Pesky Pounds Challenge - Update 1(ish)

That sounds about right.

Hey there friends and welcome to the first update of Seek to be Merry's Pesky Pounds Challenge. As a reminder, over the next several weeks, I am going to share tips for weight loss, factoids to encourage healthier living and recipes focused on cutting out the naughty stuff while also disclosing how much weight I've lost since the week prior (and I'm calling all STBM readers to turn this into a community event and do the same in the comments section below!).

Full disclosure: It's actually been two weeks since I issued this challenge so I'm a whole week overdue to share my weight loss number. Between travelling, snow storms, the Olympics and Valentine's day, a Pesky Pounds post slipped my mind... What did not get forgotten however was my weigh-in and after 2 whole weeks of effort I have lost (drum roll please....) NOTHING. Zero pounds. Now keep in mind, I haven't gained so much as an ounce either (which is somewhat praiseworthy given the weekend eat-a-thons I've been participating in) but considering I'm 1 week from a half marathon and I have been "trying", I thought for sure I'd be doing better. So what can we do now..?

Keep at it!!! My experience in the past two weeks has taught me that I'm going to have to do more than maintain my status quo if I want to lose weight. Even if I'm "good" 80% of the time, I need to say no when indulgences arise because that 20% is a doozy (2am box of mac cheese anyone?!) How much have you lost these past two weeks? Have you learned anything in the process?

And speaking of learning...

* Do you know about Hungry Girl!? Hungry Girl is one of my most favorite resources for healthy recipes and one of the few daily emails I don't mind filling my inbox. 

* Listen to or read this interesting post on 2-day mini fasts and how they can aid with weight loss. Would you ever consider it?

* THIS is a very dedicated trainer (he gained weight to better empathize with clients!)

* In pop culture weight loss news, this season's Biggest Loser winner (I don't watch, but the news was hard to miss, even making the cover or my Us Weekly this week) lost over 150 pounds during the competition and at the reveal looked "too thin" according to many. Read THIS and decide for yourself if she went too far.

* Lastly, the key to a good workout is often a great soundtrack. Click HERE for 12 Pandora stations sure to get your heart pumping!

A few things and a new challenge.

1) It is snowing in NYC. AGAIN. And don't get me wrong, I loooove me some snowy white city scapes (that's my morning commute picture to the left!), but this is getting a little ridiculous. 50 degrees on Sunday then 30 degrees with inches of snow on Monday? what the???

2) Did you have a favorite Super Bowl commercial? There were a few I really liked, but here's a recap with "grades" (so interesting to see which ads resonated most with people!) 

3) I'm making my triumphant return to "cooking" tonight after a 2-week hiatus. Thinking I'll whip up THIS favorite.

And now, as promised in today's post title, is "a new challenge". Are you ready!? Last year we shared 12 "Healthy Habits of the Month" and based on your feedback, the series was extremely popular! Apparently people love tips for getting healthy and having a community to share the experience with. So let's try some more group motivation... introducing....

Seek to be Merry's Pesky Pounds Challenge.
For better or worse, nearly every woman I speak to is holding on to some weight she wishes she could shed. In many instances it's only 5 to 15 lbs, the "pesky pounds" which your body would prefer to keep, but you would prefer it not. And these pounds between where you're at and a "goal weight" are often the hardest to lose, so I thought maybe we could try to do it together!!!

1) Over the next 12 weeks, I am going to share tips for weight loss, factoids to encourage healthier living and recipes focused on cutting out the naughty stuff. 

2) Once per week (along with those tasty recipes and interesting articles) I am going to share how much weight I've lost since the week prior and I would LOVE to turn this into a community event where readers up for the challenge do the same in the comments section below. I will NOT be sharing how much I weigh (and you don't have to either) but instead focusing on my progress bringing the number down. Having to share creates accountability and having a community means a safe place to enjoy successes and assess failures.

So what do you think? Will you join the Seek to be Merry Pesky Pounds Challenge? Weight loss can be such a personal struggle and I don't think there's anything that makes a struggle less scary than a trusting community to face it with, so I hope you'll join me!