Home Stretch!

One week to go!

It's been 6 months of mountainous terrain, and the finish line is looming ahead like a contented water buffalo.

We're getting dangerously near the 90 pound mark - I wonder if we'll cross that line before the end?

This week we're only missing one little piggie, who gets an automatic nuttin' on the chart.

Deborah has some mojo, and should teach us her ways. Renn is closest to goal - only 5 to go!

Let's have a wrap party next week! I'll bring the cake.

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		Distance to Goal		% of Goal
Chickie	0		-6		34		15.0%
db grin	-1		-10		20		33.3%
Deborah	-1		-24		16		60.0%
eb	0		-18		22		45.0%
Ginamonster	-1		-7		13		35.0%
LJS	0		-1		9		10.0%
Renn	-1		-14		5		73.7%
Tiff	0		-12		13		48.0%
Utenzi	1		4		17		-30.8%
Group Totals	-3		-88				37.1%

It's Still Tuesday

Week 22 is in the can, and I have numbers to prove it.

As for me, to continue the train theme, it feels like I'm right on track.

Yesterday upon waking I found that I'd gained 6 pounds (SIX!!) since my trip to Michigan, which featured lots of road food and 2100 miles of seat time. I was right depressed, especially since I'd brought my fancy new (real!) running shoes and did a full workout at the riverside park. All that wogging was for naught, it seemed.

I weighed myself again at day's end, hoping for a different result. This time, against all experience, my hopes came true. Turns out I only gained one pound (confirmed this morning), which still sucks to my thinking, but it ain't 6.

As for the rest of us, Deborah is our rock star. Consistently shedding, she's lost the most weight and is the first in her goal category to break the 50% barrier. Way to go!

Also of note, Renn may or may not have dropped 4 this week, but whether one week or two that's pretty awesome. And Lady Jane Scarlett clocked in with a rare change - woot!

Regardless of the fluctuations that plague me, I'm sticking with it. I like this group and the purpose. Plus, I can get a little competitive with myself (usually my couch-potato self wins, but my motivated self is proving to be a fighter).

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		Distance to Goal		% of Goal
Chickie	3		-5		35		12.5%
db grin	1		-10		20		33.3%
Deborah	-1		-21		19		52.5%
eb	0		-18		22		45.0%
Ginamonster	5		-6		14		30.0%
LJS	-1		-2		8		20.0%
Renn	-4		-14		5		73.7%
Tiff	0		-11		14		44.0%
Utenzi	-1		5		18		-38.5%
Group Totals	2		-82				34.6%

Back On the Rails

When your backup plan works just as well as your initial plan, that's a good thing... Right?

In this case, it means we went 2 weeks updateless (which is very similar to how I spent most of my high school years).

Catching up is now happening:
We are currently ending Week 21.
Week 22 results are due Monday morning.
There are only 5 updates remaining (including the next one).
Two piggies are missing from this update. They get a zero for this week.

Aright, let's see how we fared. We're down a theoretical 5 this week, which is pretty cool. Good joerb fellow shrinkers! We've broken the 80 lb barrier, and on our way to 40% of goal. Here be the charts.

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		Distance to Goal		% of Goal
Chickie	0		-8		32		20.0%
db grin	0		-11		19		36.7%
Deborah	0		-20		20		50.0%
eb	-3		-18		22		45.0%
Ginamonster	0		-11		9		55.0%
LJS	-1		-1		9		10.0%
Renn	0		-10		9		52.6%
Tiff	-1		-11		14		44.0%
Utenzi	0		6		19		-46.2%
Group Totals	-5		-84				35.4%

Week 19

I could reuse last week's picture, because we're still in bouncy-bouncy mode! So, just scroll down to see it.

We've dropped 3 little pounds collectively, for a new total of 79 since January. The 80 lb/ 30% range has us in a tractor beam and won't let us go - all power to the thrusters!

In that spirit, I'm off to run. Time to move my still-too-pudgy posterior.

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		Distance to Goal		% of Goal
Chickie	0		-7		33		17.5%
db grin	-4		-12		18		40.0%
Deborah	-2		-18		22		45.0%
eb	-1		-17		23		42.5%
Ginamonster	6		-5		15		25.0%
LJS	0		-1		9		10.0%
Renn	2		-10		9		52.6%
Tiff	-1		-10		15		40.0%
Utenzi	-3		1		14		-7.7%
Group Totals	-3		-79				33.3%

Week 18

We have only 8 weeks and 9 shrinkers left in the current challenge. This week's progress is as varied as the Piggies themselves! We're bouncing all over the place like Tigger hisself.

I'll let the numbers tell the story.

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		Distance to Goal		% of Goal
Chickie	3		-7		33		17.5%
db grin	3		-8		22		26.7%
Deborah	2		-16		24		40.0%
eb	-2		-16		24		40.0%
Ginamonster	-3		-11		9		55.0%
LJS	0		-1		9		10.0%
Renn	0		-12		7		63.2%
Tiff	0		-9		16		36.0%
Utenzi	2		4		17		-30.8%
Group Totals	5		-76				32.1%

17 Weeks and Goodbye

Halloo Shrinkers!

We have exciting news for this week's round up. We've lost 7 pounds as a team this week, and only one gainer (who said it was totally worth it, spending some quality time with a baker friend).

The rest of us are getting closer to our goal over last week, with one exception. The inimitable No Celery Please has adopted Lady Jane Scarlett's former robot abilities, and has remained at 100% of her goal for 4 weeks in a row. With that, she's graduating from the Shrinking Piggies with yet another success (but less weight) under her belt. Let's all give our hearty congratulations, mmkay?

Stand by for numbers.

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		Distance to Goal		% of Goal
Chickie	0		-10		30		25.0%
db grin	-1		-11		19		36.7%
Deborah	0		-18		22		45.0%
eb	-1		-14		26		35.0%
Ginamonster	-2		-8		12		40.0%
LJS	-2		-1		9		10.0%
NCP	0		-4		0		100.0%
Renn	2		-12		7		63.2%
Tiff	-1		-9		16		36.0%
Utenzi	-2		2		15		-15.4%
Group Totals	-7		-85				35.3%

I'm Late

No, I'm not pregnant...* and unfortunately, I can't use that as an excuse for extra pounds.

The results are in, and we are not currently Shrinking Piggies. This post is both late and abbreviated, will return to our regularly scheduled program Tuesday morning. It'll be my last week in my current decade, and I hope to have less of me by my birthday.

The spreadsheet is new and improved, can you spot the difference?

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		Distance to Goal		% of Goal
Chickie	0		-10		30		25.0%
db grin	0		-10		20		33.3%
Deborah	0		-18		22		45.0%
eb	2		-13		27		32.5%
Ginamonster	3		-6		14		30.0%
LJS	0		1		11		-10.0%
NCP	0		-4		0		100.0%
Renn	0		-14		5		73.7%
Tiff	0		-8		17		32.0%
Utenzi	1		4		17		-30.8%
Group Totals	6		-78				32.4%

*On April 1, I told the Facebook world I was pregnant. Based on that, one of my best friends started telling everyone we were having a baby (he didn't ask me about it, and also failed to remember I'm a boy - or look at the calendar).

15 Weeks

We're all eating our roughage and getting back to regular.

Every piggy has been counted on schedule and I can tell you we're down 7 as a group this week! In total, that's 84 lbs. We've lost Stephen Hawking's wheelchair! Boy, he'll be mad.

Anyway, 6 of us are losers, 2 gainers, and 2 holding steady. Congrats go to me for gaining only 1 pound over the last 2 weeks and really messing up the chart... No change in the winners of overall loss (Deborah!) and percentage of goal (Renn!).

What say we hit the afterburners and see if more of us can reach 50% of our goal before May?

Here comes the science:

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		% of Goal
Chickie	1		-10		25.0%
db grin	-4		-10		33.3%
Deborah	-1		-18		45.0%
eb	-1		-15		37.5%
Ginamonster	-1		-9		45.0%
LJS	1		1		-10.0%
NCP	0		-4		100.0%
Renn	-1		-14		73.7%
Tiff	-1		-8		32.0%
Utenzi	0		3		-23.1%
Group Totals	-7		-84		34.9%

Drive By Update

Easter defeated me in a big way too... Not to mention 10 hours in a car munching on crunchy foods, a weekend of great country cooking by some country friends, and a lack of exercise. Nevermind we were visiting with friends and the weather was crappy, I suppose really dedicated people would find a way - which I am not, evidenced by my Biggest Gainer status.

This week we gained 3 lbs as a group, thanks mostly to me.

Time to get back on the proverbial treadmill, I promise a full update next week.

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		% of Goal
Chickie	-1		-11		27.5%
db grin	5		-6		20.0%
Deborah	-1		-17		42.5%
eb	-2		-14		35.0%
Ginamonster	0		-8		40.0%
LJS	0		0		0.0%
NCP	0		-4		100.0%
Renn	2		-13		68.4%
Tiff	-1		-7		28.0%
Utenzi	1		3		-23.1%
Group Totals	3		-77		32.0%

Halfway There

Week 13 is upon us like a squirrel on a bird feeder. It gnaws at our very souls, for it marks the halfway point in our journey. We're not halfway there in results, but time marches on and we'll be all the way to the end quicker than some of us might like - only two of us have reached 50% of our goals.

Collectively, we lost 1 meager pound this week. Hey, it's progress...

Renn is continuing to shred all obstacles and kick our pigbutts in total loss for the week & overall percentage, and Deborah has lost the most weight so far. Way to go!

They say, depending on which They you listen to, that a habit is formed after 10 or 21 days of repetition. So, if you do something for 2-3 weeks in a row, it becomes part of your routine and no longer something that requires you to move heaven and earth to get done. Same goes for breaking habits.

If you could pick one habit to adopt and one to quit toward your healthy living goal, what would they be? Post about it this week, and if you're willing, take it from hypothetical to reality. How will you make it part of your daily life? I've heard it said, "You can't wish your way out of something you've behaved your way into."

Here's the scoop:

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		% of Goal
Chickie	4		-10		25.0%
db grin	-2		-11		36.7%
Deborah	-2		-16		40.0%
eb	2		-12		30.0%
Ginamonster	0		-8		40.0%
LJS	1		0		0.0%
NCP	1		-4		100.0%
Renn	-4		-15		78.9%
Tiff	-1		-6		24.0%
Utenzi	0		2		-15.4%
Group Totals	-1		-80		33.2%

84 Days

Halloo fellow Shrinkeroos!

We have achieved a loss of 79 lbs since we started, almost a pound a day. It's also what this load o' bull weighed at birth.

When I look at our stats, all I can say is what a fairy godmotherly weird set of stats. To wit:

• Chickie, Deborah, and eb are all tied for total loss and percent of goal.
• Ginamonster lost her entire amount of weight for the year this week.
• LJS is solid as a rock, so steady that I wonder if she isn't a robot.
• NCP has beaten her goal twice so far.
• Renn is winning the percentage of goal for those of us still under 100%.
• I'm starting to think I could maybe stay under 1/8 ton for good.
• Tiff is catching up, and has matched NCP for total loss!
• Poor Utenzi has gone underground (according to the chart), and hopefully will pull back up into positive territory before long.

Here be the nummers:

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		% of Goal
Chickie	-4		-14		35.0%
db grin	-3		-9		30.0%
Deborah	0		-14		35.0%
eb	-1		-14		35.0%
Ginamonster	-8		-8		40.0%
LJS	0		-1		10.0%
NCP	-1		-5		125.0%
Renn	2		-11		57.9%
Tiff	-4		-5		20.0%
Utenzi	3		2		-15.4%
Group Totals	-16		-79		32.8%

Week 10

The polls are closed and we roll ahead with the focus of a band of marauding muppets. Do I hear banjo music? It's probably just me.

Our lovely artwork for today was unwittingly provided by Fifi LePew, a fine Photoshop artist and Farker.

Anywhy, here's the highlight reel:

We piggies have maintained a steady pace, without any big swings in either direction. Except for Ginamonster, who gained 18 pounds for all we know. Gainers outperformed losers by one pound for the week (not counting the aforementioned AWOL piggy). In fact, eb and Deborah were the only losers, which nearly balanced our group scale. eb is ahead in the overall results (yay!).

Without further blathering, here are the numbers:

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		% of Goal
Chickie	1		-10		25.0%
db grin	1		-6		20.0%
Deborah	-1		-12		30.0%
eb	-1		-13		32.5%
Ginamonster	0		-6		30.0%
LJS	0		-1		10.0%
NCP	0		-3		75.0%
Renn	0		-12		63.2%
Tiff	0		-4		16.0%
Utenzi	1		-2		15.4%
Group Totals	1		-69		28.6%

Nothing Could Be Fina Than Weeka Nina

Week 9 is here, and we're back in gear! Thanks to Deborah for the title.

Progress is this week's theme, with 18 pounds that mysteriously vanished. Looking forward to the Piggie Posts to see how we did it!

Chickie is leading the week's loss. Renn and eb are tied for most melted, and Renn leads the percentage race (if you don't count certain celery-hating overachievers:)). (I just noticed that if you make a smiley within parentheses, it has a double chin. Heh.) Utenzi didn't show up for this week's weigh-in, so I've counted no change for him to keep the charts looking normalish.

As a group, we've stomped 70 lbs into retirement. May they never return.

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		% of Goal
Chickie	-5		-11		27.5%
db grin	-4		-7		23.3%
Deborah	-2		-11		27.5%
eb	-1		-12		30.0%
Ginamonster	-1		-6		30.0%
LJS	0		-1		10.0%
NCP	1		-3		75.0%
Renn	-3		-12		63.2%
Tiff	-3		-4		16.0%
Utenzi	0		-3		23.1%
Group Totals	-18		-70		29.0%

Welcome to March of the Piggies

This is the Week 8 Roundup. Can you believe we've been shrinking together for 2 months already?

I'd say a trend is emerging, and while the chart would look good for the economy (if the negative numbers pointed down, like they would for dollars), it's not so good for shrinkers! We're almost 1/3 of the way to the end, which is when we might expect the going to be sluggish.

As a group we've gained 10 lbs since last week. I certainly took my fat pills (and spent a week on the couch instead of the court). The good news is each of us is still down from our starting points.

Deborah is this week's leader in the right direction at -4! Chickie and I tied the going-backward race at +5 each. eb is the winner at overall loss so far.

I'd like to offer a challenge for this week (for those of us who are not yet at 100% of goal): Do something more toward your SP goal at least three times this week, and post about it.

Your numbers are humbly presented below:

Shrinklet	Change this week		Total Change		% of Goal
Chickie	5		-6		15.0%
db grin	5		-3		10.0%
Deborah	-4		-9		22.5%
eb	-1		-11		27.5%
Ginamonster	1		-5		25.0%
LJS	0		-1		10.0%
NCP	0		-4		100.0%
Renn	1		-9		47.4%
Tiff	2		-1		4.0%
Utenzi	1		-3		23.1%
Group Totals	10		-52		21.6%