Day 108: 193.5

YAHOOOOO! That is a total weight loss of 3.5 lbs this week. This brings my total weight loss in 2007 to 21.5 lbs!! Not too shabby. I think I have figured out my portion sizes.. and that seems to be making the big difference! Also, my wogging has become , do I dare say it, FUN. Yes, I am loving my morning woggs and because of this new found joy I wogg every morning. I may not do 3 miles every day, but 1 mile here and there makes my days so much better.

So it is the first day of the new year tomorrow. I am excited, depressed...and sad. Excited because I know that this year will be the year that I finally hit my goal. No more squeezing into jeans, no more running out of breath when playing with the girls, no more feelings of embarrassment at family gatherings! Depressed because on April 25th I will be 30 years old, and to me that just seems old... but at the same time I know that every pound I lose I feel better.. so maybe, just maybe being 30 wont be so bad. Last, I am sad because my babies will be another year older... and every mother knows that the years just seem to fly by. My baby will be 3 in June and 'sister' will be 5 this year. So sad, so sad.

Anyway, I am not making any new year resolutions because we all know that they never get done. Instead I am going to wake up tomorrow morning, and every morning after that with one thought in mind... "lets do this!"

Today is also my measurement day...

Aug. 43/ 40.5/ 44
Sept 41/ 38.5/ 43
Oct. 40.5 / 37 / 42
Nov. 39.75/ 36.5/ 42
Dec. 39 / 36 / 42 for a total of 10.5 inches lost.

This brings me to the end of my 17 week challenge. I have lost 15.5 lbs and 10.5 inches in that time. So, when you finish one you might as well start another! So, my next personal challenge will be a 16 week challenge.. that brings me to the week of my 30th birthday and if I lose another 15 lbs by then I will be 178.5 and THAT would be a wonderful birthday present to myself!

Another motivation is on February 9th. Hubby's brothers and sisters and their spouses are playing a softball game against FIL's new wife's kids and their spouses. When you get us all in one room there are 13 kids and 10 spouses and more grandkids then I can count right now.. so we are meeting in the city and playing against each other. We are all very competitive... but I would like to be able to show off a little.. if you know what I mean! So that is about 6 weeks away...

We are staying home tonight and enjoying each other... I hope you all have a wonderful years end and I will see you tomorrow!

Day 105:195.5

I am holding at 195, which makes me very happy. Half way thru the 90's and headed towards the 80's... oh yeah baby!

Food has been good. My portions are staying small even though I have gotten over my flu. I really think that is what was making the difference in my weight loss.

Ok, so I have found an awesome new podcast that I listen to while doing housework. Every Sunday morning Jillian Michaels does a radio talk show (you can download them off of iTunes for free) Today I listened to one of her older shows and it was about what supplements to take when your sick.. Being that it is cold and flu season I thought I would share this with you:

These are to be taken at high doses ONLY when you are sick (and for no more then 2 weeks). You can continue taking them when you are well but make sure to drop the dosage back to normal.

1. Vitamin C - 500-1000 every 2 hours w/ food.
2. Zinc - 23 mg ...take with the vitamin C
3. Drink tea with honey
4. Elderberry Extract (also known as Sambucol)
5. Vitamin A - 100,000 IU's a day (should drop it back to 25,000 once you are well)
6. Garlic - roast and eat 1 clove a day
7. Tameric - 2,000 mg a day
8. grapeseed extract- 3-4 drops in 8 oz of water a day

9. DO NOT WORK OUT WHEN YOU ARE SICK!! YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON RESTING AND RE HYDRATING!


Since I felt so much better this morning I wogged 2 miles, did a full body workout and 120 crunches. Monday is an official weigh in and measurements..and the end of 2007. I'm ready! Are you?

Day 104: 195.5

Wow.. I wogged two miles this morning, did my weight lifting regimen and did 100 sit-ups. After all that I saw a 1.5 lb loss... that makes me feel pretty good! It also helps that my stomach has finally calmed down enough for me to eat. I cant eat a lot, but when I look at my plate I think "hmmmm, maybe what I think is a little serving is actually a normal serving". Maybe that is why I have been losing weight all week... who knows. At least something is working. The fact that I did not gain any weight over the holiday makes me feel really good about myself.

My new running shoes need a little breaking in, but they are much better then the tennis shoes I was using before. My iPod nano is awesome and made running so much easier, especially the arm band that I got with it. No more passing it from hand to hand while running..

Hubby went back to work today, which means I need to get to work on the house and get it cleaned up. It is snowing today, so there is nothing better to do anyway!

I am excited to see the new year... I am starting it the right way, 20 lbs lighter, and I know that I will see my final goal sometime in 2008.. now that is something to be happy about!

Day 103:197

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......Christmas is over and I can finally take a breath. Parties have been attended, family has visited. The kids are happily distracted with all their new toys and I am finally given some time to sit at the computer! The good news, I have managed to keep my weight down. That brings us to the bad news, I have the flu. I have not wanted to eat anything.. which is probably helping on the weight loss front.. but has left me feeling crummy for three days now. I wogged (once) on Monday morning. I beat my time by a full minute!! Yes, I ran a mile in 14 minutes flat. I was very proud of myself... now lets see if I can keep that up tomorrow morning!

So....what did I get for Christmas? Ohhhhhhh, plenty! Hubby gave me a brand new iPod Nano with the arm band and tennis shoes (he is so supportive!). I also got a beautiful western coat, all new dishes, a beautiful necklace from my mom and the list goes on and on.

I cant wait to catch up with all of my blog friends. I will see you all here tomorrow morning... its time to get back to my routine! Yay!

Day 97:197.5

Day 96:199

Ach! That is way too close to the dreaded 200... but I'm pretty sure its all water weight. I did not wogg this morning, I am telling myself its because I need a rest day but I think in all honesty its because I am feeling extremely lazy. Either way, I am going to take a break. Food has been pretty good, but not perfect. I am hoping to keep my calories low and drink tons of water so that tomorrow will show me back at 197.

Hubby is hopefully coming home today. I desperately need 5 minutes of alone time. LOL. Yes, I want hubby to come home so that I can leave! My girls don't drive me that crazy, but I think I have been spoiled. Hubby comes home from work and takes over as referee with the girls. That gives me time to sneak away and take a breather. For 3 days and 3 nights I have been non-stop...I really admire single moms right now.

My calender this weekend is a marked to the max. We have 3 Christmas Parties, one at hubbys grandmothers house, my father in laws house and my mom's house...picking up presents from my moms house (so that they are all under the tree already Christmas morning).. Ok, so that is it. But it sure seems like a heck of a lot. LOL I don't know that I will be posting again until next Wednesday...so I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas. God bless you and your families this year and next!

Day 94:197

Broke even. Two weeks of kicking butt and eating everything in site and I broke even. A heck of a lot better then I expected. This weekend was packed with Christmas parties, cookies, cakes, dinner out and no time to workout. I walked 2 miles yesterday and 2 miles this morning in hopes that the gain would not be too bad. So, I succeeded! Now I have to focus on eating right all week so that I will see a loss on Christmas Eve. I think my goal of 189 on Christmas morning is out of the question, but at this point I will be happy just to see a loss of any size!

So, to share a little of what went on this weekend:

My Aunt and Great Aunt flew in from Texas and California to surprise my grandmother at her Christmas party. I picked them up at the airport and we ended up surprising them at dinner at Fiesta Mexicana. It was a fun night!


The next night was the Christmas Party. 28 woman (including my two girls and a friends two girls!) chattering and laughing all night. It was a blast. We did a gift exchange and I got an iron coat rack with horses along the top. It is beautiful and makes a beautiful addition to my house!



Saturday afternoon was a nice visit with Mr. and Mrs. Santa Clause at our church. The girls were a little cautious and would only go up with each other and not alone!


Hubby is working out of town all week and wont be back until Thursday. I hate it when he is gone. Nights always drag on and the days are even worse. I think the best thing out of all of this is that the house will be spotless by the time he is home! LOL

I am back on track with food ,which feels really good. Water is lagging a little bit, but an easy fix! I walked this morning and will probably walk tonight after the girls go to bed out of shear boredom!! LOL

Day 90

Wow, 90 days have gone by. I have to say that even though I am not losing weight as fast as I would like, I do feel better...look better... and all around live better then I did 90 days ago. I want to give you all a big ((HUG)) and say Thank YOU for being my inspiration and motivation to keep going.

Here is to another 90 days of friendship, blogging, wogging and eating healthy! May we all see the finish line to the journeys we are on!

God Bless... I will see you all on Monday for Weigh In!!

Day 88

There are two main steps you have to do to lose weight. 1)Exorcise. We all know this one. Cardio, cardio, cardio! In fact, most people will spend hours a day exorcising to lose weight. They may start to look better, but they are not losing weight. Why? Because they are forgetting the most important step. Step 2 - Eating. Yes, in order to lose weight you have to eat. But not just anything. You have to eat healthy, and even then you have to be pretty picky. You can't go out and buy Whole Wheat 7 Grain Bread because its the healthiest bread out there (not really, just picked it out of the blue) and then eat the whole thing in one sitting. No, you have to eat healthy and eat small. Then you have to eat 5 times a day... so then you are thinking, great! I can at a sandwich at least 4 times today and be fine...wrong. Now you have to figure out a way to get in 8 servings of fruit and vegetables. So, now you have to make sure that you are eating a fruit or veggie at each meal. Two if you can! Not too many carbs or fat. Lots of protein but keep your calories under 1500. Oh!! and dont forget the water!!!

Ok, so some of you may find this extremely easy to do...but I am struggling. I have the exorcise thing down to a science. I work a different muscle out everyday. I have built my stamina up to the point where I can wogg 3 miles every day... but I cant get my body to be happy with healthy foods. I have this terrible mind game going on..

"I can eat this...I'll just do a little more cardio tomorrow." or "Hey, I ran 3 miles this morning, I can eat the extra calories today."

We all know this is self destruction. I am going in a vicious circle. I work out to make up for the calories I ate the day before, and I eat because I worked out this morning. AAAAaaaccccckkkkkkkk.

Today I am feeling better health wise... physically I feel beat up. I have been eating too much and I feel my body responding to it. I have no energy...

I am mad... mad at myself for doing this. So this morning I am kicking myself and I will be kicking myself all day. I wogged 3 miles this morning, worked my chest and back muscles and did an abs video workout. I have written down everything I will eat today on SparkPeople and have my calories set.. I WILL NOT eat anything that is not already written down. I will drink my daily 12-15 glasses of water. I will drink tea if I have the urge to cheat. I will do this from now on... I AM GOING TO SEE 189 ON CHRISTMAS MORNING

Day 87

Today is Weigh Day... and I am giving myself immunity! I haven't been myself all weekend. It may be the weather, raining and snowing.. but most of my weekend was spent with comfort food and bed rest. I know the scale will not be nice to me, so I am going to wait until next Monday to step on it. I will stick to my soup and oranges all week... and maybe see a loss next week!

I did manage to wogg 1.5 miles this morning, but it was painful. Nausea set in and I had to step off. Hubby is sick today too. He went off to work looking a little green in the gills, so I think he may be home early. Hopefully the girls are ok.

Hope everyone had a great weekend.. see you tomorrow.

********By the way, the pants went all the way up but I couldnt get the dang things to button and zip. Hey! At least my thighs fit in a size 12!!!***********

Day 84:195.5

Well, I made it! Today makes 3 months. That's right, I have been tracking for 12 weeks now... That was my first goal. Making it this far is a big first step for me. The fact that I am not giving up yet makes me think that I am actually going to succeed this time. When I was 13 I lost 40 lbs in one summer (3 months), making my freshman year in high school a big success (in my eyes anyway!) I did not come close to losing 40 lbs, but I am also 16 years older now and my body is totally different now. I do see a big change though. The belly, the back, the arms, the butt... all of them slowly shrinking. I know, I know.. .you want to see progress pictures. Well, here you go: (before is in black, after in pink and down 19.5 lbs)






Well, I did it... again!! I am back down to my pre-thanksgiving weight. I cant believe it took me 2 weeks to lose the pounds I gained in one afternoon! LOL It was really nice to see 195 again...it means I am half way thru the 190's and well on my way to the 180's. I am really pushing to be 189 by Christmas morning...

You all gave me great ideas for mid afternoon snacks. Its funny how many of you REALLY like peanut butter! Ha..but so do I!! So yesterday stayed on track.. thanks to some celery with peanut butter, of course, and a big salad. Dinner was whole wheat spaghetti and corn... I was hungry, but not starving, so I ate a decent amount. My numbers for yesterday:

Calories: 1265
Fat: 51
Carbs: 156
Protein: 66

Today I wogged 3 miles in 51 minutes...not my fastest time, but I was going for distance this time. I used my 3 lb strap on dumbbells on the last mile and did an arm workout. I had to slow down my last mile, but my heart rate stayed up with the arm movements. It was a great switch to my usual weight lifting.

****Stay tuned this afternoon for my 'Vegas Pants' picture preview....or will they fit??****************

Day 83:198

Why am I more enthusiastic about this whole 'healthy living' in the morning then the afternoon? I do fantastic every morning. Eating a healthy breakfast, snack and lunch. The second that clock hits 2pm I am starving, and I don't care a thing about healthy living. As far as I'm concerned I will die if I don't eat a peanut butter sandwich or two RIGHT NOW. I guess the only things that has saved me so far is that by dinner I am not hungry and eat a cup of veggies. Is it my body telling me I need to eat more for lunch? Is it my lack of self control when temptation starts to hit? How do I keep my 'gung ho' attitude all day? I need to find a snack that will keep me full and still on track. I don't crave sweet, I crave bread! Yes, bread. I love crackers but have learned from the past that I cant stop eating them and will finish a box in one sitting. Same thing goes for those 100 calorie packs...If they are so low cal then I can have more then one!! LOL.. So my blog friends, I need for you to give me your best ideas on a mid afternoon snack that will fill me up...keep in mind I am broke, so no expensive protein bars or fancy food! LOL What is your favorite mid-morning snack??

I did nothing today. Not even a walk. I tried, oh how I tried.. but after 3 minutes I just couldn't get the energy up to continue. My legs felt so heavy...and my lungs did not want to hold air. So I am taking today off as an official 'do nothing' day. Tomorrow is a weight lifting day...and I plan on hitting my 5K again. I am scared of getting burned out. It has happened before...but I am also afraid of not doing enough... taking too many days off and then falling back into my old lazy day self. Tomorrow I WILL run... I WILL work out... I WILL!

Today I am staying focused on my food. I didn't go over in calories but I ate 10, yes 10 slices of bread yesterday. Not in one sitting, but still!!! Dinner was a cup of cauliflower...this can't go on. Time to re-think my eating schedule.

Yesterday:

Calories 1469
Fat 48
carbs 204
prot. 91

I am planning a bigger lunch today, maybe that will keep me full until dinner.

Day 82:198

I have a muscle in my lower back that had decided to protest. Last night it started to ache and has continued to do so into this morning. I am taking the day off from running and weight lifting to let it rest. I will, however, walk on the treadmill for one hour today...

Vegas has been officially cancelled this weekend. I am very sad, but understand that we just don't have the money to spend this year. I am still wandering if my 'Vegas jeans' will fit me on Friday. I will try them on Friday morning and take a picture if they fit! If not, well, it won't be a pretty site and I'm sure you wouldn't want to see it! LOL

My girls seem to be sick. One had a slight fever last night and the sniffles, the other is pretty grumpy this morning and just does not seem herself. Ugh...it is that time of year again.

Food was on target yesterday!

Calories:1347
Fat:51
Carbs:155
Protein:92

Lets hope I can keep it up for the rest of the week and see a loss again on Monday!! Using Sparkpeople has definitely helped me this week...

I'm off to the treadmill..

******UPDATE:*****************

I finished 3 miles in 1 hour. No running, just walking. At least I worked out!

One kid is definitely sick...runny nose, cough and a fever. The other kid seems to have just woken up on the wrong side of the bed!

DietGirl has a scavanger hunt going...the prize? An awesome copy of her new book!! Now, I am a mother of 2..the one thing I am completely surrounded by are toddler books.. so I went on a search of all their books and found these!! (Except for Elvis, I have an album!)So, the pictures I had to gather?

1. A Bicycle

2. A Bald Man


3. Elvis

4. Greek Yogurt

5. A Wedding Dress

6. The letter D

7. The letter G

Day 81:198

Last night was a late one. The girls had both taken late naps yesterday, which meant that at 9 o'clock last night they were still stuck on high. Hubby passed out early, so I was left to try and wind them down. I did not succeed. At 11 I finally gave up and turned off all the lights and TVs and said goodnight...had I known that was all it would take I would have done it hours earlier. Needless to say we all slept in a little longer this morning. Now my morning schedule is thrown off and I have to do everything in overtime.. or not post my morning blog. As you can see, it is 3:21 pm and I am just barely getting around to posting. Oh well... I did wogg 1.25 miles this morning and maxed out on squats and leg extensions.

The girls had a play date today.. they are both exhausted now and have already had a bubble bath and are in jammies. Now I have to try and keep them awake until bed time..good grief.

Tomorrow morning I will try to hit my 5k time again...or hopefully break it! The more I run, the faster I feel. Is it possible that I will one day run a 10 minute mile? ...hmmmm, I think it is!

Well, food is right on target. (I passed up a yummy looking Eggplant Parmesan at Jess' house) Tonight I have a hot and spicy chili on the stove...and hopefully I will have two snoozing children by 8pm!!

Until tomorrow....

Day 80:197
Miles wogged this week: 12.5

I lost another pound. Although it never seems like enough...I am happy with losing something!

This weekend was a great weekend. I wogged twice on Saturday! Once in the morning and again that night. My calories stayed on track (thanks to Sparkpeople)and I cleaned my kitchen and stalked it with beautiful veggies, fruits and meat! Not only did I buy all natural foods, but I saved a lot of money staying away from all the snack foods, meals in a box and frozen dinners. I have enough food to make healthy meals all week and I spent half the money. Go figure.

I put on a pair of jeans yesterday that I have always managed to fit in (they're stretchy) but yesterday they were twice as comfy and the butt was a little baggy!! I think they are now my favorite pair of jeans!!

Hubby made a comment yesterday morning that really kept me on track. I was laying in bed with the girls. He had gotten up to go for a run..(yes, it has rubbed off)..he came back in to talk to me. I laughed...and he said "wow, I could totally see your stomach muscles". Now, we all know how wonderful we look when we are laying flat on our backs and our tummy is hiding under our rib cage...I told him my fat was simply in hiding and he said.."yeah, but it never hid that well before!" So, apparently I have lost enough that my fat can now hide a little better...I cant complain!

On a sad note, my girls were given 'big girl' beds this weekend. No more toddler beds.. My youngest is dwarfed by a single bed.. but she sure looked cozy sleeping in all those blankets! It is sometimes hard to think there will be no more babies, but there are times when I thank God there will be no more babies!! LOL

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend... It's Monday, time to start fresh!