100% Challenge... inaugural thread and rules

[Jeannie]

Wahooooo girls we are starting over Bigger and Better..

After talking to Asy we both would like this thread to be somewhat more organised and SUCCESSFUL.. Therefore we have made some small changes that should help us all in getting to the point where it gets easier to stay on track..

Faithy made a very good comment that it takes at least 3 weeks to get to a stage where it becomes easier.. It seems that the first days or first week is ok, but making it to the next stage is where some of us struggle.. So this is to help you.. Help you to get to the stage where it is easier and where you are in the ZONE so that you can continue on until you reach re feed..

I must say a BIG THANK YOU for all the emails and PM's explaining how much you were all helped in staying focused in the previous one..

New Rules!!

Anyone can join at any time.. as long as you wait until we start each round afresh..

We are going for 14 days being Deviation Free, Dancing Mangos will be given on a Friday..

If you deviate then you have to wait until the next sprint starts..
If you deviate more than 3 times then you will be out of the challenge.. Unless a genuine reason like hospital etc. talk to Asy or myself..

If you deviate then you tell us what your weight is that day.. then when you re start again tell us your weight on that day.. (This is to stop us from thinking "I have blown it now so I can eat what I want until I restart.). It doesn't matter what you weigh, you can join no matter what it is.. it is merely to stop a "Binge" starting..

Asy will allow Mangos on our siggies when we have achieved them.. 5 mangos in a row and you are a WINNER a CELEBRETY

How does that sound?.......

Lets get those excess kilos off before they know what has hit them....

[asy]

FANTASTIC!!!

Thanks Jeannie...

Let the games begin!

Can't wait to see all those Dancing Mangoes, everyone!

The rules for the Siggy-Mangoes are thus:
You can ONLY use the Dancing Mangoes in your signature after you've been awarded them by The convenor of this competition. (Anyone who uses them without this OK will have their whole sig deleted.)
The Siggy Mangoes can stay on your sig for 2 fortnights after you earn them. IF you earn more, they stay on for 2 fortnights. So you have 2 fortnights to win another one or lose them all.

asy

[Kohinoor]

Hi Jeannie,

I just wanted to say how awesome I think you are !! I know how much you have been doing to help others on here - and this new challenge is another of your successes. I hope others derive their own success from it too (which I know is what you want too).

Go get 'em Jeannie - you rock, girl !!!

And go "Deviation Free Challenge2" - fill the worlld with dancing mangoes !!! Hehe - well, at least fill those sigs with the happy little blighters Three weeks free is all it takes - then there's no stopping you - so go do it people !! Hugs to all,

Koh

[Jeannie]

AWWWwww Thanks Koh and Thanks to you to Asy who has supported this challenge behind the scenes..

Lets not let them down hey girls....

[Faithy]

Awesome Jeannie .. You ROCK girl

Guys & Girls.. I just want to wish you all the best.. the deliberate deviation does come down to choice doesn't it? .. So lets all make the RIGHT choice..

Try to think before you eat or drink IT..

Why do I really want to eat this?

How am I REALLY going to feel afterwards?

Food to us is like alcohol to the alcoholic or drugs to the drug addict.

It takes hard work & determination.. but just by signing up to this program shows that you've HAD ENOUGH!!!

Lets get OUR power back over our own bodies ..

Lets take ownership of what we CHOOSE to place inside it.

Find ways to realise that YOU ARE worth looking after, you ARE worth loving & caring for..

Lets NOT sabotage ourselves.. there's a reason we're on this program.. we want to succeed...

I wish you all the best. I'm SO excited for you all

[Jeannie]

So far the starters for the 4/4/08 are:


Frannie
Jeannie
Butterfly Girl
Maisy
Babytime
Drexyl

Nat

Just let me know if you want to be added to the starters list.. Wahoooooo..

Because of the short notice and if you dont get to read this until Saturday etc and you have been Deviation Free I am happy to add you this one time after it has started...

Thank you Faithy... You are a legend...

[Andy46]

Good on all of you - lets see you all power on and down and see how positive and uplifting the challenge can be ...... I was thinking of joining but will watch as its been 32 weeks for me - and the only problem at 30 weeks was not weighing ......yes a mango.... so I am well over that and have really started to go down again - as per normal and not a chance of a deviation - so go get them - wipe the slate clean and box the mangoes - dance with the stars ........... go do and be happy and winners are grinner's !!!!


Andy

[shrinking_moi]

Thanx so much Jeannie and Asy for such a truly great new thread.
Faithy, thanx for teh encouragement. I'm going to print out what you said and put it on my fridge.
X
Ez

[hexi2]

Yeh I am pleased to see that there is another Deviation Challenge Thread and feel it really is an important part for people struggling to get to 100% deviation free...

Go guys and girls - we are all cheering you on

And YEP it IS WORTH IT AND SO ARE YOU!! (Coming from the new size 8 girl who used to be a size 22 and has NEVER been a size 8 in HER LIFE) YEP WORTH EVERY SINGLE DEVIATION TEMPTATION DEFEATED

I know its a bit cliche..but if I can DO IT ANYONE CAN!

[frannie]

I am so so so pleased this thread has started as I was very disappointed when the original was shut down.

I have got so much motivation & support from everyone on the deviation free challenge and I REALLY feel that I need to be held accountable to get & keep on track.

Of course we are ultimately accountable to ourselves but knowing there will be others knowing how I am going is a real positive for me.l

Publicly stating my progress & reading about how others are going helps so much.

I know lots of people get that from their journal but I don't get the same satisfaction & interaction from the journal.

THe new rules sound great & I like the third strike out part as that reminds us not to use the challenge as an excuse or okay to deviate as someone pointed out was a risk in the first thread.

Looking forward to more mango.

BRING IT ON!

regards, Frannie

[shrinking_moi]

Just popping in to say I am pumped and feel thinner already.
X
Ez

[robbie]

Jeannie - you beauty - I'm in - friday 4th.

I'm back home as of this weekend and away from manual labour and stress but I'm already back on track following the plan.

In the last DF thread I do think there was much food for thought from experienced cohenites, and this is a great
way to really make us realise what we are doing it for. Thank you and Asy for taking the time to keep it going.

I guess I'll put in under my current ticker weight.

Robbie

[TheSkinnyMeInside]

Hey Jeannie,

I am sooo happy that you have gotten this challenge back up and running. I'm still out of town for 10 more days and I mostly cooking my own meals..however when I have to go to a restaurant I am not able to weigh my food so I am just eyeballing it and hoping for the best...which I think has been pretty good. The only problem was tonight with dinner...I thought I was ordering steak on a bed of steamed spinach...but there was olive oil in it...I think the portion was pretty good...but the oil was pretty bad.

So basically my question is...am I deviating if I eat out a few times during this trip and I can't weigh my food...or if some of the food is cooked with something that I didn't know about...like oil? If it is considered a deviation then I will probably have to start again on the next 14 day sprint...since as I said before I still have another 10 days of this food torture.

Also, regarding the dancing mango's...do we get to put them next to our signatures if we got one from the 1st challenge?

Cindy

[drexyl]

Hey Jeannie!

Excellent job getting this back up & running! & thank you Asy for all the effort too!

Count me in from today also! Today's weight was 96.2kg's

Rock on the next fortnight!!!!

Cya from Sharlene xo

[Jeannie]

Wahoooo I am so pumped that you are doing it too Sharlene..

Hey Cindy I reckon that it would not be considered a deviation.. Somethings are out of our control and you are doing your very best.. the proof is in the pudding with your photos anyway.. In the last thread you made it to the Sixties, so you pretty well have a control of things, you are an inspiration to us all.. Maybe you can share some things you have learnt along the way with your holidays.. eg I learnt when asked if I would like a salad or vegetables not to be afraid to ask what the veges are, they had cauliflower and zuchinni that were Cohen friendly so that is what I had, they were steamed and really lovely.. Normally I would have not asked and ended up with potato, carrots, pumpkin and beans as well.. At some stage we all have to go out of our comfort zone, (like Hexi did in Melbourne).. EVEN our HERO struggled big time....... So any tips would be greatly appreciated..

Cindy if we want to get into the nitty gritty, you are a day behind us, so really that happened on the 3rd right? You are much wiser now, and will check with the chef next time..

I will have to ask Asy about the siggies.. Not sure how she is going to do that one...

So Glad you are all having a go..

Thank you Robbie and Frannie for your thoughts on the last one thread as well.. much appreciated..

Hey Ez I hope you are not that skinny you want to leave us already..

When I get into the sixties I will post a photo..

[drexyl]

Hey Jeannie!

Of course I'm here to do it with you & everyone! The more motivation the better!!

Just a thought.........What do you think of, as a name for the challenge, "100% Cohen's Challenge" kinda takes all the negativeness out of it, the "D" word gone all together??? Makes you think about 100% instead of deviation??? Dunno, just seeing what you think??

Good luck everyone!

Cya from me xo

[hexi2]

Yeh I love that too Drexyl 100% challenge!!

Had to laugh about Jeannie's comments about me being a hero Nah I just got into the Cohen's zone by being 100% in the early days and not only did I struggle while in Melbourne I deviated BIG TIME! In some weird way it has helped me to find the focus I needed on the last and somewhat seemingly hardest part of this journey...my focus is back, I am happy and I am 100% once again...

Goodluck challengers! Blitz this weekend and remember you need around 3 weeks 100% to really get into the 'easy' zone...once there it is only a matter of maintaining it - and most of the time isn't an effort...only every now and again

[Jeannie]

I like it Sharlene.. I will see what Asy thinks.. I am sure she will agree.. Good thinking..

Thanks Hexi for your imput, after all it was YOUR idea.. much appreciated..

A big welcome to Nat also..

Everyone please feel free to pop in anytime and let us know of your plan of attacks, struggles, achievements etc..

[TheSkinnyMeInside]

Hey Jeannie...what a mess that dinner was. I thought I had gotten really good at asking the questions...but I guess not. I made sure the steak wasn't cooked with anything non Cohen's and made sure the spinach was just steamed...but then they poured this olive oil with herbs and garlic thing over everything after cooking it. So I would say that the VERY IMPORTANT lesson I learned from that meal is to make sure to ask if there is anything else added that I do not know about. I probably would have sent it back if the dinner wasn't being hosted by someone else...I didn't want to make the host feel bad that there was something wrong with my meal. But it just goes to show you that while eating out there are so many unknowns. Itis so important to ask questions...after all you're paying for the meal...why not get it exactly the way you want it...right?

Dreyl...I love your suggestion about the challenge name being 100% Cohen's Challenge. Positive thinking.

Cindy

[shrinking_moi]

All good here and I am now a 90's chick...wohhoooo. That is definately incentive to keep up the good work.