101 Days of Summer Challenge Finale

Happy Labor Day! It seems like Memorial Day was just yesterday when I joined Biz' 101 Days of Summer Challenge with this post and now it's over. Where did the summer go? There's a chill in the air, the leaves are starting to turn colors and before we know it the snow will be flying (I can't wait).

Let's see how much progress I made during the 101 Days of Summer Challenge:

1. Lose 20 Pounds by Labor Day

Challenge Starting Weight on Memorial Day: 215
Week 1: 212.3 (-2.7)
Week 2: 211.6 (-0.7)
Week 3: 211.6 (-0.0)
Week 4: 207.9 (-3.7)
Week 5: 207.9 (-0.0)
Week 6: 209.2 (+1.3)
Week 7: 207.2 (-2.0)
Week 8: 206.4 (-0.8)
Week 9: 207.0 (+0.6)
Week 10: 206.1 (-0.9)
Week 11: 202.2 (-3.9)
Week 12: 201.3 (-0.9)
Week 13: 200.2 (-1.1)
Week 14: 198.9 (-1.3)

Week 15: 198.0 (-0.9)

Total Loss: 17 POUNDS

WOW! 17 pounds gone in 15 weeks - WOOHOO! That's a little over a pound a week which is about right for me these days. I refuse to sprint to the finish line because that never worked for me before. This time I'm all about slow and steady and it's working so I'm not going to mess with it. It will definitely take me longer than most to reach my ultimate goal but I'm determined to keep it off this time and if doing it at a snail's pace is what it takes, that's what I'm going to do.

I thought I was being a bit ambitious with my goal of 20 pounds in 101 days but I came really close to meeting it. Even though I didn't quite make the goal I broke through the 100s and I'm only 3 pounds away from it so I'm calling this one a success.

2. Hit the gym HARD

Success! I'm finally getting my money's worth out of a gym membership. The staff at the gym know my name and will say "see you tomorrow" when I leave. I've developed a very close personal relationship with the elliptical and we're best buddies now even if it tries to kick my a$$ every single day. I'm tough now, I can take it.

3. C25K program

I never really made it past the first week of the program but have been doing more running on the treadmill than ever before. I'm not ready to run a 5K yet but I'm still working on it.

4. Lift Weights at Least 2x Per Week

I'm starting to see muscles pop in my arms and that is giving me more incentive to keep hitting the weights. I've been making an effort to pump the iron before my cardio so I don't give myself an excuse to skip it after sweating out 60-70 minutes on the elliptical.

5. Get Movin' on the Weekends Away

I have to admit that being away at camp makes me want to sit by the campfire or just relax with a good book but I've been making more of an effort to go for a walk, take a hike, or take my bike for a spin. Now that the cooler weather is here it will be easier to get out there and not feel like I'm trying to swim through all the humidity.

6. Limit Nighttime Snacking

This was really hard. I've been better with my snack choices and limiting the amount of food I eat after dinner but I'd like to get to a point where I don't HAVE TO HAVE something sweet after dinner especially when I'm not really hungry, I just want sweet.

Overall I think I did pretty well with the challenge. I can't wait to see how much more progress I can make in the next 101 days. That should bring us right around Christmas. If I can lose at least another 17 pounds by then I'll be merely OVERWEIGHT and can leave OBESITY behind for good.

September always feels like the start of a new year to me and since it's the last month before the eating holidays begin (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year), I'm going to kick it into high gear and continue to work even harder on these same goals.

Thanks to Biz and all the other challengers who made this challenge so much fun.

How did you do? Did you meet your goals? What's the plan for the next 101 days?

Happy Labor Day everyone! Rock on!