Shape Shifters Team Chat - September 2025
Here is your Team chat room for September 2025. This is where you weigh in, post your goals and progress, discuss any issues or topics of interest, share ideas, support your teammates, receive help when you need it, and dream big. Try to post often, and help each other succeed! Bookmark this thread to make it easy to land here any time.
Fat2Fit has five great teams. The group and team leaders are as follows - contact them any time!
Our Moderators:
Ashley - @minstrelofsarcasm
Jessica - @jessicakrall8
Lauren- @lauren_989
Megan - @Megan_smartiepants1970
Our Team Captains:
Downsizers - @Megan_smartiepants1970 and [open]
Mission Slimpossible - @trooworld and @micaroo4
Weight No More - @minstrelofsarcasm and @melaniedscott
WaistAways - @ashleycarole86 and @lauren_989
Shape Shifters - @jessicakrall8 and @frankwbrown
Our Team Motivators:
Downsizers: @HorsesRock9999
Mission Slimpossibles - @gemwolf110
Weight No More - @BodyTalking and @daria0919
WaistAways - @MaddawgMadsen
Shape Shifters - @LaurieWrobo and @nancyinmiami
HOW IT ALL WORKS: The September challenge runs for four weeks, from August 31st - September 27th.
Everyone weighs in weekly on their chosen day right here in the team chat. At the end of each week, the tallies are done to determine the team and individuals with the most weight lost. The best losers are announced with full fanfare every Sunday. The team competition is all in good spirits - may the most losing win, and may everyone else get to work on next week!
We also celebrate those small, steady losses. If you lose, however small an amount, you are in the green! At the end of the month, we celebrate everyone who lost at least a bit every single week. You are heading steadily towards your goal even if you aren't at the top of the weight loss leader board. In March we are aiming for every team to hit 50% green every week - let's do this!
To make your weigh-in easy to find for your team Captains, please put it right at the top of a message, and use this format:
Weigh In Day:
PW (Previous Weight):
CW (Current Weight):
If you miss two weigh-ins in a row without asking for a break, you will be dropped from the team, so be sure to inform your team captain if you are traveling, sick, or just need some time off. If you want a break, you can be excused for a week or two, or can be moved to the Support Team for as long as you need. You still participate in the discussions, you can weigh in if you want to, but it will not count in the weekly tally. Don't worry! You can always come back even if you get dropped.
Once you reach your goal weight, you join the Goal Zone. You continue to weigh in every week. If you have 2 weeks above your self-defined goal zone, you go back to the regular team to lose that amount before it builds up. You will have a chance to hone those maintenance skills and stick with your team.
In addition to your own team, there are weekly F2F Full Group CHALLENGES. You can do all or none - it's up to you. Participating adds a lot to your success, so we hope to see you there often! These can involve anything fitness, health, or nutrition - and they’ll get you moving, thinking, and learning about this journey. Check the Announcements section for full group challenges.
Let’s show our fellow challengers some F2F love Introduce or re-introduce yourselves right away, and let's get September on the road! 😎
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FAQ for New Shape Shifters Members
How do I post my weigh in?
- Userid
- (Day of Week) Weigh-in
- PW: 204 lbs (previous weight)
- CW: 202 lbs (current weight)
- LTD: 12 lbs (optional loss to date)
Where is the Weigh in stats spreadsheet?
Start at the Fat2Fit Main Page and under the header information, you’ll see a section at the bottom that says “TO ACCESS THE SPREADSHEETS FOR JANUARY CLICK HERE” followed by the link in blue. Once you click on that link, it will take you to the Summary page. Find Shape Shifters on the tabs at the bottom and click on that and that brings you to the stats page. Also on this page (scrolling down), you’ll find the Step Challenge chart as well. This is where we record your daily steps if you sign up to be part of the monthly step challenge. More info on how to sign up is below! Join us!
How often should I post in the chatroom?
Whenever you have a question, suggestion, story, news announcement or just want to brighten someone's day!! There's never too much...and please share recipes, tips, laughs, challenges, cartoons, pictures of your pets, pictures from walks you've taken, etc...we love it all!!
What if I have to be out of town during my weigh in?
Send a message to one of the Captains (JessicaKrall8 or FrankWBrown) in the chatroom or in a private message on MFP's mail and let them know your circumstance...if it's just for a week or two, you can be excused from the weigh-in. If you must leave for longer than a month, you may be moved to our support team until you return. When you're ready to come back, send another message and the MODS will move you back to active status.
Who are our team Motivators?
LaurieWrobo and NancyinMiami are our two motivators. They’re here to answer questions, give suggestions and help with times when you need a little more support!
What happens if I miss a weigh in?
If you're late, you'll be marked as LWI (late weigh in). If you fail to report in at all, you'll be labeled as NWI (no weigh in). After two NWIs, you're put on the drop list if no explanation has been provided. It's always best to let your Captain know what's going on and they'll make sure you're covered.
How do I sign up for the Step Challenge?
Send the Captains a message that you'd like to join (in the monthly team chat thread), provide your daily step goal and share your favorite place to walk. It's that simple! Please be aware though, you're making a commitment to post your steps every 2-3 days, which helps the Captains keep the stats caught up. If you're not willing to do this, please do not sign up. (THANKS!)
Do I have to re-register each month to remain part of Team Shape Shifters?
No, your membership will carry over month to month. The only place where this is NOT true is for the Step Challenge. You have to sign up each month to participate in it and this gives you the opportunity to adjust your daily step goal.
If I've missed anything or questions arise, just post them! We'll find the information you need as much as possible! Hope this helps!
Welcome!
Jessica
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WALKING CHALLENGE REGISTRATION OPEN FOR SEPTEMBER
Please post your daily step goal and share your favorite place to walk this time of year. We will add you to the roster. The Step Challenge chart is located just below the weigh-in stats and you can find the spreadsheet on the main Fat2Fit page by looking for the August and September spreadsheet links in the September Time Table Section of the page.
IMPORTANT: To help your Captains with the task of keeping the stats, when you register for the Step Challenge each month, you are committing to reporting your steps every 2-3 days. If this requirement is not met, you will be removed from the challenge. Thank you to all members who strive to do this helpful favor for the leadership team.
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The September Week 1 Group Challenge is open and ready to begin on Sunday, August 31st. This week, we're working on Meal Planning, a great opportunity to work on your Prep Methods and share tips with others on the team. Here's your link:
September Week 1 Group Challenge - Meal Planning — MyFitnessPal.com
See you in the chat thread!
Jessica 😀
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To finish August, we need…
weigh-in for: @DaffyGirl88
steps for:
@angmarie28 -- 8/29, 8/30
@jessicakrall8 -- 8/30
@Zaxa2021 -- 8/301 -
My final step report for August:
Daily step goal: 10,000
🔹Fri 8/29: 6,420
🔹Sat 8/30: 5,720
And now for September:
Daily step goal: 10,500Who else wants to continue with the Step Challenge?
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Hello Shape Shifters! It’s hard to believe it’s already September but I’m looking forward to starting a new month. This is always a good time for me to reflect and make adjustments.
Introduction: My name is Patrice and I’m a 59-year old woman, living with my husband in northern Virginia, about 5 miles south of Washington, DC. We both grew up in Boston and we’ve been married for 35 years. We have two sons — ages 23 and 25 — so I do my best to make sure I leave the world a better place for them as they navigate their individual paths forward.
I’m glad to be a part of the F2F Challenge and Shape Shifter team. My highest weight (non-pregnancy) was 168 pounds at the end of 2019. I joined MFP just before the COVID pandemic with an overweight Body Max Index (BMI). Here are some milestones —
- Joined MFP App in Dec. 2019 at high of 168; Improved tracking consistency by Mar. 2020; Adjusted portions & nutrition choices (e.g. yogurt not ice cream)
- Moved to a healthy BMI after 6 months - Mar. to Sept. 2020
- Engaged in MFP discussion pages Apr. 2020 through May 2021; Continued to move very slowly from high end of a normal BMI (145?) toward my goal of 125
Joined the MFP Challenge in Jun. 2021 at about 135 pounds
- Achieved my goal of 125 by Sept. 2021
- Maintained weight at 120-130 until Nov. 2022 when I weighed-in at 130.5
- Slowly gained back half the weight lost - weighing 150 in Feb. 2025 - while focusing on other areas of life improvement (business development, caring for family members, etc.) and reducing my attention to tracking, etc.
- I’m refocusing on building solid eating and exercise habits to sustain me through the usual life ups and downs
My short-term goal is to reach a normal BMI by the end of Dec. 2025. That means I have about 7 pounds to lose. I signed up to run the Marine Corp Marathon, which is 8 weeks from today, so my training should help me get closer to my goal. My longer term goal is to maintain my weight between 125-130 by age 60. My birthday is in July so that’s my target date but, as long as I accomplish the goal while I’m age 60 and beyond, I’ll consider it a win. I’m looking forward to hearing your goals, fellow Shape Shifters!
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@frankwbrown I'd like to do the Sept step challenge.
According to my fitbit I average 4250/day.
My goal is an ambitious 6000/day.
Do I record steps here?
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@Lulabelbo Yes, record them here. You don't have to post daily, but please post at least 3 times/week. When you post, use a format like any of these (mentioning day/date with your steps):
Sun 8/31: 5555
Mon 9/1 - 6,001
Tuesday, 9/2 6123Not like these:
today - 5,678
Monday - 6,0013 -
A new month is always a good time to reevaluate and set goals. So here are mine for September.
- No nicotine. Not directly related to weight loss and something I've always been very embarrassed about. But 5 days ago, I threw away my juul and I've been nicotine free since. Luckily, I'm already on a medication for other reasons that is also prescribed to help quit smoking as it blocks a lot of the withdrawal symptoms. So it's just a deeply ingrained habit I'm trying to break, without the physical complications.
- No ordering in at all in September. We have spent an embarrassingly high amount of money on DoorDash this past month.
- Food prep every weekend. Make it easier to eat real food and avoid processed food.
- Run 100 miles. I ran about 65 in August, so I have some work to do.
- Lose weight. Really, any amount will be a win. I've been stuck here for way too long.
Ultimately, I just want to end the month healthier than I am now. I feel like I am in a good spot mentally and am tuned in to my goals.
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JessicaKrall8
- PW: 301.0
- CW: 299.6
- LTD: 80.4 lbs
I hugged my scale.
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Last call for August Step Challenge:
@angmarie28 -- 8/29, 8/30
Set a step goal for yourself and join the September Step Challenge.
Currently signed up: JessicaKrall8, Izzyred9400, Frankwbrown, LaurieWrobo, Lulabelbo2 -
Fantastic!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🥰
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@jessicakrall8 I was trying to quote your weigh-in comment and it failed. And then I could not edit my comment at all. Anyway, great job!! 💕
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@Tomsgal1985 Thanks for your kind words…I was so excited, I literally hugged my scale. Makes the hard work all worth it when you have those little moments of happiness!
Still, anyone who hasn't struggled with weight issues probably won't understand…I still feel hungry ALL THE TIME. At this point in my life, I think I always will and that's the hardest part…stopping when you want to continue eating…I've learned though to fill my plate, put all the food away, clean up the kitchen BEFORE I sit down to eat. Then as soon as I finish eating, I find something else immediately to do…
But if I want to live and live without pain, I've got to continue to take this weight off…some days are harder than others…
Appreciate your comment so much!…oh and when you find something you want to quote, highlight it, CTRL-C, then go down to an empty comment box, click the QUOTE symbol, select quote, then next to the little grey box, CTRL-V. Hit return to go down a line and there's your quote…write whatever you wanted to say, add the ampersand symbol and type the person's name somewhere in the post to tag them (to find your message) and that's it. Once you get used to this process it's easy…
Hope this helps. Took me a while to get used to it too…
Jessica
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Hi, I’m Rita (63) retired and currently living in Alaska with DH. I am still, probably always will be, working on consistent movement everyday, portion control and making more nutritionally sound food choices. I joined mfp in February 2024 and this group in September 2024, 1 year! I’m grateful for the inspiration and support this group provides.
My September 2024 goals:1 Don’t buy halloween candy yet. 2 Continue to log everything 3 Attend at least one in person exercise class per week
For September 2025 goals 1 &2 are still in effect. 😂
3 Like August, attend Strong Seniors each day it is offered (MWF except today, Holiday) also adding Gentle Yoga on Mondays.
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Working on some research for next week's Group Challenge, so here's a sneak peek…It's especially for all of you who are really working on your Nutrition to help meet your weight loss goals. We will be looking specifically at increasing our daily Protein and all of the benefits that can bring, EVEN MORE than watching the numbers go down on the scale! This challenge will begin on Sunday, Sep 7th. Watch for the link on the 6th and hope you'll join us!!
Jessica
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I would like to join September step challenge
Step goal 10000
I usually walk various routes around my neighborhood.
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Daily step goal 10000
8/31 13316
Sunday State Fair visit2 -
@angmarie28 Can we get your steps from Aug 29th and 30th please? Thanks! 😎
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@jessicakrall8 said:
We will be looking specifically at increasing our daily Protein and all of the benefits that can bring, EVEN MORE than watching the numbers go down on the scale! This challenge will begin on Sunday, Sep 7th. Watch for the link on the 6th and hope you'll join us!!
I've been doing a lot of that lately!
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8/29-12,390
8/30-10,664
8/31-10,393
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Congratulations @jessicakrall8! You’ve found some insightful strategies to refocus your attention before and after mealtimes. Thanks for sharing what works for you! 🎉
I give too much thought to food, too, especially as a way to procrastinate or respond to boredom. I used to be more of an emotional eater and late-night snacker, but I’ve made some positive changes in those areas. When life gets too busy or overwhelming, I still turn to takeout or quick-to-prepare processed food too often, but my main problem is feeling the need to finish everything on my plate, even after I’m full. This is more likely to happen at restaurants where I don’t have as much control over the portion size, so cooking at home is the best way to improve many of these problems — easier for me to say than do! 🤨
It sounds as though you’ve had some success adding more protein to your diet @frankwbrown. I’m always under my protein goal, and usually a bit over my fat goal. I find it hard to add more protein without also add in fat from the same food. For example, I eat a lot of eggs, which contain both protein and fat. Do you have any tips for us? I’ll look forward to learning more during next week’s challenge!We’re having 11 windows replaced in our house on Wednesday, so I’ve been moving furniture to give the workers enough space. I’m finding a lot of extra stuff that I need to declutter from the storage bins and items under beds, etc. I hope it motivates me to get rid of more junk and donate things that can be used by others. I made some slow progress today but maybe I’ll get better with more practice! 🤞
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August Step Challenge Week 4 Results
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August Step Challenge Final Results
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Daily step goal: 10,000
🔹Sun 8/31: 6,181
🔹Mon 9/1: 3,4203 -
Daily step goal 10000
9/1 10261
Monday outside walk and Full Body Stretch Workout with Miranda Esmonde-White. New exercise video for me, I had forgotten how challenging doing pliés properly can be 🤦♀️3
