Welcome to this new month's exercise challenge April Bandits! Here is this month's challenge:

Bronze - 10 sessions of at least 35 minutes

Silver - 15 sessions of at least 40 minutes

Gold - 20 sessions of at least 45 minutes

If you need to set an individual goal instead of following those above, feel free to do so -- Just let us know what your goal is so we can help each other stay inspired to meet it this month. WOOHOO team April!! This is our month to drop some serious pounds!<!-- google_ad_section_end --><!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

Yay Wahoo!!! It's JUNE THE FIRST MONTH OF SUMMER!!! I don't care what they say about the 20th. As fas as I'm concerned the second June 1st is here it's SUMMER :confused:

June is here and it is snowing!!! Okay... who's crying for me???

I will be in Montreal in a few days, so warmer weather is near!!! And then, off to Europe for me and my gang.

The scales finally moved, but I am hoping it is not just a dip down. My big news is that I have registered for a 10 km just outside on MTL on June 9th. I know I can do it because on Thursday I ran 10 km... first time so I was pretty pumped and some tired. I ran the 10 km in 74:58 (just under the goal of 75 minutes that I had set for myself.)

Well, I hope you all have a good weekend. Chat later

Dawn

Banded April 4th, 2006

Montreal

358/176/165

Exercise sessions this month = 0... but it will be one by mid day!

Dawn, that is a great time! Congratulations on making it through a 10K. I am totally inspired. Have fun on your trip.

I've been dancing for a change of pace. It has helped me to burn calories, finally drop some weight and have fun. I used to dance daily, but felt foolish when I gained the weight. It is wonderful to feel the freedom with my body to express myself again. The dancing also creates longer leaner muscles.

Don't worry, I am still running. Today, I hiked the hillside (pretty steep) for nearly two hours! Tonight I am hoping to get in an easy two-mile run.

Thanks for the levels, Julie. I barely qualified for May.

It is summer down here in L.A., too!

Boo, funny that you've been dancing. I took a salsa lesson yesterday! It was one of the things on my list of "to do's" once I was at a more comfortable weight. It was so much fun and I'm definitely going back for more. Once I've had a few private lessons, I might even get brave enough for a class. We'll see. What kind of dancing do you do?

Well, knock on wood, I THINK I may have finally come out of my binge cycle. I'd been in this bad cycle with food and eating around the band for about a month. I haven't done too much scale damage, but I haven't been helping things either and, more importantly, I just haven't been eating things that have any nutritional value at all (one day I ate nearly only Mentos, for example). Anyway, I feel like I've come out of that hole and am back in normal bandland.

I ran a race this morning. 4 miles in Central Park as part of the "Japan Day" festivities. I finished in 43:10, which is a 10:52 pace. My goal was to break an 11 min pace, so that was perfect. Next weekend I have a 10K, which is a really long distance for me, so we'll see how it goes....

I'm off to meet Betty in person in just a few hours!

Well, I met up with Betty and Alan yesterday for an early dinner. It was lovely meeting them and Betty is a fit, sexy grammy! I hope they have a great remainder of their NYC trip -- we've got some kind of tropical storm passing through and the weather is the pits.

I'm dealing with Monday depression right now -- you know, where you don't sleep well Sunday night because you're facing the whole week ahead of you. I never had it at my old job. I think it's just an adjustment phase. I hope so, at least.

No running today. The knees need a break for a day or two. I think it'll be an elliptical machine day, unless I can get out of here in time to take a class at my gym. We'll see how the day plays out!

Julie... you rock. Did you say you are doing a 10 km this coming weekend? Me too!!! My first so I am worried... but it will help to know we are doing at the same time! I have a slight pull in my hamstring, so no running until Thursday for me!!!

My plateau is gone for now!!!

Dawn

Banded April 4th, 2006

Montreal

358/175/165

exercise sessions this month = 2

soooo very proud of you gals!

Julie did you manage to snap some pics??????

Got my first fill today, and I'm looking down at my belly wondering if it did anything! I had been avoiding the scale because I have been eating so badly...... at the docs office I lost 4 oz's! LOL

Awesome Dawn! I can't believe we're doing our first 10K on the same day! That's great. I'm worried about it too. It's a long distance for me....I'm so glad your plateau has broken. Mine will break next!

My legs are changing shape from running, which is kind of fun. I noticed it in the mirror today and again when I was shaving my legs. I really don't have much fat on my calves anymore. Even just like last week they still looked like hambones to me. Still some work to do on the thighs, but I'm seeing progress!

Tracy - how silly of me! No, I didn't think to snap a photo with Betty. Guess she'll have to come visit me again!<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

Well, I didn't lose much weight last month, but it's official -- I've gone down another clothing size. "Too bad" too because I bought so many clothes right after my PS! I knew I was being silly when I bought all that stuff, but it was the first time I could really shop in the trendy stores and I went a little nuts. Anyway, I think there's a chance my plateau will break soon because usually the scale shows the changes right after the body does for me.

Keep your fingers crossed for me!

On the exercise challenge, I ran 3 miles today and walked 3 miles home from work. I'm running 2 miles tomorrow, then no running until my race on Saturday morning.

Yall have a good day tomorrow and let me know what you're up to!

Hey can I join this challenge even though I am an April 2007 bandit? I am going to go for the Gold! I am so impressed with your losses!

Exercise sessions this month as of 6/5: 3

Of course you can join us Susie! Please do!!!

I am failing miserably at getting to the gym. I need to fix that pronto! I had my first day at a temp job yesterday, today is day 2! I am enjoying work, but I too have been eating around my band and I need to stop that last week, lol. Today is a new day and I will do good today See ya'll later

Susie, yes, please join us. Welcome! Tell us more about what kind of exercise you plan to do to meet your "going for the gold" challenge? We're always looking for new ideas on this thread.

Molly, what if you don't aim for actually getting to the GYM during this transition phase (i.e. your new job) and you just aim to go for a walk after dinner with your hubby? I think you're in GA, which means it's probably really hot and muggy, but that's all the better for weight loss, right?

The scale moved 1.6 this morning -- WOOHOO! I can't believe in another TWO TENTHS of a pound, I'll have only 30-something pounds to lose to have a NORMAL BMI. How crazy is that??

My Dad's coming to town this weekend and I'm looking forward to his views on my next (and possibly final) PS....

Have a great day all.

Sorry, I'm having computer issues and can't update my exercising. But, I can report that I ran 6 miles! Dawn and Julie inspired me. I didn't think I could do it, but I did! The only big mistake I made was in not timing the run. You know what that means? I'll have to do it again. Tonight is long run night, so we'll see. I've completed three sessions so far.

The scale does not like me. It is fighting "tooth and nail" to stay in the 60's.

I had an unfill, so it is harder to maintain. The refill is Saturday, though. Help is on its way!

6 miles is awesome, Boo. Way to go. Speaking of timing, I've had to back off on my timing a little bit. I was trying to run 10 minute miles and I just wasn't able to sustain them for more than about 2, or on a great day, 3, miles. I need to run a little further than that on most days, and a lot further than that on training days, so I had to go back to my 11 min pace. Running at 11 min is reasonably enjoyable and sustainable for me, where the 10 minute pace was becoming something I dreaded. Strangely, I can't seem to get my heart rate above the 140s at an 11 min pace (ideally I'd keep it in the 150s, which is where it is at the 10 min pace), but I've decided that's just what it'll have to be for now.

The scale moved to the magic number -- 39 (i.e. thirty-something) lbs to go!

Can we all just pause for a minute and discuss how FABULOUS TracyinKS is looking?? WOW -- what a difference in your progressive face shots, Tracy! You look wonderful! You must be feeling like a million bucks.