The pressure is on as the end of the competition looms. The final weigh-in is scheduled for December 15. The contestant with the highest percentage of weight lost will be the grand prize winner. There will also be a prize awarded to the person that earned the highest number of points during the competition. Points are awarded by individual workouts, participating in group workouts and events, blogging and more. The winners will be announced in the Jan/Feb 2013 issue. For this issue, the contestants were asked to share their answers to the following three questions for the remaining time in the challenge:

1. What has been your biggest accomplishment in the challenge so far?
2. What has been your biggest struggle?
3. What is your goal by December 15?

Erika Beckwith:
My biggest accomplishment so far has been establishing a consistent workout schedule.  Making exercise a priority and actually scheduling the time to workout has helped me stick with a schedule that works best with my lifestyle right now. Another accomplishment that I am proud of is that I have been very open to trying out new activities. Since being in the challenge, I have had an opportunity to try Skyrobics, kickboxing, Pilates and running. Some of the activities I enjoyed and some I didn’t, but the main thing is that I tried something new and that in itself is an accomplishment.
My biggest struggle has been and continues to be my diet.  It’s not that I don’t eat the “right” foods, it’s that I don’t eat often enough which is not a good thing.  Eating every three to four hours helps to boost your metabolism which in turn helps you lose weight. I think this is the main reason why my weight loss has been slow. I am still trying to work out a system that works for me to make sure that I eat frequently enough so that I can lose the weight a little quicker than I have in the past.
Right now I am only 37 lbs. away from my goal weight. It would be great if I could reach my goal by Dec. 15.  With a little more than two months left in the challenge, I think this is something that is doable. It’s not going to be easy, and it will require a lot of focus and determination on my part, but I think I can make it happen.

Michelle McShane:
My biggest accomplishment in this challenge has been discovering the strength within myself. I have a new perspective on challenges. I look at them with a tactical sense, instead of becoming overwhelmed. My weight has been a huge burden that has been plaguing me for almost 15 years! I am taking control of it and I am getting the weight off! Instead of looking at the large amount of weight that I have to lose, I’m tackling it 5 lbs. at a time. This has made it an achievable goal, one step at a time. This challenge has renewed the vigor inside of me that has released the power to take control of any obstacle that comes my way.
My biggest struggle has been correcting my eating habits. With family life, it’s all too easy to let myself slip into a pattern of eating unhealthy for the sake of convenience. The difference in me now, is that when I do this from time to time, I have an autocorrect button built in that starts blinking: “Get back on track.” I am grateful for this because I didn’t used to have this button. I’ve also had some struggles with getting workouts in when life gets crazy. I am still working on this. I need to plan better and fit something in, no matter what. I feel so much better when I exercise on a regular basis. It really is true! I have so much more energy and an increased positivity about life when I exercise regularly. This is probably due to all of the endorphins released during exercise. So scheduling, and staying on track nutritionally has been my biggest challenge. The difference now is that I’m equipped to handle it, as this struggle will be a life-long one that I’ll have to contend with even once all of the weight is off and I’m simply maintaining my weight.
My goal by Dec. 15 is to lose as much weight as I can. That’s been my goal from the beginning. I will not set a number because my body will decide how much I can lose by then. But I do plan to push and really make the last few days of this challenge count! My journey doesn’t end on Dec. 15, however. I will continue to lose as much weight as necessary to meet an optimal weight beyond this date. After that, I will maintain my weight. This is not a problem I want to have anymore. Not today, tomorrow, or years from now. This weight loss is permanent. I won’t let it come back. Life’s too short to be worried about weight. It’s also too short to have any of the numerous health issues related to weight. I plan to be the fittest I can be by Dec. 15, and beyond. It’s a continuous journey that doesn’t end even when the weight is off. It has to be a new way of life.

Bill King:
Biggest accomplishment : Recognizing that I am overweight, committing to reverse the trend of the last 25 years. Historically speaking, I have gained an average of 3 lbs. per year since I graduated college.  This cannot continue and must be reversed.
Biggest struggle: Constant exposure to foods I crave drives me nuts.  I am a food addict and I love to eat.  I am both a social eater and a solitary eater. The truly biggest struggle I have is when the people around me are eating, I try to be strong, but I feel I am missing out on the fun. Not eating barbecue ribs or homemade ice cream when it is right there is almost impossible for me.
Goal by Dec. 15: To get to less than 300 lbs.

Divya Desai:
My biggest accomplishment thus far is knowing that anything is possible if I set my mind to it.   Success comes from hard work; it’s me that can fail and me that can rise up. I truly found the meaning of impossible, and that is anything is possible.
My biggest struggles have been my everyday issues in life. It has caused me to deal with stress and has set me back. However, I have decided that failure is part of the game, and I have all my life to improve. They don’t call it lifestyle for no reason.
My goal by Dec. 15 is to get stronger and challenge myself to lose another 25 lbs. I hope to reach this goal by taking the magic pill called exercise and healthy eating.

WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN THE JAN/FEB 2013 ISSUE!

Ginny Wurttemberg had to withdraw from the competition due to outside circumstances.