I am still stoked for this challenge! :-)

I had a week and a half where I was sick *and* stuck on benadryl for an allergic reaction, so that period of time wasn't super productive.

Since then though, things have gotten better! I signed up for the Biggest Loser competition at my gym, which starts October 3rd, so that should give me an added boost to the last month of this challenge!

I'm down 5.8 pounds so far, and I would really like to get another 12.8 down by Halloween.

I've started adding strength training with a personal trainer into the mix, so I am curious to see what kind of muscle gains I might end up with. I wouldn't mind putting some muscle on! She has one of those fancy electronic body fat % measurement devices, so we can end up with a pretty accurate idea of how many lbs of muscle I put on.

So far so good! Could be better, but it could also be much worse. Last week was slow going due to TOM, this week I just feel drained. Spent Saturday night in the ER with my son. He wiped out on friend's dirt bike, of which I had no clue that's what they were doing. After xrays and CT scan, Dr came to diagnose 'concussion'. Monday follow up with his regular Dr and since no trauma indicated in hospital scans and no physical injuries, no bumps, scrape or bruises, only sore neck muscles, he diagnosed 'whiplash'. Needless to say this took a lot out of me, plus I had the fun of emailing husband who is away about this incident. Good times! I have been sleeping a lot, so little to no activity. I aim to change that this week!

aefallis- Good to see the inactive members moved to another sheet. It has definitely tidied up the spreadsheet. Congrats on your loss! I am still waiting to get under that 200 mark *sigh*.

excitedaboutf- Bummer about being sick. That can totally throw a big ol monkey wrench into the weight loss game! Here's to feeling better and losing more!

bch97223- sizes have absolutely changed. It's due to 'vanity sizing' or 'size inflation'. It's insane. In an article I read,
"FEELING smug, because you still buy the same size clothes as 20 or more years ago? The truth may be rather uglier, thanks to "size inflation": clothes with the same size label have become steadily larger over time. Measurements vary a bit by brand, but research by The Economist finds that the average British size-14 pair of women's trousers is today more than four inches wider at the waist than a size 14 in the 1970s, and over three inches wider at the hips. This means that today's size 14 fits like a former size 18; a size 10 fits like an old size 14. The same "downsizing" has also happened in America where, to confuse matters further, a size 10 is equivalent to a British size 12 or 14, depending on the brand. As the average person's weight has risen over the years, fashion firms have increased the measurements of their garments, partly in the belief that women feel better (and so are more likely to buy) if they can squeeze into their old size." http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2127189/Womens-trousers-grown-inches-past-40-years.html or http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2012/04/daily-chart-1 or http://www.vanitysizing.com/archive/interview-why-have-retailers-changed-clothing-sizes/

halloweengirl- You're sick too? Here's to feeling better and that your vocal cord heals rapidly.