It's Jorge!

Hey everybody. I hope y'all are staying to your exercise & healthy eating. I'm doing somewhat okay. Mexico was taco after taco after taco! How aweful huh? It was a good time but of course eating out fast food on the road doesn't help me reach my goal. I did help the group avoid Whataburger for some little cafe. I think it was a healthier choice...considering the double meat double cheese was crying for me. Well that burger & fries would have been around 1100 calories so surely the cafe was better.

I don't think the taco stands are that bad, well, the worst is when they flip the tortillas in oil (optional). But the corn tortillas are small, they don't put a bunch of meat in them, and you stuff them with veggies. I think that makes for an ok meal.

New Stats:

Jan 22nd Jan 30th
Weight 346.0 lbs 343.2 lbs
BMI 45.7 45.3
Fat% 37.1% 34.9%
Fat Mass 128.4 lbs 119.8 lbs
Fat Free Mass 217.6 lbs 223.4 lbs

New goal weight is 257 lbs.
Goal weight by reunion: 315 lbs

I hope this is accurate. I'm not losing much weight but am losing fat and gaining non-fat. I wonder if you can gain non-fat that fast...we'll see how these numbers hold up next week. Now my 15% fat goal yields me a weight of 257 lbs. So that is a bright spot for me and with that I tell you others that have low weight loss that maybe you are "replacing" fat. That's what you ultimately want so don't get all depressed and act out by going to Chili's and just eating the endless chips & salsa or by treating yourself to Valentine's Day candy. Keep it up! In due time we will reap what we have sown and like Pam keeps mentioning, it will feel so good that we will have a hard time making those bad choices again. It's mind over fat and I need a lot of that. The results seem to indicate that I am doing well working out in my zone. Amy & I have been going for 1 hour on the ellipticals and that is what we need.

Be wise this weekend! Superbowl is going to be a challenge!

Take our site off your personal blog! Please!

Remember that there is important and personal info on this blog. Please don't put it on your personal blogs as a favorite for others to see. I, for one don't want the WHOLE world knowing some of the things that I share. I feel very comfortable sharing with the people participating. As far as I know we have some followers, and that is totally fine that they see too. But, I don't want others seeing, if I don't know who they are. This makes me feel very insecure and I want to talk as freely. I just don't like it! : { Just wanted to get it out!

Treadmill for Sale

I hate exercising and I'm selling all my equipment!  Just kidding.  We have no room for our treadmill, which is crazy because this is the largest house we've lived in since we've had it.  I'm working out at the Y now also, and if I want to walk, I go out with Ava since I now have an AWESOME jogging stroller.  So, if you want a treadmill, I've got one.  It's $50 for y'all.  If none of you want it, its going on Craigslist.  It squeaks a little sometimes, but other than that its pretty good.  

None This Week

Even though I did not loose any this week, I am proud of myself at not gaining any of the 4 pounds I have lost so far. Last week was a bad week for me. I felt as if I got nothing accomplished and was completely running in circles. I have tried harder so far this week as in continuing to workout (I did none last week) and trying to watch how much goes in my mouth. We will see how it goes this week. You all are doing great and keep it up, we can not give up. I would like a weight tracker also if you can tell me how to get it. Good luck this week.

Ashley

Small Steps

Well this morning was WW weighted in and I was very nervous. While I have been good about getting my 45 minutes in at the gym and counting my points during the week, the weekends have been hard on me. I have not gone off the deep end by any means but I have not felt as good about my success this week as I did last week.
So when I weighted in at .4 pounds for my loss this week, I said with a smile a loss is a loss. I was happy with my loss. While I wish it would have been more, I am thankful to know that I can do this.
I am doing my best to stay on track and make this an everyday lifestyle and not work so hard to make it "through". I know that my body and family will thank me in the end.
As far the the thought for the week goes. I think it is a grand idea, however I can not read while I walk - tried it and it did not work for me. But, Andy and I have been setting aside time at night to read and study together and this has been so benificial for me. I am so thankful to have such a wonderful christian husband. So, thanks for the inspiration and keep it coming.
In our marrigae class we talk about praying together everyday and we do good for a little while and then we seem to slip and we are back on track again. I always feel so much closer to God and to my husband when we take the time to pray together.
Keep up the good blog and keep those pounds coming off.
Amy I will make you a ticker if you want one. I need your starting weight, height, current weight, and goal weight.

TRACKER

How'd yall get those weight trackers? I want one too! Oh, I did another hour today. Sweatin' it up good!
-Amy

Body Fat Analysis

Just wanted you all to know that Amy & I were told by the GYM peeps that body fat analysis via electronic scales is more accurate BEFORE you work out. If you want to feel good about yourself, do it AFTER.

The up side of weight...

I didn't want to post yesterday because I had a horrible weigh in. I gained 3.7 pounds back of the 6 I had lost. Needless to say I had a tough week. I ate outside of my points more than I thought...apparently. So, I am back on track. This stinks, but that is what I deserve when I don't put forth the effort I should.

This week I am back on track.

Moderation (Jennifer's last post suggestion) is my goal.

Down (not numerically) and out!

Andrea

Keep Going...

I know this healthy thing is getting old, but stick with it!  A friend of mine who was a personal trainer said that it takes AT LEAST 6 weeks before you start to notice a change in your body.  That's six weeks of exercise and eating healthy.  Also, if you splurge every now and then, it's ok, as long as you aren't splurging everyday or eating three pieces of cake in one day (like I did yesterday).  Don't deprive yourself, just eat healthy and make good choices...and do it all in moderation!  I haven't weighed in yet, but I'm going to today.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

Vacation in Mexico good choice or bad?

Does it or does it not look like

I'm about to eat this sweet little baby?

I'm fatter than all of yall!

It's true. Even though I managed to loose 2 more pounds (making 8-whoohoo!) during Mexico, I'm still fatter that yall. Here's why. . . I'm carrying 46.6% fat. Mmmmm. Before I started, I was carrying 48.9%. 1/2 of me is fat. 1/2. It's getting lower. Getting better. I worked out for an hour today. I want to go for an hour Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. That's my goal for this week. And I'M gonna do it!

Oh, by the way, Mexico was fun. We had some great food. I didn't choose well, but, I'm back on it now! : #

Comments

I know not everyone reads the comments, so I'm posting Jorge's comment in response to my post "Challenge".  

Favorite topic yet! Whoop! 
I do not read daily. I read typically on Saturdays to prepare for my class on Sunday. Of course this is no where near what our predecesors did and it needs to change. I don't know if you all take magazines to read on the treadmills or ellipticals. Perhaps it would be good to print out a few chapters of a book you want to study and use that to "pass the time". I think I will try that so that I don't just exercise my body. This takes prep work and so it will have to be an effort.

When I worshipped in Saginaw, the congregation would take up each Sunday a total of the days you read the Word. I think we could do that so that we see the truth of the void. Typically, if you followed along in church you could at least have 2 days. I think we could probably see a correlation between our average days read and our average weight lost.

Do you all want to do that and post those numbers too? We could set a universal weigh in day and that would be when we cough up the Bible reading days.
~jorge

I think this is a good idea and I'm in.  I have also thought about creating another blog just for the Bible study aspect of this, but that may be too many things to keep up with, so let me know what you think.  I have decided to read Romans.  So far I have read the first six verses (while trying to get Ava to take a nap).  Two questions that jumped out at me...What is the difference between an apostle and a disciple?  and...How is Jesus considered a descendent of David when it is Joseph who is a descendent of David?

Some Down and a lot more to GO!

Well I weighted in yesterday morning at WW and this weeks total is 2.6 pounds. I am excited about it and ready to see what this week holds.

The gym has been my friend so far with a visit from me 4 days this week so far.

I took the body fat % test and I think I have you all beat . . . the total for my short self is . . . 44.1%

Yep you got it 44.1%, so here we go.

I made Andrea and I weight loss tickers on the side at the bottom if you want one let me know and I will make you one too.

Still Fat...

Jan 16th Jan 22th
Weight 345.0 lbs 346.0 lbs
BMI 45.5 45.7
Fat% 38.4% 37.1%
Fat Mass 132.4 lbs 128.4 lbs
Fat Free Mass 212.6 lbs 217.6 lbs

Eventual goal still 250 lbs. Since the 16th, I exercised only twice for an hour each. That's a part of why my numbers aren't good. A big part of why my numbers are not good is the food I ate since last Friday. Fried chicken, chicken alfredo, lots of Italian bread. I made those bad choices and paid the price. Now, I have Mexico staring me in my face and I have to find a way to minimize the damage. This is tough and I have to just realize that I'm one of the fortunate people in the world that will probably have food on the table tomorrow. I don't have to eat it all today. It is so easy to say this is a one in a while thing but the Super Bowl is coming up and that can be bad. Now I'm 31 pounds away from where I want to be in March. Gotta kick it up lots of notches.

Challenge

So, I lost another 1/2 pound.  Yeah me!  I can tell my muscle is building, though, so I'm excited about that.  Here is my thought for this week.  It is something I've been thinking about for awhile, but haven't said anything about it because if I did I would have to do something about it.  Well, here it is.

Why is it that I can make myself wake up an hour early to exercise but not to study my Bible or pray?  Why can I stay up until 2 am reading a good book but not spend 10 minutes reading the Good Book?  We've started a whole blog dedicated to weight loss and are all making time in our lives to get our fleshly bodies in shape, but what do we do to get our spiritual bodies in shape? Right now, and probably since we've left College Station, Micah and I have not done much.  That is sad and very disappointing.  Our Sunday morning class at church is about evangelism.  It just started a few weeks ago, but already Micah and I can see that we are failing in so many ways in our spiritual life.  Sam (the teacher) says a big reason people don't evangelize is that we don't see the urgency, and it's true.  We think that we can wait to talk to someone another day or maybe next time we see them, but what if we don't get the chance?  He also says that we have to love the spirit more than the flesh (1 Cor 5:5) and we have to do whatever it takes (Acts 21:13).  I think it is great that we are working so hard to get our bodies into shape, as long as we are working to get our spiritual bodies in shape, too.  So, here is your challenge for this week, and it is somewhat of a selfish one for me.  Tell us what you do!  I know what most of you do to work out your bodies, tell me what you do to grow in your spirituality.  Micah and I are at a loss and really don't know where to start.  So tell us what you do, and if you don't do anything, well, read people's ideas and start doing something!!!

I thought...

my body fat ratio was high...NEVER in my wildest dreams would I have EVER thought it was 41.6.

Did you get that?

My fat weight is 41.6 percent of my 240 pounds...YUCK.

I am making this better. I would have loved to have known what it was previous to my two weeks of working out and -6 pounds...Oh well!

We start from here and that is enough to drive me for a while.

YUCK!

41.6!

Andrea

I lost something...

Jorge's talk of watching body fat has me intrigued...but until I find a scale that will count/keep track of that for me I am going with true hard weight numbers.

I made a goal to work out for 40 minutes-five days last week and I SUCCEEDED! Actually when you put in 40 minutes on the machines, you get 45 (5 for cool down)...Ha! I didn't have as hard time getting up and going the last couple of mornings as I did the first two...WHEW!

This morning my weight was down two pounds from last week. I start my week on Monday morning. I like to have the weekend as the last two days of my week. I feel like I have to be 'better' about counting and saving points for Sunday and if we go out on Saturday.

I almost wish I had gained. I cheated A LOT on my counting this last week and really didn't expect a loss. I'll take it. I guess working out and making my body move and sweat made a huge difference. Also, I feel tons better about the stairs. Coming down is more difficult than going up....my legs are sore about every other day...

My goal this week is to keep the 40 minutes of work out for 5 days and to better count what exactly I am eating.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Here is another tip I found for staving off hunger.

Imagine a particular food super-glued to your rear, hips, or stomach.

It isn't so hard to resist when you realize where it's going after it leaves the taste buds.

I lost 4.2 pounds this week. I am not sure how but I'll take it any way I can get it.

Today they ordered out from LaFamilia. I had Campbell Soup because; 1) we are going out to eat tonight for our anniversary, 2) I was still relishing in the weight loss (There is nothing like success to spurn more success), and 3) I really didn't have to resist too hard. I want to lose so the temptation is not as strong as it is at other times.

I look forward to hearing your success as well.

This can be done.

Pam

yeah yeah yeah, you got it!

So Mr. Fit or Fat wrote these stories that show why body fat % is the real number we should look at. Our gym has a scale that does the test. You get on barefoot and it checks you out.

"I remember Carol, a sad example of overdependence on the bathroom scales. When she started our program, she weighed 127 pounds and was 26 percent fat. After 6 months of aerobic exercise, Carol had dropped to 23 percent fat. She had lost 2 inches off her waist, 2.5 inches off her hips, & 1 inch off each thigh. She now wore a size 10 instead of a size 12. She looked better & felt better. But when we weighed her on the scale, she had gained 6 pounds. Obviously, because of the change in measurements, the 6 pound increase meant an increase in muscle mass, which weighs more but takes up less space than fat. (muscle is denser than fat) Carol quit the program.

Unless you are quite a lot overfat (raising my hand), there will be little if any reduction in your total weight and may even gain some weight.

"What does change is your shape. Alan was a most dramatic example. Alan didn't think he was overweight, but he had the typical middle-aged pot belly. He started an aerobics exercise program and in 6 months his waist went from 38 inches to 32 inches and he didn't lose one pound!"

Just stay around 65 to 80 percent of your max heart rate, to stay in aerobic exercise.

So let's just stick to the body fat % targets as our ultimate measures of health. It doesn't matter if you weigh like a pile of lead as long as you don't look like it. If we do this right, we'll be turning all the heads we can handle. I know I will...even more than now.

~jorge

I'm in...

Jan 5th I went to the gym and did the ye olde body fat analysis....suspense building...

Stats:
Weight 354.2 lbs
BMI 46.7
Fat % 40.6
Fat Mass 143.8 lbs
Fat Free Mass 210.4

Today, Jan 16th

Weight 345.0 lbs
BMI 45.5
Fat % 38.4
Fat Mass 132.4 lbs
Fat Free Mass 212.6 lbs
Ideal Maximum Weight (15% fat for men) = 250 lbs MY ULTIMATE GOAL

Amy said if I contributed to this blog I had to be vulnerable...shoot me. I don't think I'm surprising anybody when I say I am fat. But I'm working on it. I finally got to the point where I just hated myself for how fat I was getting. I feel stupid that I don't make the right choices. Now, I will celebrate and enjoy good food but I have to temper myself...that is my challenge. I have made substitutions in the foods I eat to include more fiber, fruits, veggies, good oils, less sugars, less fat % milk, BUT ME GUSTA EAT TOO MUCH OF IT!

Now, I am actually disappointed in myself and my weight loss because I cheated too much. I was excited to have one day as a happy happy day but I did not do well other days. On Tuesday, I chose WHATABURGER and WHAT A BURGER it was! Got the fries but did get a diet coke...hey, I'm happy being a hypocrite. The last night....oh yes, CHICAGO STYLE PIZZA. Now for those relatives of ours that really love us and we really love, you know that Vinny makes good pizza. We like sharing Vinny's pizza with those that visit us. I ate 5/8ths of a small 2 topping thick crust pizza...I still think that's better than the 1/2 large I usually ate.

In case you ladies are wondering, our Fit or Fat book says ladies should have a maximum of 22% fat. So if you are in range, don't be thinking you are fat, punks. So what if you are overweight, just don't be overfat!

One thing that is counter intuitive for me is what this doc states in his book. "Your body adapts to hard, intense excercise by changing muscles so that they burn sugar well and fat poorly. Slow, gentle exercise, on the other hand, turns muscles into fat-burning machines. The body adapts beautifully to steady pressure, just as teeth can be moved by the gentle, steady pressure of braces." Use the talk test to gauge how strong you are working. He says to sing God Bless America (I do everyday). If you get past, "land that I love" before you need your first breath, you should speed up.

I think this is working for me because the numbers above state that I mostly lost fat not muscle. Alright, well, I'm done. One thing I would ask is that you all post good recipes. Now don't post "how to present good rubber tires". We need recipes we will want to eat again. Amy made an Asian salad that was fantastic.

Oh one more thing, maybe. The cool thing about thinking about fat % and not overall weight is that if you work out and increase your fat free mass, your amount of fat allowed is higher. Say I gain muscle up to 220 lbs, I can weight a total of 258.8 lbs and be in my 15%. 230 lbs fat free mass lets me have a total weight of 270.5 lbs. Now that makes me feel good about this since I don't have to work down to 250 lbs like I do now. I will have to go down to 250 IF I do not gain any more Fat Free Mass.

In the next 2 months, I want to be around 315, put me down for $30 from here.

What do ya'll think about the % fat thing? Ladies can tote 22%, funny that it's an even number! I wonder if ya'll will get that one.

Lines

I ran lines today in my class at the Y.  One of the few times I remember crying (silently to myself) at school was when I ran lines.  I didn't stay in athletics long after that.  I didn't cry today but I wanted to!

Helpful hint from Pam

I found some helpful tips for staving off hunger I thought I would post for everyone but I still can't figure out how to post like all of you do. Here's one until I figure it out.

Brush your teeth when you get cravings. The fresh, minty feeling will fool your sweet tooth and you might not want to eat anything to get your teeth dirty again.

Pam

YMCA

So, I joined the Corsicana YMCA today.  Apparently it is what all the young hip moms do here.  I went today and worked out with some friends from church.  We did a pump class, which is basically strength training for 45 minutes.  It was tough!  Ava stayed in the nursery there.  They have really nice facilities, and after checking on Ava a couple of times, I felt okay about leaving her there.  I didn't think I would suffer from such separation anxiety, but I do!  I've watched too many episodes of dateline and Law and Order SVU...my mind just reels with all the things that could happen while she's not with me!  Anyways, I enjoyed it and look forward to making the Y part of our daily routine!

Welcome Lyneil!  We're glad you've joined us!

Okay, Okay, Better late than never.

I want to make some changes but I do not want to put forth the effort it takes to doing it. So if I actually say that I will that means that I have too. So, my delay in getting started is a real one. I want to make things better for my family, my husband, and myself.

So today I took the first step toward accountability - I walked through the doors of WW. While I know that can't make me do it, something about having to pay someone to watch you lose weight gets me in gear. So I am off.

Andrea has been doing really well and I hope that we can do this together. She is going strong and pushing me to do the same.

I am starting at 232.4. My goal for the reunion is one that I set for 15 pounds. It is realistic for me and I have to keep that in mind.

Great job to all of you who have two weeks on me. Thanks for getting motivated early. I am on track now so watch you back and your scale!

OOOOOPS!!!!!

Sunday is the Lord's day! Not Pizza for Amy day! I didn't get that memo until way toooooo late. I love pizza! Jorge and I went after church Sunday for a pizza lunch buffet at Pizza Hut. A few thoughts. . . pizza buffet. . . . uuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhh! You bet ya! I over did it! We set ourselves up for failure. Too much pizza . . . too much temptation. And I feel just rotten. So for supper. . . a sourdough chicken sandwich WITH fries (should've been a side of mayo). Both of these in one day with diet drinks (like that's gonna help). What was I thinking? You know that song "I knew what I was feeling, but what was I thinking?" I was feelin' the pizza. Now, I'm feelin' the scales.
So. . . I've been makin' better choices since then. I told Jorge, I've worked too hard to let it all go with stupidity. Refocus, retry, redo, re everything and get baaaaack on track.

Andrea, go get it! You can do it! (yes, with the accent)

Jennifer. . .I'm gonna eat lunch and spend some time with Amy (old roommate) on Saturday.

Ashley: how's it goin'? (push, push, push)

Reflection and A New Challenge

I just wanted to remind you to check out the comments at the end of each post.  There are some good ones.  If there are comments on a post, it will say so at the bottom right hand corner of each post in little blue letters!

So, I weighed this morning and I've lost about half a pound.  Am I surprised?  No.  When I reflect back on my week, I see that I did work out, but not as hard as I could have.  I tend to wuss out a little.  I also see that I ate hamburgers (at least three times) pizza, cookies, and I filled my bag (read Tips post) with m&ms, jelly bellys, chips, cookies, etc.  I was not aware of how much I mindlessly snacked or how much sugar I consumed!  I thought taking out the DPs would help, and it did, but I obviously have more to do.  This week I am going to focus on eating better.  I don't think I eat just a ton of food, usually, but I do tend to gravitate toward the junk.  I am trying to cut down on processed foods and foods that contain ingredients that I can't say or don't know what they are!  Oh, and I want to cut down on the mindless snacking.  Hopefully these things will help and I will have better things to report.  Though a half a pound loss isn't bad, those little half a pounds can add up!!

My challenge to you for this week...do something selfish!  I know it is hard (harder for you Zant girls than me, I think) to not focus on helping everyone else, making them happy, and take a few moments for yourself, but I think it is important to do.  Last week I left Ava with a friend one morning and went and got my haircut, then she and I went and ate lunch and shopped a little.  The next day I took Ava to my mom in Garland and I went shopping by myself.  I now have some cute clothes that fit my post baby body, and I feel more like myself than I have since I had Ava.  I think it is very important to schedule in some "me" time every week, because part of the motivation to get in shape and get healthy is loving yourself, and doing something just for you everyone once in a while helps!  So take some time this week, be it 5 minutes or 5 hours, and do something for yourself!

Setting new goals...

I didn't want to verbalize my goals because I would be held accountable to them and I didn't know if I would have time to accomplish all that I want to do....thus the state I am in (starting {to never return} at 244.5 pounds). I committed to counting points this week and did well but didn't really break my back in sweating activities. I walked one mile (in one week) and played the Wii for a total of about 30 minutes each day. I want to do better this week so I feel better.

Here come the "I's"...

I want to do better so my husband will want to look at me and appreciate me.
I want to do better so I can play with Kaden.
I want to run and chase him without making a scene and feel like my heart is going to beat out of my chest.
I want to wear my husbands clothes (t-shirts).
I want to be out of the plus size.
I want to fit in the chairs at the movies and in air planes more comfortably.
I want to sit in a chair or swing and not have to worry about the weight restrictions.
I want to bend over and tie my shoes without holding my breath.
I want to sit and not have to rest my belly on my legs.
I want to feel better so I can take care of my family and self the way I know I can.
I want to take make beautiful again the body God blessed me with so I can love and appreciate me again.

Through teared eyes it's hard for me to write this. I say that I want these things, but I continue to put food in my mouth that I don't need. I eat until I am totally uncomfortable and drink sweet tea or dr.pepper's until I am so high on sugar I want to just sleep. I am making a change. I don't want to be the mother that is so healthy that I can't enjoy good food, however I do want to enjoy good food not consume it.

These are my goals. I have had a few of these hanging on my mirror with a weight of 254 since March. I know I can loose the weight. I know I can make better choices. I know I am capable of doing whatever I set my mind to....not only was I taught that my whole life but I am reminded of it throughout the Bible.

My goal this week is to get up every morning and go to Aspen (which I have been paying for the last year) and use the stair climber for 40 minutes. My goal will be accomplished only if I do this Monday through Friday. In the afternoons (when I don't work) my goal is to use the Wii or Walk Away the Pounds.

There, now I am committing myself to these goals and since I have shared them with you, I can't get out of them.


(Monday morning update from Andrea)
By the way, I went and worked out this morning! I sweat myself silly! It felt good. It is snowing here like the dickens. Anyway, I came home and weighted on the Wii and since last Monday (starting weight of 244.7) I am down 4.2 pounds...that's right, I weigh 240.5!!

I can do this!

Happy Birthday Ashley!!

I hope you have a great birthday! Have a little cake. Really! But just a little! I managed to do 3 workouts this week. Only they were on the elliptical thing and for 40 minutes each. My heart rate was in the range it was susposed to be in. Ashley, I have some ty boe dvds if you want them. I used them once and I HATE them. I don't like doing exercises like that.

Going to that L3 has been better for me. I can put on my headphones and watch tv and forget about how much longer I have left on the timer and just go. I just have to remember to keep breating really well. That's my battle.

Jennifer, you were right about the legs being the biggest muscle group and they do burn more calories when you work them and when they're in shape. They will work for you. Jorge and I read a book called From Fat To Fit this summer and that's what it said too. His dr told him to read it and we did. The dr that wrote the book said to do a minimum of 12 minutes with your heart rate in the proper zone. And that going much over 40 minutes doesn't do really any good until you're really in shape. His book suggested to do whatever activity that you want that works your legs well and can be aerobic for you . . . that you can do for around 30 minutes. So I keep getting my fat ole self on the elliptical and hauling. I try to beat my distance time and I have each time. Not by much, but by a little each time. We'll see how next week goes. Keep up that sweatin'! Ya'll inspire me!

Let's Try This

This is my first time to put my own post up, so let's see if this works.

I was very disappointed in myself, I wanted to workout Monday through Friday and this week I only got Tuesday through Thursday. Last night while doing laundry, I felt mad at myself for not doing Friday ( I counted Tuesday as my start date). Anyways, Phillip was home early and I wanted to get home and work on my laundry and then Mom was fixing supper for Grandma and Me. There is my excuse and now I know that I should have stayed, I WILL do better next week. I did eat good at Mom's. We had grilled pork chops and baked potatoes and our deserts were sugar free and fruits. We will see. I will weigh on Monday and we will find out how things are going. Congrats Amy on the 4 that are gone, that is awesome. Jennifer I want to know how those videos do, I would like to get them if you think they are worth it. I will look at Wal-Mart this weekend and see what they have. I love doing workout videos and I might try to do at least 30 minutes in the morning of one, that way if I miss a day in the afternoon I will also have those to fall back on.

Tips

Good job Amy!  Very impressive.  Keep it up.  I enjoy (don't know if "enjoy" is actually the right word) doing workout videos, so I got three new ones-they all came together.  One is the biggest loser's cardio max.  I did that this morning, and I was sweating and breathing hard 3 minutes into the warmup!  Anyway, Bob said something I thought was interesting.  He said that muscle burns more calories than fat...I knew that...and that your leg muscles are the largest muscles in your body, so its important to build those up.  I had never thought about that.  The whole workout he does with you really works your leg muscles.  It will be interesting to see if that works.  Also, on the Today Show yesterday this nutrition lady was talking about why some people stop losing weight.  She talked to one stay at home mom and told her to carry around a ziplock bag with her all day and any time she would take a couple of her kids fries or goldfish, put it in the bag...don't eat it.  She did this and at the end of the day had a gallon size bag full of junk food!  I do this alot.  I will take a couple of m&m's here and there, thinking just two isn't that bad, or I will steal a few of Micah's fries or chips thinking it doesn't really matter.  Well, I'm doing the ziplock bag thing today, and already I have about 30 m&ms in the bag, and it's only 11 am!  I'm sure my harmless nibbles really add up.  

4 Down . . . Many more to go!

224 on Monday. . . eating better and two 40 minute workouts on the ellipitcal . . . .220. Only 4 but that's 4 that I don't have anymore!! Cheese!! Oh, way to go Ashley!!! You rock!

Way To Go!

Way to go Ashley!  You are motivating me...I hope we are motivating you.  It makes me feel good to know that someone else was just fine working out the first day, but found it a little tougher the next day.  I was definitely there, and for some reason knowing that someone else felt that way makes me realize that it is normal to feel this way, its not just that something is wrong with me. We can do it!  You are doing a kick butt workout, too.  Makes my yoga seem easy!  We are all going to have to push a little harder to keep up with you!

DISGUSTING!!!!

I got on the scales on Monday and was fully disgusted by what I saw.........256 POUNDS (GROSS). I weigh more than most men and I am only 40 pounds lighter than my own husband (how sad). So now that I do know how much I weigh and what size pants I wear, I am ready. I want to loose 20 pounds by March (hopefully more, but that is all I am liable for). I did not work out on Monday due to the weather but I did work out on Tuesday and today. For right now my plan is to work out 5 days a week and eat smaller portions. My workout consist of running from one end of the gym to the other and then walking back. I do this 30 times, then walk a mile, and then do 10 sets of bleachers, and then a cool down walk (this takes me about 45 to 50 minutes). I think my legs are going to officially fall off tonight (I can't even get up out of the chair without moans and groans). At this moment I am not really checking what I eat just how much I eat (instead of a bowl of cereal at 10:00 at night I choose grapes or an orange). Is it all worth it?

You know my weight has always been a issue. I was never a small girl. The smallest I have ever been is 150 pounds and in a size 9 (I would love to be there again). Now I do not like to look at myself in the mirror and I most defiantly HATE for my picture to be taken (let alone seen by others). I talked to Phillip the other night about this and found myself really wanting to make a difference. So here I am. Working out Tuesday was not bad at all, today has been a little harder but I did not give up. I am hoping that by telling others that is will help me stay on track. My 10 year High School reunion is in October and I would like to loose 80 pounds by then, so ladies and gentlemen lets do this.

Ashley

Andrea's ad libs

Today....I have done well with food. I planned to give myself enough points today for a caffeine free dr. pepper. I have been wanting one (since I have had one for the last few weeks...daily), so I planned to have one. I made sure I had enough points to make it though the day. I have supper in the oven and needless to say, I won't starve!

I have only been able to accomplish 34 minutes the last two days on the Wii. The good new is, I haven't played any games on it. I have only done strength exercises and yoga stuff, so for that; I guess the 34 minutes isn't as bad.

In the grand scheme of things, I am trying very hard to have a positive mind set. Yesterday I went and gave blood. Giving blood always makes me feel so good. And, since I am O- I was able to donate double red cells!! That is exciting. I am healthy and I am thankful for that.

Oh, supper...(Karl reminded me of this one) is the green bean, turkey sausage, potatoes and onion mix. It is a great WW recipe and Karl and Dad are sold on it! So, it wins all the way around!

Exercise

Well the exercise part is going good for me, but I haven't really started working on the food part yet.  I've decided to focus on one thing a week.  This week it is exercise.  I've been getting up earlier than I normally do (I won't say what time) and exercising.  Yesterday I worked out for an hour, which is my goal.  Today I got 30 minutes in before Ava woke up.  I plan on doing another 3o while she is sleeping or when Micah gets home.  I feel so much better when I exercise in the morning, I actually get up and get moving early in the day!  I usually sit around and watch the Today show with Ava until around 10.  Pretty lazy, huh?  It was much harder to wake up today than yesterday, but I did it.  Yesterday I did an hour of yoga and discovered I am not flexible at all!  I usually can do the exercises pretty easily, but yesterday I was stiff and there were a few I couldn't even do!  Today since I had to drag myself out of bed I decided have fun and do the wii Fit.  I did step and hula hoop and then followed up with some strength training and yoga.  I am going to take a walk or something else this afternoon...it is a beautiful day!!!  Hope everyone else is working hard each day!

day 2

Dia dos was pretty good too. Still no exercise. That's the part I need to rev up a lot! My grad mini class ends tomorrow so I can start on Thursday. My goal is to be on the eliptical machine for 30 minutes for a good while until I can do it more easily. Then, I'll add more. I did have a diet coke today. But, I'm ok with that! I've had ww yogurt every day and salad too.

Food choices so far have been easier than I thought, but the exercise. . . mmmmmm doesn't seem too appealing! I want that 20 gone before the reunion. Our school is starting the biggest looser contest and it ends March 11th. I'm in!

I did well today. . . . today. I had salad twice and small portions of chicken spaghetti (leftovers from yesterday). I had oatmal this morning two servings of strawberries, a ww yogurt, a banana, and water. Did you get that. . . no cokes. . . not even a diet one. Although I will have one (diet) tomorrow.

I weighed last night and oooooooooohhhhhh! Not good people! Not good! My goal is 20 lbs by the reunion. . .. then 20 more by the time Thanksgiving comes. Then, 20 more before the new year comes. . . then ?????

Goals, Calculators, and a Challenge

So...here we are, trying to lose weight.  Hopefully this blog will be a tool to help us meet our goals.  I think it is very important to tell others our goals.  For me, that makes it much more real and once I've told someone my goal, it is much harder to change it if I know I'm not going to meet it.  My goal is to lose 15 pounds by the reunion.  I weigh about 155 lbs now, and I was about 140 before I had Ava, so 15 pounds will put me back at my pre-pregnancy weight.  I also think it is important to have a plan of how this goal will be reached.  I plan on incorporating more exercise into my days.  I've slacked off quite a bit lately.  I would like to work out in some way, shape, or form for at least an hour 5 days a week.  The more you exercise, the more you can eat!!

If you are having trouble deciding your goal, a good rule of thumb is to lose one pound a week.  Also, you can find out some things about yourself and your weight.  You can calculate your body mass index, your waist to hip ratio, and many other things at this website:  www.bmi-calculator.net.  Your weight is important, but other things are too.  Such as the amount of fat you have around your belly.  Belly fat is the most dangerous and unhealthy fat to your body.  If you've got a lot, it is important to your health to work to lose it!

Finally, I have a challenge.  I think it would be good for us to post challenges for all of us to do.  They can be daily, weekly, or monthly...whatever you think is good.  The first challenge I would like to implement is a mental/emotional challenge and I'm going to add on to what Andrea would like us to do.  For your challenge today, tell someone, or post on here, your weight loss goals and how you will attain them.  Also, think about what your issues with weight loss are and let someone know.  I will tell you mine.  If you don't care, then just stop reading.

I have always thought of myself as chubby.  When I was in the fifth grade I was a little round.  I had a red and white horizontal striped dress that I hated, but my mom thought was soooo cute. I wore it to school one day and a boy at school told me I was fat, but really good at hiding it most times.  He said that dress didn't hide it well.  If you have doubts about my chubbiness and the red and white dress, just ask Jake.  He'll tell you the same thing.  Through junior high, high school, college, and up to now I continued to think I was chubby.  Today Micah and I were putting up some photo albums in our house and I saw myself in high school and college.  I was skinny and cute!  It makes me so mad to think that I wasted all that time thinking I was fat when I wasn't.  My point behind all that is that I have learned that a healthy lifestyle is a mental thing.  As long as I think I am a fat kid, I will eat and behave like one.  If I change my perception of myself from a junk food junkie to a health conscious person, my behaviors will change also.  I've begun to do this with the Dr. Peppers.  About a month ago, I posted on my blog all the harmful effects of drinking sodas, and I haven't had, or even wanted, a Dr. Pepper since.  For me, this whole thing is mental.  I can't deprive myself or tell myself that I can't have something. Instead, I have to make choices.  I choose not to drink Dr. Pepper because I want my body to be healthy.  Instead of feeling deprived and lacking something, I feel empowered.  I intend over these next several months to continue to change my habits to that of a healthy person.  It is important for me to be healthy for my husband and my daughter and myself.  I don't want Ava to grow up with the same unhealthy habits I have.  Anyways, that's my story.  I may have more to add later.  I challenge to tell someone else your issues with food, exercise, health, weight loss, whatever.  Telling people this stuff helps to hold me more accountable and hopefully it well help you also!

Cheese dogs!!! NO - Fat Free Dogs!

Way to go Jennifer for getting us started!

As far as I know; Ashley, Pam, Amy, Jorge, Lyneil, Mom, Dad, Craig, Jennifer and I are all on board. Hope I didn't leave anyone out.

REFRESHER:
Let me know the number of pounds you want to shed between now and the reunion (March 14, 2009). The number of pounds you want to lose will equal the number of dollars you bring with you to the reunion. You get back a dollar for every pound you don't bring with you to the reunion. For the pounds that didn't come off in time (you will pay a dollar)! Clear as mud?

I am committing to taking off 20 pounds!?!?!?

Craig is in for 15 lbs.

What are your goals?

How will you attain them?

I know Pam and Mom have done well with WW and Amy and Jorge are going to do the same....do you have any tricks we can use?

I weighed in this morning and thought I was going to cry. But, I did get on the Wii and I hula-hooped for 10 rounds! My calves and hips are tired of circles... My goal is to eat within 30 points/daily and to use the Wii for 45 minutes every day (30 active minutes - 15 fun minutes).

Testing testing testing

Thanks for getting this together Jennifer! My belly and my husband's belly both need this. We're weighing in manana and so we're going to Braums for a cheeseburger and coke tonight. I've done my shopping for healthy meals to begin tomorrow. We're going to be counting points. Jorge figured out how to calculate WW points and so we are not joining, but we're still following the program.

Does It Work?

Just checking to see if this works!!