Weight-loss Challenge: It's the home stretch!

There's only a few more days left in Joy's 25,000 weight-loss challenge. How are you doing?

There are only a few days left in the 25,000 Pound Weight-Loss Challenge! Have you recorded your progress today? Click here and tell us how it's going. We can do it!

We’re in the home stretch of Joy’s 25,000-pound challenge! There’s just a handful of days to go, a handful of pounds to lose, so we are wondering – how is it really going?

We asked TODAY Health Facebook fans  to share what is motivating them to stick to their diet, and to let us know what tips are working best.

Sarah May’s motivation is two-fold: health and self-esteem.

Writes Sarah:

I have spent the past 3 years getting bigger and bigger and had reached the point that I felt so disgusted with myself …that I had stopped wanting to go places and do things due to my embarrassment about myself!

Mays, who has lost 15 pounds since January 1,  started working out daily with her boyfriend and has been changing her eating habits by focusing on lean proteins and vegetables.

She adds:

Having a workout partner keeps us accountable and sticking to our workout plan. Another thing that keeps me on track is working out first thing in the morning so that there are no excuses about being tired, etc... later in the day. Another bonus of working out first thing in the morning… it keeps me from caving and eating unhealthy food during the day because I know it will undo the work that I got up so early to do!

Marinelli De Chavez Payne’s motivation for getting healthier is for the hope of having a baby one day.

She writes:

Of course, like most people who want to loose weight, I also want to have a nice figure and bring back my self-confidence. BUT my main goal is really for health. This may sound ironic, but I am actually working out and trying to lose weight for a bigger belly!... you know... so I can be healthy and get pregnant. :) 

For Beth Laszlo-Griffith, motivation comes in the form of wanting to look and feel good, so that others will know she cares about her health. She comments:

I have been unemployed for a year now and with that came a weight gain of about 30 pounds. (The heaviest I have ever been) I want/need a job, and want to feel good about walking into an interview, letting them know health is important to ...me by looking healthy, and will have the energy and stamina that a healthy person has.

Annie Mulder is also focused on staying on track, and has been soaking up the tips. She advises:

Try to move more, even if it's just stretching, yoga and resistance training. Any small movement is better than not moving. And get a biggy 64 oz travel cup and drink boat loads of water!!

If you've joined the Challenge and not logged your total pounds lost, go here to record your progress now. If you haven't joined yet, click here to sign up -- it's never too late. All through January TODAY viewers are being challenged to lose weight -- 25,000 pounds!-- together. After you join, you can log your weight loss anytime.  

In case you missed them, here's some tips from Joy's Challenge:

Clean out your condiments

Sip water before lunch and dinner

Spice up your meals

Get moving during commercial breaks

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