know the rules hahaha (that goes toward your jokes!).

I am now at 255 (yay me)

I listen to classical piano. What can I say? It gets me revved up!!

ive been finding myself jamming out to old school hip hop...and for some reason kanye west has like 10 songs in my "move it"playlist! he gets me going:)