For the New Members, forgot to post this:

ABOUT THE CHALLENGES & REQUIRED WEIGHT POSTINGS

We are going to be running (Optional) Mini-challenges this month: Daily Posts.

First and foremost is that participation in this challenge is optional. It's up to you as to whether you want to try this. If you don't want to participate in these challenges, you don't have to, the choice is yours, but I would like to encourage you to participate as it seems to help keep us on track and thinking about our goals on a daily basis and it's encouraging to see other's successes and struggles so that we realize that we are not alone!!

The Daily Posts Challenge is based on another challenge on MFP called UAC (Ultimate Accountability Challenge). The way UAC works is that the aim is to follow 5 basic rules.

#1. Track EVERYTHING you eat that has calories.
#2. Stay inside your allocated daily budget. (you set your own budget)
#3. Try to do at least 20 minutes of activity a day (anything: walk, run, cycle, swim, gardening, housework, yoga, gym, etc.. As long as it gets you active and off the couch)
#4. 1 pass day permitted per week (went over calories, could not track, not enough exercise, intentional pass)
#5. Check in daily (tracking yes/no, calories yes/no, exercise yes/no).

****End of the week. those who have managed to keep to plan for 6 out of 7 days are recognized in the thread as being part of the weekly "Winners Circle".

**A side note as there has been a bit of confusion for new members in the past, this is not the same as the official results, which are weight based, this is just another tool to help you reach your weight loss goals.**

**REMEMBER**
You set your own daily budget.
You choose you own exercise and intensity (no step limit, no exercises you cannot or should not do, 20 mins of gardening counts as much as a 10 mile run, activity is activity, anything that gets you up and moving!).
Is not weight based (as weight fluctuates day by day).
Can continue beyond weight loss.

Daily check in keeps you in touch with those doing similar. Longer term weight management is hard to do on your own.

It also has frequent resets (as in a circle each week).

It works on an honor system. Being honest with yourself and others is a key to making things work. Remember, this is a judgement free zone, everyone has good days and bad days, but the way to get to the finish line is by being honest and when we have a bad day, picking ourselves up and carrying on the next day!

Consistency and new habits have been shown the only long term successful way to change weight. We all want the progress made here to last a lifetime.

Your posts should look like this:
Daily Post (Sunday)

Track: Yes/no
Calories: Yes/no (were you under)
Exercise: Yes/no (what type and how long)
Goals/Day/Comments: (Tell us a brief description about your how your day went or your goals for the day)

Please post your weight on your scheduled weigh in day, as if you miss weigh-ins, you may be eliminated from the challenge and we don't want to see that happen!!

Your posts should look like this:
AB0215
Week 1
PW =(previous weight)
CW=(current weight)

Please, please setup your posts in that format as it really makes it much easier for us to track your progress for the challenges and the weight loss!!

We'd like to help you be as successful as possible and if we can help in any way, please let us know. Also, if you have any suggestions for the team or fun ideas to spice things up a bit, please feel free to share them, we look for new ways to help engagement and keep people motivated!!

We are committed to this group and to help where we can, and please let us know if we can help in any way!!

Once again Welcome to July Challenge!!