I also had a rough week, but I'm firmly blaming the weather.  With the snow comes drier air and, for me, sinus issues.  It's really, really hard to force yourself to eat crunchy, delicious vegetables when you can neither breathe or taste.  I'm kinda dreading the weighing and measuring tomorrow morning...

Rough week for me too!

I have not blogged because it has been rough week for me too... and then I log on and see it has been rough for quite a few us, here's to better week next week?!? :)

I did not meet the group goal or my personal goal this week, and my exercise decreased this week... I started a new job and trained on day, evening and night shifts! I am a creature of habit and this week was rough for me to establish a routine!  In March, I will mainly be working evenings so hopefully I will be able to get back into a groove of eating healthy and exercising!

One day...

One of these days I'll learn to overcome my procrastination!  I keep MEANING to exercise, I just keep pushing it back and putting it off until "later" and then later never comes.  :(  I always feel better about myself and my health when I do any form of exercise, I just lack the self-motivation, I guess.  My husband just got the P90X dvds, so hopefully we'll be able to motivate each other and actually get it done!

bad week

This week was a bad week as far as food is concerned! I did manage to do the group challenge, but I was not as organized as I should have been. This week has left me feeling bloated and tired and just an all around sense of blah! Here's to eating better next week! (and drinking 15 glasses of water a day!)

50 Snacks under 50 Calories (Re-post from last round)

50 snacks under 50 calories

Mandy found this article last round. There are some great ideas here!

Satisfy your sweet tooth
1. 1⁄2 medium apple, baked, topped with 1 Tbsp lowfat yogurt sprinkled with cinnamon (45 calories)
2. 1⁄2 small banana, frozen (45 calories)

3. 4 oz unsweetened applesauce sprinkled with cinnamon (49 calories)
4. 1 miniature box of raisins (45 calories)
5. 2 sugar-free ice pops (30 calories)
6. 1 sugar-free fudge ice pop (35 calories)
7. 12 cherries (48 calories)
8. 1 individual serving sugar-free gelatin with 3 Tbsp light whipped topping (40 calories)
9. 1⁄2 cup strawberries with 21⁄2 Tbsp nonfat yogurt (47 calories)
10. 14 seedless red grapes, frozen (48 calories)
Indulge a salt craving
11. 11⁄2 cups salted air-popped popcorn (46 calories)
12. 1⁄4 cup shelled edamame with sea salt (37 calories)
13. 8 oz miso soup (36 calories)
14. 1 pretzel rod (37 calories)
15. 1⁄4 small bag of Glenny's lightly salted soy crisps (35 calories)
16. 1 medium sliced cucumber mixed with 1⁄4 cup sliced onion, 1⁄2 cup chopped celery, 4 Tbsp vinegar and salt to taste (45 calories)
17. 6 oz eight-vegetable juice (39 calories)
18. 1 kosher dill pickle (10 calories)

Breastfeeding Help

To the gal who needs some help with breastfeeding, etc. Give me a call! I have some advice and help tips, but would love to chat with you and find out your specific needs before taking a bunch of time to type it all up - to then find out it isn't much help for your situation. My name is Elise, best way to reach me is my cell phone: 970-313-3142. There is not a 'best time' to reach me. Just call when you get a sec and I'll tell you if I can chat right then!!!

THANKS!

Damn cookies! (Pardon my French)

I hope the title won't offend any of you. But I needed that word to share the gravity of this situation. I have been off my game ladies! I think it’s a combination of hormones, and fatigue, and . . .cookies.

I set a personal goal to replace one meal a day with a protein shake, to see if I could get past this temporary plateau I’ve been experiencing, and do you know what? Well I haven’t had one single protein shake. Instead I have replaced more than one of meals since last Friday, with milk and cookies. I’ve managed to stay within my calorie budget, so I’m hoping I won’t gain, but my anticipation for progress is pretty flimsy, (as it should be).

I need to put this on my cupboard! 

But I have been trying not to get down on myself, because I’ve learned it just isn’t worth it. Life is life. There are ups and downs and hormones and delicious cookies. Nobody can do it all . . . all the time. I certainly can’t, but I try to remember that what I do most of the time is what has the most impact. So instead of worry about not doing it all . . .all the time, I can relax a little and be happy. Not get down on myself.

Needing motivation... or maybe I'm just tired!

Good Morning Ladies!

I hope you are well and enjoying this beautiful Colorado weather!  I know people think that I am a little crazy, but I truly enjoy all four seasons that Colorado offers us and I truly enjoyed the snow that we received.  It was an amazing drive in this morning to work with the sun touching the peaks of the mountain tops and the blue tint that still marked the lower mountains in the early hours of the morning.  It was truly beautiful.

Onto my weekly update:
 I lost my motivation to work out this week... It has been so cold in the evenings that all I want to do is cuddle up under a blanket and watch TV with my hubby at night.  I know that I could pop in a video and workout, but honestly laying next to my handsome hubby, watching TV sounds so much better in that moment. Does anyone else struggle with this when it is so cold outside?  If you do, what do you do to get out of the cycle of winter laziness?

Small victories.

My goal for the week is to not snack after dinner. Last night I just wanted sugar! I NEEDED sugar. Good thing we are out of ice cream! Instead I finished drinking the rest of my water. (30 oz to be exact) I keep forgetting to drink water all day long lately. Then I have a crapload to drink with dinner. So I filled up on my water and kept my personal goal.

This morning I woke up weighing 159!!! I'm in the 50's people!! Something exciting about a new decade of lbs. I started off the week 2.9 lbs up and was quite discouraged. but, I think I'm figuring out more of how my body works.

Most of you have noticed that a few of us participating in this challenge are roller derby sisters.  While none of us currently skate on the same team, all of us are part of the Slaughterhouse Derby Girls league.  While I'm away in Seattle skating with my team in the Wild West Showdown, another one of us, known to you as "Keri", will be skating with her team THIS Saturday right here in Greeley.  I know this "Keri" person may seem a little mysterious to some of you, but here she is, in all her glory, on this super duper cool poster that I just HAVE to share!

How sweet is that? 

Week Three Results!

Hi everyone!

I'm sure you're all anxious to see the new standings...and I was planning on having them up yesterday.  I was out of town for the weekend and was getting ready to drive back...when the snow storm hit.  I literally just got home 45 min. ago, a whole 24 hours after my originally planned day back.  

But here they are!

1. Megan - 267
1. Erin - 267
2. Stephanie - 265
3. Amanda - 249
3. Sariah - 249
4. Heather - 244
5. Liz - 230
6. Elise - 220
7. Heidi - 211
8. Keri - 194
9. Katie - 172.5
10. Sarah - 171


Also, this coming week I am flying out to Seattle on Thursday to participate in a tournament with my roller derby team and I will not be back until Monday.  So standings won't be up until later that evening!

Sorry for everything, but even I can't control snow! ;)

Sariah

Help, help, help!

So....this is my table. I bet you didn't even notice my flowers. Sad. I made it my goal this week, to wash it at least once a day!  It is our dump zone! We can't even sit down for dinner most nights. 

Oh...and I still need more snack ideas!

I've had one rough week.  I decided to go down on calories...and it's back fired. I'm still nursing and I think it put my body into starvation mode. I thought it would be a great idea to eat less and have my milk supply dwindle because Audrey is one next week! I am so done nursing!  However, she is not.  She has started nursing 3 times a day again! :( I don't know what to do!!!  So, any weening ideas? Or any losing weight while nursing ideas?

Well, hope everyone is still having some success somewhere! 
Have a great week!

Week 3 for Me

Week 3 was busy!  I had company come to town to stay with us for most of last week and this week too.  I was still able to get all of my workouts in, but definitely didn't eat as well as I should.  It is hard to find a balance between being a gracious host and keeping the calorie goals.  When my first guests were here we had 4 extra growing boys around and I felt like I was cooking all the time to keep them fed.  I bought food at the store like cookies and chips that I normally don't buy...so of course I had to eat a few...

I'm looking forward to a new week!

I also have a question for all of you.  Do any of you have any low calorie, protein filled snacks to share?  Just trying to get a few new ideas around here.

Hope you are all having a great day!

Bummer

I was definitely gung-ho about losing weight for an upcoming trip to LA and was really proud of myself for doing so well.  But, I've been here for the past week and can totally feel the effect of no exercise and a bad diet.  It makes me feel really gross.  I truly cannot wait to get back to the nitty gritty of normal life and the exercise overload to make up for all the terrible calories I have consumed this week :(.  It's truly amazing to me how different I can feel when I am being unhealthy.

This book full of popcorn recipes is free on amazon today.  You don't need to have a kindle--you can read it on the computer.  If you're looking for snack recipes, it might be worth looking into.

I am so tired!!

Water arobics kicked my butt! I'm so tired! It was definitely worth it!

Ahhhhhh!!!

I don't know why, but all I want to do this week is eat everything unhealthy! I am having such a hard time wanting to snack...on everything! I'm stealing my kid's fruit snacks! So...I need some snack ideas. Ones that aren't produce! Ones that are healthy and tasty.  Sweet and salty! What are you guys eating out there?!  HELP!!!

True to myself

I failed this week at my personal goal. I was disappointed because I wanted those 5 points. But more importantly I wasn't true to myself.

I often will say to myself "just a small portion and then I'm done" or "no seconds tonight at dinner for me" or something similar, then end up disregarding that self-made promise and binge or have thirds and fourths at dinner. I have had more than a few weeks to ponder on this fact. Why is it that I am so untrue to myself? Isn't what I say in my mind to myself just as important as anything said out loud?

Generally speaking I am a pretty dependable person. If I say I will do it - I do it. If you need my help and I offer - then you can depend on me. I would like to consider myself as one with integrity and honesty. BUT when I say one thing and end up doing another (only in my mind of course, and I am the only one suffering)....that is NOT being true to myself, NOT honest or having integrity, and NOT dependable.

I have decided I want to be MORE true to myself. If I say, just one taste then one taste it is. If I say no seconds, then no seconds it is. I want to be true to myself. True to what I say, whether out loud or not.

I don't check Facebook very often, but a glance at it yesterday provided this little gem.

I CAN!

This last week was rough. I got two days of full workout points and a lot of zero working out! The week started with the flu for myself and one child and ended with all three of us having colds and pink eye thrown in too! Talk about eventful!  So while I couldn't workout much I was still good with logging my food and staying within my calorie allotment ( except for that one night... darn emotional eating!) I did gain .6 lb, but I still lost 2 inches overall. I see that while I can't get all (or even close to it...) the points, what I CAN do will still make a difference! Every bit of effort I can afford will pay off in some results. So while I have been in the habit of focusing on what I am not good at and what I can't do, I CAN do some things. It may take longer to see the results that I want. But, I can still see the results that I want, someday.  I am really starting to see positive changes in my body. Other people are starting to, too. And that makes me want to keep going. That and I just finished watching last nights episode of biggest loser. :)

A complete stranger walked up to me at the gym today and asked for exercise advice.  Bahahahaha!

Week Three

Good Morning Ladies!

Well we are now in the middle of week 3 and I have to say that I am feeling pretty good about the week so far!
I usually struggle with working out and taking precious time away from my family on the weekends, so yesterday I took them along with me.  We went to Monfort park and Paige rode her little scooter next to me while I walked/jogged and the boys played football in the middle area.  It was a FANTASTIC compromise for all of us.  After about a half hour I claimed my hubby and sent out kids to the park to play while we walked in circles and talked... it was such a nice time.  So this week I have decided to work on figuring out ways to incorporate my work-outs with my family.  If you have any suggestions, please pass them my way!

I hope you gals have a great rest of the week!

I can't comment!

I've been using a Blogger app and my comments are not showing up. Please know that I am reading and appreciating your comments, and I'm trying to respond. I just haven't figured out how to get my comments to post yet! (Guess I'll have to use my actual computer instead of my phone. Boooo!)

Last week went a lot better than I planned on it going.  I have never once logged calories, so when I set a budget and found out just how many calories were in food, I seriously thought I was going to die from starvation.  Like, literally.  But I didn't!  I wasn't even as hungry as I thought I would be!  No wonder I have put on so much extra weight; I have been over-eating by about 2-3 times what I should be consuming.  (Thank heaven for the free days, though)

This week so far has been hard to find time to exercise, and I know I need to get over it and get it done.  We are leaving on vacation on Friday and it will be even harder to do it then.  

I am already starting to feel better and more in control of my body.  I hope all of you the best of luck on this journey!

Counting Calories ~ bleh!

I have never, never, ever counted calories, so when I had to do it last week, I was really surprised by how many calories are in different types of foods!  No wonder I've been putting on weight--I've been eating about 3 times as many calories as I should!!  I was pleasantly surprised that I was not as hungry as I thought I would be.

Week Two Results

Week Two's results are in!  Whoot!

You'll notice that there are two post by Sarah above this one.  What happened is that while she was WRITING her posts for the blog, she simply forgot to publish them, so for a minute there I thought she was disqualified.  But now that we've got that figured out, it should be smooth sailing from here! 

This week I was able to get all of my workout points *fist pump!* but missed out on two days of 64 oz. and one night of 7 hours.  What can I say, I partied hard for Valentine's Day!  For my group goals I almost always piggy back off of the previous week's challenge.  So for example, my personal goal this last week was to create a daily calorie budget and stay within in it for 5 out of 7 days.  This week I'm including that AND the no snacking after dinner from week 2.  A lot of you have goals like spending individual time with your kids, journal writing, morning prayers, and etc.  That is so cool!  There is so much more to healthy living than just food and exercise.  You guys have inspired me to include making my bed every morning for the next round.  I have ALWAYS sucked at making my bed!  And I think a tidy bed will equal a tidy mind!

And now, what you've all been waiting for -

1. Erin - 178
2. Megan - 178
3. Stephanie - 177
4. Amanda - 173
5. Heather - 166.5
6. Sariah - 163
7. Elise - 145
8. Liz - 141
9. Sarah - 139.5
10. Heidi - 139
11. Keri - 127
 12. Katie -114.5

Congratulations to Erin and Megan who earned all possible points for two weeks in a row!  Also a shout out to Megan, who was only one point shy of a perfect score this week.

Keep it up everyone.  Don't give up because you think you're too far behind.  A lot can change in a week!

And for all of you youtube exercise fans, I also like to follow Casey Ho from Blogilates.  She has a TON of exercise clips, a lot of them pilates or pilates inspired.  She also has workout calenders, recipes/meal plans and fitness advice.  Take a look!

 I will admit to turning off the sound sometimes because she can be obnoxious...but her workouts are pretty killer!

Here is her website - 

http://www.blogilates.com/

Water Habit

I was taking the picture of my water bottle to post, & Jud thought I was taking it of him. Lucky for ya'll you get a baby saying cheese to look at as well.

I wonder if we'll ever capture Jud's real smile again, or just his "Cheese"?

Many of you have mentioned that getting 64 oz. of water a day has been challenging. So I thought I'd share my routine with you. My Nalgene and my big blue cups are my best friends when it comes to drinking all my water.

Week 2 - blew the group goal with suckers!

Week 2 - was ok, I struggled to get the water in during week 1 so I made it my personal goal to meet the water requirement 5 out of 7 days in week 2 and I had to PUSH myself, but I made it!  Here's to week 3 and keep that water coming -- Pepper/Sariah, thanks for the spa water tips.

However, I blew the group goal!  Normally, I do not snack after dinner but caught myself having suckers at the derby bout last Saturday... and on my 2nd sucker, I thought, oops - I blew the group goal! So even tho I did that and did not get the group goal points I still did my best to not snack after dinner the rest of the week but... I had a brownie on Valentine's night after practice!  I am trying -- this challenge has definitely made me aware of my eating habits.

I have lost a little in my tummy which feels good to me as my pants fit better!  That's my mantra to keep me going - my pants fit better, my pants fit better..

Thanks all for sharing your ups and downs this week - sorry I have not been very active in the blog this past week, I've been searching for my 1st nursing job! :-)

Here's to week 3! Keep up the good work ladies!   Heidi, aka Hassle

Week 2 - Ebbs and Flows

So first of all I'm really grateful that a lot of you wrote last week about not getting frustrated with the scale, etc.  I needed it this morning.  Everyone says weight loss is easy math calories/calories out.  According to my "math" this week I should have lost 4 lbs.  I definitely did not.  However, I was happy with my inches lost.  It's hard though not to be discouraged.

I noticed lots of ebbs and flows this week.  On Tuesday when I went to Zumba I wore a fitted shirt, and low and behold I could see that I had a waist again!  Yay!  I had so much fun in that class, I felt like my body was moving the way it should, before these pregnancy pounds!  The director of the place happened to be there that night and after class she told me how good I was looking, and how much better I was moving in just 3 weeks since I had attended the first class.  I was so happy to tell her I had lost 7 lbs. and how great I was feeling.  I left that night feeling so motivated, feeling like of course I could reach my goals, and just so good.

The next night working out I felt like my feet weighed at least 100 lbs.  I had no energy, I felt bloated and yucky.  I felt like a failure.

And so it goes...I'm trying to do what Elise said and have positive thoughts this morning and this upcoming week.

Maybe this song will be my mantra for this week!  (These are my crazy boys by the way)...

I'll just keep telling myself, "Baby, you are a firework!"

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy day of love! i love you guys! i love looking good! i love feeling good! i love eating good! i love chocolate (even though i can't have any)i love my body! i love wearing smaller clothes! i love feeling like i can finally out run the zombies during the apocalypse! i still love chocolate! i love that i have more energy to play with my kids! i love that my risk of serious health complications is going down! i love being able to see myself shrinking! i love the fact that dark chocolate is good for you! i love me!

Water Water Water

So this weeks challenge!  No sugary or carbonated drinks!  I probably should have included no artificially (aka splenda,, aspartame and etc.) sweetened drinks as well...but baby steps, right?

I don't know about you, but sometimes I get REALLY tired of plain old water, but I don't want to put artificial additives in it to make it more palatable....or even just for something different.

This coming week I think I'll try a few "spa waters" that will more than likely still be made with tap water because I'm stingy. 

After a google search, I found several spa water recipes that sound super yummy to me above and beyond the typical lemon slices (which I love).   If these sound gross, I'm sure you can create or find something more to your taste.  There are so many recipes out there! 

   Creamsicle: Orange slices and one vanilla bean, sliced down center. 
* Blackberry:  Handful of blackberries, lime slices and mint sprigs.
* Garden:  Fresh sprigs of rosemary and/or basil. 
* Herbs:  Fresh sprigs of rosemary, mint, lemon and cucumber slices.
* Lavender Berry:  Blackberries or strawberries, fresh sprigs of lavender, and either slices of lime or one vanilla bean, sliced down center.
* Berry Basil:  Fresh strawberries, sliced (green tops on for aesthetics) down center and handful of fresh basil.
* Ginger Cream:  Slices of fresh ginger and one vanilla bean, sliced down center.
* Citrus:  Slices of oranges, limes, and lemons.
* Melon:  Slices of watermelon and limes.
* Tropical:  Slices of fresh pineapple, watermelon and lime.
* Mojito:  Sliced fresh pineapple, a slice or two of fresh ginger, handful of mint sprigs.
* Peaches and Cream:  Slices of very ripe peaches and one vanilla bean, sliced down center.

(I found these on http://preppypinkcrocodile.blogspot.com/2011/07/spa-water-recipes.html)

Happy Heart Day!

Just wanted to wish you all a Happy, Healthy Valentine's Day!  I wanted to do something nice, but I didn't think a plate of sugar cookies on your doorstep would actually be very kind of me...so instead I made you this Valentine:

Who needs chocolate anyway?  Hope you all have a LOVEly day!

Week 2

I am really disappointed with my week 2 performance. I was hoping to step it up from my abysmal week one performance, but instead I found myself having even less time to put towards exercising. (This week was parent teacher conferences at work and I have a biology test tonight that I've been *trying* to study for.)

I know that my only option is to wake up earlier and exercise first thing in the morning. I used to do that back in April and May of last year and I absolutely loved it. I have never been good at getting up early in the morning, but once I pulled myself out of bed and actually made myself exercise I could feel good about it for the whole entire day. I need to remember that feeling instead of focusing on how painful it is to wake up for a 5:30 alarm.

Oh, and the group challenge next week? It's going to kill me. Coke Zero is my best friend and constant companion (even though I've been consuming far less than usual because of the 64 ounces of water requirement). I'll need some serious will-power to go 5 days without it!

I have been pondering on the comments previously made about learning from our bodies. I have decided there are a few things I have learned, and a few more I still need to figure out. I like this perspective on weight loss. It is about communicating with our bodies. Communicating thanks for our healthy muscles and limbs that allow us to move and exercise, communicating love to by resting adequately, eating healthy, and so on and so on.

I would like to comment on the importance of communicating loving/happy/motivating thoughts to our Spirit and Body. I believe whatever we THINK (and say) both our Spirits and Bodies hear. When they hear negative comments about how lame we are, how weak or fat we are, etc. etc., then they will BELIEVE it!!! It's true. Our own bodies will BELIEVE what we think and then make it come true. So if you BELIEVE you will succeed and THINK about it - you will - because your Spirit and Body will make it happen.

So - positive thoughts. Keep em. Throw the negative ones OUT. They have NO place in our minds. Really. They don't. Kick em out and replace them with something NICE about yourself. You can do it. Think of something NICE to say about yourself!!! Your body will believe you...and soon...so will you!!

Here is a joke for ya'll....

Instead of referring to my bathroom as the 'John', I've named mine 'Jim'.  Now I can say I go to the Jim every morning without fail...Some days I'm soooo dedicated, I go to the Jim several times a day!

Ha ha...Hope you enjoyed that!

Sneaking in workouts

I have been struggling with getting my workouts in. My 7 month old doesn't enjoy taking naps. He is a very social little man and doesn't want to miss out on anything I don't think. I can get maybe 2 naps at about an hour a piece. We also have that pergo flooring so me stepping in my gym shoes to a video has been waking him up. Yesterday I did 2 half hour videos one during each nap. (did you know you can get sore under your ribs??? Try Jillian Michaels 6 pack in 6 weeks. I found it on youtube. Wow!) Today I started the cool down on taebo cardio as he was waking up. SUCCESS!! Last week I tried waking up at 530 so I could workout before they woke up. But, they were both awake before 6 when I did that so I gave up on that tactic! This is quite a work in progress. So for my personal goal for the week I decided that I am going to clean house at a quick pace to make up for the lost calories from a workout. Burn calories, clean house. Win-win! Hopefully it works as planned! (Today I organized/cleaned the garage. 2.5 hours with 18 lbs on my back, woof!)

So, I have been using myfitnesspal.com for tracking my calories. I'm wondering if anybody wants to be my friend on there! I realize that a lot of you ladies are using lose it. But, I would love to have more people to follow. It motivates me to see people regularly as they exercise and complete their day. Makes me want to join in on the fun! My username is katsiemarie. Or you can use my email address katsiemarie@gmail.com to find me. Feel free to post your lose it accounts if you want. Might as well call it a username round-up!

Life is crazy and therefore, so is my eating!

I felt really, REALLY good about my week last week and then I saw that my points were 8th on the list... time for me to pick up my game for the next nine weeks.  Ha-Ha, Just kidding!  GREAT JOB, LADIES!!

So with week one down and nine more to go, I have decided that it is time for me to get serious about my work-outs.  When I was logging my workouts I realized that I could only bank 1.5 points for my work-out, and if I had gone only 35 more minutes, I could have banked an additional 3.5 for the day.  I tell you what, that was all the motivation that I needed in order to decided that my work-outs need to be no less than one hour per session.

I also realized that my eating habits are nuts!  There are days that I have zero appetite and then other days that I seriously raid the cupboard looking for anything that might taste good to fulfill my desire to snack.  So what do I do about this?  I know that there isn't much that I can do about life in general.  I mean I can't change events that happen at work, how my children behave at school (prayers needed, I have one heck of a class clown on my hands that gets in too much trouble) or the fact that my sweet husband forgot to throw my clothes in the dryer before he went to bed so now I don't have clean undies to wear... :)  These events I can't control, but the normal "life stuff" stresses me out and I SEEK food out as a baby would a pacifier.  Ridiculous, right?  So this is my weakness that I need to figure out!

Not Advice

I thought to myself yesterday as I ate dinner that I should share my one eating "secret".  It's a little uncomfortable, though, because I feel like I should be the last person to give advice on health and fitness (did you see my "before" picture??), so don't consider this as advice or anything like that.  It's just a bit of information that you all probably already know or don't care much about, but that has worked well for me.

I regularly substitute grated cauliflower for white rice.  (I know people use it in place of potatoes, as well, but I haven't tried that.)  I grate my entire head at once in my food processor (and it makes a huge mess even then!) and then put a cup of it in the microwave with a tablespoon or so of water, nuke it for 2 minutes, and eat it.  At around 25 calories per cup (and only 5 g of carb, half of which is fiberific), it's about 1/8 of the calories and, for me at least, just as filling.  No, it doesn't taste just like rice (it's a little sweeter and not quite as chewy textured), but it's really morale-boosting to have something close to the starchy goodness the rest of my family eats on a regular basis and to not feel like I get to look forward to nothing but salad for the rest of my life.

(Yeah...blogging isn't going to be awkward at all...)

Week One Results

We had several ladies that got ALL points possible.  We also had several ladies, that while they didn't get all points possible, still saw results!  Way to go everyone.  I didn't hear from Jenny, But I am double checking to make sure she is getting my e-mails, because I have had snafu's with it in the past.  So we will see. 

I didn't get as much exercise as I usually do because the first couple of days I of the contest I was still recovering from the flu.  I also missed one night of 7 hours and one day of 64 oz.  I tell yah, the drinking 64 oz. is by FAR the hardest for me!

Without further ado - 

1. Megan - 89
2. Stephanie - 89
3. Erin  - 89
4. Amanda  - 87
5. Sarah  - 81.5
6. Heather  - 77.5
7. Sariah  - 77
8.  Liz  - 72
9.  Heidi - 66
10. Keri - 66
11. Katie - 65.5
12. Elise - 64
13. Jenny- ?

And we're off!  *insert cracking whip here*

I also wanted to share with you one of my struggles - fluctuating weight.  Heather touched on it a little in her previous post.  I can have a  GREAT, even PERFECT week of exercise and eating and can end up heavier on the scale than I was the week before.  And it is tempting to throw in the towel and quit when that happens.  It happened two or three times to me in the previous round.  While I think tracking your weight can be useful, it is NOT the be all end all of tracking progress.  Which is why measuring yourself is also and excellent tool.  This is what Coach G Short, a fitness professional of sorts, has to say about weighting yourself - and I think his opinions are good to keep in mind when you're having a struggle with the scale -

That Thing it Does

Remember this movie? If you do, then, you're welcome for getting this song stuck in your head for the next week. 

An email exchange Sariah and I had this week is the inspiration for this post. I told her I gained a pound, she told me her body is, "doing that thing it does that I hate."

And then something else about that she's glad she's learned that about herself and hopes the other girls learn things too.

I  hope the same thing. When you start keeping track, setting goals, paying attention, you will start to learn about your body. And when you learn stuff about your body it is so nice. You start to understand how to treat it right. You begin to know that even if you gain a pound one week when you worked hard and did your best, that it doesn't mean you should give up. I'm not sure what you'll learn, but you will start to figure things out and that is a huge step in the direction of getting healthy.

"I love to feel hungry"...

YA RIGHT?!  Ok, so my mom is on her own weight loss journey right now and she told me, "I love to feel hungry."  I had to think about this...but the feeling of being hungry really tells you when your body is ready to eat!  It also means you have more self control! Wow mom! What a deep thought!  So, I am trying to listen more to my body instead of the pantry! Ha, ha, ha!

I can't believe I was able to survive week one!  Working out was by far, the hardest!  I love to work out...but a hour at a time is really hard!  Thankfully we got our taxes done early and got a gym pass! Woo hoo!

So, for week 2...my personal goal...is to get dressed everyday! How sad is that?!  I like to work out in the morning, so I find myself staying in those work out clothes all day long.  And of course, If I don't get really dressed, I don't put make up on or really do my hair.  So-here is to a good looking week, no matter what my weight is!

Good luck on week 2 everyone!

Week One For Heidi (and my before photos as promised)

Week one, I lost a couple pounds but gained inches thru out my legs - I blame that on being back in roller derby!  Overall, I feel I had a good start.  I did not meet the group goal, I did track my calories 5 of 7 days but did not stay within calorie budget on all of those days. However, it did really help me to be mindful of my eating and I did not blow out over my budget, just went over by a bit :-) 

Here are my before pictures as promised.  Here's to week 2!

Week One is Done!

I've definitely learned about myself (my eating habits) this week.  I'm not a binge eater or an emotional eater...I'm a mindless eater.  I'm a snackster!  If I'm cleaning the kitchen, cooking, etc. and there is food around I just have a bite without even thinking.  This week's challenge and food logging has been so good for me!  I have had to think about every bite, and I bit a lot less.

I was so nervous to weigh in this morning and do my measurements.  I was scared that even though I had a good week with food and exercise that it wouldn't show on the scale...but I was feeling different, a little smaller even...and the scale was good!  Yahoo!!!

I was actually thinking earlier in the week about how my personal goal for week 2 should be to have no food after dinner...but then I thought, "heck no, that would be way too hard!"  So thanks Sariah for the new challenge.

And a little tip to share!  When I had a sweet tooth this week I tried some of this dessert gum, only 5 calories and it helped!

Hope you all had a good morning with the scale today too!

My Pathetic Intro

I wanted to wait until I had a chance to take a photo before my intro, but I have seem to run out of time. So, here it goes without the photo...

Hi, I'm Keri. 35. Wife. Mother of two. Work full time (instructional assistant at East Memorial Elementary). School part time. Roller derby the rest of the time.

I joined this challenge because I gained back the 20 pounds I lost last spring after doing the "Insanity" workout. (Work has been extremely stressful this year and I ate junk food in abundance to cope.) I want to be healthy, feel more energetic, and get back the arms and abs I had last spring. I am off to an extremely slow start, but I look forward to working hard during this challenge and getting to know you all!

hello!

Hi ladies! I'm so excited about this new compitition! This week has been hard on me so II hope everyone is doing better than me!

My Favorite Workout Videos

So I have a ton of exercise videos.  One of my favorite things to do is browse amazon.com and check out the latest videos coming out.  I kinda became a video hound by necessity - two young children at home, and husband that is always gone for work, and no funds for a gym membership with childcare.  Now that my children are older I am finding more "me" time - I can actually go for a run after I drop off my daughter at preschool a couple times a week - but I still LOVE my videos.  While I have MANY favorites, I chose the following because they are inexpensive and accessible to anyone who can go to Wal-Mart or create an account on amazon.

We all know who Jillian Michaels is.  A lot of people find her insufferable.  But I love her workouts.  Straight forward and simple.  All you need is some sneakers and a light pair of hand weights.  No weird and bizarre moves that take tons of tries to master.  And heck, if her talking is bothering you, it's called the MUTE button.  These particular DVD's are several years old, but that doesn't mean they don't work!  (Plus it also means they're cheaper than her newer ones!) $7.99 on amazon?  Not bad my friends.

And then there is Tracey Mallett's "Booty Barre".  If you've ever taken a ballet class I'm sure you remember the hell that is barre work.  Well, Tracey takes you to hell and back and all you need is the back of sturdy chair and some light hand weights.  The first several times I did this video it left me in a heap on the floor.

I know that several of you are in my situation.  You need workouts that you can do at home - and I'm telling you, these are a great place to start.  While not exactly free, they will pay for themselves if you keep at it! 

I am also and avid follower of Zuzana Light.  Her lack of clothing DOES bother me.  But if you want short, quick, crazy intense workouts that are also FREE - she's on youtube and facebook.  Here is an example of one of her weekly ZWOW's  (Zuzana's workout of the week) -

Anyway, I hope this helps some of you that are struggling with what do to for workouts - especially when you're stuck at home!

Sariah

Jenny

Last spring I got really sick.  When all was said and done I had lost 10 lbs and for the first time in 11 years of marriage I weighed the same as my husband!  He is the kind that can eat whatever he wants and not gain a pound.  He has weighed the same (give or take a few pounds) since he was 16!  The point is I got all sorts of compliments about my size and I felt great about my weight, but I wasn't healthy.  Once I felt better all of my bad habits were back in gear and I have since gained 10 pounds. 

I am going to be honest that I want to change my habits, but I don't.  :)  I am a sugar addict!  It is a HUGE problem!  If I tell myself I can't have it than that the desire for it consumes my thoughts! I tell myself I will eat just one and then I eat three.  I get cranky if I feel deprived of my fix.  I need to overcome this!  I haven't figured out how to add exercise into my life either.  My kiddos are early risers and I have never been much of a morning person, the thought of waking up at 5:00 to exercise is very unappealing. I have never been consistent in the exercise department and need to add it to my life!

I joined to hopefully motivate me to change (I haven't been off to a good start :( )   I hope that maybe all of you can teach me things that work for you!  I am out of the running to win the contest, but if I can truly change my current habits than I will feel like a winner!  If I can be an example of moderation,balance, and activity to my 4 children I will feel I have succeeded.  I am excited to start this journey and am committed to make each week better!  ( I will post a pic soon!)

Sarah

Hi, All!  I'm Sarah!  I'll be joining you guys for the next 10 weeks to help lose the extra 20 pounds post-baby....approximately 5 lbs per baby!  I stay home with my 4 kids and am a relentless snacker.  Doesn't really matter what it is, I'll put it in my mouth.  BUT....enough is enough!  Just because I've had kids doesn't mean I can't have a healthy and firm body.  This is just what I need to give me the motivation to change that (this, plus a girls-only trip to Miami in June!). 

My high school graduation picture.  Back then, I was running cross country and track.  I usually added in games of volleyball and softball as well.  I was healthy and active and could eat anything I wanted and still maintain my body weight.  I loved how I felt fit and trim and never really worried about any types of clothes making me look fat!










No.  No, I'm not pregnant in this photo.  I apparently was sucking in my tummy when I was getting dressed, because I did NOT look pregnant when I left the house.  I REFUSE to keep feeling flabby and have to watch what I wear to help hide and tuck parts of my body!


Good luck to everyone!

Erin

I'm Erin, stay at home mom of two girlies, and I unofficially took part in the first competition.  (Which means I did most of the challenges, but my husband wouldn't let me actually pay the money because I "wouldn't win."  And he was right--I would have come in second. :)  I lost about 20 pounds from Nov. 1 to Feb. 1 and will likely lose a lot more this time around (because I'm actually competing and not eating ALL THE THINGS over December (which consists of 3 birthdays and Christmas for our family).

Honestly, I think the hardest part of this competition for me is going to be remembering to blog.  I've actually added an additional spot on my point list to remember to do it!  (I'm a little forgetful sometimes.) 

I had Amanda take pictures when we measured on Friday.  I'm just too lazy to post them until now.  Well, a little lazy and a little horrified.  Here's to these same clothes fitting better (or falling off!) when they next grace my body!

Cheers!

Liz

Hello All!

I am Liz Meyer and just turned 35 last week... EEK!, where has time gone?!?! I am a wife to an adoring and amazing husband, Jared and a Mom to some pretty awesome school aged kiddos as well.  I work full time outside of the home, but have been truly blessed to work for an organization that allows me to work a flexible schedule, where I am able to be pick up my kids three days a week when they get out of school.

I have struggled with my weight since my pregnancy with my 12 year old, Austin.  I gained about 65 pounds with his pregnancy and just wasn't able to get it all off before I had Grant (8) and then Paige (6).  As much as I would love to blame all of my weight problems on my pregnancies, my kids are obviously too old to blame for that now.  The truth is I struggle with how wonderful food tastes and have ZERO self-control .  I LOVE DAIRY QUEEN and worry what it might happen to their stock if I suddenly stop going on my late night runs to get a quick treat. :)

So here I am, READY to make changes and READY to be disciplined!  I am READY to rid myself of emotional and guilt driven eating that I do.  I am READY to be healthy for Me, my kids and my hubby!  I am nervous for the next 10 weeks, but honestly am very excited to have this opportunity to become healthier while people I know cheer me on.

 

One of the funniest/cheesiest workout videos I've ever seen...

You should check out this video. It's hilarious. I was so focused on shaking my booty (not very coordinated in that respect...) that I didn't even realize til half way though that it really was working! I just wish I had more room to "shake-it" close enough to a screen to follow along! seriously had me laughing through the first half. It's only 20 minutes long. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dILstcZ78nc

Sadly I crumbled under the superbowl treat pressure... it was all around me. All of my weakness snacks. darn. So today I am determined to work it all off over the next week. Extra working out every day. (hence the searching youtube for workout videos) Move, move, move! I really need to prove to myself that I have self-control and will-power. I have this little voice in my head that is constantly telling myself that I can't control myself if it is in the house. Well, my friends. We have leftovers. And I'm not eating a single bite of that chip/dip combo. or that ice cream. no sir-ee!

Megan!

Oh, here you go!  The most flattering pictures I could find! Ha ha ha!  Sometimes I think it's good to see that muffin top, big booty and those arms!  Ahh!

 

Well ladies, I am way excited about this 10 week journey!  I am almost done nursing...so I have no excuses to eat less and exercise more! 

My weight came on almost 3 years ago.  I was put on steroids that were going to help me keep pregnancies and have a baby!  I put on about 20lbs, but ended up pregnant!  Then I added an extra 50 during the pregnancy...darn milkshakes, double cheese and fries! After the little guy arrived I lost almost 40lbs, and ended up pregnant again!  I thought for sure it would take a few years for a second child, but I guess my body just need a jump start.  Now I have 2 great kids...Darren, 2 1/2 and Audrey 11 months. 

So...I'm ready!  Ready for the challenges, the healthy eating, the working out, the journals, the pain and joy, and for the life changes!

Heidi

Hello, my name is Heidi, I'm 36 and do not have any children of the two-legged kind ;-). I do have a dog and cat.  I know Sariah (better known to me as Pepper) through Roller Derby. I am excited and nervous to join this challenge with you all.

My goal is to lose 12 lbs in the next 10 weeks.  Most of my weight gain occurred in Nursing School when I quit roller derby due to working and juggling school, I put on 17 lbs in what seemed like over night! I wish the pounds came off as easy they come on :-) There is the eating while studying thing too... I get really hungry when studying. I have since lost 5 of those 17 lbs, and at times I have lost 7 to 10 lbs, but the pounds keep coming back!  I need to lose the weight and keep it off/maintain.  Most importantly, I want to feel better and fit in my clothes comfortably.

My challenges: I love to eat and used to be blessed with the ability to eat whatever I wanted without gaining weight, but it is now a curse because my metabolism has changed with my age but yet I think I can still eat like I am in my 20s! I love food - eating it, cooking it, looking at it in magazines, you name it! I am also a mindless snacker as I am cooking, and need to pay attention how many olives I am popping in my mouth while cooking as they add up! My other challenge: I have to disguise exercise in the form of an activity that takes my mind off the fact that I am exercising in order to get myself to do it, i.e. I cannot run on a treadmill or down the street. I do enjoy walking my dog, and I recently started back to roller derby in January as I graduated Nursing School in December.

I will post a better before picture later this week, promise! My pets are not very good at taking pictures ;-) and my boyfriend is teaching.  Below is  picture from my pinning in December, I am in the blonde in the middle holding the red envelope. I am exposing my secret to you all that I am not proud of:  I wore Spanx (spelling?) along with super control top tights to hold my belly in (not at all comfortable!), and purposefully selected this style of dress (high waist) to hide my back side... oy, the things we do! 

Here's to being healthy! Heidi

Elise

Hi! My name is Elise Adams. I am a stay at home mom of 4 and between all my pregnancies I have eaten less and moved (a lot) more to lose the extra weight. I am not going to lie. Every time it was a long hard journey. But, in the end, completely worth it all.

I have been so grateful for the opportunity for a competition style support group to lose the last few pounds with! It really does help to have that extra 'oomph', 'kick in the pants' or whatever you want to call it....to get the job done when it comes to healthy living and weight loss. This competition is less about weight loss and more about overall fitness and healthy living. Don't lose steam if you don't see the scale moving as fast as you want it to!!! Don't lose faith if you gain and inch or two some weeks!! Just DON'T GIVE UP!!! Keep at it and you will eventually see results!!

My goal for the next 10 weeks is to stop making my weight loss something I obsess about and make it more a part of who I am. Let it sink in deep, so that when I don't have the extra support of a competition, I will STILL do it. I know it may take a few months or years, but eventually I'd like to have healthy living come naturally and as a second nature. We'll see!! I gotta give myself some time to work up to that!

From what I weighed this morning to my goal weight is 7.2 pounds. Ugh. That feels like a lot, when I've already been working on this for a year. HOWEVER, I have vowed to never give up on this journey. It is one I will be on for the rest of my life. I want a healthy life. I want to be fit and athletic and have my children learn from this way of living. Ahh...it is all so easy when I think about it! Not as easy when I try to do it day in and day out! :)

I hope to reach that goal weight by the end of these 10 weeks. Then, after that, keep pushing for possibly another 3 pounds. We'll see. I'm going to keep on keepin on.

We can do it! We are worth it!
Good luck ladies!!!

New Challenges!

Hey ladies!

I'm Heather Herrick, the former moderator and creator of this here little idea. The first round turned out to be great fun and successful for many, so I'm super jazzed about that. I'm also pretty happy that Sariah is willing to take over for a while, because being the moderator took more time and energy than I initially anticipated, so I was ready for a little break.

However, I don't want it to be a break from setting goals regarding my health and fitness, so here I am-ready to participate.

I'm Katie

Alright, here's the dirty truth. I am so embarrassed by these before pictures. this is me not sucking it in after a week of emotional eating. (And my 4 year old took these pictures. I knew I had kids for a reason! ;). ) I'm an emotional eater. I thought I had baby blues after my second was born in June. Turns out I get the same feeling whenever I am sleep deprived. Enter the last two weeks of both boys being sick and a 4 year old bed wetter I was back to newborn sleeping status. I need my sleep. I'm not in a good place when I'm over-tired. YIKES!!

I should have done this challenge last time, but I thought I had it down. I had just lost 15 lbs. I was on a roll. Then when I got into my previous skinny jeans I stopped. I need a kick in the pants to keep going! My belly needs me to keep going!!! So here I am. My biggest challenge is working out. I am trying to learn how to like working out. I like to go for walks but it is just a little too chilly to stick the kids in the stroller. So I have to figure out... free... alternatives that still get me out of the house. Hmmm... Suggestions??? I went to the mall to walk the other day. I will work, but I don't love it.

I'm rambling aren't I? I'll blame it on the sleep deprivation. My goal? I want to be able to wear my old shirts as a minimum. I have a hard time focusing on the scale because my weight can not move an oz but I can be an entire pant size bigger. My goal is to be in a size 10. I'm comfortably in a 14 now. If I were to pick a number it would be 10 lbs. I can do a lb a week and that would get me back to my weight at my wedding 6.5 years ago. Oh, wouldn't that be nice!

I'm excited to start this business and I'm excited to have some help to keep me motivated! Thanks sariah!!