Last Challenge of 2009! There are almost 8 full weeks until the New Year, and they are some of the most food-filled ones of the year. What better time to redouble our efforts in portion-control, food choices, and exercise!

Post your starting weight and goal weight. Or if you prefer, just post how many pounds you want to lose. I'll keep a list here on the first page of the thread of everyone participating in the challenge and will update it as everyone checks in each week. That way it will be easy to follow our progress.

My main goal is to hit 100 pounds lost by the end of the year. I'm starting at 219 (yeah, up 2 pounds from last week, and don't really understand why, but c'est la vie). My goal is to be at 204. My secondary goal is to hit ONDERLAND! So, I'll be striving to lose 20 pounds, but will be happy with 15.

Good luck everyone!

Hi all,

WOW! We are all too busy! No posts since 11/28. What happened to us?? My weight loss has really slowed down but I am still headed generally in the right direction. I haven't given up on my goal but with 16 or 17 days left I don't know if I will get 4 more pounds off. I will never give up!!!

I still can't exercise due to my foot injury. I should be able to start slowly again in January. YEAH! Oddly enough, I really miss it!

Let's do this! I will be 42 on Saturday and I want to be at final goal by my 43rd birthday so I need help staying on track!:willy_nilly:

well, there is no way I will reach onederland by newyears eve, but I'm still keeping my head in it. I had a little stall in the weight loss the past 2 weeks, but the scale is my friend again today.

My biggest problem at this point is hair loss. I've tried everything. I do mean everything! I have thin, fine hair anyway and can't afford any more loss! bummed about that:crying:

Edited December 14, 200916 yr by Humming Bird
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Hummingbird, your hair loss is probably still post-surgical stress related. Get all your Protein, maybe add some Biotin supplements, and try not to worry about it (I know, easier said than done!) I lost a great deal of hair for a while, then it slowed down. I'm 16 months out from my surgery and am still losing hair, but it seems to be growing back, too.

I'm kind of disgusted with myself right now. I've been letting my head take control of my eating, rather than my hunger. I haven't been to Curves in about a month - and that's after going religiously 3-5 days a week for a year. However, I'm trying not to beat myself up about it. I have an appointment with Dr. Bonnor on Wednesday, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to ask for a fill. I'd like to be a little tighter, just to kind of kick start me back into the proper mind-set. I need a serious sugar/carbs de-tox (damn you Starbucks for your comforting seasonal Hot drinks and Cranberry Bliss Bars!!!! lol)

Keep it up everyone, even if you give in for a little while, never give up!!

I have been taking biotin for over 3 months now. I keep my protein up by drinking protein shakes and shots. I also started using nioxin shampoo and conditioner. This past weekend I got some nioxin vitamins. I take silica that says it is for hair, skin and nails. I take centrum chewables and B complex.

I have had much more major surgeries than this and never lost a strand of hair with those surgeries, so I can't imagine it's from the surgery or anesthesia. I was banded 07/09/09. That is a long time ago for the surgery part to still effect me isn't it?

I don't know what the solution will be. I will just keep trying, but am frustraited and feeling my self esteem taking a big nose dive as my hair gets thinner and thinner.

Humming bird, the hair loss can also be related to hormonal changes that occur with weight loss. It's frustrating, I know, but I think a lot of people report that the loss stops between 3 and 6 months, and regrowth begins. Stressing about it can make it worse, so you get a vicious cycle going.

I did get a fill on Wednesday. Dr. Bonnor put in 1 whole cc, bringing me up to 3.1 in a 4cc band. I was a little worried about adding so much, but I made sure he was going to be around if I experienced any problems. So far, so good. I haven't had any trouble with liquids, but I can tell that I am tighter. I'm doing a juice detox today, and I think I'll try to continue on liquids for a week, just to get back in control. I'm hoping for a good loss by tomorrow!

Humming bird, the hair loss can also be related to hormonal changes that occur with weight loss. It's frustrating, I know, but I think a lot of people report that the loss stops between 3 and 6 months, and regrowth begins. Stressing about it can make it worse, so you get a vicious cycle going.

Thank you for your support on this hairloss issue that has really been bothering me. I read your reply and thought, she's right, I need to stop stressing about it so much or I will just make it worse.

But I have to tell you what happened several hours after that ..........

I took a shower this morning and used my nioxin shampoo, then I thought I better use a little clarifying shampoo to get the hairspray from the week out of my hair, then I used the nioxin conditioner. I used a blow dryer to dry my hair.........

I gave my grandson a ride to school. I came back home and went in my bathroom. There was a very large section of hair laying on my bathroom rug. I thought OMG! and bent down to take a closer look. OMG! it was my hair for sure! It was about 3" long and it looked like someone has taken a section of my hair in their hand and just cut it off. I picked it up and one end of it was all melted and smelled like someone has set it on fire! I started looking at the hair on my head and lifting up sections. Sure enough, there is a section on the right side of my head where the hair came from. The hair there is about 1/2" long now and looked burned. I had to have done this with the blow dryer. I don't even have a super hot dryer, it's just a cheapy from walmart. The hair that was on the rug really looked like actual flames were involved !

I am really trying not to stress about it, but this little incident did not help !!!

BTW, I hope your fill helped you and you are back to dropping some weight. I know I got the thread off track a little. LOL I just have issues!!

Wow hummingbird, that does sound kind of scary! I think I'd be letting my hair dry naturally after that! lol

I did get my fill on Wednesday. Dr. Bonnor put in another whole 1cc, for a total of 3.1 cc in a 4 cc band. I was shocked! I made sure he wasn't going to be going on vacation anytime soon, in case it turned out to be too tight. But I haven't had any trouble with it. I did liquids for two days. In fact, yesterday I did a fat-flushing juice fast. I was 223 on Wednesday before the fill, 220 on Thursday morning after a day of liquids, and 216.2 today after the juice fast. Needless to say, I'm happy with those results! I carefully added regular foods back today - some chicken and tuna salad, a slice of deli roast beef wrapped in a slice of provolone, and 3/4 cup of homemade chili. I didn't have any trouble eating them, but I definitely felt full on the small portions. So, here's to a fresh start!

I am glad this fill seems to have helped you. Maybe you will be at a sweet spot for awhile ! Onderland is in sight!

I need a serious sugar/carbs de-tox (damn you Starbucks for your comforting seasonal Hot drinks and Cranberry Bliss Bars!!!! lol)

I have to say AMEN to the Starbucks comment. My students know I love hot drinks especially coffee so I got several gift cards and I have already spent them all! Those cranberry bliss bars are amazing. I only let myself have one if several of us are going to split it.

The scales have not been my friend but as most of you know. I don't record when I am going the wrong direction. It will turn around soon!

Hummingbird, I have the same problem with fine hair and hair loss. Thank goodness my hair is curlly so it looks like I have more than I do. My doctors both said that the loss is more due to lack of calories than anything. I found the MyDailyPlate on the LiveStrong website really helps me keep track of eating and eating healthy without too much sugar and carbs. Just a thought! Also, the other post earlier that said it gets better the further you get from surgery was right. It has gotten better. I do take a hair, nail, skin Vitamin like you mentioned as well.

Here we are, Jan. 1, 2010. I did not reach onderland yet, but will see it sometime this month. I don't feel bad about it because I took off 11 pounds during the holidays and that is a great thing!

That's excellent Hummingbird! I pretty much lost all control and went crazy for White Chocolate Peppermint Mochas, but that is behind me now. I'm shooting for a good loss by my 45th birthday on Feb 3!

Hi all,

I didn't come even close to my goal. In fact, I gained 5 lbs from 12/12 to 1/2 but I am confident that now things will turn around. I am going to get back to exercising this week. I want to be down to 175 by Valentine's Day. I can do this...no...WE can do this.

Checking in and I suck!

Okay, well, not really but it sorta feels like the thing to say right now!

I WAS 179 and my goal was 170. Well, I'm 180! YUCK!!

Tho I have to say that before surgery that gain would have been A LOT more. I'm actually okay with it. Not happy by any means but I'm okay.

On to 2010!!

oh well , when you fall off the wagon, get up brush yourself off, and jump back on for the rest of the ride !