Octoberbest Coming to an End

So, Octoberbest is over - or here, however you want to look at it. How did it all pan out? I started this 12-week challenge at 174 and convinced myself that I could be well into the 150's by the time it was over. HA! Guess what? I'm so close to the 150s I can taste them. 160.4 as of last night for a total loss of 13.6 in 12 weeks, or 1.13/week average. This included vacation, a mini-plateau, BBQ's, etc.

First, the results of this week: I am down 1.6 lbs

I have lost 15.65 inches in this same time period, and if you scroll down to the bottom of my blog today, you can see my overall WW ticker from May 23 until today and chart of the same.

Now, a little reflection on Octoberbest.

What was good:

• Sparks, first and foremost. I got a lot from the site tools and articles as well as message boards. It kept me focused on trying to build exercise into my day or week at a level that was comfortable for me. This is by far the most difficult thing for me. So, I do attempt to exercise semi-regularly and will continue this focus throughout the Christmas Challenge. IT is getting easier all the time. I like the arm flex measurements and use them to reflect on what other muscles may be building in my body as the weeks progress.


• The people. I have loved meeting people who have participated in the challenge. I really want to thank Kim for opening her personal challenge to so many of us and taking on the responsibility of coordinating this. Also, to Jodi for agreeing to co-captain this. For those of us who looked towards this challenge in any way, shape or form for accountability or personal challenges it was a great benefit.

What was not-so great:

• The message board used could have been a really great tool to bounce ideas around and get support. It was highly under-used and just seemed to be a weekly reporting spot for the most part. I suppose many of us belonged to other boards, have our blogs, etc., and you only get out of a challenge what you put into it. I guess that's why I set my Sparks ticker to start at 174, and created a new Christmas Challenge ticker. When looking at time-specific challenges, I think it's good to look at the results from the bottle, not just your weight loss journey results.

Well, I know I promised pictures, but my camera is AWOL. We're looking for it and I may break down and buy a new one as the one we have is old and doesn't always co-operate as it's been dropped a time or two:0)

OK, onward and upward - er, downward. Christmas Challenge in a bottle.