Be a Super Recessionista!

WSJ calls women in lean times "Recessionistas" ... women who cut back on spending during lean times. Here's a great name for us, "Recessionista Dietistas"- not only because we will be forced to cut back on spending (i.e. on the verge of losing our jobs) BUT on a positive spin, we are cutting back on CALORIES. Because of the doom and gloom economy, we know that if you want to compete in this world you need to have energy, self confidence and good image. All achieved through Cutting Back the weight. I feel more motivated than ever as several of my close friends, family and co-workers are losing their jobs and I know it's just a matter of time for me. So I've turned my goals to lose weight into a competition - I have to drop as much weight as possible before hitting the pavements. While the fashion Recessionistas are looking for tips and strategies for buying cheap clothing, I'm a RecessionistaDietista looking for tips and strategies on losing weight .


Looks like I will be another 2 lbs down this week - making a grand total of 25lbs - we'll see tomorrow.

Grandparents are coming in town this weekend - they may spend the night tonight.

Quote for the Day:

Exercise and application produce order in our affairs, health of body, cheerfulness of mind, and these make us precious to our friends.

- Thomas Jefferson

Never Finished

It only ends when you reach the pearly gates. Until then, make it a way of life.

Last night Leah and I did Day 4 of Making the Cut, which was a repeat of Day 1. Day 1 I thought was much harder than Day 2. Then we got into it and bam! - mountain climbers and squat thrusts. Not to mention, we decided to go for each circuit twice. Doing this made me drink more water at least. I need to work on that.

I hate scales now. I believe them, they're right, but I hate them because they're all inconsistent and not showing me numbers I want. I'm on a plateau- AGAIN. And this one is lasting and lasting. It's been over a week now that I have stayed in the 141-143 range. It goes up and down and I have been working hard and writing down all my low-cal, low-sodium foods. I have included fruits and veggies in my diet every day. (I'm actually eating carrots for my afternoon snack right now.) Finally, the scale said 140 this morning. Sigh.

I got Brandice onto Making the Cut. I told Jeannie about it and she wants to do it, too. Then I told Lindsey (which prompted the sadness) about it. Her problem is the same as most people- she's a leader in school organizations, works part time and is a full time student- AKA an insane schedule where all you have time for is quick meals and sleep, if that. I remember that feeling. People who face this problem, who are already working hard must work even harder than others. I work 7 days per week and doubles for two or three of those days. I have to pencil in an hour work out in the morning and wake up extra early or drive straight to Leah's after my shift and stay up extra late. It's stressful, tiring, miserable I admit. However, I am more and more in love with the pain quote provided by Mom. It DOES hurt more to look in the mirror and hate yourself than it does to burn when doing squats for 50 reps. The worst for me were the nights I'd want to go out with friends and had so many cute outfit ideas in mind but couldn't wear them because they didn't fit me. I'd stand in the mirror and cry until Brian came in and caught me. Then I'd make an excuse like, "I'm tired." I never want to feel like that again and I don't want people I love to feel like that either. It will slow you down in life when you have tons of potential. I'll def. invite Linds to work out with us, but I know it will be hard to coordinate the schedules.

Last night one of the Hispanic cooks at work asked if I've been on a diet. It was cute. I'm sure I was beaming because it was a genuine compliment from an unexpected person. Donny has seceded from the contest unofficially, haha. Victory! (almost)

Leah- Yes we should try to run 3.2 miles per day so that when the actual event comes we'll be miles ahead of everyone and it will be super easy for us. It can be done. I ran 2 miles in 20 minutes last night, no problem (and after a Jillian workout). Stick another 10 minutes of your day on there and consider it 5K training.

Mom- If you feel hungry late at night, have a glass of water and go to bed. Sleep will distract you. Exercises will, too. Practice distractions. Do a couple of squats or hop on the total gym when the cravings hit. That's what I have been doing. When I get the munchies, I go outside and throw the ball for Captain or I start doing crunches. I have read that often munchies only feel like hunger when actually you are just thirsty. There is a diet called the water diet where you watch what you eat but when you get a craving, test your hunger by drinking a full glass of water then wait 15 minutes. Usually the feeling subsides.

Day 5

Work Out Summary
Last night was intense. The moves that hurt me the most were the mountain climbers, squat thrusts, and extended planks. Again, the teamwork is the only thing making me do this. If I make Whitney do it twice then I know she'll make me. She holds me accountable for the work out and keeps me from quitting. I was shaking all over at the end of the last work out and my abs are actually sore today. I have to wake up early every morning and it was so hard to find the energy to get out of bed this morning. My eyes are really heavy and I'm almost positive it's because of our work out. We did each circuit twice (which she doesn't require but suggest for an extra challenge) and we finished the workout with 15 min. of cardio after an hour of putting our arms and legs through hell. While we were on the treadmill doing our last 15 min. Whitney said "I can't feel my body." and I agreed. I think that's a good thing though, because it used to be that when i was on the treadmill that after 5 min I could feel my whole body and I would have to start walking, but last night I did 15 min. at 6.0 which is just 1.o away from a sprint. We're going to be so ready for that 5 K!
Whitney- We have off on work outs today and tomorrow, but I'd still really like to go to the Rec with you to do some running for at least 30 min. today and tomorrow. My goal is to actually build my stamina and endurance for the 5K! I want to start just going until I reach three miles and shave off some time each time I run it. So Friday and Saturday if you're interested in some 5 K training on our days off let me know.
Mom- I know how you feel. It's hard to cut out the late night snacking. I always get the mentality that it's okay that I'm munching because the thing I'm munching on is a healthy snack, but you're right we should just go ahead and say Kitchen Closed! Maybe I'll make myself a little sign that actually says Kitchens Closed and after dinner I'll stick it on my shelf. I'll let you know if that's helpful or not. Jillian doesn't set a time that we should close the kitchen but I read somewhere that you shouldn't eat any later than 8:00pm. We'll need to stay on course and cut out the late night snacking! (geez we really are like mother like daughter in too many ways) But one thing I'm glad that we have in common is our determination to reach our goals so I know that we can both cut the bad habit.
Inspiration:
Besides all of the other reasons we've listed for why this journey is so necessary to keep up with, I have ANOTHER! Whitney was telling me last night that Lindsey was upset about dieting. It made me sad to hear because I know what it's like to feel at your lowest, helpless and defeated. I hate to hear anybody feel that way, but I have to say that when Whit told me that it just reminded me how hard it is to do what we've been doing. I saw my Becky gang of friends last night (Kelsey, Kirsten, Sam, ect) and they all said "You look like a new person." I love that compliment because that was totally my goal when we started this. I wanted people to recognize the work I've done and hearing that recognition is so gratifying. The inspiration comes when they ask me what I've been doing to get into shape. If they want to know what I've been doing then it means they want to look the way that I look. It makes me feel good about all the time and energy i've put into getting results. I told Whitney that (since she's already winning the weight loss competition) you should tell Lindsey to join our work outs. I know she'd lose weight if she followed the plan with us and I'd love to help someone feel less stressed and depressed. I know Whitney has suggest Making the Cut to like 3 people and I've told a couple people about it myself. I told Whitney I feel like Jillian Michaels spokesperson.
Interesting Recipe
(i've had a sweet tooth lately so I hope yall enjoy this):
Low Carb Cheesecake
This recepie was taken from Low Carb Luxury
12 oz cream cheese softened
4 pckts splenda
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 cup Fresh Strawberries (Optional)

(Calories 339, Sodium 183, carbs 3.1)
Directions

Combine cream cheese, splenda, and Vanilla extract in a bowl and mix well.Beat the heavy cream in a seperate bowl until it forms soft peaks.Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.Transfer the mixture to a large glass bowl and chill with plastic wrap, for at least 25 minutes. Top with berries if you like. Serve immediately or store, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
-Serves 6 with 3 carbs per serving (more carbs if you add on berries.)
Number of Servings: 6

Jillian hasn't emailed me her tip yet! But keep on the positive talk and do great this week!
-Mopeah!

Kitchen is Closed

I noticed in my journal that I'm starting to migrate back into the kitchen for some late night eating... the difference today from two months ago is the quality of snack. Before I would melt a chunk of cheese onto a tortilla and maybe add some guacamole. Today I had an apple and cottage cheese.

Again, Jillian's team won the weigh-in. All those whiny babies that left Bob's team realized that they can lose more weight on Jillian's team and are whistling a different tune. Next week should be a good one. Jillian yells at Lara "SHUT UP AND FOCUS" at which point Lara walks out pouting. She's tough - tough love. It's evident that she truly cares about the people she trains.Just as I was beginning to convince myself not to work out tonight a little bird yelled in my ear "DON'T QUIT." So 35 minutes on the Treadmill ( dripping buckets of perspiration) and I burned 250 calories. That would be my dinner. Did I mention that tonight was scrambled eggs night - 1 egg and 2 egg whites? One egg white is only 17 calories but a whole egg, yolk and all, is 100 calories.

I'm so tired tonight that I caught myself falling asleep on the keyboard. I'm going to go to sleep now but I leave you with this quote:
“Success is not final, failure is not final: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill

Making the Cut Day 4

What's New
I'm registered for the 5k CASA run. I'm ten pounds lighter than I was a month ago. I'm tan, my hair looks awesome, my confidence is at an all time high. This journey has been so awesome and it's just getting better everyday. Whitney and I are doing day 4 of our work out with Jillian. In case you were curious here are all the moves we'll be doing tonight:
-Dumbbell presses on Body Ball
-Dumbbell fly's on Body Ball
-Squats (100 total)
-Plank's
-Close-Grip push ups
-Side planks with Inner thigh raise
-Burpies
-Sumo Squats (100 total)
-Frog push ups (80 total)
-Squat thrusts
-Shoulder presses with Leg extension
-Jump Roping
-Bench dips
-Rope tricep presses
-Static lunges with lateral should raises
-Mountain climbers
-Bicycle Crunches
-Extended Plank


Thats all! Seeing it all listed out kind of makes me feel like a badass...sorta like "yeah thats right I do that work out!" I'm still a big cry baby the whole time we're doing them though haha. Hopefully by day 15 I'll do those mountain climbers like it's nobodies business.

Mom-You don't need a trainer you're dropping the weight just fine by yourself. You have the biggest loser episodes and Jillian as your trainer! Don't forget about our sunday run at the track. I'll have more time to spend there too because I won't be needing to go to Target haha. So after Whit and I each finish our Jillian circuits (btw it'll be day 8 by that point and day 8 is a doozie) then we'll make sure we all push ourselves a little harder and stay to do that extra mile!
Whitney- How great if you could find a co-ed softball team with Brian. Yall would be doing something together AND something active! (and he'd still get to play on a co-ed team...just not one with a bunch of bimbo's flirting with him while you're not around) And you're right...there is no reason why you can't be in the 125-135 weight range. I know you'll get there and I know we will turn heads! When you hit your happy number we'll have to take some cute pictures and go downtown together. (btw I got told like 4 or 5 times last night by a few guys how 'gorgeous' i was...even if they weren't the best looking it still feels nice lol)
Jillians Tip of the Day:
Finish What You Start
In the middle of the grueling 24-hour biking challenge, both teams were tempted to just pack it in. But to Sione, that amounted to quitting, and he said so. He wanted to finish, just to prove to himself that he could. The rest of the players soon realized that he was SO right, and it energized them all to keep going. They were exhausted, their butts were getting blisters, and their legs felt like they were going to fall off — but they DID it. They survived, and it taught them all how strong they really are. Apply that same determination in your own life, and there's nothing you can't do. Next time you're tempted to quit, think of this challenge, and keep going that extra mile. You'll thank yourself — I promise.

**This tip is the tip that has been getting me through all of my goals...DON'T QUIT... "there's nothing i hate more than someone who quits right before the end" I don't know why but the idea of being a person that Jillian hates just doesn't make me feel good so I finish no matter how bad it hurts**

Can't wait until the weigh in, Can't wait until spring break, Can't wait to see the results at the end of our 30 days :-)
KEEP IT UP
-MOPEAH

Where's My Trainer?

I guess I have to rely on a virtual trainer- Jillian's book (dang - her online program costs $4.00 a week - that can add up). I'm so glad that you ladies are motivating each other - that's great! It keeps me going too.

Tonight was a good night - the thought of Obama's cheer leading session on TV inspired me to exercise (during his speech, if you know what I mean).

I had skillet veggies and 1 cup of wild rice, 1 cup of yogurt and a banana tonight. Then I worked off the Banana and yogurt. It's funny - I set these little goals before I start my workout - like, tonight I will burn off my lunch - so I can't stop till I burn 250 calories. It works.

Did you know that Jillian is only 5'1". I would have guessed that she was 5'5". She is a true inspiration to all of us "vertically challenged" women. Well I missed the Biggest Loser tonight - dang but I noticed that part B in on tomorrow so I'm taping it - thanks Whit for the heads up.

Here's a couple of good quotes for the week-
If you need a laugh:
“Inside some of us is a thin person struggling to get out, but they can usually be sedated with a few pieces of chocolate cake.” – Anon
For when you want to give up:
“The pain of self-discipline is always less than the pain of regret.” – John Maxwell

If it were easy, nobody would be overweight. Whitney's new range.

It's not easy. It is easier though, as I go. Not the Jillian workouts. Those suck more and more each time. I actually felt like Day 1 was more killer than Day 2. My legs are the best part of my body, so I really love to feel the burn there. Even mountain climbers (in retrospect) are a beautiful burn that I have been surprisingly craving.

My motivation is that my sister and I were made from the same people, we're only a couple of inches in height difference and we used to be able to wear all the same clothes. She even told me last night that there was a shirt I used to wear in high school that she couldn't fit into. Shock! I want to be a dyamic duo - show stoppers. I want people to think of "those sisters" as hot girlS. Not, Leah is so pretty and tiny and Whitney's lost a little weight, good for her. Working out with Leah and having her around to support me, guide my dieting habits, blog etc., is really helpful. Everyone wants to be trained by the person who motivates them, right? I don't even need to put a picture of my goal on the treadmill as I run, she's standing right next to me. Another thing we've talked about lately is that you wouldn't want to have a fat trainer... You want a trainer who has a body that seems almost unattainable, but who reassures you it IS attainable. I like having Leah and Jillian as my trainers. One virtual/in a book and one yelling "Straighten your back! Slow down and feel the burn! You can do it! Ten more seconds!"

I'm dedicated to completing the 30 day work out and diet program. I did good this morning. I had a piece of raisin bread (low sodium and only 80 calories) and half a cup of fat free yogurt. Then, I sliced some cucumbers and packed fat free Italian dressing to snack at work. Tonight Brian and I are having dinner together, so I'll see if we can cook a Jillian recipe.


He's trying to be supportive and told me last night that I'm looking great and I don't need to lose anymore weight. That just tells me he's used to me at this weight. True, this is the weight range I have worked to stay in since Brian and I have been together. So for the majority of our relationship (my life) I have been around 140-145. I'm DONE with it. I want to set a new range. A girl commented on a health blog today with an ideal weight range measurement system. First add 100 lbs for 5 ft, then add another five lbs for each inch above 5 ft. I'm 5'5 ish. So I should weigh around 125-130 lbs. And with Jillian, Leah and Mom I CAN DO IT! New range 125-135. Officially. And it would be nice if I could get there (no matter which scale I measure on) before March 11th's weigh in.

Another long term goal... depending on how the talk with the boss goes today- is to look super hot at the next company boat party. Last year I was a blob. And there are so many small, attractive girls who work here that the boat party feels somewhat like a PDiddy video. I want to be tan and fly.

I'm still learning

Yesterday Whitney and I did day two of the Making the Cut work out. It wasn't as bad as day one but I was still hurting towards the end. We've decided to motivate each other through the whole 30 days without quitting. I know I can do it as long as I have Whitney to keep motivating me through. Remember though that the work outs are great but we'll only see the results we want if we keep in mind our food and eating habits. I went on spark people to look for some recipes...here is something they had on here that I thought i'd post as a good reminder for all of us:
Stop skipping mealsA regular eating routine keeps you balanced and helps you digest food more efficiently. Plus it helps eliminate the starve-starve-starve-binge cycle many dieters suffer throughout the day.

Eat only when hungry
Not when you’re bored, sad, nervous, angry, upset or stressed. If you’re at a party with an appetizer buffet, socialize on the other side of the room, so you don’t habitually graze while talking. Listen to your body, not your mind or emotions.

Cut back on late night snacking
Prime time for television is also prime time for calorie-heavy comfort foods. Snacking at night is often another example of eating to relax or as something to do.

Plan for snacks
If you’re going to get the munchies – and you will – you might as well make the best of it. Keep raisins, carrot sticks, granola bars, and other healthy snacks within arms’ reach wherever you are.

Have a purposeful eating environmentThis is especially important at home. Choose a regular time and place for your meals. Cut out distractions, take a little extra time preparing and pay attention to your meal. Don’t eat over the counter, while watching TV or while on the phone.

**I think if we follow these rules (without cheating here and there) then we'll all see faster results**

Here are some of the yummy recipe's in case yall are interested:

(Calories 133, Carbs 22, Sodium 321)



Ingredients

1 Graham Cracker square (any type will do I use the Fat Free)
50 g of Cream Cheese
1 tbs strawberry preserve



Directions

On the Graham Cracker square thinly spread the Cream Cheese. Top with strawberry preserve and enjoy your....cheesecake!

Number of Servings: 1

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user AUTCODJADCAL.
Number of Servings: 1


(well they're harder to find than i thought, but I've been having a sweet tooth lately so I'll let yall know if this is a good dessert)

-Love yall
MOPEAH

Maintaining

I'm officially happy with my body. Now it's just a matter of maintaining. I still want to keep up the Jillian work outs with Whitney. It was pretty awesome having someone help me out. When my form wasn't the best Whitney could be my personal trainer and tell me to straighten out my back and encourage me to keep going. She also made sure I finished and kept the pace going the way it's supposed to. I think if we both manage to do the rest of those work outs for the rest of the month along with our 30 min. of cardio a day (and keep eating right of course) we're both going to be looking pretty freaking awesome. We won't need to stick our faces on anyone else's bodies because we'll be loving ours.
Mom you're right about those strawberries and yogurt! Talk about yum! I'm going to go buy some for myself today :-) The cheese it 100 calorie pack's are awesome too so thanks! Today I put on a pair of shorts that I wore to padre the first year we went (senior year spring break) that I haven't been able to wear since and it feels awesome. Plus it's nice to be able to add a few more items to my closet without having to go shopping. Losing weight has so many pro's. Another pat on the back I want to give to myself is resisting HUGE temptation. All week long I've been working and all week long I've been having to spend HOURS and HOURS looking at cheese bites, chicken bites, bean, cole slaw, mac and cheese, garlic mash, sweet sweet homemade bread, delicious looking chocolate cake from the private party, cutting peach cobler and getting the gooey juicy peach slosh all over my fingers AND not eating ANY of it. It's so difficult at the time when the smells are all up in my face and the cheese is just so perfectly melted and screaming at me, but instead Whitney and I brought some oranges to snack on and I've been having salad with almost no dressing. (The occasional pickel slice with more sodium than I should have but that's not going to kill me) So I'd like to say YAY for me on not eating that junk. (You too Whit!)
Mom- 23 lbs. that's great! I'm so glad that you've been keeping up with this so well. I told Whitney that if we're both living with you this summer then we'll for sure all be able to be good influences on each other and it'll make losing the rest of the weight and maintaining even easier to keep up with. (and keep putting up those recipees cause I'd love to try some out if they're any good)
Whitney- How have you been doing? I already said this, but if you'd like I would really love to keep doing the Jillian work outs together. Day 2 today if you're interested? If we do keep it up until County Line weigh in you'll for SURE win the money (even though I'm pretty sure you already have)
Here is Jillian's Tip of the Day:
Eyes on the Prize
What's your motivation, baby? If you're struggling through your workouts, and calorie counting has got you down, try to stay focused on your primary motivators. What's pushing you to lose weight? Is it the thought of wearing a bikini in public for the first time? Do you want to pass the stress test next time you see your doctor? Here's what one of my teammates recently said to another about finding motivation:
"We are all here for support. But let me tell you, this is not easy. It is not easy to track your calories day in and out, measure your foods, say no to things you know are not good for you, say no to hanging out with friends who drink. Get up at 4:30 am and work out, work all day/study all day. None of it is easy. Simple? Yes, eat less, move more. Easy? No. If it were easy, no one would be overweight. It is a struggle most days and some it seems impossible.
We cannot find your motivation, hun. YOU have to. We can and will cheer you on, but your motivation is yours. Jillian is a big fan of lists...so get out some paper and write down why you want to be healthy and lose weight. No reason is too anything. If it's because you want to wear skinny jeans, run a 5K, lower your body fat %, get off medications, wear that kickass dress/outfit you saw at the mall, whatever it is, you should write all of them down. When you need a boost, look at the list and remember why you are doing what you are doing. Don't believe because you lose 20 pounds everything in your life will be magically perfect. It probably won't be. Believe though that you can live the healthiest life you can and you will.
It isn't easy. But do know, you have TEAM JILLIAN on your side. And let me tell you, I would take TEAM JILLIAN members over any other group of people — even Gladiators or NFL stars — any day to be the team I have standing on the sidelines cheering me on. These folks are part of the reason I am one of the hundreds of success stories here. Not only because I lost weight but because I changed my life. And I couldn't have done it without their support. We may not be there in person kicking you in the butt when all you are wanting to do is relax and eat pizza, by darn it we are here virtually, any time you need support, an ear or shoulder. You CAN be happy by choosing to be happy, hun. And we are here to support that :)" –BadAss Mountain Queen
Trouble Keeping Track of What's Motivating You?
No problem — start reminding yourself. Every day. If your number one reason for getting healthy is that you want to be around to watch your kids graduate from college, put a photo of them on the treadmill. If your goal is fitting into a size 8, cut out the picture of a dress or a skirt from a catalog and keep the clipping on your fridge. And Mountain Queen is right — write yourself notes and stick them in your car, on your computer monitor, or by the television. Whatever it takes to keep your goal in sight.
-LOVE YALL MOOOOOOPEAH

Winner in a Losing Game

Although Rascal Flats song is sad, I though the title was appropriate for each of us, "Winner In a Losing Game." I lost TWO more lbs this week - Grand total now (drum roll) 23 lbs. Can you say Go Turtle?

My new passion, semi-frozen strawberries dipped in vanilla yogurt. Great snack! I had to buy WW vanilla yogurt cups since they were pre-measured to eliminate my portion-distortion tendencies. Next favorite, Danny's skillet veggies. He called it Succotash, but typically Succotash has lima beans and corn and has the consitency of thick soup.
My Recipe I calculated having 250 calories for 1 1/2 cups because of the oil & Smart butter:
RED Pepper, GREEN Pepper, Squash, Zuccini, Tomatoes
Minced Onion, pinch of Garlic salt, and lots of lemon juice squeezed over veggies while sizzling
1 tablespoon EVOO, 1 tbsp of smart balance butter.
Cooking with just the Smart butter or just the oil, will eliminate about 80 calories.


I'm going to buy the larger container (more economical) and spoon portions into my WW cup next week. Looking back at my journal, I'm proud to say that I exercised 5 out 7 days- that's a first for me! And yes, I'm counting today, Sunday.

New Friends I found this week:



Got to go...your Dad is dieing for a Firehouse Sub now.

Beans

Today I had a healthy lunch, healthy tortilla snack thing, sugar free yogurt and for dinner bbq beans and green beans. (Double beans for dinner I thought was a hoot, so delish).

I'm working on my sodium intake after reading Making the Cut last night. I want to know my inner badass, too. No more than 900 mg of sodium per day. I'll try and pay attention, even though I said sodium was the one thing I couldn't give up because I'm a salt freak. AND I'm a balanced oxidizer, too! I thought it was so funny reading Leah's quiz answers because mine were all the same. We are meat, cheese and salt people. Leah said, "Yep, sometimes I just want a nacho." I totally agree. (Thus the low fat "quesadilla" thingy I had for lunch.)

I'm pissed lately because of the discrepancy between mine and Mom's scale. I am 5 pounds fatter every time I weigh at her house. So when I think I'm only three pounds away from my next goal, I find I'm actually eight. And eight seems much farther away. AND the treadmill is not as snazzy as the ones at the rec, so I really feel like I'm pounding the pavement when I run there. And it's loud. And it didn't help that uncle Danny and Dad needed to go to bed.

Today I have no excuse other than being practically unemployed and job seeking online all day - for not working out. I feel a little guilty but also a little under the weather. I just need sleep because I have been working so hard. I'm plain tired. So as Leah and I try to fall asleep tonight, we're reminiscing on our favorite yummy food. Leah recalls Jack n' the Box being her best friend and we both will forever miss ultimate cheeseburgers with curly fries. I will allow myself a glorious bowl of mac n' cheese when I reach 130 lbs. I'm sorry, I refuse to give up that goal. Then that same day I will work out very very hard :).

Mom- you and Dad are the cutest penguins ever! That makes me think of Marry Poppins.

Mop- you're sitting right next to me and know my status. (And missing Charlie)

I'm A Penguin

See, I am a Penguin. That's how I felt last night running on the treadmill, like my legs were attached at the knees. You wouldn't know it from the picture, but that was back in my thinner days (and your dad too).

Even with Danny in town, amazingly I'm doing well not "pig'n out"...tonight I had a chicken breast, salad and about a cup of rice. I gave my delicious roll to your dad. (We went to Cheddars). Tomorrow I plan to go to the park to walk/jog it off - Charlie's going to be my running partner. Of course, she's been playing pretty hard with her grandpa tonight so I may have a hard time getting her up tomorrow.


I'm reading Making The Cut and admiring Jillian more and more. I guess she had me at the first page where she dedicated the book to "her mom, one of the strongest, smartest women she knows." What a great kid. HA OMG Leah, I almost answered the same to the questions on the Metabolic Typing Test that you did - I'm a balanced oxidizer. Don't know what that means yet but I'll keep reading because why? Because I want that Inner Badass living inside me to come out.

To sum up, this has been a great week so far for sticking to healthy eating - not going back in the kitchen for seconds!!!! Not the best week for exercise though, but I'm going to make up for it this weekend. No excuses.

Leah Speaking!

Wow! today was awesome. My pants were too loose on me (the ones that last month I could barley button up) AND when I went to to work tonight I had like 3 people ask me if i'd lost any weight. 1st Bonny asked "have you been losing weight?" and then Shannon said "whats up with you Ehtiopia...you look tiny like your arms and your face and thats all i can see" and then Ren said "Have you lost alot of weight?" all at seperate times! It was awesome. I told Shannon we should start going to the Rec together because she said she's been working out lately too (but she does the classes which aparently cost more so it may not be right away. The compliments only make me want to go to the gym and work even harder. I don't want that question to ever stop coming my way. I LOVE THE COMPLIMENTS haha so I'll keep working out for that reason alone. I got my swim suit today! :-) it's adorable...I need a 2nd opinion though from yall about the top....I think it might be too small but yall will have to tell me what you think. The bottoms are perfect and simply adorable. I CAN'T WAIT FOR PADRE! I'm going to feel so confident and so relaxed the whole trip and I'll be in a new cute swim suit and tan annnnnnd ahhhhh less than a month.
Whitney I didn't mean to go crazy on you...I think it's great that you only had a few bites of the food and it's awesome that yall shared a plate, but honestly when is it EVER okay to eat a big juicy spaghetti wearhouse brownie? I know they say to treat yourself for doing good, but you already had cake twice and 3 egg rolls for celebration the weekend before. I'm not trying to rain on your parade cause you're doing awesome but I guess I just couldn't afford to eat a brownie at all with this whole trying to tone up thing so I don't want YOU having any brownie either (no fair) haha. I've lost 11 pounds since we started this journey! I was at 132 and I'm now down to 121! (sometimes it even says 120) BTW Jenna weights 111 so I'm only 10 pounds heavier than Jenna! (i'm not ever going to try to weigh 111...that would be unhealthy for my height) I'm at the perfect weight for my height range and I'm so happy. It's true what they say though that eventually after 30 something days it becomes a habit. Keeping up with the right diet is so easy for me. I've even found a way on my school days to eat the right foods while i'm on campus. Whitney, you asked if Raisin Bran is good...well I'd say it wouldn't be bad if that was your only choice but it does have a higher sodium count and carb count than say Special K cerial or Cherios even, but still it's healthy and it doesn't have that many calories so it wouldn't hurt at all. When I buy my food I just read for 1. Calories per serving 2. how many are from fat 3. sodium level and 4. Carb count and for whatever it is i'm buy I try to find the item that has the lowest number of all 4 things. It's hard to do sometimes so in those cases I'll just go for the one with the lowest calories and sodium. (again this is just what i've been doing)
Mom haven't heard from you on the blog in a while...?
Looking forward to Sunday so we can all go for a lovely bike ride/Jog! :-)
-MOPEAH

So close

I'm so close to the 130s. Three pounds feels like forever away. Mom and I are working out tonight and eating grilled chicken and salad.

Last night I ran 5.6 miles and burned almost 700 calories because for some of the time I was on an uphill incline. I had a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with reduced fat cheese and mustard, no mayo. It was alright but I'm not gonna lie and say I didn't miss the mayo. :(

According to my Spark People newsletter:

"Victoria's Secret models are genetically blessed with a particular body type. Most are a size 2, although quite tall, with a 34”- 36” bust, 23” waist, and 34”-35” hips. In addition, the models spend long hours exercising and dieting to stay toned. At 5’11” and 130 lbs (BMI 18), the Victoria's Secret model Karolina Kurkova was blasted for having back fat, saddle bags and cellulite. Most models are actually very skinny indeed, and without heavy make-up or Photo-shopping, they don't look nearly as good in the flesh as they do in pictures."

And all I can say is that if she's wrong, I don't wanna be right. Ha ha.

Mopeah

I went downstairs and the good thing is our fridge has nothing but healthy in it. I told myself to ignore the food but I just had to bites of my low-fat cottage cheese. I only take bites of that here and there because Jillian suggests it for breakfast alot but I don't much like it, but I don't want it to go bad so i just nibble on it. haha I had about two little spoon fulls of that and grabbed a glass of water and hit the sack. I had a piece of toast with splenda on top for breakfast and (yes the cliche glass of water) I'm feeling better today than I have this whole school year. I'm meeting with my tutor today to do my homework, I'm prepared for both my tests tomorrow, I'm working all weekend so i'll have some money, I get my swim suit on Friday! (hope it looks good) Nick and Dokota both commented on how i've been working out lately and said that it was obvious and made a point to tell me! (yay!) I'm wearing shorts and I don't hate my legs...silly but here is a picture jenna was trying to get of Charlie and I was surprised with how I don't hate the way my legs look. Anyways i got on the scale today...1st time i stepped on it said 120 then i was too shocked to trust it so i got on and it said 121.5 and then the third time i stepped on itsaid 123. I'm going to accept the 123 because on the scale at the gym yesterday with all my shoes and clothes and ipod thingie it said 124! Anways I'm just really happy today and wanted to share my excitment. I can't wait to see how everone does after this weekend. I'll post a picture of my swim suit if it ends up looking great!

-Mopeah

Hanging In There

By a thread I should say.

Leah handed me a tongue lashing last night when she saw our dinner to-go boxes full of pasta and brownie. HOWEVER. Notice how I said "full of." Meaning we did not eat the food. Meaning I had just a few bites of the main course and ONE bite of the brownie. The leftovers were intended for Brian's lunch today. Brian said he was proud of me for not devouring the food. And I was proud of the both of us for splitting a dinner and ordering water. It cut the bill and calories in half. We went to Spaghetti Warehouse, where they serve sourdough bread and garlic butter at ever table. And I refused it. Brian consumed the calories to save me while I sipped my water and munched my garden salad with Italian dressing on the side.

Then, I met my treadmill goal of running the entire time on a 6.0 speed. I added 20 minutes to my past jog time, too. I ran 55 minutes STRAIGHT. At the end of my workout I had burned over 600 calories. And they say you should eat carbs when you do lots of cardio. Then I did rotations of arms and legs on the weight machines. AND, as I was jogging I raised the incline to about 3.5 for an entire mile. It took a few minutes before I even felt the incline. Wow

So there.

And when I weighed this morning I was back to a low weight. I'm only a couple of pounds away from the 130s. Today I had a sliced orange and fat free vanilla yogurt for breakfast, packed a 100 calorie snack for lunch and brought lean cuisine with broccoli and chicken for dinner. And I plan to go back to the rec center tonight.

Damned if I don't reach the 130s by Sunday! Just wait and see. In my opinion; It's all about portion control and incorporating fruits and veggies whenever possible.

Another reason to keep it up: My mentee told me today that my id picture doesn't look like me cuz that girl is really skinny. Oh gosh! I was only a few pounds lighter when the picture was taken. I guess a few pounds really does make a difference.
What ONE LB of body fat looks like -->

Leah, doesn't it feel amazing when people compliment you and notice your hard work? I have had a few. My motherload was at the party Saturday - the day I ate a ton. I have to be careful that I don't let the compliments go to my head and I think I'm good enough. I have to pay attention to the scale. Because Jillian said - the scale doesn't lie and of course it matters.

Mom, way to adjust, think healthy and do the math. I'll try to consume more water after reading your post. I never understood the science behind it. I always just thought drinking water had to do with flushing out the system or something like that.


Another fat joke -->

Do The Math!

I found a website that calculates the caloric intake in order to lose 1 lb per week. Whitney, if you eat 1,300 calories per week, you will lose 1 lb without exercise. Leah, if you eat 1,400 calories per week, you will lose 1 lb without exercise. Leah, if you want to maintain your current weight, don't exceed 1,900 calories. That seems like a large number to maintain. Do you know what your current weekly caloric intake is?

This week I have committed to more fiber and water; black beans, bananas, apples. I read an interesting article about water. If your body does not think it's getting the water needed to survive it will store fluids. It said just by drinking the cliche 8 glasses of water a day you can fool your body into releasing stored water. Our body is made up of 70% water - that's a large source of weight. That's why you lose 5 or more pounds in the early stages of a diet - "water weight". I have not been drinking enough water into fooling my body so maybe this week will be my water weight loss. HA - that's a good thought anyway.

I'm late for work. We're having birthdays today so I'm blogging to reinforce my commitment to only eat what's on my plan for the day - and that does not include cake or ice cream.

Have a good day and remember Jillian's words of encouragement "DON'T QUIT, GO!"

Mopeah Speaking

Just wanted to tell you guys that I'm doing really good. I mean I haven't cheated once, my legs are looking good, over all my body just feels awesome and i'm only blogging because i'm craving something sweet so badly right now. Like a big fat piece of chocolate cake oooooooor we saw this add for chocolate covered strawberries YUM. I'm not even supposed to eat after 8:00 but these late night study sessions are no good for my munchies. I guess I just came on here to tell yall that I'm going to go down stairs and get a cup of water and go to bed because I'M STRONGER THAN THE FOOD! (and if i say it in the blog then i can't lie...so i actually have to ignore the food...ugh so hard) haha (BTW whitney and I rocked at the gym tonight...I WILL look slammin' in my swim suit)
-Mopeah

A Few Things About the Biggest Loser

Maybe I'll eat asparagus on the County Line weigh in day. Good tip. Even though the article is about how unhealthy the Biggest Loser people are in order to lose weight. And just thought I'd mention the Last Chance work out again. I think every day should be treated like a last chance. Especially when you want to weigh 125. Ha!

• Contestants do all of their own cooking. In the four months of taping, contestants are given a calorie budget, recipes and a list of forbidden foods: no white flour, white sugar, butter, or anything that contains them.

• Each person is required to eat a minimum number of calories per day and is supposed to keep a daily food journal to prove it. But many actually eat less.

• If you watch the show, you know about the "last chance" workout where contestants have a final opportunity to shed pounds before the weigh-in. But many also resort to fasting, asparagus binges (asparagus, a mild diuretic, temporarily reduces weight) and all-coffee strategies to help them achieve a lower number on the scale.

125- It's Reachable

Yes. We should practice healthy lifestyles now so that we can live to be 80 and healthy, too. Like I said this weekend, I want to practice healthy eating because I don't want my children to be like the ones we saw at the mall. You know, the ones who were obese at age 9 and sharing their french fries and smoothies with their obese parents. Not fruit smoothies, ice cream smoothies- size XL with whipped cream on top. Gross. (well actually, yumm)

Another reason, which I may have said before. Being in great shape shows dedication and drive. Dedication and drive are important to employers. When I see a girl in the building who is fit (which is most of the girls I work with for some stinkin' reason) I am impressed. I think, "Oh, she has that stick-to-it ability. She is tough. She must be focused. She must be good at her job, too." Even if she is a lazy, forgetful, world's worst employee, I think she must be doing something right. Maybe if I get fit, people will think that way too. If she can be fit, she has her head on straight. And how can I say I'm a type A personality, organized and focused, someone who doesn't give up and who's compeditive, when I can't even stick to a diet and exercize regimine? I think I can't.

But these days I'm wearing my size 6s to work.

Weekend report: Oh god should I even go there? I ate cake twice and without too many details, Friday we had italian food and I at the bread. Mom and Leah didn't eat the bread. I did. Ugh, I make myself sick! That night Leah and I went to the gym and I ran at 6.0 pace on the treadmill for 35 minutes. It was exactly 3.5 miles. Nice. Then I did some abs, jumping jacks, legs and arms for about another 15 minutes. I'm getting faster, stronger. I'll let you know, without details, that Mom and I added up my calories for Saturday and they came to about 3,000. Not good calories. Not healthy food. So to make myself feel a bit better, I said I'd do 3,000 jumping jacks and crunches. I did 1,200 total before my abs, calfs and arms were screaming. Then I did butt clenches the whole way home in the car. Then I did 200 more crunches before bed. Depression work out. Or as Mom and Leah called it, my "last chance" workout. That same day I ran 4 miles straight at the track. And on the straightaways I would do side steps or backward jogging. Then on my warm down lap I did half a straight of lunges. I need to do more lunges, I've decided.

Last night I didn't work out at all. My calves are still aching from Sunday's jumping jack boot camp routine. I'm for sure working out tonight. I ate kind of okay yesterday. We had game night with some couples (so fun by the way) and Brian and I cooked our chicken and tomato pastini and fetta cheese side salad. Everyone loved it. Even Brandice who hates onions and tomatos. She REALLY loved the salad. It's a recepie Leah showed me back in high school. I had a small bowl of salad with low fat italian dressing (the spray kind). Then had one scoop of the pasta and a piece of toast. But aside from that I ate a healthy cereal and skim milk for breakfast and a cracker snack for lunch. I was proud that I had some green and some fruit in my diet. Because you know what they say? Include a fruit and vegitable in every meal and BAM healthier.

Leahs' right though, I need to cut back on the salt intake. Bla. I will TRY to work on it. For me and for Mop.

Tonight's work out is gonna rock. I have time while B is at his internship. Then we're having a healthy cooking night together. I'm going to dedicate two hours. I have not done a full hour on the treadmill since Leah and I were going to the rec together a couple of weeks ago. I'm doing it this time though. Nobody can stop me. Then I'll do the stair stepper because I always like the bodies of the people on that machine. Then I'll do some arms and pecs. I really want sculpted Jennifer Aniston arms.

And I'd like to point out : The green dress I am wearing in the pic with Grandpa is one that I could NOT fit into back in December. So ha! And I must say my upper waist looks smaller than I thought it was. And although I'm undenyable thicker than Leah, I believe I can get to 125 lbs in the end, just like her. So that's my new goal.

Leah- thanks for the work out CD. It is amazing! I wish I had the songs on my Ipod, which I remember you said was in your purse at one point. But I do have Brian's Ipod if you wouldn't mind putting the songs on there for me. It really really helped me stay going on Sunday at the track.

Mom- 80lbs and 125 on the scale are both doable. So let's do it. Keep up the good work ladies. Will report on amazing workout on tomorrow's blog.

By the way: This is a pic of BSpears at 125 lbs, on the day they said she was "out of shape." Can you belive it?

Eighty - It Is Reachable

Dad (Grandpa) just turned 80 today - WOW! AND he received a clean bill of health from his doctor. I want to reach 80 and get a clean bill of health from my doctor. Another reason to add to my growing list of reasons for staying on this journey to good health and a new body.
Looking at the three "little" people above gives me the motivation I need to go exercise especially since I spent my entire day off doing taxes. Aww the irony, I'm celebrating President's day by doing taxes, while my new president is celebrating is "spendulous porkulous" bill.

I haven't lost anymore weight even after our Sunday day at the track but I haven't gained any either. Ok, maybe I did eat a little more of that delicious Fibre One Banana nut muffin cake with that lovely vanilla whipped topping than was in my plan. It's a new week and I'm off to a good start.

Leah - I like the Polka Dot suit and the blue gingham suit. I don't know if it's just the model or the suit that make the Polka Dot one look so good. The third one is cute too but I'm picturing you constantly pulling on the top to keep it up.

Whitney - how did you do today? I placed my two 12 pound weights on the bedroom scale and it read 22.5. Weird, it's actually reading under by a couple of pounds. Maybe it's calibration screws up with higher numbers. Whatever - go with your scale since that's the one you'll be using.

Well here's to all of us reaching a healthy 80 some day!

124...and going! :-)

Today was so exactly the day I needed after such a rough week. I got on the scale to a groundbreaking 124! Went swim suit shopping and liked ALL of the suits I tried on (unheard of)! Jogged 4 miles at the track! annnnnd bought 2 new pairs of shoes...shoes...GLORIOUS SHOES!!! (and an adorable outfit that Tessa was drooling over...she says she might call Whitney to be her personal stylist too haha) I woke up to eat some of that delicious Fiber 1 banana nut muffin cake stuff (160 calories...actually less because I didn't have a full serving size) Lunch at Subway (delicious!) and went to work and didn't eat one single unhealthy thing. Not one frie, not one spoon full of the flavor of the day ice cream, not one piece of the home made bread! Instead I took the romaine lettuce and some Spoked Peacan and only used about 1/3 of the dressing! My stomache was growling on the way home from work so I had an 80 calorie bag of Honey Bee's (aka teddy grams) I got on the scale her at home before taking a shower and it said 123! Wow do you know that little Tessa weighs 123??? I feel great, I look great, and I owe almost all of it to you two for keeping me motivated and being my reminder that this track we're on is simply awesome.

Mom- Ithought you were going to post the picture of grandpa, whit, and I??? What happened?

Whitney- Want to go to a late night Rec session tomorrow night?

Don't forget your goals we talked about at the mall today, and keep up the good work!

Which one of these do yall like best? I'm going to break down and order online.

Here is Jillian's Tip of the Day:

Bring Them Along for the Ride As much of a distraction as it was for Mandi to have her family on the Ranch with her this week, some good came out of it. Her husband tried her workouts and realized how hardcore they were, and in the end, he became more supportive of her efforts. Now, I firmly believe that this journey is about you, and for the most part it's one you have to take on your own. That said, sometimes sharing your experience can foster understanding and help you get the support you need from loved ones. It's worth a shot, right?

Goodnight Ladies!

-Mopeah

Happy Valentines Day

Just had to post this picture of a very memorable Valentine's Day - "The Daddy Daughter Dance." Proof you guys were not fat kids - how did that happen?

Remember Whitney- the Hunger Monster is just to darn cute and we know it's not about Hunger but rather lust - our lust for Mac N Cheese. From now on, I say we refer to "Snacky" monster when we are tempted and use Leah's suggestion for the perfect Snacky monster picture:

I promise to be a good influence tonight. I also promised your Dad that we wouldn't talk about calories and fat all night. Let Grandpa enjoy whatever he wants to eat. That's what skinny people do, right? What's to talk about; it's just a way of life!

Keep up the momentum and good choices!

Buffalo Wings and the Hungry Monster

I had dinner with Rach last night at Pluckers because I miss my boyfriend and never get to see him anymore because of his busy schedule. It was a lot of fun. We had the baby with us so tons of people kept crowding around to play with her. She's so pretty and perfect and smiles at everyone. Brian kept picking her up and kissing her, which all the ladies thought was adorable. I thought it was pretty dreamy, too. A couple of people asked if she was his baby. I just laughed. He said, "Not yet. Not yet." Anyway- let me tell you about the Pluckers Challenge.

First yesterday I had a healthy breakfast- scrambled egg with bell pepper and onion. Yum. Then I worked way later than usual and had forgotten a snack, so I rushed home and had a banana and a pudding snack because the Hungry Monster attacked. Great on calories at that point. Then - believe it or not- I went on a 6 mile jog with Captain around the neighborhood. It's probably more like a 5.5 mile run because we had to measure with our car mileage one day. And from one dead end in the neighborhood to the other, it is about 2 miles. I went around twice and was still feeling great. So then I went around one more time. Poor Captain was leaning on my legs by the end of it. He was breathing harder than I was during the after stretch, too. Cute. Then I did some crunches and free weights before my shower.

THEN I put on my little jeans and called Mom to tell her. Man it felt great. I even took an after pic for ya. (will post later) And yes, there are always smaller jeans to try for. I have my new pair ready to go, folded on the dresser as a constant reminder.

Then came Pluckers. Brian wanted to win a contest so he made us order a specialty drink (which Rach drank for me) and a potato chip with blue cheese and tomato appetizer. Wow. I'll admit I ate like 4 chips worth and they were so delicious. So then I avoided everything fried on the entire Pluckers menu and got the grilled-non-breaded chicken tenders with mild buffalo sauce for dipping. As my side order, I avoided french fries, baked potatoes, mac n' cheese and ordered baked beans. As I watched Rach eat her juicy cheese burger and waffle fries, I dipped my droopy grilled chicken strips into the buffalo sauce and let my mouth water.

And it's okay because when I get to 130 lbs, I'm going to eat the biggest bowl of mac n' cheese ever made and it is going to feel great! It will make up for all the yummy meals I have had to skip.
How sad that the light at the end of my tunnel, my pot of gold- is food. LOL!

This morning getting ready for work was fun. I wore a little green dress that my fat butt couldn't fit into in December. And it's even lose on me. Oh my gosh! But first, I tried on a bunch of other shirts and things I had not touched in months- and they all fit. I changed clothes so many times, but not because I hated everything I put on, because I liked everything I put on. It's so nice to be able to care about fashion a little bit when you can actually fit into things that would otherwise bring out your fattest areas. No longer a problem. NOW I want to try even more adventurous fashions, and I want to look better in them than my cute little friends. I want a completely flat stomach and killer arm and hamstring muscles. But I don't want manly arm muscles. Sometimes I think Jillian's arms look a little too big. By the way I joined the Jillian club on Facebook Mom, thanks :). Haha. I'm thinking more along the Jennifer Aniston lines. She looked so great on the latest cover of GQ. Another inspiration.

Another thing: Rach and I were discussing how we think that in a relationship you should want to look good for your partner. There are a ton of reasons to want to look good, but I'm just adding that one to the list. I want to be able to visit old friends and family and have them think, "Wow, Brian's really got a looker." That would make me feel great but I can also sense his pride when other people compliment me. And when he's been jogging and losing lbs, I become extra atracted to him and want to show him off, too. I don't want to be Brian's fat, insecure girlfriend that he doesn't want to take to the company Christmas party. I want to be his cute girlfriend with great clothes and a confident smile that he wants to take everywhere. I want to be arm candy. So there's yet another inspiration.

What do you think?

Leah and I are coming to San Antonio tonight for Grandpa's 80th. I'm excited. It will be so nice going to dinner with ladies who care about being healthy. I wont feel like the rabbite at the table when I order something with veggies while everyone else is eating grease mountains. Although, I am extra proud when I order more healthy than my dining partners- it makes me feel like the strong one, the one with will-power, stamina etc. But I only wish Mop and I had time to work out before San Antonio. Maybe we can squeeze it in somewhere? Or maybe we can go for a run while we're in SA? Let's discuss.

This morning I ate some Honey Bunches of Oats with a banana cut up inside. Interesting. I think the "bunches" are a little too chalky tasting. I felt like I was eating something healthy, though. I just need to make sure on Spark people. I couldn't finish the cereal- not my favorite. I'll stick to raisin brand and cheerios. They seem to do the weight-loss trick.

Chuck and Megan might be joining our little support group. They've both started their own journey into "healthy" living. Chuck has lost 25 lbs since he left San Antonio after New Years. Go figure! But he needs some encouragement, accountability, motivation and all that good stuff to conquer the "mental" weakness that makes us overeat.

I did good today - stayed on plan. Walked at the park for about 40 minutes.
This weekend will be a challenge - Dad's Birthday, Valentine's Day... but I'm going to write down everything I eat and "unless I puke, faint or die" I will work it off.

Congratulations Whitney - I know it must feel great to get into those little jeans. Do you have even smaller jeans for your next hurdle? You'll have to post a pic in your size 6's. I'll post a pic in my size 18's -HAHA
Here's my inspiration picture. Look how skinny Grandma (Mom) was - looks like we are in our Valentine's day outfits.


Leah, we'll give you a pass on the blogging - I know you're drowning in school work. Who wants to read Jillian's book when you have Art History ;-)

Jillian's Tip of the Day: Be Proud Now

Don't wait until you reach your ultimate goal to pat yourself on the back — be proud now! Just taking the first step — and reaching out for help — is something to be proud of. And every achievement along the way should be rewarded. You deserve it!

Salt is the Enemy and so is the Darkness

"Another study revealed that people who eat a lot of junk food suffer nutritionally. This study looked at the impact of salty snack foods like potato chips, corn chips, crackers, pretzels and cheese curls. Those who ate the most of these high-fat salty snack foods had diets high in total and saturated fat and low in fruits and vegetables. These people scored poorly for dietary healthfulness."

Uh oh... Salt is my favorite. I vow to cut back more on salty foods.

Speaking of. Another weak moment last night. I'm sorry my blogs are full of them. I made a chalupa after work. I don't know why. I can't explain it. But it was good and I stayed within my calories. I did gain like .6 of a pound though. It's okay I'll work out extra hard today.

If it were day time all the time and there were some sort of salt supplement (like Splenda for salt lovers) then I think I would be Heidi Klum thin. haha.

Leah- love the pix! Mom- so funny. You guys keep me entertained and inspired. Life is rough right now. But what else is new? Good luck on your Thursdays ladies.

okay just because I can I made some funnies

dad thought showing us fat would be helpful...well just for fun i did the opposite....check it out. (tee hee)

Leah Speaking

Hey guys!

So I feel guilty for not having posted in a while. The best word to describe how things have been going for me lately is YUCK! I just can't seem to get a healthy grasp on all of the things I have to deal with. It's like there's never enough time in the day to take care of everything. My to-do list is never ending. All my classes being in the same day is stressful because all my tests are pretty much the same days (or all back to back) and that's really starting to freak me out. I didn't do as well on my first english test as I would've liked and I have my algebra test on Thursday. All of Wednesday is going to be dedicated to studying for that test. Well, not all of it because I still have to make flash cards for ch.3 and 4 of art history, the english reading assignment, and the quiz review for philosophy. To make things more interesting I decided to catch a horrible cold. Last night I woke up every three hours with the hot and cold shakes and sweats. Luckily I'm kicking the cold alot faster than I'd expected. Still have a slight cough and I'm pretty conjested but I'm not rolling over with a fevor like last night.

I can't say that all of the stress or sickness has hurt me in the sense of gaining weight, but it's definitly not helpful with the toning up goal I had. I know it's the biggest excuse used but I really don't have time. I woke up at 6:45am and was on campus until 3:30pm. I came straight home to do my Algebra homework. Finish ch.2 art history flash cards, do laundry, go to grocery store to buy Charlie some more dog food, come back home to print out algebra test 1 review...attempt that until I'm frustrated out of my mind with how much I hate math and my lack of ability to understand it ever. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to make it to the gym for at least 30 min. though. I was glad to read yalls entries though! It sounds like you're both keeping on track quite well and I really am excited to have us all take our after picture. We'll have to take one of the three of us together for the blog one day. Whitney I found a picture of your "snacky" monster. You found some cute pigs...I found Snacky haha. Anyways next time you wanna munch out when nobody is looking just picture people viewing you just like this guy! Even if people don't see a big nasty ugly pig, after a big munch session I FEEL that way and I know that people feed off of the self confidence you put off and if I'm feeling like nasty ugly pig...well nuff said. I'm going to go to bed now cause I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow. Yall keep up the good work!

-Mopeah!

I’m a Turtle!

It would be great if losing weight could happen overnight or even in a few weeks. The truth is I’m a Turtle and I must think like a Turtle. Why did the Turtle beat the Hare – patience, determination, steadfast commitment to reach the finish line; slow and steady wins the weight loss race. Yet, it’s that long term commitment that trips me up every time.

Not this time – I’m going for the long term commitment to a healthy lifestyle. I know that at the rate I’m losing (which is a healthy rate) it will take me more than a year to reach my goal.

Tonight I walked a little faster, 3.3 on the Treadmill for 30 minutes. I was soaking wet when I finally stopped. Did good on the eating too - 3 egg WHITES - I learned my lesson after the 5 egg indulgence last week. Had some pudding for a snack and a Lean Cuisine for lunch, breakfast was a Latte. This would be a "smiley"face day.

FIFTEEN!

In 15 lbs I will be at the weight I was when I met my boyfriend. I will be back to the weight I was when I used to run 5 miles per day and diet like a maniac. I will be thinner than I was when I graduated high school. I will be back into a size 4. There will not be bends in my sides or a role under my chin when I shrug or smile. I will still have a small tummy- which in 20 lbs will be as flat as a board. Yes, I am now at 144! This tells us that I did very well on my date out last night. I only had a salad with dressing on the side. I never use much dressing. I am to a point where eating veggies doesn't make me sad anymore. As a matter of fact, I sometimes crave cucumbers. Strange, I know. Well, salted cucumbers with a little italian or ranch dressing. haha. I'm no Jillian yet.

Today I did great. I had a huge red orange for breakfast, a cracker snack at work (lots of gum to hold me over), a pudding cup, a frozen dinner, a serving of almonds and a 70 calorie sherbert for dessert. I went on a really long run (about an hour) down the main road leading up to campus with my dogs. The hills in this town are killer. Even the dogs were lagging behind. But the weather was so beutiful and breezy that I could have gone even longer. I stopped because American Idol and Real Housewives of Orange County were calling my name. So I added to my workout by doing crunches, freeweights and jumping jacks during my shows.

Heck yes! It feels good that my size 8s are loose on me. My upper body is the last to go, as usual. But I totally see and feel a difference in my legs, face and even my arms.

Mom I'm sorry to hear about your knee. I'm glad it isn't hurting your workouts. Leah I'm sorry to hear your sick. I'll have to work out double for us. Let's keep it up ladies. I'm so ready for the after picture. Only 15 lbs to go till I reach the finish line :) -> Thus the little piggies running toward a finish line. No offense, just thought they were adorable.