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Amanda and I have been weighing ourselves every Sunday -- and as she's down with the flu, coughing and moaning and trying not to speak, it falls to me to do this week's report.

Last Sunday:

Joe - 219.8 lbs.

Amanda - 193.4 lbs

Today:

Joe - 216.00 lbs.

Amanda - 191.0 lbs.

Net loss:

Joe - 2.8 lbs.

Amanda: 2.4 lbs.

Amanda says she thinks her weight loss this week was due primarily to getting sick toward the end, not eating much of anything and laying in bed for two days coughing and drinking water.

Joe realizes he's not going to the gym nearly as much as Amanda and theorizes that his weight loss is due primarily to giving up soda and crap food, eating more fruits and vegetables.

Week two by the numbers:

5-9 fruits/veggies every day: 4 days for Amanda, 6 for Joe
Exercise: 3 days for both Amanda and Joe
Cheats: Valentine's Day dinner (including dessert and booze), ice cream one night this week.
Sugar soda: None.

This week's goals:

Last week Amanda wanted to curb snacking after 8 p.m. This week she's just hoping for healthier snacking during the day.

Last week Joe wanted to get to the gym more often. This week, having gone only 3 days, he wants to push it to five.

Things are still amiss in Cheesefry Nation. Today Joe and I figured we were well enough to venture into the world for a movie. But I ended up napping all afternoon. And Joe got up to go buy more tissues, and found himself too dizzy to drive. The flu is still kicking our butts.

However, in the interest of maintaining honesty in this process, here is week three, byt the numbers:

Joe:
5-9 fruits/veggies every day: 2 days
Exercise: 0 days
Cheats: plenty
Sugar soda: none
Pounds lost this week: 0
Weight: 216
Total pounds lost: 3

Amanda:
5-9 fruits/veggies every day: 2 days
Exercise: 0 days
Cheats: plenty
Sugar soda: none
Pounds lost this week: 2
Weight: 189
Total pounds lost: 7

This week, we start off by getting back on the wagon by eating right. The exercise is going to have to wait until we finally get rid of our sickness.

Meanwhile, fellow reporter Ryan Seals is itching to get us out for some military-style calisthenics. Do stay tuned for that.

All I have to say is, "Waaaaaahhhhh!"

That is the noise I made when I regrettably climbed onto the scale Sunday and saw it blink back: 190 pounds. That means I officially gained a pound in the last week, despite my renewed commitment to the gym.

I can think of two things that caused this problem. The first is -- and avert your eyes if you cannot take a "too-much-information" moment -- probably driven by PMS water retention. The other might be the fact that Joe and I gorged ourselves on steak and desserts two nights this weekend. That can't help.

I'll note that I am still on track, since I have lost six pounds, which is slightly more than the one pound per week goal. But I am looking forward to actual progress this week.

Joe actually lost a pound this week, even though he went to the gym a scant two days and ate out as well. Worse, he realized his jeans were now big enough that they looked weird on him and then, on a lark, tried on a pair of 36/30 jeans -- his goal size. They fit him perfectly.

The round up...
Amanda:
5-9 fruits/veggies every day: 6 days
Exercise: 5 days
Cheats: too much dessert
Sugar soda: none
Pounds lost this week: -1
Weight: 190
Total pounds lost: 6

Joe
Amanda:
5-9 fruits/veggies every day: 6 days
Exercise: 2 days
Cheats: Dinner out twice this week, too many snacks.
Sugar soda: none
Pounds lost this week: 1
Weight: 214
Total pounds lost: 5

We have reached a kind of summit. That ugly place were you don't seem to lose any more weight.

For me, it's 190 pounds. For Joe, it's 214. We are trying not to dispair.

Instead, I am going to really focus on the things that are throwing us off. For him, it's the inconsistent gym time. For me, it's the all too easy cheats.

For instance, I have opted not to entirely give up on eating out. We don't eat cheese fries when we do it. But we do eat out. And sometimes, I order dessert. And I don't feel bad about it. That is, of course, until I check my weight at the end of the week.

We are still on track with the one pound a week goal. But frankly, Joe and I thought we would lose more than that.

The week in review:
Amanda
5-9 fruits/veggies every day: 5 days
Exercise: 3 days
Weakest moment: Eating brownies. Almost every day.
Sugar soda: none
Pounds lost this week: 0
Weight: 190
Total pounds lost: 6

Joe
5-9 fruits/veggies every day: 5 days
Exercise: 2 days
Weakest moment: Big bacon cheeseburger and fries with Amanda before a movie.
Sugar soda: none
Pounds lost this week: 0
Weight: 214
Total pounds lost: 5

Here's a very late Week 6 wrap up. For starters, we are now at the break even point. I weighed in at 189 this week. That means I have made my goal at this mid-way point. But it's getting tougher every week.

Last week was especially tough because I started a new gig as the city reporter, which means lots of long hours and late nights. That is a sure recipe for disaster: take-out food for dinner and skipping gym sessions because I get out of work too late.

I'm really going to have to find a way around the new schedule.

The week in review:
Amanda
5-9 fruits/veggies every day: 5 days
Exercise: 4 days
Weakest moment: Lotsa scallops. Wrapped in bacon.
Sugar soda: just a few sips
Pounds lost this week: 1
Weight: 189
Total pounds lost: 7

Joe
5-9 fruits/veggies every day: 5 days
Exercise: 3 days
Weakest moment: I too partook of the bacon-wrapped scallops. And bacon, eggs and eggs-in-basket the next morning.
Sugar soda: I finished Amanda's 20 ounce bottle of Coke -- my first sugary soda in weeks.
Pounds lost this week: 0
Weight: 214
Total pounds lost: 5

So we're in week six of our "Lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks" challenge and I'm only down five pounds.

This officially puts me behind the eight ball, against the wall, under the gun and in various other uncomfortable metaphoric positions.

But you know...I'm not so bothered by this.

Why? Because today I'm wearing a pair of black jeans that I was two inches too fat for when we began the challenge. Because my gut is noticeably smaller. Because I think I'm feeling better, sleeping better and functioning better since we began this challenge because my body's running on better fuel -- more fruits and vegetables, more water, less sugar and fat.

And isn't that what it's all about?

No.

No it's not.

That's all very nice, but this is about losing ten pounds in ten weeks.

And I'm going to do it if it effing kills me.

Joe and I have been updating you on our status for about six weeks now. But we want to know how you are doing, too!

If you've joined the "Get Healthy Guilford" challenge, how has it been working? We've hit a wall in terms of results and energy -- I'll be the first to admit it. And it seems like we aren't the only ones.

Thus far, according to the Get Healthy Guilford online game card, participants have lost an average of 2.52 pounds. The last two weeks -- when we have lost almost nothing -- the participants have averaged just .08 and .16 pounds lost. So it looks like we are in good company.

So how's about a little change in attitude? Let's focus on our successes. For me, it's staying consistent with my "no soda" guideline. It's fitting into those size 14 jeans I haven't been able to wear.

How about you? What have you accomplished?

Week in Review:
Amanda
5-9 fruits/veggies every day: 4 days
Exercise: 0 days
Weakest moment: Can you say Easter candy
Sugar soda: none
Pounds lost this week: 0
Weight: 189
Total pounds lost: 7

All right -- today I'm 211 lbs.

That's nearly 8 lbs down from the 218.8 lbs at which I began.

If I can lose (and keep off) two pounds in the next two weeks, I will have met my goal.

This comes as a great relief after a few weeks of no loss at all and the thought that I'd never make it. So what changed this week?

Well, I did.

It's true I've been going to the gym less -- but when I was going to the gym regularly, I was mostly just running. I was afraid of seriously lifting weights because my family has a tendency to put on muscle quickly and I didn't want to stay at the same weight (or even gain pounds) while trying to drop 10 lbs in ten weeks.

But a guy at the gym and my aunt both gave me the same good advice in the last two weeks: lift, but lift light. Go with lower weight and higher repetition. You're not looking to build mass -- you're looking to tone your body and drop some of your fat. To do that you need to take in more protein (I now have hardboiled eggs at the ready at home) and not shy away from the weights.

So I began doing a push up, sit up, dumbbell routine at home at least once a day and --- gasp -- it worked. I'm still watching what I eat and monitoring my food though my online database -- but I'm not starving myself or eating anything I don't like.

And -- knock wood -- it seems to be working. Here's hoping I can keep it up through the end.

OK, I admit it. I've been trying to put on a brave face for the other inhabitants of Cheesefry Nation, but I can't keep it up any more. I am discouraged.

I've read the labels, the books and the websites. I've done the gym thing. I've gotten good advice.

And still, the scale mocks: 189 pounds.

Seven pounds lost ain't bad. That's 3 percent of my original body weight. But it isn't exactly the Get Healthy Guilford goal of ten pounds lost. It isn't even near my personal, long-term goal of losing ten percent of my body weight, or about 20 pounds.

And unfortunately, I am slipping back into the old habits. Stress eating chocolate. Skipping the gym because of a late night at work (two already this week!) Eating out for convenience (it's easy to convince myself to buy lunch when half of my kitchen is packed up in boxes because of the move.)

Help! Someone cheer me on. I need a kick in the pants.

Week in review
Amanda
Exercise: 2 days : (
Weakest moment: Chinese take out - calling my name
Soda: none
Pounds lost last week: O
Weight: 189 lbs
Total pounds lost: 7 lbs

Joe
Exercise: 1 day
Weakest moment: Chinese take-out
Soda: none
Pounds lost last week: 1
Weight: 211
Total pounds lost: 8 lbs

Nine weeks ago Amanda and I began the Get Healthy Guilford Challenge to eat more fruits and vegetables, exercise more and, hopefully, lose ten pounds in ten weeks.

We began a blog called Cheesefry Nation to share our progress (or lack thereof). It's been excerpted in the News & Record's Life section, which has added print readers to the online folks who've been giving us tips, encouragement and the occasional scolding.

With one week to go I'm at 210 pounds - one pound from being ten pounds lighter. I've lost about two inches off of my waist and am back in the pants and suits that were fitting too snugly before. I'm feeling better, sleeping better and looking better.

But I've decided that when the ten weeks is up, whether I'm ten pounds down or not, I'm going to keep it going. I'm going to try to lose another ten pounds in ten weeks. Because I can, I should and what made this ten pounds hard (to the degree it was hard) was trying to change bad habits I'd accumulated over the course of many years (too much fast food, soda instead of juice or water, eating too much meat and not enough everything else, eating in front of the TV). I haven't completely licked all of those - though I do have the soda monkey off my back at long last. But I've licked enough of them that I think the next ten pounds would come much easier. That would put me down to what I think was my best all time weight -- around 200 lbs, much of it muscle. Getting that muscle back will be a major part of my next ten pound leg of this thing -- and I think it can be done.

Week in review
Joe
Exercise: No days at the gym, but lots of apartment moving and some push up, sit ups.
Weakest moment: Ate out a number of times as we packed up our kitchen.
Soda: none
Pounds lost last week: 2
Weight: 210 lbs.
Total pounds lost: 9 lbs.

Amanda
Exercise: 1 day at the gym, three days moving apartment stuff (great cardio)
Weakest moment: Not a lot of snacking (snacks packed up), but milkshakes...oh, the milkshakes.
Soda: none
Pounds lost last week: O
Weight: 189 lbs
Total pounds lost: 7 lbs

So last night Joe and I ate at home for the first time in, oh, probably ten days. It was the first time in more than a week we have had both food and cooking stuff (cutlery, dishes, pots, pans) in our kitchen and not stuffed in moving boxes.

I'll blame this nomadic existance for my total lack of recent progress. I'm guessing I'm not the only one.

When I checked in with Get Healthy Guilford Director Leslie Armeniox today -- at the beginning of the final week of the ten-week weight loss challenge -- I realized I am full of practiced excuses.

But she gave me some good advice.

"If you mess up, just let it go. It's a relapse. Just get back on your program. Try not to get caught up in feeling bad," she said.

Now that we have unpacked and settled, it's also time to recommit and brush off the set backs.

And if you are one of those 500 people who joined up with Get Healthy Guilford nine weeks ago, and you are bummed that you haven't lost nine pounds yet, chin up. Leslie says get with the program.

No more excuses.

Final Week in Review
Joe Killian
Exercise: No days at the gym, but lots of apartment moving and some push-ups and sit-ups.
Weakest moment: Ate out a number of times as we packed up our kitchen.
Soda: none
Pounds lost last week: 2
Weight: 209 pounds
Total pounds lost: 10 pounds

Amanda Lehmert
Exercise: four days, including one lovely spring afternoon walk
Weakest moment: snuck a Snickers
Soda: none
Pounds lost last week: 1
Weight: 188 pounds
Total pounds lost: 8 pounds

So, that's it for the Get Healthy Guilford Challenge. But we're not done yet.

Both Amanda and I want to keep this thing going and challenge ourselves to lose another ten pounds in ten weeks.

Admittedly, we're not off to a great start (I had late night McDonalds last night after skipping dinner and brought her a milk shake) -- but we know it can be done now, and we have a good idea how to do it.

We wrote some wrap up essays for the News & Record's Life section Monday. You can read them after the jump.

Well, Amanda and I are back from our vacation to Arizona and we're recommitting ourselves to eating healthy, working out and taking off ten more pounds in ten weeks.

The Get Healthy Guilford challenge has officially ended -- but Amanda lost 8 lbs and I lost 11, so we know we can do this.

We won't talk about how much we ate and how little we exercised over the vacation -- suffice to say that this weekend, before we returned to work and began the new week, we found ourselves sharing a plate of cheesefries with some friends.This may become a new tradition -- reach one goal, clog your arteries with salty, bacony, cheesy arterial death and then face down the next challenge.

Those of you who also took the challenge -- how'd you do and are you keeping it going?