Rick was in trouble. He forgot his wedding anniversary and his wife was really angry.

She told him, "Tomorrow morning, I expect to find a gift in the driveway that goes from 0 to 200 in less than 6 seconds AND IT BETTER BE THERE!!"

The next morning Rick got up early and left for work.

When his wife woke up she looked out the window and sure enough there was a box gift -wrapped in the middle of the driveway...

Confused, the wife put on her robe and ran out to the driveway, and brought the box back in the house.

She opened it and found a brand new bathroom scale.

Rick has been missing since Friday. Please pray for him.

In Which I May Be a Little Excited (and Maybe a Tad Mushy)

Great news, Ladies! I beat my goal time for the 5K by over a minute! And then because the shuttle to the fairgrounds didn't show back up, I walked another 2 miles back downtown to my office (and car)! I'm feeling very virtuous at the moment, but that is nothing a slice of chocolate victory cake won't fix. :)

This is a great feeling - that I'm fit enough to run this race and place well, that I've been eating right and feel good, and that I have changed my lifestyle to the point where none of it feels like I'm working very hard at it. And you've all been a big part of that. I really want each of you to know how much I appreciate the advice, pep talks, inspiration, commiseration, and support which occur pretty regularly on this blog. You are each spectacular in your own way.

And if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment with a small piece of cake (okay, maybe a banana - I can't be undoing all my hard work!)

Love y'all,
Lisa

I DID NOT mean to leave that photo here...

I uploaded a picture so that I could re-do my profile pic, and forgot to delete it. But, I still couldn't get the profile pic switched. I'm a dork. : )
And no, I did not make that necklace ELicia.

Three Guesses What I'm Doing Saturday...

Yup, me and ol' Big Tex will be running our buns off on Saturday morning in my first competitive 5K (all the others I've done have been untimed fun runs).

My goals for the race are to do what I'm supposed to: (1) run my time as negative splits (1st mile slower, 2nd mile on pace, 3rd mile push it, last 400 yards sprint like you're on fire); (2) SLOW DOWN so I can make it to completion - NO sprinting at the starting line, no matter how much I feel like it; (3) run the full race (no walking breaks - I don't really need them); and (4) have fun. My other goal is to finish in under 33 minutes.

My coach agrees that all of these goals are totally doable and that I'm a little ahead of schedule for our class but she thinks I can definitely make it. I told her it never occurred to me that I might fail (I still don't think so). So, wish me luck!

In return, I'll let Big Tex know you said "Hi!" :)

Lisa

It happenned again, and I am humbled...

Yesterday, as I was going into the locker room, a woman with whom I've never spoken before said to me," Oh good, are you just getting here?" "Yep, I'm just getting here"."I'm glad" she said, "Because you are very inspirational... A couple of days ago when I was working out for a whole hour, I was very tired and wanted to stop. But then I saw you, and you gave me the inspiration to keep going." I naturally thanked her, and we spoke for just a moment more, but let me tell you, I was humbled. I was humbled, but then I was also very motivated. And how could I not be?! When strangers with whom I've never spoken, can get motivated by me and my dilligence, how much more so can I motivate those with whom I am friends with and speak to on a regular basis?
God is good. He is the one that has enabled me to change.

Wednesday: 1,954 calories, and 11 glasses of water. I did 30 minutes of cardio, burning 325 calories, and lifted 44,300 pounds.

"Nice girl" by day..."Cardio kick-box-your-butt girl" by night!

Okay, I can't get enough of this class! And check this out, they're doing this America on the Move at the YMCA's, and so they've calculated how many steps that you will approximately take during the various classes. My class, has the highest amount of steps, 19,800! Plus you get to kick, and punch, and feel cool. : ) I feel like a different woman when I go to this class, it is invigorating, and empowering.
I've not journaled this last several days, it is soooo hard when I'm PMSing.But I finally did start my period this morning, hallelujah! I did eat poorly for a couple of nights. During the day I do fine, but my weak time is after dinner. I did go to Costco yesterday however and got some more popcorn and sugar free fudgcicles. And I've worked out several days in a row too, I've actually lost track of how many I've done in a row... Do you think I'm dealing with an addiction here ladies? : )

Tuesday: 1,609 calories, and 10 glasses of water. I walked on the treadmill for 30 minutes, I did my 60 minute cardio kick boxing class, and lifted 66,450 pounds.

181!

I didn't want to walk today. I really didn't. I decided that I wouldn't. I went upstairs, took off my work out clothes and got on the scale and I was 181, down from the 184 point where I have been for a week. Now I am ready to work out. I thought that darned scale would NEVER move!

I Blame Kristina...

...for not reminding me how addictive running can be.

I remember a short month ago, when everyone (not just people on this blog) thought I was maybe a little more than the usual degree of crazy for paying money for a running class when I hated to run. Well, I'm in week 5 now, my form is much better, I'm regularly running 3-4 miles a day, I'm enjoying it more, and I feel at loose ends if I go an evening without a run in order to meet the "recovery" schedule mandated by my coach. And even then, I sometimes cheat and run anyway.

Anyway, our goal race to finish out the class is on 10/6 but I'm going to run the State Fair 5K this weekend so I can have a benchmark on my time. I've already decided to sign up for the next round of classes to run the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. Now the only question is, am I going to train for the 5K or the 8 mile version that leads into the Half Marathon class? I'm thinking 5K but we'll have to see.

I also can't wait for the weather to drop out of the 90s and some of this humidity to clear off. We had one (1) single day of fall a few weeks ago just to torture me, but I can't wait to run when it's not so hot and sticky.

In other news, I haven't lost a speck of weight with all of this running. I have been training and lifting weights, and generally being good, however, so I think that the muscle gain is offsetting the fat loss at the moment since I've actually gained a couple pounds in the meantime but my clothes are fitting like I weigh a little less. I'm trying to be patient, but I'd like the scales to catch up with me soon so that I can have some idea of how I'm doing.

I'm going to meet my goal for this first running class very soon (run 30 minutes/2.8 miles without stopping) so I need to think of my goal for the next set of classes. Suggestions welcome.

Otherwise, I hope everyone has a great week!

Lisa

I'm New Here

Hi! My name is Patty and I'm a friend of Jennifer's. We've been on the same e-mail loop for years...since the late 90's! My husband and I will have our 25th anniversary next spring, and we are blessed with seven children, ages 23 down to almost 8. We have homeschooled almost forever...this is our 16th year I think. Wow, that makes me feel old.

When dh and I married, I weighed 140 pounds. I'm 5'11" so for me that wasn't fat at all. After the first two babies, I kept my weight down pretty well but with each subsequent baby I gained 10 or 15 pounds!!! After I passed the 200 mark I recoiled in horror at the thought of stepping on a scale. I think my highest weight was around 235 (yikes!!!) but when Jennifer and I were writing food diaries back and forth I think my highest was 223. Last time I weighed (a few days ago) I was 214. I haven't told dh what I weigh for a very long time. He's a trim 168 and eats whatever he wants. But he does exercise, too.

I try to walk every night, about 2 miles or a little more, fast enough to get my heart pumping. It feels good to sweat!!! I'm thinking of adding some weight lifting or some kind of strength training to my routine.

I still eat too much sugar. Phooey.

I'm looking forward to getting to know the rest of you ladies! I did have dh take some pics of me but that was just yesterday...it'll be a while before I have any "after" pics. I really love seeing all of your photos and how far you've come!

Steppin' Out

Just a couple of pictures of me before stepping out for the night. We went out for karaoke. Last time I went to this bar I ended up dancing with old cowboys who gently chastised me for being unable to follow. This time I ended up dancing with old bikers (same story on the dancing. Why can I not follow?) It's an interesting bar!

Just feelin'.... perdy

My oldest son took this shot of my "baby" and I today. And even though it's not perfectly clear, I really liked it. The other shots are from July of '05. Just seeing them makes me want to go back to the Y again today. Well, I only did cardio this morning, so maybe I could persuade honey to come and lift some weights with me tonight. : )

A few things that I'm grateful for

o Having my mom tell me that I look smaller than when I was a teenanger!

o Having my husband be able to really wrap his arms around me when we're hugging.

o Having my dad call me his "hero".

o Having all of my sisters envying ME for a change!

o Becoming an athelete again.

o Having the confidence to look people in the eye when in public. No more hanging my head down out of shame!

o Having twenty-something year olds flirting with me on occasion. : )

o Buying smaller clothing sizes, and looking really good in them.

o Feeling sexxy, even when I'm naked. Not asking my hubby to turn around as I dive into the sheets. (Some of you know what I mean).

o Just feeling beautiful. Whether I'm just in my sweats and heading off to the Y, or if I'm all dolled up to go out.

o Being able to "own" all my accomplishments, and all of the pride that they have given me.

Borrowing a Page Out of Jan's Book

A Few of My Favorite Things

• Shopping in the regular clothing department, not the plus size.
• Taking two pairs of pants into the dressing room, and leaving the LARGER size behind because the smaller one worked.
• Carrying my 38 pound child on my shoulders up the stairs at the zoo and realizing that all that weight used to be on my frame not on my shoulders.
• Putting lotion on my legs and feeling muscles there.
• Being able to do 10 push ups in a row.
• Being able to out-walk my kids at the park.
• Being able to walk uphill without even breathing hard.
• Not feeling back fat jiggle when I run.
• Being able to run.
• Looking HOT in my new outfit.
• Buying clothes that accentuate my curves, not trying to hide them.
• Having curves in the RIGHT places. :-D
• Not having to worry about whether or not my husband is just being nice when he tells me I'm sexy.
• Feeling sexy.
• 
  

Bread. Why?

Ok, let's just state right off the bat that I am weird. So, that's a given. But one day a month or two ago, I started thinking, what's the deal with bread? We use it to hold food basically, don't we? They are a vehicle for other foods. What is the crust of a pizza? Do you even really taste it?

Now, some of it is really tasty, but when I started looking at some of the foods I eat and trying to get more nutrition out of them, I started realizing that most breads are pretty empty. I usually get my grains from meals with rolled oats, which stack up better.

So anyway, I was holding an English Muffin with a Boca burgers (topped with mustard and salsa), and I liked eating that for lunch, but right then I decided to just have the boca burger on a plate and put the mustard and salsa on the burger. I ate it with a fork. Tasty.

Now I hardly ever eat bread anymore. I have applied this to rice, as well. I don't cut out rice altogether, but if I am having a stir fry of shrimp, veggies and a bit of Chinese sauce, I will sometimes skip on the rice. It still tastes the same, but the caloric value of the whole meal changes. You know those days when you are maybe close to budget with the cals/fat grams and you start thinking about the value of your foods and how much you can afford?

You might try it sometime. I think I much prefer a fork to a bread handle on my burgers, after all how many cals/fat grams does a fork have?

5 Month update in photos

Now, before we get to the photos, I have to explain. I am not a size four, not even close, but I found a pair of VERY stretchy pants that fit well and they were a size four. I think that this represents up-sizing on the part of the clothing industry. I don't want to lead you all astray, if I don't hide this watermelon of a belly I still look pregnant!

Anyway, here are the photos, I think we can all see my main trouble spot! If you sort of visually draw a line and cut off that belly, I can see how I will look when I am done. I just wonder, when will I be done? Sorry, I wrote 6 months, but when I was doing the dishes, I realized that from April 22 to today is only about 5 months, so the photo caption is wrong.



And here is a face off of me a year ago and then today, can you see my poor sore nose from having a cold for two weeks?

9/06

Today

Ahhhhhhhhh, that was nice!

I am back from Hawaii and I'm happy to report that all those days of walking, working out and weight lifting paid off! I was able to enjoy my trip to Hawaii with more stamina than I had hoped!

I was able to paddle for great distances without getting too tired or being too sore the next day. I was able to hop on and off of the board easily and with little fatigue. I was able to stand up on the board in a balanced way and ride the small surf. It was such an exhilarating feeling!

One particular wave, I got up and stood easily on the board as it carried me towards the shore. It carried me and carried me and I was so tickled that I was still going.....and going...... Finally the wave died out and I stepped off my board. Turning around, I looked back out to the ocean and saw how very far I had come. I was happy to have ridden so far, but a bit surprised at how far I was going to have to paddle back out! :-)

It was only four days, but it was like a month. I've learned recently to really absorb the good times so it can carry me through the rough. God is good to me. He's always been good. However, there is nothing like laying on a surfboard in Hawaii enjoying creation to make my heart sing.

These are a few of my favorite things....

about having lost so much weight:

~Being able to get the sheets on the bed without breaking a sweat.
~Being able to get between the wall and the bed without climbing on the bed. The space is about 6 inches. Being able to turn around in that space too.
~Being able to dance in the kitchen without feeling like an idiot.
~Having sex with the light on.
~Every time someone says, "Have you cut your hair?" and knowing that they mean, "Have you lost weight?" but they can't remember that I was fat before.
~When people describe me as, "She's tall and thin with dark short hair." That beats "heavy set" every day of the week!
~Buying clothes. Buying size 4-6 clothes. OK, they were stretchy, but they fit!
~Not feeling self-conscious
~Using small towels instead of my old "bath sheets".
~Size 5 bikini panties.
~My seat belt never bothers me now. It used to be too small.
~Sitting in the kiddie chairs at parent-teacher conferences is fine now.
~running and playing with my children. I can do that now.
~Did I mention buying clothes?

I am just loving it. Photos tomorrow. It's six months tomorrow.

Blogger won't let me comment....

Hey girls, I have been reading and greatly enjoying all of your posts. Sorry I have appeared silent. Blogger won't let me comment for some reason.

Jen, WhooHoo about getting out of the 200's!!! I know how great that feels! Amazing!

Jan, Yippee on the 185, though by now, you are down even more, I suspect. You are truly an inspiration.

Kristina, great job exploring your world with kick boxing and getting triathalon comments. Of course you look like an athlete. Very fit and athletic, strong and beautiful.

Elicia, thank you for all the encouraging posts. We need your "life coaching" skills here. Hope Hawaii was a dream, it was dreamy having your girls here.

And Lisa, music is so key to a good workout...I agree. I love working out to Jem, Jack Johnson (though he can be more for a cool down or warm up) and even Madonna dance music can be fun to work out to. The Newsboys are good too.

Anyway, just thought I would pop in and say hi! I am doing well on my plan, still down 2.4, so going in the right direction. I am just 3.4 away from the spa with Jenny. My new Prism group doubled in size last week. We went from 1 to 2!! Ha! That is a 100% growth rate, baby! Pray for me to lead well, with compassion and a great example!

The pics are of me at Lake Chelan last month.

Jules

Moving Forward

The important work of moving the world forward does not wait to be done by perfect men.
- George Eliot

Gained a pound? Lost a pound? Ran a mile? Sat for an hour? Ate too much? Ate just enough?

Remembering that baby steps still move forward is a great way to keep from getting stuck. Sometimes its easy to give in when we've been weakened, "I already blew it, why not eat five MORE oreos?" but even if we only eat TWO more - we're moving forward...

Be generous with yourself when you slip up a bit. It doesn't mean you've failed. You can still move forward, and you can start another step TODAY!

Quote of the week

A couple of days ago at the Y, there was an older gentleman who I'd guess to be 70ish, that struck up a conversation with me. He himself, was in really good conditon. Anyhow, this is what he asked me; ' Are you training for a triathalon? I see you working out really hard all of the time.''No', said I, I'm just trying to get into shape and get these last ten pounds off. : )But what he said sort of struck me. It made me think to myself, do I really look like the type of person that could do a triathalon? Do I really LOOK like an athelete? It was a cool thing for me to ponder. : )

My New Temptation

I kinda wish I'd never tasted these. Once I open the can I can't stop. Seriously, I can eat a whole can of almonds. I'm not telling how many cans I ate in the week preceding the 3-Day.

Now that I no longer have the "preparing my body for a great big walk" excuse to eat everything in sight, I'll have to learn moderation with these or avoid them all together. I brought home a can today after shopping for new clothes, which was way fun today, by the way.

So, any tips for eating something so delicous and so small as to seem harmless? I'll tell ya one thing that helps, knowing there is 1,020 calories in one can! For now, I'm going to count out 28 nuts, which is one serving, which is 170 calories and put the can away. Avoiding it for the rest of the night will be tricky, though.

All Time Low

Today I weighed in at 185. To put that into perspective, I started out at 272. That's 348 sticks of butter ladies!

After my third pregnancy I lost weight and went from 203 to 185. So, I have been here before, but the huge difference was that I was 21 at the time. And I never got any lower. This time I have set my sites on 150 as my goal and I plan to be there about the time that St. Nick is delivering my size small clothes that I will be needing.

Frankly, I didn't think I would make it this far, this soon. I am thrilled beyond belief and wanted to share it with you all. WHOO WHEE! Oh, by the way, the twenty-something guy at Radio Shack actually flirted with me the other day. Who cares if he just did it to sell me a printer? I am 42. How did this happen?

Now I wonder, where will I be in a month?

Someone Called Me "Slender" Today!

I went to get my haircut and I was talking about my son to the hairdresser, saying he is over 6 feet tall, but only weighs 120 pounds, and she said, "Wow! That is really thin, but then you're slender, so he must get it from you." I laughed and said, "Well, thank you for saying so, but I'm NOT slender, I just carry my weight well." When I told her my goal weight was 160 she couldn't believe I weighed more than that now.

So, I ran home and took pictures of my body to see if I could see myself as slender. Mostly what I saw was that my clothes were hanging on me. Clothes that used to be a bit snug.


So, I ran inside to get some clothes that are a little more form fitting.



And to remind you what I looked like seven months ago:

I did my first cardio kickboxing class, and I am in love...

In love with the type of excercise the class gave me, that is. Let me tell you, if they offered this every day, I would be taking it every day. And I would be CUT. My body would be so cut. They only have it twice a week. It was hard, but I LOVED it! It's a new class, so there were only three of us there besides the instructor. The first guy lasted about ten minutes before he quit. The second guy lasted a full thirty minutes before he had stop. I am the only one that made it for the full forty five minute duration . And yeah... that really did make me kinda proud. : )

Tuesday: 1,429 calories, and 20 glasses of water. I did 30 minutes of cardio, burning 445 calories, and lifted 57,000 pounds.

Wednesday: 1,318 calories, and 18 glasses of water. No Y today.

Thursday: 1,349 calories, and 15 glasses of water. I did the 45 minute cardio class, and lifted 58,000 pounds.

Hooray!

I weighed 199.8 pounds this morning! I finally broke through that 200 pound barrier. That feels good.

I'm hoping that I can at least maintain that and go down from there, but I'm worried that the stress of the walk and then the stress of family issues which occurred after the walk is the reason I started losing weight again.

It still feels good, and it motivates me to stay on track. I'm going for a walk today. This will be the first walk in seven months that is just for me, and not for training. A small distinction, but an important one because now that I don't have a great big goal to work for I have to work just because I'm worth the effort.

Motivation by Ipod is Better than Death by Treadmill

I have over 3,500 songs on my ipod, so why is is getting more difficult to find music that's "up" enough to get me through a tough workout? My same old mixes are just that - same old. So what could once get me through a solid 45 minutes of this-stinks-you-know-being-fat-may-just-be-better-than-this cardio just doesn't cut it anymore.

So tell me, what are your 10 favorite get-you-going songs? The ones where you have to dance, sing, jump around, laugh out loud, or otherwise feel you can't sit still for? I'm idea shopping here.
Lately, for me, it has been:
1) Better Days/Goo Goo Dolls
2) Shelter from the Storm/Bob Dylan
3) Hey Jealousy/Gin Blossoms
4) Supermodel/Kendall Payne
5) Hips Don't Lie/Shakira
6) Paper Heart/All-American Rejects
7) Girl Next Door/Saving Jane
8) Baby Doll/Pat Green
9) Little Miss Can't Be Wrong/REM
10) Unwritten/Natasha Bedingfield

What about y'all? I need new songs so please share!

End of My Blog, Beginning of the Rest of My Life

I just wrote my "last post" post on my blog, but I wanted to let you all know that I'd still be participating over here on this blog. :-)

Motivation

Jerry Seinfeld's productivity secret

Editor: When software developer Brad Isaac told us he had productivity advice from Jerry Seinfeld, we couldn't turn down the chance to hear more. Read on for the whole story from Brad.

Years ago when Seinfeld was a new television show, Jerry Seinfeld was still a touring comic. At the time, I was hanging around clubs doing open mic nights and trying to learn the ropes. One night I was in the club where Seinfeld was working, and before he went on stage, I saw my chance. I had to ask Seinfeld if he had any tips for a young comic. What he told me was something that would benefit me a lifetime...

He said the way to be a better comic was to create better jokes and the way to create better jokes was to write every day. But his advice was better than that. He had a gem of a leverage technique he used on himself and you can use it to motivate yourself - even when you don't feel like it.

He then revealed a unique calendar system he was using pressure himself to write.

Here's how it worked.

He told me to get a big wall calendar that has a whole year on one page and hang it on a prominent wall. The next step was to get a big red magic marker.

He said for each day that I do my task of writing, I get to put a big red X over that day. "After a few days you'll have a chain. Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You'll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job next is to not break the chain."

"Don't break the chain." He said again for emphasis.

Over the years I've used his technique in many different areas. I've used it for exercise, to learn programming, to learn network administration, to build successful websites and build successful businesses.

It works because it isn't the one-shot pushes that get us where we want to go, it is the consistent daily action that builds extraordinary outcomes. You may have heard "inch by inch anything's a cinch." Inch by inch does work if you can move an inch every day.

Daily action builds habits. It gives you practice and will make you an expert in a short time. If you don't break the chain, you'll start to spot opportunities you otherwise wouldn't. Small improvements accumulate into large improvements rapidly because daily action provides "compounding interest."

Skipping one day makes it easier to skip the next.

I've often said I'd rather have someone who will take action - even if small - every day as opposed to someone who swings hard once or twice a week. Seinfeld understands that daily action yields greater benefits than sitting down and trying to knock out 1000 jokes in one day.

Think for a moment about what action would make the most profound impact on your life if you worked it every day. That is the action I recommend you put on your Seinfeld calendar. Start today and earn your big red X. And from here on out...

Don't break the chain!

Brad Isaac is a lead software programmer and blogger. You can read his motivational strategies every day on his goal setting blog, Achieve-IT!

Down 2 Pounds!

I just had to share my happy news. My period is about to start, yet when I got on the scale today my weight was down a couple of pounds from what my ticker says, which is actually down about 4 pounds from what it said before this weekend. I'm not changing my ticker yet, because that's bound to change as my body adjusts to a normal routine again after all the walking and eating this weekend.

I'm encouraged, though, because I was told to expect to be a few pounds heavier after the walk. They really ply you with lots of carbs and protein, more calories than normal, when you're a walker. So, I'm just feeling happy about the weight loss today. I hope it's not temporary.

Now that the walk is over I want to concentrate a little more on making better food choices. I decided before the walk that it was okay to focus on the training, and not worry so much about the eating, but now it's back down to business! I wonder if I can be out of the 200's before my anniversary trip.

"Reward" is Just Another Way to Say Bribing my Self

I need to kick myself into gear. I have been so complacent for awhile, resting comfortably (and a little flabbily) on my plateau that I need to shake out of it if I am ever going to reach my goal. I have tried large bribes to reach the end result (and you'll have noticed, I still haven't made it to one of the lunches in Seattle) and I've tried small changes (how many times has my ticker been reset? I've lost count).

So yet again, I'm going to try bribing myself on a smaller scale. I love getting massages and I live very close to a massage training school which has its own (surprisingly nice) affordable day spa. So even though it feels really indulgent and a little spoiled, from here on out I will be getting a massage every time I hit a milestone. My chosen milestones are the 5s and 0s - when I make it back to 170, 165, 160, etc., massage time for me - in the hopes that smaller and more frequent rewards will really keep me motivated. At the moment, I have 2.5 pounds to go before the first of my reward massages.

Thanks for the idea, Jules. You'll get the credit if this is the road to fitness, I'll take the blame if it's just the road to dissipation. Either way though, I should end up skinny and relaxed! :)

Lisa

One Hundred and Fifty One

That's what the scale said this am. One hundred and fifty one pounds. I blinked, looked down again and read it. It still said One hundred and fifty one pounds. That's almost one hundred and fifty. Why, that's nearly almost in the 140s. Oh My!

My leg lifts, good eating choices, massages (you should totally add these to your maintenance routine if you can - more on that later) and long walks with the baby are paying off.

Then there's Tae Kwan Do. My kids started taking classes and after you sign up two family members, the rest are free. So, yesterday I slipped on my sweats (do these really hang so close to my fat ripples on my thighs?) and went to kick and punch with them. It was a lot of fun, and because the room is so warm I really sweat! Great workout - only 1/2 hour. Plus we learned some practical ways to keep ourselves from being dragged to a car.

I took Defensive Tactics for nearly a year about five years ago. I went for 8 hours a week every week and got very cut (even though I can't say I remember much). I thought the Tae Kwan Do classes were great for the kid's motivation, but probably wouldn't touch on the 'dirty' fighting techniques that I'd learned. WRONG! The kids were taught full force how to break a bad guy's arm!

*By the way - if you have young ladies, you may want to consider getting them in a simple self defense class - there is something about knowing your kids were taught to get out of a grab that soothes a mother's heart*

So - Friday is approaching and the surf is up in Hawaii (not too high, I hope!) and this little lady is going walk all her one hundred and fifty one pounds happily down the beach, surfboard in tow.

I bought myself a new outfit yesterday!

I bought my first pair of size 8 jeans. Granted, they are the stretchy kind, but I don't care. I feel sooo sexxy in them. They really contour my hips and thighs. I bought a new top, and a Nordstrom bra as well... I really splurged. But I've been working really hard, and I felt like I deserved it.
I've lost another pound! I have eight more to go. I CANNOT wait to get there. I am so completely motivated! I feel more beautiful than I ever have. It's such a contrast to how I used to feel...

Saturday: 1,364 calories, and 10 glasses of water. I did 35 minutes of cardio, burning 500 calories, and lifted 34,500 pounds.

Sunday: 1,100 calories, and 7 glasses of water. 40,500 pounds lifted.

Monday: 1,200 calories, and 19 glasses of water. I did 44 minutes of cardio, burning 600 calories, and lifted 34,000 pounds.

Check out Jen's blog about her 3 day walk!

Hey all, go to Sob'ah my soul and check out Jen's amazing story. She is our Hero of the Week here! Three Cheers for Jen!!

Down for the week!

Hey girls, I am down 2.4 lbs. for the week! Yippee! Have a great one!

Jules

A Brief Detour

Guess where I was this weekend? In a very last minute trip (between deciding to go and being at the airport, I had roughly an hour to leave the office, pack, and make my flight) I went to Vegas for the weekend. A lot of good food, a little wine, and a TON of walking.

I didn't realize when I left that my pedometer was in my purse (it's one of the ones that will count for you when it's in your handbag and it is so accurate it's scary) but it says that I walked well over 20 miles this weekend. 23.67 if we want to be specific, taking over 60,000 steps and burning nearly 2500 calories. Not bad for two days in a town where the goal is to get you to sit down and lose money. (I don't really gamble, so that made it somewhat easier to stay on the move.)

The only bad thing? With less than 5 minutes to pack, I forgot to pack any shoes other than heels and the flip-flops I was wearing. I hurt all over and feel vaguely like I've been hit by a freight train, all from lack of proper support. Oh well, hopefully tonight's run (!) will loosen me up a little.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!
Lisa

Kickin' some serious BOO-TAY!!

It is official. I am at my lowest weight yet as an adult. Down another 1.5, bringing me down to 169 exactly. With 86 pounds gone, and just 9 more to go. It's weird, and wonderful all at once. I am amazed at how well that my body submits once I am faithful with my calories, water intake, and excercise.

Friday: 1,429 calories, and 12 glasses of water. I did 60 minutes of cardio, burning 700 calories, and lifted 35,000 pounds.

And another one bites the dust!

Do you hear that familiar 80's music jingling in your ear? Well, that's what I heard in my head this morning, except I replaced the word 'one,' with 'pound' . And another pound bites the dust!! Oh yeah, I'm down another pound. Putting me just one pound up from my lowest weight yet. It's going to feel soooooo good to finally pass up 169.5. Can I make it happen within the next few days? I don't know, but I'm really going to work hard at it.

Thursday: 1,294 calories, and 19 glasses of water. I did 60 minutes of cardio, burning 838 calories, and lifted 73,000 pounds.

Digesting Myself

What is weight loss? We start off with billions of fat cells in our body, cells that are absolutely stretched and stuffed with fatty acids. They warm us and give us energy when we need it, they keep us from starvation, but what about when we have too many, like hundreds of pounds of extra fat? Then we have to eat it. We literally have to finish what we started.

The fat that resides in our bodies, lining our tissues, strangling our organs, pressing outward all the time is the result of excessive meals and snacks that have gone into long-term storage in our bodies. Eventually it becomes time to eat what's in the chest freezer rather than dining out. Do you have a storage freezer and you only touch what's on the top? Only the stuff that you can dig out? The stuff that's been in there for five years, that stuff just stays in there. You just put the new stuff on top of it. Well, it's time to clean house.

So we decide eat less, and we move more and our own body utilizes that stuff in storage. It eats it. It dines heartily on it. It is a great food source, the best food for your muscles and it has been sitting there waiting for you. The ultimate zipock baggie. This stuff keeps forever. But it doesn't satisfy your sweet tooth, it doesn't fill you up and the method for getting it used takes work.

What are the results? Less organ fat. Less fat in the legs, the trunk and the arms equals the ability to move better and faster. Then the time comes when you become able to eat even more heartily of your own deep freeze fat. You can now move even harder, work longer, stoke the fires of your own metabolism. Picture it like the scene from Titanic. The workers in the belly of the ship, shoveling coal into the red hot furnaces of the ship to keep the speed up. That's your metabolism. You keep feeding it coal (fat) and keep your muscles working and they use up that coal.

Pretty soon, as you lose the fat, your muscles will still be shoveling and you will need to eat more in addition to what's getting burned up, now is the time to buy the best grade of fuel that you can, no more crap take-out junk. No more empty calories, no artificially created concoctions like soda and partially hydrogenated goop. Consume healthy, whole foods that make every bite count toward keeping your furnace burning. Drink only pure water and lots of it. Keep digesting yourself, rather than storing coal back in the bunkers.

What's your fuel today?

Quote of the week!

Yesterday I got my hair done, and this is what my hairdresser said upon seeing me;' Wow, you have obviously made your goal! You look soooo great! I did wear my "long and lean jeans", and a nice blouse. But no, said I, I still have about eleven pounds to go. Talk about making my day. : ) I may just wear those jeans every single day now... or, at least until they get too big. : )

Wednesday: 1,569 calories, and 10 glasses of water. No Y today, it was my mom's Birthday and I took her out. AND, not a single bite of chocolate cake! Thank you very much.

Left, Right, Left, Right, Left...

Okay, I still don't love running yet but I'm sticking with my commitment. We have class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, a mandatory long run on the weekend, and a training schedule which requires a social run on Wednesdays and optional run on Friday. In theory, if I just ran in class and blew off the rest, no one would ever know. Except me. So I'm sticking with it.

Last week in class I did fine. I could keep up with my group (which is an intermediate group between the beginning running I signed up for and the advanced running group that's way out of my league) and felt fine. Then came Tuesday, when everybody in my group except me was moved to a different instructor and stayed at the same level. I kept the same instructor but was given a bunch of new classmates who are much better than I am. It was tough to keep pace, but my stubborn streak would not let me come in last.

(Plus, did I mention that these people are running fools? It was raining buckets Tuesday so we just ran a little farther than before. I went home covered in mud and absolutely drenched. I have never run before while going "squish, squish, squish.")

Yesterday I skipped the social run but went to the Y instead where I stuck with the training program. No slacking off. As it turns out, I was more than able to hang with it and felt pretty good running on the treadmill next to people who could only walk.

So, we'll see how today goes, but so far so good.

With my feet to the floor and love to you all,

Lisa

Anyone know a good vet?

The child with an anxious face ran up to me. "Do you know any good vets? Seriously!" I looked at him and with a worried face I said, "Is there a hurt animal?"

The child raised up his arms and made popeye fists, forcing his little boy biceps as large as they could be, "I have some sick pythons!"

Just a tad of comic relief from yours truly!

Sometimes I feel as if I am the only one who fails. It is as if I hate to talk about trying another method to lose weight so I can fail at that too. I guess I will put it out here and give it another go.



This past year, I have not lost weight nor have I gained weight. I have learned so much about me and why and how I have gained so much weight. I guess I needed this time to really make some spiritual and emotional changes before I could begin to make eating changes.



I rejoined Weight Watchers four weeks ago and have lost 5 pounds. I have not gotten back to the gym since we are swimming every day. As soon as we can no longer swim, I will get back to working out inside. I will miss the pool but have discovered an indoor pool in our area that we can go to during the fall and winter months. I am using it as a 'carrot' to entice the twins into doing their school work.



Weight watchers has worked for me in the past. I do not do well left to my own devices. I need the accountability of paying that weekly fee. I guess I am driven by money. I like counting what I eat and knowing when to stop and when I can eat something else. I like the meetings and have found a leader who is an encourager and funny to boot. I can go when Honey is home so I don't have to worry about the kiddos.

Emotional Rollercoaster.

I have almost made it to 6o pounds!! Physically I am feeling great. Emotionally I am up and down a lot. I am feeling the effects of not being able to go to my comfort friend when I am stressed and that is stressing me out more. I really am missing my old friend right now. It's funny, I see this friend all day long. Every time that I have to fix my family something to eat or when I have to eat, I see it. When I drive down the street, I see it. Have you ever realized how many places there are to eat in one block. It is not that my life is that stressful, it is just the fact that I am not dealing with lives normal stresses very well. The joy of raising kids that are very independent and very strong minded is stressful to me. They take after me, I was just like them. Sorry Mom!! We butt heads a lot, which is my fault. I am taking things to seriously. I need to let things go, which is easier said than done. It does help just writing it down. You guys are a inspiration to me. It does help when I can't cheat, if I do I get sick, which is not very fun. I now that food is not my friend, it is my evil nemesis. I need food to survive only, which is what I am doing. I am not physically hungry at all, it is all in my head.
Kristina, you are right, we are very emotional beings. Men have to suppress there nature of fight. Women need to suppress there emotional state to a point.
It is fun to see my clothes get loser and loser. I am between sizes right now, which is hard, because I am wearing clothes that are baggy. It is nice having more energy.
Thanks for letting me babble. :)

I'm back down another two pounds!

I've lost five of the seven pounds that I had gained, and I'm feeling in complete control again, thankfully. We are such emotional creatures, aren't we? Soooo, I'm just two pounds up from my lowest weight yet. I'm going to get there again, and I'm going to pass it up. I AM going to get to my goal, it is only 11.5 pounds away. I AM going to get there. And no one is going stop me.

Saturday: 2,200 calories, and 10 glasses of water. I ran 45 minutes on the treadmill, burning 618 calories, and we took the boys on a four mile hike as well!

Sunday: 1,864 calories, and 7 glasses of water. I did 20 minutes of cardio, burning 315 calories, and lifted 38,400 pounds.

Monday: 1,539 calories, and 13 glasses of water. Y was closed today, but I did take a two mile walk.

Tuesday: 1,619 calories, and 11 glasses of water. I did one hour of cardio, burning 895 calories, and lifted 14,000 pounds.

Second Day back on Prism

Hello, girls. I have a headache. A wonderful sugar withdrawl headache. It's a headache of faithful proportions. I have been faithful for two days in a row...no sugar, limited calories, no white flour....I am back on the band wagon and I am tooting my horn. I set a new goal with my friend Jenny today, too. (She used to post here, if some of you remember her). There is a spa we like to go to. It is the Olympic spa and it is a women's only spa. You get completely naked and you can go in these amazing, beautiful hot tubs of varying degrees of heat and you can go into a wet sauna or a dry one. Then you wear a robe in the rest of the place and you can go into these heated, quiet, peaceful rooms and pray or just rest or whisper....it is an unbelievable treat. They even have a gourmet restaurant there with healthy smoothies and Asian cuisine. YUM. Jenny and I went last February and it was a dream....so here is our goals. Jenny has just 10 lbs. to go to get to her goal, I have 20-25. When she hits her 5 lbs. lost and I get into the 150's we are going. Then when we hit our ultimate goals, we are going to the spa again and our husbands are going to pay for us to get a body scrub. This is big time pampering. Jenny, it's you and me girl. I honestly don't have that many friends who are willing to "shed it all" with me and go to this spa. Anyone else game?????

Jules