We Made It!

So I always say Go Big or Go Home!!!

But I'll have to be honest, I didn't do so hot on this month's challenge.  Then entire month I was either traveling or had company...and it made it such a fun summer month...but such a hard month for dieting.

I did stay active though, just look at me pumping that swing with my mom at the park tonight!

Even though I know I'm not in the running to be a winner, I want to thank everyone for letting me play along!  I would love if any of you would like to continue supporting each other on our fitness goals in any way.  I've got a long journey ahead and would love some company!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

After breakfast I had one banana, but I was still hungry.

After lunch I had 3 apricots and half an apple, but I was still hungry.

After dinner I had 8 strawberries, half a banana, 20 blueberries, 2 stalks of celery, 9 baby carrots, a handful of sunflower seeds, and half a bell pepper, but I am STILL HUNGRY.

This is ridiculous! Any more fruits and veggies and my insides will not be thanking me tomorrow. I have been starving all week and it's driving me nuts!! But being this hungry is a good sign, right? Means my metabolism is working and I've gotta be burning away the pounds like crazy. At least that's what I keep telling myself.

And for the record, the above listed produce was all consumed today. Yep, today.

Heather's week 3 total and Group Standigs

Typing on my phone while at rehearsal for The Sound of Music. It's this weekend! Do you have your tickets? Friday, Saturday 7:30 & Sunday at 2. Union Colony Civic Center. (Shameless plug over).

Thanks for the yes vote to my question!  I ended up with an almost perfect week. One night only I didn't get to bed on time. 88 points.  Boom! I didn't lose any weight-again. But I didn't gain any! I have steadily kept off the weight I lost during the cleanse so I am happy sappy. Although I kind of want to kick Susan's trash-so hopefully I can shed some pounds this week-purely for points! I heard she ate a lot  of  chocolate cake the other day- so my chances might be good. Hee hee.

My personal goal this week is to not lose it! I don't know how to measure if I accomplish that. I'll probably have to ask my hubby and kids.  Seriously though. Rehearsals every night until 10 or later.  Cole still has tack. I still have a 3 year old who is up at 6 every day and want to keep exercising. Throw into the mix that I have visitors and family coming into town to stay with us and see The Sound of Music (do you have your tix? ;-) ) So I somehow need to clean my house. My hubby is in rehearsals for a play and starting to teach his summer class   Hmmm-please don't lose it. One day at a time. Happy, make memories, enjoy the ride.

Okay. Group standings are-
1-Susan 249
2-Cindy 243
3-Heather 242.5
4-Elise 231.5
5-Stephanie 184
6-Emily-we're sorry you had a car accident.  <3 Glad everyone is okay.!

One last thing   This Friday will be our final reporting of points as far as food logging, water, exercise, etc. Then next Monday June 30th we will have a final weigh-in. You will send me your starting weights and measurements as well as your final weights & measurements.  Then I'll calculate  percentages and points to add to your sub-totals.

Clear as mud? I hope not. Contact me with questions.  Happy produce snacking.

hungry

Seriously. I HATE feeling hungry. If I am eating the right amounts for me to lose weight, I am hungry. Really. I am. People say, "you shouldn't feel hungry". "Eat several small meals." Ha! That is NOT how my body works. If I feel 'full' I have eaten too much. If I want to lose weight - a good portion of my day I feel hungry. I wish I could just exist hungry and not get cranky or anxious. Well. I don't! I don't like the feeling of being hungry and it is a challenge for me to work through it and past that pain during my work of the day. Ah well. Any suggestions or help? Does anyone else feel hungry most of the time while trying to lose weight?

I gotta say I am pretty nervous for this last week! I have my son's birthday, plus driving to Utah, plus running the Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay! AHHH!!! I am going to keep at it though and try to keep track of my points along the way! I sure appreciate all your support on this journey! Good luck on the last week ladies! We are ROCKIN' it!!! Keep up the GREAT work!!

I ate my weight in chocolate cake!

In the words of my four year old . . . "The devil made me do it." I am quite sure the devil did come up with that recipe though because it is pure sin!
So far this week I have had a total fail on the group goal. So I will choose confession over depression, get it out if the way and do better these next 5 days.
We are also planning on being out of town part of this week so that could be an added challenge, but I will go to the store Monday and load up on produce before we go ; )

By the way . . . Mustard has no calories! Here's to giving all my food a mustard bath before inhaling it. (Insert Mandy's wonderful image from "how to loose a guy in 10 days" here)

Week 4-Shut the Door!

So ladies, this is it! Week 4! I know the rhyming title is totally not as clever and catchy as the past couple weeks, but oh well-it's late!

I don't have the energy to be cute or clever right this minute, so forgive the bland post. It's like the cleanse rubbed off on me and I don't have any savor or flavor. ;-) Except for that, that was pretty clever.  And okay, here's a cute graphic to go with it.

ANYWHO, I loved reading your posts this week. And I loved thinking about how you were out there trying something new and getting hungry after dinner like me, but still persevering, or at least trying to persevere.

All week I planned to try this Biggest Loser DVD that I haven't done, even though I've owned it for over a year. I had it in the DVD player this morning, was dressed in my workout clothes and filling up a water bottle when Jud needed me. "Can I have some toast? Can I watch a show?" So I made some toast, turned on a show. Then got back to the workout, did it for 5 minutes. Then Jud wanted more toast or a banana or a smoothie or just any food really. He must be growing because that kid will eat all morning if I let him. So I paused the DVD and peeled a banana and made more toast (we're out of milk, so cereal was out). Then I went back to the DVD and noticed it was time to wake up Cole if he was going to have enough time to eat before I needed to get him to Cub Scout Day Camp. Still thinking I could do the workout until time to walk out the door. But Cole couldn't find this and needed help with that and voila! Time's up. So maybe tomorrow?

I have a question for the group. So I didn't try the DVD like I'd been planning and I've been thinking about how that was my plan for the "try something new" 5 points. However, I did go hiking for 7 hours on a new trail in a place I've never been. Could that count as something new? I also did a new kind of intervals for running that I hadn't ever done. Could that count? I mean- because I have hiked and I have run, so how new are they really? I'm putting it to a vote if you think I should get the 5 points for that portion of the group challenge say "yea" in the comments section. If not, vote "no".

The group challenge this week is: Keep it natural and-Eat produce for snacks between meals! Veggies, fruit, nuts, & seeds are all acceptable. If you'd like a little dip (like dressing or hummus) to go with your veggies, that's fine too, just try to keep that portion of your snack to around 100 calories or less.

I look forward to receiving your reports for week 3 sometime today or tomorrow. After I get your consensus on whether I can get the 5 points for trying something new I'll post my weekly total here.

Darn Week 3

This week I realized I'm not good at petting zoos.  My mom caught some live action photos right as a camel nipped my hair and a zonkey (a cross between a donkey and a zebra...who knew?) tried to bite my fingers off.

I also realized this week I'm not very good at points competitions when I'm on vacation.  Not good at all.  In fact, I'm a little embarrassed to even send my score to Heather tomorrow.  It really did turn into a crazy week for me with a family reunion and vacationing and then driving 800 miles home...in a snowstorm no less!  A snowstorm in June!  Elsa must have been storming around Wyoming...and no, I do not want to build a snowman...the whole thing was unacceptable really...and may have stressed me out enough to eat a Twix.

My mom took this picture, not me while driving...don't worry.

This week I also realized that doing this challenge has helped me get back into the habit of daily exercise...and that isn't too shabby.  For a new workout, I tried a bunch of Fitness Blender videos on Youtube with my sister-in-law.  I liked them and give a 2 thumbs up recommendation to anyone interested in trying them out.  If you do, I recommend having some fun music to play in the background while you are squatting and lunging and push-upping away to jazz it up a little if you're in to that sort of thing.  

So although my week was pretty poor, I'm trying to have a good attitude.  When it comes to health and fitness and my own personal weight loss journey, I know it isn't a sprint...I've got a LOOOOONG way to go and I'm not giving up.  I'm sure I didn't lose any weight this week, but I'm ready to start fresh with a new week tomorrow and rock it...and earn full points!  Boo Ya!

Pilates

This week to get my 5 points I decided to try a pilates class at my gym. I guess I didn't really know what pilates were, because I did not expect this class to be so stinkin hard!! I think I was expecting something more like yoga. This pilates class used so many core muscles and plank positions and sit up variations that I was totally wiped by the end. After a long pregnancy and c-section recovery of not using my abs, my core strength right now is pretty much zilch. I have been feeling it in my abs, glutes, hip flexors, and hamstrings BIG time all week! Good thing my personal goal was to do some serious stretching every day. I needed it!! But you know, even though it was hard, I was really proud of myself for doing it and I did actually enjoy the class. Even if I had to modify practically everything. :-P

What new exercise did you ladies try?

Still here...depends on the day though!!

Approximately 3 times over the weekend I was within a breath of being done with this challenge all together. I know...pitiful. TWO weeks and I give up? Lame.

I pulled myself together through it all...with food. Ugh. I have NOT given up. I am DONE with my PMS crap and am going to get back on with life. I feel uber discouraged because I do NOT want to weigh in tomorrow morning. I will. I will. But...gosh, I don't want to see what it's gonna say.

This seems to be my MO. I do really well for 2 weeks or so...then hormones hit...and I don't do so well. THEN, I get a pep talk, get over it and keep going.

I am discouraged that this is my pattern - but at least I pep talk myself back to health and happy thoughts!! I am trying to overcome the slumps altogether...but I know it will take time. And a lot of practice.

I hope you all had a much better week than me. I am doing MUCH better now. Feeling hopeful. But I have company in town, then my son's birthday party, then I leave town for almost 3 weeks. My hope is that I won't gain any weight over the next 3.5 weeks. Here's to keeping my chin UP!!

Good luck ladies!!! Ra Ra!! Woot Woot!!

Come sweat with me!

Hi Friends, sorry I fell off the face of the earth the last two weeks, we have been moving and keeping tabs on everything has been a struggle. I may be out of the running but my heart is still with you all and I now have internet so I'll be posting and encouraging everyone!  I've lost 6 lbs since we started and don't plan on stopping anytime soon!

WHO WANTS TO SWEAT WITH ME?! 
Tomorrow (Thursday, June 19) I'm teaching the 10 AM Zumba Class at Work Out West.  It's free if you're a member, $5 to drop in.  If you want to come, I will pay for your class!!  If you don't leave with a smile on your face, I will eat my gym socks.  :)

Let me know if you're coming and I'll arrange to get you a pass.  Let's party together!

Kitchen's CLOSED! This chick has had it!

Oh summer. . . It gets so crazy so fast. The best part is having the kids home, but I feel they think the kitchen is free range. (Whine alert) I think I have cleaned my kitchen between every task I do. That's it. . . I am putting my foot down! Thanks to this challenge I haven't been eating the kids left overs, but I get slightly annoyed that they help themselves, over dish their plates, and leave a mess for someone else to clean up all day.
This has probably been my biggest struggle the past 3 weeks. With 3 boys and girl who all seem to be hitting a growth spurt at once and eating everything they can get their little hands on all day long I totally want to join in on the fun. Thanks for keeping me in check ladies!! This weeks challenge gives me a good excuse to shut down all kitchen services at 8:00. I have also tried out a few workouts that were recommended on this blog and Amazon prime. A nice change, and lots of options. : )

Heather's Week 2 Report and Group Standings!

I did the cleanse for four more days and then PMS took over and I quit.

However I feel good about how the cleanse helped me and I hope to use some of the principles I learned, when in need of a push in the right direction. I lost 5 pounds in the first week and I didn't gain any of it back. I didn't lose anymore, but I am calling that a win!

I earned 85.5 points this week. I was thinking surely I'd be in the top three with that amazing score, but you ladies are SERIOUS!

Here are the standings after Week 2

1. Susan        161 points
2. Elise         160 points
3. Cindy       156 points
4. Heather    154.5 points
5. Emily       149  points
6. Stephanie 142 points

GREAT JOB everyone!

See you doing something new this week!

P.S. Don't you love the memes and little sayings I've been posting? I need some feedback ladies. I missed a sleeping point one night posting this stuff for you. Give me some love or at least a smiley face, lol, or ha ha if you chuckled. 

Week 3-Yippee!

Our group challenge this week is a 2-parter.

Part 1-Try a new workout.

Do you have a workout DVD you haven't tried? Have you been invited to zumba over and over, but never gone for it? Do you want some motivation to get your bike tuned up and get out and cycle? Have you read the word fartlek in a running magazine a bunch of times, but never actually figured out what that means or how to do it?

Well this week you can get 5 magical points for busting out of your same old routine and trying something new.

This Saturday there is Zumba at the church on 23rd Avenue at 8 a.m. if you want to get it out of the way early (Susan and Emily?). Also, I am really going to try to be there, depending on when rehearsal starts and I'd love to see any of you.

Part 2-No eating after 8 p.m.


Pretty self explanatory. But I thought I'd put a little info up as to why this is a good habit to work on.

Dr. Oz recommends not eating after 8 p.m. because studies have shown that you are more likely to overeat and misjudge how many calories you consume when you eat late.

Also, one of Bob Harper's skinny rules is to go to bed hungry.  If you skip that midnight snack, your body will “burn fat like crazy,” Harper writes. After five hours without food, you’ll start burning your own fat and sugar. Further, it may even help you sleep better, since having fewer carbs in your bloodstream allows your body to produce the hormones it needs to bring on sleep.

Burning fat and sleeping better? Sign me up! This part of the challenge is 5 out of 7 days. You'll get 5 points if you do it five days. But if you only do it four days, no points. Capiche?

Group Workouts this Week-

• Saturday morning at the 23rd Avenue church for Zumba. 8:00 a.m. 
• Wednesday morning at the track again! 5:30 a.m. Heath Middle School
• Thursday evening at the church on 4th street (Stake Center), Hailey Moore (from the Centennial Ward) will be leading Insanity. 8:00 p.m. (I can't be there, but wanted to let you know it's happening.)

I hope everyone had a great week.  Mine was definitely not phenomenal.  I have only run once in the last 2 weeks.  It is rather depressing, since I prefer running to any other form of exercise, but I've had fun trying new things and working out with the kids.  I had better get back to it though so I can keep up with my competitive sister in law during a half marathon in the fall. 

Ramblings of a Traveling Woman...

So I did not get the 10 points this week for keeping my treats under control!  Traveling is hard!  We've had two weddings and a birthday to celebrate this week...and they tasted good!  

I have managed to get my workouts in and stay within my calorie goal for the most part this last week, and that is great...because my mom's house stocked with chips and ice cream and candy is kind of like temptation island!  Salads for breakfast and lunch have made this possible.  My sister-in-law is also doing a challenge of her own, so it has been really great to have a workout buddy...she'll even do midnight workouts with me after a crazy day of fun!

I also feel like I'm burning a few extra calories on this trip keeping up with these two 18 month old cousins...they are the cutest and the fastest!

So even though the odds seem to be against me this week...I'll keep trying my luck at this challenge...

It was ladies night at the horse races last night...we couldn't resist.

MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR!

Two Hands

I was feeling down about my size, how I am not as good at losing weight as I'd like to be, wishing I was smaller, and various other negative thoughts about myself. THEN, I was getting ready to go to a Women's Meeting and was working out what to wear when I tried on a skirt I haven't worn in a long time. It ended up going well with the blouse I wanted to wear, plus it fit really well, so it won out and the outfit was chosen. About that time I realized I got that skirt when I was in college. Yes, in college.

On one hand I was thrilled and thought "Wow! I am wearing comfortably a skirt I got 13 years ago! I am proud of myself!" On the OTHER hand, I was thinking "What? I was this big in college?"

There are TWO hands I am trying to bring together in a nice little balance.

ONE hand says - I am doing GREAT! I am a great mom and wife! I work out hard and live a healthy life! I am a daughter of God and have divine qualities and potential! I LOVE my life and wouldn't change it or anything about it for the world!!! I am awesome and am ENOUGH!

the OTHER hand says - I have got to work harder! I have 15 extra pounds to LOSE! I need to eat LESS!! I want to be a faster and better runner! I have SO much to work on as a mother and wife! I need to be a better friend! I am NOTHING with out God!

SEEEEEE!!!!????

These two hands must, come together and find balance. Some days I listen to the 'I'm good' voice and eat a little too much and I feel so great about life. Other days I listen to the 'work harder' voice and think about how I gotta do better and lose more weight and eat less...on and on.

I am exploring ways I can help these two hands (or rather internal voices) in my life become ONE. One in purpose and strength. It is a journey.

Thanks girls for the motivation and encouragement. I may not win this competition, but I AM winning when I strive to be a BETTER ME.

How's it going?

How is the treat challenge going?

Since I've been cleansing I have to say I may have had a leg up this week. A piece of bread with a bit of coconut oil feels like a treat to me!

Back to running

So I went to my 6 week postpartum check-up and got the all-clear for exercise. I celebrated by going to my favorite zumba class Monday night and got a fantastic endorphin high. Yesterday I went to the gym and decided to try running for the first time in about 9 months. Holy moly it was HARD!!! I felt like my legs were made of lead and I was trying to run through water. I only lasted 5 minutes of a slow jog before I had to walk again. After that I had to alternate jogging 2 minutes with walking 2 minutes. I knew running was going to be difficult, since it was the first exercise to get kicked to the curb when I found out I was pregnant, but MAN I did not anticipate this level of difficulty. My 6 week old slept pretty well last night, only waking up for food at 2:30 then 7. Unfortunately, my attempt at running left me with crazy sore muscles that had me uncomfortable and squirming all night. This getting back in shape business is hard work!

Anyone have any tips for the non-runner who is easing back into running after a long break?

WEEK 1 STANDINGS

Three-way tie for 1st with a perfect 72 points this week:

• Elise
• Emily
• Susan

2nd place is Stephanie with 70 points!

3rd place tie at 69

• Cindy
• Heather

Still Participating but not competing:

• Mandy
• Sheila

Thanks everyone for a great first week. 

As you can see we only have 7 participants left. A few of the original had changes of plan. The prizes will be as follows. 

1st place-$35

2nd place-$20

3rd place-$15

Heather's Week 1 Point Total & Week 2 Personal Goal

I earned 69 points this past week.

My personal goal for the upcoming week is to do a modified Phase 2 of the detox cleanse. I have felt pretty good, so I figure, I'll go for it. The modifications are just to allow for my continued workouts. The calories are pretty sparse on the cleanse, though there are more this next week, so I like to go to it with an attitude that I can eat an extra potato, apple, banana, or handful of raw almonds if I need it.

When looking at my calorie intake on LoseIt from this past week, I've only had between 800-1,000 calories each day.  And all days except for one I've had at least 60 minutes of vigorous exercise. I'm still alive!

Anywho, I'm excited to receive everyone's reports & hear about your goals for the upcoming week.

Aahhh! I've been hit!

Right where it hurts Heather. Sweets are my serious down fall, but if this is your way of taking me out try again! Haha jk I've been meaning to get my sweets under control for quite some time, but this just might be the answer to my problems. It is always easier knowing there are more if us doing it.
So far this week has been fun with all of the health pointers/tips on blogs, websites and so on. Definitely things I will use in the future! Here are a few things our family is doing this summer, and so far they have been lots of fun . . . Skip the trip, (skipthetripcolorado.org/register) the name explains itself, but there is a drawing for some awesome prizes at the end, unless you don't think an ipad mini, fitbit, new running shoes or a gift card would be an awesome win. Healthy kids run series has lots of fun runs/walks for the whole family. We did one about a week ago and the kids loved it! (Healthykidsclub.org)
I weighed and measured today, and lost inches in some places, but gained inches in other places. I have never been a huge water drinker so I hope that's it, but has this happened to anyone else?

Week 2-YAHOO!

 

I have been doing this detox cleanse since Monday. Three more days of the above for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and then time to re-assess. The cleanse is actually a 26 day thing, but I only committed to the first week. However, my hubby would like to continue, so I have until Sunday to decide if I want to help him out with Phase 2. We'll see. Tonight I feel emotional and hungry for a piece of chocolate or cheese, but I usually feel better in the morning. I'll keep you posted.

I have eaten so many greens and veggies this week, I do feel pretty amazing when I'm not hangry.

I also decided not to crazy up my life with triathlon training this summer. So that decision has been made. I'm 2 for 4 on my goals for the month already. Boo-yah! (Do people still say that sort of thing?)

Since you all report to me, I like to report to all of you here on the blog. I'll let you know my points for the week tomorrow morning after I weigh and measure. 

Group Workouts Next Week!

Wednesday morning at Heath Middle School Track, 5:30 a.m. Elise and I will be doing some sort of speed work, but even if you don't want to join in on that immense fun, we should still all meet there. Some of you can walk if you don't want to run. Some of you can ride your bike over and say hi. 

Saturday morning at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 23rd Ave. Time TBA. I'll post back once I hear from them. They've been doing it at 8 a.m., but talked about changing and I haven't heard the scoop yet. 

If you have something you've been doing and you want to invite us all, tell us the time and place and perhaps we'll find some new workout buddies. 

Group Goal

Treat calories: 200 or less, 5 out of 7 days. 

 Isn't it great though? You really can have some treats. This is one of my favorite goals that I use when I need to get my treat eating under control. It may be annoying to you, or not work at all. But it's the goal for this week, so give it a try. 

I like it because it helps me decide what I'd really like to splurge on and I don't feel deprived, because I know I can have something if I want. 

Last week, before the cleanse I wasn't binge eating, but I was enjoying many treats. When I looked back over my food log on LoseIt I couldn't believe the percentage of calories that were coming from empty foods, without any nutritional value. One day I ate 600 calories in treats. I'd gone on a long run that morning, so I was still within my calorie budget, but seriously? 600 extra calories of sugar and fat . . .Thus, the treat challenge. I hope it "treats" you well this week.

(tee hee) 

I have to get in bed pronto so I can get my sleeping points. I'm excited to hear from all of you tomorrow and throughout the coming week!

Confession: I'm tired of my yoga pants

I know! It's crazy right? Yoga pants are the comfiest things in the world. But when the *only* things that fit in your closet are yoga pants, basketball shorts, and maternity pants, it's time for a change.

My name is Cindy and I've done one of Heather's challenges before. I had my second baby 5 weeks ago (c-section) and I am ready to get back to work! Nothing in my closet fits and I'm too stubborn to go out and buy new bigger clothes when I already have perfectly good clothes I can wear if only I put a little effort into it. My main goal for this challenge is to be able to wear something other than t-shirts and yoga pants by the end of the month. Shouldn't be too hard right? I gained about 45 pounds this pregnancy and I need to say goodbye to every one of them!

Aside from wanting clothes that fit, my other motivation comes from being bit by the triathlon bug last summer. I actually have Heather to thank for that, since she's the one who first put the idea in my head, but I have an itch to train for another race. I enjoy exercise for the most part, though I have a love/hate (mostly hate) relationship with running. I love zumba and enjoy spinning classes and elliptical sessions at the gym. My greatest challenge comes from eating. I love sugar and carbs and dairy and everything else that should be consumed in moderation. In the past I have found success when I log my food honestly and keep myself accountable to other people. Right now I'm excited to have you all to keep me in line!

All 89!

Apparently I am blogger illiterate. I can't post from my computer for some reason so here I am typing oh so fast on my wonderful phone, so sorry folks I guess I will have to spare you the trash talk and keep this short. A little about me though, I am very competitive and money driven. I am also a stay at home mom, so in my mind . . . It is my job to win this!
Some of my goals for this month are to be better at meal planning, (so that I have dinner on the table before 10:00, and don't want to eat the whole house by the time it gets there), firm up those troubled spots, and shave some time off of my 5k. I would also like to run a triathlon sometime before I die, but my swimming is really sinking at this point hence the before I die part.
I have also always lived by the philosophy of who needs sleep, I can sleep when I'm dead, so 7 hours every night may be a challenge, and I am only halfway through my 64ounces of water today and feel like I should be receiving frequent flyer miles to the restroom.

Hello!

 Hi! My name is Emily. I have never been this weight without being able to blame someone (a baby) other than myself.  My baby is almost 2 and it is time for the weight to go.  I know that I may never get my 4 timed C-section belly to be slim again but I can at least try, right? I tend to eat all day long. I basically eat a meal while I am preparing a meal (you know - all of those delicious "taste" bites to make sure everything is coming along) and then I sit down and eat with the family.  Here are a few of my reasons for wanting to lose weight: My clothes don't fit, everything is too snug, it looks like I have been 4 months pregnant since I came home from the hospital in 2012, I'd like to feel like my body is under MY control.  

Off we go!

Hi Friends!  My name is Mandy, I know several of you and am excited to get to "know" the rest of you!!  I love having support to be healthy and lose weight!  I lost a bunch of weight last year then have just maintained for a long time...I would love to lose 25-30 more pounds and need to kick it into gear to make it happen!  I currently get a lot of cardio/toning (mostly through Zumba and weights, about 8 hrs per week) and have finally admitted that to reach my goal weight I need to really change my eating habits.  

My main struggle is that I LOVE food....I love eating it, cooking it, talking about it, thinking about it, shopping for it, looking at it!  And not really junk food, I just love beautiful, well-prepared food!  Is that crazy?!  We don't necessarily eat a lot of "bad" food in our house but we eat A LOT.  I am also blessed with a husband who eats like a pig but is 6'2" and thin.  In his defense, he does about 10 hours of hard cardio a week. :)

 I find cooking relaxing so I need to work on ways I can control my eating (nibbling!) while still enjoying cooking and feeding family/friends.  So, that is my main goal over this journey together.

If you love to dance, please come Zumba with me!  I love it!!  An hour flies by and I find myself happy, sweaty, and not even aware that I just burned a motherload of calories!  After I lost my first 30 lbs I got certified to teach Zumba (as a personal goal).  I don't teach regular classes but I do sub for friends on occasion.  I choreograph a lot for teachers in town as well.  Some of my favorite teachers in town are changing up their class schedules for summer so I will post those for you all once they're finalized.  I'll also let you know when I'm subbing so we can shake it together!

My goal this week is unofficially to survive moving (when did we get so much junk??!), officially to keep to my calorie budget 6 out of 7 days this week.

PS If you're looking for a good free Android app that lets you count calories easily, I love Simple Calorie Count.   You don't have to sign up, it keeps track of what you eat most often so you can pull it up easily, etc..

And Away We Go...

This really is my son...and this really was his face in his soccer pictures this past Spring.

Hello everyone!  My name is Stephanie and I'm excited to start this challenge.  I've participated before and for some reason my normally gentle, docile personality morphs into a ferocious competitor when it comes to points competitions!  I remember during the challenge last winter when I had the stomach flu, I could barely walk, but yet I was doing sit-ups, push-ups and leg lifts in between terrible puking episodes...because I was going to get my 5 exercise points for the day gosh darn-it!

I'm excited to start this challenge because I'm ready to lose weight and become more fit and I think this will be a great jump-start for that.  A few weeks ago at church a lady patted my belly and asked me if I was pregnant!!!  I AM NOT!  It was one of those horrible wake up calls.  

The last 18 months have been hard on my body...a c-section, nursing, stopping nursing, a major abdominal surgery, and some other significant health issues that are out of my control.  For the majority of the last year I have not made exercise a priority...the last 2 months though I have been working out again and counting calories...and I have seen NO results.  I'm trying not to give up or lose motivation, so I'm hoping these arbitrary points will be the magic bullet I need to start seeing results.  

My main goal right now is to get to my pre-pregnancy weight.  I know that won't happen during this challenge, so I guess for this month my goal is to not miss one exercise point!  This will be challenging for me because I will be traveling for the next 2 weeks and then have visitors staying with me the last part of the month, but I'm going to make it a priority and do it!   

And a final picture to inspire your working out this week (Ha!)!  Good luck everyone!  Let's rock this thing!

Me trying out my new bike, in the snow, on Mother's Day, in my pajamas, and with a royal fascinator on my head!  

I was dancing as soon as I heard.

First of all the Young Women who planned the Ward 5K rock! It was such a great idea, I would love to do that again. I enjoyed the chance to work towards a goal and succeed. Thank you Heather for putting this together and helping us all be better! Good Luck everyone. By the way Fitness Blender on You tube is fun an awesome. They have health tips, health myth busters, and works outs that are fun and flexible.