Announcement of Winners . . Female & Male

Good Morning Everyone!

I had a great week end with my sister and her husband! The visit was too short!

I will get right to the annoucnements!

Gratulations to June (junerbroner) and Sujit (Sujit8383) for being our winners of losing the most weight in their categories (female and male).
June lost a total of 24 pounds and Sujit lost a little over 15 pounds. They each will receive a book and a DVD of their choice.

The book I had chosen at the beginning of this challenge for the female winner is, "48 SELF ESTEEM ACTIVITIES FOR WOMEN", by Corinna Bowers. It covers the three main self-improvement categories that affect self-esteem: Developing Your Essence, Improving Your Connections, and Controlling Your Destiny. That is the book that June will receive and I have contacted Sujit to get his choice of book.

Both June and Sujit will write their success stories and some pictures. Sujit says, in a couple of months, when he feels he has reached his goal. And June, will write her story within a few weeks but may take longer to share pictures because she had some problems with her computer and lost all of her pictures on it. She has to find and reload those pictures which takes some time. So be watching for their stories!

Over-all weight loss for the members that finished was 174.3 pounds! :happy: Congratulations to all!!!

There are two members that met their challenge goal weights. jkleeh. . .her goal weight was 155. Her Start weight was 169 and her finished weight is 152.2. Congratulaions jkleeh!!

Nuura_Nux goal weight was 187. Her beginning weight was 197 and her finish weight is 186.7 Congratulations to Nuura!!

There were several that were close to their goal weights:

Deebug 2.7 pounds away from goal weight

greencantaycam was 1.2 pounds away from her goal weight

like_11 was 4.7 pounds away from goal weight

rcavazos83 was 4.8 pounds fron her goal weight

So congratulations to all of you!

Thank you to the ones that replied and shared their experience with us. Nikki31104 lost 7 pounds and wants to know when the next challenge is. Sorry Nikki, no next challenge. I am taking a break. Congratulaions on your weight loss!

jbnl1991 - lost 4 pounds...but she measured and she lost 2" off her hips, 1" off of waist and 1/2" off thighs. That is great for a 4 pound loss!! Congratulations!

spacecurly lost 8 pounds, her body fat% went from 42.9 to 41.1 and her BMI from 31 to 30.4 and she is very happy that she is almost out of the "obesity" category. Congratulations ! She has not yet been brave enough to measure. I think she did well for losing 8 pounds and getting the results she did! And congratulations spacecurly, for finding your inner-strength to make some very important decisions.

greencantaycam for almost losing down to her challenge goal weight. . . only 1.2 pounds away! Her starting weight was 160 and her finish weight is 146.2. Congratulations! You did well!

Merry_abandon got insights into nutrition, healthy living - physically and psycholgically and exercise. So I would say that is success and congratulations!

Some other top weight losers are:

littlewhittles lost 20.1 pounds!

Deebug60 lost 11 pounds!

Jme03 lost 9.8 pounds Congratulations to them too!!

I want to congratulate everyone that finished this challenge! I want what you have gleemed from this challenge to continue you on to your successes, whatever they may be.

Have many great days ahead!! :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • jbnl1991
    jbnl1991 Posts: 149
    So glad to hear that everyone did so well! Congratulations to all!!
  • merry_abandon
    merry_abandon Posts: 140 Member
    Congratulations everyone! And thanks again for hosting this Fredda! As sad as I am that there won't be another challenge, it's good that you get to take a break. Best of luck to everyone in their future endeavors!
  • jkleeh
    jkleeh Posts: 108 Member
    Thank you! your group really helped me get there! You should create another!
  • nana6799
    nana6799 Posts: 262
    jkleeh, I am so happy we all were here for you! You did the work! So, congrats again for reaching and going beyond your goal weight for the challenge!
  • junerbooner
    junerbooner Posts: 188 Member
    Weight Loss Story After Winning the Valentine’s Day Contest:

    Fredda asked me to tell my weight loss story. I want to first thank Fredda for hosting this challenge! You were terrific and I hope you will consider doing it again in the future. Secondly, I never expected to win this contest. I really didn't pay a lot of attention to how much everyone was losing, but I could tell that most of us were losing weight and achieving goals as we went along. Congratulations to EVERYONE in the contest and best of luck in your future weight loss process!!! I think we ALL are winners when we lose weight, learn to eat better, and feel better about ourselves!!!

    About me...My name is June and I live in North Central Missouri. I am 59 years old and a retired elementary teacher. I have been heavy all of my adult life except for one brief period when I was about 30 years old. I went on a starvation diet (I didn't think of it as starvation then) and lost weight drastically. I lost around 80 pounds (down to 145 pounds from 225) in under 6 months. However, I couldn't maintain it and I gained it all back and then some more very quickly. My rapid weight loss/gain caused me serious problems with my monthly cycle as it totally stopped. I wound up going to the doctor to get straightened out. After that, I kind of gave up on the diet thing and said I would just have to be happy with myself as I was. I married about 6 years ago and continued to gain even more weight as I went through menopause. By May of 2012, I could not even use my scales, because they stopped reading weight at 303. I am not sure how much over 303 I was, yet it was too much weight.:brokenheart: I was having lots of problems climbing stairs and just walking due to my excess weight. I was wearing size 22/24 jeans and 4X blouses. :embarassed: :angry: My knees were giving out on me, my blood pressure and cholesterol was way too high, and I was so stiff and was having major pain in both my low back and both knees. I was taking 8 or more Ibuprofen's daily. I am also sure I was headed for diabetes as it is in my family and I was addicted to SUGAR.!!:noway:

    In May, 2012, the family went to a Zoo in Des Moines, IA. This is a small zoo, but I could hardly walk around the couple hours we were there. I kept sitting at every opportunity and I was exhausted by the time we arrived home. I decided then and there, to lose my weight and get healthier. So I sat down at the computer and started to look up weight loss management systems. I ran across a nutritionist for Beyond Diet.com. I ordered her weight loss manuals and liked what I read. She suggested to make SMALL changes in my eating habits at first. She also said to eventually eliminate all refined sugars, processed foods, canola and margarine oils, and refined flour as much as possible as these feed the fat on our bodies. She suggested to eat salad greens/fresh vegetables, lean meats (fish, chicken, pork and some lean beef) and fresh fruits. So, I began my LIFE STYLE CHANGE of eating differently and I stopped drinking regular Mountain Dew sodas.( I was consuming 4 or 5 sodas a day). I knew just that small change alone would pull off lots of pounds!!!

    On June 1, 2012, I weighed and was 303 pounds. I was happy my scales now read my weight but was horrified in the number that it was showing me!!!:sad: :cry::mad: At this point, I was not counting calories, but eating clean. I lost 20 pounds by mid-August when I was told about Myfitnesspal.com. One of my step-daughters was using it and said that it might help me realize what I was eating and how much I was eating. I quickly became hooked on this site!!:heart::heart: I found lots of people who were in the same boat as I was and was struggling with that demon called Hunger!! I leaned more about eating properly and I began to make myself move more by walking. My husband and I own a farm ( we are living in town till our house we are building is finished) and we go out there everyday to feed and do chores. We walk up and down hills for exercise. My husband is slender and can out walk me in a heartbeat (even now) but he accompanies me and encourages me to keep moving. I also have a "dreadmill" that I work out on when I can't walk at the farm. In addition, I have Zumba tapes to exercise with since Dec.

    I have been averaging around 9 to 10 pounds of weight loss per month since I started in June, 2012. I haven't hit a long plateau of no weight loss (except for a few times when I hadn't lost weight in a couple weeks, but I would then lose 3 or 4 pounds in the following week). It averages out to be nearly 2 pounds per week. I eat between 1250 and 1500 calories a day and I exercise at least an hour per day, if not more. I eat lots of lean meats on my salads, fresh vegetables, and fresh fruits. I drink only water~~about 4 to 5- 16 oz water bottles a day or more. I DO NO EAT/DRINK: Mountain Dew or any diet pop, breads, refined sugars, white potatoes, corn, peas, fatty meats, canola or margarine oils~~(I use Olive and coconut oil or if I have to..real butter), and very little processed foods. I eat Special K and/or Cheerios for breakfast with 1% milk and Stevia to sweeten it. I plan to start using skim milk when I next buy some~~~ if I can tolerate it..lol!! I know that this is a permanent life style change and I can never go back to eating whatever is in front of me without bad consequences!!!:noway:

    As of today, I am at 214 ~~down 89 total pounds (only 15 pounds from ONEderland). I wear a size 16 jeans and L to XL blouses/coat. ( I still have lots on top..:blushing: ). I don't feel that I have yet accomplished my FIRST major goal, because I am not below 200 pounds at this point!!... So in some ways, my story is not much more than half way written. I still want to: #1) make it to ONEderland... hopefully by early April, #2) get out of Obese category at around 185, #3) get out of Over-weight category at around 155, and #4) arrive at my final weight goal. I will then feel like celebrating when I reach each of these goals in turn. I don't know what my ultimate goal weight will be...130, 140, 150???? I will go until I feel I am at a nice size and I feel/look good (I don't look great anyway, but for me it will be an improvement!!:laugh: ). At that point I WILL maintain the weight loss and not ever go back to where I was in May, 2012. I am shooting for a size 8/10 or somewhere near that. I would like to have the rest of my weight off by the end of this year. However, it may take longer and if it does, so be it. I am healthier now than I have been in a long...long time and that makes me smile.:bigsmile: I no longer need any medicines for pain nor am I as stiff as I was at the beginning of this journey. I don't crave sweets now and that is a major accomplishment.

    Fredda asked that I post some before and after pictures of my weight loss. That would generally not be a problem, but my computer went down in Oct. and it had to be worked on. When I got it back, all my pictures were gone. Now, I have to find them to re-enter them and get them posted for you. Plus, enter the ones on my camera that I have taken recently. I will do so as soon as I can. I wanted to get this story out regardless of the lack of pictures so that the group will know a little about me. My profile picture of me is with my (baby), Peaches. I am at 303 or more in this picture. I didn't take any before pictures with posting them in mind. Guess I didn't want to jinx myself from losing weight and I HATED to have my picture taken. I didn't like the way I looked and didn't want any reminders around to show me. Have you felt that way????

    Again, thank you for the challenge group and the rewards. My (real) reward was losing this weight!!:drinker: :drinker: I will post those before and current pictures as soon as possible, so keep watching for them. Best of luck to each of you and remember... YOU ALL ARE WINNERS!!!!

    P.S. Sorry this was so-o-o-o long winded!!!
    June / junerbooner
  • jbnl1991
    jbnl1991 Posts: 149
    Thank you for sharing your journey with us! You are an amazing woman! I love how you called this your "lifestyle change" and not a diet. You have made great progress and I am so proud of you for giving up soda. Thankfully, that is one vice I never indulged it, but I see the negative side effects of that addition in some of my co-workers. That is a HUGE accomplishment.

    Keep going, June, you are awesome!!
  • nana6799
    nana6799 Posts: 262
    Thank you June for writing your story and no appologizes needed for being long-winded. It is so much better to get the bigger picture of your journey.

    What you have done is totally awesome and inspiring! I really hope everyone that was in the challenge will read your story and leave comments.

    I will be looking for your pictures! I imagine they will be awesome and you will probably even be surprised! We tend to not see the real "us" in the mirror and pictures really help!

    A big congratulations again!! You really deserved the extra prizes! As you said, "The real prize was losing the weight and learning more about you!"

    Looking forward to hearing more from you!
  • anna0478
    anna0478 Posts: 505 Member
    Congratulations, June! You're doing so well!! Such an inspiration :flowerforyou:
  • Factory_Reset
    Factory_Reset Posts: 1,651 Member
    Congratulations!!! You're definitely an inspirtation. Keep doing what you're doing!
  • Deebug60
    Deebug60 Posts: 62 Member
    June!!! What a great story! :love: Thank you for sharing your story and good luck on the rest of your journey! :flowerforyou:
  • merry_abandon
    merry_abandon Posts: 140 Member
    Thank you so much for taking the time to write up your story! I've been struggling lately and reading about your success has inspired me again. Congratulations and best of luck to you in your continued journey!
  • redlrider
    redlrider Posts: 11
    Congratulations truly inspiring.... Thanks for sharing.
  • Pomidorka
    Pomidorka Posts: 36
    You sure are an inspiration June! Many people need to hear your story. Thanks for sharing :)
  • junerbooner
    junerbooner Posts: 188 Member
    Thank you for all your kind comments, guys. They are truly appreciated. June
  • Sujit8383
    Sujit8383 Posts: 726 Member
    congratz june.......wish u all d best for ur fitness journey ahead.........:flowerforyou:
  • junerbooner
    junerbooner Posts: 188 Member
    Congrats are in order for yourself, Sujit. You took off 15 pounds and that is super!!!:flowerforyou: This journey is hard but rewarding when you see the weight come off for good. :smokin: Looking forward to reading your story in the future. You have done an awesome job and keep up the good work.