I would love to lose 15lbs by July 4th and I definently need people to motivate me because I've fallen off the wagon yet again and summer is just around the corner.  Trying to find any of those weight loss challenge groups seems impossible.  I'm 5'4 started at 190lbs and my current weight is 163lbs.  I would love to be 148lbs by July 4th. 

I would love to lose 10-15 lbs by July 4th!  I am not a swimsuit or BBQ person, but I need to set an attainable goal for myself.  I had set a goal about 3 weeks ago to lose 5 lbs by my birthday (5/10) and I lost 6, so I actually accomplished a weight loss goal and am ready for another! 

I'm 23 as well, 160, but much shorter at 5'3".  I have an eventual goal weight of 115, and I am hoping to be close at New Year's. 

I started out really strong, and haven't been doing too badly, but I have not been true to my diet and exercise plan in the last coupld of weeks.  Hopefully I have some buddies to keep my on track now!

i'm in.

hope this keeps me accountable :) losing 10 lbs by July 4th would be amazing :) i'm approx 140 now and 5'7. gotta run now, get back to you later!

I'm in! I joined another group but the responses have been slow and I need support! Krenren-great idea to post daily menus/workouts! I feel like if I see what other people are eating it helps me stay on track with new ideas.  I put on a/b 16 pounds in the past year--EEk.  But I think some of it my body needed-the last few were def not intentional but I'm finding losing 10 lbs is near impossible b/c I'm already at a healthy weight. AH ok so anyways I have no clue what my calorie number should be for a deficit of 1-1.5 loss per week. Current stats: 

5'7, 132 pounds

goal: 122

I feel like since I started training/running at the New Year it's been HARDER to lose the excess weight. I know I put on a lot of muscle in my legs and thighs and I feel like it makes up so much of my weight that the more I exercise, the more weight I gain or can't lose? hmmmm

sounds good to me, I'm trying to lose ten pounds by my birthday June 29th... I'm 142, 5'10, female. whats the plan?

Here's my menu/workout plan for today:

Breakfast:Egg whites with Yves "Sausage" patties/Starbuck's Vanilla Bottled Frap (it's my Monday, "good for going to work when you didn't want to", treat)Snack: Medium Banana
Lunch:Sandwich on eight-grain hamburger bun with spinach, tomato, avocado, bean sprouts, cheddar cheese and Dijon mustard, 2 oz. Macaroni Salad.
Snack: Protein Shake
Dinner: .5 cup Brown Rice with .5 cup mixed veggies, Salad
Snack: Lemon Cookies (5)

45 minute weights (focusing on upper body, cardio mixed in).
30 minutes cardio (stationary bike).

Thanks to the rain (even in Cali!!) and me being all gussied up for an interview, I wasn't able to walk like I had wanted to, but ugh, tomorrow's another day!  Good luck to everyone and I look forward to chatting with you all!

ok so, here goes.... BTW im a snackaholic so my menus are lenghty..

Brekkie: big bowl of all bran, sprinkle with sultanas ,half cup water, half skimmed milk.

Lunch: 1.5 cup of mushroom and herb soup, 3 water crackers, 1/4 red pepper diced, 2 slices of chargrilled sweet potato, yum yum!!

Snacks: 2 plums, 2 mints, 1 cup of tea

Dinner: omelette made with two small eggs (inc. yolk), 1 shallot, 2 large tomato, served with brocolli and lettuce.

Snacks: 1 cup of tea, 4 rice cakes, spread with choc spread, my weakness. 

Managed to get  40 min walk in at lunchtime, so funny that its actually beautiful sunshine in ireland and rain in california... had planned on goin for 40 min run but took a nap instead... this is why i need you guys.. motivation!!!

I have a wedding on July 5th!  I REALLY need to loose 15 by then! 

Today I ate:

Breakfast- 2 egg whites, 2 tblspoons of salsa, water, Banana

Lunch- salad with romaine lettuce, a tomato, two chicken nuggets cut up, 2 tbls feta and italian dressing

Dinner- roasted chicken leg & wing, 1/2 c steamed white rice and 1 cup broccoli

I would love to join this support group, I need the motivation.

I am a mother who can't ever find time for myself. I work full time and go to school, and the other days during the week that I don't go to school my daughter has dance, gymnastics. I really want to get this weight off. In January I started going to the gym 3-4 times a week on my lunch break to do cardio and am able to do weight training at home when my daughter goes to sleep. My problem is alcohol...I eat pretty good during the week but on the weekends I enjoy wine and beer especially when we socialize. Which we get together with friends often. As of today I have given up alcohol on a regular basis, I am ready to make the sacrifice, and will only drink occasionally.

I am 26 years old I am 5'7'' and weigh as of today 170 ( I had a bad weekend)

My goal weight is 145-150 but I would like to lose 15 lbs by July 4th.

My menu today was:

Breakfast: 1/2 cup skim milk, Special K cereal

Snack: Can of beets

Lunch: lean turkey patty, lettuce, tomato, red onion (no bun) with a lean cusine grilled chicken after the gym

Snack: small package of cashews

Dinner: stir fried veggies with brown rice

I look forward to the motivation and support we can all provide each other. Are we going to do weekly weigh in's? I am new to this and not sure how it works.

 Oh yeah, I did the eliptical today for 30 mins, and going home to do weights for 30 mins and push ups and crunches.

I am in.  I am 26, 5'7" and 154lbs.  Lost 6 so far, but I'd love to lose another 15-17more to get to my goal.  So my goal for this challenge is gonna be 8-10lbs. 

I'm thinking of just not using the scale while I eat right-It's funny how I think seeing a gain on the scale makes me want to eat MORE. If I'm trying to lose a couple pounds I don't want to get neurotic a/b the number b/c I'll lose focus I think if I see a plateau or even a slow loss. SO...I'm hoping to lose 10 but...I guess I won't let myself know until July 4th!...well, maybe half-way to see how I'm doing. Today I had...

Breakfast: 0% Greek yogurt and dry Puffins Original cereal w/ cinnomin (YUM), small soy latte

Snack: apple

Lunch: wasn't hungry-snacked on veggies and a nonfat yogurt

Snack: dark chocolate pudding cup and serving of Goldfish

Dinner: Grilled chicken salad with Asian Vinegrette

Dessert: protein shake

GAH-I think that's only like 1000 calories! Does that mean I should eat more tonight?My usual intake is around 2200.  When I think a/b losing a few pounds I watch portions so carefully that it cuts my food waaayyyy down-how much do you think I should bump it up? I bet I'm usually at 1200-but do you think this is still starvation mode? is that really true?

GAH-I think that's only like 1000 calories! Does that mean I should eat more tonight?My usual intake is around 2200.  When I think a/b losing a few pounds I watch portions so carefully that it cuts my food waaayyyy down-how much do you think I should bump it up? I bet I'm usually at 1200-but do you think this is still starvation mode? is that really true?

Chompforchange:  Are you exercising regularly?  What are your stats? 

Well...i was working out really hard core since Jan training for a marathon-probably an hour of running every day, more on weekends, weight lifting 3 times a week for thirty minutes, and meeting my mom to walk twice a week. I had to keep my calories up for energy, but now that I'm not training any more, I usually run 3 times a week for a/b a half hour or I walk for an hour.  I still weight train 3 times a week but not as intensely b/c I felt like I was getting to muscular. I do a pilates video probably every other day and I waitress 3-4 times a week and sometimes I work up a sweat there! Moderately active? slightly? very? Stats:

5'7, 132 pounds, 34-26-36.5

I have an athletic body I would say, but the fat definitely goes right to my booty! I think the running really affected the distribution to just my hips and butt. I basically run as my way of exercise and I think it's stalling me-want to try swimming but I think I'd feel embarassed b/c I wouldn't know what I was doing!

Chompforchange I would definitely say you should set your stats for the BMR to light activity at the very least and then log all your exercise that should give you a good indication of the calories you need to eat, I am worried that eating on average 1200-1300 weekdays and probably 1600 cals weekends will mess up my metabolism, previously I'd been used to losing 1-1.5 from monday to friday and  then come the weekend i'd put it back on so basically i'd been maintaining, so i can definitely empathise with desiremom there, weekends are a curse!! anyone have any experience of zig zagging your calories throughout the week to maintain metabolism, this makes sense to me as my biggest worry is for all this hard work just to mess up my metabolism.. I am wondering then how many calories would be the least on a low cal day and how many the most on a high cal day? anyone interested in documenting their loss/gain on a monday or tues? in which case we are accountable for the weekend and alos gives us a fresh start every week if things aren't going our way

ok I deff. need to join a group and this one sounds exactly what I need. Im 21 and about 144 (havnt weighed myself in about a week) I started at 150 and was down to about 141 and held it there for about a good 2 months. My weekness is dinner I usually do good all day, but once I get home from work I never wanna cook so me and my b'f just end up going out and getting food. I try to work out 1-3 times a week but since allergy season hit all I wanna do is sleep. I try to keep at about 1500 cal. but I seem to be real hungry by the time I get out of work which is 4pm. Here is a basic menu of what I usually eat/should be eating.

BF- Cheerios w. 1 or 2% milk or English muffin w/ apple jelly or peanut butter

snack- apple, frozen raspberries, or kiwi

Lunch - Tuna and crackers or grilled chicken or salmon w. soup, green beans or another fruit

snack - popcorn, some kinda fruit

Dinner - Grilled chicken or salmon, rice or pasta, green beans or corn

I would love to lose at least another 5lbs by june 15th cause I have a bridal shower that I am throwing.