Where are the Veggies?

I had never realized how hard it is to get a veggie that is not included in a hamburger when you are on the road. I took alot with me but this had been tougher than I thought. We are finally at the house in beautiful Huntington Beach after three days on the road in the Minivan and two nights in San Diego. We went to the grocery and bought VEGGIES!!!!! Yea. Salad for dinner. I went to a meeting in SD on Tuesday and had gained .6 pounds. I hope this week will be better. I am trying to do better about the snacking now that we are out of the van for a while. You are all doing so great. Keep it up and I will try to check in later this week or this weekend.

Hooray!!! Kristina!

Kristina! I am so excited for you! Kiss the 200's goodbye! You Rock and inspire!
SueAnne

The Weight Watchers drop out weighs in

Hi everyone! If I upload the images correctly, you will see the first picture of me six weeks ago. The change may not be all that drastic in picture (because the camera adds ten pounds-right?), but I feel great.

The second picture would be me
one shirt size,
one attitude change,
two pant sizes,
two belt notches,
six weeks,
11 pounds, AND
15 inches later!
Woohoo!

I feel great, and I am wearing a MEDIUM size shirt! (For those who've not met me, I am a size 10 on top and a 14 on the bottum-carry ALL my weight there:)

I am still working hard on learning new coping mechanisms and truly transforming.
I hope you all had a great weekend!
SueAnne

Day One... Again

Hello Ladies.
Long time no talk, I know... I've been MIA from the eating well game for a little while. But following some doctor's visits, and about three doctors telling me that losing weight will be the key to my universe, I have decided to get on the wagon. Again. *coughahemcough*

I'm back on the Diabetic Exchange. I was hoping for a goal of about 1200 calories. I almost stayed withing my exchanges today, the only place I went over was about 1/2 an exchange of protein.

I was HUNGRY. And my husband, who does the cooking, didn't come home until almost 8:30. I started dinner, but before that I was starving. Instead of reaching for the leftover oreos or doritos (HAVE to get those out of the house, but seeing the oreos go makes me sad) I had a snack bag of 94% fat free popcorn. That was IN my exchanges, it just means I can't have ice cream tonight.

Today was not easy, ladies. It was rough. But I was whining to a friend, who reminded me that once I get going the portion sizes become right (again) and this becomes a whole lot easier. I'm hanging on to that knowledge and the desire to do this and do this well.

I have been lurking, and am SO impressed with everyone's progress. I wish I could have made it to the Spring Fling, maybe for another get together? Welcome to our new members, and thanks for the ongoing support ladies!

Here are my stats (from today):
Day 1: Calories 1465; 10 glasses water (whoo whoo); up .5 exchange protein

Welcome Toylady!

I would like to welcome my good friend, Dallice...AKA "Toylady". She is joining our blog and she is going to have great success here! She is a terrific friend and a sweet, sweet person. She is the mother of two wonderful kids and her husband is a kick to be around. I have known Dallice for about 10 years, now and I am excited that she is joining us on this journey to healthier lives.

Welcome, girl! Tell us your story!

Jules

I Just Can't Hang Like I Used To

Well, for the 3-day weekend I headed out to party with my (rather large) family in beautiful Utopia, TX. We hung out at the ranch, splashed in the river, and basically had a good time enjoying each other's company.

But we ate. A lot. And now my body is in full-on revolt.

After three days of barbecue, catfish, lemon meringue pie, potato salad, chicken fried steak sandwiches, peach cobbler, and ice cream I have come to the conclusion that we are not meant to eat that much grease and sugar EVER! I got home from this trip and immediately ate vegetables and lots of them. The idea of something even remotely heavy makes me a little nauseous right now.

The scales, of course, went up by a whole 2 pounds. But I can get that off pretty easily. It just amazes me, though, how much my eating habits have changed since joining y'all. I guess I really have changed my lifestyle - to the point where indulging doesn't really work out all that well for me anymore.

I hope you all had a great weekend and a wonderful week to come.

Lisa

Hey you guys... Coreen has a new signature picture!

When I read Coreen's comment on a recent post, I saw that she had gotten a new signature photo, and I thought it was soooo cute! I just wanted you to know Coreen, that I love your new picture, you look adorable in it! (Sorry if I've embarrassed you girl). I only mean well. - Kristina : )

Whooo! I'm out of the 200's!

Much to my pleasure this morning, as I stepped on the scale, I had discovered that I had lost what I had gained last week...and a little bit more. : )
I am officially out of the 200's, barely, but I'm there. At 199.8, I just made it by the skin of my teeth, but I'll take it, and happily.
I was a little apprehensive to weigh this morning, because Curves was closed for the 3 day weekend. It's been a long time since I have gone three days in a row without working out. I love to work out, and always feel so good afterwards.
Well, my eating has stabilized again, last week was a bit hairy. So here's my numbers for the last few days:

Day 138: 1,466 calories, 11 glasses of water, workout
Day 139: 1,440 calories, 8 glasses of water
Day 140: 1,516 calories, 9 glasses of water
Day 141: 1,621 calories, 8 glasses of water

Dietary Honesty

Just posting numbers. I will weigh in at the Y today or tomarrow:)

Day 36: 1185 calories, 12 glasses of water
Day 37: 1250 calories, 7 glasses of water, workout
Day 38: 1310 calories, 8 glasses of water
Day 39: 818 calories, 13 glasses of water, workout
Day 40: 1179 calories, 10 glasses of water
Day 41: 1049 calories, 6 glasses of water (oops)
Day 42 1200+ calories (unrecorded pistachio nut snacking), 8 glasses of water.

Happy holiday weekend everyone!

Week one check in

Hey there I am checking in for the week. I weighed myself on Friday which was the completion of my first week on Weight Watchers. I have lost 1.2 pounds! I must admit I was hoping for a miraculous 5 pound loss. I know I know, wishful thinking right! I guess it took awhile to put it on and it will take awhile to get it off. I had a rough few days this week as I adjusted to the points system. I journaled everyday and was very proud of myself for keeping up with everything. I had a few days of shaky blood sugar drops due to not eating enough. I hadn't figured out how to space out my points for the day and it led to some mighty cranky moments. For the most part I am very pleased with this system. I like how it allows flexibility. I ate out twice during week one (this is very unusual for me but we had a birthday and a mother- daughter get together in the same week!) I also had a latte or two.... okay it was two but I just counted my points and still came out with a loss. I even had a sliver of birthday cake on my daughters birthday. I did a cardio workout twice and 90 minutes of light activity in my garden.
My goals for week two are to increase the exercise part of my plan and eat more consistently throughout the day to avoid the blood sugar drops. I have learned a great deal about portion sizes and the value of making calories count. Eat the good for you food, it sticks with you longer. My only complaint is that certain foods that I love are big point getters on this plan. It is 2 points for 1/4 of an avocado. Now I know that they are calorie dense and have fat in them but it is the good kind of fat. Anyways, I guess I will not be eating them anytime soon or if I do I will just have half of one. Oh, I am also proud of my water intake. I have been very good with getting much more than the recommended 6 glasses a day!
Oh, Kristina if you don't mind would you move my ticker? ( said with a 1.2 pound weightloss smile) I guess you gotta start somewhere and this isn't a bad start!
Jenny

Elicia Picks and Chooses Calorie Counts...

Well, I'm not counting calories I eat, but I am counting how many I burn.

I got FIVE RIDES IN this week.

When I do the math, I am burning a LOT of calories grooming, tacking, riding and untacking the horses. When I get hungry, instead of reaching for a quick fix (hello PopTarts?) I have been drinking a glass of milk or making myself a bowl of oatmeal.

I often will supplement my day with that wonderful Odawalla Superfood - call me Popeye.

I'm tempted to crash diet for my trip to Hawaii in 11 days, but I am not going to do that. I'm going to content myself with how strong my muscles are and ignore the cellulite on my thighs. Anyone else wanna ignore it with me?

I'm feelin' spiffy today!

So, this is the blouse that Jules gave me the other day. I got a new necklace and lipstick too. I seriously can't even remember the last time that I bought myself a piece of jewlery! Or a brand new lipstick either , for that matter. I different shade, AND a different brand. Whoa, I'm on some kind of a roll. : ) I just feel so lovely in this blouse. I know I'm probably started to sound kind of conceited lately. But I really don't think that it is conceit... I'm feeling proud, of what I've accomplished so far. And I'm feeling confident, very confident of myself. In fact, I've let myself kinda slide this last week, and I've gained about 1 1/2 pounds back. Somebody stop me! I need to lose more, a lot more. Help keep me on track guys. I am , quite honestly, getting tired of journaling. I'm into my 20th week already, and it's getting tiresome. Effective though it may be. I know that I need to do it,if I want to succeed, I need to keep on going, and not get too comfortable. If I don't journal, I cheat, or kid myself about what I've really eaten. I need to be really strict, or else. I guess that's just part of who I am. Anyhow, here's some numbers:

Day 130: 1,389 calories, 10 glasses of water
Day 131: 1,369 calories, 11 glasses of water, workout
Day 132: 1,559 calories, 9 glasses of water, workout
Day 133: No journaling, ( And it wasn't pretty)
Day 134: 1,567 calories, 11 glasses of water, workout
Day 135: 1,559 calories, 14 glasses of water, workout
Day 136: 1,919 calories, 9 glasses of water, workout
Day 137: 1,779 calories, 8 glasses of water, workout

Yummy Salad!

I had a very, very yummy salad last night! I wanted to share it with you guys.

I cooked up some salmon in a little oil and seasoned it with dried basil and garlic salt and pepper.

Then I sliced it up, put it over a lettuce mix that had a few carrot shreds and grapes. Oh, you got to add those grapes, they were delicious!

Then I topped it with Kristina's favorite dressing, Newman's Own Light Honey Mustard....this was an amazing treat and a real change from the normal salad. According to Kristina, this salad dressing is so good with chicken breast salads, too.

Jules

Spending the day with Kristina!

Hey, girls, I am spending some time with Kristina today and I must say, she is so giddy about all the weight loss and how it has changed her life. Her spirit is so contagious! She is sitting here right now in a new blouse and she is looking fine! She is giggling with delight! This is so much fun, who says dieting has to be torture? According to Kristina, it is like a walk in the park or a trip to the Magical Kingdom!

Hope you all are having a good day. Thinking of you all and wishing you skinny thoughts.

Jules

Mother's Day Caught Up!

Well the scale wasn't kind this week. I reaped what I sowed last week. I had a 1.2 gain. I hope some is water! But what was rewarding this week, was my Weight Watcher leader asked if I would like to be leader of our meeting when she retires in February. I need to be at goal by then. Wow! I hope I can do it. I will be charging ahead!

Headed Out

We are three days from leaving on a two week, much needed vacation. I have been planning and washing laundry and trying to leave the house in order before we leave. I have stopped the mail, stopped the newspaper, arranged for someone to babysit our hamster, washed the car, straightened the house, packed the bags, and notified the proper authorities.

I realized that this is not all I have to do to get ready. I need to be mentally ready as well for those times when the gas station convenience food is calling my name. I need to be ready for being with the fam for 14 days in a row. I need to be ready for being out of my element and comfort zone.

I need to plan to take care of my eating needs. Last night at WW, I picked up the newest Dining Out Companion so I can be prepared to eat out more than we usually do. I bought a points calculator for my purse and I bought an new pedometer. I know where the WW meetings are in the towns we are going to. Having these tools will not make me eat right. I will use them. I am committed to not gaining and even to weight loss on this trip. I know I can do it and with your prayers and my daily commitment, I can lose weight on vacation.

Virtual Kudos to whoever can name that location.

Before and After

Well, this week I lost .6 but I have to say I wasn't very careful on Mother's Day. Bill fixed me French Toast for breakfast and the family took me to Spaghetti Factory for dinner. So the loss was still a victory.

It looks like you all had a great time at the restaurant. Mandy and Jules you two look great. Let's see the new duds, gals.

This picture was taken at Bethany's band concert on Sunday. My Weight Watchers leader has asked me to put in my history for a contest for a trip to New York. The other picture is the one I'm putting in as the before picture. What a difference 80 lbs. makes.


Julie, could you set a ticker for me? I'm not sure how to do that, but I would appreciate it!

Trouble

I am having trouble seeing the new tickers on my browser. Is anyone else? I can't see Kristina's, Jenny's or Jeanie's or Amy's.

Jules

A Plea for Help, a Recipe, and Weird Eating Habits Revealed

Okay girls, you're getting your money's worth on this post.

I am one of those people who will eat a specific food for several weeks in a row and then change to something else. For example, I may spend a couple of weeks eating almost nothing but omelettes, then get a craving for chicken and rice and not eat another omelette for a year. I have been through many of these phases - ham sandwiches, brown rice and veggies, grilled cheese, scrambled eggs, ceasar salad, chipotle pasta, yogurt, tortilla soup, you name it. For the past few weeks it has been Carribean rice with crab but I think I've moved on.

I was given a jar of homemade strawberry-rhubarb preserves a couple of weeks ago and have been on an English muffin kick for about a week now as a result. Now, there are certain things which you should never turn down if they're homemade. Tortillas, peach cobbler, salsa, and gumbo all come to mind. Preserves fit squarely in that category as well. If someone loves you enough to share something that much trouble to make, I think you should count your lucky stars to have that person in your life. But now is not the time for me to start backsliding. I need to get over these English muffins (slathered with the strawberry-rhubarb yumminess) and I need to do it quickly, before the scales start moving in the wrong direction.

So please, share your favorite WAIWMIWLI dishes with me. I promise to try each one and hopefully find something else to help break this latest food fixation.

But I'm not going to just take and not give anything in return. Below is my Mango Salsa recipe - very easy with a food processor - which is great on fish and chicken (especially in the summer) and as a salad dressing. Who needs tortilla chips?

Mango Summer Salsa
2 large tomatoes, chopped (food processor)
1 ripe mango, peeled, seeded and chopped (food processor)
2 kiwi fruits, pelled and chopped (you guessed it, food processor)
1/2 c. chopped red bell pepper (I tried this in the food processor but it doesn't work. Sigh. It has to be chopped by hand)
1/2 c. chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 c. green bell pepper
1/4 c. chopped red onion (food processor)
1 tomatillo, husked and diced (food processor)
1/4 c. cilantro (food processor)
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 jalapeno, cored, seeded and diced (be careful with your hands)

I have an aunt who makes this all by hand, chopping and dicing forever. I shamelessly cheat, doing everything separately in the food processor and then transferring it to the salsa bowl. It comes out sweet and tangy and, as you can see, is really not bad for you. It was my food of the week - over spinach salad - before the Carribean rice.

(It's also probably worth it to note that I don't like mangoes but I love this salsa. Don't let them scare you off. Also, you're supposed to put some pepper in there but since I'm allergic to black pepper I leave it out of the recipe. Do with this information as you wish.)

And now that I have ante'd up, does anyone have any suggestions for my next food of the moment? I have to kick this English muffin habit I'm developing before it gets the best of me.

inches!

okay so i had my wonderful mom measure me yesterday and compared it to when i last measured myself in December, I was about 8 lbs lighter then when I started Prism, but still, the results are awesome! I have lost a total of 18.5 inches! I'm so excited about seeing those kinds of results. I mean, just getting smaller clothes should be enough, but hearing that I'm loosing from more than one way is so much fun! :) So add my inches jules to the m&m's. I can't eat 'em, but i can add to 'em. ;)
Mandi

phase 2 again!

Hey ladies! I had such a great time on Saturday! It felt so good to try stuff on that was smaller than I thought I could get into. I wish you all could have seen both Kristina and Julie when they tried on these pants they bought, they were flying high! I got into a medium shirt! MEDIUM!! Couldn't believe my "ladies" would ever be small enough for that, Praise the Lord!
So, like Julie mentioned on the blog last week, I did loose 9 lbs on the last phase we just finished on Prism! I"m excited about that. I'm almost half way there. I'm doing phase 2 over again because I wasn't really mentally there, didn't read my journal readings or exercise that much. So those are two things I want to intergrate into my life in this phase. Should be great.
Julie will have to take an updated photo of me to show everyone, those heads shots don't really do justice. :)
Thanks for the support!
Mandi

Watching the weight

Hey all, I wanted to post an update. I joined weight watchers on Friday. I decided that counting calories and deciding every single detail to my weight loss plan was too overwhelming. I just went to one meeting and got a bunch of information. I have stuck to my point allowance for the last 3 days and I have done 2 workouts. I like the fact that I can still go have a latte with this plan. This is the first time EVER that I have sought out a plan to follow regarding weight loss. My dad was a big workout guy (still is) and I grew up knowing that you simply reduce calories and increase activity if you want to lose weight. I guess I just kept thinking I should be able to do this on my own. I am glad that I got the program and I am committed to trying it out. I guess the only thing I am committed to ultimately is losing the weight. There is just no exception to that reality. So.... I will keep you posted as I go along. I have decided not to attend meetings on a regular basis so I will be posting weekly here instead. For everyone out there on weight watchers if you have favorite recipes or hints etc I would love an e-mail. Just send it to Sophiashope@verizon.net . Jules if you know how, you can make a ticker for me too. I am not that computer savvy. My goal is to lose 30 pounds. Thanks for being my support group and for not charging me $12.00 a week to do it. SMILE!
Jenny

Spring Hurrah! Report!!!

Sorry these are being posted so late...Kristina did a great job of explaining why in her comment to Lisa's post on Sunday. I am just so tired, I don't know what to do with myself!

As for the Spring Hurrah....What can I say, it was all I imagined and more! We had such a terrific time and I had a blast planning these fun awards. You should have seen all of their faces when they got their trophies! Forget Little League, baby, this was so exciting!

Here are our trophies....SueAnne "Most Improved", Jodie "Living the Lifestyle", Mandi "Most Faithful", Julie "Blog Leader", and Kristina "Most Weight Lost".


I also got Elicia a trophy, because I knew I was going to be seeing her later that night at her hubby's 40th bday party. Her trophy says "Best Encourager". I wish I could have gotten everyone a trophy and mailed them off. Lisa and Paige and Amy, you all deserve one. Maybe I will save up my pennies for the Fall Frolic and do it all up right for you long distance sweeties. Oh, and there is Kristina in her new pink top and "special foundation".

Jodie, my Yommy, brought me a gift! I was so excited! It is a beautiful pewter angel with this saying on the wing, "Some people make the world more special just by being in it". Ohhh. So thoughtful. Thank you Yommy!

Here is Mandi and I. We thought we looked pretty skinny in this shot!

Beautiful Mandi!

Jodie (QueenLivalot), with her trophy! She looked fantastic! What a great time we had....
SueAnne and her sweet daughter Grace. I am so glad she didn't turn around after being stuck in traffic! She made the event so special because she was the one no one knew! We had a terrific time and she ended up with a beautiful lavendar t-shirt.
Beautiful Kristina! Our "Big Loser" for the Spring Hurrah! What a winning smile!
The whole group. Wish you were all there....Here is to a wonderful 18 weeks of body morphing and to the coming Fall Frolic. Hope to see some of you locals who couldn't make it this time.

I feel so honored to be leading this blog and living my life out with all of you fantastic people! I am so proud of all of us!

Jules

Thank you

Thank you ladies for a great time! You were a warm welcome to my frazzles nerves. Thank you Jules for our sweet trophies. You are a gifted encourager. I hope you guys post pictures of you in your new outfits. Kristina, I want to see you in that pink top and chocolate brown capris!
SueAnne

Oh, and did you notice the image I downloaded Jules? Oh yah, I'm going high-tech baby!

Day 29: 1,254 calories;14 glasses of water;workout
Day 30: 1,149 calories;16(that's right) glasses of water;workout
Day 31: 1,417 calories;5 glasses of water
Day 32: 1,371 calories;10 glasses of water
Day 33: 1,360 calories;5 glasses of water
Day 34: 1,171 calories;10 glasses of water
Day 35: 1,169 calories;9 glasses of water

Enough With the Suspense Already!

How did the Spring Hurrah go? When will we see pics of everyone in their new duds? And what were Jules' awards?

Inquiring minds want to know!

This is how I'm feeling!

I'm right on the verge of breaking into the 100's! I weighed 200 pounds exactly this morning. I was weighed and measured at Curves, and have lost another 3.5 inches. I've now lost a total of 54.5 inches, and 54.8 pounds! I am a new woman. My largest loss is from my hips, I have now lost a whopping 11.25 inches off of my hips you guys! AND, 3/4 of the weight that I have lost is in body fat pounds. : ) I'm just so happy. I'm glad I was able to get the totals before I hook up with the other gals for the Spring Hurrah. The manager even measured me about a week early, because she's going on vacation, and she's the one that always measures me. I am so pumped up. There is no stopping this mama.

New member and check out Mandi's ticker!

Hey all, my Mom (Jeanie) has joined the blog!! Why??? Because she has just accomplished an incredible thing...She has lost 14 lbs. in the last two months! WhooHoo, way to go, Mom! I added her ticker to the bottom of the page. Welcome, Mom, I hope you can get some inspiration here, even though you can only check in with us once in awhile. We are all pulling for you!

Also, check out Mandi's ticker, people! She just weighed in after her 2nd phase of Prism....She is rocking! I am sure she will post something later. It is the end of her school year and her time will be freeing up a bit.

Love to all.
Have a terrific day, and by all means, drink that water!!!!!

Jules

Quote of the week...

We had company over for dinner last night, and as we were looking over old family photos that I have displayed, my friend said something that rather shocked me. She said, quite simply; ' You have high cheek bones, like your mom in this photo'. To which I replied; 'Me? Why, I don't HAVE cheek bones'. No one has ever commented on my cheek bones before. It was a lovely compliment. I had grown accustomed to seeing such a round, and full face in the mirror. I'm feeling so good about myself... I'm feeling beautiful. : )

Day 128: 1,424 calories, 15 glasses of water, workout, AND I spent about four hours pulling weeds!

Day 129: 1,721 calories, 10 glasses of water, workout

The next step....

After my cry out for help I took everyone's advice (By the way THANK YOU!) I wrote a contract to myself saying that I was committed and that I was going to feel my feelings. I had a wonderful week with food and I felt my feelings so I wouldn't eat emotional. I went to the gym three times including weights and drank a lot of water. I was so very proud of myself for doing everything right. I knew I lost weight. So I step on the scale and I gained weight! After this I really wanted to give up and eat everything that I had missed eating. But I thought about it and made a doctors appointment. I really think something else is going on with me. So we will see.

On a different note....I was offered a job promotion with Jenny Craig. It's closer to home which means A LOT to me being that gas is $3.20 a gallon and going up. It's also 3 weekends off a month. YEAH!

I hope everyone has fun on Saturday!

End of Phase 3!

Okay, I was encouraged after stepping on the scale this morning! I am down to 185.4 lbs. Not too shabby! I am only .9 lbs. away from my second big goal...to be officially "overweight" and not "obese". This is a terrific feeling and a real mental and emotional booster! For those of you who are overweight who may not have lived most of your life in the obesity category, can you imagine what that would feel like to carry that label around in your heart and mind? It is a tough one. For those of us still in the obese category (30% over your ideal body weight), take heart! I am almost there, SueAnne crossed the barrier a few weeks ago, and you can do it, too! You can!

Here are my Prism Phase stats:

Phase one: January 6 through February 23rd, Starting weight 215, ending weight 198.4, Total weight lost for phase: 16.6 lbs.

Phase two: February 24 through April 6th, starting weight 198.4, ending weight 191.4, total weight lost for phase: 7 lbs., total for phase 1 and 2: 23.6 lbs.

Phase three: April 7th through May 18th, starting weight 191.4, ending weight 185.4, total weight lost for the phase 6 lbs., total for phases 1,2 and 3: 29.6 lbs.

Adding this weight loss to my efforts at Weight Watchers and Curves beginning September 2003, I have lost 46.6 lbs. I am very, very happy to not be there anymore. What a long trip. Although I have made it longer than need be by taking time off to "relapse"....ut-oh....

So there it is, the last 132 days of my life! Holy cow...I am excited. In some ways, I had fantasized about being further along, but I need to be happy for the results so far. I am encouraged and determined to do this thing. Even if it is one measly pound a week. I will take it and stay faithful and true! I will!

Oh, and by the way, without divulging our methods (hee, hee, hee) Blake and I figured out that my breasts weigh in at 6 lbs. Holy cow! I would be in the 170's without the little ladies. I am going to start charging the ladies rent!

Can't wait for the Spring Hurrah!

Have a great day everyone!
Jules

On Track

I saw this and burst out laughing! I hope you guys find it funny too.

Today's going better than yesterday. I remembered to take breakfast (a banana) with me to work (I haven't had breakfast in about a week an a half - a no no) and as we speak I'm in the middle of my morning snack (a glass of milk). I feel like I'm back on track after yesterday's cravings.

Four tenths

There was a time when this small number would mean absolutely nothing to me. It is quite miniscule to most people but tonight it was a great accomplishment. You see I spent the weekend with the in-laws and it was stressful. In addition to the stress, there was mounds food.

I looked in my MIL's fridge and saw strawberries and thought great, strawberries, I can eat those but when they were served, they were accompanied by vanilla cake, whipped cream and saturated with sugar. They did not resemble the strawberries that formerly resided in the fridge. There were mushrooms, I can eat those, but when served they were sliced and drowned in butter and salt. New potatoes, yea, new potatoes, mashed to bits and mixed with mayonnaise, eggs and relish.

The good news is that I did not succumb to this food murder. I ate what was good for me and I lost. It was only FOUR TENTHS but a loss is a loss in my book.

Spring Hurrah Guest List...(Updated)

Yes: Kristina, Jules, SueAnne, Mandi, Jodie....(anyone else?)

No: Lisa, Paige, Amy, Debbie, Elicia, Jenny, Sundee.

Haven't heard from: Corrine, Tina, Kimi, Kristin, Peggy, Randy and Jayti.

Any corrections? I need to know, because I am planning "awards".

Jules

Near Occasion of Sin

All I want to do right now is go home and curl up with a bag of Hershey's kisses, some vanilla ice cream and perhaps a little bourbon. It has been that bad of a day. But instead I'm going to go home this evening and work out all of my stress, anger, frustration and resentment at the Y and on the tennis courts. I was serious about the chocolate and the ice cream but instead I'm going to be good because I don't want to have to confess anything later to you guys. I think I'm having what the Catholics call a "near occasion of sin."

For the record, there is a huge difference (at least to me but apparently not to my boss) between reprimands I deserve and those that are so far out there that you have to just stop thinking in order to have it come out of your mouth and mean it. I got an earful of the latter today and it was downright abusive. I just need to remind myself that while I may want a new job, I do NOT need chocolate to deal with the one I have now.

Ugh.

I've been working out...

I thought this was pretty cute. But no, my work out is of another sort.
I'm just 1.5 pounds away from breaking into the 100's. I was REALLY hoping to do it by our Spring Hurrah, which is just four days away. But I'm still on my cycle, so I'm not going to be too upset if I can't make it this week. I know it will be happening soon. Why is there so much power in the little tiny numbers that we see at the bottom of the scale? At any rate, I've lost a little bit more, bringing my total up to 53.3 now. I can't wait until I can say that I've lost 60. That was one of my original goals, to lose 60 pounds by my high school reunion, which is in July. I should be able to do that, and perhaps even surpass that. My second goal was to lose 85 by my next wedding anniversary, which is in January. My ultimate goal, is to lose 100, and/or get into a size 10. But if I continue to keep working out, I may be able to even get into a size 8. Now that thought, is a little bizzare for me. I've been such a big girl, and for so long... what would I look like at that size? That would be tiny for me. We'll just take it one week at a time, one meal at a time.

Day 125: 1,561 calories, 11 glasses of water

Day 126: 1,571 calories, 10 glasses of water

Day 127: 1,540 calories, 15 glasses of water, worked out TWICE! : )

Good Results from Moving My Body

I wanted to let you folks know that we just did a 3 day trip to California (13 hour drive) and I was so blessed to be pretty much pain free!!!

Is it the increased activity? Is it the heat? I don't know, but I like it!

Mommy, You're skinny

Ok, this comment is going to keep me going for weeks! I was putting on my swimsuit because Grace and I go to parent-child swim classes. A SWIMSUIT of all things! Not exactly my favorite attire. My oldest daughter is checking me out and says "Mommy, you're skinny" Oh ya, I'm hangin' on to that one for a while! I am NOT skinny. And I still haven't weighed in, but I moved another notch on my belt! Woo Hoo!
SueAnne

Oh, and here are my numbers for this week:

Day 22: 1,114 calories; 11 glasses of water
Day 23: 1,141 calories; 12 glasses of water; workout
Day 24: 1,399 calories; 5 glasses of water; workout (busy field trip day)
Day 25: 1,206 calories; 13 glasses of water; workout
Day 26: 1,260 calories; 12 glasses of water
Day 27: 1,400??? calories; 8 glasses of water; workout (out ALL day activities)
Day 28: 1,137 calories; 13 glasses of water

Pretty in Pinstripes

I just had to share with y'all: I can now wear a beautiful pinstripe suit I bought a couple years ago! It didn't fit when I bought it (it's a size 10) and it's still a little tight through the hips, but it looks great and as long as I don't try jumping jacks or anything it looks stunning! Woohoo!

Also, I ran into a good friend on Friday and got a big hug. A few minutes later he commented that he noticed that I felt skinnier when he hugged me. I gave my standard answer (redistributing) but he absolutely contradicted me. "No, you look thinner too." I could have kissed him! (oh wait...) :)

I was talking to one of my oldest friends this weekend about this blog. We're all on different programs, trying different things, and I doubt any of us are sticking to exactly the same plan as anyone else. "So how does it work," she asked. I told her that it's been so easy to lose this weight knowing that everyone here is cheering each other on. It's also that with this blog, we are all accountable in some way or another. I want to do well for all of you and I want to cheer each of you on through your successes and setbacks. In short, it's easier to change all of the little things that don't work in my lifestyle because I know we're all in it together.

Thanks to all of you for letting me come along on your journeys, and for coming along on mine. It has made a world of difference.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms on the Blog!

Holy Cow! I got a humdinger of a fuschia today for Mom's Day! I swear it is about 4 feet in diameter! Hope all you ladies are enjoying the day. My honey works today, but he and the kids brought breakfast in bed for me (the kids devoured most of my fruit plate) and they made sweet cards. RaeElise said, "Mom, I love you more than Disneyland!" Ahhhhhh. So sweet. Reuben said, "Mom you are a better person than I am." He said he wanted to write that I was better than Oprah, but he didn't know how to spell her name. Ha!

It is also my son Reuben's 12th bday today. Check out my other blog for a little tidbit on him. Love that boy!

Jules

Hmmm... which purple shirt looks better? The old, or the new?

Okay, so, this is me a year ago. And sadly, this isn't even me at my highest weight! I was about ten pound below my heaviest here. Anyhow, I just bought this new t-shirt last night, my $3.99 special, and I just felt so great in it. And hey, is that a little bit of collar bone that I detect? My, oh my, I'm loving this journey! I know I'm going post happy. What can I say? I love this blog!

Day 123: 1,536 calories, 12 glasses of water, workout
Day 124: 1,577 calories, 13 glasses of water, workout

Jules! I've just done the math...

You and I together have lost a whopping 97.7 pounds!! We've almost made it to 100! Now THAT, is some serious poundage, girlfriend. I'm proud of you babe, keep it up!

Spring Hurrah! RSVP

EVERYONE READ AND RESPOND! Si vous plait...

Here are the final details of the Spring Hurrah! Our opportunity to celebrate how far we have come or our new beginnings in this weight loss journey. No matter where you are in that journey, you are welcome to come and celebrate with us!

Date: Saturday, May 20th

Time: 11:30 AM

Place: Red Robin at Northgate Mall

Shopping to commence after a healthy lunch...no fries, girls!

I need to know who is coming. Sign in here!

Jules

Amy, my friend, I'm sending you out a wink

I am sooo glad that you changed your ticker, girl. No one wants a slug for a mascot! Is that a crown that you chose for the slider, and on a vegetable ruler? How fun is that? It looks now like you are the vegetable queen! I'm happy to see you've been posting more. You have a lot to contribute to our quirky group of gals. Love, Kristina. : )

Days when it is hard

Well, you know it is at times when life is stressful that this is really hard. Not having my comfort foods and coping mechanisms makes it neccessary to face life. Today, I find myself plugging along but weary and just wanting to give up. I will not, because I have hope for a better future, but I would like to just give up. Honesty, that's all this is:)
SueAnne

A loss this week!

Yahoo!! I lost 2.2 lbs this week and earned another star on my book mark (Weight Watchers). I think boosting my water intake really helped. So here goes another glass -gurgle, gurgle. I hope your weigh ins are great for you all. Now if I can just not sabotage myself this week and tell myself that because I had a loss last week, I can eat this week. I think I over reward myself for a job well done! Back to the monitoring of intake and expending those calories.
Tonight we have a substitute for my weight lifting class. He also does a boot camp class on Mon. night that I hear is a killer. Since I have a spinning class Mon. morning, I've never tried the boot camp. It's good to know I'm not a sadist (teehee). I hope he doesn't kill us tonight.
I found a neat website you might all enjoy http://www.healthyweightforum.org/eng/bmi.asp. You can figure out your BMI, there are tons of weight loss tools and articles. Let me know what you think

I had a question or two...

Okay, so, I am on the verge of starting my monthly visitor, and I have been so hungry this last week. I've been working out like usual. I've been drinking lots of water, etc... but I've only lost 1/2 of a pound this week. Now, during this week, the week before your period, is that the time that you're supposedly gaining a little bit of weight, or is it actually the week of your cycle? Because I've been working out really hard, and I was expecting a little bit more of a number change on the scale. I'm not complaining ladies, I'm just trying to keep myself motivated. And the numbers really do motivate me. Well, that, and how my clothes are fitting me. : )

On a side note; can you believe that Chris got voted off of Idol last night? I am so bummed. I thought that boy was gonna take the whole enchilada.

Day 120: 1,600 calories, 11 glasses of water, workout

Day 121: 1,701 calories, ( I told you I was hungry) 14 glasses of water, workout

Day 122: 1,483 calories, 12 glasses of water, workout

Reaching out for HELP!

Hi Everyone~
I have to admit that I have been hiding out. I have been reading everyone's posts but avoiding posting my own therefore not having to hold myself accountable. I am really feeling down on myself. Here I am a trained consultant that consults about 100 people a week and I cannot even stay focused on my program. I started this back in January and I've only lost 13 pounds. I go to the gym and have great workouts at least 4 times a week. My problem is that I shove my feelings down with food. So anytime a feeling comes up that I don't want to feel I go to the cupboard and eat something. Lately it's been peanut butter.

Does anyone have any advice for me? I need help in a lot of ways because I want to be successful at this and stop sabotaging myself.

Congratulations to all of you! I have been keeping my eye out and I'm so proud of all of you!

Coreen

Shout out to Paige

Paige: this is for you. The Lyrics to one of my favorite Russ Taff/Imperials's songs that just lifts my spirit and helps me make it through the day. (must be played at the loudest you can stand and sung at the top of your lungs) YOu can hear a little of it here. I have it on my iPod and listen to it daily.

PRAISE THE LORD

(Russ Taff/Imperials)

When you're up against a struggle

That's shattered all your dreams

And your hopes been cruely crushed

By Satan's manifested schemes.

And you feel the urge within you

To submit to earthyly fears

Don't let the faith your standing in

Seem to disappear.

CHORUS:Praise the Lord. He will work for those who praise him

Praise the Lord. For our God inhabits praisee .

Praise the Lord.

And those chains that seem to bind you Serve only to remind you.

As they fall powerless behind you.

When you praise him.

Satan is a liar and he wants to make us think

That we are paupers, when we know ourselves

We're children of the king.

So lift up the mighty shield of faith

For the battle must be won

Remember Jesus Christ has risen

So the works already done.

Chorus

Twice in One Day?

Oh yeah, that's right - I rode twice today - just thought I'd cheer about it here!

Sorry about the MIA

Hi Ladies.
I know, I've been MIA. I'm sorry. It's mostly because... I do alot of complaining, and "I'm not doing well with this stuff" and I didn't want to do that. Because, well, the last few weeks did not go well. I had a rough day, and that pretty much snowballed into a rough three weeks. I HAVE continued exercising, which has shocked and pleased me. I'm proud of myself for that. Also, I weighed myself on Saturday and I have stayed the same. Which I'm also pleased about- I didn't gain weight.

I have a new philosophy: one day at a time. We'll see how that works. I burned out, I think, because I was writing my food down, putting it online, spending time on sparkpeople (which is a great site) but when I started going downhill, it ALL went downhill. So now, it's just taking one day at a time. That's it. I'm trying to make the choice for today, for this meal. And leave the next choice until then.

I've been. And have missed you guys. You are all doing so so well. I'm proud of you.

I am starving [updated: but I lost]

[UPDATE: I lost 2.6 pounds last night!!! Yea, Total of 12.2. Why do little gold stars with a 5 on them make my day? I am so easy.]

I know this is playing with the scales but tonight is my WW meeting and weigh-in. I did not weigh last week due to my "special little visitor" so this week I am excited about the results. The only problem is I AM SO HUNGRY. I just don't want to eat or drink anything until after my weigh-in which is at 6:15 central time . It would not be so bad except I am cooking dinner for the fam and it smells so good. I will just wait until 7:00 to have some for myself. Why does the time fly when the kids are gone for a two hours and DDDDDRRRRRAAAAAGGGG when I am waiting the same two hours to eat? Things that make you go HMMMM.

I'll let you know tonights results when I get home.

The Romance of the Movies

I know, I know...This post has absolutely NOTHING to do with weight loss, although the actors were in amazing shape and I personally watched them burn thousands of calories (and funny, I don't remember seeing them eat a single item of food). I am posting because I saw MI III yesterday and I just can't get it out of my head! I loved it! It was so amazing, I just want to hop in my car, abandon my children to their own devices, and see it again! Since you all are my "best" friends in whole wide world, I just had to tell you. I will attach some food journal entries just to make this a "legal" post. By the way, I am so proud of all of you. Lisa, SueAnne, Peggy, Mandi, Jenny, Kristina, Elicia, Amy, Yommy, Corrie, Jayti, Randy, Debbie, Paige, and Tina! You are all hanging in there and that is inspiring. Who would know this blog could be the glue for so many of us? I miss hearing from Kimi, Sundee, and Corrie. Where are you guys?

Day 120: 1134 calories, 4 glasses of water
Day 121: 1083 calories, 3 glasses of water (ut-oh)
Day 122: 1343 calories, 4 glasses of water
Day 123: 1226 calories, 8 glasses of water (that's better)
Day 124: In progress...I am happy to report that I have already had 4 glasses of water and I fully intend on downing all 8 today. I have been a slacker. But if Ethan Hunt can do all he can do, I can drink a few water bottles, right?

Shopping

People keep telling me "honey, you are losing weight!" and my standard response is "I don't think so - it must just be redistributing." But now I am celebrating my less-ness. I bought a cute new summer shirt, in a medium and not a large!

That said, I've kind of stalled at the moment - but that's okay. I'm staying on track and it will all catch up with me eventually.

Have a great week, everyone!

Lisa

I just feel like smiling this morning!

It's my favorite time of the day. I've just had a great workout, and I'm sitting here with my bowl of cheerios and coffee with sugar free hazelnut creamer, anticipating the events of the day. I love my routine. I love sitting here in the morning, going through my favorite blogs... I can't explain my how I feel this morning. I'm just feeling so good about what I have achieved so far, and I'm excited because I know that I'm not done yet. I'm 52 pounds lighter, but that's just slightly over half way to my goal. I'm imagining how incredible I'll be feeling then, because I already feel so good now. This morning I'm almost to the point of giddiness. I had to buy some new work out clothes over the weekend. And may I say, that I feel rather athletic in them? I actually have definition in my thighs again, and I have a waist line too! Oh baby, I'm feeling GOOD!
It's the first day of my 18th week. Day 120. Wow, has it been that many already? Summer's a comin', and I'm ready for it this year. I remember well being too ashamed to wear my shorts out in public. I would not go outside of my yard. I'm not ashamed any more. The only thing that I am filled with now is pride. A good pride though, guys.

Day 117: 1,457 calories, 11 glasses of water, workout

Day 118: 1,576 calories, 13 glasses of water, workout

Day 119: 1,641 calories,( A little hungry here) 7 glasses of water

Still on track

I am still on track, still losing, still eating healthy. The honeymoon is over and it is down to the day to day of eating right and making good choices.

Some new food discoveries are hummus, English cucumbers, Amy's Organic Tamale Pie, Spike seasoning on just about everything.