My New Toy (Lgtalking)

Your Dad (Steve- if Grandma's reading) and I decided to splurge and buy a couple of bikes. Mine is purple (Barney) and his is green (Godzilla). We did about 30 minutes of riding today. It was a pretty good workout and something we can do together.

Tomorrow is the Super Bowl. We're going to go to the Grandparents home for some grilled steak on Grandpa's new grill (yes he bought an even NEWER grill since his Christmas grill) I'm thinking Rib eyes and a salad. With that in mind, I'm now going to go walk/jog on the Treadmill for 30 minutes.

This has been a pretty good eating day. I've only had a half of Schlotzsky's Smoked Turkey Breast sandwich (175 calories). I'm going to have the other half tonight and a grapefruit. Then I'm going to curl up with some "air-popped" popcorn (93 calories) and watch a good movie.

Wasn't Taken an exciting movie - I love when the Good Guy kicks the Bad Guys butt all through the movie. What a DAD! We also saw Benjamin Button last night. Great make-up and special effects. I did tear up a little at the end. And when they made Brad Pitt look like a teenager - WOW - reminded me of Tristan in Legends of the Fall (before he became a CHEATER).

Have a Plan for tomorrow if you're planning on going to a Superbowl party. Tips: Undersize your portions, use a little plate, fill up on veggies, take a jog at half time, alcohol=waste of calories, eat a good breakfast or something in the day before the game so your not hungry, bring your own fruit and veggies... just a few tips. (Whitney, while Lindsey is eating "fried" food you can jump way ahead of her tomorrow -))

And if you guys would like to join us at Grandmas & Grandpas you are more than welcome.

POPCORN - nuff said (lgtalking)

Yes! I ate movie popcorn. I looked up the calories first on "Calorie King" website(It's better that Spark people for calorie counting). Your dad was suppose to eat half of a small - no butter - popcorn = 523 calories. But NOOOOOO, he said it was too salty so he probably only ate 1/3 which means I ate 2/3 = 350 calories. That put me 100 calories over my 1100 for the day.

After reading Whitney's inspirational blog on working out, I am off to the track. I determined I need to Walk/Jog for 60 minutes to burn it off. I better get started. My weigh in is tomorrow and I really want to see a couple pound drop.

Sorry this blog is short and sweet but I've got a ton of walking ahead of me. I'll let you know how I do later tonight.

Good Friday

Yesterday was good. I ate a little more than the past two days, including beef strogonof hamburger helper. That's right- hamburger helper. However, I had less than a whole serving. One cup, prepared, with whole milk would be 380 cal. But I cooked it with low fat hamburger and skim milk so I think it's safe to shave a couple calories off. And I would normally add salt to it but this time I didn't! I'm getting better at giving up the salt. Amazing. Overall I stayed withing 1000 calories for the day.

I wasn't planning to work out yesterday because I thought I lost my window when I was waiting for Dad to arrive with our new dryer. So I did some jumping jacks (200), which made me out of breath. I thought that was weird because I can go 37 min. on a treadmill until I get too tired. Then Leah asked if I wanted to go have a short workout before Brian and mine's date. I agreed and we hauled booty to the gym and gave ourselves 45 min. to work out. In 45 min. I ran on the treadmill for 20 of them. However, since I knew I couldn't go my full hour, I went at speed 6.0 the whole time so I could put in at least 2 miles. I did it! 2 miles in 20 minutes. I'm shaving time off my mile. I told Brian I eventually want to be able to run 40 min. without stopping at 6.0 speed and at a 2.0 incline. Whew. High goals. I am sure I wont reach them for months and months. After my run I did some speed crunches and then put the Jillian method into effect. I did 3 sets of arms, then 3 sets of legs - twice. Then I did some ab machines and went to grab Leah. I gotta say, the circulation method worked quite well. I was so tired that even as Brian and I were walking into the movie theatre about 20 minutes later I was still breathing heavy.

The movie was great- Taken. Loved loved loved loved it! Liam is a badass.

I didn't eat any popcorn- no nachos- NOTHING. It's getting easier to say no. And this morning, the payoff felt great. I weighed officially in the 140s. Goodbye fat jeans. I'm eager to work out again today. Leah and I are going at 11. But for now I'm gonna take my kids for a bike ride in the neighborhood.

Count down to after picture= 18lbs.

Dragging Right Along

Yesterday was a long day. Up early, bed late. I was great on my diet and worked out. My work out was okay. I jogged for 37 min. (added 2 more) which was great. But I was just so tired I was not enjoying it. Leah and I were gonna do some medicine ball pass-offs but her tail bone wouldn't allow her to do a full sit up. Weird. So other than a few measly crunches and an hour on the treadmill, I didn't get to do much strength training, which I really want to get better at. I have to work out late on Wed. Thurs. because of work and I have realized in the last 2 nights that late-night work outs are not for me. I'll have to do them, but only 2 days per week thankfully. They just wont be as satisfying as the other days of the week when I can go for more than just cardio. Oh! And I'm so tired of the gym being out of towels. Don't let me forget to bring my own today.

After getting home from the rec at about 11:45, I was ready for bed and a friend called and asked me to come out because she just got engaged. I arrive at the restaurant and they'd ordered macaroni and cheese, wings, fried pickles... ugh! Everywhere you turn someone is trying to feed you. I resisted, completely. Thank you.

Still in the 140s today (barely-but I'll take it). Working out this afternoon with Leah. She wants to start doing the Making the Cut work outs. I think I'll try circulation today- arms/legs/arms/legs. I like that concept. Thanks Mom.

I want to get down in the 130s so fast but I know I have to be patient. It just seems to be dragging along.

A few more incentives: friends' weddings (2 coming up in the next few months), Valentine's Day, Brian's family get-together for grandpa's 80th. By the way... the goal jeans are becoming more realistic. Still can't zip them, but they do go over my hips now haha. Why does my lower half shrink so well while my upper body protests? I need to work on more arms and abs I think. Size 6, here I come. And yes, I have been taking progress pix in the jeans, too. So not only will we see a before and after, we'll see a during as well. Get excited!

SUCK IT UP (lgtalking)

Jillian Michaels - I vote Jillian for our new role model. Our mantra could be "Unless you Puke, Faint or Die - Suck It Up and Keep Working" I have to admire her tough love. She doesn't put up with excuses and whining.


Also, did you know that she was the trainer for 4 out of 5 of the Biggest Loser Winners. She does it by "circuit training" - Leah, you probably know what that is already but just in case
The circuit, if you're not familiar, is what you see those poor Biggest Loser contestants doing on TV when they're red faced and sweating heavily: it's a way of getting your heart rate WAY up there by doing, for example, 15 push ups then 15 squats then 15 push ups then 15 squats then 15 push ups then 15 squats NEXT CIRCUIT QUIT WHINING 15 tricep dips 15 crunches etc etc. A circuit is typically made up of an upper body exercise and a lower body one: Jillian says doing this causes your heart rate to shoot up because you're pushing the blood to the upper body, then the lower, over and over again. You do each circuit 3 times without resting, then move to the next one.


So I tried it tonight...Brutal! We'll see if it made a difference in my weight on Sunday. She also swears by the Food Journal and counting calories. We need to get her new book "Winning by Losing." I'll look into it this weekend.


You're dad made some pics of what could become of you if you give up (he insisted I post). It's probably obvious he has too much time on his hands during his days off:



Keep up the Great work and self-discpline and remember when your coming up with excuses why you can't work out or whining about how you feel - "Just Suck It Up"

Mopeah Speaking

Yesterday and today haven't gone as well as I would have liked. I'm not gaining any weight, but I'm also worried that I'm just maintaining my 126. I'm pretty sure that if I expect to see any differences in my size and overall physic that I'm going to have to get alot more serious about the small things. For example actually drinking at least 8 cups of water a day. Being more exact with my food journal. Correctly logging my nutrition and activity points in spark people. I'm going to buy Jillian's Making the Cut book again, and I'm going to start a weekly food plan and not bend. I remember the food was good and after a week I'd already lost inches in both my legs and waste so I'm positive that if I start that up again and stick with it that I'll be super sexy by the time spring break rolls around.

I didn't get to go the Rec yesterday because I got a good taste of how heavy my work load is for all of my classes. I'm noticing that the habits I've been forming for weight loss have carried over nicely for school. Mom you'll be happy to know that charting all of my food in a journal has been a reminder to keep up with my agenda. So far so good. Whitney is on her way to my apartment now to pick me up for another excursion to the Rec. I'm going to work on my arms today. Jillian sent an email about different Bicep excersizes you can do. Her tip of the day is just a warning to do the Bicep curls correctly for the best results. I'm also going to do 45 min. on the sand machine and Whitney and I decided to do sit ups with the medicine ball. I would love to have a mommy daughter work out this weekend when you and dad come to fix all of our broken stuff/lend your vacuum cleaner. Whitney contrats on making it into the 140's again! I'm so proud of you. Is it getting any easier? Maybe once you shed enough you can start doing Jillians book with me! We can both be smoking hot. :-)

Food has been more difficult to ignore this week too. Eating healthy is hard because I eat more often (once every 4 hours according to Jillian) which is leaving me with less food more often. Which means more trips to the grocery store (and we all know how I feel about grocery shopping). So it's almost too easy to take Jenna up on her offer to make some delicious pasta dish I can share, or bisquits and sausage for breakfast (I only had one and I'm still within my calorie count for the day). But I know if Jillian were there she would have made me egg whites with bell peppers or something like that. I need to just restock with all healthy foods and get the book that will need to become my bible again.

I was just reading my philosopy book and Socrates said that if you know what is good then you do what is good. It's only when you don't know what is good for you that you do it. I disagree because there have been plenty of times that I've known the Mac and Cheese is not good for me, but still eaten it...but if I stick with the idea that true knowledge comes from doing what you know is good then I'm only going to eat what I know is good and I can say I'm losing weight with the ideals of Socrates haha.

I'll leave off as usual with Jillians tip of the day:

Keep in Mind Be careful not to swing your weights because it could result in an injury. Also, do not lift your elbows when you raise the weights, or you will engage your shoulder muscles without isolating the biceps!

Keep up the good work! Don't give up! Keep on motivating! Push yourself harder! Remember the after picture! Remember the employers! Remember the swim suits! Remember the healthy heart! annnnnnnnnnd all that good stuff!

-Mopeah

Me again. (Whit)

It's almost Thursday so I'm gonna go ahead and blog. Today (Wednesday) I ate a lean cuisine for dinner after my cheerios and then a puddin' cup snack.

I just got home from the Rec. Leah couldn't go because she had homework. We are going together tomorrow night when I get off work. Tonight I ran for 35 minutes straight on the treadmill because last time I did 30 min. without slowing. I even moved my pace up to 5.8 and sometimes 6.0. I used to run at 5.5. My stamina is building. I stayed on the treadmill for a full hour without getting off. When I wasn't jogging at above 5.5, I was at an incline of no less than 10. After the first 35 min, I did intervals which they say is great for weight loss. When I get on the incline parts, I tend to want to hold onto the sides for suppport. I think I'll make my next goal to hold onto the sides less. And I'll try to bump up to 38 min. without stopping next time. Whew, sounds scarry. C'mon, three more minutes? I can do it! Then I did some crunches. But the rec was out of towels, I smelled terrible and it was getting close to 11 pm, so I didn't get to do any weights. I don't know if the people would actually make you leave the weight room for not having a towel but the signs scare me from testing it. I'm going to start bringing my own towel to the gym. They rarely have clean ones for some reason.

I am proud for not overeating today- and for fitting veggies into my diet (peppers and onions on the Lean Cuisine pizza). I'm also proud that I have lost 8-12 lbs depending on what I'm wearing and which scale I'm standing on. With all my clothes on and shoes at the restaurant, I have lost 8 lbs. With no shoes and just a pj shirt, I have lost closer to 12 according to the before and after of my scale at home. It's somewhere around there, which I'll gladly accept. I want to lose 2 more by next week. In the long run, I still have like 25 to go in order to reach my goal fitness. I'm getting there...

Hope y'all had a successful Wednesday! How did the late night kitchen diving go? How was the algebra homework? Plans for the weekend? We should have a group work out. Goodnight :)

Men - Progress- Whit

Way to go Dad. I stopped by to get some things from him this morning and asked if he was being a good influence. He told me he was, and that he bought you some flavored waters. How sweet is that? Just another "my dad is an amazing father/husband" story. Wow.

Brian is trying to help, too. Kind of. We are trying to cook more at home. Even if you don't cook the best foods, there is no way you are possibly using as much grease and preservatives as the restaurants. Realization! I have not eaten fast food in a month! That's huge for me. And it's all thanks to the 100 calorie snacks.

Yesterday I was stressed from work and ended up staying up till 1 am finishing my reports to be mailed off today. Yuck. So I had to turn Leah down for a work out which made me feel so guilty. And while I reported away, Brian cooked me a lovely pasta dinner and glass of wine. He was trying to be romantic, I think, because he poured himself a glass of wine and he NEVER drinks wine. It was sweet. Then he proposed a toast but I can't remember what to. (He says I don't listen). Anyway- I secretly half-sipped the wine and didn't finish it because I knew how many calories it had. And I had one small serving of pasta. You should see how much is left over. We are going to give it to Bowie. Aside from dinner, I didn't eat a morsel all day yesterday because I was so busy on the computer I forgot to eat. It was crazy. And I was so stressed out I didn't even feel hungry going to bed- just pooped. It's funny that stressed is desserts spelled backwards! Because normally (in my fat state) I would be snacking when I'm stressed. Now, I can't wait to go sweat out the tension.

Today I'll try to do better. I sent off the reports and had a bowl of cheerios with skim milk for breakfast. I'll have a salad for dinner at the CL with oil/vinegar and lemon. Then I'll go to the rec with Leah when I get home. I can't believe I have skipped two workouts this week.

On the bright side- no fast food, no weight gain (but also no loss), and strangely no cravings whatsoever. It's great! Great! I don't sit there and think about stopping by Wendy's on my way home. As a matter of fact the thought of fries makes me kind of gag. I have been craving things like pineapple, veggies. I'm sure it's mostly psychological but- still. I'm keeping my journal which I have no problem carrying around. I already carry a planner and everyone knows I'm on a health-kick. Actually most of the people I know are, too. I guess January was a good time to start. Brooke wants to lose weight, Allie is a health freak, but most importantly Leah and Mom keep me going. Jillian says to write down all your feelings and I think this blog is the perfect place to do it.

Leah- loving the pix. You're getting visual with us. Mom- just type it in Blogspot because it does automatic saves like every three minutes. If the computer crashes, you wont lose what you typed, just look into 'drafts' on the dashboard. FYI. And no late night snacking!!!!! "Kitchen's closed" remember? Just put a chair in front of the walkway like we do with the dogs. haha. Or better yet- make a sign with "hours" on it. I'll design one for all of us. I think hours should be 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Agreed?

Believe it or not, I'm really really looking forward to gunning it on the treadmill tonight. I think I have more stamina, too, Leah. Call you later!

Detour From Road to Late-Night Eating

This is going to be short because I spent the last 30 minutes writing this article only to have my computer freeze losing all my clever thoughts and research- UGH!

I realized after reading Spark People Nutrition Plan entries that maybe the reason I have not lost weight since Sunday was due to my late night trance-like journey's to the kitchen. The Snack usually starts out with something sweet like pudding, then something salty like a pickle, then sweet, then salty, then sweet. You get the picture.

Is late night noshing unhealthy? Weightlifters eat cottage cheese (high in protein) before bed to keep their metabolism working as they sleep. But since the only weight that I lift is my body getting on and off the couch, I need to come up with a plan to fight these binges.

Like Jillian said - I need to ask myself if I'm really hungry. I know the answer- NO! Then I need to start "being the boss of me"...and not give in to these urges.

I'm going to try a couple of tricks 1) Drink Water until I pop instead of food 2) Brush my teeth and chew gum and 3) As Leah and Jillian suggest, keep a paper journal with me at all times... I've been cheating on the journaling in Spark People. I tend to leave off the foods eaten after midnight.

Whitney, congratulaciones on not gaining weight after Mexican Margaritas....the Rec is really paying off in more ways than one. Leah, I agree that the best measure of success is a stronger heart. I'm going to use your cute little weightlifting heart as my inspiration...it's more achievable for me than Jessica Simpson's body.

Your dad just walked in with several bottles of flavored water. I was whining about needing to drink water instead of eat food when I get a late night snack attack. That's what keeps me going - all the support from family;-))

Well I had so much more to say and comment on but I better post this before I lose it again. Maybe I'll write these in Word from now on and then save it to blogspot when I'm ready to post...

Keep up the excellent work - and remember to look for success in more than just weight-loss.

Leah Speaking

I did okay yesterday. I've been staying within my calorie range everday. Sometimes it falls a little below what i'm supposed to take, but it's difficult to find stuff to eat and snack on because it's all pretzels or animal crackers and according to spark people I need to cut down on my carbs a bit. I'm going to go to the grocery store as soon as I have enough money (ha, what a joke) to get some fruits and vegies. Some broccoli, baby carrots, grapes, strawberrys, and apples. I have some canned peaches too so I'll try to add that to my breakfast. Jenna and I are waking up extra early Thursday. I'm going to make us some scrambled eggs to get the day started off right. Then i'm going to pack myself a 100 calorie snack bag of pretzels (thanks mom). Food hasn't been bad for me and I haven't been cheating so that's encouraging. I just wish I would notice any kind of difference in my physical appearance. I know it takes time and all that blah blah blah stuff.

Whitney, it sounds like you did fine. I mean it's not the best to eat chips and queso, and tortilla soup isn't the best, but it's also not the worst. It sounds like you made good decisions around the temptation of alot worse choices. I'm going to go ahead and say great job. We'll both hit it extra hard at the gym tonight though just to be safe. I'm guessing there won't be alot of people there considering how freezing cold it is outside! It's icy and rainy and rumors going around that school might be cancelled tomorrow due to ice! Brrrrrrr. Whitney and I have been doing good with our consistency at the Rec. We went yesterday for about an hour and a half and I noticed that my stamina has increased. The "running in sand" machine is starting to feel more like a regular eliptical everyday. The first time I did the machine my heart rate was charting in the "Peak high" range on the heart rate monitor and it was 188 most of the time. Yesterday, however, it wasn't beeping at me that my heart rate was too high and the highest my heart rate rose to was 116. So maybe my heart is just getting stronger.

Tonight my goal is to go for an hour on the machine instead of just the regular thirty minutes. I think I can handle it and I just keep remembering Jillian's reminder that we can push ourselves further and if I do then I'm going to see quicker and faster results. No more running in sand for me! I feel great! I bought a journal to start tracking down exactly how many calories I'm eating and burning so my spark people entries will be more consistant and more accurate, and hopefully by the time spring break comes around...we'll notice a difference! Keep up the good work ladies.
I'll end off as usual with Jillians tip of the day:
No Explanation Necessary Here's the problem with keeping a paper journal: In order for it to work, you need to carry it with you everywhere. Unless you're a reporter or a novelist, your friends might be wondering why you're scribbling away in a restaurant or at a birthday party. If you don't feel comfortable offering an explanation, don't. You are doing this for yourself and no one else. Do what you need to do to write, even if it means excusing yourself and going into a more private room, the hallway, your car, or even a bathroom.

Let Go of the Trigger Okay, go get your journal or log in to your online Fitness Diary. As promised, I'm going to start showing you how to break the cycle of emotional eating. Below are two questions. For a week, before you eat anything, whether it's dinner or a small snack, I want you to answer these two questions in your journal. By doing this, you'll begin to distinguish between real hunger and emotional triggers.
1. Are you hungry?Are you experiencing any physiological conditions that are signaling to you that you are hungry? Is your stomach growling? Do you feel weak or tired? Has it been longer than three or four hours since you last ate? If you concentrate on answering these questions, it will be very easy to determine whether you are genuinely, physically hungry or whether you are eating for a different reason. If you've determined that you are hungry, then it's time to eat. If not, it's time for the next question.
2. Are you depressed or anxious?Did you just get into a fight? Are you anxious about a work-related deadline? Whatever it might be, write down what you're feeling and why you think you're feeling it. Getting in touch with your emotions here is critical. If you can't, you're going to have an incredibly difficult time reaching your weight loss goals. Dig deep, and get it in writing.
Sit tight — next Tuesday, I'll ask another question that will help you break the cycle of emotional eating once and for all.

Love you ladies,
Mopeah

Damn Mexican Food (Whitney)

I buckled AGAIN.

But not as bad as last time. One martini. One chicken and veggie quesedilla slice (actually full of veggies and tasted fresh and healthy), and a bowl of tortilla soup. Oh and like 8 chips with queso. But I did try to limit myself. I could have ordered a burger... I'm justifying and making excuses I know. But I did have a good workout yesterday. At least on my last cheat I didn't work out at all that day and ate bad two days in a row. I rec'd it up for about an hour and a half before my sinful dinner. And I ate only low-cal snacks for the beginning of the day. Best news of all, didn't gain an ounce.

Today I'll kill at the gym, I promise. I'm feeling energetic and guilty so I'll double-time it. I have the night off so it should be fine.

I'm loving the pic of Dad with the "haha" look on his face. It's priceless. Please only grill fish and chicken with low amounts of grease from now on, and veggies as your sides. Thank you Dad. And way to go on keeping up with your work outs.

Last night, Brian's mom asked if the blog is helping me on my diet and I answered "Heck yes!" I think it is helping me more than anything. It's kind of like a weight watchers meeting. You will be held accountable for your calories and if you don't blog for a day or two, the others know what's up. Or at least they suspect. I know that when I'm shoving chips in my mouth, I'll have to see Leah at the gym and type it up in the blog sooner or later. Confession. That's how I think of this blog. Confession and support and inspiration to keep going. This is one of my longest ongoing diets in a while. And I credit the blog about 50%.

The other 50 %: I'm wearing a pair of jeans I couldn't wear a month ago. I'm still squeezing into my sexy jeans and taking snaps of it- for even MORE inspirationl. And I screwed up at work today so there's even more. What's new? :( Speaking of... gotta get back to it. Going to the gym with Mop this afternoon.

Thank Heaven for Outdoor Grills

After some moaning and groaning, I convinced your Dad that grilling some chicken tonight would be a good idea. Since his new grill entered the scene, we've been eating grilled meat about two or three times a week. For me it means no cooking but lot's of cleaning!!!! I think the newness of his toy is wearing off. He's not as excited about it and he stopped wearing "The Grillmeister" apron. All good things must come to an end - NO WAIT, I need to use Leah's montra "We've Only Just Begun".

Tonight will be a focus on legs via the Total Gym. I'm dusting it off and pulling it into the Living Room. Since we spend so much time in front of the TV, might as well do some squats. Goodbye my fellow motivators, persuaders, cheer leaders....

We've only just begun

It hasn't even been that long that we've been doing this and it still feels like a lifetime. That's always been my problem when I set my goals. As soon as I get back down to 127 to 126 I usually quit with the satisfaction that I look 'good enough.' That's why I'm so glad that I have Whitney to be a constant reminder that we should go work out. Without that, I very much doubt that I'd be going to the Rec that often, if at all. So thank you Whitney for being such a great influence and don't quit. The food part of losing weight hasn't really ever been that difficult for me. I prefer to eat the healthier stuff after awhile. (By the way I learned from Jillian that if you absolutely have to drink then the best drink is a clear liquor like vodka or gin, but again not much at all...like one shot haha) I guess that's the point...the sinful things are only allowed in moderation. I'm going to keep up the work out though because the other night we all went to hang out with some guy friends and all the girls (Rachel, Bonnie, and Jenna) were in their tight tank tops leaving nothing to the imagination. You can just tell they are all confident with their bodies and I'm ready to have that confidence. I want to be able to feel hot in anything I wear. Whitney, thanks so much for getting me those headphones! That'll make life alot easier for me :-)
My big accomplishments so far have been dropping from 130-132 range to 126-128 range. I know it doesn't sound like a whole lot, but it is for me because 120 is the lowest I've ever remembered weighing since middle school and I'm only 6 pounds away. The other accomplishment came from last night. I made one of my new rules "no eating at County Line...no exceptions." And last night I accomplished that. It was so hard not to nibble on a couple of french fries or fried okra that slipped off a plate. So tough to not grab a spoon and take some vanilla bean ice cream. It paid off though and I felt so proud for not giving in to the food. Instead I came home and had a frozen dinner and some baby carrots. I can't wait for this all to feel effortless and natural. I hope the working out part catches up to the eating healthy part of this struggle to stay healthy.
Mom you and dad should take a trip up next Saturday morning. Dad can fix my TV and Whitney's dryer and we can all go to the pretty track by the Rec center that Whitney and I like to go to on pretty days. If it's not a pretty day then we can all either go to the Rec or if you want something more private the gym at my apartment. I agree that we should all take a picture for the blog. It would be great for a before and after picture.
Thanks to both of yall for keeping me so motivated. Let's keep up the good work and remember we've only just begun so keep on keeping on! Here is Jillian's tip for the day:
Look at Your Plate Size
Listen, no one loves adding up calories. But this is a necessary part of getting your eating habits on track. If you can't manage to count calories when you're away from home (say, when you're at a dinner party or an event that offers a buffet), look at your plate size. Train yourself to eat those smaller portions by using a salad plate or small bowl instead of a large dinner plate. That way you're watching your calories instead of shoveling down the gigantic portions you would have taken to fill that large plate.

-MOPEAH

Sick and Tired Whitney

I caught a cold... or something. I had sniffles, dizziness and a cough. AND after working so hard on my legs and arms Friday and Saturday, I'm worthless at the gym. So yesterday I had a good diet day and waited tables as my "work out." We had to go to the store to buy some laundry detergent after our shift and I was practically crawling around. Brian had to help me get out of the car. He also tried to carry me to the car from work, but my legs and arms were so sore that even being carried hurt. It was a nice thought though. But if it makes it any better, I thought really hard about working out yesterday.

I am probably sore because of Mom. haha. At the rec Sat., I was working legs and talking to Mom on the phone. I hopped on the HipAbductor while I answered the phone and when I got off the machine it had been 34 minutes. That's what happens when I get carried away in a conversation. And it was the perfect machine to use your phone on because it's hands free, all leg work. I'm paying for that now. My inner and outer thy muscles ache so much.

But today I'm going back when Leah gets home from doing laundry. I think I'll try to take it easy. My arms are doing better, so I'll focus on them and some light cardio- like the elliptical. It guides your legs instead of you pounding them into a treadmill for an hour.

This evening will be a challenge on the diet I think. Brian's Mom is coming over and wants to drink wine and talk about guys. Wine is not a low cal drink. I don't want to whimp out, but I don't want to erase all the hard work and deprivation either. I got a lot of yummy low cal snacks. We found some little cups of sherbert at the store that are only 90 calories each. My list of delicious low cal snacks has really added up. I think I can make a lifestyle out of this.

Mom keep walking in that sand. Imagine how it will feel when you reach an oasis. We should all work out together one of these days. Dad mentioned coming down to fix our dryer soon so maybe we can do salads and track work out then? We should all get together and take a group pic for our diary.

Keep it up! (even though it takes forever) Leah, get ready to work out with your new clip on headphones! Yayyy.

I'm Walking in Sand Today (Lgtalking)

Today I was walking in sand without the machine. After 3 1/2 miles at the track, I could not lift my legs anymore. They decided way before my heart and lungs did that the walk was over. My brain wanted to push on for two more laps so we would all end with an even 4 miles. Maybe next weekend all my body parts will be on the same page and we'll hit the 4 mile mark.

I've lost 15 lbs total. That would be analogous to a drop of sand in the desert. And looking at the sand picture above gives one a good perspective of the journey I have still ahead of me. But I'll throw on my turban and veil, pack some water and continue the journey onward through the sand.

Exercise High

Could it be? Did I actually experience an Exercise High? This afternoon I decided to do 15 minutes of strenuous walking then switch into 4 minutes of running, alternating for 40 minutes till I couldn't breathe. I felt a little "giggly" during the running part. Do you think my endorphins kicked in?
They say that Endorphins, hormones, are secreted in response to physical stress. These hormones are known to block pain, decrease appetite, decrease anxiety and induce feelings of euphoria. Did you know that endorphin is related to morphine. Hmmm? It's doubtful that I have an addiction to exercise. (HA- that sounded funny even typing it - "addicted to exercise)

Actually, research show that the better physically fit an athlete, the more receptive the athlete is to endorphins. And as intensity and duration of exercise increase, the concentration of endorphins increases. Again, I'm laughing- why? because I've only been exercising regularly now for two weeks so calling myself and Athlete is stretching it a bit. Ok, maybe it wasn't exactly an "exercise high" but instead a little gas????? That's my new goal - to reach euphoria while jogging. I WILL find that level of intensity that kicks my body into happyville. Great - now back to my addiction - I think I'll walk Louise.

Love is Like a Sandwich (Lgtalking)

It's not a good sign when the Thundercloud Sandwich employees miss you when you skip a weekend. We went to TCs today and they said "where were you last Saturday"....hmmm, we went to Scholtsky's. I felt like we were cheating on our favorite sandwich shop. Then we started to get philosophical. Our TC buddy compared love to a sandwich "with it many layers" and you know it can be bad for you sometimes but you go to the last bite and it's so rewarding in the end.

Now you know what I had for lunch. It's ok though. I planned on it. One Austin "small" club is 520 calories and zero chips. You CAN lose weight and still eat your favorite foods - just not as much and you have to plan for it. Since I'm trying to stay at 1100 calories a day (knowing that this number will fluctuate), I'll eat my leftover spaghetti - another 350 cals. Pudding snack for tonight = about 1,000.

I too had someone comment that I looked thinner and that they liked my suit. It was a navy blue suit that was one size down from what I've been wearing - SUCCESS! When you are my size, you never get complimented on your outfits at work so I'm going to take that one and run with it.

It was a good week. Good with clothes fitting looser, compliments and using the right portions. The real challenge was Thursday night when we had Grandma and Grandpa over for grilled steaks. I made a fruit salad and a green salad. We also had mashed potatos and broccoli and cheese caserole. I had 3 Tablespoons of potatoes, NO caserole, 4 ozs of steak and salad. The biggest accomplishment was not going back in the kitchen for seconds on mashed potatos and not having any wine. I knew a glass or two of wine would equal about 300 extra calories that I did not need that night. Again, I have to look at that as a SUCCESS.

I'll weigh on Sunday for a weekly loss (hopefully not gain).

Phase 2? (Whitney)

Wooooo Hoooo. Yesterday was a great diet/ work out day. I had strawberries for breakfast, ritz snack for lunch, the buffalo chicken out of my sandwich for dinner. I introduced Leah to the 100 calorie Ritz snack packs and she loved them. It's really a great hold-over snack because you don't even feel hungry when you're done. I was so proud of us yesterday. We had a rough workout and it felt so good.

We stretched out at our beautiful track area, then we went to the Rec and worked out for about another 1 and 1/2 hour. I stayed on the treadmill for over an running/uphill walking. I didn't even feel tired after. Then I did some arm machines (and my arms are feelin' it today) and ab machines. Then I ran into my old roommate who was always a super healthy, worker-outer girl who would make me feel guilty for not working out and for eating bad stuff. It was good to see her, but I was fatter than she's ever seen me and she was muscular and small as ever, bla. So I must go back today!

Last night Leah, Brian and I had free passes to Pluckers so we went to eat. Brian came in while I was getting ready and wrapped his arms around me (I think to show off how hard he's been working out his arms) and said "You look really great baby. Your working out is really showing and paying off." Ahhh. How rewarding. After dinner, I went bowling with Brian's brother and his g/f. It was so much fun! We played 4 games, and I'm a better bowler than I thought. On the last game, we would do a dance after ever bowl on our way back to the chairs. I got some video I'll have to show y'all. But the point is, Brandice told me I look like I have lost a lot of weight. Leah and I were just saying how it feels so great when people notice your hard work and I got two comments in one day! And I'm not even in the weight-range I want yet. Crazy. However, I'm only 3-4 lbs away from it. Another reason to do really well this weekend.

And Leah and I were talking about how when you're looking for a job, you must have a good bod because it shows potential employers that you have discipline. I like how she put it. It does show discipline. I feel so UN-disciplined when I let myself go.I get lazy and depressed about how my clothes are fitting and I'm sure it shows in my work performance. It will change!

I'm going to try more of the machines at the Rec, I think. I'll watch the buff people doing them to learn how, then I'll attempt them myself. I really want to get my arms trim, and my legs, and my abs. And I have seen some machines that I'd really like to try. I did try two new ones yesterday and they really worked. Today I'm working on legs. I really like a nice, cut hamstring muscle on girls- it's hard to get so I can really appreciate that ladies who have it. I want to have it, too. My ideal body would be Jessica Simpson's. Not crazy skinny, but muscular, booby and still has curves. I'm growing my hair long and toning like her. I am going to post pix up at my house for inspiration.



I got a note in my inbox today from Spark People saying I have passed Stage 1 and I'm ready for healthy eating habits of Stage 2. I agree. I do feel like I'm moving into a new stage. I could have been a lot worse cheater in the past couple of weeks, but I wasn't. And now I will promise myself not to cheat at all. Except one day a week I can eat something not-so-healthy. My roommate used to do that, too. She'd have (half) a brownie on Friday night or something to reward herself for working out that week. Smart.

Phase 2- here I come. Get ready for the after picture! (If Leah would get home from wherever she is and go work out with me)

101 sexiest bodies

So Whitney and I did good today. We didn't over eat at any point and we worked out pretty hard at the gym. Whitney was a machine today. I did the really tough machine Whitney calls the 'walking in sand' machine for 30 min. straight. It was easy not to quit as the TV showed me all of hollywoods 101 most sexy bodies. It was rough to watch, but also motivational cause the whole time I was thinking these people prolly work out alot harder than I do. Which brought me back to what Jillian said about pushing yourself past the bare minimum. If it feels like you just can't go any more push yourself that extra mile....you know all that motivational stuff. It worked though because I finished the whole thirty minutes without stopping and then did even more time on a variety of other machines. We went to Pluckers tonight. WHAT A HORRIBLE INFLUENCE!! (but i'm proud to say that I didn't over eat) Whitney and I each ordered a chicken sandwich and a salad instead of fries. Luckily our server sucked and forgot to bring us the salad so all we had was a chicken sandwich.(and it was more than enough) Whitney did better than me because I had about 4 chips with queso that she didn't even touch. I don't feel guilty though and that's all that counts. We are going to the Rec again tomorrow and we've even discussed possibly jogging to the Rec from Whitney's house which is quite the jog, but I'd say we are more than capable and it's better for us. I'm going to focuss on my arms and abs tomorrow. Spring break swim suit, spring break swim suit...just gotta keep reminding myself of how good it's going to feel when I don't feel like the 'big one' of the group. Mom the portion plate sounds awesome to all of us it seems- tell us more about that and where to get one! Keep up the good work everyone :-)
Here is Jillians tip of the day:
Nice Form?
Performing the lunge can be tricky. It requires more coordination, balance, and strength than many other resistance exercises. Here is a common error I see: People take a step forward and end up with both feet in an imaginary line, almost as if they were walking along a tightrope. This can make it tougher to balance. Quick fix? Think to yourself: "Start with feet hip-distance apart, end with feet hip-distance apart." It may feel awkward to step this wide at first, but hang in there. It will become second nature.

Portion Distortion (LGtalking)

That's it! The cause of all my weight problems. I've got a serious case of Portion Distortion. I contracted this ailment at a very young age. Three or more breakfast tacos every morning before school, homemade by Mrs. Ramon, Snicker bars almost every afternoon that dad would bring home for his deserving kids, big plates of spaghetti (don't waste - clean your plate), and my favorite, Granddads cakes every Sunday purchased at the Church Bake sale of course, and I won't even comment on all the other foods growing up, except just one out of guilt, potato chip sandwiches. That's right, Potato Chips crushed between two pieces of white bread.

I'm 48 years old and trying to change a lifetime of behaviors. I'm trying to remember that my meat serving should be no larger than a deck of cards or my cheese serving should be the size of a domino. I'm keeping my containers to help with measurements - like my Healthy Choice soup bowl. When the soup bowl is filled, it's about 240 calories. Also, I only eat dinner on the smaller salad plates instead of dinner plates. That seems to be working. Maybe I should break down and purchase a "Portion Plate".

I will fight this dreaded illness - and conquer the over sized serving!


Weigh to Go Girls! Keep up the jogging and trips to the Rec. You are an inspiration. I came home from work with the intention of putting on my robe and chilling - but I read your blogs and instead put on my workout clothes and Treadmilled for about 35 minutes and lifted weights for another 15. Felt good afterwards.

Until tomorrow - Lgtalking signing off.

Day ? (what feels like a million) Whitney

I planned out how many days it is going to take to drop a certain amount of pounds. I figured I'll be in the area (barely) that I want to be in by February 11th, if I lose about 1-2 lbs per week. Doesn't that sound like a million years away? What I did was write the date, day of week and what I expect to weigh if I keep up with diet and exercise into my food journal. Then I wrote at the top of the pages "Please don't quit!" and things like that.

Today was an okay diet day and a kick ass work out day. I woke up at 8 a.m. to discover my tire was flat. While I waited for B to come home and fix it for me, I went for a run in my neighborhood. Then I joined B and his bud for lunch where I ate a Which Which Italian sandwich. Wait, wait before you worry too much: I had it on whole wheat bread with no mayo, no chips, and a water. It was still bad, I know. Meanwhile I watched B and Bowie eat mega sandwiches with greasy chips and lemonade. I tried to chew slowly so I wouldn't want anything else. THEN Bowie ate a rice crispy treat. Boo :(

The guilt from Which Which drove me to the correct frame of mind. Leah came over and we took the dogs to the park, then went to the Rec. On the way to the Rec, we stopped at the track because the weather was so amazing. At the Rec, I did cardio and abs for a little over an hour. It was rough. I did a machine today and yesterday that I had never done before. I like to call it the "walking through sand" machine. It feels like you're running through sand. It looks like an elliptical but don't let it fool you. And by the way, how many tiny, tiny, muscular, little, tan beeotches must I work out with? They are crawling all over the Rec center. I guess its inspiring.

After the Rec, Leah and I went to the store and got some healthy snacks: grapes, strawberries, 100 calorie cracker packages, pineapple (although I'm not sure how to cut it), 100 calorie pudding packs and mini dill pickles (which I later found out were jalapeno pickles and still delish).

I showed Leah my before pic that I'll def. not be posting on here. She didn't say much besides, "I can't wait to see the after pic." Me too Leah, me too. I'm down another pound in the last few days, so in spite of the weak moments, I've lost weight. What do ya know?



KEEP IT UP! Going on day billion on diet 100. Make it the last diet ever! I think I'll go lift my 5lb weights and watch American Idol now.

The Nutty Professor: luv Whit

Yesterday the Nutty Professor was on TV and B and I were watching it. It was right near the beginning when Prof. Klump is depressed about his weight and he's sitting on the couch, covered in snacks and choking down a gallon of ice cream while watching TV. On Prof. Klump's screen as is on mine every day, there was ad after ad, show after show, infomercial after infomercial about weight loss. "I lost 10 lbs in a week! Thanks turbo gym"

He continued to eat the snacks until he came across the channel with Richard Simmons saying to his aerobics class "Yes we can! Yes we can!" Then Prof. Klump stands up and starts stomping along and yelling "Yes I can!"

I thought this would be an appropriate blog topic. First, because it makes me want to watch and aerobics video and scream "Yes I can!" Second, because I think Obama stole his campaign slogan from the Nutty Professor. (hahahaha) Happy Inauguration Day. I guess.

Borrowing B's car to go to the Rec today around 5... Interested Leah? Yesterday was good. A great workout that I should repeat but running up an enormous hill I think is a once per week workout. I feel like I'm at a weight plateau but 5 lbs is my goal for this week. I can do it. And if I do I'll be back into my not over-weight range. Yayy! Sooo looking forward to after pix.

OUUUUUUUUUUCHHHH!

If I had a working camera I would post a picture of my leg/butt. I could tell you all the details behind my little accident and what I've had to endure, but some of the details are a little gross so I'll just let yall know it's not pleasant for me right now. Whitney I'm glad you're still going to the Rec, and don't stop calling to invite me. I can always go with you and lift some weights for some arm work outs. I'm not sure if it's because of the fall or the 4 mile jog but my legs feel like two hunks of metal. It's the most sore I've ever been. The only good thing that's come of it is the pain is keeping me from going down to the kitchen for too many snacks. I've been keeping up with spark people though. I told Bruegg about it too because she's trying to lose 20 lbs. by spring break. She said she's already been told by people back in College station that she's looking good. It helps me stay motivated when I hear that my friends are all trying to be healthy too. I photoshopped a new picture of Caitlin today. I learned some new things about photoshop and I also noticed how tiny all of my friends are as I was going through all the pictures. I know I can get down to the size I want to be at if I stick with this so please keep sending the support and don't let me quit. Whitney I look forward to seeing your after picture...what a great feeling that will be for you. :-) and Mom and I can't wait for week two's weightloss number, cause I know you'll keep going strong and do what you gotta do. I have school tomorrow bright and early, so I'd better get to bed. (I'm so scared of walking all the stair on campus tomorrow OUCH!) Hope I mend sooner than later ha.
Jillians Tip of the Day:
Resolutions Too Big
So if those pesky New Year's resolutions have you down, it's time to think of a more effective method to acheiving your goals. If you promise yourself you'll eat three meals and a snack every day, that's a reasonable goal to keep. If you promise yourself you're never going to eat pizza again, you're up for inevitable failure. Think of the big picture about wellness and make smaller goals that you can keep for the long haul.

Love you both,
Mopeah

Caving to a Craving - No Apologies Necessary

I read this tonight and thought I'd share:


Let go of guilt: So you ate a brownie [insert Puffy Taco or Pop Tart]. You're human! Forget about it and get back on your healthy eating track. Aiming to be a flawless eater 100 percent of the time is unrealistic, and chastising yourself for caving to a craving can lead to total loss of weight loss resolve. One small slip won't make you suddenly balloon, but letting that trip-up mushroom into days or weeks of overindulging might.

But the Little Mouse was cute.

Whitney Here

They say beauty is pain. In Leah's case, Rollerblade injury extreme pain. Get well soon and I'll try not to bother you to go to the Rec with me for a couple of days.

So a guy just came to the door to get me to subscribe to a magazine. I saw weight watchers magazine on the list and I almost said yes. But who am I kidding paying for that? Maybe if I see him walking around later I'll see how much it costs. I'm a strong believer in WW. And I didn't even know they had a magazine. I could help the guy go on a cruise?

Today I vow to diet smart and work out really hard. I took some before pictures of myself in my tiny jeans (that probably fit loose on Leah). I wont post the picture, that's how gross it is. But I may post the after shot. I drove all the way into work today only to discover that it's MLK Day and I had the day off. Great news? So I commuted all the way back home and now I have some time to focus on being healthy.

Hey Mom- Leah's tip of the day said to eat air popped corn and you were one step ahead. Even though you didn't get a bowl big enough to catch all the kernals. I really really wish I had seen your I Love Lucy scene! I can only imagine it and it's great. I'm calling Grandma today to get her blogging. Can't wait to see how y'all's Mondays go.

Laura aka MOM

Hmmmm, ladies...I didn't expect followers???? I have a bag of food for each of you - if you come by the house or I can have Dad deliver to "the restaurant" Consists of 4 Lean cuisines, 100 calorie bags of pretzels, Fat microwave popcorn for your skinny friends, and 100 calorie a bag popcorn for you guys. I did good today. I learned that 1/2 a cup of popcorn fills up a pretty big bowl. I pulled out the air popper because it's significantly less calories than microwave popcorn. It started popping corn all over the kitchen. I had a cereal bowl at first - duh - and couldn't get to a larger bowl before the popcorn flew in every direction - on the floor, under the microwave, in the stove burners - I felt like Lucy Ricardo - I just stood and laughed at the mess. Leah - ouch!!!! I'm thinking - let go of the leash. Maybe Whitney needs to let you and Charlie go first. Ice and antibiotic cream - take care of yourself. I think it's great that you two jumped back into good eating and good exercising. If you wait too long after setbacks, well, hmmm, you'll look like me ;-(( Watch out for those skinny friends - they are the very worst saboteurs. THEY ARE THE ENEMY.
<- The Enemies ammunition
Good luck next week. I'll keep you posted on my progression (or digression).

'Poor Leah' speaking

Well I won't make this a long entry. Mostly because my butt hurts way too much to sit on it for very long. This $10 rollie chair isn't the most comfortable for a strawberry covered buttox either. I will say that despite my throbbing tush, today is a beautiful day. I woke up around 10:00am, worked on picking my room up, and then met Whitney to go for a work out. 4 miles at the track and I wasn't even dying afterwards because of how beautiful the weather was. I just kept repeating "Padre...Spring break...Jenna weighs 100 lbs. and she's my roomate...ect.ect." and before I knew it the last lap was finished. After the jog I felt good about getting to take Charlie for a roll around. (Wish it could have lasted longer) Then we all went to the dog park and Whitney and I got to enjoy our kids taking in the beautiful day. It just felt good. I wish I could wake up and start my day off every day like this. I will say my busting ass is not going to be very helpful when I decide I want to work out. My entire right thigh and all the way up my right butt cheak is a trail of strawberry's that are going to be sore for a while. Yes it's just like softball but this is definitly worse than any I ever had from sliding into the plate. I'm tough though and I think I'll only need a couple days off. I've done really well with eating today too. I had an apple after the work out and I'm going to make myself a sandwich now. Glad to hear everyone is staying positive and doing well.
-Mopeah

p.s.- 12 lbs.! Way to go mom! I know you can keep it up for week two.

Jillians Tip of the Day:
Choose and Lose If you listen to one thing and one thing only (but you'd better be listening to more than that!), make it this: Always choose the healthy option. Go for low-cal, low-fat foods instead of junk. Junk is always available, making it very easy to justify, so this will take persistence — but what worthwhile mission doesn't? Have half an apple instead of a candy bar. Have a bowl of air-popped popcorn instead of a bag of potato chips. You get the idea. Old habits die hard, but keep at it. The results will affirm you in ways you never imagined possible.

Whitney's Trip to San Antonio

I'm Sorry!

I feel so dirty for the way I ate on Friday and Saturday. After a fantastic workout with Leah at the Rec (aside from her hounding me to go the whole time), I came home and headed out to visit my skinny, healthy pretty friend and her skinny,healthy pretty boyfriend. I thought they'd be such great influences but no. They took us out for dinner at Las Polapas, which is the best Mexican restaurant I know if in San Antonio. C'mon, who can say no to a puffy taco? I got chicken fajita nachos, snacked on chips, drank a margarita and split a puffy taco with Allie. Oh my Gosh! What was I thinking? That is NOT how someone in a weight-loss contest should eat. Then Saturday we went out to eat again and I ate a turkey melt on white bread. I didn't have my side order and I avoided ice cream at the movie theater after that. But when Brian and I got home I had a chalupa, then later that night I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It was like I was on auto pilot. But the food just tasted so great! Especially after a week of munching like a rabbit and running every day.

To make matters worse, I didn't exercise at all on Saturday. It was gray and nasty outside, the rec was closed, Brian was still stiff from his last work out and it was double the points week on XBox Live. So I used everything I could as an excuse and lay around till bed time. Notice I didn't blog or get on Spark People. If you have not seen a post for a few days, it may be because I fell of the band wagon and I'm sprinting to catch up (or avoiding catching up).

Leah had set back time to, so in extreme remorse, we tried to go to the rec this morning. She promised to work out for longer this time. When we got there it was still closed. I think it opens later on Sundays for some reason. We really need to find out the official schedule. So we decided to go to the track around the campus activities soccer course. We also decided that because we were so terrible this weekend, we needed a super-long, cleansing run. I jogged consistently for 17 laps (4 and 1/2 laps = 1 mile). That's right! 4 miles. And I only stopped to hover over the water fountain after each mile for a second before I took off again. It was such a beautiful "You can do it" day. We were lucky. Then I did about 150 crunches while Leah told me her roommate stories.

Then we went for a Rollerblade/bike ride for about 2 miles in my neighborhood so the dogs could get a work out, too. Leah crashed and burned her leg BAD when Charlie tried to catch up with Cap and Pais. It was so ugly, like those old days strawberries we used to get from sliding in softball. Poor Leah.

All in all, today was a good get back with it day. I'm glad I have my Mom and seester to push me when I wont push myself.e Make it a good week!

I Think I Can... I Think I Can...

I actually watched Bob lose it on Joelle... I've never seen so many F- words fly out of one man's mouth. All he wanted her to do was jog on the treadmill for 30 seconds and she kept stopping at 25 seconds - it made everyone on her team have to start all over again and again. They were pissed and I think that's what motivated her to do it! It was her team; her support. So that's why we have to keep pushing ourselves and our team (mother / daughter team).

Today, I weighed - my first week. lost 12 lbs. It felt good. I still need to take my measurements. Week two is always harder, so I'm planning my meals now, grocery shopping, and getting psyched.

Leah Speaking

REC Report: It was awesome! There were so many machines and each one had it's very own TV attached and everything. It was even better than Life Time. I want to look into going to classes because they push me to my limits (something I definitly don't do on my own). I felt bad though because after about 45 min. my body was screaming at me and I pestered Whitney into leaving before she was ready to go. I guess that's what I get for staying away from the gym for so long. There were tiny tan girls working out all around me and that didn't make me feel much better either. I guess that's something I need to work on ignoring. I hope Whitney can be patient with me while I work my way back into things because if I'm going to keep this up I'm going to need all the motivation I can get.
FOOD Report:
Yesterday I dog sat for Whitney. It was the worst time to have the munchies. There were corn dogs, waffles, toaster stroodles (the kind with the yummy icing you get to put on top) breakfast sandwiches (the kind like you get at McDonalds that are so greasy and so good) cheese, crackers, peanut butter...aaaaahhhhh!!! (I didn't even look twice at the apples or yogurt) Mom is right again, it's not about any kind of boredom or depression or anything like that, it's simply the desire for the cheese, grease, and salt. After stuffing my face full of food I shouldn't have, the guilt set in. I have to say the blog is helpful because I would have had grabbed more food if I wasn't thinking about how I'd have to write about it here later. I guess you could call yesterday my first set back. (okay and today wasn't that great either)
The New Attitude:
I'm ready to put the set back behind me and move forward with a much better attitude. I know that if I'm going to have the swim suit ready body I want by the time spring break rolls around that I don't have time for set backs. Everyday needs to be a good day, and it needs to continue past spring break and become a new lifestyle. I couldn't find Making the Cut, but I am still apart of the authors mailing list and every day she emails a new Tip for the day. I've decided I'll start to post them on here and hopefully her words of encouragement will be just as helpful for yall as they are for me. I also made a list of rules that I'm going to follow that will hopefully help to keep me on track.
1. No fast food or eating out (this includes County Line food...no exceptions)
2. 30 min. of cardio a day (no excuses!)
3. No mayo
4. No fried food
5. No eating past 10:00pm
...to name a few.
Mom I did mention the tennis shoes, but I think you'd already gone christmas shopping, but no worries because the shoes I borrow from Whitney work just fine. Not to mention the roller blading with Charlie which is so much fun! I don't even need shoes for that. It sounds like dad still isn't being much of a good influence on you. I'll have to have a word with him about that. I know that the habits are hard to form but diet 105 will be the working diet...I can feel it. I'll end this entry with the Jillian Michael's tip of the day.
Tip of the day from Jillian:
The Power of "I Can"
Last night, Bob completely flipped out on Joelle because she wasn't giving 100 percent in her workouts. She kept on saying she was doing her best, that she couldn't try any harder, but he wouldn't take that for an answer. Well, guess what — in the end, she did what he was asking her to do. And she didn't die. The only thing holding her back had been her belief that she couldn't do it. Think about the roadblocks you're creating for yourself when you keep saying, "I can't." What would you accomplish if you started saying "I can"?
-----------------------------------------------------------
REMEMBER LADIES WE CAN! AND WE WILL!
-Mopeah

Tomorrow = One Week

Laura signing in... Tomorrow will be my weigh in and measurements day. I did 40 minutes on the treadmill and it felt good. Had a Chicken wrap and cup of vegetable soup at Schlotsky's and it added up to 425 calories. Wow - I use to eat a whole original sandwich with chips and soda - I'm talking 1,000 calories all in one sitting. Tonight I plan to have a cheese sandwich - yes, I said cheese, and asparagus followed shortly by a No - Sugar Jello pudding cup. The Steve will come home and say "I'm hungry - let's go get a hamburger"...HA We bought a new scale thinking that ours was off since it's so old, right? Nope! It registered the same weight as the new one - it just doesn't fluctuate as much when you shift back and forth. Too bad - Now I can't lean to the left for lower numbers. How's everyone doing so far?

Laura's Turn

This is my first post after pressure from the queen of blogging. From reading your posts, Whit & Leah, I'm wondering why you didn't ask for tennis shoes for Christmas.
Now to bore you... Why can't I lose weight? Today, I was offered a chocolate chewy praline, a cup of pecans, yum someone just brought a cheesecake in the break room, manager wants to take me to Italian for lunch, husband wants to go out for dinner and orders a Chicken Pot Pie, TV is full of adds with melted cheesy things....HELP!!!!! How long can I resist temptation? I am the way I am because I love the taste of food... it's not about depression, it's not about boredom, or some other deep psychological issue from childhood. It's so simple...thoughts of eating all this comfort foods far out-weigh (pardon the pun) thoughts of running on a treadmill. How do I change my thinking after 48 years of conditioning? Is it even possible?

Well I'm going to try again - diet number ..., let's see, dieting since junior high x 2 or 3 tries a year equals 105th diet. Should I try the Acai berry this time? Maybe a colon cleanse... maybe hypnotism or acupuncture from Dr. Tony? No, diet 105 will consist of counting calories on Sparkpeople and blogging with the Moms & Daughters and forcing some exercise in after a long tiring day. Hows that for motivational - Go Team! Maybe this Mom & Daughter team can turn around years, decades of "wrong thinking" when it comes to food. Let's give it a try.

Later, I'm going to treadmill now.

Leah Moe Peah hurr

Today is the first day of working out. I haven't gone yet, but Whitney is currently in the process of looking for some shoes I can wear. I would have my own pair but I left them at her place not too long ago and one of my tennies went mysteriously missing. (Whitney guesses it was one of the dogs) I'm hoping that once I finish the first workout I'll be more enthusiastic about the next time we go to the Rec. Mom is sponsoring Whitney's Rec. membership so we don't have to worry about going at the same time. Well I'm procrastinating now so I guess I'll end it here.
-MOE

Whitney Day 5

So I'm already at a stinkin' plateau. And one of the girls in the weight loss contest I'm in has lost 9lbs. This is nuts! Now I'm extra determined and going to the gym this afternoon.

My Spark People tracking is so helpful. I just figured out how to add in my work outs. I need to do some more strength training apparently. And I need to track my measurements. So Leah's bringing a measuring tape today and we're going to the Rec.

Leah gave me a synopsis of a book she used on time to work out and diet called Making the Cut. In the book, the author says that you need to work out every muscle in the body and makes "cheaters" feel really guilty. She says changing up workouts is very important to carve muscles. I think I have quite a ways until I'm worried about carving out muscles. So I'm going to stick to cardio, but I'll try to change it up as much as possible. I'm pretty glued to my treadmill whenever it comes time to lose weight. So I'll try a stair climber, row boat thingy (which looks really hard) and elliptical more often.

Leah agrees we should take before and after pix but we both have broken cameras. So the pix will need to wait until we get them fixed. So perhaps with the next shift money I'll see how much it will cost to fix my camera. And I'll try and get some new work out clothes. I have like 2 pairs of shorts that I wear every time. And my dryer is broken so I have to wash and hang the shorts to dry every other night. My tennies are cracked in the heel so that the little plastic piece sticks out on the inside. It doesn't bother me, but I know my workouts could be more comfortable. These are side-goals. Oh and the little problem of getting into the gym at the same time as Leah. I used her Student ID to work out the other day, but I really need my own membership at the Rec. It's only $47.00 for the next 4 months for alumni, which blows Gold's Gym prices out of the water.

Discovery: mustard is my new mayo. It has no fat and no calories but a lot of sodium. I used to be a big mayo fan until I read the mustard label yesterday.

I heard (form Mom) that it takes 3200 calories to burn a pound. WOW. That would be one killer work out. I mean I was proud to burn 600 the other day. I just don't know if I could do that X5 .

I'm giving Mom and Leah a blogging tutorial today. I'm no expert but blogspot makes things pretty simple. I'm also getting Grandma on the blog/SparkPeople. Our family is gonna be ripped in no time, haha.