Back On The Bandwagon!!

I've been pretty much off of the health and fitness track for the last three weeks.  I got thrown off that first week and didn't have the inclination to get back on the horse.  Yes, I continued to work out several days a week but not nearly as often as I had been.  And no, I absolutely did not watch what I ate.... at all.  I completely forgot to weigh myself two weeks ago and I refuse to weigh myself until next week Monday when I am off of all my steriods.  I got bit by something while hiking last week and I can feel the water gain; my rings are tight and my socks make marks.  So I will weigh myself on Monday and that will be the true weight gain.  Yes, I know I gained a few pounds but I want the true gain and not the steroid induced water that goes with the meds.

In the meantime, I have jumped back into my workout routine today and plan on getting back to working out 4-5 days per week instead of 2-3.  I also plan on revamping my workouts to include weight bearing exercises (Kim, aren't you proud of me?) as well as at least one yoga a week if I can make the yoga schedule work.  I won't be doing hard core yoga but the restorative yoga that helps flexibility and heals my back after my other work outs.  I've been finding that regular yoga has been playing havoc on my back so am switching it.  Then I still plan on doing 3 cardios per week as well.

My eating program is currently in transition to back to healthy.  I have alot of leftovers from last week that needs to go so am mixing the not so great foods from last week with the healthy stuff for this week.  Then next grocery shopping, the health and fitness foods come back into the house!  Woo Hoo!!

5 days and counting

I have worked out 5 days in a row!!!  (ok, minus the weekend)  I am working out during my lunch.  I think I mentioned that already to you.  Its working great schedule wise.  I still have energy and I get to leave on time and spend my full evening with my babies!!!  This also allows me to come home and cook dinner.  I'm walking the treadmill right now, at a very brisk pace and have even ran for a minute or two each time.  This is a HUGE accomplishment for me!

YAY healthy!!!

A family affair

Ok, so my son informed he is completely set on playing football come spring.  And I'm not talking flag football.  Nope he wants tackle football.  What happen to baseball??????  There's hardly any contact there.  But ok, I've always told him that he can play whatever sport he wants.  So now is the time to start getting him in shape ~ running that is.  And he's ALL for it.  We went to our fitness center and he was on the treadmill and the bike for 30 minutes.  He even asked me if I go in the mornings because he would be willing to go to bed 15 minutes earlier so he can get up earlier to hit the treadmill.  I'm going to take advantage of this interest he has for as long as I can.  I've got a workout partner and he's helping to keep me going.  Not bad for a 9, almost 10 year old.   Love my little guy.

Oh and he's completely forgotten about his Halloween candy.  What's left will go to the trash later this week.

Quickly

Just a quick pop in to let you know I am still here!!!  It seems I just cannot find the time to sit at the computer and keep you all up to date.  with my 17 month and 6 month old children, by the time I get them to bed, clean the house and get it ready for the nanny and get myself ready for work, I'm ready for bed! 

I have been cooking way more at home so less fast food and its been GREAT!  Trying to make more than enough so we have leftovers for lunches or those nights that I just don't have time to cook, we can heat them up. This has been lifesaver!

Keep up the good work ladies!

Talk about a rough week

Is anyone familiar with the b.r.a.t. diet?  It stands for banana, rice, applesauce and toast and is given to kids when they have digestive issues or people who have Crohn's disease or IBS or IBD when they are having flare ups.  It is the most boring food regime one can on and I've been living it since last Thursday.  The upside is I dropped a pound.  :-)

So I have come to realize that certain foods are just never meant to cross my lips again.  Bye bye oatmeal, diary and sadly most grains.  I WILL get back to eating fun foods again it's just going to take some time and patience.  

Up again but I'm OK with it (for today). :)

I am up again this week.  I gained 1.2 pounds but at this point, I am just beyond caring.  I'm trying to eat healthy, I work out regularly and I still can't lose weight.  Oh well.  I'm just going to continue to focus on doing the right things and hope that eventually the weight will come off.

I am feeling pretty good this morning.  While I didn't run the whole 5k like I wanted to, I finished strong and did run the majority of it (darn that hill).  There is another 5k here in Gilbert in a few weeks that we are going to run and I will again try to run the whole way.  I had a great week last week, had great family time this weekend, and will be having a very busy but fun week at work.  I'm having a 2 day onsite meeting with all my team and I am very excited about finally getting my team together from all across the country!

I hope everyone has a great week this week!

Stacey

Its tough

I know its tough to find the time to be healthy.  Its easier to eat the fast food, skip the run on the treadmill and slam the extra cup of coffee instead of water.  I'm the queen of trying to make my life easier.  With a 16 month and 5 month at home along with a new job and new job on top of the new job and I also sing in a chorus on Monday nights and a Quartet on Wednesdays...yeah, I'm looking for easy.  BUT then I think, is this what I would feed my children?  NO...why?  Because I want them to be healthy and learn healthy habits and live long healthy lives.  SO...WHY am I not practicing what I preach?  Don't I want to be around to see my babies grow into wonderful beautiful human beings, don't I want to grow old with my husband and see our grandchild play???  Of course - so I need to start at home.  I need to make changes in my every day life.  I need to find a way to eat healthy but quickly sometimes.  We have decided that those days, instead of fast food days, will be salad days! 

One step closer to healthy :-)

Down again

Down again with another pound or so and down again with insomnia.  Grrrr  but this week has been better ~ sleeping through the night a few nights.

Looking forward to running my 5k this week on the treadmill.  Started a new meal plan; going back to my clean eat ways.  

Also, just so everyone knows, I've tried responding to some posts here andNOTHING  happens.  I'm not trying to ignore ya'll, my comments just won't stick.  ;-(

I'm out !

Hey ladies, I hate to do this but I am out. I just can't get back to tracking. Since before Disney I've been working 4 or more nights a week plus at least 1 day or night each weekend. Filling out another spreadsheet or tracking what I eat for the day is the last thing I want to add, I just can't bring myself to do it. Add to it a bout of what I think was food poisoning last week and that is when I had to make this decision.

I've slipped a bit but not much. In a general sense I'm eating well but not checking the scale. I'm going by how I feel and how my clothing fits which - isn't where I want to be - but I don't feel gross at the moment so I'm pretty happy. Just need more water in my diet and I'm good for now.

So sorry ! I will be back when I can to cheer you all on - keep going ! Eventually it really does become habit, your brain will remember without looking what is good for you and what was not and I really believe your body will start to prefer it too. YOU CAN DO IT LADIES! I'm your biggest fan !!

Another pound bites the dust

And another one gone and another one gone...another pound bites the dust!!!

Yep - I lost another pound this week.  I really believe that eating home more helped!  I didn't have the time to cook all my meals on Sunday, but I did shop and buy smart meals that wont take up too much time to make during the week.  Tonight - Fish, greenbeans and noodles.  Much better than a double quarter pounder, fry and tea!

Hope everyone is doing well...slow and steady wins the race!

It's Aggravating!

I can't believe we are just starting our week 6 already!  I have been playing with the same 2 pounds for the last 6 months and it is just making me angry.  For instance, this past Thursday showed that I had lost 1 and a smidge pounds this week (which would have broken that 2 pound barrier) but then when I got on the scale on Saturday morning (my official weigh in day), I was up 2 pounds from Thursday.  Really??  It is just so freakin' aggravating and frustrating for me.  I'm at the point where I'm just going to screw worrying about the weight loss and just continue to focus on being and living healthy.  I workout regularly and am healthy even though I'm overweight.  I have low cholesterol, low blood pressure, strong heart, normal sugar levels, good blood numbers, etc, etc.  I'm just going to keep focusing on continuing to eat healthy, eat "bad" stuff minimally, and continue to workout.  Looking at the silver lining of not losing weight, at least it my face won't get wrinkles from the weight loss. :):)

Remember to get me your numbers today and to blog.  There are three of you that I need your numbers still for the last three weeks.  I will need those so I can do a tally after this week to send out the mid challenge standings.

 Good luck in week 6 ladies!
Stacey

I did better in week 3

Well, I at least stayed the same.  I managed to meet with our on site wellness coach and he will be tracking my weight and blood pressure for me once a week.  I only worked out 2 times last week.  On Thursday, my new work friend Angela, took me out for a drink to celebrate my new promotion.  I have only been at my job for 5 weeks and was promoted.  This is the reason why I have not been able to keep track of to much.  I have been going crazy trying to learn a new job on top of a new job :-) 

I DID cook a weeks worth of meals on Sunday (Thanks for the idea Jilly) so I have not had fast food in a few days.  Sad to say, but thats GREAT for me.  With the busy life style of 2 kids, singing in a chorus and quartet along with the job, fast food is a weekly staple.  BUT, I'm trying to cut it out.  I'll let you know next week how I did.  I know I will probably eat it once - but thats better than 4 times...(yes, so sad to say that is a very real number)

Stay strong ladies. 

One step forward and

well not quite 2 steps backwards, but I did gain 1/2 a pound.  Partly because I didn't get as many workouts in as I wanted, partly because I didn't eat quite as well as I should have, and it's the glorious time of the month.  Oh and I'm just not the sleep I need ~ gotta love insomnia.  NOT!!!!  

Rant over.

On to positives...Anthony is on his final week of Fall Break and life goes back to the way it should be on the 16th.  Leo, the cat has discovered the patio and all the surrounding buildings and most importantly the way back home. :)  I'm trying new recipes.  Yesterday I made Chicken and Veggie Lo Mein with no grains. It turned out pretty good and will be making it again.  Last week I made a REAL yummy salmon that will definitely be on the meal plan again.  And I can still eat peanut butter ~ just not the everyday and only about 1 tablespoon. 

I'm going to try to go to sleep now.  I hope everyone has a great week. 

Week 4 - It was OK

Well, week 4 was a decent week for me in that I lost 2 of the pounds I gained.  However, I have been playing with those same two pounds (up 2, down 2, up 2, down 2) for the last 4 months.  I also didn't follow the challenge very well last week and only really earned points for one workout yesterday and my water.  I was in such a funk last week (thanks Aunt Flo) that I just didn't care to deal with it.  Anyway, back to the weight. I think my nightly "happy drink" (a glass of wine for most folks) is stopping me from losing anymore than the 2 pounds.  Alcohol impacts people differently.  Some people, it doesn't stop them at all and others, the sugar in the alcohol stops the weight loss.  So this week, next week, and the week after I am going to experiment.  This week, I'm cutting my happy drink in 1/2 to see if that impacts my weight-loss.  Then next week, I'll stop it all together and see how that impacts my weight-loss.  The third week, I'll go back to the regular amount and see if I gain (or stop losing).  That is the one thing I really like about these 12 week challenges is that we all learn so much about ourselves. :)

On a happy note, I finally was able to come out of the gym and hit the pavement outside.  I can run 3.5 miles on the treadmill without stopping at the gym but knew is it so much harder outside.  I have three weeks to be able to run 5k outside without stopping. Yesterday, my goal was to at least make it halfway, which I did (YAY).  Then for the second half, I would walk a song and then run a song, walk a song, run a song.  It worked out OK.  I finished the 5k (little more than 5k), in the same amount of time as it takes at the gym (45 minutes) so I know that I'm running faster outside.  I tried to slow my pace down a bit so I can go longer, but it was just really awkward and my gate wasn't normal.  So I went back to the normal pace.  I'll run outside again tomorrow and will try to run a little longer without stopping.  I am going to slowly increase for the next 3 weeks so I can make run that 5k on November 2nd without stopping.

Kim - how did it go with the peanut butter?  I so hope you're not allergic to PB.  I would totally cry if I were.  Terry, how is the beach?  Jill and Jenny - how did your week go?  Audra, how are you recovering from your cataract surgery?  All better?

Good luck in week 5 team!

Week 3 down

And so is the weight.  Not perfect on working out and definitely need work on portion sizes, but making progress.  

Saturday my son, my dog,and some friends and I walked a 5k.  We finished second to last, but we helped to reunite a lost little boy with his family.  So coming in at the end of the pack was worth it.

Yesterday was Family Breakfast AND dinner.  Old Country Buffet was breakfast ~ 5 egg whites with chopped tomatoes, fried seasoned potatoes and a bit of bacon.  Then later was dinner at Macaroni Grill to celebrate my nephew's 17th birthday, my niece's 15th birthday and their cousin's 19th birthday.  I had the grilled shrimp skiendi (?).   

On a sad note, I may be allergic to peanut butter or balsamic vinegar!  Both are staples in my food.  So I'm off both for another week and then will bring one in at a time.  If I start scratching then I'll know which one is the culprit. Either one ill be upset.  :-(

Week Three - Ye Old Weigh-In Sucketh

Well, I did some really good things in Week 3.  I ran for an hour, 3 times and ran 3.5 miles each time. Plus I walked the dog one of those days.  I logged my food and followed my diet Monday through Thursday.  Then Friday and the weekend happened. Friday, we had my seester and her hubby Kevin over for Friday Night Decompress. This is basically our version of happy hour.  At home, it is cheaper than going to a bar for happy hour.  Quieter too so we can actually hear each other speak.  It is not that I ate poorly on Friday.  In fact, I ate quite well.  BUT, I completely forgot to log my dinner!  I pre-logged my drinks knowing I usually only have 2, maybe 3.  But, I had a few more than that and forgot to log those as well.  So I lost those points.  Then Saturday we went up to Flagstaff to Northern Arizona University to see my girl!  She's been up there for a month and it was parents weekend.  We didn't participate in any of the parents weekend activities (though there were alot, including a football game) because we just wanted to see our girl.  We would have loved to hit the football game but she was so homesick and missed Soccer (our dog) so we brought the dog as well.  Can't go to a football game with the dog.  Just as well because the poor sweetheart (Dakota not Soccer) had strep throat.  I'm glad we were there.  We got her to urgent care, they gave her a great shot in the butt of Penicillian and some steroids to reduce the swelling in her throat (it was bad) and she is good as new.  While we were there, I didn't log anything.  I didn't eat too, too badly portion or calorie wise (well, except that most excellent French dip from Altitudes restaurant and bar) but I did eat food that had a lot of salt over the weekend. Then on the day of weigh in for last week (today), good ole' Aunt Flo rared her ugly, unwelcome head so you know there is even more water retention there.  Anyway, I normally weigh in on Saturdays but I completely forgot.  Had I weighed in on Saturday instead of today, I bet the stupid scale wouldn't have reflected a 2 pound weight GAIN!  UGH!!  But I did weigh in today so I did gain 2 pounds this week.  Damn that salt and Aunt Flo.  So long story short, did some good behaviors and had some bad behaviors and ended up 2 pounds heavier.  BUT, I got to see my baby and that really is what matters! :)  Good luck in week 4!!!

week 3

Week 3 and I'm still not with the program - any program - since returning from vacation. Work blows and isn't getting any better any time soon. And I have a head cold. Eating OK (stopped on the way home from work for rotisserie chicken today, made chicken breast with onions and peppers for tacos Saturday, Subway yesterday and pizza (eh, can't win em all)) but ... not recording so not getting my points. I just need a big old restart button and it might be a few days before I get there. Weighed myself this morning and I'm even, so I'll take it. Just keep swimming! :)

Week 3 was a great start!

SO...I lost 2 pounds this week.  I went to the gym 2 times.  I was scheduled for 3 but my husband was running late so I had to run home to relieve the nanny.  :-(  BUT, I did work out 2 times which is 2 more than I have since the beginning of this.  I am on the schedule for 2 times this week here at the gym, but I am also going to try to get in a good walk with the kids on the weekend for 3.  Thats my goal...3 times a week. 

My eating is getting better.  I have been watching my portions and trying to make smarter choices.  I must admit, this is the hardest part about my dieting.  My husband and I both need to start watching ourselves with this.  Having 2 very small babies in the house, our night gets away from us and we realize that we have yet to eat by the time we get them to bed...so 9:30 at night, were making a McDonalds run.  :-(  Thats why I need to get recipes for the crockpot.  This will be a lifesaver for me.  I do like what Jill does, and when my weekends free up, in November, I am going to make 3-4 meals on Sunday and freeze them! 

On to week 4 ladies - I'm feeling good about this week...good luck to you all!

Week 2...not so hot

Well, up 3 pounds this week. :-(

I definitely veered off the elimination diet last week and in quite a big way.  I did get some exercise in, but not what I needed.  This week is going to be different.  Restarting the elimination diet, got all the sugary crud out of the house (9 yr old not real thrilled), will be exercising daily AND getting more sleep than I have been getting.

Hope everyone has a great week!!

3 pounds and counting...

UP!!!  :-(  The good thing is, all my out of town trips are done so I can concentrate on eating at home more AND...I joined the gym here at work with a girl here.  We said we will both hold each other accountable for going.  I'm pretty excited about this! 

I LOVED the recipes Jilly - I will find some time later this week to post one myself. 

They have Health Week going on here at work all week and each day is designated to a certain thing.  For instance, I'm sure we would all love Tuesday.  Tuesday is Hand Paraffin, Massage and Aromatherapy day.  Oh YEAH!  Thursday is cooking demo and recipes.  Friday is dental, vision and hearing screenings.  Today was blood pressure, weight and health score.  They plug in your birthday, height and then you get weighed...then this disgusting number comes up that tells you how old your body due to how healthy you are.  Mine was 72 years old.  WHAT?!?  Time to get my butt in gear! That's just crazy and really shows me how I have let myself go.  No More!!!

Week 3 - watch out...you're mine!

Not sure how I accomplished it but will take it!

Hello ladies.

I am not sure how I accomplished it but I lost 2.6 pounds last week (YAY).  I only worked out twice although both times were for a full hour so that probably helped.  And Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, I did follow MyFitnessPal diet.  So maybe I do know a little how I accomplished it. :)  I guess I'm just surprised (and thankful) that I lost so much.

This week, I am going to continue to focus on following the MyFitnessPal diet plan for me as well as working out.  I really like MyFitnessPal because it has helps me watch my added sugar intake (along with sodium, fats, protein, etc.).  You just don't realize how much added sugar is the food we eat.  My only complaint is that it tracks the sugar period.  Both added and natural sugars are in the same bucket.  Our bodies process these two types of sugars differently so I would like to have them broken out.  Maybe I'll put that in as a suggestion. :)

My goal is to work out vigorously 3 days this week (Monday running, Wednesday yoga, and Thursday running) and also get in a mile walk with Soccer all five days of this week.  Our weather has broken and now we're in for 9 months of freakin' awesome weather. This means, I can walk/run my dog Soccer daily again in addition to my regular workouts.  Hopefully, I'll be racking up those exercise points! :):)

Be on the look out for a few pop challenges this week.

Good luck this week ladies.  

I Blow at Taking Care of Myself!!!

The one thing this challenge has brought to the forefront is that I blow at taking care of myself!  Why is it that I can run a multi-million dollar business, fit in time for my grandchildren, complete the church communications and website, keep my husband happy, and chip in where a friend needs me to...and I can't frickin' do something for myself?  Excuses, excuses....

My husband can set a goal and nothing....absolutely nothing gets in his way.  He walks at least 5 miles everyday, lifts weights 5 days a week, does most of the housework (which isn't much when your empty nesters but I still appreciate it), and says "I'm going to drop 10 in 3 weeks" and he just does it.  What is wrong with me that I can't make those commitments to myself?  I won't even make myself drink my water everyday.  It's like I'm in a complete frazzle spaz at work and next thing I know, I'm dragging my worn out butt home at 7:30pm, stuffing in something fast to eat and "PLOP"....I'm done at 9:30 and can't move another muscle.

What happened to the night owl that would stay up half the night creating wonderful sewing projects, or reading, or writing an article for the newspaper????  Where is my energy?

This week 3 will be spent contemplating what happened to that "ME" that used to BE.  This week I will try to keep "ME" in the front of every sentence.  Seems selfish...maybe that's my problem.  I have tears in my eyes right now.  That has to be it.  It seems selfish.  I think that of my husband....selfish that he puts his health and well being in front of everything.  I don't come from selfish.  My life has been about taking care of someone else, of looking out for others, and being a good friend, a good wife, a superb employee.  Not about "ME"...it seems selfish.  I need to change that thought process.....any ideas?

Here's to a week of thinking,
Terry

Week 1 - Well, I Sorta Did OK

I'm posting even though I know I don't get the posting points for this week. :)  Well, I sorta did OK with week one.  As Jenny and I have been talking about, we had the Skelnik Family Reunion over the weekend and, as usual, there is alot of yummy food and the keg always flows cold (along with the other alcohol imbibed upon).  It was the beer that did it, of course.  I was pretty proud of myself because I did run/walk for 30 minutes on Friday with my nephew.  I tell you, it was a hard run!  I know that going from the treadmill to the street is harder but dang!, everything is up hill where we were.  So we run up hill and then on the way back, one would expect it to be down hill right?  Oh no, it seemed to be up hill on the way back too!  Not sure how that happened. :):)  I gained 2 pounds and I'm pretty much thinking it was the beer because I ate fairly decently and did work out a bit and I'm OK with that. It was worth it as it always is when we're at our family reunion.  Family reunions help center you, regain perspective and work on those abs as we laugh our butts off pretty much all the time.

I didn't start the 2nd week off so swell due to stupid reasons really but I am hoping to finish with a bang.  Today I did an hour of yoga, tomorrow will be about 50 minutes of cardio.

Good luck this week ladies!  Remember - even though this is a friendly competition, we're all in it together and I hope you all do fantastic (but that I do just a little bit better.... hahahahaha - I slay me).  :)

Big hugs to all!

Week 2 - here I go!!!

OK - I SUCKED last week, but I knew I would!  Family reunion time...and the beer tasted good! 

Week #2 - Here I come.  I have started off the week pretty good.  I'm walking at lunch today :-)  Had a nice big salad for dinner last night, chicken tonight...making better choices!  I gained last week but intend to get that off this week. 

Does anyone have any healthy crockpot recipes???  With having two babies at home, making dinners is a challenge.  My husband and I eat out a TON and we are trying to quit that.  It will not only make us healthier, but save us money, lol!  Even if its not a crockpot recipe, maybe a healthy easy to fix recipe?  Why don't we all share a recipe a week with each other?!?  I know we are all doing different diets, but healthy eating is just that...

Good luck this week ladies - we can do this!!!

WEEK 1

Well, those of you enjoying the reunion don't have to worry about competition from me this week. I'm having a real hard time getting started this time. Cooked my food but caved to snacks - or - during one exceptionally loud play date my daughter had, I caved to two beers just to take the edge off LOL !! (worth every calorie let me tell you) So, down .6 for the week which is essentially staying even. I will credit the same child responsible for my grabbing the beer for my only exercise points as well, yay Girl Scout hikes (wow, did I just say that?). ANYWAY. Bad day today so I'll start AGAIN, tomorrow. (sigh) Hope everyone else isn't false starting like me.

Round Two ~ Take 2

Hello all, welcome back to those from round one and welcome to those who are new!!!  My name is Kimberly and my short-term goals for this round is to lose 10 pounds and complete the Elimination Die.  This diet will help me to discover what foods my body really likes (not just my tongue and taste buds) and which foods my body just does not do well with.

A little bit about myself...I'm a Mom to an amazing 9 year old boy, I've known Stacey 8 years (I know this because Anthony turned one at Trax around the time you started :-) ), was a personal trainer which I absolutely loved and have just recently became a certified Health Coach, I work in an office as a project coordinator so I sit most days.  That's one reason I need to lose those 10 pounds.  I have a horrible sweet tooth ( the other reason for wanting to lose 10 pounds).

That's it for now...I'm off to get some exercise in...

Did I Do That???

Really?  I'm asking myself as I type this.  Did I really tell Stacey I would be part of this?  Well, Weight Watchers hasn't done it for me, South Beach hasn't done it for me, the hospital liquid diet hasn't done it for me, Nutri System hasn't done it for me....so I might as well put this in a different perspective and try something new.  Oh yea, I've lost as much as 46 pounds before.  And no, I haven't put all of it back on, but yes, a good deal of it.  As I get older, it seems it doesn't matter so much....that is until I head to my closet and everything feels like it's choking the living daylights out of me!!!  So I guess, my main goal is to feel better, look better, think better, have more energy, and just enjoy life a little better.  I want to put me first, and everything else second.  Well...my job could be 15th and that would be okay.  Unfortunately, the job seems to consume me, literally it is sucking the life out of me.  I love my job, I make good money, but I'm tired...so, so tired of it being at the top of the heap. So I'm doing this to focus more on me.  If I have to focus, maybe good things will happen.  Oh...and if I lose a couple of pounds in the meantime....WOOHOOTY!!!  All the better!!!

After all, I have two absolutely beautiful grand daughters who I want to run and frolic with.  My family is my life and I want that life to be long so that I can enjoy my family to my last breath. 

And I have no need to be "skinny"...at least not anymore.  Not after all the years of wishing and trying to be skinny.  I'm happy with me...I'd just like to be a healthier me.

So some solid goals are trying to earn the exercise points....drinking the water....and 15 pounds in this 12 week challenge. 

And I'm headed to the beach for 2 1/2 weeks so this will be a real challenge.  But I'm up for it.

"Did I do that?"....well, yes, yes I did!! :-)

Peace Out - Terry

Hola!

Hi all, we're back! And we have Jenny along - yay! I went right off the band wagon as soon as this was done - like off the wagon, down the hill, to the left and around the corner :) I am essentially starting over. So, my goal this time is to come up with a style of eating that I can actually maintain in the long run. I did pretty well last time provided I didn't eat out, that was a killer every time even when I *thought* my choices were healthy. Time to get the grocery list and meal plan ready, that is the only way. I dread these first weeks getting started. But I distinctly remember feeling good, having more energy, feeling lighter even when the scale disagreed - so that will motivate me I hope. I would love to lose 10 pounds but honestly, just feeling better was enough for me so I am going to try not to worry about that scale other then having to check in. Mentally it did help to see it move though, I can't lie. I am taking vacation the week of the 21rst so although I'll get my exercise (DISNEY!) I have no plans to track or follow any diet plan that week. Hopefully the exercise points will keep me alive in the game. :) AWAY WE GO... !!!

Week 1

As my Aunt mentioned, my Name is Jenny, I live in Ohio with my fabulous and very supportive husband of 2 years and our 2 beautiful children who are actually Irish Twins.  I never heard that saying until my BFF, Jill Miller, told me about it when I called her freaking out on the way to the drug store to pick up a pregnancy test.  I was pregnant 6 weeks after giving birth to my daughter...SURPRISE!!!  Thats ok, I am blessed with one of each.  A 15 month old daughter Hannah and my 4 month old son Matthew.  I also have 2 awesome step-sons, Aaron who will be 18 next month and Shawn who will be 16 in November.  As you can imagine, I have 2 years worth of baby weight to get off.  I'm 38 years old and want to be able to keep up with my children, so here I am, going on this journey with you all. 

I would like to loose 15 pounds in the next 12 weeks.  Considering what I have to loose, it doesnt sound like a lot to me, but then when I think about it...thats 5 pounds a month!!! 

I'm upset with Stacey though, as we have our family reunion this week and I know that I will not stay strict to my diet.  I will try to make smart choices, and probably get exercise in so I will be happy with that.  (Way to pick this week Aunt Stacey!!)

Good Luck to all...I look forward to keeping in touch. 

(If there was something else, besides my picture to be uploaded later this week, that I am supposed to post on here...please let me know!)

WELCOME TO THE SKINNY HEALTH CHALLENGE - ROUND 2

Hello Ladies!!

Welcome to the 2nd round of the Skinny on the Inside 12 Week Health Challenge.  I am so excited that you are joining me for this second round.  There are only a handful of us this time but I am confident we will still have a great time, learn new things and get to know each other even better.

I will start with introductions.  We all know each other, except for Jenny. Jenny is my darling niece.  She has two beautiful babies,  two teenage stepsons and a wonderful husband.  AND might I add, I am her best and favorite Aunt. :)  I met Jill through her as they are best friends since high school (and maybe even earlier).

Jenny - Kim and I have been friends for about 6 or so years now.  We met at a prior job and have stayed in touch.  What is cool is that she is now a contractor at Wells Fargo.  It was a fun surprise when we saw each other at work because neither of us realized the other was working there. :)  Kim is not only a great analyst she is also a personal trainer and just received her certification in Health and Nutrition (or something like that - Kim, you'll have to correct me).  I am so proud of her because she has worked so hard to do both.

Audra and I have also known each other for several years.  I hired her on one of my prior jobs and we became friends as well as coworkers.  I'm lucky because she works with me again at Wells Fargo.  Audra, like us, is in the middle of her quest for health and fitness as well - in addition to being just a wonderful sweet lady.

And you know Jill, the sweetest, most encouraging lady ever!!  I've known Jill for so long, she is part of the family and still looks like the pretty Noxzema girl next door. :)

I am thankful for all of you and also thankful that you have chosen to take this 12 week journey with the group. I hope I make this a fun, learning, and productive 12 week challenge for you all!

My goal for this 12 week period is to lose 12 pounds which should be a doable 1 pound per week lost.  My other goal is to continue learning to live in a healthy - to focus my eating and fitness habits from a healthful perspective so that it starts to come naturally to me instead of always having to think about it.

Big hugs,
Stacey

week 12

We made it - yay us! I wasn't 100% this week like I hoped. Lots of work stress and eating out. But I did my best to gather a few points. Only up .2 pounds which is a small miracle to be honest. Total numbers for the 12 weeks: I am down 7.8 pounds! I'm happy and yet I feel like I could eat a big meal and put that back on in a day. So I really do plan on keeping an eye on my foods. I learned a lot about calories and healthy food options so I hope I make better decisions for having done this - contest or diet or nothing at all. Congrats to you all!! Its been fun, I'll be ready to go at it again in a few weeks!

Hello everyone, this week I feel good about figuring out that calorie count thing lol. So, I have to say I am not a fan of vitamins typically, but through out all our tracking, I have noticed I never really get my daily intake of calcium, Iron and a few other vitamins. So, I decided to start to add a daily vitamin to my diet and we'll see if it helps, along with getting the proper amount of calories while continuing my exercise goals. Good luck everyone!

week 11

Stayed even this week despite feeling pretty blah. I have really been struggling in the office to find good foods. I think I'm ordering something decent but find out later it really was packed with calories. Must keep going though! I got some good swim time in with the kids this weekend which was great. One more week. Then the real challenge begins in many ways :) Hope everyone is doing well !

Mantra

Hello, something silly that I use to always tell myself that helps me stay positive is: "Smile Always cause a bad day can turn out good" I pasted it to my computer desk and placed it on my home refrigerator. Hopefully this keeps me looking up, even on those days my diet and plan doesn't go as planned :-) wanted to share it with everyone.

Hello Ladies, I've been out of the loop, but here's to hoping the next week goes smooth :) I'm slowly starting to get back into exercise and trying each week to focus a little more on my healthy eating habits, like packing my lunch versus eating in the work café (which is expensive anyway). I did pass my test,:-) So, that stressful time is now passed and I am praying my stress related weight I've put on over the last 2 months, starts to come off a little, I'll take it day by day and see how it goes. Hope everyone is doing well!! Good luck in the finial stretch :-)

week 10

I'm down again, 1.4 pounds?! Honestly I don't get it. I went to a party this weekend and felt like a blob in the same old clothes I was wearing last year but am almost 10 pounds less? When do results start hitting the way clothes fit? People who haven't seen me in awhile have complimented me, otherwise those closest have been honest, can't tell yet. I've crossed the # I've been wanting to cross, not by much, but Must Keep Going and not get defeated by this stupid body shape of mine... Oh, I will admit though, Saturday night we went to fireworks and the kids were hungry after. Had McDonalds and french fries. First french fries I've had since this started... they were good, not gonna lie :)

Week 10 Update

Well coming back from a full week vacation in San Diego I did exactly as I thought I would ~ I gained some weight.  5 pounds to be exact.  But I'm not beating myself up over it.  Just focused on correct food (no more homemade sangria and desserts everyday) and got in couple days of real exercise.  Saturday was a great workout ~ thanks Stacey!  

Back on track for the last 2 weeks of this challenge and looking forward to the next challenge.

week 9

Hey all! I'm up .2 pounds between this week and week 7. I took a bit of a break. First, a tree fell in our back yard taking out the electricity for a day, cable for 2 days. Then the next day our basement flooded - not a catastrophe but we lost the carpet we just put in 4 months ago when we moved here and are still trying to figure out where its coming from. Add in a stay-cation (we went to Columbus over night, its just 2 hours away but the kids like hotels) and getting quite sick when I got home (saw it coming a mile away) and well... got into some old habits for a few days I am now trying to break again. Its great I'm only up .2 but this is the post AF week so I know its more then that, my pants give it away. Ah well, onward we go! Just going to start again and see what happens. I'm not real active yet, head cold hanging on so this week just concentrating on getting back to a routine. Hope everyone is doing well - only 3 more weeks?!?

week 7??? is that right?

Hi ladies. This week wasn't to.bad, got in 3 days of activity. I was up in weight slightly, but I'm not stressing it. Have a great week everyone!

Is food addicting?

I've been struggling the past few weeks in a lot of areas, not just my weight loss. Or lack thereof. It's such a cliche, but reaching for food for comfort whenever I am down or angry is a Pavlovian response for me. I did it Saturday, even though I tried SO hard to find a substitute. And when I put that first bit of "comfort" food in my mouth, I swear I could feel my brain light up like a pinball machine. Then I magically felt better - until later when the guilt kicked in. Such a vicious cycle. And you know, I like the food I have been eating, all the healthy things that do manage to find their way inside my body, plus exercising 30 or 45 minutes, but - are these the things that I reach for when I'm down? No. At least, I do at first but these things do not take the edge off my hunger feelings. Then I go for the big guns - usually fat and salt, like chips or fries. Therefore, food is addicting.

Hello ladies, I have been completely focused on studying the last week and a half and my whole diet and exercise routine has taken a backseat to it, so I am not doing great on the planning ahead exercising and eating right. I take my exam on the 5th of July so heres hoping I don't gain 20lbs from stress between now and then LOL :) Hope everyone has a great week!

week 7

Holy smokes I'm down 1.6... next week is "the" week of the month to test if this is a fluke, or more. My mantra "keep going". Honestly I have weeks like this week where I feel pretty good and then I just eat horribly because I think I can and that results in that good feeling feeling like its unreachable again. I'm also WAY stressed at work... must... keep... going...! Not because I'm so determined to lose more weight, but I am determined to make it a REAL loss. I've lost 5 pounds before. I joke saying I can pee that out. But it is true. Its not a real loss unless it stays off. I'm pretty comfortable not losing anymore (though I haven't cracked that one number I'd like to crack) if I can keep feeling good. My worry is that I'll binge when this is all over, must keep going even after the challenge. Must make real life choices, easy choices, this can't be all diet food all the time, its got to be balance. Because if its not, its not going to work. Keep going!

reading about calories...

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/health/19brody.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 http://m.dummies.com/how-to/content/setting-a-reasonable-calorie-level-for-weight-loss.html http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/weight-loss/weight-loss-myth-the-more-calories-you-cut-the-more-weight-youall-lose.html#b Some easy to read articles about calorie cutting. Still no closer to an answer of what to tweak for my plan. I do know people who work out a lot and it wasn't until they increased their calories that they lost significant weight. They were pretty well educated on the topic though and refined their exercise with weights and cardio as well as their diet. They also had about 20-30 pounds to lose to be fit. (they also just had twin baby girls yesterday, yay babies!)

Hello, I was also up .6 this afternoon. I was shocked that it suggested more calories for me on the American Heart Association website. Last week I was on vacation so, I knew I wouldn't be perfect all week, so being up only .6 and I did get exercise in, so I feel good about it! Hopefully tomorrow I stay within my fat grams and earning the extra 2 points should be easy. Hope everyone has a great week! Here is another recipe I got from weight watchers, sounds good so, I wanted to share:

Mango Salsa!

Larger Image

Weight Watchers Recipe

Ratings (479)

1PointsPlus Value

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 0 min

Other time: 0 min

Serves: 8

This homemade salsa will add tropical sweetness to grilled fish and meat. Or serve it with a store-bought roasted chicken for a flavorful no-cook meal.

Ingredients   1 large mango(es), finely chopped      1 medium sweet red pepper(s), finely chopped      1/2 medium uncooked red onion(s), finely chopped      1/2 medium jalapeño pepper(s), seeded, minced (don't touch seeds with bare hands)    1 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped    2 Tbsp fresh lime juice    1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste    1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste    Instructions Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl; toss to mix and coat. Yields about 1/3 cup per serving. Notes Omit the jalapeño if you do not want the salsa to be spicy.

week 6

Week 6, up .6 pounds. I feel stagnant and like I'm not really doing what I should be doing to lose weight. Not sure how to break out of that and really CHANGE.

Like Megan, I noticed my calorie suggestion was higher then what I'm consuming most days and the fat was a bit lower. Maybe I need to mess with that balance too? I'm honestly not sure.

Stacey's Week 6

Hello Everyone.  Well, week 6 was definately better in terms of weight loss.  I am down 2.6 pounds since switching back to South Beach (YAY)!  So I am back down to my pre vacation weight.  However, from a life perspective, I was really thrown off schedule last week.  It is amazing how much of a routine oriented person I am.  I love being spontaneous but when it comes to daily work life I really am a creature of habit.  I had to go into the office two days last week (as most of you know I work from home 99% of the time) and that just threw me off of everything.  I'm sure you noticed I completely forgot to send out pop challenges last week plus I didn't post much.  Then I Thursday I woke up with a summer cold.  Not to mention I felt behind the 8 ball all last week trying to play catch up at work after being on vacation.  I'm feeling better now and I feel I'm definitely back to normal.  I am bummed that because I was sick, I couldn't do my mid point challenge of the 5k.  I really wanted to earn those points!  Even though I won't get points for it, I am going to do it later this week so I can get a base time in preparation for the end of challenge challenge. :)  I hope everyone else had a great week and am looking forward to seeing all your points and weight loss.

Stacey's Week 5

Well, as expected, while on vacation, my eating habits weren't so great.  I think fundamentally, I'm OK with that because sometimes I just get so tired of having to think about what I'm eating and just want to sit back and enjoy my food.  This was one of my goals with doing the 12 challenge was to continue to learn more so I don't have to think about it.  Clearly, I have a ways to go.  We did alot of exercising this week.  Walking and mostly hiking.  We hiked about 11 miles last week and it felt great.  I think the celebratory lunch and beers after the hike may have had something to do with the 2.6 pounds that I gain!  UGH!  I knew I would gain some but didn't know I would gain so much.  I'm a pound heavier then when I started the challenge 4 weeks ago. I think I had post vacation blues yesterday because I didn't have motivation to do anything.  I just felt blech.  Of course, it could have had something to do with the 500 (literally) emails I had facing me when I got back and that I worked 12 hours yesterday.  But today, I'm forcing myself to get away from my desk at lunch and hit the gym.  I NEED to get back into my running routine.  I have really noticed the difference in how I feel because I haven't worked out since our last hike on Wednesday.  I am also rethinking my diet plan.  I just can't seem to find one that works for me.  With Weight Watchers and MyFitnessPal I have to do a bunch of counting every single time I eat something and I'm tired of that.  Sanjay and I did South Beach a few years ago and I loved that.  I lost 30 pounds and then for some reason just stopped doing it.  I am thinking that this week, I will do another week of MyFitnessPal and then switch to South Beach starting Monday (need the weekend to stock up on the right foods).  Either way, I'm still making strides learning about myself and getting more into my running.  Hopefully, this week I will lose the 2 pounds I gained on vacation.

How is everyone else doing?

week 5

Well, I really loved the challenge list this week and yet - did not a one. I did, however, close the sale of my home, clean out said home, attend field day at my daughters school, fly to NY for 2 days, attend last day of school parties at my daughters school and who knows what else inbetween that falls into regularly scheduled events. Needless to say I logged some decent exercise points. NY was my downfall, not on day 1, but on day 2 when I stopped at Burger King after my plane landed. Gah! I almost made it. Then Friday was end of school celebration dinner, Saturday was carnival and Sunday I just gave up. So very few points for me this week. BUT, I'm down 4 pounds. BUT, aunt flo is leaving the building and I know full well those 4 mean absolutely nothing in 4 weeks when she comes back around. If history proves, those 4 days off will show themselves in a weeks time - not immediately - so I take little comfort by the scale. I've been here before, its not success until it stays off regardless of the time of the month. Today, I did really awesome in my eating despite not feeling very prepared for the week. My clothing isn't fitting as well as it did this time last month even with the friendly scale, so I know I've got a lot of work ahead of me.

healthy Recipt for Thursday's Pop challenge

I haven't gotten the opportunity to earn any pop challenges this week but I am prepared for tomorrow. I love visiting the Self.Com website, I get emails each week for a recipe of the week, so I knew I could share a healthy dish with everyone! Sea Bass With Citrus-Olive-Caper Sauce The skinny 231 calories per serving, 11 g fat (1 g saturated), 5 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 26 g protein Serves 8 INGREDIENTS 8 sea bass fillets (about 5 oz each), skin on 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 teaspoon salt, divided 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided 2 lemons, peeled and thinly sliced, segments halved Juice of 2 lemons 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed 3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped PREPARATION Place broiler pan as close to heating element as possible and heat 5 minutes. On a plate, coat fillets on both sides with 1 tbsp oil. Carefully remove pan from broiler and place on stovetop. Arrange fillets on pan, skin side down; sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Broil fish 6 minutes. In a bowl, mix together lemon slices, juice, oregano, capers, olives, remaining 2 tbsp oil and remaining 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Place fish on platter; top with citrus-olive-caper sauce. The skinny 231 calories per serving, 11 g fat (1 g saturated), 5 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 26 g protein

Running a little behind on posting things this week, but better late then never right :-) I was up a tad again .2, but last week I expected it, due to girly things. I'm on a teeter, totter I think. I stuck to my water and did great on my eating up until Saturday night. This week has started out better, we'll see how the rest of the week pans out. Next week I am on vacation, but I am actually just staying home and really looking forward to getting into the gym almost every day next week. I can't wait to have nothing scheduled and do just what ever I want. I think it will be a great way to re-evaluate everything and start to plan ahead better. Good luck everyone!

week 4

Well, stuck to my diet pretty well - which is good. Down .6 pounds, which, I'll take considering AF is due any day. Just sort of hanging out, trying to figure out what I'll be eating the rest of this week - I'm flying to NY for 2 days and have a feeling I'll be eating at least 1 meal I shouldn't, maybe more :)

I did eat fast food for the first time since this started (other then subway or bfast sandwiches) on Sunday - but in my defense Bobby and I spent the day moving crap out of our old house. I took the full 2 points for exercise and treated us to Mr Hero. If I figure right, I burned it all anyway.

My big thing is I really need to cut out the wine at the end of the day. Who knew it carries so many calories?! and here I thought I was doing good by switching to red... humph! If anything throws my calories off, its that.

Otherwise, my body seems to be getting used to 3 meals a day - I guess thats good?

This makes two really sucky weeks food-wise. I think I'm tired - and lazy! It's a pain to read labels all the time and to watch sugar and salt and fat and yada, yada, yada. And let's not forget exercising, which is something I've never been fond of, even when I was young and in (relative) good health.

However, contrary to my kvetching above, I have done decently.  I did eat right several days and exercised several days and bought healthy food when I went to the grocery store - and read the stupid labels! :-). Most of all, I tried. I might not have succeeded every day, but I did try. And now here is another week, so here we go!!!

Week 3 not the best ever

Well, week 3 came and went and I didn't get in what I wanted as far as workouts go.  Did a bunch of little workouts at home to equal 30 minutes, but did not really break a sweat.  Food was, eh, ok at best.  Not awful, but improvements to be be made.   Here's to a healthier, sweatier and better week 4!

Week Three

Week three was definitely a better week for me.  I lost the period weight and am back to being down 1.4 pounds since the Challenge started.  So I kinda lost a week due to Aunt Flo (she's just a bitch, isn't she?) weight wise BUT I'm thrilled that my scale says that I am also down in my fat percentage!  I am down .5%.  YAY!! I'm excited about that.  I went over my calories both Friday and Saturday and I'm OK with that.  It kinda bugs me because I didn't over eat, or necessarily eat "bad" things but just things that were high in calories.... OK, and fat, and sugar. :):)  But I still feel good. And I am making better choices.  I'm going on vacation next week so am going to try to balance the diet with enjoying myself and see how I do.  I won't be running every day like I have been for the last three weeks but we will be hiking and walking a lot.

Week 3

This third week, during the week I did well. However since Thursday evening, I have been on a mini vacation so, not as well as I could have done from Thursday through Saturday. I'm staying positive and encouraged. I'm still really enjoying all of this! I realized though, that when I really eat well, I tend not to hit my calorie goals like I need to and when I eat what I want, I am WAY over my calorie goals... Needing to find a middle ground between those two, is my mini goal for myself this week to come :) Happy Memorial Day everyone!

week 3, reboot needed

Bad week for me, must reboot and try again. I say this after giving into the goodies in my house after having family over on Sunday - I just can't keep this stuff in front of me. I did make some good foods for the week that should keep me full and in my calorie range though - if someone will just finish off those cookies for me.....
No gain or loss but I feel as I did when this challenge started, not good. I have learned I feel lighter and more energetic when I eat right though, so lets hope that becomes motivation at some point.

week 2

Well, not my best week either, but I rallied... or so I thought.
I kid you not yesterday I was down a whopping 3.6 pounds - today I am UP .4 pounds?! Today I'm bloated and for all the water I've had I really haven't used the loo to account for it (TMI!)

Tuesday was a horrible day at work. I had a great morning and afternoon so I splurged on a yum Greek lunch thinking "I got this". I even had regular soda because that was avoid the yucky artificial sweeteners day. Yeah well, afternoon meetings put me in a funk and I proceeded to come home, have wine for dinner and then a pile of foods for before bed snacks so I could wake up without a headache from the wine. Counting the wine and regular soda (I had TWO), I was well over 1000 extra calories for the day. Not so good with the water either, I just didn't keep up at all. Same with the challenges - brushing teeth after every meal isn't so easy while at the office.

By Thursday though I was playing with the kids outside - did a bunch of gardening this weekend - been gaining calories back that way and even enjoyed a bit of icecream all within my calorie limits (yay for having to jog next to kids learning to ride bikes!) Honestly, I felt pretty good this weekend until today.

Back to the water today - I'll blame that for the bloat and try to move on. I really have no other explanation for it. I did have Jimmy Johns for lunch but got no mayo, no cheese... speaking of cheese, I'm not eating it on sandwiches anymore and don't miss it at all. Once I pile on the veggies I don't notice its gone and its a great calorie saver. ANYWAY... I'm all over the place tonight. Onward team!! We're learning lots, lets put that into ACTION!

I posted on Facebook this morning instead of the blog. :( Oh well, it's a Monday. To recap - last week was really pretty bad. The thing is (and I can say this now after coming through it and am on the other side!) is not to dwell. The scales might be forgiving but still in my heart of hearts I know what I did wrong, and where I could have been just a little better and made some wiser choices. It is a little different making bad choices now ya know? Before I made them and went on my merry way. Now, it's like have that ice cream - but only 1 scoop, not two. These changes in my thinking should be interesting!

Week Two...Only Ten More To Go

Week two's weigh in was better than week one's despite not getting in the same amount of exercise as week one.  It feels good to be getting back into the practice of tracking my food and my exercise again.

Another challenge I have been doing on tribesports.com is no chocolate for 30 days.  At first, I was skeptical that I could go a week, but I am happy to report I am on day 18!!!  To be honest, I haven't really missed chocolate as much as I thought.  

End of Week Two

Well, as you all know, my weigh in sucked but my fat percentage went down, so I'm stoked about that.  I didn't track over the weekend and I missed one workout so I'm sure someone got higher points then me this week.  But all in all, I feel it was a decent week for me as I learn to be more healthy and also learn more about myself.  I am looking forward to continuing on this journey with all of you.

Good luck for week three!

Good Monday morning ladies, I just up info dated my info on Facebook but wanted to add my information here too. Nervous to weigh in tonight at weight watchers but I am going to get through it! :) I'll again update my post & let everyone know how I did tonight after weigh in. :) So I was up again tonight, but all in all I wasn't shocked. So onto week 3 and we'll see if me tracking on myfitnesspal helps, so I am reading my calorie/carb/fat ect intake. I did fit in a 45 minute cardio work out tonight and I walked at work today for 15 minutes, so I managed getting in 60 minutes of activity today woohoo.

My week 1: So, my weigh in is in the evenings and I was up .2, but really not stressing it. I know if I do, that will just add another .5 lol. I did alright for my first week, didn't work out as much as I needed to, but I was able to get all of my water in every day, even on the weekend (although I know we're not tracking it on the weekend).
My schedule at work took me out of my normal day to day routine so, this week I am ready to give 110% and stay on track. I did eat healthy all during the week last week with the exception of Wednesday where we went out to Buffalo Wild wings. Today so far has gone great. Looking forward to seeing everyone else's numbers tomorrow! I'm sure everyone did fantastic!

Week 1

Well, it is week 1 and I'm down 2 pounds?! Honestly, its the water and the fact that I'm over PMS. Also, since I'm weighing myself I can tell you the scale showed no weight loss yesterday after my Outback meal. This morning I was down 3 pounds when I woke up. The 2 pounds is today after a pretty clean eating day and lots of water. Does anyone else fluctuate that much?! No changes in my body- my pants fit a little snug like always.

Pop challenges have been good. No cheese was easy - I ate soup all day! But my calorie intake was also low that day - so says myfitnesspal, it actually yelled at me I wasn't eating enough.

Water has also been good. I measured and all my cups are 16 oz, I can guzzle one pretty quick if I'm behind but keeping up during the day is better. The hardest is when I'm at work - I rarely buy bottled water, its not enough anyway, and its taken me some mental strength to drink from the work water cooler again (GERMS?!?)

Not snacking is killer, especially around the kids. I'm eating all my calories in 3 meals. I think I'd rather be on Weight Watchers then daily calorie counting because there are days, like today - I'd love a banana but I don't have 100 calories left to spare since I go day to day rather then weekly. I'll have to work it into breakfast tomorrow.

So hit all my days except Saturday - splurged and a big ol thing of icecream and that put me over 155 calories for the week in total. Not bad I don't think?

Must move more. The day I did stretching I worked in some outdoor fun with the kids to get the 30 minutes point. I got more calories added back in that way. I see lots of tweaking to this here diet of mine over the next 11 weeks... maybe smaller meals more often and I'm also running out of meal ideas so looking forward to that pop challenge to share some recipes!

Week One: Worked Out All 6 Days!

So you all know that I went down 1.4 pounds on Friday which is my normal weigh in day.  But I also wanted to share that I worked out all 6 days last week (twice for an hour!).  It sure felt good to do that and it sure felt good NOT to work out on Sunday! :)  I have to tell you that I've really enjoyed reading everyone's posts last week as well as the articles that were posted.  I am learning a lot with this challenge.

Thank you to all you Skinny members for helping to motivate me last week!!  I hope this challenge has been as motivating for you as it has for me so far.

One week into the challenge and I am down exactly one pound.

Hmmm. I was hoping to have actually lost 100 pounds, because I like to see immediate results. I am all into immediate gratification. Oh well.

I wanted to share my feelings this morning. I woke up and I felt really crappy. I didn't sleep well the night before and that always makes me cranky the next day. Grumbled my way into the kitchen to get my coffee and knew that I did NOT want to do my weight plan or exercise or anything else healthy. Ugh. But I ate my piece of toast with peanut butter and banana and came on into my office where I was greeted by an email reminding me to post my progress and points. And all of a sudden - I wanted to do the challenge! And I wanted to eat right! And I wanted to exercise. Sorta. :-) But seriously, it's all about the accountability factor that turned into wants. Thank you all for making me accountable which in turn made me want to get healthier.

Link to JJ Virgin's 7docs7days.com

I've been listening to this series since Wednesday (sorry for not posting sooner) and realized you guys may want to listen as we'll.  

http://7days7docs.com

eggs

http://hotair.com/archives/2013/01/28/breaking-eggs-not-bad-for-you-and-the-nyt-is-on-it/

The plight of the egg is a personal favorite of mine. As a kid I remember eating liver at least once a month because it was supposed to be good for you until suddenly that was bad for you too - of course, that one I didn't mind as much and have never looked it up to see if anyone changed their mind :)

pyramid vs plate

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/pyramid/

Simple stuff in this one, but a good reminder.

The Mediterranean Pyramid

I was perusing the Mayo Clinic website, my go-to medical information site. www.mayoclinic.com There is a tab for Resources and that in turn lead me to this other site and an article on the Mediterranean pyramid. I've always heard that the mediterranean way of eating was the healthiest. A quote from the article: "The “poor” diet of the people of the southern Mediterranean, consisting mainly of fruits and vegetables, beans and nuts, healthy grains, fish, olive oil, small amounts of dairy, and red wine, proved to be much more likely to lead to lifelong good health.

 Other vital elements of the Mediterranean Diet are daily exercise, sharing meals with others, and fostering a deep appreciation for the pleasures of eating healthy and delicious foods."

Gotta like a diet that includes alcohol. :-) Here's the link if you would like to read more: http://oldwayspt.org/resources/heritage-pyramids/mediterranean-pyramid/overview

McDonalds and Subway

This study was done focusing on teenagers, but we all to eat and we all need to be aware of what we are eating.  This shows even a good option can be bad...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/09/mcdonalds-subway-nutrition-teens_n_3246268.html

For the past decade or so, people have been made to be afraid of the sun from media slamming us with inconsistent information and always highlighting the bad effects from the sun when over exposure occurs.  But, there is no reason to be afraid of the sun. In fact, proper exposure is so good for you (those of us Vitamin D deficient can attest to that).  The below link is to a very good article that talks about the benefits of the sun, what to look out for, and proper exposure.  I hope you all enjoy the article.

http://www.naturalnews.com/038730_sunlight_health_benefits_disease_prevention.html

How much exercise will I need to do if I eat...

Here is a link to a very interesting article on exercise and eating fast food.  Would you like to see this information posted?  Would it make a difference on what you eat?

http://news.msn.com/science-technology/how-much-exercise-does-a-big-mac-cost

Day 3 update

Quick update from me, on day 3, already.  :)
Yesterday I noticed my toes cramping as if I was dehydrated, it happens - but I'm not, I'm keeping to the water goals. As I was looking over my calorie counting app I noticed it keeps track of protein, sodium and... potassium! Turns out, I don't think I get enough potassium in my diet - not because of this diet because the foods I've chosen this week are staples in my diet anyway - I think I just don't get enough potassium full stop. So this is really interesting to me and I'm going to watch not just calories and sodium but all the categories (its like looking at the back of a box). It shows you what you've had and the goal for the day and the difference.

Day 1 - I only got half the Calcium and Iron and Potassium
Day 2 - I got 3/4 of Calcium and Iron and 1/2 the Potassium

Vitamins A and C I got 100% both days. Protein I'm pretty close to target too.

Have I mentioned I don't exercise? It is not uncommon for me to have absolutely no energy. For 7 years I've blamed the kids (haha, sorry kids) - but now I'm wondering if a good multi vitamin would help. I know I know shouldn't we all be on a vitamin? I rarely take them though because they often make me ill - haven't found one I like.

ANYWAY, I'm rambling - but this 12 week experiment is proving interesting already and thought I would share. If anyone wants to know - I'm using myfitnesspal iphone app.

Hi my name is

Kimberly and I am TOTALLY excited to be a part of this fun 12 week challenge.  

A bit about me...I'm a single mom to a wonderful 9 year old boy, Anthony, have a 2-1/2 year Yorkie-maltese mix dog, Moxy Girl,  full time and have 10 weeks left on my Health Coaching certification program.  I am one those people that actually enjoys going to the gym and exercising.  I just don't have the time to.  

But I wasn't always that the case.  The morning before having Anthony I topped the scales at 218 pounds.  Yes some of that was baby, but most of it was eating whatever I wanted while pregnant.  Nine months after Anthony I lost one of the most important person in my life, my mom to obesity.  It took me awhile but I saw I was following in her steps despite always liking fitness.  It just wasn't a priority. In 2005, I made it a priority and within 6 - 8 months lost the final baby weight plus an extra 10 pounds for good measure.  

I'm now looking to lose those sticking 10 pounds again.

My goals for this challenge are:

Drop 10 pounds

Drop 6.6% body fat

Exercise consistently

Make some great connections that help foster a healthy lifestyle 

Woohoo, let's make this happen!! 

Intro

Hello I am Megan Lanham, 34yrs old, I am married with two kiddo's 10 and 8yrs old.
I am looking for a positive outlook on being healthy, currently I struggle with staying motivated and focused.
My goal is to lose 15 pounds by the end of the 12 week challenge.
I also hope to learn new healthy alternatives for meals and have fun. I am looking forward to this journey with everyone! Good Luck everyone!

Hi - My name is Paul Zeman.  I'm 56, and I want to live long enought to see and enjoy my grandchildren.  And, since my daughter is only 12, I have a while to go!!  I started this journey about 5 months ago when I lost a very good friend of mine.  He was a year younger, and had always been in better shape.  He went to FL on a business trip - checked into his hotel room - and had a massive stroke that virtually killed him almost immediately.

I looked in the mirror and I saw an old white fat man - not the person I wanted to be.  I saw my Wife without a Husband.  My Daughter without a Dad.  And I got very scared. 

So I committed to myself that I would "FIX IT". 

That was at 290 lbs.  I'm at 259 now.  I'm starting to exercise again.  My chest measure 52".  My waist measures 45". 

My goal is 4 fold:
(1) I WILL get back to my High School graduation weight of 200 lbs.
(2) I WILL get back in GOOD shape for a 56-57 year old
(3) When I hit my goal weight of 200 lbs, I have already set it up to take the USMC Physical Training Test.  I doubt I'll pass (compared to "kids"), but I WILL take it and WILL survive it and surprise the _ _ _ _ out of my friends and family!!
(4) Unless the Lord has other plans for me, I'll be healthy and live to be old enough to scare my Daughter's boy friends, walk her down the aisle, and hold my Grandchild. 

So help me God.....

Ooorah!!!!
Improvise......
Adapt.......
Overcome.......

Intro

Hi, my name is Jill and I don't have a photo to post. I'm 37 with 2 kids, 7 and 4 in age.
I'm looking for motivation to eat healthier and not solidify that next size up in pants I've started buying in the past year. Plus, I'm getting closer to needing blood pressure medication and my body can no longer control a lot of sodium without bloating up bigger then my 5 month baby #2 pregnancy photo - and that disturbs me. I would really like to drop 10 pounds over this 12 week challenge, stay far away from fast food (except Subway), lower my sodium intake with better food selections and maybe... just maybe... get motivated to move. I'd say my lifestyle is darn near sedentary lately except for chasing the kids, cleaning the house, stuff like that. The weather is better so I suppose I'll naturally be moving more. But otherwise I'm not entirely sure where energy comes from to actually purposely exercise, maybe I'll find some here.

If I were to get all psychological on you all... my Mom was my size when she was my age and by the time she died at the young age of 60, she was obese. Clothing in the size I'm starting to wear now was in her closet still. She fought her weight her entire adulthood and that has made me extremely sensitive to the 5 pounds I've been gaining each year since the birth of my children - weighing more now, 4 years later, then I did in the first year of either of their births. I'm not looking to be high school skinny. I am looking to make better choices and take care of myself more. Hope we all accomplish that - and have the scale agree in the end  :)

[edited to say I hope "noon" means Mountain time zone?]

Welcome to the first day of this friendly competition!!

I think this is going to be a fun competition.  I also think that whether we like it or not, we'll also learn a few things both about ourselves as well as about better health, in general.

Please post an introduction of yourself with a current “before” photo and your fitness goals as your first post.  ANOTHER NOTE:  Your picture does NOT have to be in sports bra/bike shorts (or boxers if you’re a guy), although you can if you desire to do so.  You can post a fully clothed picture.  

Good luck team!!!  I'm confident that we're all going to do great!

Stacey

Intro

Hi everybody. My name is Denise and I agreed to join this challenge when Stacey presented it to me. I joined Weight Watchers in March for various health reasons and when this opportunity came by I thought it would be a perfect addition to just losing weight by making healthy choices. Sometimes watching the scale move (OR NOT!!!) just isn't enough. So I am looking for some kinship with other people in the same boat. Looking forward to competing with all of you.

My health goals are to lose 10 pounds and to move my cholesterol  from 215 to 200 and my A1C results from a 5.9 to a 5.4.

 - Denise

Hello Everyone!  My name is Stacey Patel and I am the facilitator of the Skinny On The Inside 12 Week Health Challenge. I'm so very excited to be doing this and I hope we all have a fantastic time, get healthier, and become more health conscious.  My goals for this 12 week challenge is to have my scale stop telling me I'm a "Fatty Patty."  Well, it doesn't say that in words, but displaying my weight and body fat percentage each time I get on it pretty much says that to me.  My goal is to lose 15 pounds, 10% of my body fat, and  having thinking healthy come naturally to me so that I automatically make healthy choices.  Another of my goals is to make this challenge fun for all of us so that we don't get bored with it and that we all benefit from what we will learn.  Good luck team!