Disqus for Where Are My Knees

The ten week pledge

Friday 12 October 2012

This coming Monday (15th) marks ten weeks until Christmas Eve.  If you're anything like me, the calendar really fills up around Christmas with various social events - work Christmas parties, Christmas Eve outings with old friends and of course New Year's' Eve.  Personally, this means at least a couple of new outfits and wanting to look your best; especially if you're the sort of person where Christmas brings together your whole friendship group and often means seeing people you might not have seen since last Christmas.

One of the challenges this brings is that Autumn and Winter do not lend themselves to preparing yourself to slip into glitzy outfits.  For me at least, Autumn and Winter lend themselves to mugs of hot chocolate, lolling on the sofa and wearing down the snooze button on your alarm clock when you look out at yet another dark, rainy morning.

But take a second to think of how amazing it would feel to feel confident about putting on your gladrags and getting out there this Christmas.  Imagine how proud of yourself you'd feel if you worked hard until then, and it paid off with some 'You look great' comments from friends, or just looking in the mirror and knowing that you've earned those roast potatoes on Christmas Day.

Here at Where Are My Knees we've come up with a fun idea to get you inspired and motivated over the next 10 weeks.  From Monday we'll all be getting started on a 10 week pledge, and we want you to join in too.  The good news is that not only is there feelings of personal pride and achievement in the pipeline for you, there's also two pairs of the new Zaggora Hotpants (2.0) up for grabs too.

Here are the pledges we've all signed up to that we'll be updating you on over the next 10 weeks.

Rosie - Lose 10lbs before Christmas Eve. (Currently 139lbs - would love to be 129 and fit into a size 10 dress on Christmas Eve! 129 lbs is also bang in the middle of healthy weight for my height.)

Gemma - Lose 10lbs before Christmas Eve. Currently 13 stone 11.5. If I can lose 12lbs and break under that 13 stone barrier that would be great but there are going to be lots of parties and trips away before Christmas so I'm going to be realistic.

Sarah - I would just like to get back on track and actually have time to follow a plan.  I have so much coming up before Christmas that if I stop and think about it my head hurts but I don't want this to get in the way of achieving my weight loss goals.  I would love to lose a stone before Christmas but being realistic I am going to set a target of 7lbs.

Lauren - Lose 15lbs before Christmas Eve. This is a big ask what with parties and all the yummy food that has already started appearing at home and in the office, but I'm hoping this pledge will keep me motivated at the gym and make me think about what - and how much - I'm putting in my mouth. As of this week's weigh-in I am 13st 13lbs - I was 12st 12lbs at my dad's 50th birthday party in April (which you can see here) and it'd be amazing to get back to that in time for Christmas. I definitely think 1.5lbs per week is do-able, even if it is a tall order!

Chris - I'd like to be able to run 5k in less than 25 minutes. This probably doesn't sound like much, but I'm not a very good runner - in fact, my first pledge should probably be to actually go and buy some running shoes! At the moment I'm hitting 4.5k in about 30 mins, so I've got some distance to go.

What would your 10 week pledge be? Remember it doesn't have to be a weight loss, it could be 20 trips to the gym, be able to run 5k by Christmas, giving up chocolate for 10 weeks, walking 10,000 steps a day or  making sure you have healthy breakfasts.  It has to be personal and achievable to you, or it won't work.

Leave us your 10 week pledges in the comments and we'll pick two at random on the 26th October to win the hotpants.  But we really want you all to get stuck into this - you can tweet about it using #wamkpledge, comment and tell us the links if you've blogged about it, and we'll keep you updated on our own progress in the Sunday summaries and other posts.  Remember, your journey to a confident Christmas starts on Monday! We've even made you a little badge you can use to show you're getting involved.





You are of course welcome to get involved in the ten week pledge without entering the giveaway, but if you'd like to enter you can do so below.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

52 comments:

  1. Great idea guys! I'm 9st 4 at the moment and ideally want to lose another stone but I think I'll go for 10lbs before christmas!
    The Life of Emily-Alice

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  2. I'd ideally like to lose another 10lbs by Christmas, which would mean I'd have lost 30lbs and would make this my slimmest Christmas in 3 years.

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  3. I'm 13st 9lb at the minute and I want to be under 13st by xmas! Those Zaggora hot pants would certainly help! xx

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  4. I have a wedding coming up two days after Christmas and the (non refundable) dress I ordered for it is a bit too small. So ideally I'd love to fit into that by then!

    Good luck with all your goals ladies, you can do it! x

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  5. Hi Guys,
    I've fallen off the healthy eating wagon big style so, my 10 week pledge is:
    Eat 3 sensible meals a day and keep active.
    I'm not someone who weighs themselves but I know I am at my heaviest for a while, so hope that getting back on track with my eating will help me loose a little weight too.
    Thanks for the inspiration!! X

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  6. Great post! I want to pledge to go on one long run per week until Christmas so that all my training over the summer doesn't go to waste. x

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  7. This is especially amazing you guys, so inspiring! Great Pledges too! I would set myself a weight goal, but i dont have weighing scales! So my goalsss would be:
    To maintain three different types of exercise, exercising five days a week.
    To decrease the amount of sweet desserts and replace with yoghurt/healthIER sweet treat.
    To feel confident in myself and my dresses, look at myself and feel happy!

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  8. I'm going on holiday to Egypt after Christmas so my pledge is to lose 10lbs to be confident in both my sparkly bodycon dress AND my bikini x

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  9. Great idea to motivate everyone! I'm definitely going to pledge to try an lose at least 7lbs by then and to do at least 3 workouts a week! Good luck! :)

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  10. This will go along perfectly with the 12 weeks to Glow Weight Watchers challenge I'm following. I pledge to do my upmost best to reach my goal weight on Christmas Eve (which happens to fall on my weekly weigh in!) by cutting down on sugar and bumping up the running, walking and Zumba! The 10 week pledge will be just the right motivation I need! x

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  11. I have a long way to go with my weight loss (approx 6-7 stone) and am just starting out. I would love to lose 21lbs or 1 and a half stone, which would also equal a 10% loss of my body weight. a challenge at 2lbs a week, but perhaps just what I need! what a great added incentive too, to be in with a chance of winning, have heard many good things about these :)

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  12. I would like for my snug pants to be too loose for me come Christmas! I don't have access to a scale right now, so this would be awesome for me.

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  13. to lose a stone by christmas by eating healthier and exercising more

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  14. to lost 7lbs by Christmas Eve and in doing so REACH MY GOAL WEIGHT!

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  15. I've just blogged my pledges. I pledge to lose 7lbs, exercise three times a week min, and think of and blog healthy Christmas treats :D http://theroadtolesscake.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/ten-weeks-to-christmas-pledge.html

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  16. To lose a stone by Christmas Eve... 14lb in 10weeks is achievable!!

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  17. My 10 week pledge is to lose 8lb! I hope I can stick to this...Good Luck Everyone! x

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  18. I'd like to run a sub 30 minute 5k again and a sub 1hr 10k! Good luck with all your goals :)

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  19. This is such a good idea! I'm hoping to lose an inch off my arms and a few more from my waist/thighs. Good luck!! x

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  20. This is such a good idea! I'm currently 9 stone 12 and my goal weight is 9 stone. I would love to get there in time for the Christmas parties! Good luck with your pledges.

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  21. I'll skip the hotpants (you don't want to even imagine me in hotpants. It's not worth it and you'll need to see a doctor afterwards) but I'll take the 10 week pledge.

    I pledge to hit 14-stone or less by Christmas. I'm at roughly the same stage of running as Chris too; I'm hoping to hit 5k in less than 30 minds by mid Nov, so anything better than that works for me :)

    Jamie

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  22. I love this challenge! I'd set myself a target of 1 lb per week for an event on 17th November, so I'll carry on, and copy you all to lose 10lbs by Christmas Eve, and FINALLY be under 11 stone (10"13 counts, right??)!

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  23. My challenge is to get off the 7lbs to get my under 13st and to actually use my Kettlebell (it's currently my doorstop!) twice a week with my DVD, just so I don't look like the hefalump at the Xmas party!!

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  24. This is a great idea! I pledge to lose 10 lbs which will take me under 13 stone and be lowest weight for me in a loooooong time. That would be about the best Christmas present I could give myself :)

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  25. Love this idea, monday is my weigh in day so fresh start as well. I pledge to track every day for next ten weeks and to exercise 20 times. Good luck girls!
    S xx

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  26. I have been losing and putting back on the same three stone for the last five years, using one extreme method to another. My pledge is just to spend the next ten weeks following a good weight loss plan and going to the gym three times a week without falling off the wagon spectacularly because I can't maintain what stupid detox plan I'm following at the time!

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  27. Thanks so much for this idea, hopefully this will give me the kick that I need! I'm going to join with most of you saying that I pledge to lose 10 lbs to get rid of some weight gained over summer but I also pledge to walk to uni at least four times a week.

    Kirstie

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  28. http://ilikemakingthings.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/food-diary-1.html

    I'm keeping a diary to make sure I keep to my 10 week pledge!
    Thanks for the inspiration x

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  29. I pledge to lose 7lbs by Christmas which has been an uphill struggle for me for the last 5 months! I am getting married in July next year and although i wouldnt class myself as overweight my confidence has been knocked hugely since gaining 7lbs after a bad bout of depression in January! I no longer want to feel self concious when wearing the clothes i love, but to embrace my curves and just feel healthy and happy!

    Good luck to everyone who has made a pledge!! :) x

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  30. I would like to lose 7lbs, which I will put as my goal because a) im unsure of how I weigh right now but am a little overweight (I will check tomorrow!). It might be more as an actual aim!

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  31. In the past week and a half I have really fell off tehe wagon, so tomorrow I will be firmly back on the wagon, and keeping away from sugar! TEn pounds by Christmas sounds like a plan to me!

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  32. I want to lose a stone by christmas, 10 weeks and a stable aim of 2lb a week shouldn't be too hard :)

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  33. I would like to loose 10lbs by Christmas and pledge to go swimming at least 3 times a week as well as go to 2 gym classes a week (Zumba and callanetics)

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  34. So I have two 10km races before Christmas, one for Movember on the 17th November and another for Aware on the 8th of December, although it comes in before Christmas Eve my challenge is going to be to do one of these with a sub 60min time :o) I know I can run 10km, and I know I'll finish the races, I just want the added challenge so that I know I'll actually get back into training properly for these. I was so unprepared for the race this weekend that it's taught me a lesson, I just need an added goal :o) Bring it on!! If I stick to this, it should help me to achieve more on the weight loss side too as an added bonus :o)

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  35. I pledge to lose at least 7lbs by Christmas Eve! Taking me down to just over 12 and a half stone :-) Good luck everyone!

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  36. I've just started an 8 stone weight loss journey so I'm going to pledge 1 stone loss for Christmas. I'm sure I can do more, but, I am going on holiday too!

    Thank you for reminding me how close Christmas is - so excited! x

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  37. I pledge to loose 10lbs by Christmas Eve!

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  38. I think I'd like to get back on track with my Couch to 5K! I pledge to run 5K by Christmas Eve!

    Janey L

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  39. I've put on a lot of weight from being unhappy and not caring about or taking care of myself... and that's really sad in a lot of ways. I need to get out of my miserable rut and back into good habits and the gym - oh, how I miss the gym! It's funny how being sad and sitting around gives you less energy and how working out gives you loads MORE energy. I would love a pair of the Zaggora leggings for the gym!

    I'm 158lbs as of yesterday and I want to lose 10lbs by Christmas Eve. Losertown says I could be 142 by then so it definitely can be done! Thanks for the encouragement, ladies. I will be checking in a lot! xx

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  40. Great Challenge! Can't wait to get involved, I have a simple goal, weigh my lowest by the end of the year.

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  41. What a fab idea :) I have set myself a very big goal this year. I was 15.7 when I started WW, I am 14.5 now and I would like to be 13 by Christmas. Good luck everyone else on your challenge x

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  42. I've put on a stone in 2 months (it's a gift). 3.5lbs down so I'd love to lose 10.5lbs which would banish these pesky pounds. Game on!

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  43. To eat healthier and lose about ten pounds.. working out daily.

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  44. I'm joining this. I want to lose a stone by christmas :)

    LaceyLoves

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  45. What a great idea. I'll pledge to lose 10lb by xmas

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  46. I am nearly 7 months pregnant and these extra pounds need some help to disappear from february :)
    Carolin x

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  47. Better late than never... i'm trying to slim down for my wedding. i'm 14stone 12 at the moment and desperately want to be under 14 stone by Christmas. I'm back on the weight watchers wagon so just need to find a way of fitting exercise into my life

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  48. Sorry I'm so late! I'd love to lose 16lbs before Christmas. I was 16st1.5 (now 16st0.5) and would love to have got back into the 14s by Christmas! Hopefully with my new kick I can do it!

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  49. I pledge to be under 10stone in ten weeks, & to tone my stomach.

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  50. I want to complete my first half marathon next sunday and then pledge to run at least once per week along with my regular training ;)
    www.keepitsimpelle.blogspot.com Elle ;) x

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  51. I want to loose 2lbs every week for ten weeks xx

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