Well - many of us find that the challenges help us with support and motivation. They can also give a great framework and act as a reminder to do the things that we need to do to get great results (exercise plus nutrition).

I envisage a challenge with points given for exercise and nutrition on a weekly basis. There being no tie between nutrition and exercise points - some people are brilliant with exercise but cannot stick to nutritional rules and vice versa - it is unfair that they should end the week with no points having done quite a lot of hard work.

I also envisage weight control points being awarded at the end with so many points for each pound lost during the challenge.

Since I am actually struggling with maintenance (and I think it unfair that most points based challenges give no points if you do not lose - even if you are not trying to lose) I envisage three categories of entrants - REDUCING, MAINTAINING and CONTROLLED GAIN. I particularly envisage pregnant ladies working hard to keep to a controlled gain as fitting into the last category.

In the three weeks since I declared goal I have already drifted up outside my zone once. I am actually finding maintaining to be harder than losing as I need to reorganise my program of food and exercise in order to not lose any more weight.

I suspect that this is the first weight control challenge ever announced on this forum where it is possible to get points for doing no exercise, following no nutritional bonus rules and gaining some weight at the end of challenge...

If there are takers I will announce a points based structure for each of the categories.

Naturally - I envisage an astounding support thread with a mix of weight loss experience.

I envisage the challenge running from next Saturday (27th June) until the last Friday in August.

Reply to this thread if anyone wants to join in.

this does sound interesting, I'm in...
regards
Lisa

Great to have you with me Lisa

Here I am Margaret

I will pass this along to Heather too

Brilliant to see you joining in. I hope that Heather fancies the idea.

hey this sounds interesting to me. Right now i'm not doing so hot with food things but the exercise i'm doing ok with.

For the first time ever I have my food controlled and not my exercise

I'd like to join as well, please!

Heather and San - great to have you on board.

Cerella - it is funny how it can be hard to get both the food thing and the exercise thing working at the same time. None of it is easy. There are times when I really have to force myself to get on that treadmill. It sits in the living room all the time and looks at me. I find that if I cut down my distances it can be really hard to bump them back up again. Food tends to be harder for me though. Looking at Rod's food choices often brings temptation my way - he loves anything sweet. He does our grocery shopping to (following a list that I prepare) - so I know that the cupboards will have lots of stuff in them that I should be avoiding. It can be hard watching someone else eating the things that we know that we shouldnt eat.

I have just had a message on Facebook to say that Tammy is going to join me for this too. I am so happy that so many people are joining me.

I'll join too! Sounds like fun and maybe it will help me keep my food on track.

This sounds like fun. I'm pretty new here, but I'd like to sign up too.

Wonderful to have you join me Solty and Treehugger.

I'm in, thanks for the Tip Margaret!

Great to see you along for the ride Karl.