Day 145

Last night Hubby wanted me to go to his karate class to watch him so that I could help him practice at home. I thought it was a good idea so we bundled up the girls and we all went to class with Daddy. The girls were amazed at all the big guys running around. It was a struggle trying to keep my 4 year old from running over and 'playing' with Daddy. After an hour (the class is 1 1/2 hours) the excitement was gone and the girls just wanted to go home. We went and sat in the truck until class was done. When we got home I helped Hubby with some of the kicks and blocks that he didn't understand in class... the girls decided they needed to get some agression out themselves:

















I have been drained of energy lately. Every muscle in my body aches. I feel sick after I eat... and I cant get anything done around the house. I think I may be over doing it with all the extra workouts I've been doing. I think I will take the rest of the week off from running on the treadmill. Just a short one though. I dont want to drop back into lazy mode... I just want my body to recover.

This Saturday is the family softball game in the city. I know I will burn more calories from laughing then from actually playing the game.. but it should be fun. I was hoping to be at 189 by now.. but I'm not going to stress over it. I am getting there, just a little slower then I had hoped.

We have another vacation to the city coming up the end of February. We are going to the city and spending the weekend swimming in their heated pool!(God help me I have to buy a bathing suite) I know, taking a vacation just to swim, but we live in the mountains where even if you had a pool outside it would be frozen all year round. So its a fun thing to do, especially with the girls! So, my goal for the end of February is 189. I have 3 weeks.. its possible.

Today is yet another day of cleaning house and doing laundry. Have a great day!

Day 144

I am not going to step on the scale again until next Monday... I am tired of the roller coaster. Its playing games with my head. I know that if I just keep taking the next step every day that eventually I will reach my goal. I have been eating fairly well.. more carbs then I would like and sodium up the wa-zoo because of the soups I've been eating for lunch. Dang snow always makes me crave them. I am getting back on Sparkpeople and tracking my food again. I was doing my best when I was using them.. so time to swallow my pride and realize that my head cannot keep track of everything I eat in one day.

Yes, the snow kept falling yesterday and no snow plow in site. I had to miss a belly dancing class, althought I'm pretty sure the school called for a snow day anyway. Some areas got as much as 3 feet of snow.. we got about 16 inches. Enough to build this snowman!! This morning he had about 6" of new snow on top of him...

I woke up hungery this morning and had a yogurt coved in raisin bran, so I have not worked out yet. I will have to wait another hour to make sure my belly is empty before I start running. My goal is to Wogg 2 miles.. 3 would be nice. I need to double up on water today and make sure I keep track of food.

**********************************************
UPDATE: Almost sabotaged myself on the couch with a good book, but made myself Wogg 2 miles in 32 minutes first!!! yeah me

Day 143 : 197.5

Oh yeah... your not seeing things.. I have gained 4 pounds this weekend. But I'm pretty sure its all water weight from too much sodium and serious workouts. I should see it drop by mid week. I know, I'm so positive.. but I will tell you that what the scale says is null and void compared to how I feel.

Saturday my mom came and watched the girls while Hubby and I went to our Tang Soo Do class. I was the only girl there and it was floor work day... in other words, we worked on escaping different mounts and side positions. Much like wrestling. I have never wrestled in my life and to be put under 5-6 different men and trying to escape them was a workout like no other. Every muscle in my body was aching. My thighs are swollen...yes, swollen.. from all the bucking and squating I had to do with the weight of a man on them. That night I settled in and watched the UFC fight on PPV. It was WWE wrestler Lesnar fighting Mir... Lesnar was huge and really fun to watch fight but even his massive muscles were no match against Mir's kneebar. Mir won it in the first round after getting a beat down... great fight!


Yesterday I did nothing. I couldnt. Overnight my muscles had tightend and hardend.. I could barely crawl out of bed without crying. So we hung out and watched tv all day... and of course the Super Bowl. I have to say, I was sorry to see the Patriots lose their shot at a perfect season... but the Giants kicked butt!


So, on to this morning. I wogged 1 mile, did 30 minutes of upper body weights and then finished with a second mile. I feel good... but can already feel my body moan and groan. Tonight is Belly Dancing but we are in the middle of a snow storm, so unless the roads are clear I will be staying home. Yes, I am a wuss and HATE driving in snow.

Like I was saying... I feel great. My body looks great! Oh and its the end of another month so here are measurements:

AUG: 43/ 40.5/ 44
DEC: 39/ 36/ 42
JAN: 38.5/ 36/ 42

A loss of 11 inches in 5 months... and a loss of .5 an inch since December. I'll take it.

I have been watching Hanlie with her Juice Feasting and am fasinated. I am thinking of trying it for 7 days.. and take if from there. I dont know. Whatever I do I need to start it today. I really think that the only thing keeping me from seeing great numbers every week is my food.

Ok, I am off to rearrange the furniture. See you tomorrow!

Everyone is an athlete. The only difference is that some of us are in trainging, some not. - George Sheehan in Heroes and Sparrows.

Day 140

FRIDAY FAVORITES = I have decided that every Friday I will list a couple new things that I have found during the week that I really enjoy. Todays list is short but sweet. Fiber One came out with some new yummy choices.. give them a try! I like to put a 1/2 a cup on top of my yogurt in the morning for breakfast.

Number two is Making the Cut by Jillian Michaels. It is a '30-Day Diet and Fitness Plan for the Strongest, Sexiest You'. I havent read this book yet.. I'm still waiting to order it, but I listen to her talk show every Sunday morning and she is a truly motivating person.... I am sure that this book will be a winner!

1.FIBER ONE















2. MAKING THE CUT by Jillian Michaels

Day 139

I wanted to share with you a couple of things that I found that motivated me a little bit more this morning. Who are your heros??



(Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay)


Sir Edmund Hillary is famous being the first to climb Mt. Everest.

What many do not know is that Sir Hillary did not make it to the top of Everest the first time he tried. The first time was a complete failure. They encountered one problem after another and more than half his climbing party died.

Nonetheless, the British Parliament decided to honor him with some type of award. When he entered the chamber to receive his award, Sir Hillary saw a large picture of Everest had been set-up.

During the standing ovation that he was receiving, he walked over to the picture, shook his fist at it and said,


"You won, this time. But you are as big as you are ever going to get. And I'm still growing."



We frequently hear the stories of people who have succeeded. And we frequently assume that they succeeded the first time.

But it's the exact opposite.

The road to success is paved with the bricks of failure.

********************************************************************

Be Your Own Hero
By Robin Sharma

So many of us have heroes. Leaders, artists or entreprenuers that inspire us. People who have made an impact, people who have shown us a better way, people who have overcome outrageous odds.

Yet, the interesting insight about heroes is that they have the human imperfections and weaknesses that we do. They have their bad days, they feel despair, they get knocked down (in fact, heroes get knocked down more than the rest of us).

Yet, in spite of their human frailties, heroes find a way to change the world.

Here's my challenge to you -- be your own hero. Ask yourself, what would it take for me to show up in the world like my heroes?

You may never discover a life changing medicine, invent a best-in-class product or win the World Cup. But, you can show up every day with discipline, compassion and extraordinary commitment.

So, in your journal, go through the following steps and take the hero's journey.

1. List three to five of your heros.

2. For each hero write down the traits that you admire. Is it Steve Nash's selflessness on the court? Is it Martin Luther King's commitment to civil rights? Is it Richard Branson's vison?

3. Then translate these traits into your life. Can you be more selfless at work? Can you make an unshakeable commitment to doing the right thing? Can you create a powerful vision for your life and pursue it?

4. Write these traits down on a card or better yet on a picture of that hero. Remind yourself to act like that hero. This way your hero becomes your mentor -- even if you'll never meet them.

5. Then go into your days and live like the hero you are.
_______________
Robin S. Sharma, LL.M. is an internationally-known speaker on sales leadership, peak performance and creativity. The bestselling author of several motivational books including MegaLiving, he is the managing partner of Sharma Leadership International. He can be reached at RobinSharma.com

DAY 138

It is a gloomy day here. The clouds are black and hanging low which probably means more snow. This weather really affects my mood... especially my exorcising. Yesterday I was planning on working out at night while Hubby was at Karate class... but The Biggest Loser came on and I wanted to watch it and by the time it was over I was too tired to get up and workout. How Ironic is that?? LOL

So yesterday was a no-go.. this morning I woke up, did my weight lifting and then hopped on the treadmill with 1 hour as my goal...I made it 15 minutes. I just don't have any *umph* today. I am hoping that hubby will give me some motivation tonight and I can get a little more cardio in while he works out.

I really need to focus on my food. I need to cut back on carbs.. and peanut butter. I also need to drink more water. I need to rope in some of the DETERMINATION that I wrote about yesterday and start using it.

Tomorrow night is Karate class for me.. maybe that will light the fire again!

Day 137: 194

Determination : the act of coming to a decision or of fixing or settling a purpose

ALSO KNOWN AS: assurance, backbone*, boldness, bravery, certainty, certitude, constancy, conviction, courage, dauntlessness, decision, dedication, doggedness, dogmatism, drive, energy, fearlessness, firmness, fortitude, grit, guts*, hardihood, heart*, independence, indomitability, intrepidity, nerve*, obstinacy, persistence, pluck*, purpose, purposefulness, resoluteness, resolution, resolve, self-confidence, single-mindedness, spunk*, steadfastness, stubbornness, tenacity, valor, willpower


What is the secret to weight loss?? Determination. It is a day to day battle. You don't just wake up one day and have the perfect body. You wake up every morning and make the decision... am I going to do this? Some days you may not be physically or mentally ready to fight.. but you do it anyway. Because this is what you have to do to lose weight, to live longer, to be happy. All you need to lose weight is DETERMINATION.

Day 136: 193.5

Today's weigh in was a little disappointing.. but definitely not terrible. I did have a cheat meal on Saturday night of ham and pineapple pizza... and my water had been poor all weekend. No excuses...just things I need to improve. Today is the start of a whole new week... another chance to do it right and see a loss.

Karate on Saturday was fun. To get to do something with my husband is great... and the fact that it is something that is good for us is even better! Tonight I have belly dancing with my mom... My calender is really starting to fill up!

I was cruising the blog world the other day and came across a post that really made sense to me. Hanlie from Fertile Healthy wrote a post that compared being on a diet like being newly married.. I'll let her tell you:

A number of years ago I met a girl in a bar, who recognized me from 6th grade. She took my number and actually phoned me! Nobody does that! We became friends. We were both single and unlucky in love. Our prospects looked bleak.

Then she met the one! And went from seeing me 4-5 times a week to about 4-5 times a year. We spoke on the phone pretty regularly and I kept up to date with the goings on in her life. After about a year they got engaged. I became grateful for the infrequent visits, because this girl went into wedding overdrive! During the 10 months before the wedding, she became a professional bride! It was painful to see…

The wedding was a huge success and even I enjoyed it. A mere three months later I got a late night phone call, asking if she could come over. Trouble in paradise. They had spent so much time planning the wedding that they never thought about planning their marriage. They were on the brink of divorce. Fortunately they were mature enough to go for counselling and now, three years later, they’re fine and happy.

I was just thinking today that most obese people are professional dieters. Just like the professional bride with all her catalogues, bridal books, magazines and samples, we have shelves filled with every conceivable, book, plan, and recipe, all the “must-have” exercise equipment (from which we hang our clothes), diet “stuff” on the refrigerator door, expired diet milkshakes in dark corners of our kitchen, scales in the bathroom and on the kitchen counter. We know our stuff. We do graphs. We log our food. We read Shape magazine. We watch Oprah and The Biggest Loser. We blog and join challenges. We count calories and set goals.

There are people who do this year in and year out. Most of us have. I’ve been familiar with the plan I’m following for more than 7 years now. I’ve told people about it, I’ve written about it, but I haven’t actually permanently implemented it. I’ve spent a lot of time “getting ready to start”.

I’ve now started. Seven years down the line. But starting is just a very small part of this… Now comes the “marriage”. The ups and the downs. The adapting. The disappointments and the moments that take your breath away. The waning of passion and the growth in intimacy. The getting comfortable in your routine. The tears and the laughter.

And I say: “Bring it on!”

“It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” ~ George Elliot

I think she is brilliant! Her latest post is just as inspirational... go read it!


Today's workout was a 20 minute HIIT cardio and lower body weights. I was frustrated when I was half way thru my running and realized that I had forgotten to do my weights first and then run. Oh well, I will try again tomorrow! I am in a really good place right now... feeling positive and loving my workouts.. I need this to keep up!

Day 133: 194.5

Karate was A.W.E.S.O.M.E ! They kicked my butt all over that gym and I loved every second. My kicks, punches and blocks came back like second nature... but I am STILL really out of shape. Here I've been thinking that I am in such great shape already when really I am no where near where I should be. I am better then I was, no doubt about that. Had I tried this class at my heaviest I probably would have keeled over of a heart attack. I kept up with them though.. and am so excited to go back for the next class.

The people in that class were even more inspiring. First off, the instructors son is a fighter for the MMA and UFC.(we all know how I love UFC!) A couple of months a year 3 UFC fighters go there to train and fight. (We live at a very high altitude so it is great endurance training for athletes) One of the students is a retired professional boxer. His first 15 fights were knockouts in the first round. Another student is a Jui Jitsu trainer for a UFC fighter. So there is a lot of talent in this Karate class.. and I am very excited. Did I already say that? Oh yeah, I'm very excited!!

Every muscle in my body is aching this morning but I wogged 1 mile, did 100 sit ups and 20 push-ups. Tomorrow morning hubby and I have a babysitter for the girls, so we are BOTH going to Karate class!! Yeah!!

A couple people asked about why I use the name Tigerlilly... well, I will tell that story.. but not right now. Maybe this weekend.... and yes P.O.M., I think I see Tigerlilly too!!

***On a Family Note = VICTORY .... we have been diaper free for 4 days and 3 nights with only one accident. I am FREE of diapers...free, free!!!!**********

Day 132



When I was 13 years old I weighed in at 175 lbs. I went to private school where I was the biggest kid there. Of course, the class was only made up of 20 students.. but I was still the biggest one there. The summer before my Freshman year of high school my Dad decided that it was time to lose weight. He signed me up for Tae Kwon Do at a studio across town. My instructors name was Jae Kim. He was a Korean man who had taught martial arts in the Korean Army. His English was poor, but that did not stop him from yelling at you. When he was really mad it came out in Korean and that was terrifying. For 3 months he did everything in his power to make me cry.. and trust me, I did. At the same time I learned enough Korean to understand him (which made for a lot less screaming on his end), I dropped 30 lbs and became a lot more confident in myself. I participated in tournaments and won my share of trophies. I was strong, inside and out.

There are two reasons I told you all this. The first one is because tonight is my first Karate class and I am getting that familiar boulder in my stomach that I used to get. I am 17 years older now, but am just as terrified.

The second reason... while I was in the city last weekend we pulled into a parking lot to use the phone when I realized that I was parked right in front of that Tae Kwon Do studio. The lights were on but it looked empty. I tried the door and it swung out.. I walked around all the mats and made my way to the back office. He was sitting at his desk trying to fix a drawer. He looked up and asked me if I needed something. At first I didn't think he remembered me, but then there was a glimmer of light in his eyes and with a great big smile he said 'Chris!!???!!' (a hint of what my real name is!)

His first question was of my Dad. He used to play golf with my dad all the time.. and of course they talked a lot while I would train. Dad never missed a single day of my training. Mr. Kim did not know that my Dad had passed away. A tear came to his eye. I never thought I would see the day I saw a tear in this mans eyes. That's when I noticed his hands. They shook uncontrollably. He said they did not know what was wrong, that it was like Parkinsons but not. Suddenly the monster that plagued my nightmares as a child was human. He was a friend.

Jae Kim had been my mentor.. my coach.. my nightmare... but in the end he made me who I am and I wanted to thank him. Last night I told my husband that I am going to do this Karate class to honor Jae Kim... I am going to lose this weight to honor my Dad. They new what was inside of me before I did... and I let all of that get lost. Its time to get it back. I may not be the next 'Karate Kid'.. but I will be that strong woman that they brought out 17 years ago.

Day 131: 194

Well, I tried those 'skinny' jeans on and they still don't zip up.. but they are getting close! I am hoping that by my birthday in April I will be able to wear them out on the town!!

Hubby went to a Karate class last night to see if he would be interested in taking it. He said he really liked it and wants me to go to tomorrow nights class to see if I would want to do it too. I haven't done Karate since I was 17 ... and am a little nervous to do it again.. but there is a little bit of excitement mixed in there as well. If I do start doing this with Hubby it would mean my schedule would include Belly dancing on Mondays and Karate on Thursdays and Saturdays. Good grief, if that doesn't get me to lose weight then I don't know what will!!

I did my HIIT cardio this morning and a full body weight workout. Tomorrow is a day off, which is good if I have to do Karate in the evening.

Day 130:195.5

While doing my 40 min Wogg this morning I was thinking about my 'skinny' jeans and wandering if I have gotten any closer to getting them zipped up. Then I thought 'If I could just get those on, I would be happy with my size'... in other words I was thinking once I got those jeans on I could quit doing all this working out and eating healthy crap. HA! First of all, I don't want to stop at my 'skinny jeans' size. I want to get down to 145 lbs where I should be. Second, what makes me think that when I get to a size I am happy with that I can just stop. Then I remembered Laura's blog yesterday:

I wrote the other day about there not being many books available for weight loss maintainers. Maybe that's because maintenance is a bitch. A bitch that isn't easily tamed and apparently is as ugly and frightening as the one Sigourney Weaver battles in Alien.

Only this one doesn't have a big Hollywood ending. This is going to be an endless battle. There is no finish line. There is never going to be a day when I can say "Okay, that's it, I'm all done and I don't have to do this anymore" (well, okay, the day I die I can say that, but you know, that's a long way off, God willing).

This idea of "it's never going to end" isn't new news, I realize that. It's just a small little epiphany in a likely endless road of epiphanies that will add up to be my life.

And The New Me says, "Most of all I want to be a weight loss success, for now and for good."

That epiphany hit me right in the face this morning... and in order to keep myself from falling over in shear panic was this: How terrible is my life right now? I feel strong... I look strong. I enjoy my time on the treadmill, and I LOVE the feeling I get when I finish the goal I had set that day. Everyday I notice something great about my body.. whether I can run with my girls and not get winded, or that shirt in the back of my closet now fits perfectly. As for food, well, I no longer get that nauseated feeling when I eat too much crap. My bowls are working as they should... my grocery bill has gone down considerably since I am no longer loading the basket with tons of cookies, cakes, doughnuts and ice cream. My girls are eating healthier which means that hopefully they will never have to battle this disease.

So... why am I in such a rush to stop living like this? Because there is a lady inside my head that wants to lay in bed all day eating ice cream and watching TV. Because I am still fighting my body everyday to get up out of bed and put my running shoes on. Because I still crave a doughnut in the morning and cake at night.

So... How do I keep from becoming that lady again?? I get up, I run, I buy healthy food at the store and I look at myself in the mirror and say 'its worth it!'...

Day 129: 193.5

First things first, today is Weigh In Day and I am back down to 193.5 lbs!! That is a LOSS of 4 lbs since last week. I know that posting my before and now pictures really made the difference on how I ate this weekend on my trip to the city. I totally recommend taking pictures! Even if you don't have a 'before'.. take a 'now' pic. In 6 weeks it will be your 'before'!!

OK! So now on to my weekend. It was a blast! Baby and I left on Friday and enjoyed the 4 hour drive down. I will confess that I had half of a Burger King hamburger.. but paid for it after having to stop at two gas stations along the way. Bleh! After that it was nothing but salads and subway sandwiches! I was so excited to see my best friend. We have known each other for 14 years and only get to see each other once a year since I've had the babies. She is soooo much fun and I always end up laughing so much it hurts!!

(Just to show you the difference.. here is JJ and I last year. Since then I have lost 21 lbs and she has lost 30 lbs!!)
I bought some scarves for my mom and I to wear to our belly dancing classes. Baby got her ears pierced..(and didnt even cry!) And I got some more books!!


Big Sister stayed with Daddy.. who bought her a skateboard. Dont let her size fool you, she can ride it better then mom or dad!! when I came home she had this long skirt on with a t-shirt and she was riding the skateboard. Hubby called her the 'new' Avril Lavigne! LOL


I also got to meet my friends new boyfriend.. and he is a doll. Super sweet and really good to her. I was so happy that she found such a great guy!


I worked out this morning and did my 20 minute HIIT cardio.... and an upper body weight lifting regimen. After each set I sprinted on the treadmill for 2 minutes. It was a killer workout. So, I'm off to clean the house and do laundry...de-ja-vu!!

"Starbucks is dangerous, it gets in your mouth!" - JJ

Day 126:194

I have million things to do this morning before we head to the city but I just HAD to post my 18 wks before/after pictures!


BEFORE 215 lbs



NOW 194 lbs



See you Monday for WI day!

Day 125: 195

It is freezing here....no, its BELOW freezing here. I walked outside to get firewood and I could see steam rising from my skin. (I had just worked out!) I have no plans on stepping out that door again today. The HIGH today isn't even going to go above freezing... ugh, I hate winter.

The good news is that tomorrow baby girl and I will be taking a mom/daughter trip to the city which means 30 degrees warmer!! Big sister and daddy are going to spend some quality time out on Papa's ranch. I think I might take baby girl to the zoo while we are down there. We are going down tomorrow afternoon and coming back on Sunday night. Plenty of time to shop, play and visit friends! yahooooo!

I walked 3 miles this morning and did an upper body weight regimen. I have to get this house clean, do laundry and pack a bag. OH!! And tomorrow will be 18 wks since I started... another 6 weeks and it will make my 6 months!! I hope I can lose a lot more by then!

Day 124: 195

It amazes me how fast you can bounce back from a bad weekend. In one weekend I gained 4 lbs... had I stayed depressed and not bounced back then it could have been really ugly.. but its been three days and I am down 2.5 lbs... by next weigh in I should be back to 193! So for all of you who had a bad weekend, or two, don't give up. You CAN lose the weight again...and probably faster then you think because it will most likely be water weight from too much sodium and not enough water.

Yesterday was a rest day... and a play date! The girls had a blast... My oldest actually went to lay down and take a nap before our friends were even ready to leave! HUGS!!!!!!!


I woke up this morning and ran 1.25 miles using the HIIT program. It was so hard! My feet felt like they were made of lead... but I was so happy to get it done. I feel %100 better. I need to focus on two things today... water intake and food portions.

See you tomorrow! ;)

Day 123 : 197

I am S.O.R.E. from my head to my toes. Belly dancing was a blast last night, but for two hours we went over and over all the different moves. I didn't break a sweat, so I didn't really think I was working all that hard... until this morning. Every muscle in my body is letting me know its there. Yeah! I cant wait until next week!

Thanks for all the support. I slipped up.. and its going to happen.. but like you all said, its how fast you get back up that counts! So I am back up... and learning that I cant rush it. Cuz when I do , I mess up. Lets just make smart decisions today and let someone else worry about tomorrow!

Today we have a play date and hopefully the girls will get rid of all their pent up winter energy.

Have a great day!

Coffee Anyone??



How would you like to win this coffee maker package from Share Senseo?? All you have to do is go to there website and fill out a short survey. If you are selected all you have to pay is the $15 shipping and handling fee. (you will recieve a confirmation e-mail within 2-6 weeks if you are selected.) The machine retails for over $70, so its worth a shot!!!

Day 122: 197.5

Its terrible. After all those things I said like 'I've had enough, Im going to DO this' and 'its time to get serious'... I totally blew it this weekend. So bad that I actually had a McDonalds hamburger..eeeewwwwwww. It was nasty too.. but we were on our way to a dance preview and the girls were starving and ,well, I was too. I orderd the girls a hamburger and small fry each.. and I ate what they didn't. Then I overloaded on carbs on Sunday...and hardly drank any water. The worst things is that I didnt do one minute of exorcise the entire weekend. Since when did I get the mentality that the weekends were 'free'?? I know better then that.

This morning I jumped right back into my routine. I did a HIIT cardio on the treadmill for 20 minutes... then a full body weight lifting regimin. I had a protein shake for breakfast.. a slice of fry bread for a snack ( I know, not the best idea).. veggies for lunch and then a light salad for dinner because tonight is my first belly dancing class!!

The focus today is on water.. lots and lots of water.

Here is a picture from the weekend. We went to my mothers house for lunch on Friday and my little girl got to play with her favorite cousins... Morris the cat and Belle the St. Bernard.


Also, Clairboe tagged me for a MeMe.. so here it is!

7 WEIRD THINGS ABOUT ME

The rules are as follows: Simply link to the person who tagged you. SHARE SEVEN WEIRD things about yourself. Tag SEVEN bloggers to do the same AND include a link to their blog. Let each person know that they have been tagged and finally post the rules on your blog.

1. I collect dvd movies. Especially weird Sci-Fi movies... the weirder the better! Or any Jim Henson movies!! LOL

2. I have gotten this weird addiction to Scooby Doo... I think its because my girls love him so much and it is soooo hard to find him anywhere that when I see a scooby boo I buy it!! Anyone have any old Scooby Doo dolls you want to send my way??

3. I buy books. I know, not weird... yet. I buy hardcover books and I own hundreds of them.. but have read only about a quarter of them.

4. I am addicted to horseraddish...

5. I have just started this and my hubby thinks its weird, but I sleep in the clothes I wear to work out in the next morning. Let me tell ya.. it sure makes it easy to slip out of bed and hop on the treadmill.

6. I love Alaska, but have never been there. I keep trying to get hubby to move us out there! LOL... there's just something about it.

7. I cant drive in snow.. even if there is only a quarter of an inch on the ground.. it terrifies me. So. during the winter we stay home or hubby drives.

Ok, so I'm weird. I am not going to tag anyone.. but if you want to do it leave me a note so I can come check out how weird YOU are!!

Day 119

I did really well yesterday...until 8:30pm when stress took over and the kitchen became a free-for-all. I ate so much I was actually sick in the middle of the night. I hate to be stressed..and right now I am really trying not to be..but I am stuck between a rock and a hard place and I'm trying not to make a dent in either one. I know that makes no sense but trust me, its not a pretty site.

Anyway, I woke up this morning with my usual gung-ho attitude and did my HIIT cardio on the treadmill. Did another 100 crunches and then drank down a protein shake and 3 glasses of water. I am taking the girls to my moms house today for lunch. She is baking up some salmon so definitely a meal I dont need to worry about.

I am super glad it is Friday. I just want to spend time with hubby and the girls. I will not be posting daily pics over the weekend.. but stay tuned for Mondays weigh in...Day 1 versus Day 6!! Will we see a difference?

(Day 1 - Day 3)

Day 118 (D2 of 84)

Today is a rest day... although I am itching to do something. I may take the girls for a walk this afternoon if it warms up a little more.

Food was ok yesterday. I did great up until the late afternoon and then I broke and ended up eating bread and peanut butter. I have to find a way where I am either busy during that time of day or at least not hungery. Maybe that would be a good time of day to take that walk!

You may notice that I am not posting my daily weight. I am taking a break from the scale for awhile. I will still do my weekly weigh in, I just dont want to think about it every morning right now. The important thing is that I focus on my nutrition and my health.

(Day 1 - Day 2)

Day 117 (D1 of 84)

Ok folks. I am done with messing around. I have a little over 14 weeks before my 30th birthday and I am not getting anywhere fast. I came across Adam Waters yesterday and I have been looking into what he is doing. He is a real inspiration and I think that if I can get into the same mind set that he is then I will start seeing some results. What he does is called Shredding. There motto?

We will focus on the single daily actions that produce results.

We will "burn our bridges" and not look back.

We will never surrender.

Now there are many things that 'Shredders' do. I have yet to do all the research, but the jist of it is this. You eat clean. Low fat, low carb. Eat 5 meals a day. And the best/worst of it... take daily pictures. One of the fav workouts is 'HIIT' High Intensity Interval Training..(I'll get into that in a minute)

Adam changed his entire physique in 84 days. He kept his mind strong and followed thru. I think this is totally possible to do... and so today will be my day 1 of 'shredding'. I hope I can live up to its name!



DAY 1













So, first thing this morning I did my workout. It consisted of a 20 min. HIIT on the treadmill and 60 ab crunches. Today is a rest day from weights so none of that.

OK, so what is HIIT and how do you do it?

Due to its intensity, HIIT recruits fast-twitch muscle fibers. These fibers are designed for short-lived, powerful bursts of energy. Steady-state cardio recruits slow-twitch muscle fibers, which are structured for endurance. Fast-twitch fibers need more fuel than do slow-twitch fibers to function and to recover from a workout. Thus, if your session primarily targets fast-twitch fibers, you’ll burn far more calories during training, as well as calories after the training. HIIT produces an after-burn that can last from one to many hours, depending on your fitness level and how grueling your session was.

Important factors involved in H.I.I.T Training

In order to utilize H.I.I.T properly, we use a tool called the "Intensity Guide" to help us create high points. This guide is used to measure the level energy we are applying to the exercise that we are performing. The Index, starts at level 1 and goes to level 10. On the low end-at level l-you've got the intensity of kicking back on your recliner watching TV. Level 2 would be standing; level 3 could be walking; level 4 might be carrying a couple bags of groceries in from the car; level 5 might be carrying those groceries up a flight of stairs; and so on, up to level 10 , which is an all-out, 100 percent effort. In order to use this guide correctly you must apply it to your level of conditioning. And that's why basically any healthy adult, no matter what their prior exercise experience, can use H.I.I.T training. As an example, if you're a beginner walking up stairs might be a level 10 intensity level. Now, someone who's been training for several years might reach a high-intensity effort by sprinting up those stairs. The point is, your high intensity point is yours. It is distinctively yours and not mine or the person next to you in the gym. It's very important that you realize exactly what your high points are. A true high point on this workout, a true level 10 effort, is one where you can honestly tell yourself you gave it every single last ounce of energy you had. That you looked inside yourself and said I’m going to give it all I got!

H.I.I.T : How to Perform the actual workout!

Remember this can apply to any activity you choose. Just pick something you are comfortable with. Begin your workout with a two-minute warm up phase where we perform the activity at about a level 5 intensity. If you haven't been exercising regularly, you could reach level 5 on the Intensity Index by just walking. However, if you've been doing a lot of exercise, level 5 might be a pretty brisk jog. Again it is essential that you remember that your level 5 is unique to you, and my level 5 is unique to me. Now, after two minutes at a level 5 effort, you will take it up a level. You will reach a level 6 effort, we keep it there for one minute; then we increase the intensity of our effort, up to level 7 for one minute before taking it up another level, to level 8, where we maintain for another minute; then we take it up to level 9. We maintain that high-intensity effort for one minute, and then take it all the way down to a level 6 again-a relatively comfortable pace. We repeat that pattern three times, but on the last cycle (between the eighteenth and the nineteenth minutes of this 20-minute workout), we don't stop at level 9-we try to reach a high point-we go for a 10! Then we bring it back to level5 for a minute, and we're done!

Have a great day and I will see you tomorrow!!


********************************************************

Just some after thoughts of this post...

1) I'm sure not everyone wants to see my fat everyday... but relax, I promise they will get better!!

2) NO STRETCH MARKS... holy crap... I have had stretch marks since day one of my first pregnancy!! Now you just see my scar from my hysterectomy surgery..

Day 116

The weather here is terrible. The fog has set in and you cant see past the front door. What little snow we got has turned to ice, but 10 miles down the road hubby says they got snow dumped on them. Ha!

I managed to get to the college yesterday morning. Hubby couldn't work so I hired him on as a babysitter and set out in the storm to sign up for the Belly Dancing class.. I am now officially enrolled! Class is every Monday night from 6-8pm. They DO put on a show at the end of the year.. but it is 'optional'! Thank God!

I only ran 1 mile this morning.. but broke another personal record. 14:20!! It felt good.. I did my weights and am now settling in for a long day of cleaning the kids room! Ick. The unknown is terrifying in their room... Is that jam? Oh God, why is that wet? When did we have spaghetti??

My toothache has gone away... as long as I don't eat anything sweet.. or cold. Ok, so it hasn't gone away.. but the pain is manageable until we have the money to see a dentist. Thanks for all the well wishes.. personally I would rather be giving birth then suffering from a toothache!

Day 115:194

I gained half a pound over the weekend. Not a surprise though. I have been suffering a terrible toothache all weekend. Comfort foods that are easy to eat (like bread) have been all I've been able to eat. We have no insurance right now and no money for me to go running off to the dentist.. so if anyone has any home remedies to get rid of the pain please share!! I cant handle hot or cold and it is driving me crazy. Just drinking my water is painful... so I'm sure I'm pretty dehydrated to. Ugh.

I did manage to walk 3 miles this morning. It felt good to sweat..hmmm, never thought I would say that! LOL . Today we are supposed to get two feet of snow...and it has gotten off to a great start.

On a funny note.. my mom called me and asked me if I wanted to get out of the house one night a week and take belly dancing classes with her at the local college. How fun is that going to be!! LOL. I just hope we don't have to do a show at the end of the year!! So today I am going to try and make it into town to sign us both up. Classes begin next Monday night. Maybe this will help me lose a little more belly!!!

The site EatBetterAmerica.com (General Mills-run) is giving out free samples of the original Fiber One cereal. As you probably know, Fiber One provides 57% of the average adults daily fiber requirement, has 0 grams of sugar and 60 calories per serving.

To receive a sample you must sign up for the Eat Better America
newsletter. The newsletter is an e-mail that is sent out once per
month.
It provides recipes and tips for people to start living healthier
lives.

To receive the sample and sign up for the newsletter, Click Here!!
Most Americans get about half of the recommended 25 grams of fiber each day. With Fiber One® cereal, it's easier than ever to increase your daily fiber intake. Try using these 10 simple tips to help reach your fiber goals.


1)Scan for Bran
Look for “bran,” “whole grain” and “whole wheat” on product packages and ingredient labels. These ingredients can help boost fiber intake.

½ cup Fiber One cereal = 13g fiber

1 cup Fiber One Honey Clusters® = 13g fiber

2) Grab the Whole Food
Munch on a whole piece of fruit, in place of drinking a glass of juice. You’ll get the nutrients and the fiber too.

1 medium apple = 3g fiber

3) Savor the Skins
Eat fruit and vegetables with the skin on. Eating the skin helps to bump up the fiber, plus it provides texture and a bonus of other nutrients.

1 medium baked potato with skin on = 4g fiber

4) Screen for Beans
Replace your typical side dishes with high-fiber dried peas and beans, such as kidney, pinto, lentils or black-eyed peas. These fiber-packed legumes make it easier to meet daily fiber goals.

½ cup canned red kidney beans = 8g fiber

5) Go Nuts
Jazz up salads, vegetables, snacks and desserts with almonds, sunflower seeds or soy nuts. Nuts and seeds add fiber and fun-to-chew crunch to foods.

1 ounce roasted almonds = 3g fiber

6) Be Berry Wild
Choose raspberries, blackberries and boysenberries to add variety to your cereals. These berries have twice the fiber of many other fruit selections.

½ cup fresh raspberries = 4g fiber

7) Bring on the Brown
Use brown rice instead of white. Switch to whole-wheat pasta, whole-wheat flour whole-wheat breads and whole-grain crackers instead of regular white versions.

1 cup brown rice = 3g fiber

8) Skip the Chips
Select snacks that are a good source of fiber. Instead of potato chips, go for low-fat popcorn, whole-grain pretzels or oven-crisped whole-wheat pita triangles.

3 cups popcorn = 4g fiber

9) Drink Up
Water is a healthy beverage choice—especially as you up the fiber. Your body needs more water to help process the added fiber you eat.

Aim for eight 8-oz glasses of water each day.

10) Sneak in Some Fiber One® cereal
Mix Fiber One cereal into your favorite side dishes or top yogurt, salads or oatmeal. Even a small amount of Fiber One cereal makes a difference.

¼ cup Fiber One cereal for sprinkling = 7g fiber

Day 111: 193

As promised, today is a rest day. I had to literally force myself to stay in bed and read my book. There were two things I was afraid I would do...1) get bored and hop on the treadmill (is there such a thing as exercise-a-holic? let me rephrase that...is there any such thing as a 50 lb overweight exercise-a-holic??LOL)

or 2) eat. I am one of those emotional eaters that will stuff her face if she is bored. I managed to lay in bed and read my book for a couple of hours while the girls played on the bed. At 8:30 I was feeling the hunger pains and the girls were ready to eat as well. I made some pancakes (no syrup) and a cup of tea. I am back on track now with my daily doings... I think I will be more then ready to hop on the treadmill tomorrow morning!!

Today is nothing but laundry and dusting... thrilling isn't it?

See you tomorrow!!

Day 110: 193

I am so close to the 180's I can taste it... This also makes the lightest I have been in 4 years. How fantastic does that make me feel!! The best thing is that being this close to the 80's gives me so much more motivation to keep going. I don't remember the last time I weighed anywhere in the 180's. It had to have been years ago. So I am determined to leave the 190's behind me and enter into a new me, but only for a little while.. until I get into the new new me of the 170's! LOL

I wogged 3 miles this morning and did a full body weight lifting regimen. Tomorrow is a rest day, and I am in desperate need of one. Not that I physically feel like I need a break, but I think sometimes I get into the mentality that I have to keep going and if I take a day off then I will sabotage myself and never get back on track. How sad is that, eh? I , mentally, wont let myself take a break because I am so terrified that one day off will ruin me. So I now have odd days of the week marked on the calender for 'REST' days... and I have to follow my calender. At least this way I guarantee that I wont burn myself out. Plus, I always find myself breaking my own records running the day after!

So, food is on track. Water is flowing well. My waist is shrinking (yippeeee!) and I am loving this new year!

"Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it." - Oprah Winfrey

Day 109: 194

A little bit of a gain, but that is to be expected after doing a full weight lifting regimen yesterday. I wogged 2 miles this morning and it felt fantastic. A perfect beginning to a new year.

Hubby is home today, so we are spending the day relaxing. He wants a 'special' dinner tonight so I am looking at making surf and turf. If I keep my portions small it should be fine. I am also going to make an angel food cake with some cinnamon peaches over the top for dessert! Mmmmmm

I am going to crawl under the blankets and finish reading my book now.... another perfect beginning to a new year.

:)

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!