Hi! I just stumbled across this!
I'm 28, single and live in Sydney Australia. I work as a headhunter for an executive search firm and I'm about 60.4kg and 159cm. I had a DEXA scan about a month ago and it said I was about 24% body fat and I'd love to be around 19-20% body fat. I think that would be around 55kg but I'm not really sure, I will just go by how my clothes look.

I have been about 20kgs heavier before, and I LOVE to eat and eat and eat and eat so portion control can be challenging. I like to eat a lot of volume so vegetables are my friend I also love to eat with a lot of flavour. I don't really enjoy cooking or cleaning up though!

I used to work out like crazy about 6 days per week, but if I'm being honest, although i was eating clean, non processed foods, I was probably eating too much and clocking in at about 2500-3000 cals daily. I used to also work out with a personal trainer who was frustrated that I could never to stick to a nutrition plan! I have now been keeping a food diary via MFP and work out on my own and sticking to 1600 cals on average. My BMR is 1400 and obviously I allow myself to eat more on heavy weights days! I love doing weights and I hate doing cardio so I do HIIT when I need to do it.

My favourite cheat foods are spaghetti bolognese, lebanese food, thai food, most asian foods, mushrooms and chocolate

My favourite clean foods are all lean meats and vegetables

Hello! I am 49, wife, mother of 2 and grandmother of a beautiful 4 yr old girl. I am an ARMY Veteran (Whoah Ruthie), my daughter is an ARMY veteran as well and my husband is retired ARMY. I have been into fitness most of my life and more recently into health and wellness overall. I am a Zumba instructor for over 3 yrs now. I used to be an aerobics, step aerobics and resistant trng instructor in the 90s when we were stationed in Germany. My main struggle is maintaining my weight since I love to eat, LOL, and struggle every year from Oct to early Jan. I always manage to gain 7-12lbs!!!! Ugh!!!!! So that is the reason I joined this group. I hope we can all help each other. I eat really well for the most part but I have my ups and downs and I tend to be a stress eater. I have been under a lot of stress lately taking care of my dad after he had a stroke Nov 1. I stepped on the scale and I was 133!!! And I said, enough is enough!!! My goal is 125. I was there about a year ago so I know it can be done. I just need to be able to maintain it...and the older I get the more difficult it is!!!!

I'm just like you in that I go into hibernating eating mode oct-jan. My Mom also had a stroke last week actually and I gained lbs from stress eating and juggling taking care of her. I feel you there! we can do this! You're beautiful!

Thanks! I am sorry to hear about your mom. How is she doing? My dad is doing much much better now. He wants to return to his home to Puerto Rico. He came to visit for the Holidays since he was home by himself. My mother passed away unexcpectedly last May 2012. He got to my house Oct 17 and had the stroke Nov 1. Spent 21 days in the hospital which I stayed with him most days, day and night. I feel I have aged so much in the past 3 mos. But I am starting to regain my confidence, strength and stamina.

Is there some kind of goal/challenge we are all doing on here? Or just simply post and of course eat clean to lose 10 lbs or less. :flowerforyou:

That's awesome she is doing so well!!!! My dad is doing much better than Nov/Dec but I still have a lot of concerns. He is also a diabetic and has high BP, etc etc...His vision was affected by the stroke so he is not going to be able to drive, at least not for now. It's weird we found each other, going through similar situations. Your mother lives by herself or she is still with you?

I joined another group before joining this one and I believe they are setting different goals weekly in Feb. They started this week, they go from Mon-Sun. The goals for this week are logging in foods everyday (been doing that since Mon), drinking more than 3 cups of water (no problem here, water chugger LOL), Exercise 60 mins everyday (I couldnt today), in addition to that 300 sit ups, 300 jumping jacks, 300 push ups, 300 lunges by the end of the week (I have done some of those, better get cracking LOL), among others. Oh, and choose one thing that is "bad" and not do it this week, I chose NO SWEETS. So far I have been successful!!! I can get the link or we can create our own here. I really want to shed 7-10lbs sooner rather than later. Challenges work for me. I am having some repairs done in my house and I really couldnt exercise as I wanted to today.

What do you need help the most with? Are we the only ones here? LOL

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/869805-february-challenge-week-one-january-28-february-3-2013?page=1#posts-13199688

Great, good luck to you!!!! I know, abs are made in the kitchen right? this week since I have been eating cleaner I have noticed a huge difference and that is just one week. At least you have the "pressure" of your competitions, I need to find goals that motivate me to stay consistent. I know there are no secrets but to stay the course, eat clean. Congrats!!