The final results

So this health challenge is over! I didn't win, but I am really happy with the results I got from this challenge. I actually came in 2nd for weight loss at 6% (the winner was a MAN and lost 6.48%, so I came in 1st for the females!). I came in 4th for points...and I was a far ways off from the winner. My final weigh-in was 165.5!!! That's a 9.5-lb loss in 8 weeks. My goal was 10, but I'm happy with 9.5.

So that means that I've lost a total of 24.5 pounds in this journey (since Thanksgiving).

And my final measurements for the challenge are:

Waist: 32 (-1")
Hips: 40.75 (-2.25")
Chest: 31.5 (-3")

For a total of 6.25" lost in this 8-week challenge, and 12.25" total since Thanksgiving. I'd say that's pretty darn good. Here are the before/after pictures. I still have a long way to go, but at least it's not nearly as long as it was 8 weeks ago!

The pics on the left are the "before" and the ones on the right are "after" (in case you couldn't tell!)

Although I can't see a huge difference (besides how tan I have gotten...ha!), I can see a small one and my clothes are starting to fit better. But the important thing is that I have made so much progress in eating better and exercising.

In the past 56 days of this challenge I:

-drank at least 64 oz of water every day
-ate at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies EVERY DAY
-wrote down everything I have eaten for 56 days
-haven't eaten after 9 p.m. every day
-had contact with someone else doing this challenge every day (to encourage each other)
-had 8 "free days" where I could eat whatever (and I totally took advantage of that!)
-went most of the days with NO SUGAR (44 of the 56 days)
-started using My Fitness Pal to count calories. (This started on Week 4, so that means I did it for 35 days.)
-exercised most days
-started seriously running again and made it up to 8.4 miles! (And signed myself up for a 1/2 marathon!)
-I still ate out at least 2 times a week (that is a challenge for another time....)

Anyway, I'd say it was a success. It wasn't easy by any means, but it was good. Now I've got to stay motivated to keep it up!